bowling (alle neune)

The bowling (alle neune) pinball machine, manufactured by NSM Apparatebau KG of Bingen, Germany, is a rare and intriguing electro-mechanical, flipperless example from an unknown year. This machine's significance lies in its representation of the early era of bowling-themed pinball, prior to the genre becoming a common pinball staple.

As a flipperless, vertical table-top/counter game, gameplay relies on mechanical challenges rather than flipper skill, characteristic of many early EM machines. The cabinet, measuring 28 inches high, 22 inches wide, and 9 inches deep, is compact and well-suited to a counter-top location. Advertised primarily as "bowling," with the German playfield sign "alle neune" as a secondary label, a U.S. version also existed with an English "big strike" playfield sign. On these games a round sticker, apparently intended to represent a bowling ball, covers the beer steins in the lower left of the playfield and bears the words "BOWLING big strike." Per a 1969 price list from Löwen-Automaten, Germany, its price to operators was 750 DM.

The bowling (alle neune) offers a glimpse into the early days of pinball manufacturing and design in postwar Germany. Its focus on bowling and its compact cabinet make it an interesting addition to any collection of vintage EM machines.