A collection of Pinball History Articles, includes bagatelle, bingo, payout and coin-op machines!

Many pinball fans are not knowledgeable about Bingo Machines, and few have played
them. HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!

Visual Pinball is the FREE program that lets you play simulated
versions of REAL pinball machines on your computer. It is not difficult to load
and use Visual Pinball. True, it's not the same as playing the real machine,
but where can you play hundreds of simulations for free, on machines that work
fine and require no spare parts? The simulations vary in quality from so-so
to drop-dead, right-on perfect. Check out Pinball Nirvana, IRPinball, Pinball Originals and VPForums for Visual Pinball.

The major reason I hear from people about why they don't play Flipperless games is that they find it boring. And so I'll always ask which Flipperless games they've played, so I can suggest at least a few others for them to try. And wouldn't you know it, most of the time they stammer "Well, now I haven't actually played any Flipperless games yet, but I'm sure they're boring. I mean, how could a game of pinball be fun without flippers"? How indeed! Well, just like EM games are different than Solid State, but both can be and often are fun, the same is more true about Flipperless and even Novelty games. In fact, there is much more variety and lack of boredom with these games than with flippered tables. Let me give you some examples, and while I'm more a fan of Flipperless than your average modern game, I'll stick to the facts.

Even before the days of arcade games, there were all sorts of amusement and game devices to while away your leisure time. In fact, the variety for players was much more diverse than nowadays, as is evidenced by the baseball table I found offered recently on eBay. Believed to be the only remaining one like it, the Chester Pollard Amusement Company's coin-op game looks similar in size to a pool table, and possibly even used a cue stick for part of the game. I have studied the five pictures, one of the rules placard, and still haven't been able to figure out just how this game might have been played. Take a look at the photos to follow and see if you get a fix on what was involved in this unusual game.

Pinball has a storied and fascinating history, and much of that history involved both Flipperless and EM tables. This History Lesson will tell on one beginning, which corrects an incorrect myth we may believe, and two endings. While many pinheads might think Baffle Ball by Gottlieb was the first Pinball Machine, that simply isn't true. The game that is recognized as the first Pinball machine is Champion Whiffle in 1931, by Automatic Industries, possibly only weeks before Baffle Ball was released. Maybe since Automatic Industries survived only until 1936, their role in pinball lore seems to have at times been overlooked.

When most pinball fanatics think about the origins of this game we all love, if they ever do at all, they may recall hearing about bagatelle, or maybe they remember playing a toy version. But the roots of Stern's Simpson's Pinball Party may run much deeper and extend quite a bit further back then most of us would ever begn to imagine.

The first known flipperless coin-op was made either in 1902 or 1903 by Caille Brothers, and was Log Cabin (IPD Link). Log Cabin was actually a trade stimulator used by a single player, while a store owner watched to see if the player would get a ball in one of the scoring slots. If the ball made it into one of the numbered slots, the player would win 1, 2, 3, or 10 cigars, depending on how good, or how lucky a player he was.

By Wally

I have been playing Bingo Pinball for about twenty-five years, and consider myself
a 'good player'. Like any game of skill, the more you play the better youl become.
A flippered pinball game may take a player years to master, where a bingo game
can take decades and still be just as fun and exciting as day one.

By Will Degelmann, druadic

Clicking on a name below opens a IPD link

Flipperless payout machines first appeared about 1933, when folks seemed to enjoy a good challenge, and a quick way to double their lowly penny, nickle, or dime. Many payout machines were made by rather obscure manufacturers, but some of the best known machines were made by Bally and Keeney. Both companies were somehow always came up with many new, inventive ways to fatten their own pockets, as well as help operators, who bought their machines. What set these machines apart from more standard flipperless was the difficulty factor. This varied with each of the machines, but they all were tougher to play, and much more of a challenge, than regular games. Other companies jumped into the fray, hoping to make a fast buck, and perhaps earning even higher profits from the sales, as each new machine offered different gadgets and gimmacks.

Remember when there were these places called 'arcades'? I’m not referring to some 20’ x 20’ room that your local movie theatre might have, or even the larger facilities out there like GameWorks or Dave and Buster’s. No, I’m talking about an honest to God arcade, where the sight owns, operates, and maintains all the machines inside. A place where the attendants actually cared more about you having a good time than making an extra fifty cents.

With the passing of Dick Bueschel, Russ Jensen may well be our leading pinball historian. And just like Dick, Russ is generous not only with his time and resources, but also his knowledge.

I feel that should earn Russ not only our gratitude, but also our thankful respect. I can’t think or anyone who as a hobbyist has done more to promote and help preserve pinball than Russ. As enthusiasts, we should applaud his effort. I thought we might get to know Russ better if you know where his Pinball Roots are planted.

It's amazing to me how often I have heard that one certain phrase.
I'm pretty sure those who say it aren't really intending to upset me, and if they realized how much their words really sting, they probably wouldn't even say it in the first place. I consider each of them friends, and I'll presume most of them return my opinion, which makes their words just that much more bitter of a pill to swallow. Now, maybe I should correct the next person who says it to me, but I don't want to make anyone feel bad, nor do I want to start a debate when I'm not even sure they would understand my position.