(Topic ID: 326254)

List Your Top 3 Bally Electro Mechanical Pinball Machines

By DanMarino

1 year ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 85 posts
  • 47 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by Quercus22
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

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There are 85 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
#51 1 year ago
Quoted from Kingpin22:

El Dorado
Sing Along
2001

FAIL!

Love my Gold Strike, Melody, and Dimension games though!

#52 1 year ago

Evel Knievel
Capt Fantastic
4M BC

Hope to bring another EK EM to TPF, my 3rd creation.

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#53 1 year ago

1. Dixieland Love those zipper flippers!
2. Wiggler
3. Little Joe

#54 1 year ago

We like our Bally Hang Glider - drop targets, spinner, crazy bonus that if lit and the target shot is made - game over!

#55 1 year ago

Hot Tip. I judge all the EM tables I play against this Masterpiece. Owned for over 30 years.

#56 1 year ago

1)I’m surprised no one has mentioned Bally surfers. It’s a riot to play. It has a kickback on the left outlane, a ball return gate on the right outlane, zipper flippers, a critical skill shot, an upper flipper that shoots important and otherwise impossible targets, as well as a shootable lane that feeds the upper flipper. The primary scoring is a “build and collect” bonus shot that resets and there is a configurable carry over feature. The icing on the cake being the ability to convert it to AAB.. top it all off with hilarious mid century pointy people surf art. phew..

2) 4 mil bc is pretty amazing, and though less “valuable”, I think it’s more fun than the venerated fireball.

3) is a toss up between Mata Hari and bow and arrow. Set up mean, they make for great competition games.

#57 1 year ago
Quoted from locksmith:

Hot Tip. I judge all the EM tables I play against this Masterpiece. Owned for over 30 years.

That's Williams. How do you feel about bally machines?

#58 1 year ago
Quoted from Daditude:

That's Williams. How do you feel about bally machines?

I need to probably buy one. I do do like the art on most of the Bally’s.I’m starting to buy EM games.I’m a little ignorant on this subject but am getting better.

#59 1 year ago
Quoted from locksmith:

I need to probably buy one. I do do like the art on most of the Bally’s.I’m starting to buy EM games.I’m a little ignorant on this subject but am getting better.

I am definitely a gottlieb guy, but that makes sense because I prefer drop targets. Williams is my second favorite EM pinball company due to some interesting themes and playfields, and bally falls third for me because they seem to lag behind the others in innovation, art, and fun.

It is all subjective, of course.

#60 1 year ago
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#61 1 year ago
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:

FAIL!
Love my Gold Strike, Melody, and Dimension games though!

Three of my favorite Gottliebs for sure!

Never played "Little Joe". I've heard it's a good player.

#62 1 year ago

Some of you guys crack me up.
What are your 3 favorite BALLY EMs?
“Oh boy here I go!
1. Data East Jurassic Park
2. Williams Firepower
3. Stern Tron
4. Midway Cruis’n USA

Oh wait!…what are the rules???”

On a serious note gotta go with
4 Million BC
Fireball
Bow and Arrow

#63 1 year ago

To be fair, Bally is hidden very well in the title.

#64 1 year ago

I've got a domestic version of See Saw on route in Schererville, IN. It's a love/hate thing on league night. Great game though!

#65 1 year ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

To be fair, Bally is hidden very well in the title.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! I appreciate all the responses. So many Bally EM machines that I have not played yet or even seen in person.

#66 1 year ago
Quoted from DanMarino:

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! I appreciate all the responses. So many Bally EM machines that I have not played yet or even seen in person.

DanMarino - are you the one that put a bid on the Air Aces on Ebay just outside the District?

Happy Thanksgiving!

#67 1 year ago

Is one for sale someplace nearby? Send me a link! I’ve got no room though. Haha

#68 1 year ago
Quoted from Daditude:

because they seem to lag behind the others in innovation, art, and fun.

Hello,
Tad Zale (Bally) EM innovations from 1963 to 1973
TZ (resized).jpgTZ (resized).jpg
Zipper Flipper, Multiball games (10 made), Balligator, Spining disc etc… What are Williams and Gottlieb innovations at the same period?

Top 3 Bally Electro Mechanical Pinball Machines I wish I’ll be able to get one day :Balls-A-Poppin, Circus (1957) and Mata Hari EM

#69 1 year ago

Flip Flop, 4 Million BC, Nip-It

#70 1 year ago
Quoted from gdonovan:

I have mine in the restore queue, just got a "film" from Coos for the backglass that looks superb.

Can you post a few pics? I’m tempted to get one from him as well.

#71 1 year ago
Quoted from Garrett:

Can you post a few pics? I’m tempted to get one from him as well.

Here's a Card Whiz

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#72 1 year ago
Quoted from BallyCrazy:

Hello,
Tad Zale (Bally) EM innovations from 1963 to 1973

That ugly mutt in the video you linked looks really familiar to me. LOL.

#73 1 year ago
Quoted from pinhead52:

Here's a Card Whiz
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Does it need 2SMD LEDs to look properly lit or 1SMD’s enough?

Thanks for the pics

#74 1 year ago
Quoted from BeachPickle:

1)I’m surprised no one has mentioned Bally surfers. It’s a riot to play. It has a kickback on the left outlane, a ball return gate on the right outlane, zipper flippers, a critical skill shot, an upper flipper that shoots important and otherwise impossible targets, as well as a shootable lane that feeds the upper flipper. The primary scoring is a “build and collect” bonus shot that resets and there is a configurable carry over feature. The icing on the cake being the ability to convert it to AAB.. top it all off with hilarious mid century pointy people surf art. phew..
2) 4 mil bc is pretty amazing, and though less “valuable”, I think it’s more fun than the venerated fireball.
3) is a toss up between Mata Hari and bow and arrow. Set up mean, they make for great competition games.

Surfers is fairly rare, under 1000 made. I've owned mine since 1971. I recently did some minor touchups and my partner in crime cleared the playfield. It's fast as hell.

1. Old Chicago
2. Surfers
3. Capersville

#75 1 year ago

I have others in the downstairs game room, but ever since I had a game room on
the same level of the main living quarters , it's been Night Rider, Balls-a-Poppin',
and Black Jack. I play others more often, but these are now the mostly played of
the Ballys..

#76 1 year ago

I can remember only owning four Bally EMs (I've always been more of a Gtb/Wms guy) but I think I got lucky on which ones I happened to get.

1. Old Chicago
2. Capersville
3. Bazaar

Old Chicago - Gottliebs are solid as a rock and the Cadillac of EMs but man, when being played Old Chicago felt like a damn TANK! Maybe it was partly the cabinet they were using at that time and the center of gravity or something. And long-lasting playability, a great shooter, the cool Bally chimes, gorgeous artwork top to bottom.

Capersville - Ugly, but loved the zipper flippers, the kooky advancing ball traps, the secret code reels and the way 3-ball multiball started with a bang with both balls in the saucers popping out simultaneously. Was very fond of that one, a better player than my 4 Million BC, IMO. Sometimes a game is so good you don't care about the looks.

Bazaar - Weird asymmetrical layout and upper rollovers, the plunger shot where you tried to bounce the ball against the rebound to light the arch area for maximum score, the mushroom bumpers for the sequence, the Super Bonus, another great one and a single player so had game-length objectives.

#77 1 year ago

Favorite overall - Star-Jet

Favorite Zippers
Surfers
Rocket III
4MBC

These are based just on games I’ve owned. There are others I’d like to own if they came up… Cosmos, Capersville, Fireball, maybe Mad Word.

#78 1 year ago
Quoted from pinhead52:

Here's a Card Whiz
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

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#79 1 year ago

Bally Wizard
Williams Pat Hand
Gottlieb Super Soccer

Strange coincedance: 1975...

And a lot of other ones...

#80 1 year ago
Quoted from wizardblom:

Bally Wizard
Williams Pat Hand
Gottlieb Super Soccer
Strange coincedance: 1975...
And a lot of other ones...

Ach, du lieber!

#81 1 year ago

Wizard!
Old Chicago
Black Jack

#82 1 year ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

Ach, du lieber!

I dont feel so bad now.

#83 1 year ago

Safari
Expressway
Nightrider

Honorable Mention: Old Chicago

#84 1 year ago

Partial to Bally's 70s EMs...

#1 without a doubt Mata Hari, followed by #2 Old Chicago, #3 tie between Expressway and Hang Glider.

1 week later
#85 1 year ago

Expressway
4 Million BC
Odds and Evens

Could also include Little Joe and Old Chicago though.

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