Flipper Football

Flipper Football is a landmark pinball machine that marked a significant departure from traditional design. Released by Capcom Coin-Op in September 1996, it appears to be the first pinball machine with its dot matrix display (DMD) located under the playfield glass, using a larger 256x64 high-resolution DMD than other games of its era. Balls shot under the display hit rapidly-resetting drop targets used to animate a virtual ball that continues into the DMD's animations.

Gameplay on Flipper Football is fast-paced and timed, allowing up to six players to compete against each other in two teams, with each player getting the same amount of time regardless of drains. The machine, designed by Bryan Hansen and Python Anghelo with art by Hugh Van Zanten, boasts four flippers, three pop bumpers, and a variety of drop targets and spinning targets, with no shooter lane or outlanes. It also features speech, including an "adult" mode with profanity and bodily noises.

The soccer ball attached to the backbox reflects the game's soccer theme, and the manufacturer advertised a smaller, lighter backbox for easier disassembly and transport. Only 750 units were confirmed produced. Despite its relatively low production numbers, Flipper Football remains an intriguing piece of pinball history, notable for its unusual under-glass DMD placement.