Escape from the Lost World

Escape from the Lost World is a solid-state electronic pinball machine designed by Dan Langlois, with artwork by Greg Freres and software by Howard Shere, manufactured by Bally in January 1988. Produced in a confirmed run of 1,500 units near the end of the Bally Midway era, it is a distinctive fantasy-themed four-player game built on Bally's 6803 MPU with the 68000-based "Sounds Deluxe" sound board.

The game offers an unusual array of features, including four flippers, two pop bumpers, a three-bank of drop targets, two vertical up-kickers, and multiball. The Bridge of Gold skill shot is particularly noteworthy: a narrow elevated runway that lets the left-side flipper pass the ball across to a right-side flipper, adding an extra layer of strategy to the gameplay. Even the molded plastic scorecard holder does double duty as part of the elevated playfield.

The fantasy theme carries some clever artistic touches as well - a small amount of artwork is silkscreened to the underside of the playfield glass, facing the player, a subtle detail rarely seen on other machines. The cabinet itself is unusual too, pairing standard 28-1/2 inch front legs with 34-inch rear legs. Escape from the Lost World remains an interesting artifact of Bally's final years as an independent pinball manufacturer.