Schuss

Schuss is a 1968 electro-mechanical pinball machine from Rally (also known as Rally Play Company) of Nice, France, with a Snow Skiing theme -- its name referencing the alpine skiing term for a straight, high-speed downhill run. As an EM machine, it predates electronic logic in pinball, instead relying on relays mounted on circuit boards, microswitches, and Nixie tube electronic scoring for gameplay and display.

The game features four flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, four standup targets, eleven star rollovers, and a center up-post between the bottom flippers. Its most distinctive feature is the "Chance" replay system: rather than a traditional number-match feature at game over, a replay is awarded on a random basis, signaled by the word "Chance" lighting up on the backglass. The domestic French version awards actual replays, while an Add-A-Ball version was also produced for the Italian market.

Schuss's use of Nixie tube scoring alongside relay-based electronic sounds makes it a technically interesting machine from the late 1960s, sitting at the intersection of mechanical and electronic pinball design just before the flipper era's next major shifts.