Bally : Show-Time

Game Parameters
Game Type magic squares
Game Number 590
Manufacture Date 1957
Number of Holes 25
Number of Odds Steps 8
Max Payout 600
Max Extra Balls 3
Features
Resources
Backglass
 - chris dade image
 - bg 1
 - bg 2
 - bg 3

Cabinet
 - cab 1
 - cab 2

Flyers
 - fly 1

Internals
 - int 1
 - int 2
 - int 3
 - int 4

Game Manual
 - manual (pdf) : 6.85MB
 - unoptimized manual (pdf) : 42.34MB

Mixer Diagrams
 - 1: w-735b
 - 2: w-768b
 - 3: w-756b
 - 4: w-738b

Press Image
 - mp 1

Playfield
 - chris dade image
 - pf 1

Reflex Diagrams
 - w-770b

Schematic
 - schematic early : 8.06MB
 - schematic : 10.10MB

S/I Card Scan
 - siscan 1
 - siscan 2


Show-Time

Show Time addressed one of the serious gotcha's on previous magic square games. On those games, the maqic squares where in the corners of the main card, and one row and column of non-movable numbers seperated them. Show Time moved the magic squares next to each other into the 4x4 block of numbers in the upper-left of the card.

The remaining row on the bottom became a magic line of movable numbers, and the remaining column on the right was unmovable (you can guess what will happen in a later game!).

From a scoring point of view, they added the one feature that was needed to score really big - you could move the numbers after shooting the 4th and 5th balls, and scoring started after the 4th ball was shot. You can actually score 5-in-line in yellow and 5-in-line is red with 5 balls, if you have all the magic squares and the magic line enabled.

How? Shoot five holes such that you can line up 5-in-line vertically in any of the first four columns, then let the game score. push the buttons to rotate the squares and the magic line. You can move the entire column of lit numbers over one position, which will then be on a different colored line, and you get that score as well. 1200 credits would be possible, but the replay register only has three digits, so 999 is all you'd get.

The yellow roll-over button now lights "Press buttons before shooting 5th Ball", and the red roll-over lights "Press buttons after shooting 5th ball". This use of the roll-over buttons is standard on almost all the remaining games that have extended time features.

Ballyhole awards 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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