College Queens

College Queens is a four-player electro-mechanical pinball machine released by D. Gottlieb & Company in May 1969. Designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Art Stenholm, it is the 4-player version of Gottlieb's 1969 'Airport', dressed in different artwork built around a cheerful school theme. Gottlieb confirmed production of 1,725 units.

The gameplay is engaging, with two flippers, four pop bumpers, two slingshots, and four standup targets working in tandem, plus a free ball return lane. A highlight of the layout is its pair of vari-targets, which reward harder shots with bigger scores and add an extra layer of strategy to the game. The maximum displayed score is 9,999 points per player, typical of the score-reel era.

A small production note for collectors: early examples have backboxes with beaded side panels, a treatment Gottlieb used on only a few models produced in 1969. For pinball enthusiasts, College Queens offers a classic late-1960s Gottlieb EM experience wrapped in playful, colorful artwork.