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Fireball Classic


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Fireball Classic / IPD No. 853 / February, 1985 / 4 Players
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 7 stars - Click for comments ]    7.4/10  (28 ratings/21 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Bally Midway Manufacturing Company (1983-1988) [Trade Name: Bally]
Project Date: December, 1984
Date Of Manufacture: February, 1985
Model Number: 0A40
Common Abbreviations: FBC
MPU: Bally MPU A080-91638-D000 (6802)
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 2,000 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Fantasy
Notable Features: Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Mushroom bumpers (3), Captive ball kick-out holes (2), Messenger ball (1), Spinning disc, Ramp skill shot, Left kickback outlane, Multiball (2 or 3 ball).
Design by: George Christian
Art by: Doug Watson
Software by: Rehman Merchant
Notes: This is a solid-state re-make of the Bally's 1972 'Fireball' with new (similar) art, no zipper flippers, and some other rule changes. Also produced in Germany by Bally Wulff under license from Bally Midway as Bally Wulff's 1986 'Fireball Classic'.

Uses the AS-2518-45 "Cheap Squeak" sound board.

This game has been reported to have been factory-issued with either of these two MPUs:
Bally MPU AS-2518-35 (6800)
Bally MPU A080-91638-D000 (6802)

Allan Reizman, Engineering Lab Supervisor at Bally from 1977 to 1983, tell us what he remembers about them:

I remember discussing this with Doug Macdonald when the -35 board was revised.

The original 6800 based MPU was developed in the mid 1970s. After 10 years some of the key components including the MC6800 chip itself were becoming hard to obtain or discontinued. A complete redesign was planned and eventually resulted in the 6803 based MPU however there was a backlog of production needs for the -35 board. To satisfy immediate demand for replacement parts and games in production a quick revision of the -35 to replace the discontinued IC components was rushed through and that I believe is the 6802 based board.

I had left Bally at the time but over coffee one morning Doug told me they went to place orders for upcoming production and were surprised when some chips were no longer available. They wound up starting production with the -35 boards until the components were exhausted then put the 6802 board into production as a direct replacement as needed.

An amusing side note is that when pinball production was in its heyday in the late 70s, Midway placed a huge order for components like displays and chips. After production died down in the early 80’s it was thought they had a lifetime supply of some things like 6 digit displays. It was thought the New Technology platform would replace the original board set before the chips ran out but apparently not all the chips were available at the end.

Marketing Slogans: "It's Red Hot!"
Photos in: Pinball Machines (Eiden-Lukas)External Link, page 144
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F
Pinball Trader pp. Issue 26
Arcade TreasuresExternal Link, page 125
Pinball The Lure of the Silverball pp. 62
Pinball (Ciuffo), page 203
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/853  (External site)
ROMs: 55 KB ZIP Game & Sound ROMs
Documentation: 5 MB PDF Operator Handbook [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  1 MB PDF Schematics [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  609 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Feb 18, 1985, Manual Changes, Prelim Owners/Operators Section) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  226 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Jan 30, 1985, Manual Changes, Preliminary Electrical Section) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
Service Bulletins: 116 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Feb 12, 1985, Continuous Extra Ball Condition) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  128 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Feb 21, 1985, Game Over Attract Sound Adjustment) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  186 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Jan 23, 1985, Ball Gate Assembly Adjustment Position) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  183 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Jan 23, 1985, Roll-Over Button Adjustment Procedure) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  173 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Jan 24, 1985, Saucer Tab Adjustments for Serial Nos. 101-700) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
  178 KB PDF Service Bulletin (Jan 31, 1985, Game Over & High Score, Serial Nos. 101 to 743) [Bally Midway Mfg. Co.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 4201: Fireball Classic Flyer, Front
Flyer, Front

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Image # 4202: Fireball Classic Flyer, Back
Flyer, Back

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Image # 10077: Fireball Classic Lit Backglass
Lit Backglass

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[Chris Knight]
Image # 10078: Fireball Classic Playfield
Playfield

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[Chris Knight]
Image # 10079: Fireball Classic Lit Playfield
Lit Playfield

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[Chris Knight]
Image # 21254: Fireball Classic Backglass
Backglass

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Image # 21255: Fireball Classic Backglass - Reverse
Backglass - Reverse

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Image # 21612: Fireball Classic Illuminated Backglass
Illuminated Backglass

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Image # 21613: Fireball Classic Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

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Image # 21614: Fireball Classic Middle Playfield
Middle Playfield

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Image # 21615: Fireball Classic Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield

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Image # 21616: Fireball Classic Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

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Image # 21617: Fireball Classic Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right

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Image # 21618: Fireball Classic Backbox - Left
Backbox - Left

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Image # 21619: Fireball Classic Backbox - Right
Backbox - Right

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Image # 21620: Fireball Classic Front
Front

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Image # 21621: Fireball Classic Behind Backglass
Behind Backglass

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Image # 21622: Fireball Classic Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox

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Image # 21623: Fireball Classic Full View
Full View

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Image # 30726: Fireball Classic Player View
Player View

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[Mark Clayton]
Image # 30727: Fireball Classic Playfield
Playfield

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[Mark Clayton]
Image # 30728: Fireball Classic Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

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[Mark Clayton]
Image # 30729: Fireball Classic Playfield Detail
Playfield Detail

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[Mark Clayton]
Image # 30730: Fireball Classic Backglass
Backglass

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[Mark Clayton]
 

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