Frontiersman

The Frontiersman, released by D. Gottlieb & Company in November 1955, is a classic single-player electro-mechanical game from pinball's woodrail era. Designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker — the celebrated Gottlieb pairing responsible for many of the decade's finest games — it was produced in a confirmed run of 1,000 units.

Gameplay on the Frontiersman is characterized by its challenging yet rewarding nature. Players navigate three pop bumpers and four passive bumpers while attempting to score on four standup targets, all the while avoiding (or gambling on) the single gobble hole, which swallows the ball in exchange for a scoring reward. Two flippers give the player control over aim and ball-saving, making for the classic risk-versus-reward decisions that defined 1950s Gottlieb design.

The machine's American frontier theme carries a nostalgic appeal, and its backglass proudly displays Gottlieb's famous slogan of the era: "Amusement Pinballs, as American as Baseball and Hot Dogs!" For collectors of 1950s wedgeheads and woodrails, the Frontiersman is an appealing example of Neyens and Parker's craft.