Whirlwind Play Booster

The Whirlwind Play Booster is not a complete pinball machine but an add-on spinning bumper, manufactured by the Wico Corporation of Chicago in June 1948. Operators could purchase the unit and install it directly onto existing pinball playfields to add a new scoring element to their games.

As a conversion accessory rather than a standalone title, the Whirlwind Play Booster offers a glimpse into how operators kept older pinball machines competitive by upgrading them with new components rather than replacing the games outright. Wico Corporation, which operated from 1948 to 1984, produced this spinning bumper early in its history as an amusement equipment supplier.

Little further documentation exists about the Whirlwind Play Booster's specific design or how widely it was adopted, but it stands as an interesting example of the aftermarket accessories that supported the pinball industry during the electromechanical era.