Pinball Manufacturing Inc / Illinois Pinball Inc.

Pinball Manufacturing Inc., a division of Illinois Pinball Inc. (also known as Illinois Pinball or IPB), is a small American pinball manufacturer best known for producing a limited-run remake of Capcom’s Big Bang Bar under the trade name PMI, blending reproduction craftsmanship with licensed Capcom hardware and artwork to appeal to collectors and pinball enthusiasts. The company’s marquee release, Big Bang Bar, was produced in a constrained series with final confirmed production around 191 units after early European shipments in 2006 and completion in 2007, making it a notable limited-production pinball machine in the modern nostalgia market. Illinois Pinball/PMI recreated many original Capcom design elements while making pragmatic manufacturing changes (for example, different electroluminescent lamp voltages and a slightly smaller tube dancer), shipped machines with numbered collector plaques, and used common Capcom circuit boards though Capcom itself was not directly involved in production. Founded and led by Gene Cunningham, the company faced reported setbacks and cost overruns during the remake effort but succeeded in delivering a faithful reproduction that revived a rare 1996 Capcom title for operators and collectors alike. While the Big Bang Bar remake remains PMI/Illinois Pinball’s most documented achievement and the primary public release tied to the brand, public information about broader or ongoing product lines from Pinball Manufacturing Inc. is limited, which further contributes to the company’s reputation among collectors as a boutique pinball manufacturer of scarce, high-interest reproductions.