Bally’s Vector, released in 1981 and designed by Greg Kmiec, is an ambitious early-80s solid-state machine built around a split-level playfield threaded with four ramps — an unusually complex layout for its day. With four flippers, multiple drop-target banks, five kick-out holes, a playfield digital display, and both two- and three-ball multiball, it packs a remarkable amount of action into a futuristic, geometric theme that matched the dawn of the computer age.

The scoring centers on the ramps and the multiball. The key sequence is to knock down both target sets guarding the left ramp to light it, then shoot the lit ramp three times to lock three balls for multiball — a clear, satisfying progression that rewards accurate, repeated shooting. The multi-level layout and the network of ramps give the table a real sense of journey, with the ball traveling across the playfield in ways that felt genuinely cutting-edge in 1981.

A feature-rich and somewhat underrated entry from a prolific Bally designer, Vector showcases the era’s growing ambition as solid-state technology opened up new design possibilities. For collectors who appreciate the inventive multi-level machines of the early 1980s — and a satisfying ramp-and-multiball ruleset — it’s an engaging and historically interesting classic. With its geometric theme and layered playfield, it’s a machine that rewards a player willing to learn its routes and chase that three-ball multiball.