The History of Pinball Part 1: The Electromechanical Era

Рет қаралды 96,562

2 жыл бұрын

In this video, we go through the history of pinball from its humble beginnings in the 30's to the mid-70's (aka the electromechanical era cause they're all EM's)
Special video credits go to the following. If you wanna see more detailed videos/gameplay for individual machines, I highly recommend checking these guys out
TNT Amusements Inc, Vintage Pinball, Flipper-Automaten, Pinrescue, London Pinball, David Yopp, Arcade Jason, The Pinball Collector, Fordeisel69, World of Virtual Pinball, gringonaut, Slamtiltproductions, Csepregi Ivan, ALJO1122, SCV Games, Ron Valkenburg, KingofTheCrap, Joel garblik, dtown8532, Whoahboomshakala, Tenholtpianist, pingeek777, Dr. Dave's Pinball Restorations, Jdswainjr, Pinball Evangelist, Doug Barger, tubz2965a, hoverbeaver, pafasa1972, Home Leisure Direct, Gee Tee, Joe Cole, Ballen Van Staal, Pindude152, Robothut, Derek Fugate, Roxer, Pinballwiz45b, Joe's Classic Video Games
Also, this whole project couldn't be possible without great resources like The Pinball Compendium series by Michael Shalhoub, IPDB, and Pinside.
Highlighted Tables
1.Baffle Ball (Gottlieb)
2.Ballyhoo (Bally)
3.Airway (Bally)
4.Jack and Jill (Bally)
5.Brokers Tip (Gottlieb)
6.Contact (Pamco)
7.Criss Cross ‘A’ Lite (Genco)
8.Beam-Lite (Chicago Coin)
9.Bumper (Bally)
10.Dux (Chicago Coin)
11.Humpty Dumpty (Gottlieb)
12.Triple Action (Genco)
13.Sally (Chicago Coin)
14.Saratoga (Williams)
15.The 4 Horsemen (Gottlieb)
16.Spark Plugs (Williams)
17.Niagara (Gottlieb)
18.Marble Queen (Gottlieb)
19.Coronation (Gottlieb)
20.Silver Chest (Genco)
21.Army Navy (Williams)
22.Super Jumbo (Gottlieb)
23.Balls-A-Poppin (Bally)
24.Turf Champ (Williams)
25.Flying Aces (Genco)
26.Gusher (Williams)
27.Miss Annabelle (Gottlieb)
28.Hi Straight (Keeney)
29.Flipper (Gottlieb)
30.Magic Clock (Williams)
31.Vagabond (Williams)
32.Sunday on Ice (Rally)
33.Show Boat (Gottlieb)
34.King Pin (Williams)
35.Sun Valley (Chicago Coin)
36.Moon Shot (Bally)
37.World Fair (Gottlieb)
38.Palooka (Williams)
39.Big Day (Bally)
40.Bazaar (Bally)
41.Rally Girl (Rally)
42.Flower’s Child (Rally)
43.Super Score (Gottlieb)
44.Blast Off (Williams)
45.Beat Time (Williams)
46.Hayburners II (Williams)
47.Domino (Gottlieb)
48.Airport (Gottlieb)
49.Miss Universo (Inder)
50.Snow Queen (Gottlieb)
51.Klondike (Williams)
52.Sea Hunt (Allied Leisure)
53.Fireball (Bally)
54.King Rock (Gottlieb)
55.Travel Time (Williams)
56.Jack In The Box (Gottlieb)
57.Strike (Zaccaria)
58.Amigo (Bally)
59.Super Flipper (Chicago Coin)
60.Wizard! (Bally)
61.El Dorado (Gottlieb)
Thanks for watching. Part 2 will probably take a bit longer to come out, but I'm very excited to finish this project.

Пікірлер: 247

@willowfarmer6550 Жыл бұрын

My jaw literally hit the floor seeing all of those tables getting destroyed. RIP.

@interwebpsychiosis 10 ай бұрын

That one hurt

@devonboulden2496 8 ай бұрын

I cheer if it's Space Station or Space Shuttle machines. Some machines are too boring to save. BTW: That was TNT Amusements. I love Todd and his friends. They do lots of videos so whenever I want to walk down memory lane, they have a video for it.

@bralex2670 8 ай бұрын

Space shuttle aint too bad. Space station on the other hand, maybe

@sailingsvzara 6 ай бұрын

@@bralex2670 Do you know why Todd was throwing machines off the roof?

@bralex2670 6 ай бұрын

It's been a while but I think those tables were beyond repair

@Valmont1978 5 ай бұрын

I watched this entire 4 part series with my mother in law and we laughed the whole time. Way to go making an extremely informative and entertaining series that for whatever reason is peppered with coyotes and ducks. I instantly shared it on my socials! Absolutely magnificent. I was hoping that you'd spend more time on individual tables through the years. Dr. Dude and his Xcellent Ray is my favorite pinball machine of all time! But there was a lot of story to tell and I know you couldn't spend too much time on an individual table. Keep up the awesome work!

@bralex2670 5 ай бұрын

Thanks there were definitely a few tables i could've talked about more. Radical is also a lot fun :)

@slimbomb Ай бұрын

Pinball FX has that in one of the packs, I turned my tv 90° and have been playing it. It’s awesome

@Exar_Kun 8 ай бұрын

This is literally the best documentary in the history of the universe!!

@slimbomb Ай бұрын

I knew the pinball destruction was coming but god that was actually painful. My whole dream is to work with pinball machines, those were beautiful.

@BallenvanStaal 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. You obviously did your research and spiced up the sometimes quite dry stories with catchy lighthearted humor. Love it! I even saw a glimpse of one of my own videos in there. What great honour! :)

@kennethd4958 11 ай бұрын

How do you only have 2.1K subs?? This documentary is awesome. Funny, entertaining and insanely informative.. perfect blend.

@Kerlimann Ай бұрын

Aside from the fact that this is the most comprehensive and educational documentary about pinball I've ever come across, I really LOVE the way you tell stories....so entertaining and never a boring moment! This rulez, YOU rule!

@zamiadams4343 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely brilliant, I'm a big pinball nut and this was fantastic, thank you!

@CaptainFoufeu 10 ай бұрын

My grandfather fought in World War II and he often told me about the Gottlieb Tank, Bally Dive Bomber and Chicago Coin Battleship. They're the reason America won the war!

@bralex2670 10 ай бұрын

Facts we couldnt have made it through without em

@thingsiplay 22 күн бұрын

I'm mildly amused. A very interesting documentation, can't wait to watch the rest of the series. You deserve way more subscribers.

@JohnShepherd104 2 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to Part 2! Keep up the good work. I would appreciate a few more moments to see the table designs as we move threw time.

@bralex2670 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. I get that, but I had to do it this way just to get along at a reasonable pace. There's just so much to cover

@bakatono666 2 жыл бұрын

This video is awesome! I watched it twice in a row. Learned a lot and a new respect for the old school pins. Thank you for this!

@ChadTheBird Жыл бұрын

NOT NEARLY enough subs! This series is dope.

@yumemirai4419 2 жыл бұрын

I never thought I'd be interested in this but this was a blast.

@mhm6 Жыл бұрын

There’s a pinball movie that came out in 2023. It’s actually an entertaining movie with good humor and plot

@bheasy1 2 жыл бұрын

As a pinball person, I didn't know some of these facts. Great job!

@LoQProductions 2 жыл бұрын

This was a great watch, can’t wait for part 2!

@nickcarter4006 Жыл бұрын

Video game history is so evergreen on KZfaq, but this story is even more interesting. I want to hear some classic pinball voice clips go memetic

@EpikYeti 2 жыл бұрын

You really did a great job making this both informative and entertaining! Great stuff!

@TampaTec 2 жыл бұрын

Great job with info, narrating, editing. 👍

@Safalo Жыл бұрын

KZfaq has been randomly recommending later parts, and now that I finally started watching I'm glad it did. That half hour flew by! Good info and good humor, I'm definitely here to stay and watch everything else you've got

@licoricewhip 2 жыл бұрын

This is very informative and entertaining! Great stuff here, Bralex.

@bralex2670 2 жыл бұрын

Great! I'm glad to hear you liked it! Keep on the lookout for part 2 whenever that comes out. I think the story will get more interesting from there.

@treyjohnson4035 2 жыл бұрын

Pinball is wonderful, I myself want the Halloween one.based on the movie.. I take it that the one in Rocky 3 might have been a.prop?

@enkisson666 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video. I just got my first pinball machine from a friend and it's actually mentioned here. 1963 Gottlieb Sweet Hearts.😊 Loving it has its small issues but works nonetheless. Thanks.

@fenomozo9108 2 жыл бұрын

In my country, Colombia, those bingo machines are refered as Pinball and are everywhere. There are like 4 o 5 actual Pinball Machines in my town (Bogotá). Is really sad. Great video, by the way.

@herbertpocket8855 Жыл бұрын

Incredible mix of well researched facts and amusing jokes. I had no idea that Microsoft Pinball Arcade had so many important classic tables

@Cameroo Жыл бұрын

Man. I really loved this series. Thank you for all your hard work on it!

@frauenhm 2 жыл бұрын

These videos are so much fun! Nice job on all the history and entertaining presentation.

@jimmyhuesandthehouserocker1069 Жыл бұрын

Bally at one time was big in bowlers, I'm not an authority but I'd say around the 1940's 'n 50's. Bally made some beautiful walnut and chrome, ball bowlers and if only I had enough space I'd guarantee you I'd have one by now. They had about a 12 foot lane and a black weighted rubber ball the size of a coconut. I knew a certain Betty Jastatt who had one in her basement 'n my passion was to play it and I did some repair work on it, too. The electro-mechanical engineering in how it was 6 players and it kept regulation bowling score was incredible, it was truly an electro-mechanical computer. Around 1982, I wrote to Bally and they send me a wiring schematic for free

@Bryan-qe5xt 2 жыл бұрын

Very good. Looking forward to part 2!

@cyperus4589 Жыл бұрын

Omg i actually shed a tear for those poor machines being tossed off the roof... Like for real that's just heartbreaking

@bralex2670 Жыл бұрын

Oh don't worry. Those particular machines were from TNTamusements and were beyond repair.

@strykerking Жыл бұрын

This is so good, can't wait to watch the rest of the series. Great work.

@rexdeanrds Жыл бұрын

Amazing, perfect, I only want to see documentaries in this style from now on.

@Snowsea-gs4wu 9 ай бұрын

At 21:45 “until the heat death of the universe”. Now that is settled LOL! Cool video, thanks!

@ExpressoMechanicTV 2 жыл бұрын

Fascinating. Very well researched and entertainingly presented.

@jackcan Жыл бұрын

love your presentation style, thanks so much for sharing! fascinating stuff

@pfredflyer 2 жыл бұрын

Loving the series man! Educational and funny

@grouuter 9 ай бұрын

I'm so amused for these machines. The history is so relevant now.

@00Mandy00 7 ай бұрын

I saw a pinball machine used in gambling as late as 1987. This is truly an amazing video.

@londonpinball Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the shout out. This video was very entertaining.

@viccamppinball Жыл бұрын

Fantastic video! Such an important and informative EM video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and passion.

@wimkuijpers1342 Жыл бұрын

Very nice video. My first pinball was a Keeney's Colorama (1963 It was their last game). On this machine I learned how to repair pinballs. Later also learned the digitals and now recreate them virtual with Visual Pinball.

@stephenalexander3057 Жыл бұрын

Really awesome work man! Great commentary, editing, and humor to make a perfectly enjoyable, informative video! Bravo

@parkerbohnn 2 жыл бұрын

This is a great video on pinball for pinball historians or any serious pinball player. Most people worked a job but for me I always played pinball at least eight hours a day for the last 50 or 60 years.

@user-mf7ur2ph8d 7 ай бұрын

Super awesome job. So much research and detail. Love it.

@SpaceSloth707 12 күн бұрын

Very nice video! Good humor and jokes, and also educational/informative. Quite cool and interesting to see the evolution of pinball machines.

@CyberUrza Жыл бұрын

I really love this series of videos. They are informative (and funny).

@jessierocket3955 Жыл бұрын

your script and delivery is PERFECTION!! xD loved it!

@jessyjava 5 ай бұрын

This video rocks thanks for making this!

@jimmyhuesandthehouserocker1069 2 жыл бұрын

The backglass on Big Deal features the Beatles, sitting around a card table, and I don't why this game isn't the famous classic you'd think it would be. You'd think everybody would want it

@luigi_garcia Жыл бұрын

Fantastic job! Super interesting and hilarious. Such unique machines Pinballs! I was crazy about them when I was a kid, but they disappeared fast and I never got the chance to savor them. After seeing this, hell, I need to have one! I opened Pandora's Box and there's no turning back. Big thanks man, subscribed!

@user-bu5ye3mr5w 7 ай бұрын

Keeney, what you don't remember, was a big name in bowlers from about the late 40's to the early 60's. Bally and Williams both made bowlers. Bally bowlers were beautiful scaled-down bowling alleys 12 feet long, with 6 players, replete with walnut hardwood and chrome castings and I would pay $10,000 to have one today. Scaled-down bowling commonly found in big-city bars, was once a genuine sport that many people took seriously and even had tournaments. The balls were about the size of coconuts and the pins around a foot high. The genius electromechanical system kept regulation score.

@TiltingT 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! Really enjoyed it.. cant wait fir part 2... Solid State!

@jayducharme 6 ай бұрын

Well done! Zaccaria made some of my favorite tables, really challenging to play with some interesting innovations. I wish they had kept going.

@affableshadow 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for this!

@zpmc55 Жыл бұрын

Hey dude! I recently got into the history of pinball, so I stumbled upon your channel. Just want to say that I really enjoy your video style. Whatever it is that you do in life, keep it up!

@michaelbixler87 Жыл бұрын

Great video! I love the “slapstick”comedy! Very informative and entertaining!

@michaelbixler87 Жыл бұрын

You had me with the civil war joke!

@tnpatriot7468 Жыл бұрын

Good video....looking forward to parts 2 and 3

@frkol 2 жыл бұрын

Great! Waiting for the next part.. :-)

@colinmurphy2127 3 ай бұрын

A great 4 part history of pinball. I still have to rate funhouse as my all-time favourite, closely followed by theatre of magic. I can remember in the mid to late 70’s an amusement arcade in Mablethorpe in the UK still had the old bingo pinball tables and also some jigsaw pinball tables (possibly Rockola), the arcade also had a quick draw game where you faced off against a six foot tall talking cowboy opponent for the princely sum of 2p

@500Erin 11 ай бұрын

Great job!

@v1rtu050 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic history - thanks!

@EpicStatues Ай бұрын

Great doc, congrats!

@gamezilla345 Жыл бұрын

my brother out here doin' the lord's work

@huey222 7 ай бұрын

Kudos on this accomplishment!

@screwthenet 6 ай бұрын

I have researched hte history of games, pub games, arcade games, slot machines and vending machines, and I LOVE IT ALL! THe older the better. This video was a long time coming and I have not seen the like anywhere else on youtube from what I can remember ( One or two channels might have a similar vid idk). BUT SUBBED! ^

@bralex2670 6 ай бұрын

Thanks :) I'd love to look into the history behind other old arcade games (like the one's you mentioned)

@screwthenet 6 ай бұрын

There are videos here and there to help, like this dude in vegas that collects very old boardwalk arcade machines from the 1960s and earlier. Hes got punching machines, old proto "pinball" I think, and shooting gallery lil machines, etc. Old slot machines from the 19th century and vending machiens pop up here and there on youtube, so check those out too. Super cool stuff, and eveyrthing goes back to old lawn games and pub games from europe. There was even supposedly a "vending" machine for "holy" water at an ancient greek or roman shrine 2000+ years ago lol So they say :P@@bralex2670

@casedistorted Жыл бұрын

Fantastic video! Def make more, and y'know.. turn into that huge youtube channel

@KNWIII 10 ай бұрын

"Jesus Christ, that's a lot of sisters!" 🤣😆🤣😆 Fantastic video. Thanks!

@HerrBerzerk 2 жыл бұрын

Great Video you made there!

@dcocz3908 Жыл бұрын

8:55 That pile of games, all they need is a shop, a few new bulbs and rubbers and they'll be back in action

@tonerotonero1375 10 ай бұрын

Beautiful. I bet the customer will be happy. I never heard about this shaker. Interesting..

@crudemocha248 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing videos, very funny and informative

@Kevscancave Жыл бұрын

Great Job! Very interesting 👍😎👍

@Notester82 Жыл бұрын

WOW, this is such a dope overview of pinball so far, can't believe this is just part 1! :D It was neat to see how some of the things that are common in pinball today got their start in the past and some of the history (like the ban + destruction of pinball tables and people being opposed to rolling score counters) is wild, whew. Also love some of the pinball tables you featured, I have a thing for minimalist/abstract art and interesting game mechanics (i.e. Williams' "OXO", one that I played a bit of prior to watching), so I took a liking to stuffs like Gottlieb's "Super Score", Rally's "Schuss", and Gottlieb's "Skipper". As I type this comment, I feel the urge to just binge the rest of the series, heh! ;u; Will pace myself instead, but I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series!

@bralex2670 Жыл бұрын

Rally tables hit different >:)

@Notester82 Жыл бұрын

They really do, it seems! "Flower's Child" especially, they went out with a bright, colorful bang. 💙

@jimmyhuesandthehouserocker1069 Жыл бұрын

those colored lights on Beamlight were actually horse capsules, for medicine

@GopnikGaming886 8 ай бұрын

I cried when they destroyed the pinball tables😢

@cubingclip8073 2 жыл бұрын

super under rated

@Hyperbolic_G Жыл бұрын

ToTAN music during the smash up scene was a fantastic choice

@troin3925 29 күн бұрын

I can't imagine pinball without flippers.

@dnbreyen Жыл бұрын

Great stuff!

@OtherMike5000 Жыл бұрын

Excellent!

@leehazlewoodism 2 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to Pt 2. Yours, subscriber #67

@CaptNRetro 2 жыл бұрын

this is fantastic, welcome to the club of youtubing pinball historians!

@wolfweb 2 жыл бұрын

This is great!

@Faxie83 Жыл бұрын

I love your humor.

@wildernessgames Жыл бұрын

Junkyard music (although that was a cop of "Money"). Cool vid.

@gravebeast9752 3 ай бұрын

This is the most early KZfaq video I have seen in a long time

@lukewarmloser Жыл бұрын

I like this video because i decided to learn about pinball machines right now

@lukewarmloser Жыл бұрын

These are so cool

@Comander555666 Жыл бұрын

If you havent, try Pinball FX 22 VR, Pinball in VR is truely amazing, next level! Lovely video btw

@lukewarmloser Жыл бұрын

This is good video i like the editing its funny

@jerrymcsendee Жыл бұрын

I expected something informative but dry. Informative, detailed, well-researched, indeed; but you're f'ing hi-larious dude. Not just pithy, but a real and consistent style of humor.

@PinStratsDan 2 жыл бұрын

Great stuff... and funny ;-)

@FrkyFrenchFryFriends Жыл бұрын

We will watch your career with great interest.

@Seemsayin Жыл бұрын

Dude... you're funny. Great video.

@skeven0 Жыл бұрын

this was a fun an quirky retrospective, i really enjoyed it! good job also what were the pins that were trown of the roof, it was a sad sight tbh

@roccocasazza4145 6 ай бұрын

The Four Horseman football game was probably a reference to the nickname being for a group of players at Notre Dame

@BoosterGoldv76 10 ай бұрын

Pinball is fucking amazing, thank you

@hillbilly4895 8 ай бұрын

Kid, your script and narration are really good. Boomer-centric subject matter is a plus...till all the boomers die. Only 2500 sub's? Yeah, you're better than that.

@retrogamestudios7649 Жыл бұрын

Very pinheaded of you. Great job....onto part 2.... electricity...how did they use it to gamble back in the day? Was it designed specifically as a gambling device?.....what's the oldest working (and assuming it's the most expensive) pinball machine still in existence? Is there any videos of it..... whatever it may be

@bralex2670 Жыл бұрын

I can't be sure if pinball was originally designed for gambling, but it definitely turned that way at some point. EM's generally aren't that expensive to get these days (at least not when compared to nowadays) but I think you'd have a hard time getting your hands on a 30's/40's table

@dr.awkward9075 Жыл бұрын

It was a dark & stormy night & one man had the balls...

@tristanwegner 11 ай бұрын

Pinball machines are actually called Flipper in Germany. Today that makes more sense, since the pins are mostly gone, but the flippers are still central.

@bralex2670 11 ай бұрын

Interesting. I always thought flipperball would o made more sense