Eclipse

The 1935 Eclipse from the Pacific Amusement Manufacturing Company (PAMCO) of Chicago represents one of the earliest examples of electro-mechanical pinball design. As a relic from the dawn of the industry, produced during PAMCO's relatively short 1932-1937 tenure as a manufacturer, it holds significant historical value for enthusiasts and collectors alike. Notably, Eclipse was a payout machine, a game that dispensed awards directly to players, placing it in the gambling-oriented branch of the early coin-operated amusement trade.

As a single-player electro-mechanical game from August 1935, Eclipse predates flippers by more than a decade. Play would have relied on the plunger, gravity, and the electrically powered scoring and payout mechanisms that distinguished EM games from their purely mechanical contemporaries. Little detailed information about its playfield layout or artwork survives, but as an early PAMCO payout game, Eclipse offers a glimpse into the nascent days of pinball's development, making it an intriguing piece for historians and collectors.