Sega’s Apollo 13 pinball turns 25 this year!
And yet another anniversary: it is now 50 years since the launch of the Apollo 13 in Cape Canaverel from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39, Pad A. Their mission was to land on the Moon. However, they suffered an oxygen tank explosion en route to the Moon, threatening the lives of three astronauts— James A. Lovell, Jr., Fred W. Haise and John L. Swigert. The three men finally moved into the lunar modul, which would serve as a lifeboat and they finally got back to Earth only following extraordinary hardhips.
About their heroic mission a movie was made in 1995 with the same title. The same year Sega launched the Apollo 13 pinball machine. The biggest appeal of the game is its Multiball, where thirteen balls are unloaded onto the playfield. The crew on the backglass is from the movie – Kevin Bacon (Jack Swigert), Bill Paxton (Fred Haise), and Gary Sinise (Ken Mattingly, the 4th member who finally didn’t make it to the space). Tom Hanks (James Lovell) cannot be seen, due to licensing issues. So, when playing Apollo 13, just picture Tom Hanks’s face beyond the shining helmet glass of the fourth figure.. 🙂 Btw, this pinball is also notable for its 13-ball multiball mode, the largest of any pinball machine.
We hope we all can have a tremendous birthday party with the Apollo 13 pinball at the museum, as soon as possible!
