This one-player game offered five balls for a nickel with a replay projector in the backglass. This flipperless machine was designed at the height of the art deco era and vividly reflects this. The play field is a high-scoring affair and a trap hole is designed in the play of the game. The Bakelite bumpers are passive in that they score points by completing a circuit running thru the coils contained in them. When the ball touches the wire to the base of the bumper, the circuit completes and scores are awarded. These early attempts at backglass use were very basic but made each game very eye-catching to a potential nickel carrier. Scores attained could be awarded by the operator or, for novelty locations, a high-score-to-date list was generated and taped to the front of the machine. Gravity was the main force active in these machines until flippers were eventually invented in 1947. Some of these machines were retrofitted with flipper kits to make them more up to date.
This game is another mechanical marvel released back when no electricity or flippers were in vogue. $37.50 could buy you this game. Automatic scoring was incorporated into this amazing baseball emulator. Strikes, balls, and outs are automatically totalled. “Ball” players run the bases to score runs. All of this was boxed in a fine furniture-quality cabinet for all to drop pennies or nickels into and drop them they did! A tilt mechanism is also built into the mechanics of the machine. So many runs would give you so many “skill points” and these points could be traded in for goods or products. Gambling was not permitted, as stated on the machine backstop. These machines would show up anyplace a transient population was present, and their size certainly didn’t take up much space. These “silent salesmen” made millions for their owners.
This totally mechanical one-player machine was very complex for its day. Rock-ola was known for producing very high-quality machines with high-end furniture like finishes and nice castings. This machine was released in December and cost $44.50. The yellow football is reset each time the ball is lifted onto the shooter lane at the 50-yard mark. It’s Army vs. Navy as the ball is shot and yards are scored toward touchdowns (score 6 points automatically) or 3 points for a field goal. The single ball drains and is recycled to the shooter again while the football is reset via chain link mechanism. Another mechanism keeps track of how many balls were played during the game. An interesting game, to be sure, and shows how mechanical ingenuity could be harnessed in the early ’30s.
This game was one of the most advanced games of its day and introduced a pre-flipper device so one could manipulate the movement of the ball, whereas all games before this one were gravity fed. This was the Rock-ola company’s first attempt at a pinball machine and it’s rated in the top 12 games of its day. Mechanically complex, you get seven balls to try and complete the six ball drop holes, which spell out the word j-u-g-g-l-e. Scoring is automatic, as the balls gravity feed into a holding area to confirm your scoring pockets. No replays were made back in these days, but if you were skillful enough to complete the sequence, the location would pay you a reward for doing so. Sales of this game were surprisingly low, which makes this machine even rarer. The artwork is sensational for its day.
