1981–1982 · Bally & Taito
Vector
Known for Vectorscan ramp, Defender drops, HYPE targets and Upper playfield. Speedway or stadium track with blurred crowd stands, yellow guard rails and track barriers and red painted backdrop.
- Years
- 1981–1982
- Maker
- Bally & Taito
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Ramp
Vectorscan ramp
- Target
Defender drops
- Target
HYPE targets
- upper playfield
Upper playfield
- Target
XYZ targets
- Multiball
HYPE Multiball
2 games under this title
-
Standard 1981 - Speed Test 1982
On the playfield
- brown
- tan
- chrome
- orange
- 2 flippers
- 3 pop bumpers
- 2 ramps
- 1 spinner
- 2 slingshots
Extra level 1
- Upper playfield upper playfield
Ramps 2
- Vectorscan ramp
- Far right ramp
Holes 2
- Lock saucers
- Out lane saucers
Targets 3
- Defender drops
- HYPE targets
- XYZ targets
Lanes 2
- Star rollover
- V symbols
On the backglass
Who and what
- other Large central motorcycle rider in orange and black leathers with a full-face helmet and dark visor, hands on the handlebars, occupying the middle of the glass
- other Standing helmeted rider at top centre, one arm raised overhead as if signalling or celebrating, smaller scale, above the central figure
- other Rider banked low to the left of centre in orange leathers, helmet with pale visor, bike leaned over
- other Rider at the far left edge, partly cropped, dark leathers, spoked wheel visible
- other Rider right of centre in yellow-and-black leathers and helmet, bike angled to the right
- other Additional smaller riders grouped at the lower left and lower right, helmets and handlebars overlapping
Setting
- Speedway or stadium track with blurred crowd stands
- Yellow guard rails and track barriers
- Red painted backdrop
Text on it
- Bally
- HIGH SCORE TO DATE
How it plays
-
Multiballs 1
- HYPE Multiball
-
Goals 1
- Flip speed
-
Awards 1
- Speed Special
Made by
- Design
- Greg Kmiec
- Art
- Greg Freres
- Software
- Rehman Merchant
Reference
Linked terms
- Vectorscan ramp also called left ramp also called Left lock ramp
- Defender drops also called Left Defender banks
- HYPE targets also called HYPE
- Flip speed also called Fastest Flip
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield Standard
- brown
- tan
- chrome
- orange
Fingerprint: vector: Mechanical vector score display—nine-window digit reel grid in upper-right plus separate row of small white number reels 1, 2, 3; entire playfield printed as sepia city map blueprint rather than figurative scene; bright orange-yellow starburst explosion near upper centre; small white spacecraft silhouette near lower centre; two large polished wire ramps sweep down right side into spinner
The identifying feature is the mechanical vector score display: a nine-window grid of physical digit reels in the upper-right quadrant, plus a separate row of small white number reels numbered 1, 2, 3 up top. The entire playfield is printed as a sepia city map or blueprint of streets and blocks rather than a figurative scene, with a bright orange-and-yellow starburst explosion graphic near the upper centre and a small white spacecraft silhouette near the lower centre. Two large polished wire ramps sweep down the right side into a wire spinner. Red 'Bally' script logos sit on the dark apron above the cream VECTOR instruction cards and the outlined word PINBALL.
Setting
- Sepia city street map printed across the entire playfield
- Parchment-coloured cartographic line work of streets and blocks
- Grey-blue steel cabinet and apron below the playfield
Symbols
- Orange starburst explosion
- White aircraft/spacecraft silhouette
- Red arrow insert
- White star symbol above advance
- Yellow lightning-bolt insert
- Circular yellow and red lane markers
- Outlined pinball lettering on the apron
- Red cursive bally script logos
Notable shapes
- Nine-reel rectangular score window grid
- Twin wire ramps sweeping down the right side
- Large orange starburst
- V-shaped chevron of orange diagonal stripes on the lower playfield
- Chrome wire cage over the upper playfield
- Two round bumpers with red and yellow posts at the left
Art motifs
- Brown map line work
- Starburst explosion
- White star emblem
- Chevron of orange diagonal stripes above the apron
- Reel-window score grid
Themes
- Vector score reels
- Cartographic map
- Spacecraft
- Explosion burst
- Electro-mechanical
- Instructions card
Title on it
- Vector
Text on it
- Bally
- For Amusement Only
- VECTOR
- INSTRUCTIONS
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 1,500,000 POINTS.
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 2,000,000 POINTS.
- 5 BALLS PER GAME
- PINBALL DIVISION
- BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN 49022 U.S.A.
- PINBALL
- SELECT BONUS
- BONUS MULTIPLIER
- DROP TARGET
- STAY OFF
- COLLECT
- DROP REVIEW
- ADVANCE
- 2X
- 3X
- 5X
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 7
- 14
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Small flat white silhouette of a spacecraft or jet aircraft painted on the lower-centre playfield, just above the flippers |
| Other | Bright orange-and-yellow starburst explosion graphic with radiating spikes, upper centre |
A photographic shot of a vector-style electro-mechanical playfield seen through glass, with strong reflections and glare from overhead lamps. The whole surface is a sepia-and-tan cartographic illustration: dense brown line work of streets, blocks and a city map, printed on a parchment-coloured background, with orange, red, yellow and blue plastics and chrome hardware on top. At upper centre sits a black panel with an orange-and-yellow starburst explosion graphic beside a bank of illuminated inserts and a row of small white number reels marked 1, 2 and 3; further right a black plate reads ADVANCE under a white star symbol. Below and right of that is a 3x3 grid of nine mechanical digit reels showing dark numerals, and a red arrow-shaped insert points down the left of it. Two polished wire ramps arc down the right side past a wire-form spinner, with chrome ball guides and a chrome scoop. Across the lower half are blue and yellow round inserts reading 2, 3, 5, 2X, 3X and 5X, a red DROP TARGET, a yellow STAY OFF insert, DROP REVIEW and COLLECT markings, a small white spacecraft silhouette, and two red-and-white rubber flippers. A dark blue apron card at the foot reads PINBALL in outlined capitals, flanked by cream instruction cards and red Bally script logos.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass Standard
- red
- orange
- black
- gold
Fingerprint: Wall of helmeted motorcycle racers in orange-black leathers banked at opposing angles radiating from centre, four inset amber score windows in unusual two-up two-down arrangement, swooping gold script title across top, small white standing figure with raised arm, hot red-orange airbrushed 1980s style
The most memorable element is the wall of helmeted motorcycle racers in orange-and-black leathers, banked hard at opposing angles so the bikes and bodies radiate outward from the centre like spokes. Four inset amber score windows glow in a two-up, two-down arrangement, which is unusual on a backglass and would be recalled as 'four little number windows'. A large swooping gold script title runs across the whole top of the red field, with a separate small gold cursive logo alone in the upper left corner. A small white standing figure with one arm raised appears just left of the title.
Setting
- Speedway or stadium track with blurred crowd stands
- Yellow guard rails and track barriers
- Red painted backdrop
Symbols
- Motorcycles and spoked wheels
- Helmets
- Yellow guard rails
- Four rectangular score windows with amber digits
- Gold star or sunburst motif near the top centre-left
- Red pinstriped black border bands
Lettering
- Large ornate gold-and-white script title across the top; a smaller cursive gold logo in the upper left corner; small plain white uppercase caption text to the left of the title
Themes
- Motorcycle racing
- Speedway
- Racing
- Speed
- Competition
Text on it
- Bally
- HIGH SCORE TO DATE
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Large central motorcycle rider in orange and black leathers with a full-face helmet and dark visor, hands on the handlebars, occupying the middle of the glass |
| Other | Standing helmeted rider at top centre, one arm raised overhead as if signalling or celebrating, smaller scale, above the central figure |
| Other | Rider banked low to the left of centre in orange leathers, helmet with pale visor, bike leaned over |
| Other | Rider at the far left edge, partly cropped, dark leathers, spoked wheel visible |
| Other | Rider right of centre in yellow-and-black leathers and helmet, bike angled to the right |
| Other | Additional smaller riders grouped at the lower left and lower right, helmets and handlebars overlapping |
A landscape-format pinball backglass dominated by a hot red and orange painted scene of motorcycle racing, rendered in a bold airbrushed 1980s commercial-illustration style with heavy black outlines on every figure. A cluster of helmeted riders in full leathers crowds the composition: a large central rider gripping handlebars, several other riders banked at opposing angles to the left and right, and a smaller standing figure near the top centre holding one arm raised. The title area sits across the top in large ornate gold-and-white script lettering on a red field. Four rectangular illuminated score windows, arranged two upper and two lower, are inset into the artwork with dark bezels and glowing amber digit faces. A gold cursive manufacturer logo is printed in the upper left corner, and small white uppercase caption text reading HIGH SCORE TO DATE sits to the left of the title. Black bands with fine red pinstripes run along the top and bottom edges. Photographed through glass, giving soft reflections and a faint greenish cast over the lower third.