Excalibur

Excalibur, designed by John Trudeau and Jon Norris for Premier Technology (trading as Gottlieb), is a pinball machine that draws on the fantasy and myth of King Arthur's legendary sword. Released in November 1988 on the Gottlieb System 80B platform, this four-player solid-state game had a confirmed production run of 1,710 units, with artwork by Constantino and Jeanine Mitchell.

One of Excalibur's most notable features is its four-flipper design, giving players increased control over the ball. The machine also boasts an impressive target array - three 4-bank drop target sets, two 2-bank drop targets, two kicking targets, and two kick-out holes - along with a ball diverter, a ramp, and a 2-ball multiball. Unusually for the era, the game has no slingshots at all, a distinctive omission that changes the feel of the lower playfield.

The game's presentation is anchored by a hand-drawn translite depicting its knights-and-legend theme, a personal artistic touch in an era increasingly dominated by photographic backglass art. For fans of late-1980s Gottlieb, Excalibur stands as a solid example of the System 80B generation and its willingness to experiment with layout conventions.