Hit Number

Hit Number, manufactured by J. H. Keeney and Company Incorporated of Chicago in September 1938, is an artifact from the early days of pinball history. Produced nearly a decade before the invention of the flipper, this single-player electro-mechanical (EM) machine comes from a period when manufacturers were experimenting with new ideas, electrical scoring, and novel playfield designs.

Hit Number carries a music and dancing theme, a lighthearted subject typical of late-1930s games. As a flipperless machine, play consisted of shooting balls onto the playfield and watching them find their way into scoring positions, with the player's skill expressed mainly through the plunger. Detailed information about the game's specific features, rules, and artwork has not survived in the historical record.

Not much is known about the design or art of Hit Number, but its relative obscurity only adds to its allure. As a pre-war pinball machine from a prominent Chicago manufacturer, Hit Number provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of the game during the 1930s. For enthusiasts, it serves as a tangible connection to the early days of pinball, highlighting the innovation and experimentation that defined this period in gaming history.