Big Hit

Big Hit, manufactured by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company in October 1962, is an electro-mechanical baseball 'bat game' - a genre in which the player swings a bat at pitched balls rather than using flippers. These pitch-and-bat machines were a popular arcade staple alongside conventional pinball during the golden age of EM games, and Big Hit is a characteristic example of Chicago Coin's work in the category.

Each play delivers 15 to 30 balls, giving the player a full at-bat session, and the game features nine hanging targets. Missing a target ends the game, so every swing counts. The backglass sets the tone with silkscreened encouragements: "GOOD HIT KEEP SHOOTING" inside a white rectangle and "HIT ANY PLAYER OR STAR FOR EXTRA BALL" inside a yellow oval.

The machine's presentation is simple but effective, with a minimalist sound package of a single chime and a bell punctuating the action. Little information survives about the game's designer, but its straightforward challenge and nostalgic baseball charm make Big Hit an appealing piece of early-1960s arcade history.