Cosmos

Bally's 'Cosmos' emerged during the space-themed entertainment boom of the late 1960s, capitalizing on the public's continued fascination with space exploration preceding the Apollo launch and NASA's ongoing missions. The machine represented Bally's effort to compete with major American manufacturers in the growing flipper pinball market as Bally reduced it's interest in the dwindling Bingo market being choked by increasing legal opposition.

The playfield design of 'Cosmos' featured an abstract space theme with planets, and spacecraft artwork by Jerry Kelley. The game incorporated an animated feature that when the ball was shot into the upper left pocket it simulated a pinball orbiting the earth in the backglass and returning to the playfield when complete.

While not as widely distributed as contemporaneous games from Williams or Gottlieb, 'Cosmos' demonstrated the manufacturer's ability to create compelling themes and layouts that resonated with players. The machine helped establish Bally's reputation in the European market, where it competed effectively against American imports.