Kow Tow

Kow Tow, manufactured by Bay City Games Incorporated in March 1932, is one of the earliest mechanical pinball machines in existence. As a Pure Mechanical (PM) game, it predates electromechanical and electronic pinballs, relying entirely on manual mechanisms to operate. This rarity makes Kow Tow a significant piece in pinball history, offering a glimpse into the early days of the game.

Gameplay was straightforward: for a nickel, a player received 10 balls, released one at a time into an alley, where they were shot with a cue stick toward scoring slots at the lower end of the case. As a table-top cue game, Kow Tow predates the flipper by more than a decade, so play relied entirely on the player's aim and touch with the cue rather than any electric or mechanical player controls. According to pinball historian Richard Bueschel, the game "was never advertised in the trade media," meaning it was sold locally by sample and word of mouth, which likely contributed to its short production life.

Little else is documented about Kow Tow's design or history beyond Bueschel's account, which describes only three known surviving examples, two of them found in Michigan near the manufacturer's home base. As one of the earliest surviving mechanical pinballs, it offers a fascinating opportunity for collectors and historians to study the development of the game before flippers, bumpers, or electricity entered the picture.