1973 · Bally
Nip-It
Known for Gator, Secret lane, Center mushroom bumper and Zip Flippers. Tropical swamp or river at sunset, orange and red sky with dark clouds, purple mountains on the horizon, palm trees along the bank, thatched huts on the right bank, dark blue water with rocks and lily pads and twisted bare branches in the foreground.
- Year
- 1973
- Maker
- Bally
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Toy
Gator
- Lane
Secret lane
- Bumper
Center mushroom bumper
- zipper flippers
Zip Flippers
- saucer
Lower-right lock saucer
- Target
Release Ball targets
- Multiball
Two-ball Multiball
On the playfield
- turquoise
- cream
- red
- gold
- 2 flippers
- 5 pop bumpers
- 1 target bank
- 2 slingshots
Toy 1
- Gator
Hole 1
- Lower-right lock saucer saucer
Bumpers 2
- Center mushroom bumper
- Red and yellow pop bumpers
Targets 4
- Release Ball targets
- Lower left standup targets
- Advance Bonus target
- Open Gate target
Lanes 4
- Secret lane
- White rollover button rollover button
- Left kicker lane
- Top rollover buttons rollover button
Flippers 2
- Gator button extra flipper
- Zip Flippers zipper flippers
Post or gate 1
- Left gate gate
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Adult male explorer, tan skin, dark moustache, red headscarf and red shirt, wading thigh-deep, leaning forward and thrusting a flaming torch in one hand, other arm flung out with open palm, wide-eyed startled expression
- man Adult male explorer in a bright blue jacket over a yellow vest and white shirt, dark hair, one arm thrown straight up with splayed fingers, holding a long-handled butterfly net raised overhead in the other hand, mouth open in a yell, eyes wide
- animal Bright green crocodile coiled on a branch at the upper left, jaws open showing white teeth and a pink tongue, tail curled
- animal Large bright green crocodile at centre-left, head raised with jaws open, a small brown owl with spread tail feathers perched on its snout
- animal Bright green crocodile on the right bank, jaws wide open showing pink mouth and white teeth, one eye bulging, a stack of yellow coins near its jaws
- animal Long green crocodile body and tail curving in from the right edge behind the man in blue
Setting
- Tropical swamp or river at sunset
- Orange and red sky with dark clouds
- Purple mountains on the horizon
- Palm trees along the bank
- Thatched huts on the right bank
- Dark blue water with rocks and lily pads
- Twisted bare branches in the foreground
Text on it
- NiR-IT
- 1 UP
- 4 UP
- 2 UP
- 3 UP
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
How it plays
-
Multiballs 1
- Two-ball Multiball 2-ball
Made by
- Design
- Ted Zale
- Art
- Dick White
Reference
Linked terms
- Gator also called Gator hook also called Gator grabber
- Secret lane also called Gator lane
- Gator button also called Grabber button
- Center mushroom bumper also called Zipper bumper
- White rollover button also called Gate rollover
- Lower-right lock saucer also called Lock saucer
- Release Ball targets also called Release
- Two-ball Multiball also called Multiball
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- turquoise
- cream
- red
- gold
Fingerprint: Jungle treasure hunt with gaping green dinosaur head on blue plate upper right, three cartoon treasure-hunters sprawled in lagoon, five-bumper sunburst cluster, pink COLLECT BONUS diamond ringed by value rectangles, wooden barrel spanning mid-field, wrecked sailing ship on lower left
A gaping green dinosaur head mounted on a blue plate at the upper right corner, jaws full of pointed teeth and a red mouth interior. Three cartoon treasure-hunters sprawled in the lower lagoon, one with arms thrown straight up in panic. A five-bumper sunburst cluster in the upper playfield, each cap printed with a different number. A pink diamond-shaped COLLECT BONUS panel ringed by pink value rectangles from 1000 to 10,000. A wooden barrel spanning the playfield horizontally, forming the mid-field platform.
Setting
- Tropical lagoon with rock cliffs
- Palm-tree lined shore
- Sunken pirate ship on the lower left
- Wooden barrel platform mid-field
- Yellow and charcoal lower apron with lightning bolts
Symbols
- Playing-card suits
- Lightning bolts
- Sunburst bumper caps
- Value targets
- Diamonds
- Stars
- Palm trees
- Bumpers
- Lantern
Notable shapes
- Large pink diamond collect bonus panel
- Pink value rectangles in an arc around it
- Circular barrel island
- Triangular plastics left and right of the treasure hunters
- Pentagonal grey/yellow decagon on the right sidewall
Art motifs
- Cliff diving
- Treasure collecting
- Comic-strip cartoon figures
- Cartoon motion in the water
- Sunburst rosettes
Themes
- Jungle adventure
- Pirates
- Treasure hunt
- Prehistoric dinosaur
- River adventure
- Coin-op electro-mechanical
Text on it
- COLLECT BONUS
- CAPTURE WILL COLLECT 1 BALL
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- 100
- 1000 SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- 2000 SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- 100 CLASSIC FLIPPERS
- OPEN FLIPPERS
- GATE 1X
- 500
- 5000
- 6000
- 7000
- 8000
- 9000
- 10,000
- 1000
- 2000
- 3000
- 4000
- 1500 SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- GOOSE CHASE
- 1 TO A CAN PLAY
- 1 ball flies when lit for the machine to start. Insert coins for additional players.
- Shoot the ball up the left 4 yellow bumpers and get into 5000 pocket.
- Complete yellow button lit for half ball and bump up bonus score.
- Shoot both this green pocket, collect bonus score by hitting indicated targets and catching the tossed ball.
- Collect Bonus when ball bonus displayed.
- 1 Replay for each score of 54,000 Points
- 1 Replay for each score of 68,000 Points
- 1 Replay for each score of 72,000 Points
- 1 Replay for each score of 89,000 Points
- TILT
- Disqualify ball in play from further scoring
- PATTERN MOVES IN CABINET BACK
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- 5 BALLS PER PLAYER
- 1 PLAY 1X
- Deposit 2 Nickels
- Bally
- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60618
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Yellow shirt with red neckerchief, dark hair, both arms thrown straight up with fingers spread, mouth open in alarm, standing in the lagoon at centre |
| Man | Red shirt, pink cap, brown beard, clutching a round brass lantern at chest height, facing left, wading in the water |
| Man | Brown/tan shirt, flailing forward in the water to the right of the lantern man, arm extended |
| Creature | Large green dinosaur/reptile head with a hinged open jaw full of pointed white teeth and a red mouth, mounted on a blue ramp plate at the upper right corner |
| Creature | Small green snake or lizard coiled in the water mid-field, to the right of the classic flippers panel |
| Vehicle | Wrecked multi-masted pirate sailing ship, leaning, in the water at the lower left |
Full-length electro-mechanical playfield shot in its cabinet, photographed from above with the silver front coin-door panel and two illuminated credit/will-o-wisp buttons in shot at the bottom. The art is a jungle-river treasure-hunt scene: turquoise lagoon water with rock cliffs and a wooden barrel spanning the middle, palm trees and green hills, and a wrecked sailing ship on the lower left. Five round bumpers with red-and-white sunburst caps and cream skirts are clustered in the upper half, arranged as a tight triangle. A large green dinosaur head with an open, tooth-filled jaw on a blue plate occupies the upper right corner. A pink diamond reading COLLECT BONUS sits mid-field, ringed by small rectangular value panels reading 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000 and 10,000. Three cartoon treasure hunters are on the lower playfield: a man in a yellow shirt and red neckerchief with both arms flung up, a bearded man in a red shirt and pink cap clutching a lantern, and a third figure splashing in the water. Two slingshots and two triangular plastics flank them. The lower apron is cream and charcoal with lightning-bolt motifs and a white instruction card.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- yellow
- green
- blue
- red
Fingerprint: nir-it, two terrified explorers waist-deep in crocodile-filled swamp: one brandishes flaming torch, the other raises butterfly net overhead, small brown owl perches squarely on snout of large green crocodile at center-left, title is enormous yellow block capitals with heavy black outline two letters drawn as slim dotted pillars, cream mechanical score reels in red-framed windows cut across art at three levels on left, black bat flies above title, tropical adventure-danger aesthetic
Two terrified explorers waist-deep in a crocodile-filled swamp, one brandishing a flaming torch and the other a raised butterfly net, is the single most memorable image. A small brown owl sitting squarely on the snout of a large green crocodile at centre-left is an odd, highly recognisable detail. The title is enormous yellow block capitals with a heavy black outline, two letters drawn as slim dotted pillars. Cream mechanical score reels in red-framed windows cut across the art at three levels on the left half. A black bat flies directly above the title against the orange sky.
Setting
- Tropical swamp or river at sunset
- Orange and red sky with dark clouds
- Purple mountains on the horizon
- Palm trees along the bank
- Thatched huts on the right bank
- Dark blue water with rocks and lily pads
- Twisted bare branches in the foreground
Symbols
- Stacks of yellow coins
- Woven baskets
- Butterfly net
- Burning torch
- Lily pads
- Palm trees
- Distant mountains
- Thatched huts
- Cream score reels in red frames
- Yellow numbered player circles
- Red arrow beside ball in play
Lettering
- Main title in very large yellow block capitals with a thick black outline and shadow, two letters drawn as slim dotted pillars; a small red cursive script maker name sits directly above it; score-panel labels in condensed red block capitals; bottom-left instruction line in gold serif capitals
Themes
- Swamp
- Crocodiles
- Adventure
- Explorers
- Jungle
- Treasure
- Comedy
- Danger
Title on it
- Nir-it
Text on it
- NiR-IT
- 1 UP
- 4 UP
- 2 UP
- 3 UP
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Adult male explorer, tan skin, dark moustache, red headscarf and red shirt, wading thigh-deep, leaning forward and thrusting a flaming torch in one hand, other arm flung out with open palm, wide-eyed startled expression |
| Man | Adult male explorer in a bright blue jacket over a yellow vest and white shirt, dark hair, one arm thrown straight up with splayed fingers, holding a long-handled butterfly net raised overhead in the other hand, mouth open in a yell, eyes wide |
| Animal | Bright green crocodile coiled on a branch at the upper left, jaws open showing white teeth and a pink tongue, tail curled |
| Animal | Large bright green crocodile at centre-left, head raised with jaws open, a small brown owl with spread tail feathers perched on its snout |
| Animal | Bright green crocodile on the right bank, jaws wide open showing pink mouth and white teeth, one eye bulging, a stack of yellow coins near its jaws |
| Animal | Long green crocodile body and tail curving in from the right edge behind the man in blue |
| Animal | Small brown owl with spread wings perched on the centre-left crocodile snout |
| Animal | Black bat with spread wings flying above the title against the orange sky |
| Other | Small brown mounted animal head or trophy on a post standing in the water at centre, below the middle score reels |
Illustrated cartoon backglass set in a tropical swamp at sunset. A red-orange sky with dark clouds, distant purple mountains, a palm-lined riverbank with thatched huts, and dark blue water covered in rocks and green lily pads fill the background. Two adult male explorers wade thigh-deep in the water at centre-right: the left one wears a red headscarf and red shirt, has a dark moustache, and thrusts a burning torch forward; the right one wears a blue jacket over a yellow vest and white shirt, throws one arm up, and holds a long-handled butterfly net raised overhead, mouth open in alarm. Several bright green crocodiles surround them, one coiled on a branch upper left, one large with jaws open centre-left, and one on the right bank with pink-lined jaws agape, plus a long green tail curling in from the right. A small brown owl perches on the big crocodile snout, a black bat flies above the title, and a mounted animal head sits mid-water. Bold yellow block title lettering with a heavy black outline spans the centre under a small red cursive maker script, with cream score reels in red frames down the left and a red GAME OVER panel bottom right.