Nautilus

Nautilus is a 1984 solid state electronic pinball machine from Playmatic of Barcelona, Spain, a lesser-known gem that deserves recognition for its unique features. Produced near the end of Playmatic's 1968-1987 run and built on the Playmatic MPU 4 system, this four-player game carries a fantasy, myth and legend theme in keeping with its name. The backglass and playfield artwork are the work of Barcelona artist Blas Gallego, who confirmed selling his original artwork to the company for use on the game.

Nautilus boasts several features that set it apart from other machines of its era. Three flippers, three pop bumpers, and a slingshot provide the core action, while five star rollovers, three kick-out holes, two 4-bank drop targets, and two standup targets offer a rich variety of scoring possibilities. An upper right kicker lane extends the layout, and in a clever touch, matching up the lamp lines in the backglass enables the left outlane kickback, tying the backglass directly into ball-saving strategy.

Interestingly, an earlier version of the playfield has been reported that lacks the upper right flipper and the three star rollovers above the lower flippers, and the game's schematics are marked MPU IV while some boards are marked MPU V, small mysteries that make Nautilus an intriguing subject for pinball enthusiasts. Its unusual features and striking Gallego artwork make it a worthy addition to any collection.