Halley Comet

The Halley Comet, manufactured by Juegos Populares, S.A. of Madrid, Spain in 1986, is a solid-state electronic pinball machine with an Outer Space theme, designed by José Montero Carrizosa with artwork by Fermín Hernández Garbayo and music by Victor Manuel Martín Rubio. Juegos Populares was one of several Spanish manufacturers active in this era alongside companies like INDER, so while Halley Comet is a notable Spanish-made title, it was far from the country's first pinball machine.

The gameplay features a tall backbox and an array of targets, bumpers, and flippers: three flippers, two pop bumpers, two slingshots, three solitary drop targets, a 2-bank of drop targets, a spinning target, a standup target, a kicker lane, and a messenger ball, creating a dynamic and unpredictable playfield.

Interestingly, two different sets of playfield plastics were produced for this game. The larger set shown in the manufacturer's flyer obscured parts of the playfield, such as the upper return lanes and center ball kicker area, so a smaller "alternate" set with different artwork was later produced to improve player visibility. It isn't known how many units were made with each set. Halley Comet's combination of detailed engineering and relative obscurity make it an interesting find for pinball enthusiasts and collectors.