Rocket

The Bally 'Rocket' pinball machine emerged during a fascinating period in pinball history when space exploration themes were incredibly popular, riding the wave of public interest following the successful Apollo moon missions. This four-player electro-mechanical machine captured the zeitgeist of the early 1970s space age enthusiasm.

The machine featured classic EM gameplay elements with space-themed artwork depicting rockets, astronauts, and celestial bodies. Its playfield likely included the standard complement of pop bumpers, drop targets, and kick-out holes common to the era, themed to represent various space mission objectives. The backglass artwork, characteristic of the period, would have featured dramatic rocket launches and cosmic scenery rendered in the vibrant color palette typical of early 1970s pinball art.

As an electro-mechanical machine from this era, 'Rocket' represents the culmination of decades of mechanical pinball engineering before the industry's transition to solid-state electronics later in the decade. These machines were marvels of mechanical engineering, using complex systems of relays, stepper units, and score motors to track gameplay and scoring. While production numbers aren't definitively known, machines from this period typically saw production runs of 2,000 to 4,000 units.