Jitter-Bug

The Jitter-Bug is a notable EM novelty machine from Genco Manufacturing Company, released in 1938. Unlike most pinball machines of its day, it offered no free-play replays; instead, it is a Flipperless machine with two fixed extra-ball score thresholds, at 12,000 and 14,000 points.

Gameplay on the Jitter-Bug centers on its thirteen spring bumpers, which provide a distinctive tactile feel that pinball enthusiasts of the era prized. As a Flipperless machine, players relied on plunger skill and bumper action alone, with the fixed extra-ball thresholds adding a layer of challenge and replay incentive despite the absence of free games. The machine's design and artwork evoke a sense of joy and celebration, with its theme centered on happiness, music, dancing, and singing.

Not much else is documented about the Jitter-Bug beyond its technical specifications and notable features; its replay-award counterpart, released the same year, was Genco's 'Ragtime.' Pinball enthusiasts will appreciate the opportunity to experience a piece of history that has been preserved for nearly nine decades.