Williams Grand Lizard Pinball

[PinballBrendan]

You could always recognize this game's distinctive bongo drum music from across the arcade floor :)

[SKWIRL1]

My Grand Lizard arrives tomorrow morning! So excited! This youtube video was my inspiration to commit to buying a GL....I can't wait to try that electromagnetic ball save feature! How rad is that?! Sooo siked!! It's gonna sit next to my Hyperball and Konami collection! I can already hear that jungle monkey in my dreams!

[NardDogz]

@SKWIRL1 Congrats dude, you're gonna love it! Since the video was shot I've learned how to control the ball better... it's pretty easy to ring the extra ball bell and get the multiball lock... just got to learn the sweet spots on the flippers. But I think this game is most fun just bashing the hell out of the ball, taking chances, not necessarily going for control. I'd highly recommend popping in a lone white LED behind the sword on the backbox, it REALLY makes a cool sparking effect.

[TtheWriter]

Your camera angle for the demonstration portion was PERFECT. I felt like I was really there playing with it. :)

[pinballKing012]

interesting game,,, thanks for sharing...

[Paulywint]

I played this game alot when this tavern had it and I was very good at it.

[Diskoboy1974]

This is the only System 11 table I have never played. For some reason, this table reminds me of Stern's 1981 classic, "Lightning", only with a jungle like theme.

[minersethbenjamin]

This is the machine I remember most fondly from years ago, great to see the vid! I love the 90s games, but this one really hit the sweet spot for me. How can I find one of these for sale? I don't own any tables yer, but this is at the top of my short list.

[NardDogz]

For not being real "deep" in ruleset, it has lots of flow and is always busy, so it seems to be a continually satisfying game to play. I think it's a keeper. No stop and go like a Lawlor type pin. As for finding one.. eBay, craigslist or maybe the internet pinball classifieds. The hard part is finding one without the upper playfield art worn through. Mine was blacked out and re-mylared by a previous owner.

[badreality2]

I love the monkey sounds activated by the center spinner. Especially when the ball was shot to the upper playfield at 1:42.

[TheRoadlord]

I remember seeing this in a local arcade in the 80s, but it was always out of order.

Years later, I played one at a collectors, and was blown away by the light show and sounds. I nearly tore my jeans pulling my wallet out when he said it was for sale.

[Kingdra321]

3 place not bad and that was a good gameplay

[scud711]

one of my favourites! great machine!

love that jungle-bongo-sound.

[strikerk]

Magnasave = Epic.

[theefxman]

NardDogz: I have this game too, Great game. :)

I have the problem with the sound/static that goes in a pattern with the lights. Did the intermittent ground have anything to do with that, or do you still have the sound? If you don't have the sound and it was some other problem causing it, could you let me know on that? I've searched the entire playfield and did all the tricks with checking the tightness of the motherboard screws etc with no help...

[NardDogz]

Hey there! Cool, another GL owner.

I don't think changing the power plug made any improvement, but later I found that the motherboard was missing a few screws, and more importantly, the wingnut on the ground connection terminal in the bottom panel of the headboard was loose. Adressing those two things did reduce the attract mode pattern noise significantly! It is definitley better now.

The game also has a new Rottendog Amusements power supply.

[GIRlovesWaffles]

@NardDogz The noise can be caused by capacitors on the power supply going bad (this was also a problem on Williams system 7, 8, and 9 games). They tend to go bad after several years, and can be a source of noise, and other problems.

[NardDogz]

Yes I think this was recorded before I put in the new Rottendog power supply, which cut it down quite a bit. I am thinking that recapping the audio amplifier circuit might help also. Thanks

[pinbot76]

Clean! I've been waiting for a GL video that captured it just how I remember it from the 80's. Thanks for posting.

[NardDogz]

Glad you liked it. I think the video turned out well. I couldn't believe that I got the bell to ring also (actually, it was a freak bounce off of the slingshot).

I just picked up a nice High Speed to put next to it. When I was working on HS, I happened to touch both game's lock down bars and got a mild electric shock! Turns out Grand Lizard had 60V on its chassis, even when turned off. The plug's ground terminal was making an intermittent connection. It has since been replaced!