Williams · 1998 · Dot-matrix era (1991 to 1999)

Monster Bash

Name: Monster Bash
Brand: Williams

Design: George Gomez · Art: Kevin O'Connor

Monster Bash puts six Universal monsters in a rock band, and your job is to collect their instruments. George Gomez designed it, and it came out in July 1998 with a Williams badge, so it's often filed under Bally by mistake. Frankenstein rises off his table and swings down to block the ramp, Dracula slides along a curved track, and the Creature hides under the playfield. Phantom Flip, where the game takes a shot for you, echoes Thing Flips on The Addams Family. Hidden in the code is Lyman's Lament, a ball with programmer Lyman Sheats talking over it. Only 3,361 were made. Chicago Gaming Company remade it in 2018.

1998 Williams originalChicago Gaming Company remake (2018) in Classic, Special Edition and Limited Edition (1,250 Limiteds), with a larger color display

Spec at a glance

Maker: Williams
Era: Dot-matrix era (1991 to 1999)
Theme: Movie licenses
Year: 1998
Players: 4
Made: Williams, July 1998
Design: George Gomez
Art: Kevin O'Connor
System: Williams WPC-95 with DCS sound
Display: Dot matrix (DMD)
Production: 3,361
Remake: Chicago Gaming Company, 2018 (Classic, Special and Limited)
Also listed as: Monster Bash Williams, Monster Bash Bally, MB pinball

Bench check

Boards, playfield, toys and the trip home

Boards and batteries: WPC-95 holds the batteries on the CPU board, and leaking alkalines can still corrode it. Ask for a photo of the CPU board and the battery holder. The audio-video board's chip can fail and kill the sound, so ask for a video with sound.
Display: Originals have a plasma dot-matrix display that wears and outgasses. A large color screen in the photos means the Chicago Gaming remake.
Playfield: Ask for straight-down photos in good light around the flippers, the ramps and the center scoop. Worn paint and lifted inserts show up best in those.
Toys and mechs: Frankenstein pivots up from his operating table and swings down to block the center ramp, and Dracula slides back and forth on a curved track. Phantom Flip lets the game flip for you from the inlanes. Ask for a video of Frankenstein rising and Dracula moving the full length of his track.
Cabinet and art: Kevin O'Connor drew the art, and Universal vetoed an earlier backglass with dancing girls in cages. Check the backglass and cabinet in the photos for fading and wear, and make sure the cabinet matches a 1998 Williams game if you want an original.
Moving it: Never move it with the hinged backbox up, as Williams' WPC set-up instructions put it. Lower it forward onto padding, then remove the legs.
Parts and code: Game and sound ROMs are both V1.0. Chicago Gaming Company remade it in 2018, so check which version a part was made for.

Should come with it

Coin door keys
Manual

Check the listing photos against these lists, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing toy, glass or key should come off the price.

What to check

On an original, look for leaked WPC-95 CPU batteries, sound dropping out from the audio-video board and a worn plasma display. Frankenstein and Dracula are the mechanisms to see moving.

01Original or remake: Check the display and the listing details. A large color screen means the 2018 Chicago Gaming remake.
02Batteries: Ask for a photo of the CPU board around the battery holder. It should be clean, with no crust.
03Sound: Ask for a video with the sound on. Music and callouts should play the whole time.
04Frankenstein: Ask for a video of Frankenstein Multiball. He should rise and swing down smoothly.
05Dracula: Ask for a video of Drac Attack. Dracula should travel his whole track.
06Display: Look at the lit display in the photos. Every dot should glow evenly.
07Playfield: Ask for straight-down photos in good light. Look for worn paint at the flippers and ramps.

Buying your first one? Red flags in a pinball listing covers the photos and videos to ask for, and the battery corrosion guide shows what leaking batteries do to an old CPU board.

Find one on eBay

We haven’t been through this game’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for a video of a full game, a photo of the CPU board and photos of the playfield in good light, and ask what’s been replaced. Pass on any seller who won’t answer.

Search “Monster Bash pinball” on eBay ↗eBay search

Compare with

Keep exploring

Maker

Era

Theme

Read

Monster Bash

Design: George Gomez · Art: Kevin O'Connor

1998 Williams originalChicago Gaming Company remake (2018) in Classic, Special Edition and Limited Edition (1,250 Limiteds), with a larger color display

Spec at a glance

Maker

Williams

Era

Dot-matrix era (1991 to 1999)

Theme

Movie licenses

Year

1998

Players

Made

Williams, July 1998

Design

George Gomez

Art

Kevin O'Connor

System

Williams WPC-95 with DCS sound

Display

Dot matrix (DMD)

Production

3,361

Remake

Chicago Gaming Company, 2018 (Classic, Special and Limited)

Also listed as

Monster Bash Williams, Monster Bash Bally, MB pinball

Boards, playfield, toys and the trip home

Boards and batteries

WPC-95 holds the batteries on the CPU board, and leaking alkalines can still corrode it. Ask for a photo of the CPU board and the battery holder. The audio-video board's chip can fail and kill the sound, so ask for a video with sound.

Display

Originals have a plasma dot-matrix display that wears and outgasses. A large color screen in the photos means the Chicago Gaming remake.

Playfield

Ask for straight-down photos in good light around the flippers, the ramps and the center scoop. Worn paint and lifted inserts show up best in those.

Toys and mechs

Frankenstein pivots up from his operating table and swings down to block the center ramp, and Dracula slides back and forth on a curved track. Phantom Flip lets the game flip for you from the inlanes. Ask for a video of Frankenstein rising and Dracula moving the full length of his track.

Cabinet and art

Kevin O'Connor drew the art, and Universal vetoed an earlier backglass with dancing girls in cages. Check the backglass and cabinet in the photos for fading and wear, and make sure the cabinet matches a 1998 Williams game if you want an original.

Moving it

Never move it with the hinged backbox up, as Williams' WPC set-up instructions put it. Lower it forward onto padding, then remove the legs.

Parts and code

Game and sound ROMs are both V1.0. Chicago Gaming Company remade it in 2018, so check which version a part was made for.

Should come with it

Coin door keys

Manual

Check the listing photos against these lists, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing toy, glass or key should come off the price.

What to check

On an original, look for leaked WPC-95 CPU batteries, sound dropping out from the audio-video board and a worn plasma display. Frankenstein and Dracula are the mechanisms to see moving.

01Original or remake: Check the display and the listing details. A large color screen means the 2018 Chicago Gaming remake.

02Batteries: Ask for a photo of the CPU board around the battery holder. It should be clean, with no crust.

03Sound: Ask for a video with the sound on. Music and callouts should play the whole time.

04Frankenstein: Ask for a video of Frankenstein Multiball. He should rise and swing down smoothly.

05Dracula: Ask for a video of Drac Attack. Dracula should travel his whole track.

06Display: Look at the lit display in the photos. Every dot should glow evenly.

07Playfield: Ask for straight-down photos in good light. Look for worn paint at the flippers and ramps.

Buying your first one? Red flags in a pinball listing covers the photos and videos to ask for, and the battery corrosion guide shows what leaking batteries do to an old CPU board.

Find one on eBay

Monster Bash

Spec at a glance

Boards, playfield, toys and the trip home

What to check

Find one on eBay

Compare with

Scared Stiff

Attack from Mars

Cactus Canyon

Medieval Madness

Keep exploring

Monster Bash

Spec at a glance

Boards, playfield, toys and the trip home

What to check

Find one on eBay

Compare with

Scared Stiff

Attack from Mars

Cactus Canyon

Medieval Madness

Keep exploring