Temptation

Temptation, manufactured by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company in November 1948, is a single-player electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine with a swimming and water-skiing recreation theme, of which 900 units were confirmed produced.

One of the standout features of Temptation is its use of automatic flippers in the upper playfield -- two of the machine's four flippers activate automatically when a ball rolls over switches positioned in front of them, letting the game redirect the ball without direct player input. A single kick-out hole rounds out the notable features.

The swimming and water-skiing theme is a charming example of early pinball's focus on everyday recreational activities. The machine has a compact footprint, measuring approximately 53 inches long, 23 1/2 inches wide, and 65 inches high at the back on its legs. Little additional information is documented about the machine's design or history, but its automatic-flipper mechanic makes Temptation a notable curiosity from late-1940s Chicago Coin.