The Shadow

The Shadow, designed by Brian Eddy for Midway (under the Bally trade name) in November 1994, brought the pulp-fiction and radio-serial hero to the pinball playfield with a design built around multiple interconnected mechanisms rather than raw speed. Two player-controlled ramp diverters, a magnetic ball lock that pulls the ball beneath the playfield, and a drop target guarding a vertical up-kicker all feed into the game's signature feature: an elevated 'Battlefield' mini-playfield reached by kicking the ball up a habitrail, where a flipper-controlled paddle with an optic sensor knocks the ball around.

Notably, The Shadow has no pop bumpers at all, relying instead on its ramps, diverters, and the Battlefield mechanism to keep the ball in play — an unusual choice for a Williams/Midway machine of the period. An electric, gun-shaped plunger handle and a thrust magnet round out the shooting mechanics, while voice actor Tim Kitzrow provided The Shadow's dialogue. Its licensed fictional-character theme followed in the footsteps of earlier Williams/Midway movie- and character-licensed titles rather than being a first of its kind.

With 4,247 confirmed units produced and artwork by Doug Watson, The Shadow is remembered today partly for a known reliability issue: a plastic gear beneath the Battlefield playfield was prone to breaking, prompting the manufacturer to issue a brass-gear repair kit.