The Incredible Hulk (Gottlieb, 1979): faults and System 1 replacement boards
Does your The Incredible Hulk (Gottlieb, 1979) act up once it warms up, only produce a single sound or tilt by itself? This Gottlieb wide-body featuring the Marvel super-hero is built on System 1. Here are the typical faults reported on the forums and the battery-free replacement solutions.
The Incredible Hulk overview
Released in 1979, The Incredible Hulk is a Gottlieb solid-state "wide-body" pinball built on System 1. It celebrates the Incredible Hulk, the famous Marvel character — one of the first super-hero licensed pinballs.
- Manufacturer: Gottlieb
- Year: 1979
- System: Gottlieb System 1
- Type: solid state (wide-body, alphanumeric displays)
- Theme: super-hero, Marvel, the Incredible Hulk
Common faults (System 1)
The Gottlieb System 1 shares a set of well-known weaknesses, regardless of the game:
- Leaking battery: the NiCad battery soldered onto the MPU board leaks over time and corrodes traces and components. It's the number-one fault — remove it without delay.
- Poor grounding: the original ground wiring is undersized and causes resets and erratic behaviour (the "ground mods" are practically mandatory).
- Corroded connectors: the Molex connectors, especially the MPU↔Driver link (46 pins), lose contact and need re-pinning.
- Power supply: unstable 5 V, tired bridge rectifiers and an overheating transformer lead to crashes.
- Displays: digits that fade, flicker or stay frozen at zero.
The Incredible Hulk-specific problems (forums)
- Erratic behaviour when hot: after some play time, the Z23 PROM (a bipolar PROM) overheats and causes bugs; gluing a small heat sink onto the PROM helps a lot.
- 5101 RAM and reset circuit: these are the most common board failures, often made worse by battery corrosion — a battery-free replacement board removes the root cause.
- Sound reduced to a single note: the driver solenoids must work (they trigger the sounds); also check for corrosion around the MPU's 5 V regulator.
- Random tilt: adjust the door slam tilt; a relay that hums then tilts after a few minutes points to a power-supply or ground problem.
- Drop targets that won't reset: the U45 + 3055 transistor pair handles the reset — to be checked.
- Erratic score/logic: the MPU ground mod fixes many score and logic issues.
The Incredible Hulk-compatible replacement boards
The Incredible Hulk is built on the Gottlieb System 1, a platform known to be fragile (leaking battery, weak grounds, oxidised connectors, overheating PROM). Pinballs Store offers battery-free replacement solutions to make it reliable again:
- Gosof — replacement sound board.
For a CPU/Driver board dedicated to System 1, contact us: we'll point you to the best solution for your The Incredible Hulk. Plug & Play installation, battery-free, free support.
FAQ — The Incredible Hulk Gottlieb
What year was The Incredible Hulk released?
In 1979. It's a Gottlieb solid-state wide-body pinball (System 1) under Marvel licence.
Why does my Hulk act up after a few minutes?
Often because of the Z23 PROM overheating. A small heat sink, the ground mods and, better still, a replacement board fix the problem for good.
Should I remove the battery from the MPU board?
Yes, immediately. The original NiCad battery eventually leaks and destroys the board. A battery-free replacement board permanently removes the corrosion risk.
Is there a replacement board for The Incredible Hulk?
Yes. Contact us for the right System 1 CPU/Driver solution; installation is Plug & Play, battery-free, with free support.
How long does it take to install a replacement board?
Installation is Plug & Play: a few minutes, no soldering, with tutorials and free support.
Does a battery-free board keep the settings and high scores?
Yes. Modern replacement boards use non-volatile memory: no more battery, no more corrosion, and the settings are kept when powered off.
Step-by-step diagnosis
- Power off, visual inspection: look for any battery or corrosion marks on the MPU of your The Incredible Hulk; remove the NiCad battery if it is still present.
- Power supply: measure the 5 V and check that it reaches the MPU (re-solder the regulator or Q1 if the voltage drops).
- Grounds: apply the “ground mods” between the boards (CPU, Driver, power supply, sound).
- Connectors: re-pin the oxidised Molex connectors, especially the MPU↔Driver link.
- Displays: never plug or unplug a display while powered on; test with a known-good display.
- Final test: check start-up, credits, coils and displays; if needed, contact the free support.
See also
- Cleopatra (Gottlieb, 1977)
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Gottlieb, 1978)
- Totem (Gottlieb, 1979)
- Genie (Gottlieb, 1979)
