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Seattle Pinball Museum
Home
Our History
Game List
  • Game List
  • 2000-NOW
  • 1980-1999
  • 1960-1979
Planning a visit
  • Plan Your Trip
  • How to Get Here
  • Whats Around Us
  • Rules for Entry
  • FAQs
  • Location and Hours
Games for Sale
  • Featured Games for Sale
  • Jersey Jack Pinball
  • Chicago Gaming Company
  • Legacy Machines
  • Sales Contact Form
Private Events
More
  • Home
  • Our History
  • Game List
    • Game List
    • 2000-NOW
    • 1980-1999
    • 1960-1979
  • Planning a visit
    • Plan Your Trip
    • How to Get Here
    • Whats Around Us
    • Rules for Entry
    • FAQs
    • Location and Hours
  • Games for Sale
    • Featured Games for Sale
    • Jersey Jack Pinball
    • Chicago Gaming Company
    • Legacy Machines
    • Sales Contact Form
  • Private Events

  • Home
  • Our History
  • Game List
    • Game List
    • 2000-NOW
    • 1980-1999
    • 1960-1979
  • Planning a visit
    • Plan Your Trip
    • How to Get Here
    • Whats Around Us
    • Rules for Entry
    • FAQs
    • Location and Hours
  • Games for Sale
    • Featured Games for Sale
    • Jersey Jack Pinball
    • Chicago Gaming Company
    • Legacy Machines
    • Sales Contact Form
  • Private Events

King Tut

Date of Manufacture: August 6, 1969
Number Produced: ~800 units
Manufacturer: Bally Manufacturing Corporation

Creators:

  • Designer:  Ted Zale
  • Artist: Dick White

Game Type: 

  • Electro-mechanical
  • 1-player game

Other Versions: King Rex

Rating: 5/10
Fun Rating: 6/10

DISCUSSION OF King Tut PINBALL

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History
Innovations
Game Tutorial

History of King Tut

The King Tut pinball machine emerged during a time when the fascination with Ancient Egypt was at a cultural high. The late 1960s saw an upswing in Egyptomania, driven by archaeological discoveries and popular culture's embrace of Egyptian themes. Bally sought to capitalize on this trend by creating a machine that featured the iconic imagery of King Tutankhamun's death mask and other Egyptian motifs.


The game offered standard features of the time, such as pop bumpers, rollovers, and a straightforward scoring system. However, unlike some of Bally’s more innovative machines, King Tut did not introduce groundbreaking mechanics, which limited its longevity and popularity among players seeking more engaging challenges.


Despite this, the machine is valued as a historical artifact that reflects Bally’s strategy during a period when the company was solidifying its identity in the competitive pinball market. It also serves as a visual testament to the artistry of pinball design in the late 1960s.

Cultural Impact and Popularity

Cultural Impact and Popularity

Cultural Impact and Popularity

The release of King Tut coincided with a cultural fascination with Ancient Egypt, spurred by exhibitions and increased global interest in archaeological discoveries. Bally capitalized on this trend, adorning the game with vibrant Egyptian motifs, including Tutankhamun's iconic death mask. The artwork on the backglass and playfield aimed to immerse players in the mystery of ancient times.

Cultural Impact and Popularity

Cultural Impact and Popularity

Despite its thematic richness, King Tut struggled to make a lasting impact due to its limited gameplay innovations. While aesthetically appealing, the machine's features mirrored other Bally titles of the late 1960s, offering a straightforward experience with standard flippers, pop bumpers, and a lack of dynamic scoring opportunities. This simplicity was typical of the era but led to criticism as the pinball industry evolved toward more complex gameplay in subsequent years.

Innovations and Features

Interesting Facts and Trivia

Interesting Facts and Trivia

While King Tut did not introduce significant new technologies, it showcased Bally's commitment to thematic coherence and aesthetic appeal. The playfield and backglass designs stand out for their vivid colors and intricate Egyptian details. The inclusion of straightforward rules and reliable mechanics ensured accessibility for casual players, a common goal for pinball machines of that era.


  • Left Outlane Kickback:
    This feature allowed the ball to return to the playfield when it drained on the left outlane. While not unique to King Tut, it was an uncommon addition in the late 1960s, providing a sense of novelty and prolonging gameplay.


  • Right Outlane Ball Return Gate:
    The inclusion of a gate that redirected a drained ball back into the shooter lane was a standout feature. It added an element of chance and skill, requiring players to hit specific targets to enable the gate.


  • Center Up-Post Between Flippers:
    A mechanical post that could be activated to block the ball from draining between the flippers was innovative for its time. This feature gave players a momentary safety net, introducing a strategic layer to ball control.


  • Theme-Integrated Playfield Design:
    The Egyptian theme of King Tut stood out due to its cohesive design, from the artwork to the layout. While many pinball machines featured generic designs, King Tut utilized its theme to engage players and stand out in arcades.


  • Crystal Glass and Plexiglas Options for Backglass:
    Offering two types of backglass materials catered to different arcade environments, providing durability options and aesthetic flexibility.


  • Moving Special: King tut had a “special” and when lit moves around the playfield making it more difficult to hit. 

Interesting Facts and Trivia

Interesting Facts and Trivia

Interesting Facts and Trivia

  • Production Rarity: With only 800 units produced, King Tut is considered a collector’s item today.


  • Theme Popularity: Released during the height of Egyptomania, the machine attempted to capture public fascination with mummies, pyramids, and pharaohs.


  • Playfield Design: Features include rollovers and four pop bumpers but lack outlanes, a design choice that added to its simplicity.


  • Artwork Appeal: The game's backglass prominently displays Tutankhamun's death mask, a feature that remains a draw for enthusiasts of historical themes.


  • Mixed Reception: While admired for its theme, many players felt the gameplay lacked variety compared to later Bally machines​Pinball Rebel​
  • Add-a-ball Version: An add-a-ball version of this game, titled King Rex, was released by Bally in 1970, featuring similar gameplay but different artwork.


  • Single-Player Strategy:
    As a single-player game, King Tut catered to a growing demand for focused, high-scoring gameplay. The balance between luck-based elements (return gate) and skill-based mechanics (activating the up-post) reflected a shift toward more nuanced game design.

King Tut Gameplay Tutorial

Goal and Objectives

The primary goal in King Tut is to maximize your score by completing rollover targets, hitting pop bumpers, and utilizing the playfield features to achieve high-point combinations.

Game Modes and Rule Sets

Rollover Targets

  • The playfield includes several rollover lanes. Lighting all rollover lanes scores additional points and can increase your bonus multiplier.
  • Strategy: Aim for precise ball control to guide the ball through unlit lanes, maximizing your rollover bonuses.

Pop Bumpers

  • Pop bumpers are central scoring features. Each successful hit awards points and propels the ball around the playfield, creating chain-scoring opportunities.
  • Strategy: Use flippers to send the ball into the pop bumper cluster for repeated hits.

Bonus Multiplier

  • Completing specific combinations of rollovers or targets increases the bonus multiplier, significantly enhancing your end-of-ball scoring.
  • Strategy: Prioritize completing the rollover sequence early to capitalize on the multiplier for subsequent gameplay.

Drop Targets (if applicable)

  • If drop targets are part of your machine (this varies by machine or modification), clearing all targets resets them for an additional point bonus.

How to Score High

  • Control the Ball: Master flipper control to guide the ball into key scoring zones.
  • Focus on Rollovers Early: Lighting all rollovers early in the game sets the stage for high-point bonuses.
  • Pop Bumper Combos: Keep the ball active in the bumper area as long as possible to rack up points.
  • Strategic Nudging: Use gentle nudging to influence ball trajectory, especially to complete rollovers or avoid drains.

Tips for Beginners

  • Learn the layout: Familiarize yourself with the position of rollovers, bumpers, and key scoring areas.
  • Keep the ball in play: Focus on maintaining ball momentum and avoiding outlanes.
  • Play for bonus multipliers: These are critical for achieving high scores, especially in games with limited feature complexity.

Resources

Pinrepair. “Pinball Repair Guide.” Pinrepair, www.pinrepair.com. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Internet Pinball Database. “King Tut.” IPDB, www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=1373.  Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Vintage Arcade. “King Tut Pinball Machine.” Vintage Arcade, https://vintagearcade.net/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

“Bally King Tut Pinball Machine.” Internet Pinball Machine Database (IPDB), www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=1376.  Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

“1969 Bally King Tut.” Pinside Pinball Database, www.pinside.com/pinball/machine/king-tut.  Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

“Bally Pinball History.” Pinrepair.com, www.pinrepair.com/bally/.  Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

Flower, Gary, and Bill Kurtz. Pinball: The Lure of the Silver Ball. Chartwell Books, 1988, p. 69.

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