Bumper Shuffle

Bumper Shuffle, manufactured by Midway Manufacturing Company in January 1959, is notable for a very specific reason: it is not a pinball machine at all. It is a 'rebound shuffle' alley game, and it holds the distinction of being Midway's first game. Rebound shuffle alleys were becoming popular in 1958-1959, and Midway joined the competition with this release.

Gameplay involves up to eight players competing with four red and four yellow pucks across eight frames, with eight shots per frame, for a cost of 20 cents per play. Metal posts on the playfield act as a security mechanism, staying raised to prevent unauthorized play until a coin is inserted, at which point they retract. A loud bell alarm sounds if the coin door is opened, another anti-tampering measure typical of coin-operated equipment of the period.

As Midway's first product and an early example of the rebound shuffle alley craze of the late 1950s, Bumper Shuffle is a historically significant piece for collectors interested in the roots of the Midway company, even though it is not a pinball machine and predates Midway's later, better-known pinball output. Little else is documented about its designer or artwork.