Prima
About This Machine
The Prima is a rare and enigmatic pure mechanical table-top/counter pinball game from an unknown manufacturer, priced at 25 centimes per play. It is not to be confused with the full-size flipperless pin table 'Le Prima' by another unknown manufacturer.
Gameplay revolves around navigating the ball through 15 trap holes, each ringed in red, green, blue, or white, set against a dark blue playfield featuring an iconic depiction of the Eiffel Tower rendered in white along its full length. A separate, unenclosed hole at the very top of the playfield -- at the top of the Tower -- is painted with a radiating star design and may function as a free-play hole; the name "PRIMA" appears above it along the playfield's top arch.
The Prima's aesthetic is characterized by its understated, unpainted wood cabinet and trim. A white instruction card written in French, a roughly 2-3 inch cone-shaped ball shooter escutcheon, and a centrally placed coin slide round out its distinctive presentation. Little else is documented about this machine's origin, but its distinctive Eiffel Tower artwork makes it a memorable example of early French table-top pinball.
Technical Details
- Theme:
- World Places - Landmarks
- Notable Features:
- 25 centimes per play. Trap holes (15). In the pictures we saw (not shown here), the Eiffel Tower is depicted in white paint for the full length of the dark blue playfield. Each trap hole has painted around it a circle of red, green, blue, or white color. Unlike the trap holes, a hole at the very top of the playfield (at the top of the Tower) is painted with a radiating star design and is not enclosed with pins. It may be a Free Play hole. The name 'PRIMA' appears above that hole along the top playfield arch in an unpainted area. The white instruction card is written in French. The ball shooter escutcheon is a long cone approximately 2-3 inches long. A coin slide is in the center front of the cabinet. The cabinet and wood trim is medium-dark unpainted wood.