Stadium

The Stadium pinball machine, manufactured by Como Manufacturing Corp. in June 1951, is a football-themed electro-mechanical (EM) game and, notably, Como's first and only pinball release. The Stadium's design and gameplay reflect the simplicity and mechanical charm characteristic of early EM pinball games.

The game boasts several distinctive features. For five cents, players receive ten balls of playtime, a generous offering for the time period. The presence of 10 trap holes adds an element of challenge and strategy to gameplay, while a three-tilt warning system is a notable touch: each warning lights a letter in the word T-I-L-T on the backglass, and the game tilts once the full word is lit. The bell only rings when a credit is awarded, rather than providing feedback for each shot or score, and there is no knocker on the game.

The Stadium's design and art are quintessential examples of 1950s pinball aesthetics, evoking American football with a stadium backglass theme. While little is known about the game's individual designer, contemporary accounts credit several people at Como -- including Larry Costello, Jerry Gerardin, Carl Knipple, and Ralph Nicholson -- with bringing the machine to market.