Rotation VIII

Rotation VIII is a rare and intriguing solid-state electronic pinball machine from 1978, designed by Ron Halliburton with artwork by Rich Scafidi and mechanics by Tony Miller. Manufactured by Midway as a cocktail table, it's a testament to the company's willingness to experiment with unusual cabinet formats during the early solid-state era.

The machine boasts an impressive array of features, including three flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, eight standup targets, one kick-out hole, and a spinning target. But the real showstopper is the automatically rotating playfield, which allows up to four players seated around the cocktail table to play without moving their chairs. Players must adapt their strategies on the fly as the playfield rotates, making each shot a thrilling challenge. Rotation VIII is one of only two known solid-state pinball games with a rotating playfield, the other being The Valley Company's 1978 'Spectra IV.'

The Billiards theme suits its cocktail-table format well. Rotation VIII may not be as well-known as some other pinball classics, but its unusual rotating-playfield mechanism and cocktail-cabinet format make it a distinctive discovery for enthusiasts and collectors alike.