Collector Value Est.

$700–$1,200

USD · Market estimate

Near-mint / restored. Worn or stored examples sell for 30–60% less.

Notable Features

Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Mushroom bumpers (2), Slingshots (3), Captive ball walker with carry-over feature, player-optional 2-ball multiball if earned. The A-B-C-D sequence is not anything to complete. Scoring A or C rollover when lit causes right outlane Special to light on mystery basis until end of ball in play. Scoring B or D rollover when lit causes left outlane Special to light on mystery basis until end of ball in play. Special when lit scores replay or points (operator adjustable). 3 or 5 ball play. The following information describes the Free Ball Alley operation of this game: This game is factory-equipped with two balls. Two rollovers are designated to open the Free Ball Gate when lit. The ball in play hitting either of those rollovers when lit opens the upper right-side Free Ball Gate to the right-side Alley. A ball entering the Alley closes this Gate behind it, disables the two designated lanes from lighting as long as the Alley is occupied, and is locked in the first of five positions inside the Alley while a new ball is served from under the apron to the shooter lane as a replacement ball for the same player to continue playing. The words SHOOT AGAIN illuminate on the backglass to inform the player that this is normal operation. These illuminated words turn off once the player shoots the ball through the gate switch at the top of the ball shooter lane. If the player drains this replacement ball while the other ball is still locked in the Alley, the ball-in-play unit advances (or the player advances if two players) and the locked ball stays put. The locked ball will advance one position in the Alley each time the ball in play (from either player) hits any two of three lit yellow inserts in mid-playfield to make them unlit, two of which are mushroom bumpers and one is a rollover lane, and with each Alley advance the three yellow inserts all light up again. The locked ball is a carry-over feature from ball-to-ball and player-to-player and, when advanced from the fifth position, scores 100 points and is delivered to the shooter lane, available to the same player whose ball in play freed it, with the words SHOOT AGAIN illuminating on the backglass to inform the player this is normal operation. This of course happens while the player is still playing the ball that freed it. The manufacturer's flyer refers to the Alley as the "Free Ball Alley" while referring to the freed ball itself as a "left-over" ball. The player can choose to shoot this free/left-over ball into play to join the existing ball still in play to create a multiball play, or wait to shoot it after the existing ball in play drains. The words SHOOT AGAIN remain lit on the backglass until the player decides to shoot the freed ball into play. Because the Alley has been made empty, the two designated rollovers once again can light to open the Free Ball Gate. When a left-over ball is issued, the ball-in-play unit will not advance nor will the game change players until either both balls have drained for the player or one ball has locked itself in the Alley and the other ball has drained. Maximum displayed point score is 1,999 points per player. Sound: 2 bells, knocker Replay wheel maximum: 25 Tile penalty: ends game, per player

Historical Notes

Because the trapped Alley ball, once freed, is delivered to the shooter lane and not to the playfield to join the other ball in play, a multiple-ball play situation is not automatically 'forced' upon the player. Therefore, 'Mad World' is not considered a multiball game in the sense in which the term is commonly used to identify games having multiple-ball play as a programmed feature of game play and not instead the player simply shooting more balls onto the playfield. Placing two balls onto the playfield for simultaneous play on 'Mad World' is the option of the player, as can be said for the many games produced from the 30s through the 60s that come equipped with multiple balls all deliverable only to the shooter lane. According to Bally's parts catalog, Early Production games for Mad World had their steel back doors mount directly into a wood groove in the backbox but during production a steel retainer was installed into the wood groove for the rest of the production run. Likely inspired by the 1963 Hollywood action comedy movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Where to Play It

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