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  • This game by Gottlieb is a very challenging design. It was invented by Ed Krynski and artwork was drawn by Gordon Morrison. This game has 10 drop targets lined up the left side of the playfield. If one target is hit, one scores 500 points. If, however, you’re skillful enough to hit a blue and white target at the same time, 5,000 points are awarded. Completing the sequence 1-9 lights the special at the bottom left rollover as well as lights the drop targets to score a special if all the targets are dropped. The player had to be wary when trying to freeze the ball on the right flipper, as one could lose the ball up the right guide rail (which has an opening in it the size of a ball). This playfield design was used a few times by Gottlieb, as it was a successful design (games like Gottlieb 300, for example, a bowling themed game). Scoring games by core were another option.
  • Playfield Layout There are two standard flippers and standard return lanes in the usual positions. The inlanes can be lit to start Crane Hurry-up. The outlanes have quite large openings, and each outlane can be lit separately for a “Ball Recycle”. Above the left out/inlanes there is a popper which returns the ball to the left inlane. Most of the shots that take balls under the playfield return the ball here. On the playfield beside this device is a bank of three standup targets with blue lights in the playfield in front of them, which, when completed, lights the left outlane Recycle. Above this there are two ramps with entrance side-by-side. The far left ramp leads to a toilet, which counts the spins the ball takes inside it before falling under the playfield. The inner ramp carries the ball around the back of the playfield toward a VW bus in the back right corner; a diverter can cause the ball to be temporarily held here or to return directly on a habitrail to the right inlane. This ramp also has an open side which allows slow shots to fall through to an area not otherwise accessible, which dribbles down into the hole in front of the dog. Lights in front of these ramps indicate various available shots. In the center of the top of the playfield is this game’s main feature. The “Crane” is a pinball hanging from a chain. The chain hangs from a bar (which is decorated to look like a crane) that goes into the back wall of the game. This ball can be raised or lowered, to allow the pinball to pass under it, or block its path. The bar itself can move side-to-side and up-and-down slightly, in addition to the wild motion the ball has. Around this, arranged in a semicircle, are 2 banks of 3 standup targets with an opening for another shot (which goes around a corner and under the playfield) between them. Above these there is a row of 5 larger “car” standup targets, with no gap. The crane ball can be hit into these higher targets. Several lights in front of the crane ball indicate shots available on the crane ball (by hitting it into the car standups) or in the opening behind it. There doesn’t seem to be a name for this opening (in some mode, I forget which, the game calls it the alley, but the playfield calls the DOG scoop the alley), so I will call it the center shot. Below the right side crane standups there is an up-scoop which usually drops the ball onto the bus ramp’s habitrail to the right inlane, but a diverter can send it to the dog instead. The dog is a decoration just in front of the bus; when the ball goes to him, it falls into a hole in the playfield in front of him, and if the ball was supposed to be there, a video mode starts. Lights in front of the scoop spell out D-O-G. Just to the left of it there is a small standup target, the Toaster Gun target. Below and slightly to the right of the scoop entrance, there is a sinkhole called the Sewer that can be entered from almost any direction. Lights in front of it indicate a variety of awards which can be available here, including Extra Ball and Adventures. The adventures themselves are indicated by a separate row of lights across the playfield, below the lights for the ramps, crane, and scoop. Below the Sewer there is a bank of 3 blue standups; these light the right outlane Recycle and are similar to their counterparts on the other side of the playfield. The plunger (which is a combination manual and autoplunger) shoots the ball through a spinner and into a sinkhole, which, like other holes on this game, takes the ball to the left inlane feed. Junk In the middle of the lower section of the playfield, in addition to lights for “shoot again” and autofire, there is a blueprint with 10 different pieces of junk marked with lights. Some of the pieces combine to make various contraptions. The junk consists of: Hair dryer, toaster, cuckoo clock, television, weathervane, fishbowl, propeller, fan, bathtub, and bicycle wheels. The game begins with the toaster already awarded. The combinations are: • Hair dryer + toaster = toaster gun • television + weathervane = radar • bicycle wheels + bathtub + fan = jalopy • fishbowl + jalopy = submerger • propeller + jalopy = flying machine There is an extra ball awarded for collecting a certain amount of junk, which is on a percentage; on the game I play it’s awarded on the third junk item. Collecting all the junk lets you enter your initials as junk champion at the end of the game. The current junk champion’s initials are shown on Spike’s collar when each dog video mode begins. Helpful hints At various times during the game, an angel appears on the left of the DMD or a devil appears on the right, and they make some comment. Whenever you collect junk, one or both of them appears and advises you what to collect next. (If your first junk item is anything other than the hair dryer, both appear, the angel advising you to get the hair dryer and the devil advising you to get a part for the radar.) One of these also announces each time an invention is completed, or when an adventure starts.
  • Gottlieb Pop-A-Card was another classic ‘70s playfield designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Gordon Morison. Only 825 of these units were made. The replay version of the game was called Drop–A-Card which, as usual, was a much higher produced machine. The open playfield of this game gives ample room for scoring the three banks of drop targets. To win free balls with this game, you have to either complete the 2, 3, 4, and 5 targets, or the 6, 7, 8, and 9 targets…or the 10, J, Q, K, and Ace targets. The first two options light the wow feature to award free balls during that ball in play. If you hit the 10 thru Ace targets to completion, four rollovers light up to score extra balls. Of course, score is another way to score more balls.
  • This very collectible game of the ‘70s was another in a series of celebrity-themed tie-in games Bally found license to produce. 17,000 units were made, a sizable number for the day. A prototype speaking version of this game was made ahead of its time but failed to be marketed. The object of the game is to spell out the name KISS. If you complete four times, a super bonus is awarded. Do it again and a colossal bonus is awarded. A third time awards a replay and a ton of points…which can be doubled if the 2x value drop targets are completed. The A, B, C, and D targets also can award extra balls and specials. The left drop targets award the KISS line when completed. All in all, an exciting game with great graphics but no speech. Talking pinballs finally made the scene with the release of Gorgar (in the museum). Replays are also awarded by score or matching. Matching is the process by which the last two numbers of your score match the generated number produced by the game.
  • 10,350 of these machines made it through the doors of Bally in 1978. Designed by the great Jim Patla and art package by Kevin O’Conner, this early wide body machine is a perfect match for the pinball trade as well as this museum. Even though it was made prior to vocalization in pinball machines, the sounds of the machine draw one in to play its features. All the technology of the 70s is present here with drop targets, loop shots, advancing bonus features and a novel kick back kicker between the flippers which, once achieved, brings the ball back into play instead of draining. Completing the spelling of “Silverball Mania” advances the bonus features. If you complete this feat three times in a game, a built in carrier feature advances on the backglass and awards an operator-adjustable reward, classically three free games. A great playfield flow was designed into the game with two “back to the top” shots enticing players along.
  • The last game of ’65 is a two-player add-a-ball game. It was designed by Ed Krynski with art by Roy Parker. A replay model also exists by the name of Paradise. Production run was a meager 265 units; the replay game had 2,100 units fabricated. The animated backglass on this game contains a dancing hula girl. When extra balls are won, they are represented as beach balls on the backglass. If you complete the sequence A, B, C, and D in that order, a free ball is your reward. Roto lights advance and indicate the value of the kickout holes. Points set by the operator award free balls also. An interesting guide rail is on either side of the flipper drains, a variation on a theme. This game is very rare due to its low production numbers.
  • If you like “Happy Days” of TV fame, you’ll immediately notice “The Fonz” on the backglass. George Christian designed this machine and Paul Faris penned the artwork package. The machine was very popular in the early days of solid-state pinball. 20,230 games were made and most of them were played down to the wood subsurface under the artwork due to excessive play. The pool-themed game is set up so that players one and three’s goal is to score balls 1 to 7 and players two and four are after the 9 to 15 balls. Once completed, the eight-ball target lights. This machine has a built-in memory recall of each player’s efforts and the game continues on your next ball where you left off. Bonus awards are 3,000 points per ball lit with a holdover feature from your previous accomplishments. The right bonus lane advances the winnings by 2x, 3x, 5x , super bonus, extra balls and specials.
  • 12,716 of these Mark Ritchie-designed games were produced in wide-body format. This machine has a lot of the action associated with the first three Indiana Jones adventures produced by Lucas and Spielberg and is rated in the top 10 machines of the ‘90s. Four multiball modes grace this machine as well as a ton of video clips designed by Brian Eddy. Twelve different scenes from the movies are represented. Completing these scenes awards a six-ball multiball sequence. A three-ball multiball sequence may be had by hitting the center drop targets and popping a ball into the drop hole behind them. The path of adventure is lit by hitting the letters in the word “adventure.” Doing so opens the path up the right ramp to the tilt-a-matic playfield in the upper left. The object here is to use the flipper buttons to guide the ball to glory.