Time Tunnel

Time Tunnel, designed by Jim Patla with art by Christian Marche for Bally Manufacturing Corporation, is a rare 1971 electro-mechanical pinball machine with only 70 confirmed units produced. It was based on the 1966-67 ABC-TV series "The Time Tunnel," but production was halted soon after release due to a copyright dispute with the network -- the design was later reworked and reissued as Bally's 1972 'Space Time' and 1973 'Time Zone,' with the tunnel mechanism relocated below the playfield.

Gameplay centers on a flashing 3D "Tunnel" toy in the lower playfield that collects value via target and rollover scoring, alongside two flippers, two pop bumpers, two slingshots, five standup targets, two kick-out holes, and a double-gated ball return lane. The skill shot from the plunger collects the flashing Tunnel value, which can also be collected via the center target and left kickback lane.

Because of its short production run and copyright-driven withdrawal, Time Tunnel is one of the scarcer Bally titles of the early 1970s, making it a notable curiosity for collectors interested in the game's later reincarnations as Space Time and Time Zone.