Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball

Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball, released in December 1990 by Midway Manufacturing Company under the Bally trade name, brings the iconic Looney Tunes character to the pinball playfield. Built on the Williams System 11C platform with a production run of approximately 2,250 units, the game was conceived by John Trudeau and Python Anghelo, with Trudeau handling the design. Its colorful, whimsical presentation celebrates Bugs' 50th birthday with a playfield full of cartoon charm.

The playfield is packed with features: 19 standup targets, three pop bumpers, three slingshots, a 3-bank drop target, a kick-out hole, a spinning target, a left outlane kickback, and a plunger skill shot. Its most distinctive element is the small inverted mini-playfield in the upper left, where a dedicated flipper propels the ball downfield to loop around a ramp and strike a captive ball. In multi-player games, a unique playfield award can even exchange scores between players - a mischievous touch worthy of Bugs himself.

The artwork has its own story: Python Anghelo created the backglass art in black and white, and artist John Youssi stepped in to add the color. Prototype cabinets were decorated only in black, white, and red, with production cabinets gaining several additional colors. With music and sound by Paul Heitsch and software by Dan Lee and Dwight Sullivan, Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball remains a charming example of early-1990s licensed pinball.