Catch-N-Match

Catch-N-Match, manufactured by Paul E. Berger Manufacturing Company of Chicago in January 1936, is a purely mechanical countertop game with a vertical playfield, similar in concept to a pachinko machine. As a table-top counter game rather than a full-size pinball machine, it represents the variety of coin-operated amusements produced during the industry's formative years.

The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and unique features. Players insert a coin - either 1 cent or 5 cents - to play 5 or 7 balls, with the last coin played remaining visible. The objective is straightforward: shoot seven differently-colored marbles into pockets of matching colors. A handle on the side of the machine shoots each ball, while a handle on the front moves a row of scoring pockets back and forth to catch the balls, an inventive interactive mechanic for the era. According to period trade press, awards were made according to the number of matches at the end of the game, presumably paid by the location.

Catch-N-Match is notable for its clean design and lack of an elaborate theme, which was not yet a standard element of coin-op games at this time. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the diversity of 1930s coin-operated amusement and serves as an interesting piece for collectors and historians to study.