Theatre of Magic [Model 50039]

31 Years old Pinball Midway Mfg. Co. [Schiller Park, IL, USA]

TECHNICAL

Midway WPC-Security
Model Number : 50039

Main CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 2 Mhz)
Sound CPU : ADSP2105 (@ 10 Mhz)
Sound Chips : DMA-driven DAC

TRIVIA

Released in March 1995. 6,600 units were produced.

In the Hidden Staircase animation, you can spot DOHO in the lower left corner.

A cow can be seen during the Metamorphosis mode.

The machine was once a prize offered in the UK version of The Price is Right in 2006, however the contestant was unsuccessful in winning it.

UPDATES

REVISION 1.0 (changes from prototype 0.8) :
Date : March 21, 1995
- Enhanced status report.
- Enhanced Skill Shot bad switch logic.
- Added French and Spanish translations.
- Enhanced ball search logic.

REVISION 1.1
Date : April 3, 1995
- Trunk is now searched first during ball search.
- Corrected the buy-in audit.

REVISION 1.2
Date : April 7, 1995
- Fixed Trunk Test. It was incorrectly detecting and marking errors.

REVISION 1.3
Date : August 9, 1995
- Correct a bug in the Multiball Lock logic where balls could not be locked after video pinball was played.
- The lockup device now behaves better when one of its switches is broken.
- Slingshots now disabled at game over.
- Fixed the logic on the outlane proximity switches. If a switch is stuck on, and Hocus Pocus is enabled, the magnet is no longer fired.

TIPS AND TRICKS

When you start a game, hold the left flipper button. The first Basement Award will now be Digital Pinball where player 1 plays for 40M, all other players play for Extra Ball.

Holding the right flipper button at the start of a game will activate MK3 Symbols. Spell THEATRE to reveal the symbols.

Shoot the Trunk 3 times in Hat Magic mode to make a telephone appear on the screen. 'Move your car' is heard from it.

STAFF

👥

Concept & Design : John Popadiuk (POP)
Artwork : Linda Deal (LTD)
Software : Jeff Johnson (JBJ)
DMD Animation : Adam Rhine (ASR), Brian Morris
Mechanics : Jack Skalon (JWS), Ernie Pizarro
Music & Sounds : Dave Zabriskie (ZAB)

PORTS

CONSOLES

Xbox 360 [Xbox Live] (Apr. 04, 2012) The Pinball Arcade
Sony PS3 [Sony PSN] (Apr. 10, 2012) The Pinball Arcade

COMPUTERS

MAC OS [Mac App Store] (2012)

OTHERS

Apple Store (Feb. 09, 2012) The Pinball Arcade
Android (Feb. 10, 2012) The Pinball Arcade

SOURCES

🔗

ROM dump (MAME).