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Collection de flippers de znet
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24 flippers |
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mis à jour le: 08/03/2024 |
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| 25 membres dans le réseau de znet montrer
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| nom du flipper | DB | fabricant | État | à vendre? | notes | photos |
| ARMY AND NAVY |
 | Rock-ola (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | Original 1934/35 Rockola Army & Navy. Wow! It took me many years (decades actually) to find this gem. This game is ingenious. For us prewar pinball enthusiasts, we tend to line up the tifecta Rockola games in a line. . .World Series, Jigsaw and Army Navy. The challenge is, after getting hooked on the more common World Series, finding the much less common Jigsaw and then searching for the utterly scarce Army Navy. I've heard that there are only about a dozen or so Army Navy machines known to exist. As seen in the photos, this is the brown-top version, which I prefer over the gold-top version. The latter has a gold-painted playfield and some minor variation of the graphics and/or pin placement. The brown-top version shows the attractive woodgrain and also matches its sister games, Jigsaw and World Series. In reality, any collector would be thrilled to own either version and I'm glad to have secured one. My understanding is that Rockola introduced the gold-painted playfield in a failed attempt to reduce dust, which Rockola feared could interfere with the football transport mechanism. The paint did nothing to affect the mechanicals, which actually work just fine. Perhaps there were some reported problems back in the 1930s on location. In any event, this example still has well-preserved original paint on the cabinet, original legs and all-original castings and components. The only reproduction items are the marquee, score card, main scoring reel paper (and the original leg plates have been freshly nickel-plated). The ball-in-play reel paper and the "catcher scoop" designations are original. I consider Army Navy to be a two-player game. Each player selects a team and shoots for his/her respective touchdowns and field goals. Speaking of field goals, that's the most ingenious feature. When the ball is within 40 yards of the goal line, if the player lands a ball in the corresponding field goal hole, the ball advances 40 yards as the diverter simultaneously diverts the ball to the inner hole, where it scores 3 points, instead of 6 points (perimeter holes each score 6 points). Also, the top center hole sends the ball in a mystery direction 60 yards. . .well, it's a mystery until the elevated yellow football begins to advance either east or west. When the player lands the ball in either cast metal "catcher, " the designated team's football advances 60 yards and the team designation flips to the opposite team. The most remarkable design feature is perhaps the mechanicals which cause the yellow football to kick back up from underneath the playfield to the elevated entrance. You would swear that this purely mechanical game has some form of electrical current propelling that ball. Yet, it's all springs and pulleys. David Rockola put all of his magic into Army Navy (or is it really Army & Navy?), which is why it will likely remain the most sought-after of virtually all prewar games. Of course, dry cell batteries were implemented in games by other prewar manufacturers at this time, making Army Navy an oddity, lagging behind state-of-the-art technology, arguably. Perhaps that's what makes Army Navy so compelling. Its primitive, purely mechanical technology manages to replicate the game of football better than any electrified game of the era (or any future era, for that matter). For example, view the Genco Gridiron in my collection. It's an electrically-powered game, originally powered by dry cell batteries. Sure, it's fun to land balls in the 3 kicker chutes on Gridiron and doing so mimics the kicking element of football. But, Gridiron is a single-player game with the standard objective to land balls in high-scoring holes. In contrast, Army Navy replicates the actual game of football, both the touchdown and the field goal elements. . .and successfully does so absent electrical power. In my opinion, that's what makes this game so endearing to collectors. |
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| ASTEROID ANNIE AND THE ALIENS |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1980 early solid state game with mind-bending Gordon Morison art package. Reminds me of Morison's work on Gottlieb Strange World, 2 years earlier. Many enthusiasts compare the art to the famous Star Wars bar scene. Asteroid Annie is the precursor to Big Bang Bar, arguably, in terms of art. Gameplay is straightforward, with good vectors and pleasing sound effects. New repro backglass and Pascal board. Only 211 made, making Annie a rare bird. |
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| BASKETBALL |
| Chicago Coin (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1961 Chicago Coin Pro Basketball. This example has been carefully restored to mimic the original cabinet paint. That paint finish has subtle water mark speckling. Restorers always seem to overlook that fact, opting to shortcut the repainting process, I suppose. The molding and other trim have also been restored true to the original. What makes Pro Basketball so much fun is the variable scoring feature. That feature challenges the player's timing to maximize scoring. The game's mid-century design is unique among the basketball genre, with the exception of Sega's Basketball. My previous line-up has included Genco's 2 Player Basketball (super version), CCM's Basketball Champ, Sega Basketball and Exidy Old Time Basketball. Thus, this Pro Basketball acquisition represents the last basketball game which remained on my wishlist. I'm glad to have her in my collection. |
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| BLUE NOTE |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | I'm very pleased to add Blue Note to my collection. John Osborne designs are among my favorites and this game is worth the do re mi. This example is simply remarkable. The play-meter tally was just above 19, 000 when it arrived in my collection on 8/5/15. Only 229 Blue Notes were manufactured. I've only seen a handful. This one is the only example I've seen which escaped playfield paint loss near the eject hole. The rotating on-playfield special is a blast. I particularly like the askew positioning of the flippers. Like John Osborne's Strange World, the gameplay belies the elementary and sparse layout. The spinners are tremendous fun. Note: Rock Star is the add-a-ball version, although Blue Note (the replay version) does allow the player to earn free balls by lighting the eject hole. |
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| BOND |
| Stern (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | Stern James Bond LE released on 9/22/2022----1, 000 limited editios. Delivered on December22nd, game #017. What's #017? A license to spill? This George Gomez design looks is an intriguing game, packed with Bond film assets and gadget-inspied mechanisms. The LE is based on Thunderball art, which is fantastic. The shot variety is great and the flow is excellent. The premium utilizes You Only Live Twice whereas the pro version is clad in Dr. No art. A 60th anniversary single-level, Keith Elwin designed Bond game, has yet to be revealed, although cabinet photos do exist on the internet and on Pinside threads. The LE edition MSRP is $13K USA plus tax and freight. . .but, hey, you only live twice (err, I mean once). ; ) |
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| DIXIELAND |
| Bally (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | Arguably, Dixieland is Ted Zale's best zipper flipper design, featuring a multiplicity of gates. The cabinet and playfield have both cleaned up very well. The coin door, legs and apron are all in nice original condition. Still need to polish the coin door, glass canopy and shooter rod. Game is functioning well. Satisfying vectors and good objectives in this fun title. Very nice BGresto repro backglass installed. |
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| EXPRESSWAY |
| Bally (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1971 Bally Expressway. Spectacular condition survivor with original cabinet, playfield and backglass. Among Ted Zale's best designs and the Christian Marche art is compelling. This example has the later, more interesting backglass coloring, which differs from the flyer. A unique feature of Expressway is landing the ball in the left kick-out. Doing so, propels the ball clear across the entire upper playfield where the ball enters the right kick-out hole, scores the bonus, and kicks the ball to the flippers. Now, that's a clever representation of driving on an expressway, for sure. When light for special, a free game is awarded. It's one of the most satisfying shots in EM pinball, in my view. Indeed, the ruleset of this game is perfect. |
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| FIRECRACKER |
| Bally (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | Firecracker and Skyrocket are the 2 titles designed by Harry Williams for Bally. My project game is the seldom-seen USA version. Like Skyrocket, Firecracker sports some unusual and pleasing features. The firecracker spinner is particularly noteworthy as is the attendant firecracker audio. The game's features also include a left drain lane kick-back save, free ball gate with bonus, earned extra ball via stand-up target and firecracker random selection, as well as an up-post between flippers. A couple of chipped plastics (to be replaced) and some minor playfield paint loss here and there. . .not too bad. Removing the pop bumper playfield protectors revealed the most significant degradation. I always use the blow dryer removal method and add freeze spray, if required. Restoring the art in that area was challenging because the color match needs to be near-perfect. Overall, I am satisfied with the playfield restoration. In person, the touch-ups are rather muted whereas photos enhance them. I will replace the yellow bumper caps with correct red ones. Apron and arch are in very good condition and cleaned up well. I have repainted the coin door. Both flippers were badly damaged and were replaced. A dazzling repro backglass has arrired and is installed. The cabinet graphics look good and have been cleaned. Missing legs, rear door and rear door channel have all been acquired, all originals. The backbox was missing the head's top trim. Fortunately, a fellow collector has furnished me with a replacement, which I painted and installed. Thanks to a Bally EM-collector friend, the head was reunited with the cabinet, separated by hundreds of miles. |
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| FLYING TURNS |
| Midway (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | This is the second time I've had a 1964 Flying Turns in my line-up. With only 475 made, this title scarcely comes up for sale. Its cousins: Race Way (678 made), Champ (has lap per ball counter, virtually identical to Race Way) and Winner (pitch & bat version) are also low-production iterations of this game. Flying Turns features a free-ball feature, better playfield layout, upper kick-out holes, upper lateral rollover lanes and other notable improvements over the other Midway animated race car backbox games. The most significant improvement of Flying Turns is its turret shooter device, which allows the player to aim the launched ball. The George Molentin art on Flying Turns is a stunning asymmetrical visual delight. Race Way and Champ share the same symmetrical playfield art with each other, which is nice, but pales in comparison to Molentin's masterpiece with Flying Turns. This example is in really nice original condition. The playfield, backglass and cabinet are exceptionally nice. The coin door and legs, like the cabinet, sport original paint. The plate below the flippers will be returned to its original light blue color. A prior owner painted it red. The lockdown bar and instruction card are original. Even the original coin box is present. She required considerable mechanical work to bring her back to life. But, this game now functions beautifully. The backglasses on most Flying Turns examples are typically degraded. The repro available in the marketplace possesses inferior detail and color. A repro translite wedged between glass is also available as a last resort. |
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| GRAND NATIONAL |
| Sega (Japan) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | Sega's Grand National is a novel and extraordinary steeplechase EM arcade game (circa 1972). I have a video demonstration of the gameplay posted on vimeo. The player controls the race horse, whose legs retract and extend repeatedly in a gallop as the canvas track pulls along new obstacles. The canvas track moves on a chain-driven belt, simulating forward movement of the race horse. An audio element includes an equine bugle call at the start of the race and a galloping sound as your race horse trots down the course. The horse automatically moves laterally via a rod, back and forth throughout this unusual game. The player must time his/her jump by pressing and holding a control button, in order to successfully leap over the obstacle, without kicking down the gate or wall. The gates and walls actually fall down, when kicked. Challenging——not too easy, not too hard. . .you know the “just one more game” feeling of a well-designed game. Successful jumps score the posted score and a bell rings multiple times as well to punctuate the score-reel scoring. Some steeplechases are double rows, which award higher value scores. When the horse jumps, the legs retract as the horse becomes airborne. There's a small solenoid which activates for the double steeplechases, causing the horse's legs to extend farther out. In the video, this solenoid is not operating, making those double jumps more difficult. Grand National is very difficult to find for sale. Consequently, this fun and unique game tends to fetch some serious dough. The game also enjoys crossover collector appeal inasmuch as horse lovers and derby fans flock to this game. |
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| HURDLES |
| autre (voient les notes) | Monté, jouable | Oui!
contactez-moi | Van-Scho Corporation manufactured Hurdles, a purely mechanical game released in 1934. Van-Scho was among the many Chicago, IL area fledgling enterprises in the 1930s attempting to cash in on the new and exciting pinball machine industry. Van-Scho made only 2 titles before closing its doors. Hurdles is designed to mimic the track & field sport. It does so by inviting the player to land balls in 6 trap holes. Once trapped, the player seeks to land a ball into any of the 3 "hurdle holes" at the top. Doing so activates an extraordinary 3 section mechanical chime (made by J.C. Deagan Inc. of Chicago) and also releases all trapped balls. The trapped balls are released into the visible surface channel, disappear into a hole and return to visibility in the casting at the bottom of the playfield, where each ball's score is doubled. That chromium plated casting contains 3 compartments, displaying balls scoring 20, 200 and 2, 000 points. The game also features a beautiful ornate casting shooter gauge housing. Two innovative features are an extraordinary ball lift mechanism which is integrated into the shooter rod and a subterranean anti-tilt contraption which uses a flag to alert the merchant to a tilted machine. This game is particularly exciting to me. I ran track in high school and at Brandeis University (near Harvard, featured in the playfield art). I suspect that this bird is as rare as hen's teeth. I'm very pleased to acquire it for my line-up. I plan to strip off the red paint and restore the cabinet to its original, natural wood finish. Runners----on your mark, get set, go. . . |
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| LEAGUE |
| Keeney (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1940s Deluxe Texas Leaguer in great, original condition. This example came with the original stand. In addition to the playfield lights, the deluxe version has slightly different playfield graphics. The lights are important. . .not merely ambiance. . .the illumination is needed. I've seen a couple regular versions (called simply Texas Leaguer) retrofitted with lights. The bat is manually engaged by depressing the pistol's trigger. Hits are registered in a trough, with point values denoted. This is the most kinetic pitch & bat I've ever played. The clanking sound of the metal bleachers is addictive. Those bleachers are suspended metal sheets, causing a decisive and pleasing, primitive clank when struck by a flying ball. The gameplay is more challenging than it appears. Timing the swing, plus the force of the bat's swing, must be carefully modulated to land the ball in the most valuable home-run bleachers. A perfect shot scores 5 runs. This objective is very difficult. The 4 run bleacher shot is also difficult. In an 18 ball game, I typically achieve no more than one or two 4 pointers and I've played the game hundreds of times. The topper, as depicted, is my own creation, not original to the game. The small footprint is nice. Terrific fun, which is a favorite of the youth (and old "youths" like me as well). |
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| MOTO CHAMP |
| Sega (Japan) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1973 Sega Moto Champ. This motorcycle racing game is ingenious. If you search "Sega Moto Champ" on youtube, you'll find Kevin Keinert's excellent demonstration of this fantastic game, including a view of the game's mechanisms. The track is a stationary. However, a clever design, consisting of a rotating drum with illumination, projects the image of a roadway onto the track. That image is not shown in my photos because my photos were not taken during operation. Acceleration is simulated because the image's motion corresponds to the player's throttle movement. The accompanying sound of the engine acceleration translates into a convincing racing experience, even though the track itself is static. The opposing motorcycles do move in all directions. Magnets underneath the track cause those random movements. The player's motorcycle moves laterally, via the motorcycle handle. Also, an increased throttle pulls opposing motorcycles backwards, which also fuels the simulation of forward movement. Sega's 1972 Grand National Race is also shown in some of these photos. |
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| OLD CHICAGO |
| Bally (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | This example sports a "gangster decal" modification and illuminated flipper buttons. I suspect that John Dillinger would approve. Old Chicago has it all: 7 slingshot targets, 5 pop bumpers, 5 drop targets, 4 rollovers, 3 stand-up targets, 2 kick-out saucers, 2 flippers and a spinner. The spinner shot to the upper saucer is pinball nirvana. The playfield geometry is perfection; satisfying vectors abound. The playfield drain lane special alternates with the free ball drain lane. Drop targets can also yield a replay. Pop bumper lights and rollovers slso alternate. Bonus collection via the center saucer is the prime, but not the sole, objective. Great saves by the flippers, with those pop bumpers nearby. . .great fun , which rewards the skillful player. As if the bells and chime unit weren't sufficient, the game also features a buzzer when 100, 000 points are reached (and illuminated) on the stunning Dave Christensen backglass. This title is among the very best EMs. High production, making them relatively easy to find and reasonable in price. |
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| PULP FICTION LE |
| Chicago Gaming Co. (USA) | Démonté, à restaurer | Jamais | Pulp Fiction LE ordered. Raw Thrills release, manufactured by Chicago Gaming. |
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| QUEEN OF HEARTS |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | I feel very lucky to have acquired this wonderful, original Queen of Hearts. The gobble holes and the grid in the playfield's center are particularly well preserved. These areas are most prone to excessive wear on this title. Indeed, it is exceedingly difficult to find an example of this title which has escaped severe wear in the gobble hole and grid sections. The plastics and backglass are Shay reproductions. In fact, this game was previously in Shay's collection, acquired by my me via a trade. I installed original bumper skirts in varied colors to replace the worn out original white skirts. The marbelized bumper caps are original as are the flippers. The shooter gauge and red ball return flap are both original. Even the tray liner is original. The original cabinet paint is in great shape. Queen of Hearts is probably my all-time favorite Gottlieb woodrail. Designer Wayne Neyens once declared that it was his favorite design. There are so many different ways to win, including multiple replays. Ingenious. Roll-unders are an under appreciated feature, in my view. Who doesn't love a good game of poker? |
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| SKYROCKET |
| Bally (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1971 Skyrocket is only one of two Harry Williams designs produced by Bally. Too bad that only 545 were produced because it's a highly successful design. With its mesmerizing cascading light show, Skyrocket epitomizes the rhythmic energy that was the early seventies. This game has it all, e.g. extra ball when fireworks light is selected upon drain, ball shooter lane return gate, channel shot which opens a gated upper target to release the shooter lane return gate, up-post between flippers and a host of other features. Coupled with a one of Marche's best art packages and a perfect skill/luck balance, Skyrocket is among the best EMs ever made, of any era. |
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| SLUGGER |
| Midway (USA) | Monté, jouable | Ca dépend | This is my 2nd Midway Slugger. The original coin door is in remarkable condition, nearly mint. The playfield, cabinet and backglass are all in terrific original condition. Few enthusiasts seem to know much about Midway's Slugger. It's a real "under-the-radar" pitch & bat with a great array of features, e.g. 6 drop targets which disappear flat to the playfield, 9 fly-away targets, 2 ramps, 2 gobble holes, 4 slingshots, variable scoring when lit inserts, a variety of extra ball awards, ball count score reel, hit score reel, replay award. The player can score multiple targets with a single shot, sometimes as many as 4 different targets! This feature alone is extraordinary. The kickers are essentially foul ball accelerators, keeping the ball in play. As if all of these features isn't enough, the player can swing the bat multiple times, which comes in handy when those foul ball slingshot kickers direct the ball in the home plate region. All of this resides in an eye-catching dominant green art package. Also, the Midway games of this era are compact, consuming less floor space than many other pitch & bat games. The chrome apron and graphics thereon flanking the bat are prone to degradation as are the chrome controls on the lockdown bar. I recreated the white stripes on the chrome aprons. Also, the backglasses and cabinet paint are usually faded and flaked on this title. This one survived with relatively intact chrome/graphics, cabinet paint and an excellent backglass. I have had some great pitch & bats in my line-up, including, United Star Slugger, United Super Slugger, Williams Official Baseball, Williams Upper Deck and others. Midway Slugger may lack the legendary Harry Williams running man unit. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it is among the most successful pitch and bat games, a home run in the "just one more game" ballpark. |
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| STRANGE WORLD |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | I am very pleased to include this excellent, all original example of this attractive, low-production EM game in my collection. The backglass is flawless. The cabinet and playfield condition are very good. It's only the second game (Joker Poker, being the other) in my collection with the original owner's envelope, containing the original schematic, manual and a variety of score cards and coin door inserts. Who doesn't appreciate Gordon Morison's fantastic sic-fi art? I finally got around to touching up the playfield so I've updated the photos. This game is notorious for being susceptible to considerable wear in the grid graphic area and at the word "WHEN" near the kick-out hole. I debated about simply leaving the relatively minor wear spots alone. However, I opted to carefully execute the touch-ups. I really enjoy John Osborne designed games and Strange World may be his most successful design. Don't be fooled by Strange World's simple layout. The shots are challenging, especially the shallow ones, at the bottom of the playfield, where attempted flipper saves can easily cause bounces to the outlanes. Games with flipper returns seem too easy after playing Strange World. The objective is to light each of the four grid rows, by striking the stand-up targets, lane rollovers and one star rollover. Doing so lights the kick-out hole to earn a replay. Indeed, on Strange World you feel as though you've EARNED the replay (as opposed to having merely "won" it). Lighting the entire grid keeps the eject hole illuminated continuously. Lighting fewer rows causes the eject hole to illuminate until the target sequence advances to an unlit row. The primary strategic decision is whether to shoot for the lit eject hole or whether to seek to strike remaining targets to light more rows. Naturally, the player can win replays by virtue of a high score. I have a custom black ball for this game since it resembles the black eyeballs in the strange art on the left plastics. Besides, everything about this game is somewhat strange, especially that it's surprisingly so much fun, not in spite of its simplicity but precisely because of its simplicity. Ingenious. |
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| TKO |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Démonté, à restaurer | Oui!
contactez-moi | 1979 TKO was the last Gottlieb EM. Only 125 units were made. This example will be receiving a professionally repainted donor cabinet because the cabinet has corner splitting damage. The playfield and backglass are decent. A beautiful Shay repro backglass will be installed. This restoration is going to take considerable effort. I have played TKO at the New Jersey Silverball Museum and at a friend's house. It's fun. Update: the playfield has been cleaned and looks great. The cabinet repaint is underway by a cabinet painting expert (not me) and professional stencils are being utilized. A lucky buyer will be excited to add this gem to his line-up. . .tentatively sold. |
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| UNTOUCHABLE |
| autre (voient les notes) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | I’m excited to add a 1971 Kasco Untouchable to my line-up. Preliminarily, I have 2 videos posted on VIMEO demonstrating this cool game in action, which can be found easily with a Google search of "Kasco Untouchable arcade" or similar search terms. The first video demonstrates the gameplay. The second video shows the gangster car close up, after having repaired the "ducking feature" in which one gangster ducks whenever a shot is scored. This unusual EM arcade game evokes a Bonnie & Clyde sensibility. The player controls a treadmill belt with an accelerator pedal, while simultaneously steering a 1930s police car and shooting at gangsters. The steering wheel actually turns the police car's front wheels. The accelerator pedal increases the speed of the belt, which causes the front of the police car and the rear of the villain's car to become closer. The police car moves laterally and the car itself zig-zags. However, the police car does not move vertically. Instead, depressing the accelerator pedal causes the gangster car to move closer to the police car while simultaneously increasing the speed of the rotating belt. This effect gives the illusion of catching up to the gangsters. Also, it allows for a more accurate shot at the gangsters' car. Points are scored when the player’s shot, a front headlight beam, strikes a photoelectric cell on the rear of the villain’s escape car. Gun shot audio is produced by a tube amplifier when the trigger is squeezed. An 8-track tape creates great background sound to simulate the sounds of the chase itself. The gangsters shoot back at the police car, but for effect only. The green gangster floats laterally on a pivot from the movement of the gangster car (suspended on a bar and rigged with a spring) to mimic a body reflex, as if averting a bullet. Even better, when a shot successfully lands on the gangster car, the green gangster suddenly collapses to his right (the player's left) by way of an activated solenoid, as if struck by a bullet, or nearly struck, before returning to an upright position. My 2nd video demonstrates this "ducking effect, " which was not working at the time I filmed the 1st video. A light on the rear of the gangster car, below the green gangster, illuminates throughout the gameplay to represent gunfire flashes emanating from the gangster's pistol. Similarly, a light flashes near the front passenger's tire of the police car whenever the player fires a shot to simulate a gun flash from the policeman's pistol. The gameplay is timed, as tracked on the backglass. My Kasco Ninja Gun EM arcade has the same timer. I have some minor cabinet touching up to do. The stainless steel playfield frame could use some refinishing. The coin return chute chrome has been polished (photo #3 was taken before that refinishing). The waffle style aluminum front panel allows the large speaker to project sound. This example arrived free of any dents, which is remarkable in light of the game's age and its exposure to the traffic of patrons in its past. The gangster figures and cars are prone to breakage during transport. Fortunately, the figures and cars on this game escaped any major damage and the minor imperfections have been repaired. I know a couple of collectors with a Kasco Untouchable and those games required considerable car restoration, one of which was missing the police car altogether. I refinished the pistol in the original colors, whose paint was degraded. The backglass is lexan, which is why it held it color so well since 1974. The interior illuminated side panels are also lexan, sporting terrific art depicting a period Chicago city street. The rotating belt is imprinted with a cobblestone graphic, very clever. Note that the gangster's gunfire blast illuminates by way of a light on the rear of the gangster car, near the machine-gunning green gangster. All 3 images of the pistol "blasts" on the backglass light up during the game, highlighting the gun fight. Those lights flicker in attract mode, between games as well. Replays are awarded for a high score. The gameplay is extraordinary. I rank Kasco Untouchable as among the most ingenious EM arcade games ever created. Only Sega rivals Kasco in the design category in the EM arcade genre. Frankly, Kasco Untouchable is so scarce and expensive that I considered it an “untouchable” Holy Grail. I feel quite lucky to have acquired this one. |
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| WORLD'S FAIR JIG-SAW |
| Rock-ola (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | 1934 Rockola World's Fair Jigsaw. This is the later version cabinet, with a variety of the early version characteristics. For a list of differences in the 2 versions, please refer to my other narrative of this game under games previously in my line-up. This one is a stunning example of this game, particularly the playfield and brightly colored puzzle. Original cabinet paint, marquee, coin door and coin box. Repro legs. The nickel leg bolt shields are plated in chrome. I've owned a few of these Rockola Jigsaw games over the decades. I rebuilt this one so that the puzzle pieces flip smoothly, which makes the game tremendously fun to play. Indeed, this one works flawlessly. Most of these games have 1 or 2 puzzle pieces that defy 100% proper adjustment. For us prewar pinball enthusiasts, we tend to line up the tifecta Rockola games in a line. . .World's Series, Jigsaw and Army Navy. The challenge is, after getting hooked on the more common World Series, finding the much less common Jigsaw and then searching for the utterly scarce Army Navy. I've heard that there are only a couple dozen Army And Navy machines known to exist. Jigsaw is the most fun of the trifecta inasmuch as it challenges the player to land each shot in a different lane/hole. The reward is a beautiful aerial view of the world's fair. The "whoosh-flip" sound of the puzzle pieces is an intangible and ever-satisfying feature of Jigsaw. |
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| WORLD'S SERIES |
| Rock-ola (USA) | Monté, doit être réparé | Jamais | This is a scarce example of a transitional World's Series known as the "CHAMPION MODEL." This game is serial #38, the earliest known example of a World's Series. I know of only 2 other Champion model examples. The Champion model is a production model or perhaps a "test-production model." It retains certain prototype features which were altered or abandoned on the "regular" production models. The most obvious difference is the "Champion Model" lettering at the top of the playfield. The flag graphic on the prototype is thinner and the entire ribbon graphic is larger. The ribbon's green is a lighter shade than that of the production version. The cabinet is black, rather than the production greenish-pewter. The base font label and other fonts are different and the painted black background labeling each base is split on this model. The player at the top left is slightly higher so that his right shoe is covered by the ball return bumper plate, which is not the case on production games. The upper right player is likewise positioned higher. The error area has 2 additional pins whereas the ball/strike area has fewer pins. The main cast metal register which scores the "outs" has 2 separate entry structures. These uprights are integrated on the production model. There is also a center post above the register on this prototype model. The painted players are vibrant orange and lack visible suspenders (common on production models, although colors vary). The flag graphic on this model is orange as opposed to yellow and it's thinner. The production model adds outlines to the painted arrows in the center graphics and that graphic is yellow on the production model as opposed to orange on the Champion model. The Champion model has wire ball holders above bases as opposed to nylon. The Champion model has 3 pins flanking the "hit chute" whereas the regular production version has 5 pins in that location. This variation does not seem to affect the successful hit quotient. The randomizer gear is stamped metal and slotted on the Champion model as opposed to cast. The main gear is not slotted and instead uses a limiter bracket whereas the production model utilizes a slotted design. The "out" mechanism's bracket at the "out gear" differs as well. This game includes a tilt rod lock-out mechanism, not found on production models. The most curious variance is the large subterranean trough, which lacks the 2 bells of the production game and which orients the openings and bell tabs differently. My game has the openings closed off by a metal plate, which appears to be factory-made. It's riveted. . .quite a mystery. I'm not sure if the "out balls" would have aligned with the bell holes. The holes seem to be too forward. Perhaps that accounts for the design change. Also, there's a bracket on the trough, not present on production models. The playfield lacks 2 screws above the disc, found on production models. The ball lift cast is slightly different than production models. I have restored this cool historical piece. Very little is known about the enigmatic Champion Model! Compare these photos to the production model in my line-up. Perhaps you can discover other variations. Note the side-by-side photo of the Champion model mechanicals (right) vs. production model (left). |
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| WORLD'S SERIES |
| Rock-ola (USA) | Monté, jouable | Jamais | Rockola, circa 1934. All original, including original marquee frame and original cardboard marquee itself. Original coin door and coin box. Original legs and original nickel leg hardware art deco plates. Pristine playfield and bright chrome. Unmolested cabinet with original paint, original playfield scoring decal, original excise tax decal and original orange Rockola logo decal on front. Rare "How Many Runs Can You Make" original marquee. Mechanically perfect, collector-quality. I don't think that I've used the word "original" to describe any game more than this one. I guess that you can tell that I appreciate that such an old game has survived unmodified and intact. Enter the time machine and play this one. The year 1934 was one to remember for Rockola and for pinball nationwide. Rockola made an earlier version in a black cabinet with slightly different colors for the baseball player graphics, opting for orange, later replaced with gray. This game is the later version, with gun metal gray (slightly metallic pale blue-green in reality) cabinet and gray uniformed upper left baseball player graphic and darker uniformed lower right player's uniform. It's remarkable how David Rockola engineered this game to register strikes, balls, errors, hits and runs without the use of a dry cell battery. The rotating platter was employed on other prewar games. But, World's Series fully utilized the concept to achieve perfection. |
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| | | | Flippers que znet possédait dans les années passées
(les flippers suivants ne sont plus dans la Collection de znet)
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| | | | | nom du flipper | DB | fabricant | à vendre? | notes | photos |
| 2001 |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | 2001 is a fantastic drop-target title, perhaps the most successful drop-target design of them all, including the 3 inch flipper games. The whimsical sci-fi backglass features a corresponding illumination for each drop-target bank successfully dropped. Does any backglass "pull the player in" more than the faux 3D design of this one? Its add-a-ball counterpart, Dimension, also has a nice art package. The drop-targets on Dimension reset, unlike on 2001. However, because it's too easy to earn free balls on Dimension, 2001 is the superior game, in my opinion. There are plenty of gratifying objectives on 2001, once each drop target bank is achieved. 2001 has an unexpected geometry in which balls frequently bounce back up to the flippers after a drain, requiring the player's constant alertness. There's nothing more fun than a ball saved from what appears to have been lost through the flipper gap. I acquired this game on 4/23/16. The backglass and playfield are in very good condition. The cabinet was damaged and in need of love. I have restored the cabinet and touched up the original graphics, utilizing a time-consuming (but effective) blending process which produces a uniform sheen and which preserves the cabinet's natural patina. Most collectors would have repainted this cabinet. However, I'm an "originalist" so I gravitate heavily toward originality whenever possible. I decided to swap some of the plain white posts for colored posts, to mimic the drop target colors. I left the white posts on the slingshots and at the center target cluster. The mechanicals appear to be unmolested. The apron cleaned up well, after the removal of some uncooperative stickers. The playfield has cleaned up very nicely. This title (and Dimension) almost always have varying degrees of excessive wear (and often substantial paint loss) below each of the kick-out holes. Fortunately, this example had rather minimal wear in that area and virtually no wear elsewhere on the playfield. Only minor touch-up was needed for the kick-out hole wear. Because the playfield and backglass were both so nice, I was willing to expend the effort restoring the cabinet. I'm glad that I undertook this project because 2001 is an exceptionally well-balanced and addictive game. The photos depict the cabinet in its restored condition. |
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| 21 |
| Williams (USA) | Vendu | | Well, technically my family owned this game when I was a kid. The photo depicts me (yellow shirt) with my mother, circa 1969 or so. I sure wish that I had that game in my collection today. |
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| ATLANTIS |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Atlantis, in my opinion, has one of the most successful playfield designs in all of pinball. I rank it among the best wedgeheads and also among the best single-player drop target games. Also, I like the playfield's colorful artistic design. Nevertheless, I replaced the bland white posts with opaque blue, opaque green and opaque yellow ones (plus a hidden opaque red and opaque one). Also, I swapped 2 white rubbers for blue ones (bottom left and top right) and installed colored sleeves on all bulbs because I prefer the aesthetic effect of this colored post, muted colored lighting and colored rubber combination. To each his own, I suppose. I don't typically deviate from the original posts; but, this game seems to really benefit from the swap. The coin door has been replaced. New legs have been installed. All of the plastics are original, including the often-fractured right slingshot plastic with its extended fin. That fin is nearly always broken. There's a factory-drilled hole underneath the fin. As I recall, the prototype had a nail in that hole. The stationary and drop targets are original. The playfield inserts show almost no wear. The only visible wear spot appears above the right flipper. The aprons are in nice condition. The cabinet is in excellent shape, with just a few scuffs and a nice patina. I purchased this game based upon 2 very blurry photos and had it shipped so I was anxious about its condition. Overall, it has turned out to be a nice all-original example of this game. I rate the playfield, backglass and cabinet a solid 9. Gameplay is fast and the flippers are strong. Since about 2010, it has been tough to find this title with a good original backglass and a decent playfield, probably because the game was popular in its day. Many collectors buy the Wade Kraus repro playfield. Of course, doing so requires a cabinet repaint, new posts and a backglass repro to maintain uniformity of newness, in my opinion. As anyone viewing my collection can glean, I much prefer original cabinet graphics and the patina of age to my games. To that end, this example of Atlantis fits in well with my line-up. Atlantis is one of those very successful designs which keeps me coming back for another dive. |
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| BANK-A-BALL |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Extremely nice, all-original example of this fun game. Original cabinet paint is among the best I've ever seen. |
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| BANK-A-BALL |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | This is the rare 1950 game, as opposed to the 1965 game, which shares the same name. This project game had promising potential and is now functional! Love the turret shooter and the artwork. Whereas the 1950 and 1965 Bank-A-Ball games are wholly different, they both share Parker art. I sold my 1965 BAB and miss it, so I suppose that this was a subliminally inspired acquisition. Some of these turret shooter games are tremendous fun (e.g. Flying Turns). Repro plastics, including the repro turret shooter plastic have been installed. This title's plastics were particularly susceptible to melting, especially the large, upper plastic. The repro backglass looks good. The game has cleaned up well. The cabinet paint is original. The cabinet paint touch-ups thus far have improved the main cabinet's appearance and the head's graphics are largely intact. The mechanical restoration is complete and the game functions very nicely. In addition to my plan for more cabinet touch-ups, I plan to repaint the black border on the head, around the backglass. The gameplay is great on this title. The gameplay mimics the actual game of billiards, unlike other pool-based pinball games. Aiming the turret shooter to bank the ball in multiple vectors, or flipping the ball to do so is unlike any other pinball experience. Because it plays so differently than the other games in my collection, it's a good addition to the gameroom the line-up. |
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| BASEBALL |
| Genco (USA) | Vendu | | |
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| BASKETBALL |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | On 2/16/16, I'm very pleased to have added a 1966 Sega Basketball to my line-up. To me, this game epitomizes the Space Age sensibility. I posted a video on youtube in July 2017, demonstrating the gameplay. Surely the Jetsons had one in their gameroom. The restoration is nearly complete. While cleaning the game, I noticed that the etched graphic, on the stainless steel control panels, depicts Philadelphia 76er, Billy Cunningham (jersey #32). Japan-based Sega certainly did its research inasmuch as Cunningham was a premier player back in the day. As a resident of southern NJ, the representation of my local team only adds to my appreciation of this game. The former game owner must have had a problem replacing the relay switches under the baskets because he created a manual scoring mechanism by soldering buttons to the wires and feeding same through holes he cut into the dome on each side. Blasphemy! That's likely what caused the needless spider crack damage to the dome at both ends. In any event, I was able to remove the dried and hardened electrical tape residue and also eliminate the substantial fogginess in the canopy. Correct relays under the baskets have been installed to restore the original mechanism. The legs have been repainted. New lexan backboards have been fabricated for each side, as shown in one of the photos. Other tasks include adding the red #1 sticker to the playfield. After experimenting with several types of balls, I found one which functions well (and also resembles a real basketball). Now that the game has been polished, I can see that the game's cabinet and playfield condition are actually much better than originally anticipated. The formica is actually in excellent condition. Only minor imperfections existed, which I've ameliorated. Also, I've restored the paint on the etched graphics around the buttons, which I have not yet photographed. This game came with the original coin box, original manual and schematic. Common deficiencies with Sega Basketball games include fractured domes, broken backboards, chipped baskets, corroded button bezels, lifting/damaged/faded formica, misshapen or incorrectly repainted coin door, missing "Sega" serial number plate, missing maintenance prop, missing/damaged numerical stickers, missing coin box, missing ball. |
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| BASKETBALL CHAMP |
| Chicago Coin (USA) | Vendu | | Game Traded. Thank you to those who inquired. --1947 Chicago Coin Basketball Champ arcade. Collector quality. Classic. Freshly restored. Works perfectly. Includes original manual and coin box. The gorgeous golden-grained cabinet is complemented by the professionally air-brushed painted graphics. The graphics were meticulously recreated to create the slight air-brush overspray, original to this game. Unlike this air-brush painted cabinet, most restorations short-cut the repainting process by paint-brushing the graphics. Doing so is a disservice because the brush strokes detract from the aesthetics. Also, this curved glass is indeed glass. Many restorations replace the expensive curved glass with less costly Pexiglas. No expense was spared on this restoration. The cigarette holders are affixed with tape and can be easily repositioned or removed, if desired. I have a 1947 magazine ad, advertising Basketball Champ, which shows the cigarette holders in the horizontal position, even though most games I've seen in 30 years of collecting position them vertically. Tremendous fun. The game is located in Voorhees, New Jersey, 10 miles from Philadelphia and 90 miles from New York City. For sale or trade. Will be listing this game for sale publicly in late July 2015. Negotiable. |
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| BIG HIT |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | 1977 was a good year for designer, Ed Krynski, and artist, Gordon Morison. Bit Hit is emblematic of their talents. This game took a couple of months for delivery; but, it was well worth the wait. During that wait, this title became the wedgehead flavor-of-the-month. It seems as though collectors discovered this terrific game at the same time, causing a clamor to acquire one. This example has a nice original backglass, with only minor imperfections in the red "Big Hit" lettering, disguised by red-colored lighting. The playfield condition is about as good as it gets as are the original plastics. The legs, coin door, apron, lock-down bar and rails are all in nice shape. This example came with the original Gottlieb paperwork envelope with an assortment of score cards, schematics and misc. notices. I have an extra original schematic, if anyone is in need of one. The play meter is super low, in the 27K range, which is consistent with the game's sparkling internal condition. This game challenges the player with a large variety of shots. Batter up! |
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| BUCKAROO |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | SOLD. |
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| CHICAGO EXPRESS |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | 1934/35 Daval Chicago Express. I am excited to have acquired this prewar game, after a long search. I understand that two versions exist, one released in 1934 and an improved version in 1935. Also, the playfield coloration varies from game to game. One color pattern has a predominantly gold playfield with red highlights. Another has a blue playfield with gold highlights. My version is blue with orange highlights. Likewise, the "train logo" at the bottom seems to have been created in either gold or orange and perhaps other colors. Chicago Express is among the most sophisticated pinball machines of its era. Its use of habitrails and vertical up-kickers was revolutionary. An excellent video demonstration of the gameplay is available for viewing on the internet. An in-depth review is posted on the internet by the Sands Mechanical Museum. My game will require a replacement front door, which is missing, and other restoration efforts. The last photo shows the coin slide and plunger installed. Tweaking these two items is typically challenging because the margin for erroneous alignment is minimal. I had to glue the entire cabinet back together, resulting in such adjustments. Fortunately, the solenoid up-kicker hardware was present and has been re-installed. The next task is to install a power supply. More photos to be posted in the future. |
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| CONTINENTAL CAFE |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Arguably, I still "own" this game inasmuch as it remains in my collection as my home-grown Whoa Nellie Big Juicy Melons electromechanical conversion. Nevertheless, with the Continental Cafe' playfield hanging on my gameroom's wall, I've listed this game among my previously-owned machines. |
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| COSMOS |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1969 Bally Cosmos. Another great zipper flipper title from Ted Zale, with fantastic Jerry Kelley art package. The coin door has never been drilled. The game was in a home for many years before the family stored it in their garage, where it sat for years, until now. Cosmos features cool backglass animation and other appealing designs. Backglass looks to have survived almost entirely intact with bright colors. Most Cosmos games seem to need a new backglass. Plastics also survived. Only minimal wear on the playfield and original graphics remain on the cabinet. The original black Bally legs and coin door have been powder-coated. LEDs in the upper rollover and lower slingshots because those areas are otherwise too dark. I rarely utilize LEDs on an EM; however, the very limited LEDs improve the game's appearance on this title, in my opinion. This game cleaned up well. There's a clever skill shot from the plunger, requiring the ball to strike either of right or left rebound bumper for the purpose of increasing the center rollover's score. The backglass animation feature is extraordinary. Shooting the ball into the hidden kick-out hole in the upper left "blast off lane" of the playfield, after lighting one, two or three of the blast-off lights (accomplished by the striking the blue mushroom bumpers), holds your ball while an identical ball within the backglass itself rotates around the earth. Upon completion of that rotation, the player's ball is released, creating the illusion that the player's ball actually enters the backglass. This ingenious concept is enhanced even more by the existence of nine mini-rollover buttons on the lower playfield. Striking each of them awards a bonus when the blast-off feature is activated. The game also features a ball save gate returning the ball to the shooter lane, which can be activated (but which releases the zipper flippers, if closed). The geometry is very satisfying on Cosmos. Ball times can be long, short or anything in between, depending on the player's skill (and luck). I would describe the gameplay as a "blast"; however, doing so would be cliche'. |
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| COSMOS |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | I acquired a second Cosmos in the summer of 2019. It was a project with good bones, including a nice backglass. I restored this example's playfield cosmetically and functionally. However, I left the cabinet, legs and coin door restoration for the new owner. |
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| COUNT-DOWN |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | It took me awhile to find one with a good backglass. The playfield and cabinet condition are above average. Most importantly, the improved replacement circuit boards have been installed. The playfield looks great with colored light which correspond to the target row's color. If anyone knows where I can buy a few playfield plastics for Count-Down, please advise. Two of mine are damaged. Under-appreciated game, in my view. |
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| COW POKE |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Just arrived, 7/13/15 and now restored, one week later. The playfield condition is exceptional. The beautiful backglass is the original Plexiglas style, designed for the export market. Overall, the backglass is very good. The high score markings have been removed. There is a surface scratch in the animation window area. Upon closer inspection, I am very pleased with the backglass. The colors are vibrant. The game was in the same home since 1970. The mechanicals are quite clean. Among other items, new chrome lockdown bar end caps, legs, levelers, pop bumper caps, roto target and fan decals have been contributed toward this restoration. Graffiti has been successfully removed from the head. The original cabinet graphics are intact. I much prefer a decent original cabinet to a repainted one. To me, the repaints look incongruous with these vintage games. Hey, to each his own, right? I only repaint pinball cabinets when the original cabinet graphics are unsightly, incorrect or missing. The original plastics are near perfect. |
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| COWBOY |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | 1974 Sega Cowboy features highly unusual gameplay in which the player is seated behind a cowboy upon a horse, with the objective to lasso a steer. In July 2017, I posted a video of the gameplay on vimeo. In August 2017, I posted a video of the internal mechanism on youtube. The player times his/her release of the lasso via a button on the console as the lasso twirls so that it ropes the steer's horns. Photographing the lasso is difficult so I have enhanced the colors and definition in those photos for the sake of clarity. Successfully landing the lasso causes the steer to realistically tumble in the dust, which awards a point. The projected 3D image is unique as is the element of timing to score points. Thundering hooves and the bull's capture are enhanced by sound effects. The flyer states that the cabinet's construction is a duco-formica finish, which is essentially a painted surface formica hybrid, whereas standard for Sega EM arcade games of the seventies was traditional formica. This game was a new-old-stock time capsule item which remained in its crate until 2015 when the owner took her out for a breath. I am the 2nd owner. The entire game looks new. Even the original owner's manual and score cards were intact, inside the game. |
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| CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON |
| Midway (USA) | Vendu | | CFTBL with custom illuminated, one-of-a-kind TOPPER. I had this topper custom-made. The glass is very thick, high quality; the brilliant graphics are of equally high quality and match the game. |
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| CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | The machine is sold but the CUSTOM TOPPER is for sale, as shown in the listings above. I might consider selling the dealer cardboard Creature, full-sized standee to the buyer of the topper. That standee is partially depicted in 1 of the Daisy May listing photos and elsewhere in my collection photos. I will post photos of the standee in the near future. |
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| CRISS CROSS HOCKEY |
| Chicago Coin (USA) | Vendu | | A video demonstration of the gameplay of this game is posted on vimeo. Since recording that video, I custom painted the mannequin control and touched up the cabinet. 1958 Criss Cross Hockey arcade game in a pinball cabinet. First, this game, which arrived on 2/13/16, is fun, fun, fun. This is an unusual game, primarily because it's a single-player hockey game in a sea of end-to-end dual player hockey games. A few of the CCM hockey games, like Goalee, feature dual player controls facing forward, allowing for more versatile cabinet placement. Nevertheless, a hockey game in a traditional pinball cabinet is the most versatile in the home environment, where space is often an issue. The game has been shopped and is functioning well. The backglass is a vibrant and accurate Gary Conway reproduction translite. The ruleset is clever on this game, allowing for bonuses for completion of the grid and for completion of rows. The bonus combinations and point awards are shown on the right side of the backglass. There's an illuminated red button on the lockdown bar which, when depressed, collects the bonus. This example is the novelty version. Nevertheless, the game is less about replays and more about achieving a high rating (i.e. regular, ace, champ, all star, pro) as displayed on the backglass. Four of the score reels are dummies. The balls, which are small, are placed into play from the right side discharge trough. I have the game set for 13 balls to balance the challenge to the player. The bronze-colored defender swings randomly at the "puck" as the chrome-colored player tries to score a goal. The 1 - 9 lights on the illuminated placard identify the numeral to be awarded upon scoring a goal. Each numeral on the placard illuminates in sequence momentarily. Whichever numeral is lit when the player scores a goal, that corresponding numeral's counterpart will become lit on the backglass. Scoring a goal in a numeral already achieved still awards points. Also, completing a tic-tac-toe card illuminates a letter in the word "HOCKEY" on the backglass. Completing that word awards a bonus. This game has an unusual "attract feature." When the game is in the "off mode, " the electricity is nevertheless designed to energize the illuminated instruction cards. Because the bulb is fluorescent, I imagine that it held up fairly well on location. The original instructions are included. I immediately unstapled them from the playfield apron and preserved them in a nonadhesive mylar sleeve. This cabinet's original paint was well-preserved and has been touched up and sealed. The legs have been refinished to their original tan color. You don't see tan legs too often, for sure. The hockey mannequins are all in great condition. I have recently custom-painted the player's control mannequin so that the raised lettering pops, as seen in a few of the photos. Also, I've restored the black outlines to the stainless steel coin plate. Wow. . .this is one cool game, as it should be inasmuch as the action takes place on ice. |
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| DAISY MAY |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Daisy May (deriving from the Lil' Abner cartoon character, Daisy Mae) is among my favorites of the Gottlieb woodrails. It's crazy fun. Mechanically, the game is working very well. The flippers are surprisingly strong. This is a unique game, with a variety of objectives and multiple game winning possibilities. New flippers and score cards are installed. I have red flipper bats installed, even though the game's original bats are the standard white with blue lettering. Blasphemy! The backglass is a new Shay reproduction. Love the butterfly flippers, which allow unique cradling and an array of unusual trajectory vectors. Daisy May has 3 different bells, a 5 inch, a 3 inch activated by a solenoid and another 3 inch activated by a clapper. Additional photos are posted on my picasa account. The link is to that account is located on my PinballOwners.com profile home page. Renowned pinball artist, Greg Freres, advises that Daisy May was one of his inspirations for his Whoa Nellie Big Juicy Melons artistic design. See Whoa Nellie listing below. |
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| DELUXE PINCH-HITTER |
| Williams (USA) | Vendu | | The pitch selection feature is nifty. The bat-shaped bat control lever is also a plus. Among the first machines in my collection. . .alas sold decades ago. |
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| DELUXE SUPER SLUGGER |
| United (USA) | Vendu | | First, I am seeking to buy the rectangular U.M.C. coin chute for this game's coin door. I have posted a photo of the missing coin chute. Please send me a message if you know of one for sale. I also wish to buy the plastic batter figure, also missing, for the running man unit. I appreciate any efforts with this restoration project. This is the regular, novelty 1955 United Super Slugger pitch & bat game. There's a Deluxe version which features a replay unit and a match feature. In 1956, United released 2 very similar games, Star Slugger and Star Super Slugger. . .very confusing indeed. The 1956 Star Slugger has the replay/match feature. The 1956 Star Super Slugger is the novelty version. The playfields and backglasses are different but equally appealing on both versions. My version has a home run hole behind the center ramp as well as out holes behind the flanking ramps whereas the Star version lacks that dichotomy, instead featuring 3 holes each awarding singles. My version has 3 out pockets in the back of the field, with 2 single, a double and triple pocket. The Star versions have 4 outs pockets in the back. The Star versions offer 1 to 3 innings whereas my version is a static single inning (3 outs per player). The Star versions have a 30 run jackpot shot. The jackpot shot on my game awards 50 runs. Both versions offer a variety of home run combination shots, which encourages the player to shoot for all 3 decks. The 3 speed variable batting speed is designed to allow the player better control in seeking to land a ball in each of the decks, to maximize score. I am among those collectors who consider all of the United Slugger games from these 2 years (1955 & 1956) to be the epitome of pitch & bats, superior to all of the Williams pitch & bats and the various pitch & bats of other manufacturers. I am excited to have found this example, which sat dormant for decades in upstate New York, after having been privately owned for many years. The game is all original. It came with the original coin box and the original schematic. There's a nifty brass plaque on the front from famed coin-op distributor Mike Munves. The cabinet paint is in remarkably good condition and it contrasts well with the dark patina of the wood. The photos show how nicely the game cleaned up thus far, although I still have some playfield polishing to complete. The playfield is in great shape, with its original lamps, ramps and the original bat. The lamps are often missing or badly damaged. The plastic batter needs to find his way back to the batter's box. An outfielder occupies that spot in the running man unit. Please contact me if you have a plastic batter for sale. One of the running man unit runners is headless; but, he really doesn't need to see since his route is predetermined, right? A chrome molding needs to be installed on the overhead lexan ball shield. The original legs are also in exceptionally nice shape. The original backglass was in poor condition, though. Repros for the 1955 version do not exist, because the regular version was the lowest production of all 1955 & 1956 versions. If you're reading this and know of a good original 1955 regular version backglass or repro silkscreened backglass for sale, please contact me. I have a Gary Conway translite (wedged between 2 sheets of tempered glass) repro of the Deluxe version installed at the moment. It's nearly identical, save for the word "Deluxe" in lieu of a crossed bat motif on the regular version backglass. The control buttons are not seated in the casting in the 2nd photo. I painted the casting green with silver accents. I'm searching for the correct UMC coin chute at the moment. Kindly contact me if you have one for sale. This game has an array of features, essentially every good feature of the best pitch & bats, all in a single machine, plus the eye-catching art package. I will do justice to this game by keeping it original and bringing it back to life. |
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| DERBY DAY |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Classic Roy Parker artistry. |
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| DUCK HUNT |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | This 1969 scarcely seen EM arcade game is Sega's follow-up to Sega's Rifleman, also listed here in my line-up. Anticipating future technology, Duck Hunt was the first game to employ moving light projection targets in this manner. The restoration of this game was conducted to the highest standards and the repainted cabinet is phenomenal. Even the metal trim was chromed. The internals were restored to new condition. The wiring and mechanicals look factory-fresh. Like Rifleman, Duck Hunt dispenses a paper "target ticket" souvenir (shown in photo 9) at the end of the game which displays the accuracy of each shot by recording the shot with a perforation. The souvenir ticket is dispensed to a tray in the lower front of the machine. Duck Hunt players receive ten shots to seek to land on rows of flying ducks. When struck, the duck target disappears from view. The shotgun fire sound is produced by an ingenious echo-spring system, also utilized on Rifleman. Adding to the fun, the game generates duck sounds from a sound card. Duck Hunt was so much fun that Nintendo reprised the game (sans souvenir ticket) many years later. |
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| EYE OF THE TIGER |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | 1978 two-player Gottlieb EM. Only 730 units were made. Project game, rescued from a suburban New Jersey basement. 36, 472 on the play meter. Excellent restoration candidate. Original back door is present. Playfield should clean up well. Beautiful Gordon Morison backglass. This game is priced to sell quickly. . .out of space. |
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| FATHOM |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | TRADED |
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| FIRE CHIEF |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | 1967? Americoin Fire Chief. Back in the late sixties/early seventies, some ambitious arcade designer had an idea to mix real water with particle board and electricity? Yes, and it worked. Go figure. The player maneuvers the fire engine's hose vertically and laterally in an effort to propel real water into illuminated windows on cue. The windows randomly light up with faux fire. Some window targets are smaller than others. The player has a few seconds to direct water into the illuminated window to earn a scoring award. Achieving a score of 10 ranks the player as a rookie whereas a score of 50 earns the rank of a Fire Chief, with intermediary achievement levels, as displayed on the scoring screen. The game scores even without the water feature activated because the scoring is controlled by the alignment of a sensor as opposed to the water entering the proper window. The game features a windshield wiper which can be activated manually via a dial. A half black light/half fluorescent light illuminates the marquee and the scenery. Standard 44 or 47 bulb lighting illuminates the faux fire and the scoreboard. The base of the game is easily removable, which facilitates moving the game up or down a staircase. There's a hose which runs from the fire hydrant to the fire truck, not installed on my game, at the time of the photos. This hose is for aesthetics only. The coolest thing about this particular game is that the 8-track tape is present. I got the soundtrack running and it involves sirens and the typical mayhem at the scene of a fire. However, to ensure future reliability, I had the 8-track player completely rebuilt by a professional tech with new components. . . expensive but worthwhile task. Also, I had a repro tape made. Now that the game is fully functional as of 9/2/17, I have posted a video on VIMEO demonstrating the fire engine propelling water at the targets. There's only one other video currently on the internet (on youtube) which shows a Fire Chief in operation without either sound or water. This cabinet version has the black smoke emanating from the flames and also has the more desirable target area color palette. There's a less attractive silver target area. |
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| FIREBALL |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | My jaw dropped when I saw the pristine condition of this playfield. It has almost no wear at all, save for the spot where the unsuccessful skill shot allows the ball to drop. I was very lucky to be able to purchase this game. The original backglass is also great and the cabinet's condition is pretty good. I will post photos in the future. |
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| FIREBALL CLASSIC |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1985 Fireball Classic is a genuine reprise of the highly-acclaimed 1972 EM version. Having previously owned and admired the EM game, and as a primarily EM enthusiast, I was skeptical about the 1985 solid state version. Now that I have restored and added dozens of plays to the play meter, I can attest to the success of the SS version. It's a blast. The SS version sports 3 inch flippers in lieu of the EM's 2 inch zipper flippers. The most significant differences are the solid state version's bonus feature, a decal-laden cabinet vs. a painted one and, of course, added electronic sound effects. Apart from different cabinet art and slightly altered backglass art, the playfield art is essentially identical. The SS version improved the already great skill shot feature by creating an intermediate skill shot, in addition to the maximized skill shot. I prefer the translucent amber bumper caps and translucent red posts on the SS version. The reason that the SS version is as terrific as the EM version is because excellent geometry and a superior ruleset carry the day and those elements are identical in both versions. Bally faithfully reprised the brilliance of the original and even added some extra fun with warm sound effects and addictive bonuses. |
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| FLYING TURNS |
| Midway (USA) | Vendu | | I sold my Race Way and missed it immediately. Thus, the acquisition of Flying Turns followed. This one is a well-preserved all original game which I'm glad to have in my line-up. The game is a domestic game; however, the original backglass is a European plexiglass one. I have a new-old-stock Midway decal for the coin door, which I may apply. Flying Turns is, in my opinion, among the best 2-player EM games. Flying Turns is the most successful design of Midway's EM pinball games, the second best being its successor, Race Way. Both are fantastic games. Champ is a spin-off of Race Way (discussed below. In the early 1960s, Midway struck a favorable chord with pinball enthusiasts with its animated, 3- dimensional formula one racer backbox. By striking targets, lane rollovers and ejection holes, the player collects segments of laps immediately translating into backbox car forward movement. Crossing the finish line records as a lap on the scoreboard, relative to that player's race car. A bonus feature accumulates lap segments and registers them simultaneously. Flying Turns has gained much recognition lately. The game is fast as a race game should be, because of slingshot placement, relative the kick-out holes. Flying Turns features a better placement of kick-out holes than Race Way. Race Way contains a row of 7 attractive targets, at the top of the playfield, in lieu of kick-out holes. The ball strikes the target and careens in unexpecgted directions, which is satisfying on Race Way. However, the ejection holes in the center of the playfield would have been better positioned on the perimeter, as on Flying Turns. The turret shooter of Flying Turns has garnered the accolades and for good reason. This is because unlike it cousins, Race Way and Champ, Flying Turns has an extra ball feature. The two perimeter kick-out targets randomly illuminate, beckoning an aimed shot from the turret, to gain an extra ball. This extra ball feature, combined with the shooter, makes Flying Turns the gem among this series of classic Midway animated backbox games. Also, Race Way's static ball shooter can occasionally drain immediately from the initial shot's ricochet, which is annoying, a phenomenon which is eliminated by the nifty turret shooter on Flying Turns. The backglass art of both Race Way and Flying Turns is terrific. As for the playfield art, I like all 3 iterations sport the illuminated headlight feature which designates between blue car player 1 and red car player 2 between players, but Flying Turns has superior overall playfield art. Likewise, Flying Turns has terrific backglass art, more interesting than Race Way and Champ. Flying Turns has one of the best advertising flyers, in my opinion. Midway's Champ is another rendition of Race Way. Champ incorporates a nice laps per play feature and it possesses the Race Way playfield design art. However, the name "Champ" for a race car game is simply wrong. If you're a player or a collector, all three games are extraordinary. Although Flying Turns wins the race, Race Way and Champ are also terrific low-production games. Only 475 Flying Turns were manufactured. Race Way is also a low-production game, with only 678 made. How many of these games still exist 5 decades later? Five percent? Of course, there's a pitch & bat version as well entitled: Winner. Midway really exploited this successful design to the fullest. |
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| GATOR |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | This reptile is fully functional. Last task is to repaint the coin door. Fun 4-player design with 3 ball save return gates to the shooter lane! Gator and Cosmos are the best zipper flipper titles in the multiplayer category, on my opinion. Gator's seafood green apron is a unique color, not found on any other zipper flipper title. The game's original flippers are redish-orange with smooth tops. There's an excellent YouTube video of a Gator competition on the internet. |
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| GRAND SLAM |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Restored condition. This is the 1953 woodrail game. Many collectors consider Grand Slam to be among the top 5 woodrails ever made, and for good reason. The paths to a replay are numerous and each objective is fun. Don't let the wide-flipper orientation dissuade you from playing this game. Ball times are surprisingly long, for a woodrail and wonderful saves are plentiful at the flippers. I like "throwing" the ball between the flippers between scoring runs. Kick-out holes, rollover lanes and targets are well-positioned on this popular game. A variety of on-playfield specials can be achieved, including a rotating special after achieving the sequential targets (bumpers and #3 button rollover). There's nothing like an on-playfield special. Comical Parker artwork adds to the charm of this keeper. The longer I own this game, the more I like it. The three eject holes are perfectly integrated into the baseball diamond. The 3 catcher's glove inserts (one at the top center rollover lane and two of the drain lanes) award replays when illuminated. |
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| GRID IRON |
| Genco (USA) | Vendu | | 1934 Genco Gridiron. In August 2017, I posted a demonstration of the gameplay of this game on youtube (although I incorrectly listed the vintage as 1935 in the video title). If you have this game or its identical predecessor with a different name (Goal-Kick), let's compare notes. This cool game licensed PAMCO's subway kicker patent and utilized PAMCO's surplus parts (same units utilized on my Pacific Amusement Major League). Football themed games are a nice variation from the omnipresent baseball games. I love the graphics on Gridiron. This turned out to be a much easier restoration than was my 1935 CCM Rapid Transit. The advertisement has a marquee; however, I suspect that some of these marquees were never actually produced. New nickel leg plates and leg bolts have been purchased from Nate Thompson at Buckwerx, as seen in the photos. Buckwerx has a great parts supply for these old games, especially the Rockola games. They are the same leg plates as utilized on the Rockola prewar games like World's Series and World's Fair Jigsaw's later version. The beautiful woodgrain is evident. This restoration now complete. The power supply has been replaced and the balls fly like footballs through the air. This game is fun! The kickers are meant to simulate kicking inasmuch as the original name of the game was Goal Kick (changed because operator's didn't like that name). I'm seeking information from fellow collectors on this game. Naturally, I've placed it adjacent to Army Navy. I once had a 1933 Bally The Pennant, the only other football themed game I've owned. There aren't that many football pinball machines. |
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| GUN FIGHT |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | 1969/1970 Sega Gun Fight arcade game. Gunfighters shoot at each other. When struck the gunfighter collapses like a puppet and is momentarily disabled. Scoring is made for each hit of the opponent's gunfighter. Also, players score when striking an opponent's cactus. The top half of the cactus collapses when struck. My game is equipped so that each gunfighter has his own distinctive gunshot sound. Sega Gun Fight ranks at the top of the "fun quotient" in my gameroom, alongside of the ultra-rare and equally fun Sega masterpiece, MONSTER GUN (1972), the enigmatic pellet shooter game, also depicted here. Also, I have posted a photo of a rare late 1970s Kasco Ninja Gun arcade game which features a variety of moving ninja targets, including 2 rows of fast-moving holographic targets. Last, I am honored by Twin Galaxies and its legendary founder, Walter Day, to have been included in its 2015 trading card superstars, photos of which are posted here. After all of these years, as a consequence of this trading card, my kids now think that their dad is cool. |
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| HARBOR LITES |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | If Spot Bowler, released in October 1950, is the cornerstone of the famed Neyens-Parker design team career, then Harbor Lites, released in February 1956, is the bookend. The Neyens-Parker duo contributed more to the pinball industry from 1950 through 1956 than any other designer-artist coupling in pinball history. It is axiomatic among pinball historians that the Gottlieb woodrails produced during those years represent the (pin)nacle (pun intended) of pinball creativity and beauty. Harbor Lites is the 1st single player Gottlieb game which featured a metal apron. The correct silk-screened image is white and the words: NO PRIZES NO WAGERING appear above the clown's head. Naturally, in the 1950s, pinball and gambling intersected, both in the public zeitgeist as well as in the reality of dollars and cents that passed between patron and tavern owner on occasion. Note that the game retains the red plastic ball shooter gauge, which transitioned to metal in later games. In addition to the sturdy metal apron, Harbor Lites is credited with the introduction of one of the most beloved skill features in pinball, i.e. the bulls-eye target. The introduction of the bulls-eye target is far from incidental on Harbor Lites. It's the central objective, four-fold. The game sports four wonderful bulls-eye targets, which are well-integrated into gameplay. The player is rewarded with a higher point score for striking each target dead-center. Doing so records the bulls-eye target strike in the center of the backglass; free games are awarded for a preselected number of bulls-eye strikes. In addition to bulls-eye strikes, between 1 and 6 replays are awarded for landing the special, extra-special and super-special when lit gobble hole. Of course, a third avenue for a reply is the traditional high score objective. The bulls-eye bonus score is accomplished by a sensor in the target's center. Striking the target's perimeter awards a value, sans bonus. The bulls-eye dead-center skill shot is Pavlovian. Striking each bulls-eye center can cause a visceral response, akin to that caused by the sound of the replay knocker. Two obscured kick-out holes flank the flippers. They are hidden under the arch. These kick-out holes send the ball to their corresponding B & C bulls-eye targets. The player seeks to dock his/her boat into the special ports, which are identified on inserts as SPECIAL, EXTRA SPECIAL and SUPER SPECIAL. The special awards one replay whereas the extra special awards two and the super special is indeed super, awarding three replays. As you can see, above the specials is a DOUBLE insert, which doubles the replays awarded when activated. Thus, specials may potentially award two, four and six replays. The player's objective is to earn replays via deft target strikes as well achieving a high score, both of which are illuminated on the magnificent Parker backglass. Harbor Lites features three bells, so its sound component exceeds many of its contemporaries. The open playfield is clever in allowing access back to the top by shots from either flipper to the perimeter rubbers. Likewise, access through the center, averting the gobble hole, is an option for the skilled player. Harbor Lites is a highly successful symmetrical playfield design for this reason. The game was designed with a thin metal pin between the flippers. This pin tends to avert a southward drain when the ball strikes the pin between 10:00 and 2:00 o’clock, deflecting the ball to a flipper. A skilled player can effectuate satisfying saves with the game's flipper orientation. Harbor Lites is a wonderful playing game precisely because it's not too easy (nor too difficult). It possesses that just one more game factor. There’s plenty of action at the slingshots and the hidden kick-out holes. Indeed, the game boasts 12 slingshot style kickers. Nearly every rubbered flat surface has a kicker. There is no game over indicator nor a match feature, which would not debut until about 1957. With respect to the art package, the backglass is utterly delightful. Harbor Lites is arguably Parker's best work. Both the backglass and the playfield are aesthetically wonderful. The backglass has an animation feature. The lighthouse's beacon flickers in robust pulses. . .very eye-catching. The male surfer character in the center left of the playfield reminds me of the hapless characters braving the waterfall on the Niagara playfield, which Parker created 51 months earlier. The sea foam green, blue, red and yellow palette coupled with the beautiful female sailors translates into a most appealing playfield. If Harbor Lites does not rank a perfect 10 in art, then nothing does. Art sensibilities are subjective. But, Parker's Harbor Lites is to mid-century pinball art as Morisot's The Harbor at Lorient is to 19th century Impressionism. AS FOR MY HARBOR LITES, THE RESTORATION IS COMPLETE: Fully shopped. The backglass is a Shay repro. Original plastics are decent; however, repro plastics have been installed. New bulls-eye target decals have been installed. Coin door hardware has been polished. Legs have been sanded, repainted (deep cherry red, as original) and installed with black leg protectors and matching black leg bolts. Wood trim has been refinished (backglass close-up photo taken prior to refinishing wooden trim). The playfield condition is fantastic overall, with very minor touch-ups done at the inserts. The original apron graphics are great. The original cabinet paint. albeit yellowed, is exceptionally nice, with very minor touch-ups. Cabinet is a 9, playfield a 9.5 and backglass is a 10. This title got played a lot on location so few good examples exist. Cabinets and playfields are typically badly worn. The bumper caps are original. Harbor Lites has that addictive "just one more game" factor. Thanks for reading my long description. I used to post long reviews on IPDB; however, I've been unable to do so lately because of a technical glitch. |
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| HIT THE DECK |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | True Home Use Only game? Well, not exactly "home use" unless that definition includes a "funeral home." The game was purchased new by a local funeral parlor for its employees "killing" time until the next customer required their attention. When I heard that the machine was for sale, I just about died. Anyway, it's never even had an active coin mechanism installed. Love the chimes on this fun, John Osborne designed game. Fantastic art! |
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| HOKUS POKUS |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | Hokus Pokus, perhaps more aptly known as "spinner heaven, " is owned by a friend. Fortunately, my friend is local so I can occasionally play it. |
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| INVADERS FROM OUTER SPACE |
| Midway (USA) | Vendu | | This vintage 1970 EM first-person shooter game features a variety of 5 moving, physical targets, which dodge and spin in pleasing directions and at unexpected speeds and vectors. Having fully restored this game in August 2017, I have a gameplay demonstration video posted on youtube and vimeo. The flying saucer target motor was missing. Fortunately, I was able to find the precise replacement and the game is working well, as shown in the videos. The player controls a 3 dimensional rocket-propelled space bazooka via a joystick, which moves in a turret laterally and launches a missile at physical targets. The missiles are displayed as a red illuminated streak in the sky descending upon the physical target. The illumination is similar to games like Sega Missile, Midway S.A.M.I. and Midway Sea Raider. Because the missile takes a couple of seconds between launch and landing, the player's objective is to properly time each shot. The physical targets consist of a spinning flying saucer, which moves laterally in an erratic fashion . .rather novel. Four additional alien targets (all different characters) entertain by dropping quickly out of sight and reappearing. The player must land a missile directly upon the targets when they are present on the screen (the targets move off-screen at times). This increases the challenge, combined with the need to time the launch. The spinning UFO scores 30 points whereas each of the 4 alien targets score 20 points. All targets remain present throughout the game. Also, a burst of light (and sound) appears with each hit of any target, illuminating the psychedelic black-lit, eerie green-glow sky momentarily. Naturally, appropriate sound effects accompany the action. Indeed, the sound effects are irresistible. They punctuate the descending missile, the screaming aliens (when struck) and add a general foreboding ambiance. One score reel registers the player's score whereas the other records the time elapsed. When I get this game restored, I plan to post a video to add to those already on Youtube. Who doesn't enjoy obliterating aliens from outer space? Terrific sci-fi art package on this game's cabinet, backglass and target area, complemented by black-light illumination. I will upload better photographs in the near future. Photo #8 shows a missile descending upon a target. Some of the scenery sections need to be secured. The area underneath the targets is exposed in photo #9 because that scenery section was dislodged, at the time of that photo. The last photo shows the fire red sky (accompanied by an explosion sound effect) when a missile successfully lands upon a target. She lights up and the sound is working. The targets are moving somewhat. That's promising. I hope that there's no out-of-this-world problem lurking within. |
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| JOKER POKER |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | EM version of Gottlieb's 1978 Joker Poker arrived on 9/6/15. Restoration is complete. Playmeter count is 49, 957. This was a risky purchase since I based same on small and somewhat blurry photos. The playfield cleaned up exceptionally well, showing only the most incidental wear. There is almost no insert wear. New pop bumper skirt mylars have been installed, which improves the upper playfield's aesthetic. New flipper bats, drop targets, pop bumper caps and rubbers have also been installed. The drop target installation on the EM version was challenging. The backglass retains all of its graphics, nearly free of any flaking or paint loss. The colors are vibrant. Reproduction plastics have been installed. I much prefer original cabinet graphics so it's important to me that any touch-ups not only blend in well but that the touch-ups reflect light in the same way as the original paint so that they are virtually invisible. The original door, legs and hardware are all in nice shape. The mechanicals are all very clean, with the original mechanism labels intact. This game's condition has exceeded my expectations. As shown in the last photo, the game came with all of the original score cards, operator's manual, schematic and other paperwork. Love the feel of the DC powered flippers. |
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| KICKER CATCHER |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | Baker Novelty Company's Kicker Catcher, vintage about 1940. J.F. Frantz Mfg. Co. and Baker began making this style game in the mid-1930s, utilizing baseball, soccer and other themes, in addition to the favorite American football theme, as shown in this example. European themed kicker catcher games were also produced. Cabinet styles became more angular in the 1950s. The object of the game is to kick balls one at a time into the field and catch each ball with the catcher mannequin. The catcher moves horizontally by use of the left knob. After catching a ball in the small trough behind the mannequin's helmut, the player moves the ball to the far left, where the ball is recycled and 10 points are tallied on the score reel. As long as the player catches a ball, the game continues. Like Daval's Skill Thrill, also in my line-up, this trade stimulator is addictive. The early examples had kicker mannequins and cardboard instructions. However, that model was superseded with screened graphics on glass and a screened kicker mannequin with manual kicking foot. This counter game is a classic, arguably the most successful design of all trade stimulators. It's fun, for sure. |
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| KING OF DIAMONDS |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | SOLD |
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| KNOCK OUT |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | With both Harry Mabs and Wayne Neyens having designed Knock Out together with Roy Parker's distinctive artistic contribution, I've always wanted to add this game to my collection. It's been a long search for the right one, until now. This one has a nice original playfield, backglass and cabinet. |
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| LUNAR RESCUE |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | 1973 Sega Lunar Rescue. This is the alternative and scarce version of Sega's Attack and Attack II. The former features a spaceship on the lunar surface whereas the latter game sports an animated tank on a military terrain. In both games, the player utilizes the joystick to maneuver the vehicle so that the barrel strikes the illuminated perimeter targets in sequence within the time-limited gameplay. The 10 targets light randomly to designate the next wreck to be rescued. Upon contact between the rescue vehicle and the target, a sound effect is heard and the score is indicated, as a flash of light illuminates the playfield. The legs and external coin box have been powder coated. I restored the cabinet graphics to their original color.. Unlike most Sega EM arcades, Lunar Rescue has a painted, as opposed to a more resilient formica-type cabinet. To me, the lunar rescue vehicle resembles the Oscar Meyer wienermobile. If you've never seen it, I encourage you to Google image it. I'm thinking about creating a sound card which, when a free game is awarded, the player hears: "If I were an Oscar Meyer wiener, everyone would be in love with me. . ." No, not really. ; ) |
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| MAJOR LEAGUE |
| Pacific Amusements (USA) | Vendu | | Exceptionally nice restored, original example of a scarce 1934 Pacific Amusement Major League. This is the most desirable 44 inch model with the 3 dimensional, metal criss-crossed bats at the top of the playfield. Earlier models lacked several important features. PAMCO's Major League, which was originally powered by a dry cell battery, is among the best of the prewar games. It's either the first or one of the earliest games to implement the subterranean ball dispatch mechanism to pitch a baseball. That feature makes this game far more interesting than other 1930s games. For example, Genco's 1935 Official Baseball, released within one year, mimics the base-running effect (balls kicked from base to base). However, the Genco game lacks the subway trough system. On PAMCO's Major League, landing a ball in the "single" hole pitches a ball up the trough and to home plate and also advances all runners one base. A sacrifice hit and stolen base registers a single advance, a double kicks the runners twice and so on. Base runners which reach home plate a deposited in "run" section, worth 3, 000 per ball. As depicted, some holes are worth specified points, between 100 and 200 per hole. Landing a ball in the "batter up" hole feeds a ball from beneath the playfield to home plate. If a batter up ball is already in position, the new batter up ball is redirected to the hole at the bottom center of the batter's box, to be recycled. When balls advance, they kick quite precisely, with a brief pause between pulses, just enough time for the balls to reach the next base. It's surprising how such a simple game holds the player's attention. Of course, in 1935, Major League was rather sophisticated, eclipsed only by a handful of other pinball machines, Rockola's purely mechanical 1934 World Series being the most noteworthy. Major League is one of the more attractive baseball machines. The playfield contrasts smartly with its art deco cabinet and stylish legs. An earlier model has an attractive cast metal placard on its apron. However, significant playability improvements in the later models, like this one, make the later models much more collectible. This example's original score cards are largely intact, which is remarkable because they are reflective card stock. Major League is highly sought after by prewar pinball collectors and I consider myself fortunate to have acquired this nice specimen. |
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| MEDUSA |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | |
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| MINI-ZAG |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1968 Bally MiniZag is another groovy Ted Zale designed zipper flipper game. MiniZag's primary feature involves a captive ball "Zagger Lane" which, when activated, kicks upward and scores several rollovers. This is accomplished by striking certain targets and thereafter landing in either of the two kick-out holes. What I like about this game's design is that the outlanes are forgiving. The angle of entry to each allows for generous saves, unlike most other Bally games of that era. Of course, the right outlane sports a shooter lane return gate which is always fun. The top rollover features the same skill shot as on Cosmos, which rewards the player for kissing both sides before dropping the ball into the center rollover. The color palette of the playfield and backglass are stunning. MiniZag is essentially an improved single-player version of Bally's multiplayer (limited run) Joker. On Joker, the captive ball area opens a "Joker Time" lane for the desirable objective. However, as I recall, successfully opening the Joker Time lane is impeded by interfering with the requisite sequence, or something to that effect. In other words, it's simply too difficult to activate the central feature of the game on Joker. In contrast, the player typically activates MiniZag's captive ball Zagger Lane with each ball, often several times. MiniZag, in my opinion, is an "under-the-radar" EM, even among the zipper-flipper family. Finding one with a good backglass is hard. BGresto has repro backglasses available, though. I passed on a couple of MiniZags before finding this one. The backglass on my game has only incidental flaking. The cabinet required a repainting of the blue tones. The white areas were left original to maintain a semblance of patina. The playfield and the plastics cleaned up extremely well. |
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| MISS UNIVERSO |
| Inder (Spain) | Vendu | | Manufactured in either 1970 or 1972, this is one of the Miss Universo versions. A full restoration is required of this example. The backglass looks to be in particularly nice condition on this example. |
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| MONSTER GUN |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | On 10/23/14, my 1972 Sega Monster Gun (air compressor powered) pellet gun arcade game arrived. I have two gameplay demonstration videos of this game posted on youtube. This is an exciting game. I am very lucky to have it in my gameroom. Only 3 are known to exist. Perhaps someone on this forum knows of others. My friend in Pennsylvania owned both Monster Gun games and he kindly traded one of them to me. Unlike the Midway and Bally pellet gun games of the 1960s, Monster Gun has an audio element. Also, unlike other projectile shooter arcade games, which are powered by a shop vac, Monster Gun has a more powerful air compressor. The sound effects are eerie, complementing the psychedelic art package, which glows under a black light. Very little is known about Monster Gun. I have posted 2 videos on YouTube ["search Sega Monster Gun arcade"]. The game features a variety of circular-moving perimeter monster targets which sporadically change in rotation at unpredictable intervals and two linear moving 3 dimensional, groovy dinosaur targets, which also taunt the player with their elusive movements. Also, a couple of bonus center "hole" monster targets appear when a certain score is reached. Additionally, when a bonus light illuminates, the targets register a higher score. For those unfamiliar with pellet shooter games, they fire small, hard plastic pellets at a high rate of speed. These games are loads of fun and Monster Gun is another Sega masterpiece. Shout out to Ray Brackins, depicted unloading the game on my driveway. Ray is a highly talented coin op technician who services games in PA, NJ and thereabouts. Also depicted here is my 1969/1970 Sega Gun Fight, recently brought back to life. I was born in 1959. These are the kind of games that evoke memories for me. I've added a photo of my 2005 Namco Rockin' Bowl-o-rama 4-player arcade game to this photo montage. Bowl-o-rama arrived in my collection in October 2015. It's a worthy addition to my gameroom. Check it out on youtube.------Bruce |
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| NIAGARA |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | This game is unmolested, with an exceptionally nice playfield. The original artwork is intact and is cleaning up very well. The original backglass, legs and cabinet are fairly good, although the head has required some minor structural repair. The rear door is present, with a partial schematic stapled to the interior side. Correct coin door is present. The static bumper caps are originals. Ultimately, I decided to replace the very faded yellow pop bumper caps with new ones. Reproduction backglass from Shay Arcade Group has been installed, as shown in the close-up. Apart from the distinction of being the very first trap hole game, it's a blast to play. The trapped balls are isolated in the center, allowing for free-flowing play elsewhere on the playfield----terrific design. I have nothing but praise for Niagara's design and art package. I'm still pinching myself that I was able to acquire this game. Niagara has been on my wish-list for a long, long time. Since posting photos, I have repaired the chipped coin door and further cleaned the cabinet. If you own a Niagara and wish to share information about the game, or any other game, feel free to contact me. |
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| NINJA GUN |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | 1977 Kasco Ninja Gun EM arcade. This rare and ingenious shooter game pits an army of ninjas deftly moving about Asian architecture. The player's object is to land shots on as many ninjas as possible within the 1 minute fixed time (as displayed on the backglass timer). The number of shots is unlimited within that fixed time. Of course, it's not a fair fight. . .you've got a firearm. I am reminded of the famous scene in the original Indiana Jones movie in which Dr. Jones is threatened by an angry ninja, who displays his acrobatic moves in a threatening fashion. Indy responds with a perplexing gaze as he draws a gun and simply shoots him. Back to Ninja Gun. A mirror is utilized to project the action to the player's view. The game tells a story in which the sun sets, using a black light effect, about half-way through the game. At that point, 2 rows of faux holographic ninjas fly across the screen horizontally, as if suspended on wires. This fantastic visual effect is achieved by use of sequential images illuminated in tandem. . .unique and super cool. Other ninja targets slip in and out from behind foliage and building structures, while others climb vertically. Green ninjas score 1 point, yellow and holographic images score 2 points. When struck, each ninja either freezes or else reverses direction. Also, a flash of light and accompanying sound is activated to punctuate the score with each successful hit. The green targets cause a deep sound whereas the yellow and holographic targets cause a high-pitched sound. Ninja Gun is coveted by vintage arcade collectors and for good reason. The simple cabinet graphics were ahead of its time and look quite good decades later. The small rifle is more compact than most shooter games of the sixties and seventies. Last, the theme and execution is wonderful. Unlike most shooter games, Ninja Gun has a variety of dynamic targets. There's a decidedly 3 dimensional sensibility to the game. The player must constantly aim and shoot at different targets to reach the replay level. There's no time to aim, adjust, aim and shoot, shoot and aim again, as with many static target or limited target games. Instead, Ninja Gun is a frenetic experience, much like it would be to really battle a battalion of ninja warriors. The holographic targets are closest to the player and they are my favorites. I've tried to photograph those holographic targets. I captured several on the upper row and a couple on the lower row. If you quickly click on the target photos I've posted here, you will note how the upper row of holographic ninjas move from left to right. That simulates how these targets move during gameplay. Ready to fight? |
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| OFFICIAL BASEBALL |
| Williams (USA) | Vendu | | I'm fortunate to have this terrific game in my collection. The cabinet is in exceptionally nice condition and the game is unmolested overall with very little wear. I had an artist hand-paint each playfield player to mimic the 1960s N.Y. Yankees, since the backglass art resembles a Yankee uniform and the vintage is 1960. Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, et al. Each player is hand-painted with correct uniform, including the player's number. Actually, as a southern NJ resident, I tend to prefer the Phillies. I do concede, however, that the Yankees have the best uniform and logo, as well as the greatest team in 1960. |
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| OLD TIME BASKETBALL |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | 1976 Exidy Old Time Basketball. Exidy's reprise of the iconic 1949 Chicago Coin Basketball Champ. Of course, the Exidy version was solid state whereas the CCM game was electromechanical. I have the original schematics for this Exidy game, if anyone needs them. |
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| PENNANT |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1933 Bally The Pennant. Restored, all-original. Great playfield and chrome. |
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| RACE WAY |
| Midway (USA) | Vendu | | All original, collector-quality example of this fun game. |
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| RAPID TRANSIT |
| Chicago Coin (USA) | Vendu | | 1935 Chicago Coin Rapid Transit acquired in February 2016. The game is fully functioning and 100% restored. I have posted a narrated video of this game during gameplay on youtube and on vimeo of this game. If you search "1935 Chicago Coin Rapid Transit pinball, " on Youtube or Google, I'm sure that you'll be able to locate that video. The vimeo broadcast has somewhat better resolution (i.e. high definition). Feel free to contact me for the video links, if you're unable to find them. I'm searching for the correct vintage porcelain balls. I recall a good vendor with a variety of sizes on the internet but cannot remember that vendor's identity. Any leads would be much appreciated. I have correctly-sized marbles installed, which work well, in any event. Also, I need the tilt pedestal cylinder. I have fabricated one, pending obtaining an original. I have a Chicago Coin art deco shooter housing and beehive ball lift housing which I've utilized to replace the damaged ones. This housing matches the legs. I'm searching for the correct housing (shown on the Pinball Internet Database) as well as the correct simple ball lift housing. Also, if anyone has the correct lock-down bar, please contact me. I have modified an Exhibit game's lock-down bar to fit and match. However, the original has a slight bevel. What I've always liked so much about this particular prewar game is that it's among the first (or perhaps the very first) to utilize a complex elevated rail system to transport the balls to remote locations on the playfield, where a patient kicker awaits. Here is my description of the ruleset: This prewar pinball machine, circa 1935, entitled Rapid Transit, was manufactured by Chicago Coin. This design is among the most innovative of the games which featured electric current via dry cell batteries. The game sports 3 kickers, 2 habitrails, 2 distinct playfields, and a light. The light illuminates when the elevated kicker hole is scored. The right habitrail (called the "loop") is activated by sinking a ball into 1 of the 2 top holes, flanking the center hole. The center hole activates both the loop habitrail kicker and the elevated habitrail kicker simultaneously. Such balls, falling into any of those 3 holes, are recycled to the internal ball lift to be played again. Likewise, the top center hole activates the kicker which propels a ball into the elevated habitrail on the left. When a game is started anew, all elevated balls are dropped into a trough. These balls are captive inasmuch as they are either in the trough or else atop the left habitraill. When the loop is activated, which is energized by all 3 drop holes at the top, any ball in the loop trough is kicked up onto the loop habitrail, where it travels to the lower lift kicker. There, that pressure-sensitive kicker propels that ball into the lower playfield, where various high value scoring holes exist. The balls which land in the 2 loop holes are also recycled to the internal ball lift. Ingenious, wonderful art deco aesthetic and fun! |
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| RETRO ATOMIC ZOMBIE ADVENTURELAND |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | Update #2: American Pinball delivered Magic Girl to its purchasers. Those games exchanged hands among collectors for $17K to $30K or thereabouts. Ultimately, the game was fraught with limited functionality and incomplete components/code. American Pinball made a gallant effort with Magic Girl but cut ties with Jpop soon thereafter. In about 2017, Deeproot took over Zidware's projects, later establishing an office in Texas. Deeproot announced several titles to be released, with RAZA to be the first title. As of March 2021, RAZA has not been released. Update #1: In September 2016, American Pinball announced that it intended to deliver to Zidware's preorder customers their Magic Girl games, one of Zidware's 3 games, and that American Pinball had retained designer, John Popadiuk, as a consultant. In October 2016, American Pinball announced that it had also hired designer, Joe Balcer. Reports have surfaced that American Pinball intends to deal with Jpop's other 2 preordered games, Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland and Alice In Wonderland, in an attempt to make those customers whole. The three games, which were to have been produced, are Magic Girl, Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (formerly Ben Heck's Zombie Adventureland) and Alice In Wonderland. As of June 2015, about 13 of the approximately 200 preorder customers have filed suit against Zidware and John Popadiuk. Preorder customers have paid between about $5, 000 and $20, 000 and have not been issued refunds. In late May/early June 2015, Pintasia licensed the Zidware games and tried to salvage the projects. Pintasia brought a Magic Girl prototype to the Northwest Pinball show to this end. However, this rescue effort proved to be too complicated and costly, resulting in PIntasia's abandonment of that noble effort. That's the update. What follows is my original description of Zidware's games, before the venture imploded-------Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland #4 on preorder in 2011/12. Manufacturer is Zidware, Inc. (John Popadiuk, Jr.'s venture). Production is limited to 124 units (99 games + 25 Cointaker editions). The cost is $10K - $11K (Cointaker edition). Buyers have signed nondisclosure agreements. However, some photos of RAZA have been released into the public domain so those photos are posted here. The art package is fantastic and lots of innovation is in development. The cabinet art depicted here for RAZA is not the final art package. The final art is better. I especially like the final art on the right side of the cabinet, which is not shown here (yet). However, the photos convey the general look of the game. A few public domain glimpses of Magic Girl (Zidware's 1st game, limited to between 17 and 50 games at a cost of $17K) and Alice In Wonderland (Zidware's 3rd game in development) are also included here. |
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| RIFLEMAN |
| Sega (Japan) | Vendu | | Sega's Rifleman, manufactured in 1967 and 1968, utilizes an optical viewfinder which creates the illusion of great distance from the targets. Physical saloon doors open and close during the game, requiring concentration and timing. The player has five shots to fire judiciously because the shot only registers when the saloon doors are opened. A successful shot creates an actual puncture upon a paper "target ticket" which is dispensed, at the end of the game, as a souvenir on the side of the machine. The player can inspect the ticket to identify how close the shot landed to the bullseye of each of the five targets. An ingenious echo-like sound gunfire sound effect is created by a spring mechanism. The target tickets are circulated through the game on a large roll. Just before the ticket is dispensed to the player, the machine cuts the ticket from the roll. In 1969, Sega introduced Duck Hunt, also in my line-up, which employs a similar souvenir ticket feature. Sega borrowed this ticket concept from an arcade game called Schutzenstand, designed in Germany. Apart from Rifleman, Duck Hunt and its German-made inspiration game, I know of no EM game which dispenses tickets displaying the player's achievement. There is at least one prewar game which dispenses a paper souvenir and, of course, modern redemption games dispense award tickets. However, those games do not display the player's achievement. In the future, after I have touched up the cabinet, I shall post updated photos. Two different backglasses were issued for Rifleman, to my knowledge. I suspect that the backglass design on the flyer was for the European market insofar as I've seen that style on European games. My game has the alternate design, with more sophisticated art, which I prefer. |
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| ROCKET III |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1967 Ted Zale designed zipper flipper game with spinning flipper/post/disc, the precursor to 1972 Fireball. Photos show the playfield after a comprehensive cleaning/waxing. This playfield shows remarkably little wear. Even the pop bumper area escaped any meaningful wear. The playfield shines. I swapped a few original white posts for colored ones (green at top, yellow at center, and red at spinner) because I think that they enhance the aesthetic. Very nice original backglass on this example. I am unsure why the artist neglected to include Pluto on the backglass. The cabinet graphics had typical fade and paint degradation for Ballys of this era. I have completed a substantial touch-up endeavor, as opposed to a repaint, for the sake of originality. The touch-ups have been limited to the red and black graphics. I have left the aged white area alone and utilized matte sealer to enhance uniformity and promote originality. I am very pleased with the cabinet restoration result. The correct black legs have been powdercoated and installed. The gameplay is fast and fun. Three, five and even seven ball setting options. |
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| ROCKET III |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | This was my 2nd Rocket III. I swapped the very nice original backglass with my 1st game's Bgresto backglass. My friend bought this game and he repainted the cabinet. Then, he sold the game to a fellow collector. |
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| SIGNAL |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1934 Bally Signal, like Daval's Chicago Express, is an attractive railroad themed prewar game, extremely popular in its time. This is the "junior" model of Harry Williams's design, which was the later released game to accommodate jobbers desiring a smaller footprint. The senior model measures 46 x 22 whereas the junior model is only 40 x 17. The senior model reminds me of my PAMCO Major League. The junior model, in contrast, fits nicely in a row of Rockola prewar games, like Jigsaw, for example. Also, the junior model has a few variations, apart from its more compact size. The junior model has the more robust integrated ball lift shooter mechanism, with its signature art deco shooter plate. Second, the junior version features the tilt cup on the front left apron whereas the senior model placed it to the left and upward of the apron. Signal is one of the first games to have a tilt mechanism of this kind (the first was 1933 Brokers Tip and the tilt was called "stool pidgeon"). Third, the score card is smaller on the junior model. Fourth, the junior version has a slug inspection hole on the apron. Fifth, the cabinet art is slightly different, with the senior model sporting 2 vertical stripes on the black accent arrow and the lower back stripe is tapered. Last, the junior version has a beautiful natural wood finish whereas the senior model's cabinet is painted yellow. The gameplay is intriguing. A trade advertisement describes the action as follows: "Miniature semaphores flash up and down when player shoots ball in SIGNAL Skill Hole, allowing balls to advance to higher scores. Each of the 3 entrances to Advance Alleys is positively a SKILL SHOT, as is the SIGNAL hole at top of board. This powerful skill appeal attract and holds a steady play." My game will, of course, require restoration. However, it is a good example of a this nifty prewar title. Fortunately, the original legs, which are nearly impossible to find, were included. More photos to be posted in the future. Another collector has a gameplay video posted on the internet. |
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| SKILL THRILL |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | Daval's Skill Thrill, circa 1941. This scarcely seen penny shooter trade stimulator sports an iconic art deco design. The curved cabinet and attractive green art are eye-catching. The object is to shoot a penny into a slot on the rear panel. Doing so rings a bell and returns that penny down an internal chute to the player in a trough at the front, below the pistol. It's addictive. The gun is loaded by placing a penny in a slot at the top of the pistol. This game has been in my collection for over 20 years and it's been restored along the way. The back panel art takes a beating, with the pennies striking the graphics. Thus, the few that I've seen over the years were severely worn in that area. This example was better than most; nevertheless, I had the full graphic restored. The lower panel art is original, though. This game has some of the best WWII graphics. Also, because the game is small, it's easy to find a place for it in the gameroom. |
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| SLUGGER |
| Midway (USA) | Vendu | | Restored. Good original example. It took me awhile to find one with a decent backglass and orginal cabinet paint. With a little touch-up work and a mechanical overhaul, the game looks and works great. This pitch & bat game has an add-a-ball feature as well as 4 pinball-like slingshots and 2 gobble holes, 2 ramps, not to mention drop-down "disappearing" targets on the playfield. I think that Midway's Slugger is among the best pitch & bat games. Inserts light to advise the player when certain targets score extra runs and reward extra balls. Nice artwork as well. The chrome apron was pitted, as is often the case with Sluggers, so I created green overlays with the corrrect graphics. Ditto for the slingshot graphics. Some of these photos were taken before I touched up the playfield. |
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| SOCCER |
| Williams (USA) | Vendu | | Long gone, decades ago, but not forgotten. |
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| SOUTHERN BELLE |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | SOLD in 1 hour to a fellow collector. For sale or trade is this wonderful, working woodrail. Southern Belle, vintage 1955, is among the group of Gottlieb woodrails created by the famed team of designer Wayne Neyens and artist Roy Parker. Pinball was never better than the period of 1950 - 1956, pinball's golden age, when Neyens and Parker were creating these fantastic woodrails for Gottlieb. During this period, games were designed for the player's enjoyment, with multiple paths to a replay via on-playfield specials. After 1956, Gottlieb began designing games with the operator in mind. This example survived with an exceptionally nice playfield, vibrant cabinet and presentable backglass. The original coin door is also present. The original schematic is included. Repro backglasses are available. Hard to believe that the original plastics survived. They typically resemble cooked bacon. I love the backhand flipper shots to score the bullseye targets, particularly when both are illuminated for the special. Gottlieb knew that the game was a hit. Gottlieb made only 1, 000 Southern Belles and added another 100 or less wide-head versions of the same game. The wooden legs need to be sanded to expose the original grain. The red beehive ball lift and shooter rods cleaned up nicely (but not depicted in photos yet). I need to polish the coin door hardware. Great ball action around the flippers. Mechanicals are incredibly clean, especially the backbox mechanicals. Additional photos available upon request. |
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| SPACE FLIGHT |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1969 Bally Space Flight. This game will be restored by a local vintage arcade restoration expert. Absent a functioning 8-track tape unit or solid state audio replacement unit, the mechanical aspects of the game itself will not operate. They are interconnected. The cosmetics on this example are excellent. The play meter reads only 406 which, if accurate, is remarkable. Photos supplied by game's seller. I played this game as a kid. Original manual and misc. paperwork! |
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| SPACE GUN |
| Exhibit (USA) | Vendu | | 1953 Exhibit Supply Space Gun arcade. I think that the space pistol design is the epitome of science fiction. The object is, of course, to shoot moving targets, in this case, 4 eerie glow-in-the-dark spacemen. When struck, the spaceman target is knocked down. Unlimited shots during the timed game which runs for 60 seconds. The targets are painted fluorescent colors and are illuminated by a black light. The score is displayed on an illuminated scoreboard within the game. The cabinet's child step is cool. Flanking the marquee are bakelite domes, which illuminate. A bell audio feature is activated with successful shots. I am not sure whether the gun has a recoiling effect, like the Dale Exhibit shooter games. . .probably not because of the game's kid-friendly design. It's exceedingly difficult to find any vintage kiddie arcade game, let alone a shooter game. I really like this game's small footprint and compact size, making it easy to transport and suitable for tight spaces. |
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| SPEEDWAY |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | Traded this prewar game. This was my game, as posted on the Pinball Internet Database (prior to my purchase). Once I acquired the game, I replaced the coin chute with a nicely chromed new old stock one. The art deco cars are easy on the eyes and the cabinet is classic prewar Gottlieb. However, the gameplay is. . .well. . .boring. Individual cars advance one length. A special hole advances all cars one length. Because the ball does not encircle the playfield 360 degrees as with some other games (e.g. Rockola Jigsaw and World's Series), the skill and fascination factor is muted by the geography of the playfield. Alas, I traded the game for some fun machines. Of course, I ultimately traded/sold those games for other games. Hey, that's part of the hobby, right? |
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| SPEEDWAY |
| Southland (USA) | Vendu | | 1963 Southland Engineering's Speedway. Southland was owned by Harry Williams and purchased by Sam Stern (Gary Stern's dad). Select the Ferrari or the Jaguar and race your friend. As a slot car enthusiast in the 1970s, I am thrilled to have acquired this rare, vintage arcade game. Race against the other car in single-player mode or against an opponent in two-player mode. Whomever reaches 20 laps first, wins. Steering the wheel straight on the straight-ways propels your car fast, the straighter the faster. Likewise, the player's ability to mimic the turn as your car enters each turn, rewards the player with speed. Failing to match your steering to the nature of the roadway your car encounters translates into slower movement or even a stall, until the steering wheel is adjusted to mimic the roadway's orientation. It's more difficult than it appears. The successful player will get into a "groove." The opponent (car #2 on the right side of the start line) can be adjusted in terms of speed. When adjusted just right, the single-player can be very challenging so that the margin of error is narrow to achieve victory. There are a couple of youtube video clips of this game, posted by other collectors. I have replacement slot car bodies, which more accurately represent those shown on the backglass. The close-up photos show these replacement car bodies whereas the other photos show the less detailed car bodies. I have not yet drilled the holes in the new bodies, which is a requisite to installation. This game is tremendous fun. The cosmetics are excellent on this example. The small cabinet formica chip on the lower front was repaired, as shown in photo 9. Speedway's predecessor, Time Trials, lacked rheostat controls. Consequently, Time Trials could not be dialed in to adjust race car speeds. This design defect was remedied with Speedway. These speed controls are essential to make the race properly competitive. |
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| SPOT BOWLER |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | I am very pleased to have acquired a Spot Bowler. This game arrived in very raw condition, both cosmetically and mechanically. as depicted in the first photo. However, the mechanicals were essentially complete and the game was restorable, given enough time and attention and lots of love. The game is now fully operational. If you know this game, then you likely know just how difficult it is to find a Spot Bowler in any condition. This game needed a great deal of attention to make it operational and aesthetically presentable. Actually, prior to the restoration, the game was a proverbial basket case. The backglass is a Shay repro. The 10 pin was missing and several of the other bowling pins were damaged. All of the bowling pins were yellowed and brittle. As a result, I created a full set of reproduction bowling pins. I'm pleased with the results. My repro bowling pins are very close in size to the originals, as are the graphics. However, the original bowling pins resemble milk cans in shape whereas my reproduction bowling pins are more rotund, like real bowling pins. Also, my repro bowling pins are constructed of a more robust, pliable plastic, less prone to damage. Touching up some of the thin bowling lane lines was extremely challenging. My vision isn't what it used to be. The cabinet has been air-brushed repainted, in an effort to make the cabinet's age match the rest of the game. The original cabinet's graphics were intact, but so faded/worn that only about 40% remained overall, with even less on the front. Photos of the degraded cabinet, prior to the repaint, are shown under my Queen of Hearts listing above. I am generally in favor of repainting cabinets only in extreme circumstances. I much favor professional touch-ups, which retain the original patina and minor battle scars. This Spot Bowler's original cabinet required a repaint, though. The coin door's graphics, upon arrival, were not original. I still need to refinish the wood trim, which has lost its luster. This work-in-progress required considerable mechanical repair; alas, it's functional and mostly restored cosmetically.! This game features 3 bells, a 5 1/2 inch plus two 3 inch bells. However, I have the 5 1/2 inch bell paired with a melodic 4 inch bell at the moment, which sounds tremendous. I haven't been this excited about a woodrail since Daisy May. |
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| SPOT-A-CARD |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | This game needed a lot of cosmetic attention; but, it had good bones. The blow-dryer method, which I recommend over the heat gun or oven technique, worked really well (and fast) to flatten some severely warped playfield plastics. Reproduction backglass and replacement hammertone coin door hardware have been installed. The correct beige legs have also been installed. The coin door has been repainted and cabinet has been touched up, although it still shows battle scars. New target decals have been affixed, which is a big plus. Great playfield design and rule set. I love the on-playfield special, which remains lit, when all cards are achieved! Unusual pine or perhaps birch wood was used for the rails on this 1960 game. Clever rotating backglass animation "arrows" integrated with the gameplay! Coupled with the "score-to-beat" indicator and Parker art and Spot-A-Card lives up to its reputation as a real player's game. Always a joy to view Roy Parker's art. |
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| STAR SLUGGER |
| United (USA) | Vendu | | Arrived on 10/15/15 and restoration was completed in March 2016. Shay repro backglass is installed. Original Star Slugger and other United backglasses did not tend to hold up well, although the original one which accompanied the game isn't too bad. The frequently missing playfield glass end cap wooden molding is present, as is the correct coin door hardware. Even the leg bolts, which have an unusual hexagon head, are original. Also, the game came with original score cards. The lexan protector above the bleachers and the score card bracket are both present. Also, all of the 3D base runners and fielders are present. Original schematic and coin box came with the game. I always like having those items to complete the restoration. Having reluctantly sold Super Slugger (depicted in my SOLD section below under DELUXE SUPER SLUGGER), I am glad to replace it with this Star Slugger. Star Slugger is the 3 inning version with replay whereas Super Slugger is the single inning version. Star Slugger has a couple of additional features over its predecessors, Super Slugger and Deluxe Super Slugger, as well. There's a Star Super Slugger, which is the novelty version of my game (i.e. no replay). . .very confusing. My formerly-owned Super Slugger (which had a Deluxe version Gary Conway repro backglass) was in far worse shape when I acquired it. Also, the Star Slugger version has larger and slightly different playfield graphics, arguably more attractive. Star Slugger has 3 holes behind each ramp, which loads the bases with base runners whereas Super Slugger's holes there charges an out. Many pitch and bat aficionados consider United's Star Slugger to represent the epitome of the pitch and bat genre. I have to agree. My Super Slugger was an arduous restoration. That game needed everything! By comparison, this Star Slugger was an easy restoration. Minor cabinet and apron touch-ups have been done. Also, I painted the casting, polished the control button, and removed the degraded paint from the pitching flap. My game must have been a Star Slugger with an add-a-ball state destination (likely New York) because my game has a novelty backboard sans match light sockets. Yet, my game has the 3 digit replay credit wheel, which is displayed in the original backglass window. Go figure? (Note: Having collaborated with other collectors and having conducted research, it appears that Star Sluggers lacked the match feature, even though the backglass implies otherwise). I've played many pitch & bats over the years and I've owned a few. United's Star Slugger is my favorite. It's got virtually all of the best pitch & features. The multiple bat strength selection is key because it allows the player to shoot for each of the 3 elevated decks. Landing a home run on each of the 3 decks, in a single inning, awards a whopping 30 run bonus. Star Slugger is adjustable to play 1 to 3 innings. I also like that the gobble holes behind each ramp load the bases with base-runners. Also, I find the cabinet artistic design to be very appealing. Of course, the running man unit feature is a must. I remember reading that Harry Williams invented the running-man unit and that he obtained the patent. Harry was working at United or elsewhere, at the time. Harry and another United designer were pining for the same love interest. The woman ended up marrying Harry, leaving Harry's cohort heartbroken. When Harry formed his own pinball company, he felt so sorry for the lovelorn former coworker/colleague that Harry released his patent to him so that he could utilize it for United pitch & bat games. Indeed, the United pitch & bat design is arguably superior to Harry's design inasmuch as the players are 3 dimensional whereas Harry's players are only 2 dimensional. |
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| STAR V |
| autre (voient les notes) | Vendu | | Kasco Star V, vintage late 1970s/early 1980s. Obviously, this is the environmental cockpit version. The gameplay is wholly unique. Only the ingenious designers at Kasco in that era could have created this arcade marvel. Most vintage arcade collectors are unfamiliar with this phenomenal game, having never played one and with so little information available on the internet (until now, I posted two videos in 2017). A 3-dimensional realistic model of an alien planet (the size of an oversized basketball) rotates 360 degrees, controlled by the player. Foot pedals control lateral rotation. Joystick movement controls altitude and houses the firepower button. The gameplay ends when the fixed time expires. What makes this game so compelling is that not only are points scored by the player by landing shots on specific target bases, the enemy fires back at the player's bomber. If the player descends too close to the planet's surface, for a more accurate shot, the player risks being the recipient of incoming fire. If shot down, the fighter jet explodes into a red fireball and points are actually deducted! Warnings (via lights surrounding the bomber and the illuminated phrase "ATTACK DANGER") are posted on the screen when the player is vulnerable to attack. The fighter jet reminds me of Super Zaxxon with more advance 3-D effects. This game is an engineering marvel, as were many Kasco games of this era. Check out the photo of the internals. I have posted a video on Vimeo demonstrating the gameplay as well as a video of the mechanicals during gameplay. |
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| STARS |
| Stern (USA) | Vendu | | |
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| SURF CHAMP |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | For good reason, this immensely enjoyable multiplayer Gottlieb EM is fast becoming the multiplayer of choice among collectors wishing to expand beyond the single-player Gottlieb wedgeheads. The spinner, drop targets, kick-out hole, free ball, bonus features and specials are all integrated cohesively. The game plays great. My checklist of restoration still includes score reel cleaning (which will make the backglass really pop), drop target cleaning.touch-up, and coin entrance plate replacement. The backglass on this example is excellent and the internal mechanisms are extremely clean. The playfield is in very nice shape, with just a single wear area at the kick-out hole, which is present on all Surf Champs. I plan to leave it as is since there are no playfield touch-ups. |
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| SURFERS |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | 1967 unmolested zipper flipper Ted Zale design. Somewhat low production at 908, per IPDB. Jerry Kelley's art package is outstanding. Note the sly pelican on both the backglass and playfield with a penchant for stealing bathing suits. Like Roy Parker, Kelley incorporates humor into his work. Lots of features on Surfers: carry-over bonus displayed by balloon motif on backglass, left outlane kick-back, right outlane return gate to plunger, 2 kick-out holes (one with variable bonus, called the ring-a-ding), 3 flippers, 7 mushroom bumpers, and a well-placed pop bumper cluster. Add-a-ball feature activated with optional relay. Excellent backglass and playfield on this example. Indeed, the original backglass is nearly flawless. Because the pop bumpers are so powerful, most Surfers exhibit pop bumper playfield wear. European coin door so likely a re-import. Nice cabinet, with original graphics, and incidental touch-ups. Original legs need to be restored to correct black color. Mechanically functioning at 100%. Surfers has the best flow of any EM I have played, up to par with Gottlieb's Queen of Hearts, Strange World, Blue Note and CCM's Thing. The entire playfield is accessible from each flipper. Gameplay is very fast and fluid. Playing this game is like riding a giant wave to the shoreline. . .smooth and exhilarating. |
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| TEN STRIKE |
| Williams (USA) | Vendu | | I could not find Ten Pins in the index, which is what I have, a 1957 Williams Ten Pins mannequin bowler arcade, which is the novelty version of Ten Strike. It's completely restored to collector-quality. |
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| THE BEATLES GOLD EDITION |
| Stern (USA) | Vendu | | The Beatles, Gold edition (2018). I also purchased an alternative translite, as depicted in photo #2. That translite was designed for the platinum version, limited to 250 units. The diamond version (limited to 100 units) features a real glass backglass. The platinum edition sells for $11K - $15K whereas the diamond edition fetches $18K - $29K. The gold version, with identical gameplay and playfield, is the bargain of the 3 versions at $8K. Total production of all versions combined is limited to 1964 games. Based on 1980 Stern Seawitch. Congratulations to Ka-pow and Stern for creating this fantastic game. The game's concept springs from the band's first USA tour in 1964, which exemplifies the Beatlemania phenomenon. The gameplay is fast and player-friendly. The flow is the antithesis of most modern games which celebrate stop-and-go objectives over natural ball movement. The Chris Franchi art package is wonderful. The build and sound quality is superior to prior Stern titles. The gold-flake powdercoated armor and legs is beautiful. This game utilizes the Spike circuitry system. My game is shown with the Mezelmods plastic protectors on the lower four plastics. I have added a cool Speakerlights.com mod which projects a rainbow of colorful lights, changing its spectrum to surrounding music and other sounds (photo #2). I have also enhanced the backbox and cabinet sound with Flipperfidelity.com upgraded speakers. I also recommend adding Pinball Life's shaker motor, which is better, in my view, than Stern's factory shaker. The film integration is well done as are the songs within each mode. The electronic scoring mimics EM score reels. In my opinion, with its 11 drop targets and other features, the Beatles Gold is a good value at $8K and deals can be found in the $7K to $7, 500 range. For enthusiasts who insist upon ramps and ultra deep rulesets, other titles suit those needs. Meanwhile, the Beatles is tremendous fun. Indeed, even naysayers who initially derided this game upon release for lacking ramps and bash toys have conceded, after actually playing it, that The Beatles is very entertaining, well-built and stunning in person. |
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| THE WIZARD OF OZ EMERALD CITY LE |
| Jersey Jack (USA) | Vendu | | I preordered Emerald City limited edition #515 on 7/1/11 and I picked it up at the JJP factory exactly 3 years later, on 7/1/14. I chose #515 because the Wizard of Oz author, Frank Baum, was born on May 15th. This birthdate is shared, coincidentally, with JJP's WOZ designer, Keith Johnson. Jersey Jack was kind enough to custom-autograph my game, as seen in one of the photos. The quality and innovation of this game is unmatched and the gameplay is absolutely phenomenal. JJP was only able to obtain the magnificent "direct print" cabinets for the 1, 000 Emerald City limited editions and also for some of the early standard editions. Thereafter, the direct print vendor could not supply the product. JJP and the vendor had a falling out of sorts. Consequently, the direct print cabinet games are much sought after and for good reason. The Ruby Red edition and later standard editions utilized either a regular decal or an enhanced "Radcal" decal. While JJP's decal method is very good, there simply is nothing quite like these direct print cabinets. The direct print cabinets have a magnificent shine and an unparalleled depth, like no other cabinet finish in all of pinball. The direct print cabinets look like a freshly clearcoated playfield. Likewise, I am fortuitously lucky to have received my game in July 2014 because the kinks with the light boards and misc. other technical issues were resolved with modified hardware (and software) in about April 2014, just before my game was assembled. My game has been nearly trouble-free. The minor issues were immediately rectified under full warranty by JJP. I am very impressed with Jersey Jack's service department. I've installed a few mods, as seen in the photos, i.e. Wozmods illuminated amber color tree eyes (not shown in photos), Mezelmods State Fair bumper light, Mezelmods illuminated Winkie Guard target, Mezelmods flashing tornado, Mezelmods throne room fire pots (not shown in photos), Backstreet Alley Emerald City backboard figure, Pinnovator's external audio control on coin door, "Dorothy" sticker in start button, "Dorothy" custom shooter rod, cushioned target decals, translucent slipper topper, plastic protectors and, of course, Cliffy protectors. The elegant crystal ball projects many videoclips within the globe. Ingenious! The wooden apron (which is unique to the Emerald City edition) and overall build quality is first-rate. The rule-set is the deepest of any game made to date. I doubt that few players will ever master the game, which is a good, because that challenge will hold the player's interest longterm. There will always be a new event or effect to discover, even years down the line. With WOZ, JJP has proven that it's a meaningful player in the worldwide pinball enterprise. They knocked it out of the proverbial park with WOZ. I can't wait to see The Hobbit and the original themed Pat Lawlor game in the offing. I had a few empty photo spots in this WOZ profile. I have filled them with photos of my wife who, in my opinion and submitted for your approval, resembles Dennis Nordman's Lexy Lightspeed Galaxy Girl, as appears in my newly arrived PinGame Journal's 2014 calendar. Having been honored with a trading card by the famed Walter Day, posted is the debut of my Superstars of 2015 PINBALL TRADING CARD, unveiled in Allentown on May 2, 2015 (card #2305). I've never been more gratified by this hobby than to be recognized by the Walter Day Collection. Also, my son thinks it's cool. |
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| THING |
| Chicago Coin (USA) | Vendu | | My favorite woodrail. Look for my article in an upcoming issue of the PinGame Journal about Thing. Meanwhile, one of my articles about this enigmatic game currently appears in my PINSIDE.COM website profile ZNET. Read the article and join our self-proclaimed "Thing ring." Here's an excerpt, which describes the game's extraordinary audio effect and the song which served as the game's inspiration: The song was performed in 1950 by Charles Randolf Green. The Phil Harris version is the best known. You may enjoy listening to the Phil Harris version, which is available on YouTube. Many other vocalists have recorded the song, included Ray Charles in 1963. Wikipedia's blurb is below: The lyrics take the form of a first-person narration, describing the discovery on a beach of a box. Whatever is in the box is never revealed, nor is it called "The Thing" in the lyrics. When the lyrics call for The Thing to be named, the vocals simply pause for three percussive knocks. For example, the first verse ends, "I discovered a [* **], right before my eyes!" (The knocks [* **] are unequally spaced, occurring on counts 1, 3 and 4 of the song's 6/8 meter. The listener could substitute any three-syllable phrase his imagination might invent, such as "dog-gone thing".) The audio associated with the THING point score is remarkable. There are two upper pop bumpers mimicking the boom, boom, boom punch line of the song. . . very clever. The ads for the game called them "boom bumpers." The words "boom-boom-boom" are screened onto the playfield at the upper pop bumpers. It seems that the designers intended to cause a three-beat percussive effect here by creating a quarter-note, followed by a sixteenth note couplet, creating a three hit audio effect. I know of no other electromechanical pinball machine which incorporates such an ingenious audio design. I have discussed this audio effect with renowned pinball designer, John Osborne (Haunted House, Hit the Deck among many others). John states that the score motor has one cam whose points will clearly operate its switch in the aforesaid rhythm. While inspecting a THING score motor, John declared: "I was surprised to see that when rebuilding the motor unit and knew at once that it had to be done to imitate the song." Moreover, the mystery box kicker hole arguably creates the triple boom audio effect as well, confirming the intention of the designer to incorporate the song, which inspired the game, into the player's audio experience. Initially, the song's narrator is overjoyed by his discovery of the mystery box and tries to sell it. Instead, he is thrown out by a proprietor with a threat to call the police. Undaunted, the narrator decides to give it to his wife, who also kicks him out and demands that he never return with it. Then, the narrator takes it to a brave hobo, who flees at the sight of the box. Going through life unable to rid himself of the Thing, the narrator dies and arrives in heaven. There, Saint Peter directs him to take it "down below" to hell. In the final verse, the narrator warns the listener to refrain from opening boxes on the beach. Perhaps THING's mystery box is a metaphor for pinball collectors. Nobody wants the mystery box. . .not the man's wife, not the vagabond, not Saint Peter, not even Lucifer himself. The reaction of these would-be gift recipients may be familiar to some readers of this article. Imagine the expression on your spouse's face as you "gift" to her your next pinball machine acquisition. Don't be surprised if a "Keep Out Of Here" insert mysteriously illuminates on your porch, a metallic gate suddenly lowers to barricade your door, and you're banished, with your new machine to that place south of your man cave. For many of us pinball enthusiasts, we would be pleased to be flipping away in just about any afterlife venue, as long as the line-up includes our favorite games. For me, that line-up will include a whimsical machine called "THING, " which is everyTHING that a pinball machine ought to be. |
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| TWILIGHT ZONE |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | TRADED! I have been lucky to own this great game for a long time. I recently traded it to a fellow collector for 2 vintage EM arcade games. While I'm sure that I will miss it, it's going to a collector who will fully appreciate its beauty and who has helped me in this hobby. It's a sample game (1 of about 200) with factory-drilled 3rd magnet hole (magnet itself is installed), prototype left spiral sign & prototype right sign. Manufacturing date is 3/26/93. Regular production TZ games began on 4/1/93. Naturally, the various other sample variations include the absence of the "flip here" instruction on the upper playfield, different colored lock insert, different color cabinet backbox graphic, etc. I have my TZ loaded with mods. I particularly like the Element 13 mods. I removed the sample gumball sign with sticker and replaced it with an actual prototype sign. Indeed, the left spiral sign is a prototype as well, which was eliminated with the samples and production games. Note the sample white (as opposed to yellow production) door color scheme on the head. I passed on purchasing an actual TZ prototype many years ago and kicked myself for doing so, until I found this sample TZ. I'm comfortable modding the sample whereas I would have left the prototype intact. Mezelmods cool mod, which dispenses an actual gum ball through the coin return slot, was purchased but not installed, prior to this trade. Great condition game. Grew up with the t.v. show. |
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| TWILIGHT ZONE |
| Bally (USA) | Vendu | | My 2nd TZ. Nice functioning game with clearcoated cabinet. |
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| TWO PLAYER BASKETBALL |
| Genco (USA) | Vendu | | In 2014, I acquired this "Super" version of Genco's 2 Player Basketball arcade, vintage 1954. There's a novelty version, a deluxe version and a super version. The SUPER version awards a variety of multiple replays via a changing value match feature with up to 16 replays. The DELUXE version awards more limited replays and the NOVELTY version lacks the replay feature. Best of all, it's in super condition, mostly original. The backglass is a repro hybrid (with the novelty version's blue color but with the replay window for the deluxe and super versions). The original deluxe version backglass was mostly yellow. The original super version backglass was more red. I have not yet cleaned the game. The wooden playfield trim and cabinet should clean up well. Terrific design and tremendous fun. There's a good deal of strategy in 2 player mode, for sure. The balls are heavier than the Chicago Coin Basketball Champ balls (I traded my CCM BB Champ in 2015). Also, the playfield is made of cork. This arcade game always attracts attention with first-time visitors to my home gameroom. In the single-player mode, the player competes against a randomly fixed competitor's score. |
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| UNIVERSE |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | For sale: RESTORED and fully-functional original, with an exceptionally nice playfield---virtually no wear at all. Pinball Resource yellow-dot coils have been installed, which fuel the lower flippers with hefty power, enabling them to easily strike the upper targets. The only remaining task is to replace the white pop bumper skirt, which I have. The cabinet colors are bright. The coin door, surrounding chrome molding and coin chute hardware are in excellent condition. The backglass animation disc is original and in really nice shape (but, I have a repro disc as well). The playfield plastics, target decals and rubbers are all new. After seeing the beautiful playfield, I immediately deemed it worthy of a new backglass so I purchased one from Shay Arcade Group. The backglass depicted is the repro. The original cream/beige legs (which are usually missing) are in exceptionally nice condition as well. I love the Roy Parker art. The space-theme is classic, especially prescient insofar as it dates a full decade before the lunar landing. Original schematic is included. Playfield: 9.5+; Backglass: 9.5+; Cabinet: 8.0 (beautiful bright and even colors throughout, not faded, some touched-up surface scratches/scuffs consistent with age). Additional photos available upon request. |
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| UPPER DECK |
| Williams (USA) | Vendu | | |
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| VOLLEY |
| Gottlieb (USA) | Vendu | | I have always liked two distinct design features, unique to Volley, to wit: the arrangement of drop-targets and the absence of sling shot kickers. These two items combine to allow for an array of satisfying bank shot vectors, which strike the targets in unusual ways, under the player's control. Despite the multitude of drop-targets, the playfield feels open. Indeed, clear shots to the top are easily accessible. Volley has that "just one more game" allure, which makes it a keeper. Apart from the fun gameplay, I find the green and orange color palette to be pleasing to the eye. The backglass, as shown, has imperfections, although the lighting is flattering in the photos. A nearly perfect, new-old-stock backglass, was installed and is shown in the 3rd photo and also in the last close-up photo of the backglass. The internals are very clean on this example, with only 27, 689 on the play meter. The playfield is spectacular. Since posting these photos, I have touched up the cabinet, which arguably did not need my handiwork. Nevertheless, my blending technique is virtually undetectable. Since posting, repro plastics have been installed. As I grow older, tennis is about the only sport I can safely play. Whereas my daughter plays varsity tennis in high school, this game has not drawn her to the hobby. . .yet, that is. |
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| WHOA NELLIE! BIG JUICY MELONS |
| Whizbang (USA) | Vendu | | In 2013, I embarked on a journey to make a home-grown version of WhizBang's brilliantly conceived Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons (WNBJM). I let the reins go free on Nellie. Her gallop was sure and swift. But, there were many steeplechases to hurdle. Here's what I learned during that ride. For those unfamiliar with the genesis of this conversion game, the idea is the product of two established and highly talented members of the pinball industry, Dennis Nordman (designer) and Greg Freres (artist). WhizBang Pinball (founded by Dennis & Greg) consulted with well-known artist and silkscreener, Wade Krause. Wade suggested benefits to creating the backglass first. Doing so would fix the theme and also serve as an income source for a stand-alone product. I asked Greg Freres about his artistic inspiration for Whoa Nellie. Greg has stated that he gained artistic inspiration for Whoa Nellie from Roy Parker’s artistic design of Gottlieb’s 1954 woodrail Daisy May. The two games do indeed share a similar palette and campy humor. The Daisy May blonde on the Gottlieb woodrail was a clone of Daisy Mae, the popular Li’l Abner comic book character. Whoa Nellie’s political correctness is arguably dubious. However, a close look at the Whoa Nellie art reveals that the women wield all of the power. The male characters are portrayed as libido-driven dimwits. WhizBang enjoyed technical input into the game's design from Ken Walker, Chris Edler, Mark Weyna and others. A star rollover between the 4 pop bumpers bears an inside joke "10 Weyna Lit." Even the legendary Roger Sharpe provided design input, after playing the original whitewood at the Midwest Gaming Classic. There's a Youtube video of Roger playing the whitewood. WhizBang made 1 EM game, a conversion from a 1957 Gottlieb Continental Cafe. Dennis selected that donor game based on the fact that he had one, with a broken backglass. Dennis & Greg found a total of 4 Continental Cafe donor games. Creating the EM conversion game involved a tremendous amount of labor. Fortunately, Kerry Imming stepped in and developed a solid state system for WNBJM, which included a sound board. That development allowed WhizBang to make the remaining 3 solid state versions after the EM game’s debut. On the SS version, the rules are slightly deeper, although the game is essentially the same as the EM. While nothing can compete with the charm and nostalgia of an electromechanical game, the SS version includes great music by Speedy West as well as some unique sounds. Each of the 4 WhizBang games were sold to collectors for about $14K, as I recall. WhizBang sold playfields (2 runs of which the 2nd run had some minor color improvements), decal sets, plastics (which are extra thick, by the way), and “standees” of Melony to several pinball enthusiasts (like me), who ruminated about making a home-grown Nellie and who (like me) did not have $14K dedicated to purchase a single game. I outfitted my version with theme-appropriate, puerile melon "knobs" for the ball lift and shooter rods. I used the existing backbox molding and extended it to accommodate the larger lexan backglass. My design mimics the WhizBang cabinet crate design by affixing wooden planks around the cabinet decals. I covered portions of the cabinet with chicken wire. The melon crate "wallpaper"on the backbox is actually a one-of-a-kind montage. The thought of constructing a crate base crossed my mind. But, since my carpentry skills are very limited, I opted for the decorative, fluted wooden legs up front and heavier, pedestrian wooden legs for the rear. The project was arduous. Working on the game, with a cold beer "Weyna Lit" was essential because there was no blueprint. This was not a routine playfield swap. I experimented with post colors for awhile before going with a mostly red translucent array. I opted for red flipper bats. Most importantly, I equipped my game with a 1970s vintage Gottlieb chime unit. So, at least the sound is politically correct. Who can argue with that melodious chime? In 2014, after the last WhizBang playfields were made, a handful of Whoa Nellie art boards (undrilled and utilized for playfield printings) were sold to collectors. I was lucky to acquire one, especially since any new Whoa Nellie playfields will likely bear the Stern logo. I love the fact the game is a woodrail with return lanes, something that heretofore did not exist. Return lanes first appeared on Gottlieb's 1965 wedgehead Bank-A-Ball which, of course, sported metal rails. My WNBJM plays fast. The game's sensibility is unlike any other game. The single drain lane between the flippers, flanked by rubbered posts, coupled with generous flipper return lanes conspire to bestow considerable ball control to the player. The campy art pops and the color palette is complimented by the warm woodrails and wooden horseshoe lock-down bar (on my home-grown version). The gameplay is pure fun. It's a potent dose of electromechanical joy. With its slick silkscreened playfield and hyperbolic plastics, ball-flow is fluid. Whoa Nellie is wholly unique in both its look and play. Just remember, Nellie isn't the one with the melons. Nellie is the horse. Note: The final photo depicts my custom interactive cowbell topper. If you wish to view the topper in action, just search on Youtube: Whoa Nellie Topper. I think that the kinetic clanking cowbell meshes well with the Gottlieb chime unit and the overall electromechanical feel of the game. |
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| WING-LITE |
| Chicago Coin (USA) | Vendu | | 1935 Chicago Coin Wing-Lite. Colored sleeves for all bulbs will be installed corresponding to the colors designated on the playfield. This playfield concept was utilized by several manufacturers; but, Wing Lite is the best-looking version. It's unusual to find CCM original prewar legs. Even the original coin door is present and free of damage. I have repainted the legs. Cabinet paint is original and intact. Shooter housing is correct. Overall, it's a nice example of a seldom seen prewar title. |
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| WORLD'S FAIR JIG-SAW |
| Rock-ola (USA) | Vendu | | The Jig Saw currently in my collection is a later version cabinet with a variety of early version features. This is an earlier version. Some later games have parts utilized in earlier games and vice versa. The primary difference between the two versions is that the early version has a double bolt leg which lacks the art deco leg plate whereas the later version has a singular bolt with leg plate. The other main difference is that the early version sported a cast puzzle frame and cast shooter plate whereas the later version utilized a less substantial pressed frame with rounded corners and a thinner stamped shooter plate. Photo #3 shows the later version rounded puzzle frame. The other photos show the early version game with its original Rockola inspection card, indicating its date of manufacture as 10/25/33. . .very cool. Note that the shooter/plunger rod housing plate is cast metal on this earlier version as compared to the stamped metal shooter plate on the later version. Both versions are attractive. Also, this earlier version has more ornate shooter and plunger rods (at least on this example) than the later counterpart. Likewise, the metal housing around the puzzle is cast fabricated on the earlier version whereas the housing is stamped and chromed on the later version, as previously stated. The earlier version puzzle housing is more angular and is cast as opposed to stamped. This earlier version has more ornate shooter and lift rod handles. However, these are not likely design differences but rather a difference unique to this example. Other differences are as follows: earlier version legs attach with 2 bolts as opposed to a single bolt. Later versions have an art deco nickel-plated leg bolt shield, absent from the early version. The later version playfield contains the patent information listed above the out hole. This information is absent on the early version game. My early version game's puzzle uses yellow whereas the later game's puzzle employs orange in some of the graphics. I'm unsure whether this difference was an intentional design change or simply an orange pigment which turned yellow on my earlier game's puzzle. My guess is that the change was intentional because Rockola changed playfield graphic colors (orange became gray) on its World's Series game, as well as the cabinet color. Also, I've seen early games with the yellow pallet, as opposed to orange in later games. The earlier versions tended to utilize a metal cast version of the ball tilt mechanism as well as a cast metal "free ball" return trough. However, these items may be indistinguishable as to both versions. The early version's coin chute sometimes appears as slightly ornate at the top arch, although I'm not certain if that's a consistent difference between the two designs (could have been a chute vendor supply issue which varied over time). The earlier version's cast metal ball register uses blue at the top whereas the later version uses green. The earlier version's floor is green whereas the later version is more blue in color. The earlier Jigsaw game has an unhinged rectangular coin box, which is barricaded from from the machine's internal mechanisms in a metal partition secured with screws, as shown in photo #2. The later version game has an angular hinged lid style coin box, which is larger, and which is not segregated from the mechanisms. The hinged box was also utilized on World's Series. I'm fortunate that both games have the original coin boxes because these are nearly impossible to find. The hinged coin box has been reproduced by Buckwerx; however, the earlier version coin box has not been reproduced, to my knowledge. The original marquee is uncommon. The cabinet of this game has been repainted; however, it was professionally done. Of the many Rockola games I've been lucky to own and play over the years, this one has the best-working tilt mechanism. The puzzle was not functioning when the game arrived. But, I was able to get it functioning smoothly. |
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| WORLD'S FAIR JIG-SAW |
| Rock-ola (USA) | Vendu | | I've had a couple of Rockola Jigsaws over the years. Always acquired another after trading/selling because it's a keeper. I am lucky to have found the one currently in my collection because the puzzle is in great shape and I have it finely tuned to function flawlessly. |
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IMPORTANT: Cette page montre la collection de flippers du membre znet de Voorhees, NJ, USA. Les flippers à monnayeur énumérés ci-dessus, y compris leurs images, ont été téléchargés dans notre base de données par znet lui-même; znet est le seul responsable de l'information contenue en cette page. Les flippers montrés ci-dessus ne sont pas nécessairement à vendre! Veuillez se référer à la 4ème colonne dans la liste pour savoir si un certain flipper est en vente ou pas. Très probablement, la plupart des flippers de znet sont des flippers d'occasion qui ont été installés dans les cafes et d'autres lieux publics; leur valeur en tant que collectable dépend en grande partie de l'aspect et de la fonctionnalité de chaque flipper. |
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Commentaires par d'autres membres de notre communauté
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| | | | De fliperfan le 12-04-2023 21:21: |
 | A beautiful collection
Thank you for sharing the pictures.
I enjoyed the photos
Greetings Pit |
| | De gorgar le 05-10-2020 14:19: |
 | Just......great!!!!!!!! Thanks for the look on your collection (picture within "Queen of Hearts"). By the way..."Queen of Hearts"....is this machine playable. I mean....all these Gobble Holes! Fantastic!
But why did you ever sell your JOKER POKER. Couldn't believe it! One of my all-time-favourites.
With regards from germany: Gorgar |
| | De carld le 08-09-2020 11:22: |
 | Amazing collection, past and present. Congratulations. |
| | De bungelowbill le 10-01-2020 02:11: |
 | Truly spectacular collection. The write ups are informative and interesting. A most fun history lesson here! |
| | De klokkie le 04-10-2019 13:47: |
 | Wow, a very nice collection. Good reading your stories. |
| | De twindavid le 26-09-2019 10:24: |
 | Great Collection! I admire your games and the pristine condition you keep them in. |
| | De impala low le 11-02-2019 17:35: |
 | Waw, congratulations again for your very Nice collection, Nice |
| | De impala low le 16-12-2018 07:18: |
| Hello, for me one of the most beautiful collection of very rare and special games, beautiful
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| | De tenholtpianist le 13-01-2018 09:37: |
 | Great collection! And I love reading your vivid stories. |
| | De isochronic frost le 02-10-2017 04:43: |
 | incredible |
| | De xenor 4 le 05-04-2017 16:49: |
 | tres belle collection,impressionnant.... |
| | De surfchamp le 09-03-2017 01:37: |
 | Great pictures and bio's of the collection! |
| | De jorge dinis le 25-01-2017 08:34: |
| The best collection I ever see.
I don't have words to classifie your collection. I spend hours seeing all machine and all photos. I dream some day have something like you.
Congratulations,
Jorge Dinis |
| | De wedgehead le 14-11-2016 03:35: |
| One of the nicest, diverse collections on pinballowners.com.... |
| | De bronco-jon le 04-11-2016 04:28: |
| NICE!! |
| | De maio54 le 11-08-2016 07:24: |
 | FANTASTIC COLLECTION OF THE HISTORY OF COINOP MACHINES!!!! IT IS EASY TO SEE YOUR GREAT PASSION. |
| | De gosepin le 06-08-2016 21:59: |
| Fantastic collection of rare machines.
Very knowledgeable collector as well. |
| | De integ194 le 29-04-2016 12:43: |
 | A wonderful collection-congrats. |
| | De wappy le 09-09-2015 14:40: |
| Un seul mot bravo |
| | De oscarspa le 23-08-2015 16:17: |
 | Fantastic Collection of EM pinball and Arcade |
| | De dannyb62 le 20-08-2015 06:31: |
| WOW ... What a AWESOME collection of vintage & classic games, that are hard to find in any condition. A collector's dream! |
| | De daldom46 le 06-07-2015 18:28: |
 | Great collection, lot of photos, many of my preferred woodrail with multiple strategies to winning replays, pins difficult to find |
| | De ed flipperhands le 14-06-2015 14:07: |
 | Fantastic collection of wedgeheads and wood rail games, with some very rare and difficult to find pins. As a friend, I've played many games in znet's collection, and his games are truly well-kept and in immaculate condition. Cherry collection. |
| | De robo1 le 11-05-2015 07:52: |
 | Great collection! I would love to play the Whoa! Nellie........maybe I will manage a Stern repro... |
| | De joseallen le 09-02-2015 17:52: |
 | What a great collection! Some of my preferred wood rails! No words. Congratulations!!!! |
| | De impala low le 13-11-2014 20:32: |
| very nice and original collection, congratulation
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| | De bally table king le 01-10-2014 18:05: |
 | Truly excellent collection.
Bravo!!! |
| | De kangourou le 18-09-2014 12:41: |
 | Awesome collection with fantastic titles ! |
| | De valentin27 le 12-08-2014 20:39: |
 | World Series, Jigsaw and Army Navy !!!! That is GREAT ! |
| | De webmaster le 04-07-2014 17:58: |
 | Great collection, and now you also got a Niagara.
So envious!!!! |
| | De doghouse le 26-02-2014 03:19: |
 | Cool collection |
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le réseau de znet: membres que ons la confiance de znet
25 membres dans le réseau de znet: |
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 | gloorch
Thalwil / Zurigo, Switzerland |
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| hanky
Collegeville, PA, USA |
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Ballainvilliers, France |
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