Nags

Meet Nags, a 1960 electro-mechanical pinball machine from Williams, designed by company founder Harry Williams, that's sure to captivate horse racing fans and pinball enthusiasts alike. Its standout feature is a mechanical backbox animation in which horses race to the finish line, tied directly to the outcome of gameplay.

What sets Nags apart is its innovative mechanical gimmick: six pop bumpers sit on a rotating turntable, and hitting them affects which horse advances in the backbox race. Landing a winning horse awards replays on a sliding scale - 10 on the first ball down to 1 on the fourth or fifth, or an alternate operator-adjustable schedule of 5 down to 1. Operators could also configure whether the game ends early once a horse crosses the finish line, or continues for the full five balls.

The design and art on Nags, by George Molentin, are equally distinctive, featuring the animated backglass horse race described above. A metal cigarette holder on the left wood rail adds a period touch, and the game's turntable notably kept spinning even when not in active play. Its sound is provided by a simple mechanical knocker. With its rotating pop-bumper turntable and racing gimmick, Nags remains a memorable piece of early-1960s Williams design.