Beatniks

The 1967 Beatniks pinball machine by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company is a two-player electro-mechanical game with a music and dancing theme, released in January 1967. Its counterculture-inspired subject matter gives it a distinctive personality among the games of its era, and an Italian export version was also produced.

The machine's notable features include its two flippers, four pop bumpers, two slingshots, two rollunders, and action ring. Spelling "BEATNIKS" on the backglass awards one replay and serves as a carry-over feature from game to game, while the maximum displayed point score is 9,999 points per player. The replay wheel, with its printed paper strip displaying numbers up to 28, adds an element of tactile, mechanical charm to the gameplay experience.

The artwork by Christian Marche is characteristic of the mid-1960s electro-mechanical pinball aesthetic, with bold colors and stylized graphics that evoke the beatnik counterculture's sense of rebellion and nonconformity. Its playful theme and Marche's artwork make it an intriguing find for collectors and enthusiasts of 1960s pinball.