Something you secretly fantasize about, but you know that it will probably never happen. And then it happens anyway. A Fish Tales, 18 years old and new in the box!
That's what this story, but first something general.
Actually a Fish Tales only one disadvantage: the poor quality of the speech. Barely audible, when the irritating off. That is, moreover, something that all cabinets from this period (early 90s) suffer from (Whitewater, Getaway, Addams Family in order just to name a few). It is in these flippers happy little voice that makes up for it.
With the sound of the FT it is different. It still comes less from the speakers than for example with Data East, but quite acceptable. And what comes out of the speakers? My music hero Chris Granner (including Funhouse, Earthshaker, F14 Tomcat, Roadshow but also Lord of the Rings and The Simpsons Pinball Party), the audio portion of this case taken on its behalf. This guy is a master at creating catchy tunes and supporting sounds.
The game design is by Mark Ritchie. Indeed, the brother of Steve Ritchie. And then again, for me, the king of flow. Mark has a number of famous cabinets to his name such as Indiana Jones, Taxi and Dinner. But Fish Tales is the only unit that approximates the feel of the cabinets Steve Ritchie in terms of flow. And that flow, that makes this unit a great closet to play!
Long Cast, Left Boat ramp, Right Boat Ramp, on and on and on. The ball is never still, always comes quickly back down and is hard to control in an impure placed shot. The playing field is far from open, outlanes the other hand, appear to be open wide. Challenges so enough, and if you once is in the flow ... heerrrlijk!
There are 1992 fewer than 13 631 pieces produced. Popular flipper so. That means two things: you get them enough against and if you encounter is almost always a much-recorded state. And that means: back panel hard to find in summary statement. What aggravates the difficulty is that the cabinets of Fish Tales almost always discolored.
Well I was succeeded in 2009 to find an almost colorless FT. This in turn is. And the court was little played. Unfortunately, and also that they have almost all the inserts were between slingshots damaged. The disaster and some plastics are also, however, the disaster has since been reproduced by Pinballinc and a NOS kit plastics was already in my possession. The challenge was finding a beautiful and unspoiled playground
Simply impossible not to find. The scope of the Monster Bash and the Attack, the inserts and the trapdoor of the theater, just some examples of cabinets and their known abrasions. The inserts fit Fish Tales in the same row. I had lost hope ...
The long journey of a German adventurer years ago, however, would go gladden me in 2010. This gentleman moved to Cairo and took 21 flippers into his suitcase. He would Egyptians do to learn darting here ...
That dream, however, came not from. Egyptians can build beautiful pyramids, make delicious shawarma but darting are apparently they are not hot. And so moved to 21 flippers to a dusty warehouse where they remained for years unconcerned.
My German colleague collector André (let's call him that) now has a lot of (ex-) operators and heard of the adventure. The story was that 19 flippers somewhere were languishing flippers who would be in a sorry state.
Eventually, the André managed to approach the man in question, and a very small price was made for this, indeed in poor condition, machines. But he had another surprise, he had two pieces of new in box. Dr. Who and Fish Tales. Whether he still had an interest?
Unfortunately, the owner did have understood that NIB cabinets were not sold for next to nothing in the rule. The price of the two NIB's was in stark contrast with that of other cabinets. And André had been keen to the idea that he could sell those 19 units with a solid profit. Hence André these cabinets really did not want.
I had regular contact with Andre about this matter. And at that point it was time to speak to him as admonishing. Collecting has little to do with ratio, making money. possess a NIB and possibly unpack unpack brings no money. But is veeery nice!
To cut a long story short, I offered to take the Fish Tales. He wanted the Dr. Who. There is for us someone was going to watch and arrange transport and to arrive in December began the 21 levers for their return to German territory and then the beginning of January there in Hamburg.
For a moment I thought of letting the box in the box. Just for a moment, then extracted quickly. Probably I never play out. I like playing, but I am therefore again too collector for ...