Bally : Key West

Game Parameters
Game Type magic squares
Game Number 588
Manufacture Date 1956
Number of Holes 25
Number of Odds Steps 8
Max Payout 600
Max Extra Balls 3
Features


Key West

Key West introduced the one critical feature that allowed big payoffs to happen - scoring while the ability to manipulate the numbers was still active.

The game accomplished this using a combination of two features:

select-a-score booster
using a button on the foot rail, the player could swap the red and yellow colored lines. So, for example, if the red odds are higher, and it's looking like you will get 3-in-line or more in yellow, push the button and yellow lines score red odds.

extra-time
previous games had a form of this feature which extends how long you have to move the numbers around until after the 4th or 5th ball is shot. The problem on previous games is that scoring didn't start until you couldn't move the numbers (feature locked). Key West changed that!

Why did extra time help? Because it extended the time you were allowed to push the swap red/yellow colors until after the 5th ball (you could swap until you shot a 6th ball, which would be the first extra ball). Keep in mind that red and yellow wins score separately, so this means you will score the odds for both red and yellow when you had extra time enabled. For example, if you have a 3-in-line winner on a red line, you get paid the odds indicated for red. Push the button to swap red/yellow, and you are immediately paid the 3-in-line odds for yellow as well.

This extended time feature was so valuable that the only way to get it was to hit a lit roll-over button... and only one of the two could be lit at any one time. Even having one of the roll-over buttons lit was a feature that wasn't always enabled!

The Ballyhole awarded the first extra ball. Corners score green 5-in-line.

magic squares games

Some of the numbers on the bingo card are are mounted on wheels (behind the backglass), and pushing buttons on the foot rail allows you to rotate the wheels to rearrange the numbers into paying combinations.

A 1 9
19 4
A 9 4
1 19
The wheels have 4 numbers mounted on each. Here is the standard layout for magic square A. The first table shows the "home" position of the numbers, and the second table shows the numbers rotated one position:

The 4-number squares were initially used in the corners of the card, so people also called the feature "turning corners".


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