King Rex
About This Machine
King Rex is a 1970 Italian add-a-ball pinball machine from Bally, produced as an add-a-ball counterpart to Bally's 1969 replay game King Tut. Designed by Ted Zale, King Rex offers a distinctive Egyptology theme aimed at markets where add-a-ball play was preferred over replay awards.
Key to King Rex's design is its range of electro-mechanical play elements, including two flippers, four pop bumpers, two mushroom bumpers, two slingshots, five standup targets, and two rollover buttons. The game's layout is also noteworthy for its left kickback outlane, which could either serve an extra ball to the shooter lane or return it to the playfield through the flippers, depending on the mode of play. With three operator-selected modes - Add-a-Ball, Extended Play, and Novelty Play - King Rex offers a dynamic experience that adapts to local regulatory and market preferences.
The game's Egyptology theme is rendered through hieroglyph-styled scoring displays and cabinet artwork by Christian Marche. Interestingly, the "Extra Ball" light on the backglass was not illuminated during Extended Play mode, possibly a nod to Italian authorities' efforts to regulate pinball's perceived gambling elements. King Rex also holds a small footnote in company history as the first Bally game to use a "dummy zero" ones-digit in its score display.
Images (47)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Egyptology
- Model Number:
- 858
- Notable Features:
- Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (4), Mushroom bumpers (2), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (5), Rollover buttons (2), Left kickback outlane. Pivoting outhole either serves extra ball to shooter lane or kicks it back onto playfield through the flippers, depending on mode of play. Sound: 2 bells, knocker Three operator-selected modes of play: Add-a-ball: extra balls were shown as lit "hieroglyphs" on the backglass, up to five, not affecting the current ball-in-play count. An "Extra Ball" lite on the back glass is illuminated when a ball is won in addition to the hieroglyphic. Free balls are returned to the shooter lane. Extended Play: Extra balls won are displayed using the hieroglyphs as above, however, the "Extra Ball" lite is NOT illuminated in this mode (possibly to fool Italian authorities.) Free balls are shot directly back to the playfield from the outhole. Novelty Play: A fixed number of balls per game. No extra balls awarded for Special, only more points.
Credits
- Designer:
- Ted Zale
- Artist:
- Christian Marche