Centaur II

The Centaur II, designed by Jim Patla and manufactured by Bally Midway in June 1983, is a re-release of Bally's celebrated 1981 'Centaur', using the same playfield as the original. It was one of three games to utilize the unique backboxes left over from the production of Bally's 1982 'Rapid Fire'. Patla said the design was inspired by the classic Bally's 1956 'Balls-A-Poppin', with Irv Grabel designing the multiball mechanism, and 1,550 units were produced.

This fantasy-themed game carries over the original's engaging feature set. Two flippers, two pop bumpers, two 4-bank drop target banks, and 4-in-line drop targets provide a challenging and dynamic experience. The 5-ball multiball action adds to the excitement, while a ball hitting the recessed red target in the upper right corner of the playfield is held momentarily by a magnet underneath, creating an intriguing interactive element. The Centaur II also features speech with operator-optionable reverberation, using a "Say it Again" reverb card alongside the "Squawk and Talk" speech card.

The game's artwork by Paul Faris and its silk-screened backglass are highly detailed, depicting a dark fantasy world that transports players into an imaginative realm. An interesting operational option lets operators allow two tilts per game: the first tilt lights a "Warning" on the backglass without penalty, but a second tilt - even on a later ball - ends the game. In Game Over mode, pressing either flipper button highlights each major scoring feature while the speech identifies it by name. Overall, the Centaur II is a fascinating piece of pinball history that keeps one of Bally's most distinctive designs alive.