Flik Flak

The Flik Flak, manufactured by Melchers Automatenbau KG of Viersen, West Germany in 1972, is an unusual electro-mechanical pinball machine notable for being wall-mounted, with a vertical playfield rather than the standard inclined cabinet. This unusual configuration allows for a compact footprint while maintaining an engaging play experience.

The Flik Flak's use of springs in place of traditional flippers is its most notable feature: rather than the flippers found on modern pinball machines, each of the two springs forming the bottom edge of the playfield has a kicker post attached to a coil behind the playfield. Players time a button press so the kicker strikes the spring at the right moment to send the resting ball back into play; the angle and timing require real skill, since the ball's behavior on the spring varies each time. The playfield also features gates that open, and the ball can only drain via the left or right outlane, since there is no traditional outhole. Extra balls and replays are awarded through score-reel scoring.

Melchers records suggest roughly 1,500 units had been built by mid-December 1972, with production possibly extending into 1973. Beyond its technical specifications and unusual gameplay, little else is documented about the Flik Flak, but for pinball enthusiasts interested in early electro-mechanical machines and their unique quirks, it offers a fascinating glimpse into an alternative direction pinball design could take.