The Machine: Bride of Pin-Bot

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The Machine: Bride of Pin-Bot is a 1991 pinball machine from Williams. It’s the second game in the Pin-Bot series and the last Williams title to use a segmented score display (instead of a dot-matrix screen). The game was designed by Python Anghelo and John Trudeau, with artwork by John Youssi and programming by Brian Eddy.

Story and play feel
The main attraction is a female robot named The Machine. The player starts by “activating” her voice circuits and eyes, turning her into a human-like figure as you hit shots on the left ramp to lock balls. If you lock two balls, you begin a two-ball multiball and The Machine can “see.” Locking two more balls during multiball makes her fully metamorphose into a human. When multiball ends, she reverts back to a robot.

Playfield and features
- The left ramp leads to a Pachinko-style raised playfield that can drop the ball back to the main playfield or into the shooter lane.
- There’s an enclosed box with rotating faces showing The Machine’s different expressions.
- A saucer beside the left ramp holds the Small Wheel. In single-ball play, hitting the saucer awards a Small Wheel prize, which can include a timed jackpot.
- In multiball (and after metamorphosis), locking both balls spins the Big Wheel to win bigger prizes and light the center Heartbeat Ramp for a shot worth one billion points. Hitting this shot at least once puts you in the “Billionaire Club” high score list, separate from the main scores.

Voice and atmosphere
Once her voice circuits are activated, The Machine comments on your shots. The voice is by Stephanie Rogers, and there is a modesty setting to block some clips due to sexual innuendos. The game also includes the original Pin-Bot voice.

Availability and legacy
The Machine was praised for its unusual playfield and the rotating-face mechanism. It has since appeared in digital pinball collections and, in 2022, Zen Studios released a digital version for Pinball FX with updated visuals and physics. It was followed by a sequel, Jack-Bot, in 1995. The machine had a production run of about 8,100 units and remains a notable entry in the Pin-Bot line.