Hawaiian Isle

The Hawaiian Isle pinball machine, designed by Ed Krynski with art by Roy Parker and released in January 1966 by Gottlieb, is a rare two-player electro-mechanical game with an interesting backstory: it is a version of Gottlieb's 1965 'Pleasure Isle' made specially for the Italian market, configured as an add-a-ball game because Italy had banned 'extra balls' at the time. Only 500 units were confirmed produced, and surviving examples show a curious progression — some have 'Pleasure Isle' still printed on the playfield, some have 'Hawaiian Isle' printed over a rectangle of white paint covering the old name, and some have 'Hawaiian Isle' properly screened onto the playfield.

The game itself is full of charm. Two mechanical backbox animations — a hula dancer and beach balls — bring the tropical theme to life, and a projection roto unit sits under the playfield. Players work with two flippers, four pop bumpers, two slingshots, five standup targets, and four relay kick-out holes, chasing a maximum displayed score of 9,999 points per player.

Because of its export status, the playfield omits the words "Same Player Shoots Again When Lit" between the flippers, and the backglass counts only "Balls To Play" rather than referencing continued play. These regulatory quirks, together with its low production run and Roy Parker artwork, make Hawaiian Isle a prized find among collectors of 1960s Gottlieb games.