Sweet Sioux

Sweet Sioux, manufactured by Alben of France between 1958 and 1964 and dated to 1959, is a rare gem among electro-mechanical pinball machines. It is a licensed French adaptation of a Gottlieb design by Wayne Neyens, produced by Alben under license from D. Gottlieb & Co. of Chicago, in both 2-player and 4-player versions.

The gameplay experience is driven by a pair of flippers and three pop bumpers, which provided an exciting challenge to players seeking high scores. Two slingshots and two gobble holes added additional excitement, while bullseye targets, standup targets, and a roto-target offered multiple paths to scoring success -- notably, the roto-target on this game differs from the original Gottlieb version's center target. The machine's maximum displayed point score is 1,999 per player, with a replay wheel that can be spun up to 26 times.

The design and artwork of Sweet Sioux, credited to Gottlieb artist Roy Parker, are equally fascinating. While the game's Native American theme was likely inspired by post-war cultural interest in indigenous cultures, its aesthetic reflects the era's idealized Westerns. Notably, the cabinet art is rendered in formica, reportedly a popular material in France at the time, giving this licensed edition a distinct regional character within the broader Gottlieb design lineage.