View source for Safe Cracker (pinball)

{{Short description|1996 pinball machine}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox Pinball | title = ''Safe Cracker''
|image = Safecracker pinball.jpg
|manufacturer = [[Midway Games]]
|system = [[Williams Pinball Controller|Midway WPC-95]]
|designer = [[Pat Lawlor]]
|programmer = Matt Coriale
| artwork = John Youssi
| mechanics = John Krutsch, Carl Biagi
| music = [[Dan Forden]]
| sound = [[Dan Forden]]
|release = March 1996
|production = 1,148
}}

'''''Safe Cracker''''' is a [[pinball]] machine with a [[safecracking]] theme, designed by [[Pat Lawlor]], and distributed by Midway (under the ''[[Bally Technologies|Bally]]'' label). It was created in 1996. About 1148 were manufactured.

==Description==
''Safe Cracker'' differs from a standard pinball game in that the player is playing against the clock, as opposed to having a certain number of balls available. If the player loses a ball, as long as there is time left on the clock they can continue playing.

The machine is smaller in size than a standard pinball machine. The main objective of the game is to break into the [[bank vault|bank's safe]]. The game can be broken into 3 areas of play:

* The pinball playfield has numerous targets, the completion of which will allow entry into the bank via the rooftop, the cellar, or the front door.
* Once the player has entered the bank, the game changes to a [[boardgame]] that takes place on the backglass. Using the flipper buttons to make choices, the player spins a dial that is numbered 1 through 5 and moves their piece around the board while being chased by the security guard who rolls a six sided die. The object of this portion of the game is to advance to the center of the game board (where the safe is located) before being caught by the guard.<ref>{{Cite patent|country=US|number=5700008|title=Amusement device integrating games of skill and chance|pubdate=1997-02-07|gdate=1997-12-23|invent1=Lawlor|invent2=Coriale|inventor1-first=Patrick|inventor2-first=Matthew C}}</ref> If the player is successful, the game will eject a "magic token" from the bank vault for the player to catch as it rolls down the playfield glass.<ref>{{Cite patent|country=US|number=5651546|title=Amusement device reward system|pubdate=1996-02-14|gdate=1997-07-29|invent1=Lawlor|invent2=Coriale|inventor1-first=Patrick|inventor2-first=Matthew C}}</ref>
* After the player is done with the regular game, they can deposit their "magic token" into the token slot of the machine to activate a special game mode called "Assault on the Vault". In this frenzied 4-ball multiball mode, players have 90 seconds to hit as many drop target and ramp shots as possible to break into the bank vault.

==Digital versions==
''Safe Cracker'' is available as a licensed table of ''[[Pinball FX 3]]'' for several platforms; with a remastered version released for ''[[Pinball FX (2023 video game)|Pinball FX]]'' on March 31, 2022. It was previously available for ''[[The Pinball Arcade]]'' until delisting on June 30, 2018 due to the loss of the Williams license.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IPDB|3782}}
*[http://www.planetarypinball.com/mm5/Williams/games/safecracker/index.html Planetary Pinball webpage for ''Safe Cracker'', hosting a number of in-game audio samples in various formats]

{{Pat Lawlor}}

[[Category:1996 pinball machines]]
[[Category:Bally pinball machines]]


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