Bally’s Doctor Who, released in 1992 and designed by Bill Pfutzenreuter and Barry Oursler, is a brilliant celebration of the long-running British sci-fi series — and one of the cleverest machines of the early DMD age. Its standout feature is the Time Expander, a mini-playfield that physically raises and lowers during play to reveal different layers of targets, joined by a six-bank of drop targets and a Dalek topper that lights up and menaces from the backbox.

The deep, strategic heart of the game is the doctor-selection system. Every time you launch a ball you choose one of the seven classic Doctors to aid you, each with a distinct power: Doctor #1 speeds your path to video mode, #3 helps with extra balls, #6 ramps up the playfield multiplier faster, and #7 hurries you to multiball. Maxing that playfield multiplier via the upper-ramp loops is crucial — after ten loops, completing W-H-O lights Sonic Booms worth ten million times your multiplier. Collecting all seven Doctors through the video mode pays a fat bonus, and at game’s end each Doctor you’ve gathered is worth points all over again.

It’s a table that rewards planning and knowledge, where extra balls are prized not just for the ball but for the free Doctor they grant. Smart, deep, and bursting with series lore, Doctor Who is an underrated gem of the era — a time-traveling strategy puzzle that still delights fans and competitive players alike.