Mr. Evil

Mr. Evil is a rare solid-state electronic pinball machine from Petaco, S.A., a Spanish manufacturer based in Madrid that operated from 1962 to 1977. Given its Recel System III MPU, it was made later in the company's history; an export version was released by Recel in 1978, placing Mr. Evil's likely production around the same period.

Gameplay on Mr. Evil is marked by two flippers, two pop bumpers, two 3-bank drop targets, two captive balls, and a spinning target. The machine's design and artwork are centered around a fictional Dracula character, drawing on myth and legend for its theme. A distinctive scoring feature has the High Score To Beat start at a default of 1,000,000 points; any final score exceeding it becomes the new HSTB until it eventually surpasses 2,000,000, at which point it resets back to the default.

The machine's spinning target and dedicated HSTB mechanic add variety not found in every EM-to-SS transition-era game. Its Dracula theme, rather than a licensed or well-known cultural icon, also sets it apart. Mr. Evil remains an interesting piece of Spanish pinball history, offering insight into Petaco's solid-state output during the later years of the company's operation.