Humpty Dumpty (pinball)
| Manufacturer | D. Gottlieb & Co.[1] |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 25, 1947 [2] |
| Model # | 1 |
| Players | 1 |
| Design | Harry Mabs |
| Artwork | Roy Parker |
| Production run | 6,500 units[2] |
Humpty Dumpty is a pinball machine released by Gottlieb on October 25, 1947.[2] Named after Humpty Dumpty, the nursery rhyme character, it is the first pinball machine to include electromechanical flippers — invented by Harry Mabs[3] — distinguishing it from earlier bagatelle game machines.[1][4]
In 2008, the Popular Mechanics website included the machine on a list of the top eight most innovative pinball machines of all time.[5]
Description
Humpty Dumpty had six of these flippers, referred to as "flipper bumpers" by the company.[6] However, unlike modern pinball tables, they faced outward instead of inward and were not placed at the bottom of the table near the main outhole.[5]
Like all early pinball tables, Humpty Dumpty was constructed with wood and had backlit scoring in preset units of scoring rather than mechanical reel or electronic LED scoring.
Design team
- Concept: Harry Mabs
- Game Design: Harry Mabs
- Mechanics: Harry Mabs
- Artwork: Roy Parker
- Animation: Harry Mabs
Digital version
The table was virtually recreated in the PC version of pinball simulation video game Microsoft Pinball Arcade in 1998,[7] although it was not included in the Game Boy Color version.
References
- ^ a b "Microsoft Pinball Arcade". Microsoft. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Gottlieb "Humpty Dumpty". The Internet Pinball Database.
- ^ Brack, Ray (December 30, 1967). "Vendors-into-music rated as biggest story of 1967". Billboard. Vol. 79, no. 52. pp. 49, 54. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Boland, Ed (2 June 2002). "F.Y.I - Question". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ a b Porges, Seth (5 August 2008). "Top 8 Most Innovative Pinball Machines of All Time". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ Cumming, Terry. "50th Anniversary of the Flipper - The Modern Game is Born". Pinnovations. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "PC Games: Microsoft Pinball Arcade". pc.ign.com. February 11, 1999. Archived from the original on 2002-02-18. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
External links
- Humpty Dumpty at the Internet Pinball Database