Bad Cats

The game that was regarded as a joke, and and the restoration project that took 3 years!

With a production run of only 2500 machines, Bad Cats was considered a commercial failure for Williams when it was released in 1989, but sought after by collectors today. Designed by Barry Oursler, and artwork by Python Angelo, Bad Cats holds a special place in our hearts for its quirky theme and novel game speech "Meow Meow Meow Meow". Artist Python Angelo confessed he hated working on this game, and referred to it as a joke. Inspiration for the theme came after Python moved into his new home in one of the sketchier neighborhoods of Chicago, behind the Williams Factory - where he often watched his neighbors many feral cats wreak havoc. Python named and gave a backstory for each of the cats featured on the machine's backglass.

Restoring Bad Cats

We received our Bad Cats pinball in a very well played condition - the playfield surface had been destroyed over time by the ball, the artwork had been faded from orange to white by the light, and the cabinet and playfield enjoyed by termites for three meals a day for what appears to be quite some time. Still, nothing that can't be fixed for about $2500 and 3 years chipping away at it on the weekends - making what we do at HI Score a true labor of love.

Work began in February of 2022 with the cabinet artwork. It involved completely removing the decals followed by cabinet repair for the termite damage. The legs were also removed for sanding and painting.

Numerous electrical / mechanical issues needed to be resolved before working on the playfield. Eventually, we were ready to begin installing a brand new playfield from our friends at Classic Playfield Reproductions. This required a lot of coffee to be consumed and every single part and every single wire to be removed from the existing playfield. Parts in good condition were re-installed onto the new playfield, but most parts ended up being replaced. Almost every bumper post screw had metal fatigue and snapped when trying to remove! Gustopher Clarence Wrigsby III was responsible for quality control inspections every step of the way

Today, the fully restored Bad Cats is on the arcade floor for our guests to enjoy! We also kept the original playfield and mounted it to the wall to celebrate the silver ball and the incredible engineers and artists that make it all possible!