Centaur
Bally, 1981
Centaur II
Bally, 1983I appreciate the effort. And I know that must have taken a lot of work. But it reminds me too much of when they first colorized black and white films. It didn’t completely ruin it, but there was just something wrong about it.
I don’t think Centaur would have been the standout pin it is today without the black and white art.
Color option looks horrible for Centaur’s backglass and even worse for the playfield. Keep things black and white.
Thanks ForceFlow for removing the green creatures for a better evaluation. I’m still not feeling it though. Maybe there’s still too much color or maybe my brain can’t accept a color version of Centaur. I need a new Centaur playfield but I think I’ll hold out for the original version.
I like it. Well done. Don’t worry about the haters, this was done for you, no one else, who cares if they don’t like it.
Quoted from KevinCPR:However, it was a personal dream of mine since we began in 2004 to produce an alternate version of Bally Centaur that was in full color.
I like it. I wonder if in the future you could toggle a B/W and color option for any Playfield. Here's a B/W version of a Bally D&D which I LOVE:
dungeons_and_dragons_front (resized).JPGdungeons_and_dragons_front_ m (resized).JPGdungeons_and_dragons_front_b (resized).JPGdungeons_and_dragons_front_t (resized).JPGBlack and white. That's the whole point of a Centaur playfield.
And while I have this soapbox: how about giving those of us who pre-ordered the 2016 short run of Centaur playfields, and paid $850 (or whatever it was) for them, and then received "gold" playfields that had bubbles trapped in the clearcoat because it was sprayed in hot and humid weather, while later purchasers who did NOT preorder received perfect playfields, a chance to trade in the bubble playfield for a perfect no-bubbles one?
Didn’t realize you guys had so much spare time. You always seem to be working on shit people don’t want, like this or that horrible Led Zeppelin conversion, but none to produce the stuff people want.
Looks awful...
It’s as if a kid grabbed some crayons and started coloring a page in a coloring book but never finished. If you are going to colorize Centaur don’t do a half assed job, color ALL of it. That being said, as long as you like it that is all that truly matters! 
Quoted from jwilson:Didn’t realize you guys had so much spare time. You always seem to be working on shit people don’t want, like this or that horrible Led Zeppelin conversion, but none to produce the stuff people want.
This. Plus, lets give a little more time and energy to actually making sure the artwork is RIGHT - not missing colors, or even text. Or doing a LITTLE research to find out that the 'NOS' piece you got to make reproductions off of wasn't a one-off.
Quoted from Coyote:This. Plus, lets give a little more time and energy to actually making sure the artwork is RIGHT - not missing colors, or even text. Or doing a LITTLE research to find out that the 'NOS' piece you got to make reproductions off of wasn't a one-off.
Comments like this make me cringe. They didn't ask for a critique of their overall business. They asked for an opinion on this effort only.
Quoted from djblouw:But, here’s where it goes downhill: it looks like colors were just randomly thrown around. It would make this game look like clown puke, without turning it on.
This.
Quoted from CaptK:Color backglass from the CPR website.
[quoted image]
Shrektaur, ugh.
The main problem with colorizing Centaur is that since it was designed as B&W, there is waaay more black than there would be in a game with color. The playfield is over half black; there's no room for color. You'd need to completely reimagine the art with shaded color areas in place of much of the black.
To me it's the inverse of B&W Munsters. That art package doesn't work either, because when you remove all the color from a painting, you don't get black & white, you get gray. Munsters is NOT "black & white." It's a dull gray game.
Hey all, popping in the next day to see the discussions.
Wow. Yup - quite divisive. This was as niche as I expected. Those few who like it, like it. Those who don't - seem to revel in the moment to say why. Wow, some people like to be snide. 
But hey, I asked for it. No big deal. 
Much to my surprise, not a few, but MANY have sold overnight. So I guess at some point in the future, we will be seeing Centaur Color games. I guess that depends if those owners are willing to come back here with their pictures and face the critiques. Ahhhh, social media 
Quoted from wrb1977:If you are going to colorize Centaur don’t do a half assed job, color ALL of it. That being said, as long as you like it that is all that truly matters!
Just a word on this. I didn't realise people aren't seeing everything in the pictures. All of it IS colored.
The only places left white were actual "white things" like original white words, claws, fingernails, eyes, studs, wool, poles, etc.
Everything else is a multitude of offwhite/greytone shading or solid grey-palette colors. Like the mountains, staircases, and of course the main motorcycle wheel in the middle of the playfield (It's made up of 4 different tones). Even the main bug-eye woman (and her arm holding the orb) is a pale fleshtone. But it's likely my fault, shooting the pix in the blazing sun outdoors. Because the Centaur dudes are not neon green! He's Pantone 370 ...
Rest assured - 98% of the layout is colorized. White is left as only a highlight color, where applicable - so it "pops". This was a key part of the whole plan.
Anyway, I'll duck outta here. I don't want to get into a back-n forth. Like somebody else mentioned - this was something I wanted personally. It's true. "I got mine" and it's going onto my office wall until I find another Centaur someday. I knew others would want to make color games out there, so why not make them public. So here we are. Yes, this is treading on iconic holy ground. But that was kinda the whole point.
Thanks for all the opinions - really. Feelings not hurt. This is a touchy concept, and was expected.
KEVIN
It looks hideous of course but you'll get some takers.
In pinball, there's an ass for every seat!
Unless that seat is Mafia or Thunderbirds.
Quoted from yancy:Screw it, I'll go balls-deep: anyone who sees Centaur and thinks, "hmm, I'm guessing he's lime green"....
It's more of an Avacado you art school flunkie.
I mean he's goddamn motorcycle...should be Kawasaki team green.
Quoted from TheLaw:It's more of an Avacado you art school flunkie.
Ouch, I am literally an art school dropout. Pantone lime sherbet is pretty close!
Pantone lime sherbet.png
Quoted from yancy:Shrektaur, ugh.
I can’t get this out of my head now.
4B3AD46E-B936-4A3B-A6EB-1AAF942B07C5 (resized).jpegQuoted from yancy:I am literally an art school dropout.
most interesting part of the thread
Quoted from yancy:The main problem with colorizing Centaur is that since it was designed as B&W, there is waaay more black than there would be in a game with color. The playfield is over half black; there's no room for color. You'd need to completely reimagine the art with shaded color areas in place of much of the black.
To me it's the inverse of B&W Munsters. That art package doesn't work either, because when you remove all the color from a painting, you don't get black & white, you get gray. Munsters is NOT "black & white." It's a dull gray game.
This is what I spotted also.
The colorization needs to be done entirely for it to work well so it might not even be based off a black background any longer as crazy as that sounds.
It is kind of like if when they started colorizing old black and white movies if they only did the characters and left the background black and white it would look ridiculous.
I think the reason this falls so flat here IMO is because it doesn’t seem complete enough.
There are plenty of black and white Centaurs so there is nothing wrong with exploring some options just needs to be a bit more thorough.
I like the fact that people are at least giving some options so I can appreciate that.
I'm of the opinion that if people like it, they will speak with their orders, and if they don't, the won't.
No harm, no foul.
Quoted from yancy:Screw it, I'll go balls-deep: anyone who sees Centaur and thinks, "hmm, I'm guessing he's lime green" has no eye for art or color and should stick to faithful reproductions.
So I guess I *WILL* have to pop back in. So screw it, I'll go balls deep too. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder or something. Repeated posting. Most have given their general opinions - and that's fine. One and done. You take it further here, into a direct attack on me. Hope it feels satisfying. You got your dig. Yum yum yum, that must have tasted good when you hit "Send Post"
Maybe you need to know a little more about fictional characters like these. I did a ton of research into the looks of these characters - did you? I could easily say back to you - "anyone who sees a green centaur and immediately thinks Shrek has no eye for art or color". Dude, the whole decision for green skin came from the world of comics, D&D and such - which I based on traditional Orcs. They are either green, or brown. The layout already was brown-laden with all the roots, leather, rocks, etc. The centaurs needed to show up - as they are one of the main features of the playfield. So green or brown?... I chose green. I don't regret it.
So you can go through the gamut... you tell me what a centaur *should* be colored - purple? blue? red? orange? yellow? pink? snow white?
Like I said, I think the blazing sun pix are not helping here. As much as outdoor pix make the playfield pop... it's too bad you are seeing "lime green" and thinking "Shrek" ... that's fun and all, and you get to create a meme for people to pile on... great work... but you're reducing a researched and intentional decision into your imagined construct of a dumb, fumbling mistake of a color choice. That's on you. Your opinion. But it's not reality.
So think Shrek (an ogre, not an orc) if you want to. Those who know this genre of characters in the comic and D&D world, know full well what green skinned orcs look like. I decided to use that for the basis of what the centaur's skin would look like. My choice. Pantone 370C. You may not like it, and that's fine.
So post pix of Shrek all day long. If you had any idea about this genre of characters, you would be posting pix like these:
OK... NOW I'm outta here
370-C.pngOrcs.jpgkjrQPDv.jpgoIlTErK.jpgQuoted from yancy:[quoted image]
There you go, CPR. Let's make this dream a reality!
In all fairness however. She's not exactly human either. She has the bug eyes, of course, but I just don't understand why she has a human skin tone. Might as well make her another color too.
Quoted from KevinCPR:Anyway, I'll duck outta here. I don't want to get into a back-n forth.
It's never the last post when someone says this.
Quoted from KevinCPR:So post pix of Shrek all day long.
Will do! Centaur II owners, I didn't forget about you.
Shrektaur 2.jpg
Quoted from KevinCPR:So I guess I *WILL* have to pop back in. So screw it, I'll go balls deep too. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder or something. Repeated posting. Most have given their general opinions - and that's fine. One and done. You take it further here, into a direct attack on me. Hope it feels satisfying. You got your dig. Yum yum yum, that must have tasted good when you hit "Send Post"
Maybe you need to know a little more about fictional characters like these. I did a ton of research into the looks of these characters - did you? I could easily say back to you - "anyone who sees a green centaur and immediately thinks Shrek has no eye for art or color". Dude, the whole decision for green skin came from the world of comics, D&D and such - which I based on traditional Orcs. They are either green, or brown. The layout already was brown-laden with all the roots, leather, rocks, etc. The centaurs needed to show up - as they are one of the main features of the playfield. So green or brown?... I chose green. I don't regret it.
So you can go through the gamut... you tell me what a centaur *should* be colored - purple? blue? red? orange? yellow? pink? snow white?
Like I said, I think the blazing sun pix are not helping here. As much as outdoor pix make the playfield pop... it's too bad you are seeing "lime green" and thinking "Shrek" ... that's fun and all, and you get to create a meme for people to pile on... great work... but you're reducing a researched and intentional decision into your imagined construct of a dumb, fumbling mistake of a color choice. That's on you. Your opinion. But it's not reality.
So think Shrek (an ogre, not an orc) if you want to. Those who know this genre of characters in the comic and D&D world, know full well what green skinned orcs look like. I decided to use that for the basis of what the centaur's skin would look like. My choice. Pantone 370C. You may not like it, and that's fine.
So post pix of Shrek all day long. If you had any idea about this genre of characters, you would be posting pix like these:
OK... NOW I'm outta here
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
You ask for opinions on something you know many people won't like and then lose your shit when people give the expected response. I won't give my opinion because of all the negative comments mine would still really stand out.
That being said, do what you like. It's your time and if you install it, your game. No harm in that.
Quoted from MonsieurCS:But the thing is, a centaur isn't part orc.
A traditional centaur is also not part motorcycle. Creative liberties were taken with this game's character design.
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:A traditional centaur is also not part motorcycle. Creative liberties were taken with this game's character design.
True, but then shouldn't it's color have been more informed by the motorcycle aspect? Rather than also deciding it's also an orc because it vaguely had similar facial features?
I've never once looked at a Centaur (pinball), and thought it was supposed to be part orc.
Quoted from RustyLizard:You ask for opinions on something you know many people won't like and then lose your shit when people give the expected response.
Kevin was very chill about people not liking it until someone had to make things personal. That was a cheap shot, and not at all necessary.
It's typical of Pinside these days, and one of the reasons I took a long break and don't participate much anymore. There's just no reason to drag someone down because you don't happen to agree with a creative decision they made, but it's basically a sport around here.
Say you don't care for it (I did), don't buy it (I wouldn't), but why tell Kevin he has "no eye for art or color"? Over something entirely subjective, with absolutely no real world comparison? Make it green, or blue, or whatever you want, I've never seen a half beast/half motorcycle centaur in person to compare to. I'll still prefer the black and white version and will move on with my day without trying to make someone who provides a service to the community feel shitty.
Quoted from KevinCPR:Maybe you need to know a little more about fictional characters like these....I did a ton of research into the looks of these characters ...
Into the half motorcycle beast specifically made for this machine?
Ah no....on Orcs it seems 
Quoted from Aurich:...one of the reasons I took a long break and don't participate much anymore....
Finally this. It's not an artist thread until Aurich has to mention he left
Some rude assholes on this thread "ill go balls deep" how about just shut your mouth. Sick of you sour losers. It looks great. And whether you like it or not he put time and effort into it, atleast respect that and not take a dump on it with your negativity.
Quoted from Aurich:There's just no reason to drag someone down because you don't happen to agree
Sign o’ the times.
Quoted from Aurich:Kevin was very chill about people not liking it until someone had to make things personal.
Go ahead and call me out by name. I can take it, unlike apparently 90% of people in the industry.
Quoted from Aurich:That was a cheap shot, and not at all necessary.
I can think of something else in this thread that's unnecessary.
Quoted from Aurich:Say you don't care for it (I did), don't buy it (I wouldn't), but why tell Kevin he has "no eye for art or color"?
Because it's my honest opinion. Actually I didn't even know it was Kevin himself who colorized it before I posted. Just assumed it was one of the staff artists. Sorry, I didn't read the original post. Anyway, whoever created it, IN MY OPINION, should not go further down this road.
Kevin himself asked if it was sacrilege in the thread title. Sacrilege, you know, "violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object." Pretty sure I didn't say anything that bad.
Quoted from TheLaw:It's not an artist thread until Aurich has to mention he left
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