Bally’s Viking, released in 1979 and designed by Jim Patla, sets sail with a Norse seafaring theme on a clean, fast solid-state playfield. With four pop bumpers, a three-bank and a four-in-line bank of drop targets, and a spinner, it’s a tidy late-70s machine that rewards a player who learns its bonus-collecting rhythm — and it includes the player-friendly bounce-back outlanes that let you nudge a draining ball back into play.
The scoring is a satisfying build-and-collect loop. You shoot the in-line drops, then fire the right “orbit” for a collect bonus — and there’s a nice wrinkle, since shooting the right orbit lights the upper-left saucer for Collect Bonus, which banks the multiplied value without resetting it. The spinner does double duty, adding bonus and temporarily boosting its own value, while a target near the in-line drops rewards a shot when you hear the siren sound. It’s a clean, readable ruleset that prizes accuracy and timing.
A handsome and accessible entry from a designer who would go on to create the legendary Centaur, Viking is an enjoyable slice of late-70s Bally craftsmanship. For collectors who appreciate a fast spinner-and-drops game with a fun theme — and the mercy of those bounce-back outlanes — it’s a likeable and well-built classic that still raids the high-score table with gusto.