Bubbles (Rolldown)

Bubbles (Rolldown) is a rare and fascinating addition to any serious pinball collection. Manufactured by Genco, one of the pioneering companies in the early days of pinball, this 1948 Electro-mechanical (EM) machine was a rolldown game, a once-popular category distinct from flipper pinball. IPDB records confirm 245 units were produced, with production running from January 31 to February 19, 1948.

As a rolldown game, Bubbles has players guide balls down a sloped playfield toward scoring holes rather than controlling them with flippers, reflecting the design conventions of that specialty genre in the late 1940s. The machine's simplicity and elegance reflect the minimalist aesthetic common to games of this type and era.

Intriguingly, IPDB notes this rolldown version may share its backglass, playfield design, and artwork theme with Genco's earlier 1947 'Bubbles,' a game that never entered full production after only seven sample units were built. Little else is documented about the machine's designer or specific theme, leaving enthusiasts to appreciate its understated charm as a rare artifact of pinball's formative years.