Articles and information covering pinball history.
Exploring EMs: Ted Zale and New Frontiers for Bally
Ted Zale designed for Bally from 1963 to 1973. Here, we look back at eight of his machines and what each one introduced, from lock-and-release multiball on Star-Jet to the Balligator on Nip-It.
solar_espeon
Remembering Dolly Parton: Her Legacy in Pinball and Beyond
Dolly Parton passed away on August 25 at the age of 80. solar_espeon looks back at the 1979 Bally game that carried her name, the backglass her team sent back for a redraw, and how it plays.
solar_espeon
Exploring EMs: The Legendary Career of Designer Wayne Neyens
Wayne Neyens spent more than 40 years designing for Gottlieb. Here, we look back at some of his most influential ideas and popular designs.
solar_espeon
The 150 Most Historically Significant Pinball Machines
154 years of pinball firsts: from an 1871 bagatelle patent to the largest homebrew ever built.
Joe Ciaravino
Exploring EMs: A Rundown of the Top 10 Electromechanical Games, According to IPDB Users
The ten best electromechanical games ever made, as rated by users of the Internet Pinball Database. solar_espeon runs down what makes each one great, from Gottlieb's drop-target classics to a surprise #1 from Williams.
solar_espeon
Is IPDB Dying? Visualizing the Slow Death of a Pinball Institution
IPDB.org has been the pinball community's go-to database for over two decades. But the data tells a troubling story: database updates are down 93% since 2020, 71% of major pinball releases since 2020 are missing entirely, and search visibility has collapsed.
Colin Alsheimer
Today is The First International Pinball Day
Celebrating the first International Pinball Day.
Joe Ciaravino
Another Cunning Development: A Retrospective on the Pro Pinball Series
Read this deep dive into several extremely influential digital pinball releases from the Pro Pinball digital pinball series in the 1990s.
Noah Crable
Visual History: A Story of Pinball Innovation in the Early Solid State Days
A story of pinball innovation in the early solid state days.
Colin Alsheimer
Around the Playfield with “Pinball” Geoff Harvey
Let's go Around the Playfield with Pinball Geoff Harvey. In this conversation, I wanted to learn more about Geoff’s history with pinball, what’s kept him engaged with the hobby for so long, and see if we could get some insight into the state of modern pinball relative to its past.
Colin Alsheimer
Watch: Silverball Heroes Battle Video Invaders
Does anybody win in an arcade game Civil War? Watch to find out!
Colin Alsheimer
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About America's Pinball Prohibition
The story behind the dark ages of pinball prohibition in America.
Brad Milison
VIDBALL: The Untold Story of Midway’s Last Pinball Project
The untold story of Midway's last pinball project.
Teri Bertram
Understanding the Italian Bottom
In the world of pinball, particularly modern pinball, there tends to be a relatively consistent layout to the lower playfield. This structure of design is commonly referred to as the “Italian Bottom”, but a lot of people do not fully understand what that entails. Indeed, individual definitions can v
Dennis Kriesel
The Dawn of the Solid-State Era
Taking a look at the first production board sets of the major U.S. pinball manufacturers during the transition to solid-state technology.
Dennis Kriesel