1981 · Bally
Embryon
Known for Upper-right saucer, Upper-right flipper, Top drop targets and Upper-left 1-2 lanes. Dark industrial laboratory interior of steel girders, catwalks, ducts and pipework, large riveted circular porthole or turbine intake at centre, radiator or condenser panel grids flanking left and right, fluted column-like structures at both lower sides and railway-like tracks or ladder rungs across the lower background.
- Year
- 1981
- Maker
- Bally
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- saucer
Upper-right saucer
- extra flipper
Upper-right flipper
- Drop target
Top drop targets
- Lane
Upper-left 1-2 lanes
- Captive ball
Center captive ball
- extra flipper
Flipsave
On the playfield
Hole 1
- Upper-right saucer saucer
Captive balls 3
- Left captive ball
- Right captive ball
- Center captive ball
Drop target 1
- Top drop targets
Target 1
- Centre structure standups
Lanes 3
- Star rollovers rollovers
- Upper-left 1-2 lanes
- A-B lanes
Flippers 2
- Upper-right flipper extra flipper
- Flipsave extra flipper
Post or gate 1
- Gate gate
Lights 1
- Wheel
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Only human figure. square-jawed, dark-haired adult man, bare visible eyes under a red-and-cream helmet with a segmented pink-lens crown; dark blue one-piece suit, bright orange webbing harness and belt with a coiled spring detail at the waist; arms down at his sides, fists clenched, standing frontal and unsmiling behind the glass sphere.
- creature A red-orange embryo- or foetus-like organic mass inside the central glowing glass sphere: curled limb-like lobes, translucent yellow-green membranes, dark crimson nodules and branching vein patterns.
- creature A second, smaller glowing glass orb at lower right containing a similar red organic form, half cut off by the frame edge.
- other A cluster of orange lumpy sacs or clustered spheres at mid-left, resembling a mass of eggs or a biological specimen.
- robot A brass/bronze mechanical cradle with hinged arms, bolts and claw-like fittings supporting the central sphere; similar armatures at bottom left and bottom right.
Setting
- Dark industrial laboratory interior of steel girders, catwalks, ducts and pipework
- Large riveted circular porthole or turbine intake at centre
- Radiator or condenser panel grids flanking left and right
- Fluted column-like structures at both lower sides
- Railway-like tracks or ladder rungs across the lower background
Text on it
- EMBRYON
- BALL IN PLAY
- CREDIT
- TILT
- GAME OVER
How it plays
-
Goals 2
- EMBRYON
- Super bonus
-
Awards 2
- Spots Letter
- Spot Bonus Multiplier
Made by
- Design
- Claude Fernandez
- Art
- Tony Ramunni
Reference
Linked terms
- Upper-right saucer also called back right saucer also called far upper-right saucer
- Top drop targets also called Top drop bank also called upper right drop targets
- Upper-left 1-2 lanes also called Upper-left lanes
- Center captive ball also called Center structure
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- blue
- silver
- yellow
- pink
Fingerprint: Pinball: Blue-violet dome with backlit letters spelling PINBALL fanning across surface, pink-haired winged woman standing inside dome, yellow wireform lanes curving toward red flippers, three blue-capped pop bumpers in triangle above dome, chrome mirror-bright playfield, glowing numbered inserts
The centrepiece is a glowing blue-violet dome whose whole surface spells PINBALL in a fan-shaped arc of individually backlit capital letters, with a pink-haired winged woman standing inside the dome beneath the arc. Flanking it are yellow wireform covered lanes that curve down towards two red flippers on a mirrored chrome playfield. A cluster of three blue-capped pop bumpers in a triangle sits directly above the dome, and the apron below repeats the word PINBALL in large blue outline capitals. A red bumper reading SHOOT AGAIN and a green 4X insert stack vertically below the dome.
Setting
- Mirror-chrome plated playfield
- Abstract graphic dome with radial light-ray pattern
- Cream and pale-blue apron with blue pinstriped border
Symbols
- Arc of backlit capital letters
- Round numbered inserts
- Yellow wireform lane guides
- Semicircular metal ball guides
- Lettered saucer inserts
- Drop-target banks
- Round saucer housings
- Blue pinstriped apron border
Notable shapes
- Large central blue dome with radial fan of letters
- Yellow curved wireform lanes sweeping from the upper playfield down to the flippers
- Semicircular chrome ball guides at the lower left and lower right
- Triangular cluster of pop bumpers above the dome
Art motifs
- Radial sunburst rays inside the dome
- Airbrushed chrome gradient
- Symmetrical mirrored layout
- Airbrushed pinks and violets
Themes
- Pinball
- Domed stage
- Winged woman
- Abstract cosmic
Title on it
- Pinball
Text on it
- PINBALL
- Bally
- INSTRUCTIONS
- For Amusement Only
- EMBRYON
- 1 TO SERVE
- 2 TO SERVE
- 2 PLAYER ALTERNATE PLAY
- 5 BALLS PER GAME
- RIGHT FLIPPER BUTTON PUTS BALL IN PLAY FROM SAUCER WHEN FLASHING
- SHOOT AGAIN
- SPECIAL
- 4X
- 20
- 40
- DROP TARGET
- 1000 WHEN LIT
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | One female winged figure standing upright at the centre of the blue dome, beneath the arc of glowing letters. long flowing pink and magenta hair, pink and purple wings or drapery spreading to either side, frontal symmetrical pose, painted in airbrushed pinks and violets. |
Electro-mechanical playfield with a heavily chrome-plated, mirror-bright finish, framed by a cream and pale-blue apron. A large blue-violet domed dome fills the centre, its surface arranged as a fan-shaped arc of backlit capital letters reading PINBALL, glowing blue. Beneath the letter arc, inside the dome, stands a single female winged figure: long pink and magenta hair, pink and purple wings or drapery spreading either side of her, an upright frontal pose, rendered in airbrushed pinks. Below her are glowing round inserts carrying the numbers 2, 1, 4, 8, 6, 7, 9, and larger yellow discs reading 20 and 40. A red bumper below reads SHOOT AGAIN, and a green insert below that reads 4X. Three blue-capped pop bumpers sit in a triangle above the dome. Symmetric flanks carry yellow wireform-covered lanes, angled drop-target banks, and round saucer targets with lettered inserts. Two red flippers and a red centre drain shield sit at the bottom. The apron carries a cursive script logo at the left, PINBALL in big blue outlined capitals across the centre, an INSTRUCTIONS card, and 5 BALLS PER GAME twice.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- orange
- yellow
- black
- blue
Fingerprint: EMBRYON in chunky 3D orange-and-yellow block letters arched across top, stern square-jawed man in dark blue space suit with bright orange harness and red-cream segmented helmet behind huge riveted circular porthole, glowing glass sphere containing red-orange organic embryo mass with veins and dark nodules, smaller orb at lower right, four orange LED score displays
The centrepiece is a giant transparent glass sphere filled with a glowing yellow-green light and a red organic embryo-like form with red nodules and dark veining, sitting on a riveted brass cradle with mechanical arms. A stern helmeted man in a blue suit and orange harness stands directly behind it, framed by a huge riveted circular porthole like a submarine hatch or turbine intake. The two side orbs and the four banks of orange seven-segment score readouts, plus the word EMBRYON in chunky 3-D orange-and-yellow block letters arched across the top, complete the picture.
Setting
- Dark industrial laboratory interior of steel girders, catwalks, ducts and pipework
- Large riveted circular porthole or turbine intake at centre
- Radiator or condenser panel grids flanking left and right
- Fluted column-like structures at both lower sides
- Railway-like tracks or ladder rungs across the lower background
Symbols
- Large riveted circular porthole
- Glowing glass laboratory sphere or flask
- Brass mechanical clamp arms
- Orange led seven-segment digit displays
- Red-tinted lens panels on the helmet crown
- Row of dark rivet studs around the porthole rim
Lettering
- Large arched block capitals, chunky 3-d bevelled orange letters with yellow faces and a dark blue/purple drop shadow, set on a purple-grey plaque; small plain yellow-white sans-serif capital labels beside the score windows
Themes
- Science fiction
- Laboratory
- Embryology or genetics experiment
- Underwater or deep-sea pressure vessel
- Industrial machinery
Title on it
- Embryon
Text on it
- EMBRYON
- BALL IN PLAY
- CREDIT
- TILT
- GAME OVER
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Only human figure. square-jawed, dark-haired adult man, bare visible eyes under a red-and-cream helmet with a segmented pink-lens crown; dark blue one-piece suit, bright orange webbing harness and belt with a coiled spring detail at the waist; arms down at his sides, fists clenched, standing frontal and unsmiling behind the glass sphere. |
| Creature | A red-orange embryo- or foetus-like organic mass inside the central glowing glass sphere: curled limb-like lobes, translucent yellow-green membranes, dark crimson nodules and branching vein patterns. |
| Creature | A second, smaller glowing glass orb at lower right containing a similar red organic form, half cut off by the frame edge. |
| Other | A cluster of orange lumpy sacs or clustered spheres at mid-left, resembling a mass of eggs or a biological specimen. |
| Robot | A brass/bronze mechanical cradle with hinged arms, bolts and claw-like fittings supporting the central sphere; similar armatures at bottom left and bottom right. |
A square, symmetrical, front-lit pinball backglass dominated by a huge central circular porthole or turbine aperture, ringed with rivets and brass-coloured fittings, at the centre of which stands a stern, square-jawed man in a dark blue one-piece diving or space suit with a bright orange webbing harness across his chest; he wears a red-and-cream helmet with a segmented crown of pinkish lens panels and looks directly out at the viewer. Filling the lower centre foreground is a large glowing glass sphere or laboratory flask, lit from inside in yellow-green, containing a red-orange organic embryo-like mass with visible veins and dark red nodules; a second smaller version of the same orb sits to its right. Four six-digit orange LED score windows are mounted in pairs at upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right, each showing 00. Behind the porthole is a dark industrial interior of girders, catwalks, ducts, cables and radiator-like panels, painted in heavy airbrushed sci-fi illustration style. Dominant colours are orange, yellow, black and dark blue.
Backglass
- blue
- red
- orange
- grey
Fingerprint: EMBRYON in red arched letters on blue arch, man in silver helmet over globe-like glass sphere, glowing orange-red embryo suspended inside, steel hatch ring porthole behind head, orange-yellow glowing egg pods at sides, row of heated coils bottom, dark starfield with machinery
The dominant image is a giant man's head and upper body leaning over a clear glass sphere in which a curled glowing orange-red embryo is suspended. Behind his head sits a large circular steel hatch or portal ring, making his helmeted head read as if framed inside a porthole. Two bright orange-yellow egg-shaped pods glow symmetrically at the left and right edges. The title is spelled in fat arched red letters with a yellow-orange outline, set on a blue arch. Row of glowing orange coil segments along the bottom edge.
Setting
- Dark blue and purple starfield with scattered small stars
- Large circular grey riveted steel hatch or pressure-door ring behind the figure
- Angular riveted metallic machinery and greebles on both left and right sides
- Dark industrial floor plates at the bottom
Symbols
- Large circular steel hatch/porthole ring
- Clear glass sphere
- Two glowing orange-yellow egg-shaped pods, left and right
- Row of glowing orange-yellow coil or heater segments along the bottom
- Riveted steel plating
- Small white stars
Lettering
- Arched display capitals, red fill with thick yellow-orange outline and white edge, on a blue-violet arch banner; small cursive script wordmark in the top-left corner
Themes
- Science fiction
- Space
- Embryology
- Cryogenics
- Laboratory
- Germ theory
- Hatching
Title on it
- Embryon
Text on it
- EMBRYON
- Bally
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | One adult male, waist-up, centred, facing viewer, short brown hair, pale orange-lit skin, stern or grimacing expression, white and silver helmet/headband rig with two round goggle lenses over the brow and side ear pieces, bright blue one-piece suit with red-orange webbing harness straps crossing the chest in a v and dark blue sleeves, leaning forward with both hands braced on a large clear glass sphere |
| Other | A curled embryo or foetus-like organic form, orange and deep red, with darker red umbilical cord tendrils, floating inside the large transparent sphere in the lower centre, backlit yellow-green at its base |
Illuminated sci-fi backglass with a strong vertical symmetry. Across the top an arched blue-violet banner carries the title in large arched red letters with a thick yellow-orange outline and white edge, read EMBRYON. In the top-left corner a small cursive maker's wordmark in yellow-orange script sits on the dark starfield. Dead centre stands one adult male figure, waist-up, facing forward with a stern expression: short brown hair, a white and silver helmet/headband assembly with round goggle lenses over the brow, and a bright blue one-piece suit with a red-orange webbing harness crossing the chest in a V. He leans forward with both hands on a huge translucent glass sphere directly in front of him. Inside the sphere glows a curled embryo or foetus-like orange-red organic form with darker red cord tendrils. Behind him is a big circular grey steel hatch ring like a pressure door, flanked by riveted machinery. Far left and far right at mid-height sit two oval orange-yellow glowing egg-shaped pods with cracked molten-looking surfaces. Along the bottom runs a row of glowing orange-yellow rounded segments like heated coils, plus grey ribbed machinery. The background is a dark blue and purple starfield with angular metallic structures. Four black rectangles cover parts of the art.