Mike Bossy the Scoring Machine
 | |
| Manufacturer | Game Plan |
|---|---|
| Release date | Prototype: January 1982 |
| System | Game Plan MPU-2 |
| Design | Ed Cebula |
| Artwork | Larry Day |
| Concept | Gil Pollock |
| Production run | 1 |
Mike Bossy The Scoring Machine is a 1982 Game Plan pinball machine which was only manufactured as a prototype, featuring New York Islanders ice hockey star Mike Bossy.[1] There was only a single machine produced.[2]
Design
[edit]The game has a "two-layer deep backglass";[1] the rear layer has a soft portrait of Bossy, and the front transparent layer depicts Bossy skating and has the game title, with the logo of the New York Islanders in the "O".[2]
The playfield is designed to resemble half a ice hockey rink.[1] Mike Bossy is shown, along with opposition players who appear to be from the Boston Bruins team.[2] The backbox has seven digit score displays.[3]
The player can choose between the United States, Canadian, and English national anthems.[4] The game was advertised as "The hockey game you play like a pin ball game."[4] but it really just played like a pinball machine.[5]
In 2012, the machine was owned by collector Jeremy Fleitz who bought it as only a populated playfield and backglasses, creating a custom cabinet. The ROM's were unavailable so a basic ruleset was rewritten using Z80 assembly language.[5]
Layout
[edit]The game has three lanes at the top right, above a fairly open playfield. A lane on the left allows access back to the upper lanes. Below this is a bank of four drop-targets with a target that moves from side-to-side; this simulates a hockey goal net. Slightly below this are two widely spaced thumper bumpers. On the far right is a kick-out hole and small flipper. Five targets are at the sides of the playfield.[3]
Gameplay
[edit]At the start of the game are nine seconds of "warm-up ice-time" before scoring begins. Hitting targets illuminates lights in M-I-K-E B-O-S-S-Y on the middle of the playfield. The primary objective is to score goals, which act like a score multiplier.[3] The game can show up to 9 goals scored by each player;[4] when a goal is scored a light flashes, and a siren sounds.[2]
The game is over when the picture of Mike Bossy on the backglass lights up.[4]
Reception
[edit]Roger Sharpe reviewed the game for Play Meter, awarding it 1.25/4, stating it was "a case of trial and error, where the later won out".[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Shalhoub, Michael (2012). The pinball compendium: 1982 to present (revised and expanded 2nd ed.). Atglen, Pa: Schiffer Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7643-4107-6.
- 1 2 3 4 "FEATURE: Game Plan and the Mike Bossy Scoring Machine". CREDIT DOT. 2014-06-25. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Sharpe, Roger (February 15, 1982). "Critic's Corner". Play Meter. Vol. 8, no. 4. pp. 71–72. ISSN 0162-1343.
- 1 2 3 4 "Internet Pinball Machine Database: Game Plan 'Mike Bossy The Scoring Machine' flyer (reverse)". ipdb.org. Game Plan. 1982. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
- 1 2 "Specialty collectors: Jeremy Fleitz". Pinball Magazine. No. 1. 2016. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-90-816266-0-6.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
External links
[edit]- Mike Bossy the Scoring Machine at the Internet Pinball Database
- Unofficial website