Big Chief

The Genco Manufacturing Company's Big Chief, produced in November 1940, is a flipperless electro-mechanical pin game from the years just before America's entry into World War II. Its design reflects the era's fascination with Native American warrior imagery, a theme that appeared on many coin-operated games of the period.

Gameplay on Big Chief centers on its 20 passive bumpers, a common mechanism of the period for scoring points as the ball rebounds down the playfield. As a flipperless game - flippers would not appear in pinball until 1947 - play relied on the launch, gravity, and careful nudging rather than direct player control.

The machine's backglass measures an impressive 20 by 20 inches, featuring its Native American warriors theme. While the designer of Big Chief remains unknown, the machine offers an intriguing look at pinball as it stood in 1940, from one of Chicago's established coin machine manufacturers.