Prospect Heights, IL
I was wondering if they could make them different colors instead of white. I'd buy a white one, blue one and orange one for my Tron LE. That would be wicked. Anyone mod these?
(Topic ID: 15922)
Linked Games
Twilight Zone
Bally, 1993
Topic Gallery
Mississauga, ON
I've read that Pat Lawlor experimented with different colors. They custom ordered a few different ones from the manufacturer (at some cost I would assume) and he was really pushing for blue in TZ. In the end, they chose white because everything else they tried made the ball way too hard to track on the playfield...especially the blue!
Quoted from TJ141:I've never seen them in other colors besides white. wait you would put them in Tron?? just for the thrill of it?
Absolutely. I know it would make an already fast game faster, but how cool would it be with orange, blue, white power balls. If people are going to bling machines - why not bling the balls for this game. Wicked fast.
They made proto blue ones. I was offered one a couple years back but couldn't justify the price. Apparently they were very hard to see on the playfield. I had heard a rumor that a blue powerball was going to be made but haven't seen anything more about it.
Quoted from pzy:One of the Patron Saints of RGP/TZ, Jonathan Deitch, has a blue powerball:
Now that looks awesome! Imagine that in a Tron!
Quoted from spfxted:Oops! Just found Back Alley and ordered the Scared Stiff Eyeball Ball!
Where from?
Quoted from BVM:Where from?
http://www.backalleycreations.com/bac%20main%20frame%20page.htm
Click on "Black Pearl Pinballs". Matt has a ton of cool ones to choose from.
It would also be great if someone made them...if they could make the yellow one for the Catacomb backbox>>> 
I believe it is the same material, just slightly smaller...I need one for a Catacomb, and haven't been able to find one at any of the dealers. I talked to Marco about making them, but have not heard anything more from them on it.
Phoebe
10 months later
I know this is an older thread but this is exactly what I was hoping to find. After seeing the white ball in Twilight Zone I really wanted it for my No Good Gofers because I wanted more of a golf ball look. Would this work if I could find them or would it end up causing damage?
I think this is the one I bought...
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/20-9809
Quoted from BVM:Stick with WHITE!
How do you get "retired"?
I was lucky and found an Extra powerball in the dust corner of my TZ when I picked it up (over a decade ago). Then for years I saw these selling for $40 to $50. I always wondered why somone would not make a profitable repro out of these.
This the "mod" craze in full force you would think a potential gold mine. Opps, maybe I better thing this out . . .
Quoted from Taxman:How do you get "retired"?
I always wondered why somone would not make a profitable repro out of these.
For being a total douche.
Those are the repros. No point in making them on the cheap...if you need one you need one and gotta pay the piper 
Quoted from TheLaw:For being a total douche.
Those are the repros. No point in making them on the cheap...if you need one you need one and gotta pay the piper
I didn't know if there was a period of inactivity.
I am not saying on the cheap. Just saying manufactuing should be better now, I would hope.
Nothing against Marco, I have had nothing but good dealings with them. But just because someone says it is better . . . I need time and a lot of collisions
Quoted from gweempose:I like the idea. Has anyone played a Tron with all powerballs? That game would be wicked fast!
Playing a Tron with all ceramic balls would be garbage. You would get air balls a plenty for sure. I would guess it would be close to unplayable.
Quoted from gweempose:I like the idea. Has anyone played a Tron with all powerballs? That game would be wicked fast!
Brixies had one with all powerballs for a while last year.
Quoted from TomN:Playing a Tron with all ceramic balls would be garbage. You would get air balls a plenty for sure. I would guess it would be close to unplayable.
actually it played fantastic.
The powerball is just a standard 1 1/16" ceramic ball used for industrial bearings. According to an interview with Ted Estes the manufacturing process for whatever chemistry they chose prohibited coloring other than white or blue. So that means its probably Zirconia or Alumina Oxide although I could be wrong. I would love to try a Silicon Nitride ball which is crazy light and is a high gloss black. It's not as hard as other ceramics though (still 10x harder than steel).
Quoted from spfxted:I think this is the one I bought...
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/20-9809
A lot cheaper at Mad.
Quoted from spfxted:I think this is the one I bought...
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/20-9809
buy them here because terry is awesome.
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1293
Quoted from spfxted:It they are indeed the same quality ball, yes, it's cheaper. But so's mine.
Same ball, I found this one after I got ripped off by Marco.
I ordered one and weighed them both.
Almost double the price is a gouge IMO.
Marco is my last resort now, this really pissed me off.
Didn't mean to crap on your post, I posted before I read down further.
Juat a little fact about the ceramic balls they were going to put a blue one in white water but it got lost in the upper playfield so they xed that idea out.
Melbourne
Quoted from mario_1_up:Juat a little fact about the ceramic balls they were going to put a blue one in White Water but it got lost in the upper playfield so they xed that idea out.
Never heard that, wonder if Dennis Nordman would chime in about htat.
Quoted from gweempose:I like the idea. Has anyone played a Tron with all powerballs? That game would be wicked fast!
Jay had them in his Tron at the Winter pin Olympics.
I even think the game was jacked up really steep 
It was really brutal, my game lasted all of 45 secs for all 3 balls, but I think that was the point.... there were some crazy and awesomely unique game setups and challenges.
Search for his pinball Olympics thread to see more.
Quoted from calvin12:Never heard that, wonder if Dennis Nordman would chime in about htat.
Not true.
I found some glo balls and loaded them into my Tron. Looks cool and plays fast. True pinheads who played it not so impressed as they like the "real" silver ball feel. I like the look and play challenge for a change of pace. And with right lighting in Tron looks sweet.
Quoted from DennisNordman:Not true.
There ya go!
if you want a faster game, buy a slightly smaller ball. like the ones in the old tilt rails for early system11 (pin*bot). I threw that little ball in one time and had a blast. my only fear is breaking plastics, because it jets around like mad.
Quoted from spfxted:If no one is interested here...Ebay it goes...
pm sent..... no to epay!!!!
Predator #171
Hi Spidey! Here's a pic. Looks good to me. Here's the Marco description:
#20-9809
New production bright pearlescent white (as original) ceramic "Power Ball" pinball used in Bally TWILIGHT ZONE.
Superior ceramic ball. New production ceramic ball meets or exceeds the original manufacturer's specifications.
Size: 1-1/16" diameter
Weight: 65 grams
I want to put powerballs in everything now! Too bad it wouldn't work in LOTR.
Quoted from xbloodgreenx:Too bad it wouldn't work in LOTR.
Sure it would - Gandalf the white. I think it's still magnetic. TZ still has magnets.
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