Travel Time

Travel Time, released by Bally in 1973, emerged during a fascinating period in pinball history when manufacturers were pushing the boundaries of electro-mechanical innovation. This machine captured the zeitgeist of the early 1970s, when space exploration and science fiction themes were highly popular in American entertainment.

The machine's design capitalized on the era's fascination with time travel and futuristic concepts, featuring artwork and playfield elements that depicted various time periods and fantastical transportation methods. As an electro-mechanical machine, Travel Time utilized the classic combination of relays, stepper units, and motor-driven score reels that characterized games of this period, offering players a purely mechanical pinball experience that relied on skilled shot-making and timing.

While not one of Bally's most prominent titles, Travel Time represents an important snapshot of pre-solid-state pinball design. The game's layout typically included the standard features of the era: pop bumpers, drop targets, and kickout holes, all working together to create an engaging player experience. The machine's theme and execution demonstrated the creative ways manufacturers were working within the limitations of electro-mechanical technology to deliver entertaining gameplay experiences.

Production numbers for Travel Time are not definitively known, but like many EM games of the early 1970s, it was likely manufactured in quantities of several thousand units. Today, Travel Time serves as a collectible example of late-era EM pinball design, appreciated by enthusiasts for its historical significance in the transition period just before the industry's shift to solid-state electronics.