Hop Shot

Hop Shot, produced by Gotham Pressed Steel Corporation in 1936 (model G-131), is an early example of mechanical bagatelle-style pinball. As a Pure Mechanical (PM) game, it predates the electric and electronic components that would later come to dominate the industry, relying entirely on physical construction for its gameplay.

Hop Shot measures approximately 24 inches by 12 inches and comes with ten marbles held in a cardboard holder, along with one wooden peg used to adjust the playfield's slant. Players would have used the peg to set the desired incline, then aimed marbles to land in scoring areas across the sloped surface.

Specific details about Hop Shot's exact rules, scoring, art, and designer have not been documented, which is common for many small Depression-era bagatelle games produced by companies like Gotham Pressed Steel. As a piece of gaming history, Hop Shot offers a glimpse into the affordable, mass-produced amusements that formed part of the lineage leading to the modern pinball machine.