Xenon (pinball)
| Manufacturer | Bally Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Release date | November 1980 |
| System | Bally AS-2518-35 |
| Model # | 1196-E |
| Players | 4 |
| Design | Greg Kmiec |
| Artwork | Paul Faris |
| Music | Suzanne Ciani |
| Sound | Suzanne Ciani |
| Voices | Suzanne Ciani |
| Production run | 11,000 |
Xenon is a 1980 pinball machine designed by Greg Kmiec and released by Bally. The game was not only the first talking pinball table by Bally, but also the first with a female voice.[1]
Description
The voice for the female robot theme[2] was provided by Suzanne Ciani who also composed the music of the game.[1] The seductive voice is for example saying "Try Xeeeeenon" in attraction mode[3] or responds to bumper hits with some "Oooh" and "Aaah" moaning sound effects.[2]
Xenon consists of dominant blue artwork e.g. blue bumper caps, plastic posts and bluish light that gives the game a futuristic xenon theme.[4] A red post is used as a signature design element by Greg Kmiec.[5]
The tube shot is the most prominent playfield feature and transports the ball from the upper-right side of the playfield to the middle-left side of the playfield. It consists of a clear acrylic tube with a string of small lights.[4] This mechanism is protected by a patent.[6]
An episode of Omni: The New Frontier has a segment that talks about the creation of the game's audio.[7]
Reception
In a retro review, Pinball Mag called the artwork legendary.[8]
Digital versions
Xenon was one of twelve titles included in the 2006 digital arcade game cabinet UltraPin.[9]
The table was released for The Pinball Arcade in May 2015,[10] and was available for purchase on several platforms until the developer's license to include Williams and Bally tables expired in July 2018.[11]
See also
References
- ^ a b "The Ciani Xenon Project". Seventh Wave TV. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Xenon - Pinball by Bally Manufacturing Co".
- ^ "Jeff's Pinball Pages".
- ^ a b "1980 Bally "XENON"". Seventh Wave TV. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "The Kmiec Red Post". www.jeff-z.com. 2018. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- ^ US 4354680, Kmiec, Gregory E., "Pinball game including elevated ball pathway", published 1980-10-29, issued 1982-10-19
- ^ "Omni-Suzanne Ciani - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2013-07-06.
- ^ Vain, Syl (2022-07-21). "Xenon pinball machine | Bally | Review". Nudge Pinball. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ^ Gerson, Mitch (September 2008). "GameRoom News". GameRoom. No. 20. p. 9.
- ^ Cunningham, James (2015-05-24). "The Pinball Arcade Adds Xenon, New Physics". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
- ^ Lawson, Aurich (2018-05-08). "The Pinball Arcade is losing its classic tables; grab them while you can". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
External links
- IPDB listing for Xenon
- Kineticist listing for Xenon
- Xenon by Suzanne Ciani: a complete collection of Suzanne Ciani’s pioneering musical effects for Xenon