Fire Cracker

The Fire Cracker, manufactured by J. H. Keeney and Company Incorporated in February 1937, is an intriguing early electro-mechanical (EM) flipperless novelty game. Coming from the first decade of coin-operated pinball, it shows how manufacturers of the era experimented with unusual objectives beyond simply scoring points.

The Fire Cracker features a distinctive gameplay goal: players aim to pair the two outside dials as many times as possible. The machine offered either 5 balls or 10 balls for 5 cents, an unusual pricing arrangement for the period.

Unfortunately, little is known about the design, art, or theme of the Fire Cracker beyond its functional components and gameplay objective. As a result, it remains an enigmatic early pinball machine, offering a glimpse into the formative development of what would become one of the world's most beloved games.