Capt. Card

Capt. Card, manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in May 1974, is a classic single-player electromechanical (EM) pinball machine. It was designed by Ed Krynski, Gottlieb's prolific veteran designer, with artwork by Gordon Morison, and it carries the company's popular playing-card theme. Capt. Card is the Add-A-Ball version of Gottlieb's 1973 replay game 'High Hand', while the Italian version was 1973's 'Top Hand'. Confirmed production was 675 units.

One of the standout aspects of Capt. Card is its gameplay. Players navigate the card-themed playfield using two flippers, working a single pop bumper, a 4-bank of drop targets, four star rollovers, and a kick-out hole. Notably, the drop targets reset only at the start of a new ball, which rewards strategic, deliberate play. The maximum displayed point score of 99,990 points presents a tantalizing goal for skilled players, and scoring events are punctuated by the classic sound of three chimes.

Capt. Card features Gottlieb's distinctive wedge-head cabinet design, a hallmark of the company's machines during this period. With its Gordon Morison artwork and single-player Add-A-Ball ruleset, Capt. Card remains an appealing piece of Gottlieb's 1970s EM catalog, offering a glimpse into the gameplay and design that defined the genre.