Playa
About This Machine
The Playa pinball machine, manufactured by Salor, S.A. of Barcelona, Spain in 1963, is a rare example of early Spanish electro-mechanical (EM) pinball design. It offers a glimpse into the mechanical and artistic development of pinball manufacturing in Spain during this period.
Playa's gameplay features are characteristic of its time, with 5 balls per 1 peseta, two flippers operated by separate buttons, three pop bumpers, and three kick-out holes. The machine's design is notable for its wedge-shaped head backbox, a distinctive feature among early EM pinball machines. Notably, the flippers remain energized as long as their respective buttons are pressed, a departure from the impulse-type flippers used in some other machines of this era. While the "1-2-3 Partidas" function on the backglass suggests the possibility of discounted pricing or special game modes, its true purpose remains unclear due to the lack of documentation and inconsistent performance on one known example.
The machine's design and art are also notable for their subtle beach-themed decorations and the manufacturer's plate featuring the seal number from the Ministry of Industry. The possible involvement of designer Maroto in the creation of Playa adds an intriguing layer to its history, although no definitive confirmation is available. Overall, the Playa pinball machine offers a fascinating look into the early days of Spanish EM design.
Images (11)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Beach - Swimming
- Notable Features:
- 5 balls per 1 peseta. Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Kick-out holes (3). Wedge head backbox. The left flipper button operates the left-side flipper and the right flipper button operates the right-side flipper. The flippers are not impulse-type, as they stay energized as long as the buttons stay pressed. No 3-ball option, the 5th played ball pushes a switch to end the game. There is no replay mechanism, add-a-ball mechanism, replay adjustment plugs, or knocker on this game. Therefore, the "1-2-3 Partidas" on the backglass appears to be only for crediting up to three coined games. This function might be more attractive to the player if the game was intended to allow discounted pricing such as "1 coin 1 play, 2 coins 3 plays". However, the owner of the game in the images attributed to 'Manzaneque' stated there are no option plugs to change the price. This mechanism was broken on that game and only sometimes does it step to "2" after the insertion of a second peseta. If it performed consistently, its apparent purpose might be confirmed. The manufacturer plate for that game (pictured here) shows that 85970 is the seal number from the Ministry of Industry. The owner speculated that Maroto is the entity that designed the game but had Salor manufacture it. Neither name appears on the backglass but the backglass upper left corner is marked "Turon 2240778 Barcelona”. Interestingly, the coil wrappers are marked with "Salcor", not "Salor". The cabinet number is on the backbox and is JL 62080.