What's new
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Centaur - why its amazing

Poibug

Registered
Joined
Aug 10, 2011
Messages
3,259
Location
flintshire
After a discussion tonight with my lad - just a few thnigs why Centaur did, and still does - kick ass

1. The amazing artwork on both pf and backglass - may only be three colours,but boy, does it work really well - not many better than this

2.The attract mode - smacking multiple balls around on its onwn would get ANYONES attention back then, or today

3. Underplayfield launch - great design

4. With 5 ball multiball - a feature that didn't become the "norm"until , what the early 90's

5.The ruleset explanation - hitting the flipper button out of game, it sows and says - what to shoot for - phenominal feature back then

6.In line drops - yes, not rare at the time,but a mega cool feature aond one of the reasons, back in the day I ordered a MET LE not a pro

7.Last, but by no means least, the absolutley amazing, phenominal waaay beyond owt else sound and speech , still awesome nealry forty years on

I feel honoured to own this cool game, and even more so to have helped severely progress onwards a mates game, that sadly, he never got to see fully work

RIP Nigel, gone but forever in my,and other pinheads minds

I do like Fathom and Medusa, but to me they are not at same level IMO, tho , one day will have to own a Medusa
 
Last edited:
Have got to agree with the above. The market puts a high price on Centaurs relative to many of the other games of the period, but it is wholly justified.

IMHO Fathom is the most beautiful game to emerge from this exceptional period of pinball art but Centaur has plenty of proponents and the pair of them are widely considered to be the best two Bally SS games to go for.

What makes this game so special for me though are the rules. There are numerous ways to get multiballs on a Centaur, so you have a real choice of what you may choose to shoot for. Good selection of shots, forehand and backhand. Fantastic nudging opportunities in the outlanes that are brilliantly designed so they do not reduce the size of the lower playfield (far better than the techniques used in Vector and Fathom as these two lose much more space).
 
I've played centaur before but I didn't notice all this. Has anyone got one they can bring to pinfest? Wouldn't mind having a few more goes on one now.
 
With 5 ball multiball - a feature that didn't become the "norm"until , what the early 90's

I couldn't agree more with this, Centaur is fab, definitely ahead of its time.

one of the "big 3" of 1981 (the others Fathom and Flash Gordon). I wouldn't bother with Medusa. It seems a good idea but the lower playfield is really just a waste of time.

I'd rate Medusa's artwork as the best of all of them though....both backglass and playfield :thumbs:
 
wish I'd bought the centaur I was offered for £500 five years ago,sadly I had no room at the time,and it was bought and flipped onto ebay instead by someone for more than double the price:(
 
It’s a beautiful game, perhaps the best art ever imo. The sound is incredible, so atmospheric, the whole package, with the theme is just incredibly well integrated. For me their are better playing/more challenging games in the same era though. I own Flash Gordon, Paragon and Skateball and I play those a lot more than Centaur. But in a decent sized collection, it’s awesome
 
The artwork is awesome and only reading the IPDB reviews I knew I had to own one. There were none to play in NZ. I eventually shipped one in from New Orleans and to this day I say it will be the last game to leave the collection. It has made at least 1 guy import one also.
 
Centaur just has attitude doesn't it, perhaps more than any other pin.
 
I remember back in the 80's, it was the black and white art that made the game stand out
the biker chick on the backglass is great also

Centaur and EightBall Deluxe are a great duo
 
Its a great game that I originally didn't care for but when you understand how to play its superb.

Neil.
 
I remember back in the 80's, it was the black and white art that made the game stand out
the biker chick on the backglass is great also

Centaur and EightBall Deluxe are a great duo

Which may be why Bally chose them for a second run (as Centaur II and Eight Ball Deluxe LE), using up leftover cabinets after the failure of their Hyperball clone, Rapid Fire

I'm not sure how many of the latter were built, but around here the LE out-numbered the original Eight Ball Deluxe
 
the LE EBD and Centaur 2 were heavily discounted in the UK through Associated Leisure which is why you see a lot of them but like many I'm not keen on that backbox design at all. from 1980 to 1982 Bally knocked it out the park before it all went downhill. BMX is a hidden gem but most games after 1982 are terrible.
 
got this best score ever for me on Centaur at Pinburgh to close out an 11-1 win of that round! I'd never have had a clue how to play this but we have a fantastic one in Flipout London.

IMG_1077.JPG
 
Back
Top Bottom