Snow Derby

Snow Derby, manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in December 1970, is a two-player electro-mechanical machine with a skiing and snowmobiling theme, designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Art Stenholm. Of the 1,050 confirmed units produced, it stands alongside its four-player sibling, Gottlieb's 'Snow Queen,' released the same year.

The gameplay of Snow Derby features a robust set of mechanisms: two flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, seven standup targets, two spinning targets, and four kick-out holes. A free ball return lane and an end-of-ball bonus ladder round out the scoring options, with a maximum displayed score of 9,999 points per player. The bonus ladder is notable as a feature that, following games like Chicago Coin's 1939 'Nippy,' began appearing more regularly on pinball machines from this point forward. An add-a-ball version, Gottlieb's 1971 'Bristol Hills,' was later produced for use in New York State.

Snow Derby's design reflects Gottlieb's sports-themed output of the early 1970s. Specific details of its artwork and color scheme beyond the winter sports theme are not extensively documented, but the machine remains a solid representative of Gottlieb's EM game design during this transitional period in the industry.