Joker

The Bally Joker, designed by Ted Zale with artwork by Jerry Kelley, is a Fun Park-themed electro-mechanical pinball machine (model 834) produced by Bally Manufacturing Corporation. Only 110 units are confirmed to have been produced, making it a scarce find today.

The Joker features two zipper flippers, three pop bumpers, five mushroom bumpers, and two slingshots. A kick-out hole and unique lanes -- including the "Joker Time" lane on the right side and a left drop lane -- add to the game's complexity. Each player has a separate score reel that increments as the "Balloon Score" to earn replays, with a maximum displayed score of 9,999 points per player.

Notably, a special version of Joker was produced for the German market (still with English text); it shares the same project number and production dates as the US version but uses a different schematic (W-1042-63a vs. the US game's W-1042-62a). Machines exported to Germany reportedly carry inspection stickers dated April 1969. Beyond its designer and artist, little else is documented about the machine's development, but its rarity and distinctive Fun Park theme make the Bally Joker a notable piece of electro-mechanical pinball history.