Fish Tales

Fish Tales is a beloved pinball machine designed by Mark Ritchie and released in October 1992 by Williams Electronics Games. Built on the Williams WPC platform with Fliptronics 2, this fishing-themed game was a major commercial hit with a confirmed production run of 13,640 units. The concept came from Mark Ritchie, Python Anghelo, and Pat McMahon, with artwork by McMahon, music and sound by Chris Granner, and software by Mark Penacho.

The gameplay experience is defined by fast criss-cross ramps, a rollunder spinner, a captive ball, and multiball fed by the game's signature toy: a rotary fishing reel ball lock, with a ball-launching catapult beside it. The autoplunger is shaped like a fishing rod, and the moving fish topper on the backbox — sculpted by Jerry Pinsler — wags tauntingly above the action, driving home the tall-tale fishing theme.

A few details make Fish Tales especially interesting to collectors. The flippers have a lightning bolt pattern molded into them and are reportedly 1/8 inch shorter than standard Williams flippers; designer Mark Ritchie stated that European distributors had wanted a shorter flipper. The game's voices were provided by Mark Ritchie, Steve Ritchie, Jim Gentile, Chris Granner, and possibly others, adding a personal touch from the design team to one of the most enduring fan favorites of the early WPC era.