Machine history · Atari
Middle Earth Pinball
Middle Earth is an Atari widebody, solid-state pinball machine documented with a February 1978 manufacture date. It supports four players and uses electronic alphanumeric scoring.
Middle Earth: machine facts
- Manufactured
- February 1978
- Type
- Solid-state
- Display
- Electronic alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
- Cabinet
- Widebody
- Service manual
- TM-108, first printing
- Physical balls installed
- 1
Identity and production
Atari's TM-108 operation, maintenance and service manual identifies Middle Earth by name and documents its cabinet, playfield, backglass, processor boards and other model-specific assemblies. The manual includes setup and service instructions for shipped games, while the catalog record identifies the machine as an Atari model manufactured in February 1978. Together, these records support classification as an original production game.
Hardware
The catalog describes Middle Earth as a four-player widebody machine with solid-state electronics and an electronic alphanumeric display. Atari's manual documents a microcomputer system, processor and auxiliary circuit boards, gas-discharge score displays, electronically controlled lamps, solenoids and sound circuitry.
Setup and operation
Atari's installation instructions direct the operator to place the single game ball supplied in the cash box onto the playfield. Operator settings allow either three or five balls per game; this setting controls the number of plays allocated to each game rather than the number of physical balls installed.