Fish Tales
Williams, 1992 • WPC (Dot-Matrix) • Fast flow, big jackpots, and a fish topper with attitude
Fish Tales is a classic “one more game” machine: build to multiball, grind jackpots, and then decide if you’re brave (or foolish) enough to cash Super Jackpots at the center captive ball.
Quick Facts
Design Team
The whole package is peak early-90s Williams: loud callouts, bold art, and rules that make you earn the big money by taking real risks.
Notable Features
- Fishing reel ball lock (rotating mechanism)
- Boat ramps / wireforms (fast return flow)
- Center captive ball (Super Jackpot… and sudden pain)
- Video mode (button timing)
- Fish topper that flops when you score / advance
It’s simple to learn, brutal to master, and perfect for competitive play because one clean multiball can swing an entire match.
How to Play (Quick Start)
- Build toward multiball: work your way into the reel locks and start multiball as soon as you can.
- Collect jackpots: multiball is where Fish Tales separates players.
- Light and take Super Jackpots: once you’ve earned them, the center captive ball is the cashout.
- Pick your risk: safe ramps keep you alive; the captive ball wins games… and ends balls.
Rules & Scoring Highlights
Main Scoring Loop
- Lock balls → Start multiball
- Jackpots build your progression (and your confidence)
- Super Jackpots become available → captive ball collects
Other Things That Matter
- Monster Fish hurry-up can be a big swing
- Rock the Boat is a timed shooting window
- Stretch the Truth can multiply value… unless you push it too far
Most competitive Fish Tales games boil down to: “Who got to multiball, who cashed supers, and who survived it?”
Tournament Tips
Stay Alive
- Learn the captive ball behavior on your specific machine
- Control first, goals second (panic flips feed center drains)
- Choose when to gamble — not every Super attempt is worth it
Win Conditions
- Behind? You probably must chase multiball + supers.
- Ahead? Live on safe shots and let opponents donate balls.
- Don’t tilt away the comeback — Fish Tales gives chances.
Pop Culture & Trivia
The “River Photo” Pinball Legend
Fish Tales has an infamous set of photos floating around the hobby showing the game being played outdoors in shallow water. It’s the most Fish Tales thing imaginable: part stunt, part meme, part “pinball people are wired differently.”
Why it’s a tournament staple
It’s readable, fast, punishing, and has a clear “big moment.” Players can explain how they won in one sentence: “I got to supers and didn’t die.”
Video Game & Digital Versions
The Pinball Arcade
Fish Tales appeared in The Pinball Arcade during the era when Williams/Bally tables were widely available there. Availability can shift over time as licenses change.
Zen Studios (Williams Collections)
Fish Tales has also been available in Zen’s Williams packs (FX3 and later versions of Pinball FX), often with visual enhancements and optional “modern” presentation.
Digital is great for learning the rules flow. Real-life is where you learn what “that captive ball” really means.
Media
Compact on mobile, full experience on desktop.
