For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast Feed

Bahama Beach is the next to last beach-themed bingo that Bally produced. The beach themes are iconic and (mostly) timeless, aside from the swimwear. This game contains all the features of the previous, but entirely new artwork, in case the cabaret theme was too racy. It may also have been a sign that the game itself was very popular, as with the flipper games that reused the same layouts and rules. The playfield image is a reason not to move your bingo with balls in. It is easy to smash those light towers when the balls are clanking around. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/bahama_beach/resources/pf-bahama_beach-1.jpg
Episode 323 - 1966 Bally Bahama Beach


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Orient is a great 20 hole game with an entry into a whole new world of features: solid state! That's right, in 1967 Bally was using solid state in a production game! The solid state component is a 'white-button' feature - a whole separate game that will allow you to play by alternating sinking even and odd numbers. Very cool, especially as you have to pay attention to the main Mystic Lines game underneath! Backglass (modified to say Bamboo): Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/orient/resources/pf-orient-1.jpg
Episode 324 - 1967 Bally Orient


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Venice is a 20 hole bingo machine. This game carries forth the Double-Up special game from the previous game, Orient. In this case, the max payout has been increased. The same alternating hole gameplay applies, though. I think this feature would be very fun. All 4 star zones can also pay up to 900 replays! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield:
Episode 325 - 1968 Bally Venice


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London is a Mystic Lines bingo with a couple of really cool features. There is a "Twin Numbers" feature that will light either 17 or 18 if you get one or the other number. Same for 11 and 19. That is a really powerful extra feature. The 'tower game' on this machine is the "Triple Play". In this case, the game has a symbol for each hole on the playfield (three different). Your first ball can land in any hole, but then you have to aim for one of the other two symbols. Your third must be the last symbol. At that point, you can cash out, or you can shoot the flashing symbol to increase your payout. You can also do this with your 5th ball! Accomplishing this meta-game while accomplishing your goals on the standard Mystic Lines game would be challenging indeed. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/london/resources/pf-london-1.jpg
Episode 326 - 1968 Bally London


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Safari has a unique 'tower game' on the right hand side of the backglass: the Animal Feature. You coin this up with the white button, and the idea is that several holes on the playfield will move you up or down. Ideally you move either all the way up or all the way down. This will light the giraffe, which gives you your best payout! The same Mystic Lines gameplay from London returns, including the Twin Number feature. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/safari/resources/pf-safari-1.jpg
Episode 327 - 1969 Bally Safari


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Bonus-7 is the sister game to Super-7. You have your standard (at this point) Mystic Lines gameplay, but now, the extra game is called Bonus-7 and has similar rules to Super-7. Bonus-7 requires you to make a number combination with your first two balls that equal 7. Next, you have to get a red outlined hole, then yellow, then red. This machine also includes a sunburst feature that will automatically award you maximum odds on the Bonus-7 game on your next game! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/bonus_7/resources/pf-bonus_7-1.jpg
Episode 329 - 1970 Bally Bonus-7


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Hole in One - as far as anyone has found - is only a backglass. It depicts a 6 card bingo with a few intriguing mysteries: 1) There is a golfer rating - good, excellent or superior. What is this for? 2) The replay register is masked off and only a single digit is shown. Why? 3) What happened to the rest of the game? How many were made? 4) Did this ever make it into limited production? Backglass: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/hole_in_one/resources/bg-hole_in_one-1.png
Episode 331 - 1971 Bally Hole In One


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Hawaii is the follow-on to Double-Up. It contains all of the features of Double-Up, including the player controlled doubling of any one section, but brings back Stop and Shop, allowing the player to pay additional money for a chance to increase both their odds and features. This is different from previous titles with Stop and Shop, like Cypress Gardens, in that those titles would only allow you to play for a chance at increasing odds. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/hawaii/resources/pf-hawaii-1.jpg
Episode 332 - 1973 Bally Hawaii


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Wall Street is the next in the series of six card bingo revivals that Bally produced in the 70s. Super Lines, Corners scoring, and each card has a chance at lighting the center number as a spotted number! On top of this, the Double or Nothing feature returns. A chance at 600 replays is hard to pass up. Great game, great features, great cabinet art. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/wall_street/resources/pf-wall_street-1.jpg
Episode 333 - 1974 Bally Wall Street


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Blue Chip is another great six card bingo - 25 holes, super lines, corners scoring and Double or Nothing - along with the potential to light a center spotted number with additional coins. The player can actually move the center spotted number between cards, which gives great control and the ability to turn a losing card into a winner! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/blue_chip/resources/pf-blue_chip-1.jpg
Episode 334 - 1974 Bally Blue Chip


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Jeffrey and Robert rejoin the show to talk about various bingos, issues with Bally's design as engineering changed the design of various units, unique or unusual features that were only used once or twice, United games, and the fun method used for us to play the games at Robert and Jeffrey's homes. I had a great time visiting Robert and Jeffrey - can't wait to talk about the games I got to try on the trip! Some of the photos from Robert's collection and a great photo of myself, Jeffrey and Robert: https://goo.gl/photos/6F4Lfho9kFv4X9u57
Episode 335 - Interview with Jeffrey Lawton and Robert Medl 1-29-16


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Bali is a three card bingo pinball with a few interesting features: 1) 7 coin max - the game gives you all you can get with 7 coins 2) First three coins light the three cards 3) Second three coins will light "Super Score" - doubling 4-in-line and 5-in-line wins on all three cards 4) Last coin will give you a guaranteed extra ball. Backglass (modified): Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/bali/resources/pf-bali-1.jpg
Episode 336 - 1974 Bally Bali


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Bonanza is the last of the Magic Squares games. Aside from the standard corner mounted squares, there is also a center Magic Line, allowing for some great action - necessary as there are four different colors on the bingo card, corresponding to four true independently moving odds sections. This game has no extra balls, but has an extended time tree to after 5th, corners scoring for 100 and 200 (at random), and a huge redesign of many of the units inside the head. This game would be interesting to work on - many units are actually simplified. A bell will sound as you earn features or odds jumps! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: Internals: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/bonanza/resources/int-bonanza-1.jpg
Episode 337 - 1976 Bally Bonanza


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The third Miss America game from Bally - typified by two bingo cards side-by-side with the ability to move numbers on each row left and right one position. Miss America Supreme adds 'Star numbers' which can be used to earn 5 in a row green odds, or start a red letter game! Corners score red 5 in a line, extra balls, and alternating rollovers return from Miss America '75. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/miss_america_supreme/resources/pf-miss_america_supreme-1.jpg
Episode 338 - 1976 Bally Miss America Supreme


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High Flyer is another great six card bingo. This machine has an eight coin max. Your first six coins light the bingo cards, and coins 7 and 8 light the red diagonals (diagonal connections between odd diagonals) on each card. There are rollovers to light super lines and corners for each card, and the Double or Nothing feature returns! Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/high_flyer/resources/pf-high_flyer-1.jpg
Episode 339 - 1977 Bally High Flyer


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Miss America Deluxe is the last of the Miss America games made by Bally. It contains all the features (extra card, magic lines that move each row of numbers one position left and right, the red letter game, corners scoring on the main card, all 4 star zones score your green 5 in a line odds, and roll overs to extend your time for the moving numbers feature) of Miss America Supreme from the year before. This game adds the 'red diagonals' feature from High Flyer! In this case, they call them 'Striped Diagonals'. This allows you to win on the odd diagonals, but only on the extra card. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/miss_america_deluxe/resources/pf-miss_america_deluxe-1.jpg
Episode 340 - 1977 Bally Miss America Deluxe


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ROMANCE! Another holiday visit from Fake Nick Baldridge, this time with a very special guest. Miriam Cobblebottom, widow of the Nantucket Nickel company figurehead, Eustacious Cobblebottom, provides some revelatory insight into the little-known pingame manufacturer’s company history. Thanks, FNB!
Episode 341 - Nantucket Nickel - The Miriam Cobblebottom Interview


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Galaxy is a one-off bingo with a 24 hole playfield. You cannot bring the ball back to a ball return on this game. You can actually return one half of the numbers to shoot again. You can also move two columns at a time up or down one position (on this 6x4 card). This game does not have the spotted numbers features from Miss Universe (another interesting experiment), but it does have extra balls. Galaxy looks like it was completely engineered to make you lose a ton of money, quickly. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/galaxy/resources/pf-galaxy-1.jpg
Episode 342 - 1978 Bally Galaxy


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Tahiti is a love/hate game - the last of the 20 hole machines that Bally produced, Tahiti brings back the ball return feature from Galaxy. Instead of returning half of the card, it will return only the balls in either section B or C. The Mystic Lines return, but this time, can be awarded in any order. You can earn only C or B and so on. The red letter game does not return, nor do extra balls. Bally also reduced the amount of replays earned for all four numbers in the star zones to 100. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/tahiti/resources/pf-tahiti-1.jpg
Episode 343 - 1979 Bally Tahiti


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Malibu Beach was the last EM bingo that Bally produced, and the final Magic Screen game. This game has exactly the same feature set as Laguna Beach (produced twenty years earlier!). Rumor has it that Nevada asked for a rerun of Laguna Beach to put in the casinos in 1980, and Bally would not agree to reproduce the earlier title. Instead, they agreed to make an entirely new title with the same features. Nevada changed their mind after Bally went to the trouble of producing the games... and as such, "somehow", the games got out into the world. It seems to be a fairly common game for home collectors, as I've seen several. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/malibu_beach/resources/pf-malibu_beach-1.jpg
Episode 344 - 1980 Bally Malibu Beach


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Continental is the very last Bally bingo pinball produced. In 1980, a Belgian firm ordered the entire run be shipped overseas. This firm ended up using the designs and creating their own line of bingos - which have been produced up to this day (over several company name changes)! Note that at least some of these games were put out on location in the US - interesting! Continental is a six card bingo - in fact, it's a feature-for-feature remake of 1978's Dixieland. The only difference is the solid state boardset that drives all of the computation. Backglass: Cabinet: Playfield: http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/continental/resources/pf-continental-1.jpg
Episode 345 - 1980 Bally Continental


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I spent a few days in Ohio recently, and wanted to discuss some of the games I played and various features that I was either incorrect about in my speculation, or thought would bear in-person impressions. Had a blast losing on all these bingos!
Episode 346 - My EM Happenings for 2-17-16 pt. 1


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General chit-chat
Help Users
You can interact with the ChatGPT Bot in any Chat Room and there is a dedicated room. The command is /ai followed by a space and then your ? or inquiry.
ie: /ai What is a EM Pinball Machine?
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  • A (Guest) Alena:
    (AI prompt) is contact available (1933 version)?
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  • ChatGPT @ ChatGPT:
    @, As of my knowledge cutoff in 2023, the 1933 version of the film "Contact" does not exist. It seems there might be a confusion with the title or the year. The well-known film "Contact" is a science fiction drama released in 1997, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Carl Sagan.

    If you are looking for a different film from 1933 or a film with a similar title, please provide more details so I can assist you better. If you are indeed referring to the 1997 film "Contact," it is widely available on various streaming platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray.
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  • A (Guest) Alena:
    No I mean the 1933 version of the pinball Contact
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  • D @ DLWood:
    New to FP. I'm on Linux and using Lutris. Have installed FP from the Lutris repo. It does not have BAM support so I can only play non-BAM tables. Some of the tables show up w/o a playfield image...how do I fix that?
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