Holiday

Holiday, manufactured by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company in December 1948, is an interesting example of early flipper-era electro-mechanical pinball design. Released within about a year of the flipper's 1947 debut, it shows manufacturers still experimenting with how the new device could shape gameplay, and only 700 units were confirmed produced, making it a relatively uncommon find today.

Holiday's gameplay is characterized by its unusual combination of manual and automatic flipper controls. The machine carries four flippers in total, two of which are automatic flippers in the upper playfield that activate on their own when balls roll over the switches in front of them. Ten numbered passive bumpers must be hit in numerical sequence to score, with a rollover button lighting the next bumper in sequence, and a kick-out hole rounds out the playfield. This sequential scoring system adds an extra layer of challenge and strategy, and the game offered five balls for five cents.

The machine's theme centers on snow skiing and vacationing, evoking a sense of fun and leisure. With limited information available about its design and development, Holiday remains an enigmatic but fascinating piece of pinball's early flipper era.