Scared Stiff (pinball)

Scared Stiff is a 1996 pinball game designed by Dennis Nordman and released by Midway (under the Bally label), featuring horror show-hostess Elvira. It is the follow-up to 1989's Elvira and the Party Monsters, also designed by Nordman.

Scared Stiff
ManufacturerMidway
Release dateSeptember 1996
SystemMidway WPC-95
DesignDennis Nordman, Mark Weyna
ProgrammingMike Boon, Cameron Silver
ArtworkGreg Freres
MechanicsWin Schilling, Bob Brown, Joe Loveday
SoundPaul Heitsch, Dave Zabriskie
VoicesCassandra Peterson (Elvira)
Dots/AnimationAdam Rhine, Brian Morris
Production run4,028

Description

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The game features a B-movie horror theme. Players have to go through the Six Tales Of Terror to level up the Stiff-o-meter. These are: Eyes Of The Bony Beast, Terror From The Crate, the Stiff In The Coffin, the Monster's Lab, Night Of The Leapers, and the Return Of The Deadheads.[1] The interactive backbox contains a player controlled spinning spider. It is used to collect unique features and start special modes. Scared Stiff uses the DCS Sound System.[2]

Scared Stiff was exhibited at the 1996 AMOA show in Dallas, with Cassandra Peterson present in her Elvira identity to promote the game.[3]

When Scared Stiff was introduced in 1996, it was designed to have moving rubber boogieman figures mounted over the slingshots. These were designed to move forward with the kicker each time the ball hit the slingshot. The game's ROM also allowed for the boogiemen to 'dance' to the music during the Boogie Man Boogie mode by kicking with the music. Very late in production, this feature was removed because the figures' arms were thought to eventually break off. An opening between the feet of the slingshot plastics is still present on all production machines, as well as an entry in the game's manual about the feature. Additionally, the code in the machine's ROM supports the feature. Because of this, many hobbyists have added the boogiemen figure modifications to their machines.[4][5]

Digital version

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Scared Stiff was available as a licensed table of The Pinball Arcade for several platforms until June 30, 2018.

References

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  1. ^ "Scared Stiff". GamePro. No. 100. IDG. January 1997. p. 70.
  2. ^ "Bally: Scared Stiff!". www.planetarypinball.com.
  3. ^ "AMOA: Are Driving Games Passing Fighters as the Arcade Leaders?". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 89. Ziff Davis. December 1996. p. 136.
  4. ^ "Scared Stiff Pinball Dancing Boogiemen Kit". www.freeplayamusements.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-09.
  5. ^ "Boogie Men Extensions". www.robertwinter.com.
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