Buckaroo
About This Machine
Buckaroo is a rare and fascinating flipperless electro-mechanical game from the Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company, released in July 1939 with a confirmed production run of just 643 units. Its playfield carries an American West theme and is dominated by sixteen spring bumpers: three rings of five colored bumpers (yellow, green, and red), each ring surrounding a large rubbered post of matching color that lights up but does not score, plus a lone yellow bumper at the bottom of the playfield.
The gameplay is characterized by the gradual illumination of bumpers as the player reaches specific score thresholds - reaching 760 points lights the yellow ring, 960 the green, and 1,060 the red (all operator adjustable), and once lit the bumpers stay lit for the rest of the game. Hitting an unlit bumper scores 20 points, while hitting a lit bumper awards a replay on the backglass, where silkscreened numbers from 1 up to 70 illuminate to show the tally - so a skilled (or lucky) player could rack up a remarkable number of replays. The lone bottom bumper can only be lit by draining through the bottom rollover with a score of exactly 600 points, a wonderfully specific piece of 1930s rule design. A knockoff button on the cabinet let operators clear replays down to zero for location payoffs, and a timer could shut off power to the entire machine even mid-game.
Buckaroo's American West theme is reflected in its artwork and color scheme, with a rustic, vintage aesthetic, and its ring-of-bumpers layout and replay-heavy rules continue to captivate pinball enthusiasts with their nostalgic charm and mechanical ingenuity.
Images (14)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- American West
- Model Number:
- 68
- Notable Features:
- Spring bumpers (16). The playfield has three rings of five colored spring bumpers (5 yellow, 5 green, and 5 red). Within each ring is a large diameter rubbered post of like color that does not spin, move, or score points, but does light up. There is a sixteenth spring bumper (yellow) at the bottom of the playfield. Pushing in the coin chute starts the game and lights up all bumpers. Pulling the chute back out leaves only the three center posts illuminated and all balls are then released to the ball lift mechanism. A ball hitting an unlit bumper scores 20 points. When the score reaches 760 points, the yellow ring of five bumpers will all light. Reaching 960 points will light the green ring of five, and reaching 1060 points will light the red ring of five. These bumpers will stay lit for the remainder of the game. The actual point thresholds to light these rings are operator adjustable. The sole yellow bumper at the bottom of the playfield can only be lit if a ball exits the playfield via the bottom rollover when the score is exactly 600 points. A ball hitting a lit bumper awards a replay on the backglass. The replays are displayed via silkscreened numbers that are not evident until lit, with numbers 1 to 9 on the left side, and numbers 10 through 70 on the right side. This makes for the possibility that a high number of replays can be awarded. A knockoff button on the right front of the cabinet bottom will subtract the replays down to zero, allowing for location payoffs. This game has a timer to shut off power to the entire machine even if a game is in progress.