Descend into the multi-level realm — Bally’s 1981 Elektra is one of the most ambitious machines of its era, a fantasy three-level playfield with six flippers, captive ball, rollunder spinners, and a clear Plexiglas covering over the main playfield that lets you watch the action unfold across its tiers. Designed by Claude Fernandez with Tony Ramunni art, this confirmed run of 2,950 was a genuine showpiece, packing more vertical ambition into one cabinet than almost anything else from 1981.
The strategy is built around the Elektra units and the lower playfield. Hit the flashing blue standups to collect Elektra points, and getting at least six of them enables valuable time on the lower playfield when you drain — turning what would be the end of your ball into a bonus opportunity. Those blue Elektra standups on the left are worth the most, and once you’ve lit a few they stack easily, so hitting the flashing one to light the rest becomes a satisfying chain. The upper three green targets each give two units, one time only, for a quick boost. Multiball comes from hitting the red standups numbered one, two, and three a few times to light the lock, then repeating after the ball is locked to release it.
Elektra is a fascinating, mechanically daring machine, the kind of early-’80s experiment that pushed pinball’s physical possibilities with its three levels and that distinctive Plexiglas window. For the collector who loves an inventive deep cut, it’s a treasure, and its layered scoring rewards a player who learns to chase the Elektra units toward that precious lower-playfield time. Light the blue standups, stack your units, and earn your way to the lower level. Ambition like this is rare and well worth chasing.