Fire!

Fire! is an innovative and challenging solid-state electronic pinball machine designed by Barry Oursler from a concept and artwork by Mark Sprenger, manufactured by Williams Electronics Games starting in June 1987. Running on the Williams System 11A platform, this 4-player firefighting game had a production run of roughly 7,697 units. Its playfield is packed with 15 standup targets, three moving ramps, two horseshoe lanes, and four slingshots — and, unusually, no pop bumpers at all.

The central gameplay hook is fighting fires: the player must rapidly "put out fires" that appear in various places on the playfield by completing target banks or making lit shots. These objectives award points boosted by the Fire Multiplier shown in the upper playfield inserts; each ball starts at the maximum 10x, and the multiplier counts down each time a fire is not put out within a timed interval. A rotating color cylinder under the playfield simulates a building on fire, the ends of the large horseshoe lane are guarded by ramps that raise and lower to deliver balls to locks, and a raising ramp in the upper playfield opens an elevated shot for multiball. A ringing bell mounted atop the backbox and speech round out the presentation, with music and sound by Chris Granner, Brian Schmidt, and Rich Karstens.

Fire!'s score display fire effects proved memorable enough that they were later reused on Midway's 1989 Transporter the Rescue and 1990 Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball. A limited upgraded version, the Fire! Champagne Edition, was also produced with a hand-stained cabinet and mechanical backbox flame animation, making the Fire! family a distinctive entry in Williams' late-1980s lineup.