Hi-Hat

Hi-Hat, manufactured by Genco Manufacturing Company of Chicago in May 1941, is a single-player flipperless electro-mechanical game from the pre-war era of pinball. Genco, which operated from 1931 to 1958, was one of Chicago's established coin-op makers, and Hi-Hat reflects the straightforward style of play that defined the period.

The playfield is populated with 20 passive bumpers, giving players plenty of scoring opportunities as the ball works its way down the table with only plunger skill and nudging to guide it. The machine's theme, centered on girls and women, was common imagery for coin-op games of the time and adds to its nostalgic appeal.

Specific details about Hi-Hat's designer or artist are not documented, but the machine offers a glimpse into pinball's early visual style and into Genco's output during the years just before wartime restrictions paused game production.