I recently created a new social media account for Knapp Arcade over on the app Bluesky. Regardless of what happens with that, I’m already thrilled that I signed up for the site because I found an account from a former Bally Williams employee that is sharing an absolute treasure trove of early development and prototype documents.
The account belongs to Louis Koziarz, coin-op industry veteran who worked for WMS Industries and Stern Pinball in the past. Pinside credits Louis as being on the design team for at least eleven different pinball machines from 1995 through 2007.
Thanks to Louis for sharing all of this awesome stuff! The stuff that he has been sharing on Bluesky has been absolutely amazing. I highly encourage you to check his account out.
Here's some of the highlights...
MADONNA PINBALL?
Williams Pinball's "Project #50027" code named "Limo" "was going to be a Madonna-themed pin, a Python/Mark Ritchie design, and a sequel to Taxi. The story I heard was that WMS took Madonna to court over her "Sex" book, which featured a picture of Ms. Ciccone being (ahem) "serviced" on top of a Taxi pin, W logo and all. The image is out there.
It was settled out of court. Williams earned the right to use her likeness on one future machine."
DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS
He also shared a bunch of cool development stuff from the creation of Williams' 1996 John Popadiuk game Tales of the Arabian Nights, including
Alternate cobra art for the side of the backbox that was ultimately replaced by a woman who was modeled after JPop's wife
A legal document pertaining to how the game's name "Arabian Nights" was owned by Wizards of the Coast aka the Dungeons and Dragons company. It was being used for an expansion set to the Company's Magic the Gathering product. They ultimately allowed Williams to use the name with the stipulation that they could only use it for coin op machines, and not for any computer games or simulations of pinball.
One document references a number of "Experimental Games." The list included Pat Lawlor's Safe Cracker, which eventually made it to production. It also mentions a game called "Armed and Dangerous" by George Gomez, which I believe was going to be a sequel to Hyperball where players shot at various tanks and other objects on the playfield. I want to know what "Haunted House" was going to be?
It's also interesting to see the "Contract" games that Williams worked on, such as Leland Corporation's Dragon's Lair II.
VARIOUS INTERNAL DOCUMENTS
There's also a bunch of random internal project scheduling documents. One of which includes proof that the rumored Williams remake of Capcom's Big Bang Bar (BBB) was indeed in the works when the company folded. It was on the schedule right after Cactus Canyon. Ultimately, work on Cactus Canyon was cut short...hence the incomplete code on the originals and Williams' last project, Pinball 2000 was rolled out instead of BBB.
I have a lot of other pinball odds and ends to write about, but once I got started on this awesome pinball history it kind of took over the article lol, so I'll save those for later this week.
P.S. if you want to follow Knapp Arcade in Bluesky, here's a link:
A bunch of images and documents from the development of TOTAN:
Early sketches of a potential Madonna Pinball Machine:
Prototype Madonna pinball backglass art, as seen at the Australian Pinball Museum, courtesy of Lyndon Carter.
Various Documents:
A company Holiday Card:
