Kong Kong

Meet Kong Kong, a rare pure-mechanical pin game from 1931, manufactured by American Mill and Manufacturing Company of Dallas, Texas. Production began November 20, 1931, making it one of the earliest known pinball-style machines, predating the electromechanical (EM) era that would later transform the industry. Notably, Kong Kong is considered a copycat of the popular 1931 game Whiffle, which had launched just months earlier that June.

Kong Kong's gameplay offered ten balls for five cents, providing plenty of play for the price at a time when the format was still new. Its cabinet featured a walnut finish, giving it a more refined look than some of its bare-bones contemporaries. By the time a February 1932 advertisement went to press, the manufacturer reported that 450 units had already been sold.

As one of the earliest pinball-style machines in existence, and a direct competitor to Whiffle, Kong Kong offers a glimpse into the crowded, fast-copying marketplace of pin games in the early 1930s.