River Boat

The River Boat pinball machine, designed by Norm Clark and manufactured by Williams in September 1964, is a single-player electromechanical machine built around an American history, cards/gambling, and riverboat theme.

The machine is equipped with two flippers, five pop bumpers, two passive bumpers, two slingshots, four standup targets, a swinging target, and a rollunder, along with two rollover buttons. Its backglass features light animation in which playing cards illuminate as the game progresses, and the cabinet uses a reverse wedge head design. The maximum displayed score is 9,999 points, with a replay wheel maxing out at 20 and sound provided by two bells and a knocker.

River Boat's theme, evoking American riverboat gambling, is rendered through backglass and playfield art typical of Williams' mid-1960s EM output. With 1,650 confirmed units produced (1,005 for USA/Canada and 645 for export) at a distributor price of $330, it represents a solid mid-decade release from designer Norm Clark.