L'Hexagone

This 1986 machine, designated simply as "L" (also known as L'Hexagone), was produced by Christian Automatic of Montgeron, France, under the trade name Christian Tabart. It's notable for being a conversion kit built around Gottlieb's 1979 'Genie' hardware (running on a Gottlieb System 1 MPU) -- Tabart had 150 confirmed units made by having operators bring in their existing machines to be converted at his workshops. The backglass and playfield artwork were created by Agnčs G. Dusaugey.

Gameplay on "L" is characterized by three flippers, two pop bumpers, two slingshots, a bank of four drop targets and a bank of three drop targets, five star rollovers, two standup targets, a spinning target, a kick-out hole, a captive ball, and an "Action Ring" feature, along with a ball return lane behind the upper right flipper. This combination offers plenty of shot variety for a conversion-kit title.

As a relatively obscure French conversion of a well-known American Gottlieb machine, "L" is a compelling find for collectors interested in the European pinball scene of the mid-1980s and in the creative ways smaller manufacturers repurposed existing hardware.