Plaball
About This Machine
The Plaball is a rare and enigmatic piece of pinball history, manufactured by Amusement Industries, Inc. of Youngstown, Ohio, with its exact production year remaining unknown. As a Pure Mechanical (PM) machine, it showcases the earliest days of pinball's development, predating electronic components and complex themes. What makes Plaball particularly intriguing is its unique gameplay feature: for just 5 cents, players can launch 10 balls onto the playfield, with each ball guaranteed to score a point as it falls into one of eight scoring pockets along the bottom or four circular pockets on the green playfield.
The Plaball's design and art are remarkably straightforward, yet effective in their simplicity. The name "Plaball" is prominently displayed on the upper playfield, while the gold-colored scoring pockets add a touch of elegance to the otherwise minimalist aesthetic. One notable aspect of the machine's construction is the access door located on the bottom of the cabinet, which suggests that some modifications may have been made during its lifetime.
Despite extensive web research yielding no additional information, the Plaball remains an important piece of pinball history, offering a glimpse into the early days of the sport. Its unique gameplay feature and mechanical design make it a fascinating specimen for collectors and enthusiasts to study and appreciate.
Images (7)
Technical Details
- Notable Features:
- 10 balls for 5 cents. This is a pin table. There are four circular scoring pockets on the green playfield plus a row of eight scoring pockets along the bottom. All scoring pockets are gold-colored. All played balls will score a pocket. A small post at the bottom of each pocket prevents the balls that land in the pockets from exiting. When a new game is started, pushing the coin slide moves the posts upward just enough to allow the balls to exit the pockets and roll down to the ball serve trough. The name Plaball is shown on the upper playfield. On a game we saw (not pictured here), an access door is located on the bottom of the cabinet, in the front, below the coin slide. This door was hinged and bolt-latched with no lock and, unlike the cabinet, it was unfinished wood, suggesting it was not original to the game.