There's a theme running through some of these tables: the pinball no longer wants to be confined by the playfield. It wants out. Escape from the Lost World, Blackwater 100, and Banzai Run all involve the ball going "out of bounds", leaving what you'd typically think of as the playfield, as an expected part of the gameplay. Even Torpedo Alley does this a little bit.
This year is also Bally's departure from pinball -- 1988 is the year that the Bally Midway pinball and arcade team gets bought out by Williams' parent company, putting them together into a pinball supergroup with two brand names. (Confusingly, the Bally brand name also keeps being used by the original company, for casinos and fitness clubs.)
The virtual 1988 pinball starts at 8pm Eastern: https://twitch.tv/arborelia