Count-Down

Count-Down, designed by Ed Krynski and manufactured by Gottlieb in April 1979, is a popular title from the company's Gottlieb System 1 solid-state era, with a substantial confirmed production run of 9,900 units. Its outer space theme, brought to life by artist Gordon Morison, tapped into the space fascination of the late 1970s. Interestingly, Gottlieb also released a 2-player electro-mechanical version of this game in 1979 called 'Space Walk', and the backglass invites comparison to Gottlieb's 1971 'Astro'.

The gameplay is built around four flippers, giving players dynamic control over the ball. Count-Down also features a pop bumper, a 4-bank of drop targets, two star rollovers, and a kick-out hole. Notably, the game has no slingshots -- an unusual omission that changes the feel of the lower playfield.

With its large production run, four-flipper layout, and Gordon Morison artwork, Count-Down is an accessible and appealing representative of Gottlieb's early solid-state period for players and collectors alike.