Mariner

The Mariner, designed by Ted Zale with art by Christian Marche, was released in November 1971 by Bally Manufacturing Corporation. This four-player electro-mechanical machine combines a sports theme with spear fishing, featuring two flippers, three pop bumpers, three mushroom bumpers, two slingshots, five standup targets, and a kick-out hole.

The machine's art and design reflect its water-sports theme, featuring colorful graphics that evoke spear fishing. The Mystery Catch-A-Flash Bonus feature in the center playfield is particularly noteworthy: its value is controlled by a continuous stepper unit that advances each time the ball hits a 10-point switch, rather than changing automatically as the name might suggest.

Mariner could also be converted to add-a-ball play, an option offered on many EM machines of the era for jurisdictions where replay awards were restricted. Bally also released a 2-player version of this game the same year under the name Sea Ray. With its blend of classic EM gameplay and a distinctive nautical theme, the Mariner remains an interesting piece of early-1970s Bally history.