Hi-Lo

The Hi-Lo, produced by Automatic Games Company of St. Paul, Minnesota in January 1932, marks one of the earliest entries into the nascent world of coin-operated pinball. As a purely mechanical game with no electrical components, it comes from the very first years of the industry, and its playfield is a clone of the popular Whiffle design. Hi-Lo appears to be the only game Automatic Games Company ever produced; a May 1932 trade article reported that the A.M. Walzer Company took over their manufacturing facilities and planned to continue making Hi-Lo, though no Walzer-attributed examples have been found.

The gameplay is straightforward: five cents buys 10 balls, nine of which are white and count single, while one red ball counts double. A large round knob on the right side of the cabinet loads the balls into play. The walnut cabinet was advertised as 38 inches long by 18 inches wide, and detachable legs made the game easy to transport between locations.

As a countertop-era mechanical game from a short-lived regional manufacturer, Hi-Lo is a testament to the flurry of innovation and experimentation that defined pinball's earliest days, making it an appealing find for collectors of pre-electric games.