King Fish

The King Fish, manufactured by Genco in August 1935, holds a unique place in pinball history as the only one-ball payout machine the company ever produced. As an early electro-mechanical (EM) machine, it reflects the rapid experimentation that characterized the payout-machine segment of the industry's early days.

The game's playfield featured 16 trap holes and at least one free-play hole; contemporary advertising claimed a "mystery award" paying out from $1 to $5, though the exact mechanics connecting the trap holes to that award are not fully documented. Unfortunately, King Fish did not live up to its promise: according to historical accounts, it proved mechanically deficient, and Genco received so many complaints from operators that it was forced to take the games back.

The King Fish's design and artwork are typical of its era, featuring simple illustrations of fish and other aquatic motifs tied to its fishing theme. Because the recalled machines may have been destroyed or repurposed, no modern surviving examples or photographs are known, making King Fish one of the more elusive and historically curious machines of the payout-game era.