For Amusement Only Em And Bingo Pinball Podcast

Key West is the first bingo that Bally produced that allowed you to collect wins in triple deck scoring before you were locked out of the moving numbers feature (in this case, Magic Squares).   Collecting in multiple colors is a great thrill. The ballyhole returns - awarding first extra ball, corners score green 5-in-a-line, and also a first for this game, you can swap the red and yellow scores if one or the other is higher and you want to earn those extra replays! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/key_west/resources/pf-key_west-1.jpg

Big Show is a magic squares game, notable for being the first game with triple deck scoring! Corners score as 5-in-a-row in green, extra balls, magic squares in traditional position, and spotted numbers 2 or 18. Ballyhole lights first extra ball. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/big_show/resources/pf-big_show-1.jpg

Double Header is another unique game!  Bally made two separate games in one - the first game is a static bingo card with multiple spotted numbers and select-a-spot.  Red yellow and green lines can score double or triple. The second game is a Magic Squares game.  It does not have the double, triple or quadruple scoring, but it has multiple spotted numbers. Beautiful baseball-themed artwork round out this real bingo rarity! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/double_header/resources/pf-double_header-1.jpg

Parade is another unique game in the Bally bingo pantheon: the Extra Lines feature allows you two extra rows of repeated numbers to try to put together a winner. Advancing odds, up to quadruple replays awarded for a winner, magic squares and extra balls.  There are no spotted numbers on this game, but the Ballyhole returns to award first extra ball. Backglass: Backglass with second extra line exposed: Playfield:  

Broadway was the first game Bally produced with Magic Squares!  Magic Squares allow you to rotate each of the four corner quadrants via player control on the footrail.   Broadway has red and yellow lines that allow you to earn up to triple odds over what is indicated by the advancing odds. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/broadway/resources/pf-broadway-1.jpg

Beach Beauty is another Bally one-off game - this game's unique feature is 'Wild Pockets'.  Based on the machine qualifying green or red, you have to sink a ball into one of 7 holes to qualify the feature.  From there, you can move that ball into another position! The backglass is split basically in half, one side red, the other green. Corners scoring, advancing odds, extra balls, super cards, and more fantastic beach-themed artwork. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/beach_beauty/resources/pf-beach_beauty-1.jpg

Miami Beach was another experiment by Bally.  In this case, they tried a feature called "Magic Curtains".  The bingo card is actually 9x5.  By default, only a 5x5 card is shown, and as you insert coins, you may reveal additional sections of the card. As you do this, other features may be revealed. Advancing odds, extra balls, 'corners scoring' (not exactly), 3 scores as 4 or 5, and great artwork.   Backglass (Curtain in default position): Backglass (Curtain in expanded position): Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/miami_beach/resources/pf-miami_beach-1.jpg

Gayety is one of only two games with the Magic Pockets feature.  This feature allows you to kick the balls physically from hole number 1 to number 7 and back again, stopping anywhere along the way. The game will spot numbers at mystery intervals, has corners scoring, three columns of Magic Lines, and has the "3 scores as 4" feature. Extra balls allow you to have up to 8 chances at getting a 5 in a row. I hope everyone had a great Christmas or happy holidays. :-) Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: Flier explaining Magic Pockets: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/gayety/resources/fly-gayety-1.jpg

A special holiday episode with repeat guest host, Fake Nick Baldridge, who once again joins the For Amusement Only podcast to discuss esoteric pingame manufacturer, Nantucket Nickel, and their second production release.  Thanks, FNB!

Big Time is a Magic Lines moving numbers game that allows you to move each column of numbers up or down one position! The catch is that you earn that feature at mystery intervals.  Between advancing odds and this feature, the game has spotted number rollovers, extra balls, and corners scoring, along with two super cards. Great game, beautiful artwork! I was very happy to see and play this game at York this year.  Big thanks to the person who brought the game. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/big_time/resources/pf-big_time-2.jpg

Variety is a single card bingo  - the first with moving numbers!  In this case, Magic Lines.  Magic Lines allow you to move the first three columns of numbers (on this game) up or down one position. This increased the winning potential for players, and really opened up Bally to experiment with different designs and player-friendly features.  The fixed numbers on earlier games of course allowed for complex gameplay, but this innovation really took things to another level. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: Flyer describing Magic Lines: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/variety/resources/fly-variety-2.jpg

Hi-Fi is a single card bingo with super cards, select-a-spot, advancing odds, extra balls, and the 'Bump' feature (only used on this machine). The artwork is music-themed and gorgeous. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/hi_fi/resources/pf-hi_fi-1.jpg

Surf Club is yet another fantastic Bally bingo with a complete integrated art package, select-a-spot, super cards (qualified via rollovers), extra balls, a Super Line (3 in a row score as 5!), advancing odds, and ... the hold feature returns with a twist!   Backglass:  Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/surf_club/resources/pf-surf_club-1.jpg

Ice Frolics has the super score system of Frolics (one card scores based on advancing odds, the rest are fixed payout), but adds the Hold feature used on Palm Springs. Corners, Extra Balls, three cards, rollovers, and the ability to choose your Super Score card (with an extended time tree) make this a very deep bingo experience.   Backglass: Playfield: Cabinet: Technical Info: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/ice_frolics/

Palm Springs is one of only a small number of Bally bingos with the 'hold' feature.  This allowed you to hold only the odd numbers, only the even numbers, or hold all.  The rest of the balls would drop back down, allowing you to shoot again! This game has two super cards, corners scoring, advancing odds, extra balls, and select-a-spot.   Fantastic looking player. Backglass: Playfield: Cabinet: Technical Information: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/palm_springs/

Dude Ranch is a highly-regarded bingo. A two card bingo with a super card, super lines, select-a-spot, extra balls and corners scoring!  Advancing odds, and rollover spotted numbers round out the package. More fantastic bingo artwork!

Beach Club has a single main card and two 'super cards' - 3x3 sets of numbers that score 3 in a rows as 4! The game also features corners scoring on both the main card and the super cards, up to seven spotted numbers using the select-a-spot dial on the front of the cab, extra balls, and amazing artwork.

Bally's Beauty is a really fantastic looking three card bingo with advancing odds, extra balls, spotted numbers and ... the first game to feature select-a-spot! By turning a knob on the front door, you can choose one of five numbers to spot across all the bingo cards. If you need more (for some reason), this game also offered corner scoring on the center card. Beautiful, fun, thought-provoking game!

Bright Spot is a six card bingo, made as a follow-on to Frolics, which had come out earlier in 1952. Whereas Frolics introduced some new features and ideas to six card players, Bright Spot brings players back to basics: a spotted number which lights one center number (a mystery to the player until the first ball is shot), the manual ball lifter is back, and fixed payouts for each card make this a quick, clear six card game. Beautiful artwork (love the cityscape on the curvature of the Earth beneath)!

Here's some stuff that's been going on in my pinball world recently (really more than a month, been holding onto this stuff for almost a month!)   If you haven't listened to 'This Flippin' Podcast' yet, be sure to check that out.  They discuss new machines and various other things in their pinball lives (including EMs).