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Pinball

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Wizard

gameactive26 mentionsFirst seen Apr 11, 2007Last seen Apr 3, 2026

Profile

Wizard is a classic pinball game from 1975 based on The Who's rock opera Tommy, notable as the first officially licensed character pinball game. Manufactured by Valley (not Bally as stated in some sources), it featured artwork depicting Ann Margaret and Roger Daltrey and required celebrity approval, marking a significant licensing milestone. The game sold approximately 10,000 units and created important market demand for licensed pinball games. It remains respected among players as an excellent skill-learning machine for practicing advanced techniques like alley passes and tap passes.

Aliases

Wizard!

Relationships

No relationships

Facts

  • achievementSold approximately 10,000 unitshigh
  • achievementCreated pull-through market demand for licensed pinball gameshighfrom 1975
  • achievementFirst officially licensed character pinball gamehighfrom 1975
  • achievementRecommended by Keith Elwin as skill-learning machine for alley passes and tap passeshigh
  • attributePinball machine manufactured by Ballyhigh
  • attributeRequired celebrity approval of artworkhigh
  • attributeArtwork designed by Dave Christensen

Claims

No claims

Recent Mentions (26)

  • Pinball game used in tournament tiebreaker between Lawrence and Scott

    Winchester Mystery House Launch Tournament: Winner's Circle. Streamed from TFR.Apr 3, 2026
  • Bally EM pinball game; first game to use flip flags according to Nick Baldridge

    Episode 151 - Flip FlagsAug 9, 2015
  • Classic Williams machine; Eric Stone's favorite game mentioned throughout tournament; substituted into main tournament after Keith Elwin removed Viking from Classics cross-over

    #22 Dave interviews Eric Stone INDISC Open Champion The Classic Pinball PodcastJan 17, 2020
  • Bally pinball machine with flip flag feature; one of three such games produced

    Episode 347 - My EM Happenings for 2-17-16 pt. 2Feb 21, 2016
  • Pinball machine featuring Dave Christensen artwork; Greg's first real impression of pinball graphics and design; inspired by The Who's 'Pinball Wizard' song

    Episode 44 - The Notorious Bally Art Department w/ Greg FreresAug 19, 2024
  • Classic pinball machine featured in Classics division with high-value skill shot

    Episode 7 - New York City Pinball Championships

Contradictions

  • Existing: Wizard is a Tommy-themed game based on the movie/rock operavsConflicting: Mention 2 claims it had 'identical maximum bonus of 15 points' to an unspecified Bally machine, which appears to conflate Wizard with a different game
    Resolved
    kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026
  • Existing: Wizard is a Valley pinball game (established in mentions 5 and 6)vsConflicting: Mention 4 refers to 'Bally machine' and mention 2 references 'Bally machine from the same era'
    Resolved
    kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

high
  • attributeThemed after the movie Tommyhigh
  • attributeReleased in 1975highfrom 1975
  • attributeFeatured Ann Margaret and Roger Daltrey from Tommy moviehigh
  • May 21, 2019
  • Classic EM game; first game on Raymond's Classics qualifying card; emphasizes plunge strategy and alley/tap passing

    Episode 14 - INDISC Part 1Jan 12, 2020
  • EM pinball game; Raymond won first place using full plunge strategy for skill shot and alley pass technique

    Episode 10 - San Francisco City ChampJul 1, 2019
  • Classic solid-state pinball machine featured in INDISC 2020 playoffs; gameplay involves double bonus collection, flag targets, spinners, and challenging ball control

    INDISC 2020 - Classics I PlayoffsJan 5, 2022
  • Classic pinball machine played multiple times throughout INDISC, challenging alley pass and tap pass execution

    Episode 15 - INDISC Part 2Jan 20, 2020
  • Single-flipper game brought into tournament by Keith Alwyn as top seed; noted for balance issue allowing extended gameplay

    INDISC 2020 - The Open FinalsJan 11, 2022
  • Pinball machine; Eric scored #1 (223,000) on this machine in Classics qualifying; also used strategically in finals

    #21 INDISC with Eric Stone - The Classic Pinball PodcastJan 13, 2020
  • Bally promotional game based on The Who's Tommy; Kmiec's 4th design; featured Dave Christensen's revolutionary artwork; included Kmiec's hidden 'Gypsy' nickname

    Pinball Heroes: Greg KmiecMay 30, 2009
  • Rethemed version of Team One created by presenter with new artwork by Wade Krause

    Meet Evel Knievel - Pinball Expo 2023 - Pinball NewsOct 20, 2023
  • VB Cabs full-size pinball cabinet; top-of-line model featuring 32-inch display, force feedback, and best-selling variant

    Virtual Pinball For Real, or VPCabs Interview.May 23, 2016
  • Historic first licensed pinball machine (The Who), bringing game available at show from Pacific Pinball Museum

    California Extreme 360°: An Immersive ExperienceAug 23, 2024
  • Bally pinball machine (May 1975); rock-themed based on Tommy film; 10,005 units sold; first major project showcasing Dave Christensen's in-house art style; first licensed pinball with star involvement (Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret).

    Moving Units – Bally's Art RevolutionSep 5, 2020
  • Bally pinball machine (1975) inspired by Tommy movie; featured 10,000+ units; first pinball machine to use flip flags; contained Ann-Margaret knockoff artwork

    Episode 199: Pinball Wizard turns 50!May 24, 2019
  • Classic game recommended by Keith as skill-learning machine for alley passes and tap passes

    Ep 12: Keith Elwin!Jul 1, 2019
  • 1975 Tommy-themed pinball; first officially licensed pinball game; sold 10,000 units; created pull-through market demand

    TOPCast 54: Tom NiemanMar 5, 2008
  • Valley pinball game based on movie Tommy; first licensed character game in pinball; Dave Christensen artwork; featured Ann Margaret and Roger Daltrey; sold approximately 10,000 units

    TOPCast 48: Paul FarisAug 12, 2007
  • Bally game featuring Roger Daltrey and Ann Margaret from Tommy movie; required celebrity approval of artwork

    TOPCast 25: Dave ChristensenApr 11, 2007
  • Game where Nick Stein put up 1 million points during the tournament

    Concord Champ '25: Qualifying Round 10 on Medusa by Bally. Streamed from The Flipper Room.Nov 18, 2025
  • Referenced Bally machine from the same era with identical maximum bonus of 15 points

    Homebrew Led Zeppelin - Danni TeachesAug 28, 2025
  • Character class option in D&D: Tyrant's Eye

    DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: The Tyrant's Eye Pinball Gameplay PremiereJan 5, 2025
  • Game mentioned in context of shatting technique

    Episode 94 – Going DeepJun 3, 2019