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Centaur


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Centaur / IPD No. 476 / October, 1981 / 4 Players
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    8.0/10  (119 ratings/82 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Bally Manufacturing Corporation (1931-1983) [Trade Name: Bally]
Project Date: February 03, 1981
Date Of Manufacture: October, 1981
Model Number: 1239
MPU: Bally MPU AS-2518-35
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 3,700 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Fantasy - Motorcycles
Notable Features: Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (2), 4-bank drop targets (2), 4-in-line drop targets, 5-ball multiball. Ball hitting recessed red target in upper right corner of playfield is held there momentarily by a magnet under the playfield. Has speech, with operator-optionable reverberation.

This game has the standard ball-in-play tilt or can be operator-optioned to have two tilts per game. This means if a player activates the tilt mechanism a first time, the word "Warning" lights up on the silk-screened backglass and remains lit while the game continues for that player without penalty. However, if this player tilts a second time, even on subsequent balls in play, the game ends.

In Game Over mode, pressing either flipper button causes the playfield lights to highlight each major scoring feature, one at a time, while the speech card identifies that feature by name.

An Attract Mode operator option causes all five balls to automatically shoot onto the playfield every 15 minutes to interact with the pop bumpers and slingshots until they drain. A similar option appeared on Mirco Games, Inc.'s 1975 'Spirit of 76'.

Design by: Jim Patla
Art by: Paul Faris
Mechanics by: Irv Grabel
Notes: Unlike other Bally electronic pinball games, their documentation for this game shows the model number only as 1239, not 1239-E.

Designer Jim Patla said that 'Centaur' was inspired by the classic Bally's 1956 'Balls-A-Poppin' and that Irv Grabel designed the multiball mechanism on this game.

Uses a "Say it Again" reverb card in addition to the "Squawk and Talk" speech card.

Photos in: The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, pages 106, 107, and 112
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F
Arcade TreasuresExternal Link, page 119
Pinball Machines (Eiden-Lukas)External Link, page 141
Pinball The Lure of the Silverball, page 17
The Pinball Compendium 1970-1981External Link, page 198
Pinball PerspectivesExternal Link, page 236
Pinball (Ciuffo), pages 198-199
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/476  (External site)
Easter Eggs:Available at Cows and Easter Eggs  (External site)
ROMs: 19 KB ZIP ROMs [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
Documentation: 5 MB PDF English Manual (no schematic diagrams) [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
  747 KB PDF Schematic Diagrams [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
Service Bulletins: 411 KB PDF Service Bulletin - Solenoid Expander (April 1983, see third page) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 455: Centaur Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View

475x689
[Harold Balde]
Image # 3807: Centaur Flyer, Back
Flyer, Back

612x818
 
Image # 3808: Centaur Flyer, Page 2
Flyer, Page 2

613x820
 
Image # 3809: Centaur Flyer, Page 3
Flyer, Page 3

605x811
 
Image # 6526: Centaur Flyer, Front
Flyer, Front

1024x1386
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 6527: Centaur A Player's Guide - Outside Fold
A Player's Guide - Outside Fold

1024x745
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 6528: Centaur A Player's Guide - Inside Fold
A Player's Guide - Inside Fold

1024x745
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 6594: Centaur Cabinet - Front
Cabinet - Front

360x270
[John Kirby]
Image # 6595: Centaur Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

432x324
[John Kirby]
Image # 9677: Centaur Cabinet - Full View
Cabinet - Full View

927x1506
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9678: Centaur Backglass
Backglass

1024x993
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9679: Centaur Playfield
Playfield

1024x882
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9680: Centaur Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield

1024x768
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9681: Centaur Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

1024x768
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9682: Centaur Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right

1024x881
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9683: Centaur Backbox - Right
Backbox - Right

974x1536
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 11056: Centaur Press Release 
(Dated November 1st, (1981).)
Press Release*

1024x670
 
Image # 13244: Centaur Backbox Left/Right
Backbox Left/Right

1024x1286
[Kiwi]
Image # 13245: Centaur Cabinet Left/Right
Cabinet Left/Right

1024x816
[Kiwi]
Image # 13246: Centaur Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

1024x768
[Kiwi]
Image # 13247: Centaur Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield

1024x768
[Kiwi]
Image # 14868: Centaur Backglass - Illuminated 
(Illuminated by sunlight.)
Backglass - Illuminated*

965x913
[David Kaszuba]
Image # 14869: Centaur Backglass
Backglass

887x805
[David Kaszuba]
Image # 14870: Centaur Backglass - Reverse
Backglass - Reverse

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[David Kaszuba]
Image # 26322: Centaur Instruction and Score Cards
Instruction and Score Cards

480x640
[John Gray]
Image # 30705: Centaur Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox

1024x768
[Jim Palson]
Image # 30706: Centaur Backbox Insert - Back
Backbox Insert - Back

1024x768
[Jim Palson]
Image # 30707: Centaur Illuminated Backbox Insert - Front
Illuminated Backbox Insert - Front

1024x768
[Jim Palson]
Image # 30708: Centaur Cabinet - Front
Cabinet - Front

1024x768
[Jim Palson]
Image # 30709: Centaur Under Playfield
Under Playfield

768x1024
[Jim Palson]
Image # 30710: Centaur Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet

768x1024
[Jim Palson]
Image # 52063: Centaur Playfield 
(The two red posts in each outlane are missing their rubber rings. The top ring can bounce a draining ball into the flipper return lane.)
Playfield*

1200x1670
[Mark Steinman]
Image # 52064: Centaur Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

1200x918
[Mark Steinman]
Image # 52065: Centaur Middle Playfield
Middle Playfield

1200x1153
[Mark Steinman]
Image # 52066: Centaur Lower Playfield 
(The two red posts in each outlane are missing their rubber rings. The top ring can bounce a draining ball into the flipper return lane.)
Lower Playfield*

1200x1050
[Mark Steinman]
Image # 52067: Centaur Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

1200x800
[Mark Steinman]
Image # 52068: Centaur Instruction Card
Instruction Card

1200x691
[Mark Steinman]
Image # 63636: Centaur Backglass - Artist Signature
Backglass - Artist Signature

1200x898
[Marco Rossignoli]
Image # 70443: Centaur Original Backglass Artwork 
(Designer Jim Patla is on the left. Artist Paul Faris is on the right.)
Original Backglass Artwork*

1200x900
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 70444: Centaur Original Backglass Artwork 
(Artist is Paul Faris.Acrylic on illustration board.Dimensions: same size as production backglass.)
Original Backglass Artwork*

1200x900
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 70445: Centaur Original Backglass Artwork 
(Artist is Paul Faris.Acrylic on illustration board.Dimensions: same size as production backglass.)
Original Backglass Artwork*

1200x900
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 70446: Centaur Pre-Production Backglass Artwork 
(Red color instructions to the film separatorto knock out red areas in production glass.Artist is Paul Faris.Ink and pencil on Vellum.)
Pre-Production Backglass Artwork*

1200x924
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 70447: Centaur Pre-Production Playfield Artwork 
(Original pre-production sketch of playfieldwith call outs indicated.Artist is Paul Faris.Ink and pencil on blueprint paper.Dimensions: same size as production playfield.)
Pre-Production Playfield Artwork*

1200x1658
[Jay Stafford]
Image # 70448: Centaur Pre-Production Playfield Artwork 
(Original pre-production sketch of playfieldwith call outs indicated.Artist is Paul Faris.Ink and pencil on blueprint paper.Dimensions: same size as production playfield.)
Pre-Production Playfield Artwork*

1200x519
[Jay Stafford]
 

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