mini-prix

Mini-Prix is an unusual electro-mechanical pinball machine from Automave Servicios Sociedad Anónima (trade name ASSA) of Madrid, Spain, dated circa 1974 and themed around auto racing. Rather than being an early example of EM pinball -- the format was already decades old by 1974 -- Mini-Prix stands out for its distinctly minimalist, late-era EM design.

A key aspect of this machine's design is its ball routing: two ball kickers propel the ball toward a horseshoe lane, where the player guides it around a 360-degree path before it enters the playfield proper. A "RECUPERA BOLA" free-play hole at the bottom of the playfield catches slowly launched balls and returns them to the player, while two ball diverters in the lower playfield alternately route the ball to that free-play hole or to the outhole. Reaching the gobble hole awards 300,000 points and ends the ball in play.

Mini-Prix's design is notable for its minimalist approach: there's no backbox, with the score displayed directly in the center of the playfield. The red inserts above the flippers cleverly count how many balls have already been played rather than the current ball number, and two bells provide the game's only sound effects. With only two flippers, one pop bumper, and no slingshots, it's a relatively spare EM design that nonetheless offers an unusual and engaging routing puzzle.