The Rocket Man takes the stage — Bally’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is a legendary licensed machine celebrating Elton John, this being the Home Model edition, with the superstar’s likeness featured in the backglass art by Alan Aldridge. A follow-up in spirit to Bally’s iconic Wizard, it’s a genuinely famous piece of pinball history that brought rock-and-roll glamour to the flippers.
The strategy rewards controlled, thoughtful play. A key bit of wisdom: don’t use the upper flipper to shoot the side drops, or you’ll drain — instead, hold the upper flipper up to return the ball safely to the lower flippers. Complete the A and B lanes at the top to double your bonus, and hit the lit rollovers to increase it further. Hitting the drop targets lights the extra ball in the right inlane, and some players cleverly fire from the left flipper beneath the held-up right upper flipper to get there. Watch for the center lane light, too — when lit, it opens the gate at the right outlane, a handy bit of insurance. Used carefully and early, the upper flipper can reach the upper drops, but shoot too low and you’ll find the left outlane.
Captain Fantastic is a genuine icon of pinball’s golden solid-state dawn, a machine whose Elton John theme and Alan Aldridge backglass made it one of the most recognizable games ever produced. This Home Model brought that star power into the rec room. For the collector who loves pinball history and a legendary license, it’s a treasure. Master that upper-flipper hold, double your bonus through the A-B lanes, and chase the extra ball. Some machines are woven into the fabric of pinball lore, and this Elton John classic is one of them. Rock on and drop a coin.