Fireball

Bally's Fireball (1972) stands as one of the most innovative and influential electro-mechanical pinball machines of the early 1970s. Designed by Ted Zale with legendary artwork by Dave Christensen, the game incorporated the revolutionary 'zipper flipper' mechanism - a center flipper that could split apart and rejoin, creating entirely new gameplay possibilities and shot combinations that had never been seen before in pinball. This mechanical innovation helped establish Bally's reputation for technical creativity during the golden age of electro-mechanical pinball.

The machine's design featured striking artwork with dramatic fire imagery and a "Superman" color scheme that perfectly matched its namesake. The playfield layout was carefully crafted to take full advantage of the zipper flipper mechanism, with strategic shot placement that required players to master this new feature.