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Skateball
Skateball
BALLY

Skateball

1980
★7.6(89 reviews)
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ABOUT

First solid-state game from this manufacturer produced with 7-digit scoring. Skateball reportedly had a faulty design that allowed players to score excessive points, lowering operator profits due to many free games being awarded. Players could easily hold the ball on the right flipper and make it roll in and out of the right inlane by briefly releasing the flipper button. This caused the bonus to raise to the maximum award which would award a special upon reaching 60k. Operators reportedly tried a number of different solutions to solve the problem. This game originally was to be Model 1150-E Bally's 1978 'Skateball' but did not get produced at that time. Artist Greg Freres did the art for the 1978 backglass. The original playfield for that game was scrapped, but Bally kept the backglass art on the shelf until an opportunity came up to resurrect the theme for a new playfield. Since Greg was busy on another project by this time, only his backglass art was used on this 1980 production run while Kevin O'Connor did the playfield artwork and Margaret Hudson did the plastics artwork.

IMAGES

Image # 61096: Skateball Illuminated Pop Bumper Cap
Image # 61097: Skateball Cabinet - Front
Image # 4099: Skateball Flyer, Front
Image # 4100: Skateball Flyer, Back
Image # 5229: Skateball Front view
Image # 5230: Skateball Back Glass
Image # 5231: Skateball Playfield
Image # 9776: Skateball Backglass
Image # 9777: Skateball Playfield
Image # 18745: Skateball Upper Playfield
Image # 18746: Skateball Lower Playfield
Image # 18747: Skateball Cabinet - Left
Image # 18748: Skateball Cabinet - Right
Image # 54785: Skateball Backbox - Right
Image # 54786: Skateball Cabinet - Right
Image # 61094: Skateball Illuminated Backglass
Image # 61095: Skateball Playfield - Detail
Image # 61098: Skateball Cabinet - Front View
Image # 72354: Skateball Original Playfield Artwork 
(Artist is Kevin O'Connor.Magic markers on a blueprint paper.Dimensions are 22 1/2 inches by 41 inches.The artist had first inked the outlines then hand-colored a blueprint copy of the inked art using magic markers as a guide for the production artist (someone else) to cut the silkscreen masks.)
Image # 72355: Skateball Original Playfield Artwork 
(Artist is Kevin O'Connor.Magic markers on blueprint paper.Dimensions are 22 1/2 inches by 41 inches.The artist had first inked the outlines then hand-colored a blueprint copy of the inked art using magic markers as a guide for the production artist (Margaret Hudson) to cut the silkscreen masks.)
Image # 72356: Skateball Original Playfield Artwork 
(Artist is Kevin O'Connor.Magic markers on blueprint paper.Dimensions are 22 1/2 inches by 41 inches.The artist had first inked the outlines then hand-colored a blueprint copy of the inked art using magic markers as a guide for the production artist (Margaret Hudson) to cut the silkscreen masks.)
Image # 72357: Skateball Original Playfield Artwork 
(Artist is Kevin O'Connor.Magic markers on blueprint paper.Dimensions are 22 1/2 inches by 41 inches.The artist had first inked the outlines then hand-colored a blueprint copy of the inked art using magic markers as a guide for the production artist (Margaret Hudson) to cut the silkscreen masks.)
Image # 83888: Skateball Backbox Transport Protection 
(The wood strips and bag of screws were found inside the game.)

Images via IPDB.org

Pinside ID405
Manufactured ByBally Manufacturing Co.
DateApril 1980
TypeSS
IPDB ID2170
Players4

HIGH SCORES

REVIEWS

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PINTIPS

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general
3
Shoot the "Skate" drops. Then get big points at the right saucer. Don't complete "SKATE" more than twice, or the saucer value will reset.
secret
2
Unallowed in tournament; quickly flip the right flipper from a craddle to get the ball to trigger the inlane switch = get infinite bonus.
general
2
Shoot down 3 FLASHING drop targets on upper left to light right hole for collect bonus.

Featured Videos

IN-DEPTH GAME GUIDES

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general
2
Spinner builds bonus and gets you to upper lanes for multipliers.