Hot Line

Hot Line, designed by Steve Kordek and released by Williams on September 15, 1966, is a single-player electro-mechanical game with a fishing theme. With 3,651 units produced, it was a solid seller in Williams' mid-1960s lineup, and an add-a-ball version was released as Williams' 1966 'Big Strike.'

Gameplay offers 3- or 5-ball play across a layout of two flippers, five pop bumpers, a passive bumper, two slingshots, and two standup targets, with an upper right ball return gate adding variety to ball paths. The game's cleverest feature is its matrix of rollover buttons in the center playfield: as the ball rolls over them, they spell out H-O-T-L-I-N-E to light the Special. Interestingly, two of the buttons never need to light for this and have no light bulb sockets wired to them - in a sense, the feature could be called an electromechanical dot matrix display.

Hot Line's design and artwork are quintessential examples of 1960s pinball aesthetics, with bright colors and bold graphics typical of the era. Kordek's attention to detail in the letter-spelling rollover matrix makes the game a charming showcase of what EM designers could achieve with lights and relays.