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  • This game scores as the #10 most desirable game of the ’70s. It came out in August, designed by Ed Krynski and Allen Edwell with artwork by Gordon Morrison. Backbox animation is included in the game. A giant thermometer advances when drop targets are hit and by rolling over the rollovers. If the thermometer is advanced to the top, the special lights on the eject hole. A, B, C and D rollovers, if hit, advances the thermometer 5 advances. If a player completes all the letters, he gets 5,000 points in the eject hole. A double bonus feature is present also. All in all, a very fast-paced game. Artists, as a general rule, didn’t help design playfields. They were given the game mechanically more or less completed and had to invent the graphics and theme on their own.
  • This April release was produced in a quantity of 4,550 units. Wayne Neyens designed the machine with Roy Parker doing the artwork. The art theme of the machine is Playboy bunnies as the Playboy Corporation opened a big Playboy club in the Chicago area in 1960 which was a real hit. The object of the game is to light the bumpers spelling out “Slick Chick.” It’s a tough game to master. Each time the sequence is completed, a rollover lights on the play field to score 10 points. If you can complete all five roll-overs, the center gobble hole lights to score a replay. Four roll-overs on the side of the play field numbered one to four also score a replay if hit in sequence. Score is your other goal toward replays. I remember playing this game at the arcades and it was very hard to achieve a winning combination. It is considered one of Wayne Neyens’ best games and one of his favorites in the annals of pinball design.
  • TKO

    Look no further! If you’re searching for the rarest of the rare, here for your perusal is not one but two examples of this Gottlieb aberration. Supposedly only 125 were made of this game and most were sold overseas. Ed Krynski and Gordon Morison again teamed up to art and design the game. This game represents one of the last electromechanical “wedgehead” games ever built near the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s also a single-player game and one of the last. The object of the game is not really boxing in the true sense but hitting enough targets to advance the central advance display up to the top of the rack. This will ignite the special lights for a free game. The color-coordinated advance inserts on the play field correspond to the light-up features on the play field and, if you advance the light sequence accordingly, those features light up for the brief time the advance mechanism stays on that light. Score is the easiest way to win a replay.
  • This very collectible game of the ‘70s was another in a series of celebrity-themed tie-in games Bally found license to produce. 17,000 units were made, a sizable number for the day. A prototype speaking version of this game was made ahead of its time but failed to be marketed. The object of the game is to spell out the name KISS. If you complete four times, a super bonus is awarded. Do it again and a colossal bonus is awarded. A third time awards a replay and a ton of points…which can be doubled if the 2x value drop targets are completed. The A, B, C, and D targets also can award extra balls and specials. The left drop targets award the KISS line when completed. All in all, an exciting game with great graphics but no speech. Talking pinballs finally made the scene with the release of Gorgar (in the museum). Replays are also awarded by score or matching. Matching is the process by which the last two numbers of your score match the generated number produced by the game.
  • John Popodiuk designed this magical game with artwork penned by Linda Deal. 6,600 units were manufactured. This game is always in the top 10 machines in collectibility. The magic trunk is the centerpiece of the playfield. Its multifunctional sides rotate according to the storyline of the machine at the time. Eight illusions are to be collected in a typical game. This is one of four requirements needed to complete the grand finale stage of the game. Advancing the clock to midnight by shooting the right-side lane 12 times or hitting the captive ball completes this feature. Multiball must be made at the trunk to complete the third part of the puzzle. The last issue is completing the word “theater” by certain ramp shots. Grand finale is tough to achieve but a neat show awaits you. Vanish is another feature that makes a ball disappear when shot up the left-side ramp; the ball reappears when the right ramp is made.
  • This wide-body mouthful of a game incorporates not one talking head (like in the game “Funhouse”) but two…and they talk to each other during game play. Williams made around six wide-body machines such as this so as to incorporate more real estate space for playfield action and toys. They went by the moniker of the “Super Pin.” This machine was designed by Pat Lawlor and inked by John Youssi. 6,259 were made. In a nutshell, the object of this machine is to cross the US to achieve the ultimate jackpot round. Each time you hit Ted, the day of the week advances in front of him. When you reach Friday, it’s payday. This starts the three-ball multiball series. The jackpot is achieved when you shoot a ball into sleeping Ted’s mouth! Much mayhem, a vibrating motor, two plunger shots, and a lot of characters pop up to taunt you on your way across the country. Country singer Carlene Carter is the voice of Red.
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation is a widebody pinball game, designed by Steve Ritchie and released in November 1993 by Williams Electronics. It was part of WMS’ SuperPin series (see also The Twilight Zone and Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure), and was based on the TV series. It is the only pinball machine that features three separate highscore-lists. Apart from the regular highscore-list and the buy-in-list, it also features a reminiscence to The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot billionaires club. It is also the third pinball game overall based on the Star Trek franchise, following the 1979 pinball game by Bally, and the 1991 game by Data East (both based on the original series). Launch options When a new ball is launched into the plunger, the player is given one of five launch awards, which is selected when the ball is fired. Unless otherwise noted, the ball is launched through the spiral ramp and into the lock hole (above the pop bumpers). Another ball is popped from the left scoop and onto the left inlanes. Start Mission: Starts lit mission. Flipper Skill Shot: The player has to shoot the ball up the right ramp (the Beta Quadrant) for a random award. Launch Probe: The ball will be loaded into one of the two cannons, located on top of the slings. Shoot the lit target for a random award. If the player misses, Data will say, “The probe has discovered nothing, sir”. Light Lock / Light Holodeck: Lights the ball lock, and the ball gets locked for multiball. When this option is selected twice, “Light Lock” changes to “Light Holodeck”. Warp Factor: Starts the ball at Warp Factor 4. After the player reaches Warp 9, (depending on the ROM version), the award changes to Warp 9.1, up to 9.9 (the player has only a limited amount of time to make either the left circle or Delta ramp for each point), then changes to “Warp Factor 2″. The ball is sent to the pop bumpers. Scoring and Game Modes There are several ways to score points outside of the missions as well as unlocking certain game modes. The following modes are available: Explosive Millions – Shooting the Alpha Quadrant or Beta Quadrant ramps unlocks Explosive Millions. Shooting the same or opposite ramp awards 5 million points, followed by 10 million for another shot, which cumuliates by 10 million every shot. The player has ten seconds to hit the ramp to score or the mode ends. Bonus Multipliers – Hitting all three rollover lanes above the bumpers will increase the bonus multiplier for that ball. The first completion raises it to 2X, and subsequent steps raise it 2X at a time to a maximum of 10X. When the 8X is achieved, the Extra Ball light is lit in the “Start Mission” pocket. When the multiplier is maxed, completing the rollovers again awards 10 million, with the value increasing by 10 million every time afterward Holodeck – The player has two choices. Score 25 million points, or play the “video mode” shuttle cavern. If the player selects the video mode, the player has to go through the caverns in a shuttle, picking up 10 million point cards while avoiding mines and cavern walls. There is an extra ball card somewhere in the caverns, as well as artifact (see below). Reaching the Extra Ball is achieved by alternating Left, Left, Right, Right turns until cavern 7. Depending on how many Extra Balls have already been earned and the games Extra Ball probability configuration it may end up either an Extra Ball or a 10 million point card. Once an Extra Ball has been earned in the Holodeck all subsequent Holodeck runs will not award any Extra Balls, regardless of the path chosen. Collecting the artifact, clearing all caverns, or crashing into a mine or wall immediately ends the video mode scoring the points collected in the mode. A maximum score of 159 million points is possible for a flawless run. At the start of the Holodeck mode, pressing a flipper button along with pulling the launch trigger starts a “Riker’s Poker Night” video mode. Kickback – Shooting the three left yellow targets lights Kickback, which saves the ball from draining from the left outlane. If the game is in tournament mode this must initially be earned. Otherwise the game starts out with the Kickback lit. The Kickback can be recharged unlimited times by hitting the appropriate targets after it had been depleted. Shuttle Ramp – Each shot at the Beta Quadrant Ramp launches a shuttle which a certain number of launched shuttles can reward a player. Rewards could be Light Holodeck, Command Decision, or Extra Balls. Between the ramps are two small targets when hit, adds two times the shuttle to the counter.
  • 12,716 of these Mark Ritchie-designed games were produced in wide-body format. This machine has a lot of the action associated with the first three Indiana Jones adventures produced by Lucas and Spielberg and is rated in the top 10 machines of the ‘90s. Four multiball modes grace this machine as well as a ton of video clips designed by Brian Eddy. Twelve different scenes from the movies are represented. Completing these scenes awards a six-ball multiball sequence. A three-ball multiball sequence may be had by hitting the center drop targets and popping a ball into the drop hole behind them. The path of adventure is lit by hitting the letters in the word “adventure.” Doing so opens the path up the right ramp to the tilt-a-matic playfield in the upper left. The object here is to use the flipper buttons to guide the ball to glory.
  • Similar to Centipede, the object of the game is to destroy a millipede that advances downward from the top of the screen. The millipede travels horizontally until it either hits an obstacle or reaches the edge of the screen, after which it drops one row and reverses direction. Once it enters the player’s gray maneuvering area, it stays there and extra heads appear at intervals until both they and the millipede are destroyed. Shooting a body segment splits the millipede in two, with the rear portion sprouting its own head. A collision with any enemy costs the player one life. New enemies and gameplay elements are introduced in Millipede: Earwig: same as the scorpion in Centipede, making mushrooms poisonous so that the millipede will charge straight to the bottom of the screen after touching them. Bee: same as the flea in Centipede, dropping mushrooms in a vertical line and requiring two shots to kill. Spider: same behavior as in Centipede, bouncing irregularly across the player area and eating mushrooms. Multiple spiders can appear at the same time on higher levels. Inchworm: when hit, slows all enemies for a short period of time. Beetle: crawls around the player area for a while, then climbs up and leaves the screen, turning any mushrooms it touches into indestructible flowers. When hit, everything on the screen scrolls down one row. Dragonfly: drops mushrooms while zigzagging down, and can be destroyed with a single shot. Mosquito: bounces off the sides of the screen as it descends diagonally. When hit, everything on the screen scrolls up one row. DDT bomb (stationary): can be blown up with one shot, destroying all enemies and mushrooms within the blast radius. Whenever the mushrooms scroll down, a new bomb is added at the top of the screen. Up to four bombs can be in play at one time. The player scores points for shooting the bomb itself, as well as increased values for any enemies destroyed in the blast. All flowers and poisoned/partially destroyed mushrooms revert to normal, whole mushrooms and score points during the process when the player loses a life. At regular intervals during the game, the player will face a swarm of enemies (bees, dragonflies, etc.) instead of the usual millipede. Each enemy destroyed awards increasing points, up to a maximum of 1,000 points per enemy; this attack ends when either the entire swarm has passed or the player loses a life. Also, at intervals new mushrooms will grow on the field while others die off, in a pattern similar to Conway’s Game of Life. Players can also choose at the start of the game whether to play at an advanced level, starting with a score that is a multiple of the number of points needed to earn an extra life (by default, 15,000). The gameplay is generally much more advanced than it would be had the player started with a score of 0 and worked their way up to that point level. The maximum advanced level allowed is a function of the preceding player’s score, and games started at an advanced level where the player did not earn at least one extra life are not eligible for the high scoreboard.
  • This game is considered to be the #3 game of the ’70s. It was released in June, designed by Greg Kmiec and art by Dave Christiansen. It had a production run of 16,200 units, a record to that date for production by Bally. The game has a rock star tie in the form of Elton John, who was at his peak back then. The movie “Tommy” was also an influence for the game’s graphics. The triple flipper arrangement of the game made for fast action on the playfield. A bonus feature is present, a 5-bank drop target that when hit, advances through extra ball and then special. A free ball gate, when activated, extends the ball’s life. This game is one of the last most collectible electromechanical-era games produced. It was the complementary game to Bally’s Wizard pinball which, again, found its theme based on the “Tommy” movie by The Who. Celebrity tie-ins were found to be big sellers.
  • In this, the first proper sequel to Namco’s legendary pill-eating maze game, players must once again run around a number of mazes, eating all of the pills that are scattered throughout. The ever-present ghosts (Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Sue) return to hamper the player’s progress. The infamous “power pills” are also present and correct, with four appearing in each maze. Namco introduced a number of changes and enhancements over the original game. The first difference is in the main character. For the first time in video-game history, the game’s lead character was female. Ms. Pac-man is almost identical to the original character with two main differences: she wears a bow in her “hair” and is also wearing lipstick. Another change from the original is that the bonus fruit items are no longer static but now move randomly around the mazes. Ms. Pac-man features four different maze layouts, which alternate every two to four screens: the first maze is only encountered in rounds 1 and 2 and has 220 dots and four power pills. There are two sets of tunnels in this maze equidistant from the center of the maze. You must clear this maze twice before moving on to the next maze. The second maze is only encountered in rounds 3, 4, and 5, and has 240 dots and four power pills. There are two sets of tunnels in this maze: one set in the lower half, and the other set at the very top. You must clear this maze three times before moving on to the next maze. The third maze is first encountered in round 6 and has 238 dots and four power pills. Unlike all other mazes, there is only one set of tunnels in this maze, slightly above the center of the board. You must clear this maze four times before moving on to the next maze. The fourth and final unique maze is first encountered in round 10 and has 234 dots and four power pills. There are two sets of tunnels in this maze, directly next to one another in the middle of the maze. The turns at the entrance to the tunnels change the usual immediate accessibility of the tunnels and should be taken into account. You must clear this maze four times before moving on to the next maze.
  • Frogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for worldwide distribution by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of hazards. Skillful players may obtain some bonuses along the way. The game is regarded as a classic from the golden age of video arcade games and was noted for its novel gameplay and theme. It was also an early example of a game using more than one CPU, as it used two Z80 processors. Frogger is still popular and versions can be found on many Internet game sites. By 2005, Frogger had sold 20 million copies worldwide, including 5 million in the United States. The player starts with three, five, or seven frogs (lives). The player guides a frog which starts at the bottom of the screen. The lower half of the screen contains a road with motor vehicles, which in various versions include cars, trucks, buses, dune buggies, bulldozers, vans, taxis, bicyclists, and/or motorcycles, speeding along it horizontally. The upper half of the screen consists of a river with logs, crocodiles, and turtles, all moving horizontally across the screen. The very top of the screen contains five “frog homes” which are the destinations for each frog. Every level is timed; the player must act quickly to finish each level before the time expires. The only player control is the joystick used to navigate the frog; each push in a direction causes the frog to hop once in that direction. On the bottom half of the screen, the player must successfully guide the frog between opposing lanes of trucks, cars, and other vehicles, to avoid becoming roadkill. The middle of the screen, after the road, contains a median where the player must prepare to navigate the river. By jumping on swiftly moving logs and the backs of turtles, the player can guide his or her frog safely to one of the empty lilypads. The player must avoid crocodiles, snakes, and otters in the river, but may catch bugs or escort a lady frog for bonuses. When all five frogs are directed home, the game progresses to the next, harder level. After five levels, the game gets briefly easier yet again gets progressively harder to the next fifth level. There are many different ways to lose a life in this game (illustrated by a “skull and crossbones” symbol where the frog was), including: 1.Being hit by a road vehicle 2.Jumping into the river’s water 3.Running into snakes, otters or into a crocodile’s jaws in the river 4.Jumping into a home invaded by a crocodile 5.Staying on top of a diving turtle until it has completely submerged 6.Riding a log, crocodile, or turtle off the side of the screen 7.Jumping into a home already occupied by a frog 8.Jumping into the side of a home or the bush 9.Running out of time before getting a frog home Frogger is available as a standard upright or cocktail cabinet. The controls consist solely of a 4-direction joystick used to guide the frog’s jump direction. The number of simultaneous players is one, and the game has a maximum of two players. The game’s opening tune is the first verse of a Japanese children’s song called Inu No Omawarisan (The Dog Policeman). The song remained intact in the US release. Other Japanese tunes that are played during gameplay include the themes to the anime Hana no Ko Lunlun and Araiguma Rascal.
  • Centipede is a vertically oriented shoot ‘em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1981. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also one of the first arcade coin-operated games to have a significant female player base, after Pac-Man. The player defends against centipedes, spiders, scorpions and fleas, completing a round after eliminating the centipede that winds down the playing field. The player is represented by a small, “somewhat humanoid head” at the bottom of the screen. The player moves the character about the bottom area of the screen with a trackball and fires laser shots at a centipede advancing from the top of the screen down through a field of mushrooms. Shooting any section of the centipede creates a mushroom; shooting one of the middle segments splits the centipede into two pieces at that point. Each piece then continues independently on its way down the board, with the first section of the rear piece becoming a new head. If the head is destroyed, the section behind it becomes the next head. The centipede starts at the top of the screen, traveling either left or right. When it hits a mushroom or the edge of the screen, it drops one level and switches direction. Thus, more mushrooms on the screen cause the centipede to descend more rapidly. The player can destroy mushrooms by shooting them, but each takes four hits to destroy. If the centipede reaches the bottom of the screen, it moves back and forth within the player area and one-segment “head” centipedes are periodically added. This continues until the player has eliminated both the original centipede and all heads. When all the centipede’s segments are destroyed, a new centipede forms at the top of the screen. Every time a centipede is eliminated, however, the next one is one segment shorter and is accompanied by one additional, fast-moving “head” centipede. A player loses a life when hit by a centipede or another enemy, such as a spider or a flea. The flea leaves mushrooms behind when fewer than five are in the player area, though the number required increases with level of difficulty. Spiders move across the player area in a zig-zag fashion and occasionally eat some of the mushrooms. Scorpions poison every mushroom they touch, but these never appear in the player’s movement region. A centipede touching a poisoned mushroom hurtles straight toward the player’s area. Upon reaching the player’s area, the centipede returns to normal behavior.
  • Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari, Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. It is considered one of the most notable games from the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games. The plot of Missile Command is simple: the player’s six cities are being attacked by an endless hail of ballistic missiles, some of them even splitting like multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), and in later levels smart bombs which can evade a less than perfectly targeted missile. As a regional commander of three anti-missile batteries, the player must defend six cities in their zone from being destroyed. The game is played by moving a crosshair across the sky background via a trackball and pressing one of three buttons to launch a counter-missile from the appropriate battery. Counter-missiles explode upon reaching the crosshair, leaving a fireball that persists for several seconds and destroys any enemy missiles that enter it. There are three batteries, each with ten missiles; a missile battery becomes useless when all its missiles are fired, or if the battery is destroyed by enemy fire. The missiles of the central battery fly to their targets at much greater speed; only these missiles can effectively kill a smart bomb at a distance. The game is staged as a series of levels of increasing difficulty; each level contains a set number of incoming enemy weapons. The weapons attack the six cities, as well as the missile batteries; being struck by an enemy weapon results in destruction of the city or missile battery. Enemy weapons are only able to destroy 3 cities during one level. A level ends if all the cities are destroyed, or when all enemy weaponry is destroyed or reaches its target. A player who runs out of missiles no longer has control over the remainder of the level. At the conclusion of a level, the player receives bonus points for any remaining cities or unused missiles. Between levels missile batteries are rebuilt and replenished; destroyed cities are rebuilt only at set point levels (usually 10 or 12K). The game inevitably ends when all six cities have been wiped out. Like most early arcade games, there is no way to “win” the game; the game just keeps going with ever faster and more prolific incoming missiles. The game, then, is just a contest in seeing how long the player can survive. On conclusion of the game, the screen displays “The End”, perhaps a poke at oncoming Nuclear Holocaust rather than the standard “Game Over” text (however, if the player is able to make the high score list, the game then prompts the player to enter his/her initials, with the “The End” sequence skipped). The game features an interesting bug: once a score of 810,000 is reached, a large number of cities are awarded (176 cities plus the continuing accrual of bonus cities) and it is possible to carry on playing for several hours. At some later stage the speed of missiles increases greatly for a few screens. On the 255th and 256th yellow screens, known as the 0x stages, the scoring increases by 256 times the base value. For good players these two 0x stages could earn over a million points. This enabled them to reach a score of approximately 2,800,000 (although only 6 digit scores were shown, so it would display 800,000) and at this point the accelerated rate would suddenly cease and the game would restart at its original (slow) speed and return to the first stage, but with the score and any saved cities retained. In this way it was possible to play this game for hours on end. Targeting crosshair: Aim your missiles quickly but carefully. Use the trackball to move the targeting crosshair to where you want the next missile to go, then press any Launch Control button to fire the missile. The missile will explode where the crosshair was positioned when the Launch Control button was pressed. Cities: There are six cities in total on the screen at one time, three on either side of the Delta Base. If one enemy missile or Smart Bomb manages to strike a city, that city will be wiped out. When all cities are destroyed, the game is over. Alpha Base: The missile base on the left side of the screen. Press the leftmost Launch Control button to launch an ABM from the Alpha Base. Delta Base: The missile base in the center of the screen. Press the middle Launch Control button to launch an ABM from the Delta Base. Omega Base: The missile base on the right side of the screen. Press the rightmost Launch Control button to launch an ABM from the Omega Base. NOTE: The Alpha and Omega Bases launch ABMs at a slower speed than the Delta Base, so you must plan further ahead when launching missiles from those bases. Defensive Missiles : The ABMs you launch to protect your cities. Each missile base contains 10 ABMs per wave. If any missile base is struck by an attack missile or smart bomb, the remaining stock of missiles for that wave are destroyed, and the missile base is rendered useless until the next wave. You receive bonus points for every ABM you have remaining at the end of each wave. Attack Missiles : Their only aim is to destroy your cities and missile bases. Every missile wave starts off with a hailstorm of attack missiles. They never deviate from their path. They may, however, turn into MIRVs. MIRV : Surprise! There is no warning when an attack missile turns into an MIRV (with multiple warheads). Think fast. Each new missile that the MIRV unleashes is carefully targeted. Killer Satellite: A mean-looking satellite that travels across the sky at a mid-level altitude and fires attack missiles. First appears in Wave 2. Bomber: A big slow-moving target that flies across the sky at a mid-level altitude, but watch out! It fires attack missiles. First appears in Wave 2. WARNING: If you destory a bomber or killer satellite before they deploy their missiles, you may see their missiles added to the downpour. An existing missile may also turn into an MIRV. Smart Bomb: Smart enough to avoid most explosion clouds from your ABMs. Your ABM must explode next to one in order to destroy it. You can also squeen it between two explosions to destroy it. First appears in Wave 5. ‘LOW’ Warning: As soon as there are only three ABMs left in a missile base, the game displays the word “LOW” underneath that base, and a warning signal sounds. Heed the warning.
  • This game was a breakthru game. It is the first-ever talking pinball machine. Games of this era had synthesized sound, but this game spoke. The speech wasn’t very clear or very wordy, as memory chips of this era couldn’t hold too much information compared to today’s games, but it was a sensation for Williams. The production run for the game was 14,000 units. It was designed by Barry Oursler with art by Constantino Mitchell. The top three rollover lanes would, if completed give up two, then three times bonus. The snake pit in the upper-left playfield has a magnet under it, which captures the ball for bonuses and Gorgar’s chance to use his seven-word vocabulary. Spelling out the word “Gorgar” makes the monster say his name and increases bonus values. This game also incorporates the background noise made famous in the Williams game Flash (in the museum). This time the background sound is of a heartbeat. It gets faster and faster as you advance.
  • Yet another legendary, genre-defining game – in an era replete with genre-defining classics - in which a single player takes control of a ship trapped in the middle of an asteroid field. A number of large, slow-moving asteroids drift randomly around the play area and must be shot by the player. When shot, the asteroids will break into a number of smaller pieces, which must also be shot until, eventually, all of the asteroids and fragments will be destroyed and the next wave begins. Asteroids introduced real-world physics to video games for the first time, with speed and inertia all adding to the player’s problems. As well as the inertia of the player’s ship – forcing the player to allow for the ship slowing down and speeding up whenever the thrust button was utilized – shot asteroids would often send fragments flying in seemingly random directions, and at varying and unpredictable speeds. As well as the ever-present asteroids, alien saucers also make a regular appearance. These move diagonally around the screen, firing at the player’s ship and must be quickly destroyed.
  • This roll-up game is a classic which originated in 1909 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the first redemption games ever made, with tickets being awarded as higher and higher scores are achieved. Batteries of these machines were a common staple on every boardwalk down the Jersey Shore. Nowadays, the game is still being made and is popular for all ages. The newest twist with the popularity of these machines is the formation of leagues which, like bowling, compete for trophies and bragging rights. Players go by the name of Ski-diddies, and a recent competition was televised on ESPN . These games are relatively easy to cheat on, by dropping balls in the high-scoring holes. That’s why the nets were incorporated into the design of more contemporary machines to limit this activity.
  • Mata Hari was released in April of the year and designed by Jim Patla with artwork accolades going to Dave Christiansen. 16,200 of these machines were produced in the new solid-state format (as seen in the museum) as well as bunch of electromechanical machines (170, to be exact) to keep the non-computer savvy operators happy and buying machines they knew how to fix. This machine before you is one of the finest examples of this ultra-rare mechanical format. Like the solid-state version, the center kickout hole scores 3,000 points and each successful shot in the hole advances the bonus multiplier. The A and B skill shots advance the horizontal sequence of increasing values in the center of the playfield. 50,000 points are awarded when a battery of drop targets is hit. If both batteries are knocked down, the drop targets reset and hitting all again awards the replay. Score is another replay option.
  • This massive baseball “pitch and bat” game is considered one of the best baseball games of its era. One or two players could play this behemoth at once, with each player alternating for three innings of play for a nickel or dime. The pitcher may randomly press one of three pitch buttons to pick a weak-to-strong pitch to the batter. The open play field allows one to try and score a home run in one of three bleachers. If you can achieve getting a homer in all three bleachers during your three outs, 30 extra runs are awarded. Then, of course, the ultimate tag of the ball would land the ball in the super home run hole, a rare achievement. This would also award 30 extra runs. Another unique feature of United baseball machines is the scoring of three singles if the ball drops in front of the ramps. These games are also notorious for having a slew of “out” holes. Batter up!
  • This electromechanical two-player game was designed by Steve Kordek. The game reminds one of an older game, as an animated golfer is on board that you aim to hopefully sink a ball in the appropriate hole. The nine scattered holes are tough to sink, especially the back ones. The lower your score in strokes, the better with this game (no handicap is given). Free games may be awarded set by the operator for low-stroke counts after completing so many holes. A neat and rare game.
  • This classic game is currently rated as the number two game of its generation. 4,650 units were produced in April of the year with design credits going to Roy Parker for artwork and Wayne Neyens for design. The game was produced to coincide with the New York World’s Fair of 1964-1965. The 11 ferris wheel cars depicted on the backglass are represented on the play field by roll overs and targets. Hitting a numbered car lights the corresponding backglass car. The interesting gadget developed for this game is the center spinning disc (i.e. ferris wheel) in the middle of the game. By spinning the disc, one randomly spots a ferris wheel car on the backglass. Completing all the cars awards a replay and the randomly advancing lighting of a rollover which, if you’re skilled enough, would award a replay if hit. Score is another way to conquer the machine. Enjoy trying your hand at this classic machine.
  • The last game of ’65 is a two-player add-a-ball game. It was designed by Ed Krynski with art by Roy Parker. A replay model also exists by the name of Paradise. Production run was a meager 265 units; the replay game had 2,100 units fabricated. The animated backglass on this game contains a dancing hula girl. When extra balls are won, they are represented as beach balls on the backglass. If you complete the sequence A, B, C, and D in that order, a free ball is your reward. Roto lights advance and indicate the value of the kickout holes. Points set by the operator award free balls also. An interesting guide rail is on either side of the flipper drains, a variation on a theme. This game is very rare due to its low production numbers.
  • Gottlieb Subway arrived in October ’66. It was designed by the classic team of Ed Krynski and art by Gordon Morison. This add-a-ball version of the game closely resembled the replay version by the name of Crosstown. This wedgehead Gottlieb has an animated backglass. Every time 100 points are scored, the door of the subway opens, revealing passengers jammed together in a comical pose. The center target is where all the action is in the game. If you happened to match the two columns horizontally by advancing the columns by hitting various spots on the game and hit the center target, the award indicated would be given. Otherwise 10 points were awarded. This game was a tough game to play, as the opening between the flippers was rather large and a hit to the center target would regularly cost you a lost ball.