Bow and Arrow

Bow and Arrow, designed by Greg Kmiec with art by Christian Marche, is a 1974 Bally pinball machine built around an American West theme, running on the Bally MPU AS-2518-17 (model 1033). It's a notably rare machine: only about 17 units were built as part of an early solid-state conversion test - Bally engineer Doug MacDonald and colleagues built these boards themselves, with Doug's initials subtly etched into the circuit board design.

Bow and Arrow features two flippers, four pop bumpers, two slingshots, six standup targets, two spinning targets, two kick-out holes, and a right ball return gate. One kick-out hole and one standup target each carry a motorized Flash Bonus for variable awards, a feature that, unlike the electro-mechanical version of the game, continues rotating even in Game Over mode. At start-up, the game plays 'The Call to the Post,' the traditional tune of professional horse racing, adding a touch of Western flavor.

As one of the very few solid-state conversion prototypes Bally produced during its transition away from electro-mechanical hardware, Bow and Arrow is a significant piece of pinball engineering history and a genuine rarity for collectors.