After Bally's Dungeons & Dragons launched my pinball addiction I knew I'd have to have more than one machine for my game room, so I began looking into all the different games out there looking for that perfect choice. Being a child of the 80's I decided I'd focus on that era.
Eventually I stumbled across a listing for a game called Haunted House and fell in love with it. I'd never even played it, but I knew it was the one from it's cool Scooby-Doo style imagery, spooky theme, unique multi-level playfields, and cult status among pinball afficianados. Haunted House is regarded by many as one of the most collectible pinball machines ever made.
So I decided my first step would be to stop by the local pinball store that had started my obsesson and see if they had one (fat chance) or could help me locate one. When I walked in, the guy working was in the back room and as he walked out I saw a flash of green through the open doorway. It couldn't be that easy, could it?
"Is that a Haunted House back there?" I asked.
"Yeah, we just got it in today and I was checking it out before putting it on the floor" he says.
It was meant to be... so how could I not buy it, right?
Haunted House was made in 1982 by Gottleib, and according to the markings on the playfield mine is serial number 08232, and was completed on February 15th.
Haunted House pinball has it's own page at Wikipedia.
Here is a picture of the game:
Here is a view of the playfield detail, including the reverse lower level under glass:
So far my highest score is around 800,000 points, but I can't find where I wrote down the exact figure.
UPDATE: Here's a YouTube video of Haunted House in action. Great music!
That is so freakin cool. I have been looking for the Black Knight pinball game for years. Just can't find one.
Posted by: Best Haunted house | August 11, 2009 at 12:50 PM
I play it on the computer.
Posted by: apartments knightsbridge london | November 04, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Playing it on the computer is far from being the same thing. I don't suppose you think that playing Fifa and going outside and playing soccer is the same thing. My dream is to have one, just like this, at my home.
Posted by: moving company | December 18, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Hi, I live in England and remember first playing this on summer holiday in 1982 and loving it. It'd be great to have a real one if I could afford it one day, but the computer version will have to suffice till then! Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 16, 2011 at 07:00 AM