Darts

Darts, manufactured by Williams in June 1960 with artwork by George Molentin, brings the excitement of competitive darts to the world of pinball. The game is best remembered for introducing Williams' "Styling of the 60's" - a new cabinet design with anodized aluminum trim and tapered tubular chromium steel legs that placed Darts at the forefront of aesthetic innovation in pinball manufacturing.

The gameplay is equally engaging, with two flippers, three pop bumpers, and a plethora of targets and holes to aim for. Players can try their luck with six standup targets, five kick-out holes, and a single gobble hole, all while competing for the maximum displayed point score of 8,990,000 points - and beware the tilt, which ends the game entirely. Two slingshots add an extra layer of challenge to the lower playfield.

The new cabinet brought practical improvements too: a shelf with a cigarette holder allowed for placement of drinks (increasing the game's length by six inches), and the plywood bottom was thickened from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch for durability. Williams used this cabinet design on several games during 1960-1961, though some early production Darts machines were made in a standard woodrail cabinet. While some resources have credited Steve Kordek as the designer, Kordek's own accounts indicate his first Williams pinball design came later, and Darts does not appear on his list of designed games.