Flower's Child
About This Machine
The Flower pinball machine, manufactured by Rally Play Company of Nice, France in 1969, is a rare example of psychedelic-era electro-mechanical pinball design, with only 30 units confirmed made. It was the last game produced by Rally in small quantity before the company ceased operations. The Flower's significance lies in its artistic expression, which embodies the free-spirited vibe of the 1960s.
The gameplay on the Flower is characterized by its four flippers and three pop bumpers, which combine to create a challenging yet rewarding experience for players. The machine's features include two slingshots, five stand-up targets, and 27 star rollovers that trigger various events throughout the game. One of the most striking aspects of the Flower is its use of five thrust magnets along a long lane, which decelerate an entering ball to the lowest magnet before quickly accelerating it back upward toward the pop bumpers -- a feature quite unlike anything on contemporary machines. Scoring is handled by nixie tubes at the bottom of the playfield.
The Flower's design and art reflect its Happiness - Music - People - Psychedelic theme, evoking the era's fascination with music and free expression. Little is documented about the machine's designer, but as one of the last products from a small French manufacturer, it remains an intriguing piece of pinball history.
Images (25)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Happiness - Music - People - Psychedelic
- Notable Features:
- Flippers (4), Pop bumpers (3), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (5), Thrust magnets (5), Star rollovers (27), Horseshoe lane (1), Up-post. The up-post is located in the upper left playfield at the entrance of a long outlane extending down the left side of the playfield. A long lane down the right side has five thrust magnets under it, each activated by its own star rollover in the lane. A ball entering the lane at its top is decelerated to the lowest magnet, then quickly accelerated upwards and out towards the pop bumpers. Rarely does the ball enter this lane from the bottom, but if it does and hits the '1' rollover, it will be accelerated upward. Nixie tube electronic scoring. Two nixie tubes at very bottom of playfield count advances. Electronic sounds. Relays all on circuit boards. Microswitches. No electronic logic in game features. Plexiglas backglass hinges upward for service access. Festoon lamps in backbox.