Frontier

Frontier is a four-player solid-state pinball machine released by Bally in November 1980, with a confirmed production run of 1,850 units. Designed by George Christian and running on the Bally AS-2518-35 MPU, it wraps a rugged American West theme around a satisfying single-level playfield. Interestingly, artist Greg Freres has said the theme was loosely based on the lifestyle and appearance of the husband of a Bally executive, though most people assumed the team was riffing on the Grizzly Adams TV series.

Gameplay on Frontier is built around a well-rounded target set: four standup targets, a 3-bank of drop targets, a set of 3-in-line drop targets, a spinning target, and a kick-out hole. Two flippers, three pop bumpers, and two slingshots keep the ball moving, while a star rollover rounds out the scoring opportunities. The result is a game that rewards accurate shooting and target-bank strategy in classic early-1980s Bally style.

The artwork, by Greg Freres, Margaret Hudson, and Kevin O'Connor, captures the essence of the wilderness frontier with a striking color scheme. A small curiosity for collectors: unlike other Bally electronic games of the era, the factory documentation lists the model number simply as 1217 rather than 1217-E. With its modest production run and distinctive theme, Frontier is a worthwhile find for fans of classic Bally solid-state pinball.