Also known as RK
1986 · Williams
Road Kings
Known for ROAD targets, KINGS targets, Lock saucers and Raised right ramp. Blazing orange-red sunset sky with dark smoke clouds, jagged silhouetted city skyscrapers and a tall spire on the horizon, dark rocky ruined ground and a road receding to a vanishing point and cool blue-grey night strip along the very bottom of the glass.
- Year
- 1986
- Maker
- Williams
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Target
ROAD targets
- Target
KINGS targets
- saucer
Lock saucers
- Ramp
Raised right ramp
- Multiball
Road Kings multiball
- Goal
Time Lock
On the playfield
- red
- orange
- black
- white
- 2 flippers
- 5 pop bumpers
- 2 slingshots
Ramp 1
- Raised right ramp
Hole 1
- Lock saucers saucer
Drop target 1
- Center drop target
Targets 2
- ROAD targets
- KINGS targets
Kickback 1
- Left out lane kickback
Lane 1
- 1-2-3-4 lanes
On the backglass
Who and what
- creature Left foreground motorcyclist, enormous, dark green-black studded and riveted jacket, purple-to-teal iridescent full-face helmet with a glowing blue star-shaped lens on the brow, a pale grinning face visible in the dark visor below, huge square yellow-green headlamp set into the chest, red front fender over a fat black tyre, black gloved hands on the bars
- creature Right foreground motorcyclist, larger still, all-black studded leather, chrome skull-like face mask with round goggle eyes and a grille of metal teeth, riveted tank with a second square yellow-green headlamp, red fender, thick treaded front tyre, a blue-white beam of light crossing the helmet
- man Small figure behind the left rider's shoulder, long dark hair, dark helmet, pale face, black clothing
- man Centre background warrior in orange-gold armour with a pale crested helmet, arms forward, on a bike with a third square yellow-green headlamp
- man Small figure to the right of the warrior in a blue helmet, mostly obscured
- other Far left, a pack of four or five small motorcyclists in dark helmets with lit white headlamps, riding along the dark road
Setting
- Blazing orange-red sunset sky with dark smoke clouds
- Jagged silhouetted city skyscrapers and a tall spire on the horizon
- Dark rocky ruined ground and a road receding to a vanishing point
- Cool blue-grey night strip along the very bottom of the glass
Text on it
- W
- Williams
- ROAD KINGS
- TM
- GAME
- SHOT
- BALL IN
- MATCH
- OVER
- AGAIN
- PLAY
- DO NOT
- PUT DRINKS OR FOOD
- ON THE GAMES!
- Thank you!
- GAME NOT WORKING?
- Scan this code to report a problem
- ROAD KINGS copyright 1986 WILLIAMS ELECTRONIC GAMES, INC.
How it plays
-
Multiballs 1
- Road Kings multiball
-
Goals 2
- Time Lock
- Detour
-
Awards 3
- Mega Score
- Eject Bonus
- Hold Bonus
Made by
- Design
- Mark Ritchie
- Art
- Tim Elliott
- Software
- George Petro
- Music
- Bill Parod
- Music
- Chris Granner
Reference
Linked terms
- Lock saucers also called locks
- Time Lock also called Time Lock jackpot
- Hold Bonus also called Bonus Holdover
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- red
- orange
- black
- white
Fingerprint: Black card displays ROAD KINGS in bold red-white lettering over skull drawing, five red pop bumpers arranged in arc, long central numbered drop target ladder 1 through 10, orange chevron side rail inserts, red winged W emblem on apron center
The most memorable element is the ROAD KINGS title in chunky red letters with white highlights on a black rules card, paired with the grinning crash-helmeted skull drawing. Behind the five skull-crowned red pop bumpers the backbox glass shows flaming orange artwork and a pair of spinning orange reels. A long ladder of numbered round drop targets (1 through 10) runs down a pale grey/yellow central wedge, flanked by two large orange arrow inserts pointing inward. The apron carries a red winged 'W' crest between MADE IN and U.S.A.
Setting
- Fiery orange sunset sky
- Dark pit-of-hell crash scene with jagged black rocks
- Yellow drag-strip lane
- Backbox artwork visible through the glass at the top
- Cream and wood-grain cabinet sides
Symbols
- Pink-red starburst inserts
- Round numbered drop targets 1-10
- Two large orange inward-pointing arrow inserts
- Orange chevron inserts along the wooden side rails
- Black 10x disc
- Red winged w crest
- Line-art skull
- Flames
- Playfield arrow guides
Notable shapes
- Long tapered central wedge carrying the 1-10 numbered target ladder
- Five pop bumpers in a tight arc behind curved metal ramp guides
- Two triangular slingshots forming a v at the bottom
- Orange chevron-bordered wooden side rails
- Starburst-shaped pink inserts clustered right of centre
- White rectangular target frames on both lower quadrants
Art motifs
- Airbrushed hot-rod illustration
- Comic-book bone/skeletal figures
- Flame and explosion bursts
- Chevron and starburst insert patterns
- Burnt orange and crimson sunburst background
Themes
- Hot rod
- Motorcycle
- Drag racing
- Biker
- Crash and stunt
- Counter-culture
Title on it
- Road kings
Text on it
- ROAD KINGS
- STATUS REPORT
- EITHER BUTTON
- LANE CHANGE
- ADVANCES LANES
- 1-2-3-4
- MADE IN
- U.S.A.
- OWNED AND OPERATED BY:
- PAC
- PITTSBURGH ARCADE COLLECTIVE
- Williams
- DESIGN & CONCEPT - MARK R. PITCHER
- ARTWORK - SEAN McKAY & J. PALMER
- LANE CHANGE SERVES A BIG TIME BALL WHEN LIT
- PERFECT STAND
- SUPER VALUE
- 10X
- RAMP WINS BONUS
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Skeleton | A grinning cartoon skull in a crash helmet, drawn in white line art on the black road kings rules card on the lower left apron |
| Vehicle | A small orange/red car or truck illustration on the right side of the playfield near the outlane, surrounded by flames |
| Monster | Black silhouetted rocky/spiky shapes forming a grim backdrop behind the central drop-target lane, like a wall of jagged coal or a crowd of dark figures |
| Other | A red winged circular crest with a bold 'w' letter inside, printed on the apron centre between made in and u.s.a. |
| Other | A yellow winged motorcycle emblem near the top of the playfield behind the pop bumpers |
Portrait photograph of a whole pinball playfield under glass, shot straight down with the apron visible at the bottom. The art is a hotrod-meets-biker-crash story in crimson and orange: a yellow central lane strip runs from a ladder of round drop targets up to five red pop bumpers, backed by a flaming orange sky and jagged black rock shapes. On the left apron a black card reads ROAD KINGS in heavy red-and-white block lettering over a line-art drawing of a grinning skull in a crash helmet. On the right, LANE CHANGE in black caps with a right-pointing arrow, ADVANCES LANES and 1-2-3-4 beneath. Between them sits a red winged 'W' emblem with MADE IN and U.S.A. flanking it. Orange chevron inserts run along the wooden side rails, with five pink-red starburst inserts right of centre, a black 10X disc, a small truck graphic near the right outlane, and white-bordered drop-target banks. Two flippers sit low and centre with metal guides. Dominant colours: crimson red, orange, black, white. Style is airbrushed comic hotrod illustration.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- orange
- black
- yellow-green
- red
Fingerprint: Two enormous armoured motorcyclists charging forward, left wearing purple-to-teal iridescent helmet with blue star lens and yellow-green headlamp, right with chrome skull mask and teeth grille, ROAD KINGS title in olive-grey block letters, red seven-segment score windows, post-apocalyptic scene with orange sunset sky
The two colossal armoured motorcyclists charging forward, the right one wearing a chrome skull mask with goggle eyes and a grille of teeth. A huge square yellow-green headlamp sits in each bike's chest or tank area like a second face. A grinning face is hidden in the left rider's dark visor beneath the blue star lens. A blazing orange apocalyptic sky with black city towers behind them. Small panels of white asterisk glyphs instead of normal instruction text.
Setting
- Blazing orange-red sunset sky with dark smoke clouds
- Jagged silhouetted city skyscrapers and a tall spire on the horizon
- Dark rocky ruined ground and a road receding to a vanishing point
- Cool blue-grey night strip along the very bottom of the glass
Symbols
- White asterisk star glyphs filling the instruction panels
- 7-segment led digit readouts
- Blue five-pointed star lens on the left helmet
- Qr code on the white notice sticker
- Tm symbol beside the title
Lettering
- Chunky irregular stone-like block capitals, olive-grey with a pale highlight, heavy black outline, stacked road over kings; above it a black circle with a gold w and the word williams in flowing script
Themes
- Motorcycling
- Post-apocalyptic
- Burned-out city skyline
- Sunset
- Armour and weapons
- Biker gang
Title on it
- Road kings
Text on it
- W
- Williams
- ROAD KINGS
- TM
- GAME
- SHOT
- BALL IN
- MATCH
- OVER
- AGAIN
- PLAY
- DO NOT
- PUT DRINKS OR FOOD
- ON THE GAMES!
- Thank you!
- GAME NOT WORKING?
- Scan this code to report a problem
- ROAD KINGS copyright 1986 WILLIAMS ELECTRONIC GAMES, INC.
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Creature | Left foreground motorcyclist, enormous, dark green-black studded and riveted jacket, purple-to-teal iridescent full-face helmet with a glowing blue star-shaped lens on the brow, a pale grinning face visible in the dark visor below, huge square yellow-green headlamp set into the chest, red front fender over a fat black tyre, black gloved hands on the bars |
| Creature | Right foreground motorcyclist, larger still, all-black studded leather, chrome skull-like face mask with round goggle eyes and a grille of metal teeth, riveted tank with a second square yellow-green headlamp, red fender, thick treaded front tyre, a blue-white beam of light crossing the helmet |
| Man | Small figure behind the left rider's shoulder, long dark hair, dark helmet, pale face, black clothing |
| Man | Centre background warrior in orange-gold armour with a pale crested helmet, arms forward, on a bike with a third square yellow-green headlamp |
| Man | Small figure to the right of the warrior in a blue helmet, mostly obscured |
| Other | Far left, a pack of four or five small motorcyclists in dark helmets with lit white headlamps, riding along the dark road |
A wide landscape backglass, photographed in its wooden cabinet, showing a post-apocalyptic motorbike scene painted in a detailed, realistic airbrushed comic style. Two enormous armoured motorcyclists dominate the centre and right, riding straight toward the viewer: the left one wears a purple-to-teal iridescent full-face helmet with a bright blue star-shaped lens on the brow, a dark green-black studded jacket, and a huge square yellow-green glowing headlamp; the right one is bulkier, in black studded leather, with a chrome skull-like face mask with round goggle eyes and a grille of teeth, a studded fuel tank carrying a second square yellow-green headlamp, and a fat front tyre under a red fender. Behind them stand three smaller figures: a long-haired person in a dark helmet, a warrior in gold-orange armour with a pale crested helmet, and a small blue-helmeted rider. Far left, a pack of tiny motorcyclists with lit headlamps rides along a dark road under a blazing orange-red sunset sky over jagged city skyscrapers. The title logo sits top left in huge chunky olive-grey block letters with a black outline and a TM. Red-framed 7-segment score windows and star-symbol instruction panels run across the lower half.