1981 Bally CENTAUR Pinball Machine

Just got it home from my trip to Arcade Expo in Banning California. After about 4 hours working on it this is my first test game. I've had this machine in my top 5 for 14 years and can't believe I finally found one.

[@emirvrazlic6709]

centaur is the Best pinball of all ages

[@mrdoofa9357]

Easily one of the best pinball tables of all time, the sound effects alone are just spectacular!!!

[@253jacksonrhoads1]

This is my A #1 pinball machine. I am purchasing one that’s been fully restored next month and I like a kid waiting for Christmas. 🙂🙂

[@GreenTeaViewer]

how's it been holding up?

[@253jacksonrhoads1]

Still as stunning as when I first picked it up. I recently did a Squak and Talk board upgrade. With an added reverb board. It’s sinister. 🤘

[@maslacak9487]

@@253jacksonrhoads1 Please make a video with that upgrade. It could interest lots of us.

[@mike9147]

Sounds and lights way ahead of it's time!!!

[@racegrooves]

Ah, back in the day, the sound effects of this machine were awesome!

[@mrgiskard]

Anyone know what sound chip they used?

[@baldguywithbeard]

@@mrgiskard I did some searching around and found out that it's a Texas Instruments "TMS5200NL Speech Synthesizer chip". Apparently Bally used it in all of it's 4th generation games that had speech in them. How the synthesis is done I can't really say, but I'm sure it's documented somewhere.

[@mrgiskard]

@@baldguywithbeard Thanks!

[@douro20]

@@baldguywithbeard There is also an AY-3-8910 which generates the sound effects, and a digital delay for the echo (quite an expensive thing in 1981).

[@LorenHelgeson]

Easily the most unforgiving pinball machine I've ever played. But it has such a unique rule set, and if you can get into the rhythm of its unusual difficulty conditions, it's so much fun to play.

[@garyarkle9175]

Remember playing this as a kid and was the best pinball machine ever made,after watching this I really need to get one

[@andrewdonohue1853]

it's impossible to label the "best table ever" there are so many great games. no question centuar is a great game.

[@Xhadp]

Wow people weren't kidding about that Multi-ball. 5 balls is insane especially with such an open lower playfield and blocked off upper field.

[@danieltiemeyer1711]

I have owned 2 Centaur machines. I bought the last one in 2001, and kept it about 5 years. At the time I bought it, I also bought a Gottlieb/Premier Rock, and 16 years later, I still have it and won't sell it.

[@JJ-wi2uw]

I played this pinball regularly in the early to mid 80's while in High School. (Melbourne, Australia)

[@FarFromZero]

I loved this one. Unique sound and arts, a lot of multiball chances and so much fun to play it. For sure a member of the Hall of Fame of Pinball Machines.

[@nin615]

Wow I remember being a child just staring and listening to this pinball machine ,enchanted

[@philsurtees]

GREATEST. PINBALL. EVER!

[@marciliomenezes891]

Destroy Centaur. Best sound. Best voice.

[@LordBadenRulez]

The art and sounds in this game is so disturbing. I love it.

[@alfamiki]

my favorite pinball machine. I fixed it many times.

[@Centaur81]

I loved that machine so much! One hell of awesome gameplay.

[@ForrestAguirre]

Probably my favorite pinball deck of all time.

[@bobbyberetta4206]

Beautiful! This is number one on my list to get.

[@nr330fe]

Wow ... Memories of my youth ..... I played in the same machine and filled with credits ... great evenings. ....

[@froodogga7053]

omg...take me back to when i was 15 yrs old...this machine is the #1 machine i ever played...orgasm !

[@Fender94]

Fine work on one of the greatest machines made.

[@luc6309]

Nice controlled play You have, flipper bounce is the key for a high score, love playing it sometimes on the pinball arcade, great soundtrack and cool black and white artwork. A real Bally classic, that's for sure.

[@Ricksta66]

I remember playing this awesome Bally Pinball Machine down at Southend, way back in the year of 1981. Awesome table

[@alfamiki]

very good pin ball machines, I used to fix them many years ago

[@Seemsayin]

Wow. Never saw anyone beat up on a machine like that before. I'd bet my paycheck that wasn't the first time you played it. Good lord.

[@Sparkledash1]

This Table has such an incredible design. It's like Sin City meets Mad Max.

[@jjlmnop5226]

except it predates both

[@TheUnclestein]

This was the best Bally pin of the time!

[@jesse7373]

6:48 "bad move human"

[@DementedDistraction]

This pin is so amazing - one of my favorites for sure. I hope to own one someday, but it seems like finding one for sale in good working order is tough.

[@JovialEclipse]

This game is quite intimidating in appearance and difficulty, I like it.

[@ssweeps]

Amazing play!

[@wwltd3036]

Bought one for $125 from an M.C. with $18 still in the till. Sound and one flipper doesn't work, but everything else did until I touched a frayed wire to metal on accident and blew some fuses or something. Been sitting in storage for a decade now. Something to tinker with in my old age I guess.

[@Oklahoma-qe9os]

Is the Best

[@truhunk1]

Good player. You should be in a competition.

[@pincoin1964]

The absolute best game from 1981 !

[@RaZcal911]

Nicely done. Classic pinball.

[@zaphod77]

Finally, one with a cranked echo. :)

[@alanford1601]

amazing!!one of the best multyball i ever see in my life.i have got at least 25-26years of expiriens stay good and enjoj.OLD SCHOOL PLAY very good for wachyng p.s.sory for my bad english

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

Thank you very much. I think I'm better now! I have a new Centaur with new playfield and new everything. I love working/playing on pinball.

[@buzzert1]

Impressive accuracy at those orb targets!

[@visionlightlab6094]

I Had one too, great game! Spookiest table ever made!

[@SuperToastytoast]

Damn you got the tilt down perfectly

[@carloslopez-gs2gk]

BEST PAC,PAC,PAC,PAC,PAC¡¡¡,MASTER¡¡

[@richardbain8746]

My Top 15 Pinball Machines 15. Doctor Who 14. The Simpsons Party Pinball 13. Eight Ball Deluxe 12. Galaxy 11. Space Invaders 10. Black Knight 9. Fish Tales 8. The Wizard Of Oz 7. Austin Powers 6. Avengers 5. Batman The Dark Knight 4. Silver Ball Mania 3. Centaur 2. Jurassic Park 1. Gorgar

[@GuntPulp]

I like seeing the Ballys on that list but Eight Ball Deluxe is a top 5 ALL DAY

[@yesgood1357]

Mesmerizing

[@TLM250]

Epic ball one sir!

[@tdickensheets]

Play this on my Xbox One. The Pinball Arcade.

[@real_life4735]

Had this in my garage as a kid along with robotron

[@ssweeps]

Wow!

[@M-E-G-A]

For some that didn’t catch the phrase it said: “Challenge the ORB feature, sequence feature, chamber feature, guardian feature, bonus feature" I googled it.

[@GuntPulp]

Man you killed it nice game

[@basshunter2007]

Love this table

[@33ronin]

Awesome.

[@jim8230]

That playfield must take a beating.

[@TheGhouliegirl]

they have one on display at the Alameda Pinball Museum on free play

[@Polaf3456]

Centaur is the dark souls of pinball.

[@marc08d86]

New Gemini 2000!!!

[@billhaleyrock2471]

Ein klasse flipper,echt schön.

[@cjod33]

Copacabana take away. Memories

[@ryanmarciano]

I'm looking for one now.

[@srebrenitarantula9470]

Is the best

[@weggmbh1]

Geiler Sound , das wäre mein Gerät gewesen !

[@mahmut0815]

well played

[@PinBallReviewerRepairs]

I would like this table at some point. Though I think my next pin I want to get is a DMD type as I already have a Alpha-Numeric display type of pin. I am trying to collect at least one of each type of pin. From pre-war lighted up backbox on up to the present day display pins. I am more of the non-licenesed cheaper pins I like those the most so mainly 80s and 90s era pins.

[@ChipHazard007]

Most of the machines I want are mainly manufactured by Bally and William's but I wouldn't mind a couple Gottlieb or Data East ones

[@PinBallReviewerRepairs]

ChipHazard007 Samer here. I would like Gottliebs Victory! I like the race theme and having to get the check points on various parts of the playfield.

[@ChipHazard007]

Gottlieb ones I'd like would be both Black Hole and Haunted House Williams machines No Fear, Gorgar, Fish Tales and T2 Bally machines Elvira and the party monsters, Centaur, Twilight Zone and The Addams Family and Hook by Data East

[@sampickett3705]

I would love to know how many times you rolled the score on that first ball.

[@chato555]

Game of my youth!!! I was one of the best player in the caffe bar :)))) Dammn those beautiful memories! You need to be little more agressive ;))) Dont TILT it :-DDD

[@andrewdonohue1853]

i have a 1980 firepower from the same era. id say it's a tie for the best early solid state. williams firepower, bally centaur, or gotlieb black hole.

[@jwenneberg]

Nice played and beautiful machine! It looks soo easy bouncing the balls back into play from the outlanes... like 9 out of 10 times. I have a 1981 Centaur too, but it seems like 9 out of 10 times, the ball just run direct out without hitting the white rubberbands on the red cones, like if the balls were too small or the lanes too wide!?! What is the trick? Timing of course... but do you push the machine forward or from side to side? Thanks

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

jwenneberg Forward shake. The posts should stick out into the outlane. There are fatter post rubbers in the world too.

[@jwenneberg]

Thanks. I believe the posts are placed where they ought to be (center of posts are placed in line of the inside of the black sideguard). Fatter post rubbers? Your doesn't look much fatter than mine. Aren't they Centaur rubbers yours?

[@beesknees1945]

This is the creepiest pinball I have ever seen.

[@Jellocheck]

Do you have deactivated your Tilt function? Great Game!

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

No. I should have shown proof by getting a warning. 1st Bally with a Tilt warning!

[@robertomatsuhita2791]

É a gemini 2000,aqui no Brasil, da Taito!

[@jwenneberg]

6:58 what made the 2nd Power orb add? ...oh I noticed later... there's some bad connections... it was already 'lit'.

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

It's a dip switch option. You can choose if it just awards 1 or unlimited per per ball.

[@kcwhabbit]

Only aware of this from the PS4 Ultimate pinball game. But. I want to play this at the circus.

[@kcwhabbit]

I suddnly feel jilted.

[@Tz365.]

This. Xenon. Space invader. And pinbot. Thats it.

[@newenglandwolfpinball3326]

Pinball Done Quick: First orb in 20 seconds (1:08)

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

I never noticed!

[@Titanic4]

I have heard Facebook notification sound in the background @ 6:11

[@Jellocheck]

6:37 How did you aktivate here the release Target? I think there was a loose contact! It is impossible to aktivate a 5 Ball Multiball without hitting the final Target on the Queens Chamber or the Release Target Lane.

[@endotherm]

He made the Guardian feature on the right outlane 6:37, getting a single multiball. The Queen's chamber shot was made just after that multiball was released, making it look like it was releasing all 5 multiballs at once.

[@Jellocheck]

@@endotherm Jeah, now i realize :-). Thx!

[@neilkrenos3609]

How do you make those lights flash when you release a ball

[@neilkrenos3609]

Is it in the switch setting

[@brennanjarod6086]

Did you put this on 5 balls?

[@Jellocheck]

Yes he did. 13:48

[@253jacksonrhoads1]

This game had a 5 ball multi ball feature in its normal gameplay. This is the holy grail of pinball, IMO.

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

@@Jellocheck I did mention what my 3 ball score was. I'm surprised I uploaded a 5 ball game. Makes me want to upload a better 3 ball game on my new bitchin' Centaur! I think I will!!!!!

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

@@Jellocheck In 4K!

[@darrylclaxton2757]

I used to eat this game alive.

[@RobsMemoryLane]

Did you purchase it at the Arcade Expo?

[@BiggestLittleArcadeReno]

No. I got it in Los Osos CA about 2 days before the first Arcade Expo.

[@tartgreenapple]

Only for bad-asses

[@ThomasMuller-jb5lh]

Thanks for the video but it's the wrong perspective. Please show the game from the front.

[@michaelcass7929]

how much are these worth i have one :)

[@jamesbomar3903]

Bad move, human,....

[@emirvrazlic6709]

centaur is the Best pinball of all ages