Rack-A-Ball

The Rack-A-Ball, designed by Wayne Neyens with art by Roy Parker, was manufactured by Gottlieb in December 1962. It's a single-player electro-mechanical machine built around a billiards/sports theme, featuring mechanical backbox animation in which billiard balls appear to move and interact.

Gameplay uses 5-ball play, with players aiming to accumulate points -- up to a maximum displayed score of 1,999 -- via two flippers, four pop bumpers, two slingshots, three standup targets, and a stationary post below the flippers. A replay wheel tracks scoring up to a maximum of 26, with three bells and a knocker providing sound. Notably, there's no 3-ball/5-ball option on this game; it's fixed at 5-ball play.

The Rack-A-Ball's wedge-head cabinet and billiards-themed art reflect Gottlieb's early-1960s style, and it shares its playfield layout with two later Gottlieb titles: 1964's Bowling Queen and 1969's Mibs. With 2,700 confirmed units produced, it was a solidly popular release rather than a rare one, and remains an accessible piece of pinball history for collectors today.