Progress

Progress, manufactured by Bally in August 1940, is a Flipperless electro-mechanical pinball machine from the pre-flipper era. With five balls for just five cents, Progress offered players a solid amount of value and replayability.

The machine's gameplay is characterized by its 15 passive bumpers and three rotating targets. A single driveshaft beneath the playfield rotates all three target carousels simultaneously, with the center carousel turning in the opposite direction from the other two -- reportedly a slow rotation rather than a fast spin, with the playfield artwork indicating the direction of rotation.

Unfortunately, there is limited information available about Progress's designer or any notable aspects of its theme. Nonetheless, its place in Bally's catalog as a late-era flipperless machine makes it a fascinating subject for enthusiasts studying the transition toward the flipper-based games that would follow within a few years.