Big Eagle

The Big Eagle is a rare Solid State Electronic (SS) pinball machine from an unknown manufacturer. Its exact release year is undocumented, though its blue score and ball/replay counter displays are the same size and style used on Gottlieb's early SS games, and its playfield shares the same layout as Gottlieb's 1975 'Fast Draw', suggesting a similar mid-1970s vintage.

The machine has a fantasy theme, with gameplay built around two flippers, three pop bumpers, a 5-bank of drop targets, four standup targets, two kickout holes, and dual in-lanes. The fantasy backglass depicts two people riding a large eagle beneath the words 'Big Eagle' in bold red letters; the artwork is a rendition of 'A Castle of Iron' by artist Peter Andrew Jones.

While the machine's specific manufacturer and designer are unknown, its shared playfield design with a documented Gottlieb title and its distinctive, identifiable backglass art make the Big Eagle a fascinating artifact for collectors trying to piece together its origins.