Hollywood Heat

Hollywood Heat, designed by John Trudeau and released in June 1986 by Premier Technology under the Gottlieb trade name, is a solid example of mid-1980s solid-state pinball, running on the Gottlieb System 80B platform with 3,400 units confirmed produced. The concept came from Jeff Walker, with software by John Buras and artwork by Don Marshall and Larry Day, and the game was advertised as the first to use 8-digit scoring.

At its core, Hollywood Heat is built around a 3-ball multiball, supported by four flippers, three slingshots, seven standup targets, two 3-bank drop target sets, two kick-out holes, two ramps, a captive ball, and a rollunder. Its cleverest mechanical twist is a pop bumper physically isolated from the ball in play, which can only be struck by the captive ball. During multiball, "remote trip" drop targets link the two banks: dropping a target on one set causes a target to drop on the other.

The game's fictional Miami-flavored theme is anchored by a photographic translite showing Ocean Drive at 13th Street in Miami Beach, Florida. Artist Don Marshall recalled that one of the hotel's neon lights was burned out at the time of the shoot; it was retouched to appear working, though only the two actually working lights reflect on the car's hood. Weighing a measured 239 pounds with legs, Hollywood Heat remains an engaging artifact of Premier's Gottlieb years.