Theatre of Magic - With Prototype Rom & Motorized Tiger Saw

Mfr Date:  1995 – Bally

Qty Made:  Production Model – approximately 3,550 were made.

Designer:  John Popadiuk

Artwork:  Linda Deal

Reasons We Like This Game:  Theater of Magic is one of the most amazing games you will ever see or play.  Designed by John Popadiuk, this was his first pinball game designed for Bally when he began work there in 1994.  The last of three magic themed games, (Mystic-1979 and Pinball Magic-1994) Theater of Magic is by far the best of the series, and is also known to be one of the best playing pinball machines ever created!

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous!  The cabinet and backbox art resemble a magical trunk, while the playfield and backglass art is very detailed and breathtaking to look at!  Theater of Magic is chock full of many tricks and surprises!  As with most of John's games, the playfield is full of magnets located in unique areas.  There’s a magnet on both the left and right out lane, so when the ball is about to drain, the magnets grab the ball!  There's also a magnet 2” above the ramp where a magnet will actually pick up the ball and levitate it!  WOW!! Theater has one of the best video modes we have ever seen.  You actually play a virtual pinball game on the Dot Matrix display!  If you shoot down all of the targets during the video mode you are awarded an extra ball!

Check out the mirror in the back of the game.  The reflection creates an illusion of the ball moving backwards!  There’s even a trap door that opens up and gobbles up the ball and a spinning magical, magnetized trunk!  Hit the trunk several times so that the trunk will rotate and the magnet faces you.  When you hit the trunk again, the magnet energizes, picks the ball up, the trunk rotates 180 degrees and the ball is released and completely disappears!  It’s the great disappearing ball trick!  Theater of Magic has a whopping NINE modes, FOUR multi-ball modes, and a grand finale wizard mode that will blow you away if you ever reach it!

Special Features:  Theater of Magic is the only game ever created with the unique levitating ball trick...  The magnet actually picks the ball up off the plastic ramp!  It's also the only game ever created with a mirror inside that gives the  illusion that the ball is moving backwards!  The trap door is a fun, yet tough shot since it only stays open for a limited time frame! The magnets under the left and right outlanes is a wonderful trick originally taken from the game "Black Knight" created in 1980.  Theater of Magic also features one of the best video modes we have ever seen, and the only video pinball mode ever made.  It's double the fun playing pinball on the Dot Matrix display!

Last but not least, Theater of Magic was the only pinball created with a rotating magnetized trunk that actually lifts the ball up off the playfield!  Theater of Magic is a wonderful game for both kids and adults alike with a nice balance of easy and hard shots.  More importantly, it's a simple game to understand, but incredibly challenging to complete all nine modes for a shot at the wizard mode!  All in all, Theater of Magic will surely become on of your favorite games to play, and the highlight of your collection!

Unique Special Features:  The first Theater Prototypes had an actual working spinning saw blade called the Tiger Saw (see above pictures).  To keep the game cost within budget, production games were created with a stationary, non-motorized tiger saw.  We have installed a rare prototype working saw blade that will make the game even more unique and special!  It's amazing to watch the saw spin while you are playing the game, plus you get an additional two modes that utilize the saw feature!  (Tiger Multi-Ball and the Theater mode.)

We have also installed a special rom version of the game that enhances gameplay and sound, and allows the tiger saw to work properly.  As far as we know, less than 10 individuals have access to this special rom version!  We were able to obtain it directly from the software team who created this game.  Not only does the saw spin when you hit the captive ball, but it ALSO works during the tiger saw multi-ball mode AND the Theater mode!  With these additional features, this machine is a rare find indeed!

We have installed an extremely rare prototype Rom revision for this game. - Revision 1.4

Click here to check out our Total Pinball Restoration Process!

Price:  $ 5495

Call 847-973-2337 to order!