Jolly Jokers

Jolly Jokers, designed by Steve Kordek and manufactured by Williams in January 1962, is an interesting piece of early-1960s electro-mechanical pinball. It is an Add-A-Ball game, a format developed for jurisdictions where awarding free replays was prohibited, and only 700 units were produced. Its replay counterpart is Williams' 1962 '3 Coins', which shares the design but carries different artwork.

Gameplay features include two flippers, five pop bumpers, two slingshots, four standup targets, and a swinging target. A distinctive touch is the large non-kicking rebound rubber positioned between and below the flippers, which changes how balls behave in the lower playfield and adds an extra wrinkle to the player's experience.

With its small production run, Add-A-Ball format, and the involvement of Steve Kordek, by then already a veteran designer whose career stretched back to the late 1930s, Jolly Jokers remains an appealing find for enthusiasts of early-1960s Williams games.