Cleopatra

Cleopatra, manufactured by the Marvel Manufacturing Company of Chicago in May 1948, is an early flipper-era electro-mechanical game from a short-lived maker that operated from 1944 to 1948. Its historical theme evokes the ancient world, and it arrived just months after flippers had transformed the industry.

Gameplay centers on two flippers, twelve passive bumpers, and three kick-out holes. Its most distinctive touch is the outhole bonus feature: the outhole trough is actually divided into five additional scoring pockets, so even a drained ball can still earn points -- an inventive twist on traditional pinball scoring.

The game was available either as a single-coin machine or with the 'Plus 4' coin feature, which let operators price games at 5, 10, 15, or 20 cents through a single coin chute. As a flyer of the era explained, each additional coin inserted automatically reduced the winning score required for free plays, giving players a greater opportunity for replays. As a product of a small, short-lived Chicago manufacturer, Cleopatra is an uncommon and interesting artifact of pinball's late-1940s boom.