Skipper

"Skipper," a 1969 electro-mechanical game from D. Gottlieb & Company, is a solid entry in the annals of pinball history. Designed by Ed Krynski with art by Art Stenholm, this water-sports-themed, 4-player game features two flippers, three pop bumpers, and a rotating arrow bumper, all contributing to an engaging playfield.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Skipper is its vari-target system. Unlike traditional targets that reset upon being hit, these remain in their struck position until a ball lands in the adjacent kick-out hole, collecting the target value. The operator can adjust whether the targets reset after each ball or after each game; when set to reset after each game, they become a carry-over feature from player to player, and repeated hits by either player can increase the target value before it is collected. This adds a layer of strategy to the gameplay.

Skipper's sound package of three chimes and a knocker is notable in its own right: it was Gottlieb's first game to use the new three-chime assembly, replacing the bells used in the preceding game, Mibs. With 1,675 confirmed units produced, Skipper remains a solid, if lower-production, entry in Gottlieb's early-1970s lineup for collectors interested in the company's transition-era hardware.