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Lost World


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Lost World / IPD No. 1476 / August, 1978 / 4 Players
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 7 stars - Click for comments ]    7.0/10  (36 ratings/27 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Bally Manufacturing Corporation (1931-1983) [Trade Name: Bally]
Project Date: February 10, 1977
Date Of Manufacture: August, 1978
Model Number: 1119-E
MPU: Bally MPU AS-2518-35
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 10,330 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), Kick-out holes (2), Rollunder spinner (1), Messenger ball (1).

First machine to use the second-generation AS-2518-35 hardware. First machine to use electronic sounds, replacing chimes. First machine to use a photographic backglass.

Design by: Gary Gayton
Art by: Paul Faris
Notes: At a Chicago Expo, artist Paul Farris stated humorously that the backglass figures were based on himself and his wife.

Pictured in this listing is a prototype pop bumper switch found on the game with serial number ELW1008. We asked Allan Reizman, Engineering Lab Supervisor at Bally from 1977 to 1983, for the story behind its appearance on this game and why it was not used on production games. He provided us this information:

Hi Jay,

I looked over the photos you sent and I am giving you permission to print my following comments.

Key to all this is the serial number of the game is #8. The first 10 serial number games are a part of history and were used as lab samples and test games. Typically the first 10 represented hand built games made in the lab or factory floor. The purpose of the first 10 was to test and modify the design prior to manufacturing. If you notice, for example, the speaker for the sound system was in the backbox and not in the cabinet. That is because Lost World was the first electronic sound game and the cabinet had not been modified for the speaker yet.

If a new idea made it out of the lab we would consider using it in the first 300 pilot games. If the first 300 proved a successful test the feature would be approved for production in future games.

This brings me to Desi D'Percel who was the father of all mechanical innovations at Bally pinball. Desi was a Hungarian resistance fighter during WWII and spoke over 9 languages. A munitions expert, Desi came to America after the war and finished his career at Bally where he worked on mechanical designs of things like the linear flippers and slingshots as well as drop targets and thumper-bumper modifications. Desi came up with a redesigned bumper switch that was intended to replace the traditional spoon type switch bumpers that had been used for activation.

It was not unusual, in fact encouraged, by the game designers to use one of the lab samples for testing new designs. The new bumper switch was an interesting idea but never made it out of the lab. It was more expensive to produce. Instead Desi and the plastics molding vendor came up with a completely new one piece bumper assembly that used a less brittle plastic. These first appeared on Eight Ball Deluxe.

Whoever obtained serial number 8 should feel lucky. Owning a first 10 game is a treat and often they will contain test features and designs. First 10 games were first used in the game lab for score testing. Yes, we were asked to play pinball continuously in order to percentage the game. So ya have to love to play pinball to work there. The games would then be used by the factory as manufacturing samples and often were shown at trade shows and the company show and lunchrooms. After the run was done the first 10 were often given away to the designers and key marketing and techs that worked on them.

Thanks for reminding me of a bit of engineering history.

Photos in: Arcade TreasuresExternal Link, page 94
Pinball Machines (Eiden-Lukas)External Link, page 143
The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, pages 173-174
Encyclopedia of Pinball Volume 2External Link, page 245
The Pinball Compendium 1970-1981External Link, page 125
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R
Pinball (Ciuffo), page 128
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/1476  (External site)
ROMs: 7 KB ZIP ROMs [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
Documentation: 5 MB PDF English Manual [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 3822: Lost World Flyer, Front
Flyer, Front

605x786
 
Image # 3823: Lost World Flyer, Back
Flyer, Back

609x786
 
Image # 9741: Lost World Full View
Full View

839x1363
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9742: Lost World Backglass
Backglass

1024x979
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9743: Lost World Playfield
Playfield

1024x1108
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 9744: Lost World Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

1024x1014
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 13481: Lost World Backglass Detail
Backglass Detail

400x300
[Bruno Durand]
Image # 30571: Lost World Blank Playfield
Blank Playfield

640x480
[Bob Borden]
Image # 30572: Lost World Upper Blank Playfield
Upper Blank Playfield

640x480
[Bob Borden]
Image # 30573: Lost World Middle Blank Playfield
Middle Blank Playfield

640x480
[Bob Borden]
Image # 30574: Lost World Lower Blank Playfield
Lower Blank Playfield

640x480
[Bob Borden]
Image # 33785: Lost World Lower Playfield Detail
Lower Playfield Detail

768x1024
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 33786: Lost World Playfield Detail
Playfield Detail

1024x768
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 33787: Lost World Playfield Detail
Playfield Detail

1024x768
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 33788: Lost World Playfield Detail
Playfield Detail

1024x768
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 36687: Lost World Blank Playfield
Blank Playfield

877x1600
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 36688: Lost World Blank Playfield - Upper
Blank Playfield - Upper

1024x768
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 36689: Lost World Blank Playfield - Middle
Blank Playfield - Middle

1024x768
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 36690: Lost World Blank Playfield - Middle
Blank Playfield - Middle

1024x768
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 36691: Lost World Blank Playfield - Lower
Blank Playfield - Lower

1024x799
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 36692: Lost World Blank Playfield - Reverse
Blank Playfield - Reverse

859x1600
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 48593: Lost World Backglass
Backglass

1024x927
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 48594: Lost World Backbox - Left
Backbox - Left

676x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 48595: Lost World Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

1024x383
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 48596: Lost World Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View

831x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 54578: Lost World Promotional Poster 
(Provided by Bally in 1977. Measured 22 1/2 by 25 1/2 inches.)
Promotional Poster*

738x670
[Harold Balde]
Image # 66890: Lost World Stripped Playfield
Stripped Playfield

769x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 75483: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Serial Numbers 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Serial Numbers*

1200x1810
 
Image # 75484: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Insert Tag 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Insert Tag*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75485: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Backbox Tag 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Backbox Tag*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75486: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Sound Board 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Sound Board*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75487: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Playfield Tag 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Playfield Tag*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75488: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Under Playfield - Detail 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Under Playfield - Detail*

1200x900
 
Image # 75489: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Under Playfield - Tag 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Under Playfield - Tag*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75490: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Prototype Pop Bumper Switches 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Prototype Pop Bumper Switches*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75491: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Prototype Pop Bumper Switches 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Prototype Pop Bumper Switches*

1200x1600
 
Image # 75492: Lost World Lab Sample Game - Prototype Pop Bumper Switch 
(Serial number ELW1008.)
Lab Sample Game - Prototype Pop Bumper Switch*

1200x1600
 
 

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