Thunder Man

Thunder Man, manufactured by Apple Time of Italy in 1987, is a solid state electronic (SS) pinball machine with an adventurous, fictional theme. The artwork is credited to Michele "Mike" Martinelli, and IPDB notes the art resembles Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken character from "Escape from New York."

Thunder Man boasts an impressive array of gameplay elements, including three flippers, two pop bumpers, two slingshots, and a range of targets such as standup, a 3-bank drop target, a spinning target, and star rollovers. The machine also features a horseshoe lane, kick-out hole, and left side kicker lane, all contributing to its engaging gameplay experience for up to four players. The presence of Italian speech adds an interesting layer to the overall atmosphere.

The machine uses 8-digit LED displays for scoring, reflective of late-1980s solid-state pinball technology. IPDB notes the playfield layout is similar to Premier's 1985 'Bounty Hunter,' and that the pictured game uses Zaccaria-style boards with Gottlieb-style playfield mechanisms. As one of the lesser-known machines from this period, Thunder Man offers a glimpse into Italian pinball manufacturing of the era.