Match-It

Match-It, manufactured by Bally in 1936, is a single-player electro-mechanical (EM) machine (Model 96) that Bally's records classify as a payout machine, part of the company's early line of coin-operated amusement devices. As with other Bally machines of this period, it predates flippers -- which were not introduced until 1947 -- so gameplay relied on electromechanical controls, relays, and switches to determine the ball's outcome and any resulting payout.

The name 'Match-It' suggests a scoring scheme built around aligning or matching targets, a common concept for novelty payout machines of the mid-1930s, though the precise rules are not documented in surviving records.

The design and artwork on Match-It likely reflect a utilitarian aesthetic typical of early payout machines, with no specific theme documented. It predates the widespread use of electromechanical sound effects and lighting flourishes that would appear in later pinball machines, making it an early example of a transitional period in the evolution of these games.