Richelieu

The Richelieu, manufactured by the North Star Coin Machine Company of Montreal, Canada in 1949, holds a special place in pinball history as one of only two machines produced by this small Canadian company. Designed by Jacques Tremblay with art by Louis Léger, Richelieu was built in response to a ban on the import of foreign pinball machines into Canada between 1947 and 1951, which created an opening for local manufacturers.

Though assembled using rebuilt bodies from older pinball machines, Richelieu featured a brand-new playfield and all the modern electromechanical (EM) features of its time, making it new in every meaningful sense despite its recycled cabinet. Gameplay follows the conventions typical of late-1940s EM machines, emphasizing mechanical ball control and straightforward scoring.

The Richelieu was made by brothers Gerard and Jacques Tremblay under the North Star name and originally sold for $295 Canadian. As a product born out of necessity during a period of trade restrictions, it stands as a unique artifact of Canada's small, homegrown pinball manufacturing scene of the late 1940s.