# 1965 Bally Bullfight! Pinball Tutorial & Gameplay. Taming This Beast! **Source:** Pinball Shenanigans **Type:** video **Published:** 2026-04-24 **Duration:** 8m 51s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqJzbDB39dA --- ## Analysis Mike Dimes provides a gameplay tutorial and walkthrough of a 1965 Bally Bullfight pinball machine from his collection. He explains the game's target selector wheel mechanic, scoring modes (green/red/blue/yellow), gate save feature, and demonstrates two full games while commenting on playfield design, shot satisfaction, and the machine's competitive potential. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Bullfight has a target selector feature in the middle of the playfield that rotates through color-coded scoring modes (green 50pts, red 100pts, blue 30pts, yellow special) — _Mike Dimes describing the game mechanics during tutorial segment_ - [HIGH] The game features a gate on the right outlane that opens when blue mode is lit to save balls from drains — _Mike Dimes explaining gate save mechanic and demonstrating it in gameplay_ - [HIGH] Bullfight has baby (small) flippers which make the game shorter and harder to control — _Mike Dimes commenting on flipper size and its impact on game duration_ - [HIGH] The game has three slingshots: left, right, and upper left — _Mike Dimes identifying slingshot locations during gameplay_ - [MEDIUM] Pop bumpers light randomly and award 10 points per hit with a stepper mechanism that cycles through different lit bumpers based on playfield switch activity — _Mike Dimes speculating on bumper lighting logic: 'every switch on the playfield, or most of them, change which one is lit'_ ### Notable Quotes > "This has got a very cool target selector feature in the middle of the playfield, and this will indicate what is lit on the playfield." > — **Mike Dimes**, ~0:45 > _Highlights the primary distinguishing mechanic of Bullfight's gameplay system_ > "Those orbit shots are very satisfying. It kind of curves right around. If you can hit it, but it like curves around and goes bang, and it's a satisfying shot when you can hit it." > — **Mike Dimes**, ~2:30 > _Design commentary on playfield shot quality and player experience_ > "I would really like to get back around to yellow this game. I have one more crack at that." > — **Mike Dimes**, ~6:45 > _Shows the yellow mode (special feature) is the highest/most desirable objective_ > "I think it would be a great tournament game. Derek Thompson, you should buy it and bring it to Yegpin." > — **Mike Dimes**, ~8:20 > _Assessment of competitive viability and recommendation to tournament organizer_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Mike Dimes | person | Content creator, pinball enthusiast, and machine owner who produces gameplay tutorials and commentary for Pinball Shenanigans channel | | Derek Thompson | person | Referenced as organizer/operator associated with Yegpin (Edmonton pinball venue) | | Bally | company | Pinball manufacturer; produced Bullfight in 1965 | | Bullfight | game | 1965 Bally pinball machine with target selector mechanic, matador theme, and gate save feature | | Yegpin | venue | Edmonton pinball location/tournament venue | | Pinball Shenanigans | organization | YouTube content channel featuring pinball gameplay tutorials and commentary hosted by Mike Dimes | ### Signals - **[content_signal]** Pinball Shenanigans produces detailed gameplay walkthroughs with rules explanation for classic/vintage machines (confidence: high) — Entire video structure demonstrates comprehensive tutorial approach to 1965 Bullfight with mechanics explanation and multiple full games - **[gameplay_signal]** Bullfight uses a rotating color-coded target selector wheel that cycles through point values and gate activation, affecting which playfield targets are lit (confidence: high) — Detailed explanation of green (50pts) → red (100pts) → blue (30pts + gate) → yellow (special) progression; demonstrated in both games - **[gameplay_signal]** Bullfight features satisfying orbit shots that curve smoothly around the playfield, identified as a highlight of shot design by player (confidence: high) — Mike Dimes explicitly praising orbit shots as 'very satisfying' and comparing them favorably; red orbits identified as 'money shot' - **[competitive_signal]** Bullfight assessed as suitable tournament machine by content creator and recommended for inclusion in competitive venues (confidence: medium) — Mike Dimes states 'I think it would be a great tournament game' and recommends Derek Thompson acquire it for Yegpin tournaments - **[restoration_signal]** Bullfight in Mike Dimes' personal collection and operational condition; playfield well-maintained with functional mechanics (confidence: high) — Machine actively played and filmed in home garage; all features (gate, bumpers, selector, slingshots) functioning as designed - **[historical_signal]** 1965 Bullfight demonstrates era-typical design constraints: small flippers, mechanical stepper switches for bumper lighting, yellow score wheels (confidence: high) — Commentary on 'baby flippers', stepper mechanism for bumper control, noted rarity of yellow score wheels --- ## Transcript Everything is lit. Let's hope I can hit something. Oh, come on. I'm Mike Dimes, [music] and this is Pinball Shenanigans. All right, I'm going to give you a little gameplay and tutorial video of this Bally Bull Fight from 1965. Uh I got this game over in my garage here, and I brought the wrong tripod, so I had to improvise, and one of the legs of the tripod is on the playfield, one is on the apron, and the other is on a stool, so there will be no nudging or tilting this game, or else I may lose my phone. So, let's get into the rules. This has got a very cool target selector feature in the middle of the playfield, and this will indicate what is lit on the playfield. So, currently, 50 points for green will be lit when I start the game. So, you can see this mushroom bumper and this mushroom bumper and this lane are now 50 points. So, if I hit advanced target selector either here or the right outlane, you don't want that, or the two lanes at the top on the left or right, then this will turn clockwise, and as you can see, the next is red for 100 points, and that will light these two mushroom bumpers here for the big money. Uh and then after that is 30, and that'll be this blue light, this blue light or mushroom bumper, and the gate will open. So, if this blue light is on, this gate will be there to save your ball if you end up in the right outlane. And then uh that is pretty much it, except for the special yellow star feature, and I'll just save that for when I get to it, and you can see what happens. So, pretty straightforward rules. The middle lane doesn't have a switch. It just says hold, which means the target selector, aka spinning wheel, will not spin. So, we're a matador here. We're trying to collect some flowers from the ladies in the audience. Uh they seem to be of royalty, perhaps, and uh we have to, you know, fight the bull. Let's give her a try. I got it set for five balls. Very cool that the score wheels are yellow. You don't see that very often. And uh well, let's uh on delay. Isn't that what they say? And those orbit shots are very satisfying. It kind of curves right around. If you can hit it, but it like curves around and goes bang, and it's a satisfying shot when you can hit it. So, I actually would prefer to try and hold and not change the spinning wheel, but I won't be doing any nudging, but there we go. That's good. Now I just got to avoid Oh, I bumpered up into it. So, Oh, I hit the target selector again. I'm at green. With these baby like 2-in flippers, you know, games aren't going to last particularly long. So, [snorts] let's see if I get the target selector and advance to yellow star, and see what happens. Everything is lit. Let's hope I can hit something. Oh, come on. Everything is still lit, but now I got a one in three shot here of preserving that. Okay, that's good. That's good. Don't bump up into the lane. Here we go. There's a blue. There's a green. Another green. All things considered, that was a good ball. Okay, I'm on ball five, still on yellow. So, try and plunge the middle here. Uh but red's still good. Red's still good. See if I can hit a red shot. Come on. Yes. Oh, just missed it. There's three slingshots on this game, too. There, I just hit all three. Left, right, and upper left. Oh, so sweet. The gate was open, and it saved me. All right. 50's fine. I do want to get an orbit shot. Uh-oh. Oh, thank you. There is a green. So, the pop bumpers just uh light kind of randomly and sporadically for 10 points a hit. There is a stepper for the bumper bumpers, and there's a lot of switches on it, so I think it literally is just every switch on the playfield, or most of them, change which one is lit and how many are lit. So, that was 938 points. That was not amazing. Uh my tripod hasn't fallen off the playfield, so that is good news. We're going to give it one more game here now that we know the rules, and see if we can uh beat that score. All right. Let's try and hit a red shot. Have not got one yet. There it is. That's the money shot. I love that shot. My favorite shot on this game. Red orbits and yellow stars. That's what this game is all about. Boom, there it is again. Already off to a good start. Oh, thank you. Those are a few 10-point bumpers, so I'll take those every day. on this game, even with the baby flippers. Oh. Oh, yeah. 569 on ball one. Way better. Two of the pop bumpers are lit for 10 points. That was like 50 points right there. That's all I get. I would really like to get back around to yellow this game. I have one more crack at that. So, let's go for the middle uh bumper, the red one, to advance. Oh, I'll take that. Freebie. Oh, another freebie. Thank you, blue. All right, one more. This could be it for all the marbles. Yes. All right, everything. Come on, let me hit something. Good thing about yellow is you got your uh gate as well, but that was not a very good ball. Uh I'm getting close to beating my score. All bumpers are lit. Come on. Yes, got 1,000 points and ball in hand. And uh back on to yellow. Oh, That happened quick. It's a great way to uh uh I was going to say end my uh game on yellow, but it's hard to not plunge into one of the lit lanes. So, that was a 1,118 points. And uh yeah, so that is Bull Fight. It's a pretty cool game. I think it would be a great tournament game. Derek Thompson, you should buy it and bring it to Yegpin. Anyway, thanks for watching. _(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v5)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-06-06 | Item ID: b5444b5e-cab8-4260-83aa-0678d7c05459*