Atari's Hercules Pinball Is Terrible!

[VectorGamer]

I got to play Hercules at Hersheypark this past weekend. Man this pin sucks. Action is slow and the flippers on the machine I was playing were weak - I couldn't get the ball up to the top of the playfield.

 

Look at the size of the ball - it's about the size of a skeeball:

 

It's an attractive cabinet, but I wouldn't try to find room for this in my basement even if it were given to me for free in working condition:

 

Here's a video someone did:

[Keatah]

Yup. The speed of the game is tied directly to the size of the ball. And that cannot be changed unless a radical (cubed) increase in power is used to push it around. Then you need more durable parts. It all balloons out of control. Remember those Tomy pocket pinball games and how stupid fast the micro-sized ball bearings would shoot around?

 

I played Hercules ONE time in a Six Flags arcade back in the day. I was impressed by the size, but game play was nothing to write home about.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=tomy+pocket+pinball&biw=1024&bih=623&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNzLzHvaXNAhUEw4MKHZRoAK8Q_AUIBygC

[Chuck D. Head]

I saw it at Seattle Gameroom Expo a few years back, but couldn't get a chance on it. Even the guy who I think was the owner of the machine said, "everybody wants to play it once, nobody wants to play it twice".

[Crimefighter]

The flippers should be strong enough to send it up to the top end of the playfield. My guess is the flippers need a tuneup. I have played it at Pinball Expo.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Yeah always seemed more of a gimmick, being a HUGE pinball machine but that sure did not improve or add anything play wise. I recall seeing it many years ago in a Arcade at the base of the CN Tower in Toronto.

[Keatah]

I was almost afraid to play it. Not in that it would blow up in my face, but that I couldn't handle it. It being so big and all that.

 

I do recall watching my buddies play, one commanding the left side, the other the right.

[Austin]

It's a novel concept for sure, but the only one I played also had the same issue. I bet you could replace the ball with something similarly shaped that is lighter. I agree with another statement though, the flippers probably need a tuneup. However, my guess is this thing doesn't exactly use normal flipper mechanisms.. I wonder how easy parts are to source on these?

[scotty]

I have played it many times over the year. I can honestly say, I have played no less than a dozen separate machines. Cedar Point still has two of them. I enjoy the game for what it is. A novelty. It will never be as fast as Black Knight, but it can still be a fun game.

[atarian63]

I liked it and would

D love to have one for the novelty

[Fafaflunkie]

I remember playing this machine back when I was around 13. They had three of these set up in an arcade at Canada's Wonderland. Cost 75¢ to play (back in the early 80s--rather costly game to play back then.) And yes, it did suck. There was no real game play value, and with a machine that size and a stature (mine that is) that small meant for not much nudging and a waste of 75¢