Barracora

Barracora is a fascinating solid-state electronic pinball machine from Williams Electronics, manufactured in September 1981 on the Williams System 7 platform. The game was designed by Roger Sharpe and Steve Epstein, with Barry Oursler building up the whitewood from Sharpe's layout, and it had a confirmed production run of 2,350 units. Even its name has a story: artist Doug Watson originally called his creation 'Barracuda', but Williams president Mike Stroll felt that name had negative connotations, so Watson coined 'Barracora' on the spot as the name of the woman in his artwork.

Barracora boasts a range of features that keep the gameplay dynamic. Players can enjoy multiball action with both 2-ball and 3-ball modes, adding an extra layer of challenge and excitement. The layout includes two flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, two kick-out holes, three standup targets, a 5-bank and a 3-bank of drop targets, a spinning target, a horseshoe lane, and a rollunder. These mechanics work together to create an engaging and unpredictable game.

The artwork is one of Barracora's most distinctive elements. Inspired by Swiss artist H.R. Giger, Doug Watson drew a predatory fish morphing into a model's head 'against a landscape of teeth', and the backglass art invites comparison to Giger's painting 'Li I'. Watson even discreetly worked hidden 'Barracoras' into the playfield art, giving this fantasy-themed machine an unusually dark and striking visual identity for its era.