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June marked the month when Bally let Greg Kmiec and Christian Marche unveil their newest creation to the pinball world. This two-player game awards an extra ball when the A-B-C-D sequence is completed. C and D when completed, award the double bonus. The third flipper in the middle right of the playfield gives the player maximum control to shoot for the Aladdin’s Alley. Hitting the rollover at the top of this shot scores the lit value and then advances the value for the next completed shot. If you’re skillful enough to make it to the 5,000 shot, the next shot scores a special. This special remains lit for the balance of the ball in play. All in all, a typical Bally game of the era. This game was released at the same time as the classic Captain Fantastic Bally machine (that game is in the museum). Captain Fantastic made Bally #1.Another rare machine stands before you. Although 2,885 units were produced, they were all sent to France as a promotion in a contest to market Canada Dry soda. Designed by Ed Krynski and art by Gordon Morrison, this game was released in the US as a one player, two player and four player version. If you like drop targets this is your game. Fifteen drop targets live in this playfield design! If you’re skillful enough to hit all the upper drop targets, the side extra ball rollovers activate. The same is true if you hit the bottom five drop targets. If, however, you’re skillful enough to complete all fifteen targets, the specials are activated. Score is another way to win. The machines put on location in France provided high-scoring winners with monetary prizes from Canada Dry. I wish they would do this in the united States, especially in Atlantic City.This April release came in a four-player version, also in the museum called “Royal Flush.” 12,250 games were created in this sizable run of machines. Ed Krynski designed the machine with Gordon Morison penning the artwork for the game. A very popular game in its day, the main ingredient of the play field is the battery of nine drop targets set at an angle. The object here is to complete the drop targets to complete the five card combinations represented on the front play field. Completing a combo illuminates the light in the bonus column of combos and at the end of the ball, a “scan” bonus would score the appropriate number of points to the player currently up. The drop targets reset after each ball unless an extra ball is scored via the free ball gate. A double scan of the bonus lights on the last ball. Another feature to shoot for is the three colored card sequence. These light a special on the kick-out hole.If you like “Happy Days” of TV fame, you’ll immediately notice “The Fonz” on the backglass. George Christian designed this machine and Paul Faris penned the artwork package. The machine was very popular in the early days of solid-state pinball. 20,230 games were made and most of them were played down to the wood subsurface under the artwork due to excessive play. The pool-themed game is set up so that players one and three’s goal is to score balls 1 to 7 and players two and four are after the 9 to 15 balls. Once completed, the eight-ball target lights. This machine has a built-in memory recall of each player’s efforts and the game continues on your next ball where you left off. Bonus awards are 3,000 points per ball lit with a holdover feature from your previous accomplishments. The right bonus lane advances the winnings by 2x, 3x, 5x , super bonus, extra balls and specials.(Electromechanical Version) Bally released Evel Knievel in June of the year. Both electromechanical and solid-state versions of the game were fabricated. The reason two different platforms were made was due to the newness of the solid-state platform not being fully trusted or many arcade operators not being versed in the solid-state computerized machines. The “old faithful” mechanical versions used the same technology since the beginning of pinball that included relays, steppers, and score motors. This game was produced in mass quantity in the solid-state format with 14,000 pieces being fabricated. This game is one of only 155 made. This is probably one of the best examples of this rare run of machines. The play parallels the solid-state version, but an accumulated memory of targets hit isn’t stored in memory and awarded. This game just remembers your last hit of the last target. Enjoy!This replay game came out in December of the year with a four-player replay version (Vulcan) being released two months prior. 970 units were produced. Ed Krynski designed the game with Gordon Morison taking the credit for artwork. Two sets of drop targets in the firing range of the flippers make for a lot of accurate target shooting. Lighting all four green drop targets lights the extra ball target. The bonus value is doubled by hitting the bank of five drop targets. Making one to five numbered sequence lights two rollovers for a special as well as increases the white drop target value to three bonus advances. The kickout hole awards from 1,000 to 5,000 points dependent on the number of green drop targets hit at that moment in time. All in all, a nicely balanced game. Bonus is awarded upon draining the ball also.Here’s another example of a Gottlieb single-player mechanical game when all the other manufacturers during this period were developing solid-state computerized machines. Ed Krynski is the designer with Gordon Morison the artist of choice for this model, one of 1,530 machines made. The machine itself is a classic ’70s. Ten numbers is your goal here. You achieve these ten targets by hitting and rolling over the appropriate spots on the playfield. Hitting the spinner spots the numbered target the spinner stops on. If you’re lucky to complete the targets, the special lights up and advances through the ten numbers. Hitting the lighted number with “special” lit means more free time playing the game. Score for replays is your second goal. Nice artwork in a single player game, one of the last produced.Here’s a 1977 Stern ‘Pinball’. This was Stern’s first solid state machine and marked the beginning of a long and interesting history for the company. Designed by Mike Kubin, it’s a fast game that has some wicked out-lanes and very quick ball times. There are no mini-posts above the out-lane guides which make controlling the ball near the out-lanes very difficult. Stingray, the game made by Stern following ‘Pinball’ also lacked these posts, but games made thereafter had the posts which dramatically improve the player’s ability to control the ball and avoid the out-lane. This game has a basic rule-set. Knock down the 5 drop targets twice in one ball to score the special. The saucer on the right side of the playfield awards a somewhat random award and the spinner shot on the left is a very satisfying shot to hit.This rare add-a-ball game was released in April. It was designed by John Osbourne with artwork by Gordon Morison. A minimal total of 270 units were soldered together at the time. This is a small number for a pinball run. The replay version had a much larger production and the name of that game was Hit The Deck. As you can see from the backglass, Gottlieb tried to experiment with a score reel that was completely different in coloring. This was to attract attention to the game and attract quarters. The object of the game is to roll over the red number and/or black number sequence inherent in the game. If you are skillful enough to get the 9 to Ace sequence, some wow options will light up to score extra balls. A kickback feature is incorporated into the game in the upper-left area. This single-player game is challenging and a rare sight to see.This solid-state game was very popular when it was released and has a lot of smooth shots to complete. It was designed by Jim Patla with artwork by Paul Faris. Production run was 18,250 units. This pre-speaking pinball has Hugh Hefner on its backglass with Bunny Sondra Theodore posing. At the top of the game are four rollover lanes, which advance when hit to a special and advance the bonuses and grotto award. Hitting the five Bunny targets also advance a feature to win extra balls and specials. A unique kickback lane advances with every entrance into it. A five-pack of drop targets also advance certain features on the game. If 20,000 points are made on the bonus system, this point count is carried over to all remaining balls and then some. The nicest shot on the game is going up the right side from the flipper and looping the ball into the grotto. The sound originates from the old TV show “Playboy After Dark.”Gottlieb released the game “Sinbad” in both solid-state and electromechanical formats in June of the year. Designed by Ed Krynski with art by Gordon Morison, there were 12,000 S.S. games and 950 E.M. games made. This machine is the rare two-player version of the game, of which 730 were made. Drop targets are the main theme of this game. Knocking down the single white drop target awards a 2x bonus and lights the white rollover. The three yellow drops were next. If hit, 3x bonus is awarded when the ball drains and the 5,000 rollover lights at the top of the playfield. The four purple drops were next. Making these would award 4x bonus and light the extra ball rollover. Finally, the five red drops; when hit would award 5x bonus (the maximum bonus that could register is 15,000 points times the bonus) as well as light the special rollover. Four flippers allowed for interesting play, also.September was the month for the introduction of this game. Both solid-state and mechanical versions were produced (9,950 versus 550 units, respectively). Ed Krynski designed the machine with art by Gordon Morison. A roto-target was incorporated into the upper right of the game, a Gottlieb exclusive. Hitting the A-B-C rollovers lights up the extra ball target and increases the value of the roto-targets as well as the drop target values. Knocking down all the drop targets increases the bonus multiplier value. The second time this feat is completed lights the special roto-target value. This game also features a bonus advance bank which increases to 20,000 points and a two to five times bonus multiplier feature. Score is the other way to win games.
