1971 Williams Sniper

Description: Sniper, Williams #399, 3/71, electronic sound. Very similar game to the prior year's Williams Bonanza in format and operation, but with a different theme. Also Sniper has a fully electronic sound system (where Bonanza uses a 4-track tape player for background sound).

Sniper is a 25 shot game (10 additional shots can be earned for a score of 3000 to 6000 points, operator selectable). This game is not based on time, take all the time you want. There are four basic target types. From the top, there's a missile carrier that moves really fast and is worth 100 points (or 500 points at certain shot numbers). Very difficult to hit. Below that is a tank which is always worth 100 points. It moves fast (and is very hitable), but not nearly as fast as the missile carrier. Below that is a soldier with a rifle, who moves the slowest. If hit he immediately reverses direction. (Fun and challenging to continually hit, making him constantly change direction.) He is worth 30 points or 300 points on certain shots. Below that are non-moving targets, only available for shooting when lit. These vary from 100 to 500 points.

The sound is done by an electronic sound box located in the bottom of the game. There are four cards installed: one for the amp (with a volume and tone control). The other three cards create one sound each. From front to back: rifle sound, tank ticking sound, explosion.

There is no gun recoil on Sniper. Bonanza had a recoil, but with Sniper Williams abandoned this feature. I think it's an important part of any gun game, so I added it back to my game. Pretty easy to make a recoil for the game, like I did for the 1972 Williams Stockade gun game. Just add a switch to the trigger relay, and attach 120 volts to one side of the switch. route the other switch contact to a 120 volt coil under the gun to pull it whenever the trigger relay is activated.



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