Semi-rare Bally EM. It really depends if you like these zipper flipper games or not. I personally don't care much for them. More fun zipper games (IMO) are 4 million BC, Fireball, and Nip it.

I also saw this recently.
The CGR reviews are more entertaining than informational.
He doesn't really say that he does not like the game, but that's the impression.
I did appreciate the chance to see some gameplay since I have never seen one.
I don't think Bally will be after him for defamation.

I recently became an owner of Cosmos! It's a very fun game. I haven't had a chance to get it tuned up and really singing yet, but my wife and I are already enjoying it quite a bit. She loves the orbiting pinball satellite!

The zipper flippers come into play less frequently in this game than in some others I've played, because the "Flips In" target is off to the side and the "Flips Out" targets (plural) are front and center. Maybe I just need better aim.

At first it can seem like there's not much to do, but lighting all three planets and all nine rockets and then hitting the blast off shot so that the pinball orbits the Earth and the machine slowly and deliberately awards you your 900 points is actually quite satisfying! I also like the third slingshot on the left side. Plus the art style is really awesome. If you find one, I'd say go for it. Then again, this is my favorite era... if I could find a Wiggler and a Capersville I think I'd be in heaven!

The "Fuel Pod" points are kind of a gimmick, honestly. You are correct: you get awarded one Fuel Pod point for every time you hit the Blast Off shot with at least one of the Mars, Saturn, or Moon lights lit (which also sends the pinball into orbit around the Earth).

I *think* that you can earn a replay if you reach a certain Fuel Pod score, as well as the regular score. I haven't snooped out the replay circuits on this machine yet, but in any case the two are independent of each other. Bally seemed really smitten at the time with parallel scoring systems. My other 60s Bally (Dogies) has "Cactus Juice Score" which is basically the same thing. It's kind of fun in a kitschy way, a vestigial remnant of someone's idea of an innovation, but unless you're a lot better than me at hitting the Blast Off reliably, it doesn't make much of a difference.

I have two of these games. I love the artwork and enjoy the gameplay. The fuel pods are generally set up for extra ball as I recall. I broke mine down to restore a few years back, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. This game was my babysitter when my mom bowled back in the sixties, so I may be a bit biased. Bring on the cabinet stencils and repro backglass!

Tim

Yeah, mine needs that in a SERIOUS way.

Yeah, he would have done better with Xenon had he actually read the instructions.