Bowlette

The Bowlette, designed by Gottlieb's Harry Mabs with artwork by Roy Parker, was released in February 1950. It is a miniature shuffle alley rather than a true pinball machine -- officially classified as 'Not A Pinball' -- in which the player slides a puck toward rollover switches that represent bowling pins, mimicking the sport of bowling in miniature form.

Gameplay on the Bowlette centers on completing 10 frames of play for 5 cents, with players sliding the puck to trigger the rollover switches standing in for pins. Gottlieb produced roughly 3,000 confirmed units, reflecting the postwar popularity of bowling-themed amusement games as an alternative to full-size shuffle alleys and pinball machines.

The Bowlette's design, credited to artist Roy Parker, uses a bowling-alley aesthetic to reinforce its theme. As an early and relatively successful example of a miniature bowling novelty game from Gottlieb, the Bowlette offers a glimpse into the variety of coin-operated amusements the company produced alongside its pinball line in the early 1950s.