Williams’ Whirlwind, released in 1990 from designer Pat Lawlor, is a storm-chasing thrill ride best remembered for a feature you feel as much as see: a fan mounted in the backbox that literally blows air at the player during big moments. It’s one of pinball’s great sensory gimmicks, and it crowns a fast, multiball-driven table whose three spinning disks churn the lower playfield into chaos when the action heats up.
The scoring centers on locking balls and chasing the Million Plus. Shooting the lit standup targets lights the lock, and once you’ve banked two balls under the ramp, multiball begins — with the Million Plus shot on the side ramp dwarfing every other source of points. The two cellar scoops are the key to a long, high-scoring game: they restart multiball and light extra balls (two for every eight visits), so the wise play is to work them relentlessly. The right orbit spinner cycles the cellar award, where prizes such as Quick Multiball and a lit extra ball can be hugely valuable.
There’s a clever echo of Lawlor’s later work, too — lock two balls and the spinning disks activate like a precursor to The Addams Family’s “Power,” whipping the ball around without a magnet. Breezy, breezy, and genuinely exciting, Whirlwind is an early Lawlor classic that pairs a great gimmick with rewarding, multiball-hungry gameplay — hold onto your hat.