Bronco Busters

Bronco Busters is an example of early American bagatelle-style pinball from the Gotham Pressed Steel Corporation, which operated from 1936 to 1947. This Pure Mechanical (PM) game, model number G136/2, is built of steel and measures 11 1/2 inches by 21 1/2 inches, with a playing field made of hard-pressed cardboard.

As with other Gotham Pressed Steel bagatelle games, Bronco Busters would have used a simple plunger-launched ball mechanic, with players scoring by landing balls into numbered holes or pockets on the sloped playfield — there are no flippers or other manual controls, as these games predate the invention of the flipper by roughly a decade. The compact steel-and-cardboard construction made these games inexpensive to produce and sell as home or small-venue amusements.

The American West theme is evident in the machine's design, likely tying into the same cowboy and frontier imagery Gotham Pressed Steel used across other titles like Red Ryder Corral. Specific details of its designer, exact production year, and print run are not documented, which is typical for this category of small, mass-produced bagatelle games from the era.