Pinball Plays: Hit or Miss

By Stan Dabrowski

Game One: Hot Hand

Hot Hand Pinball 

The Hot Hand Pinball machine by Stern is a classic game manufactured in 1979 and considered to be one of the more unique games due to the large rotating flipper at the top of the playfield.  It is also the first pinball I have owned.   That is how much I like it.

It is a Poker themed game where you are hitting bumpers, drop-down targets, to complete card combinations to build up your score and end of ball bonus.  At the top of the playfield there’s the rotating flipper and 10 card-value pockets for the ball to land in before the flipper knocks it out.

This flipper is no ordinary pinball flipper; it slowly rotates 360 degrees and affects game play as soon as you launch the ball. 

So, other than its uniqueness, why do I like this machine so much?

 I find the game play both challenging and entertaining.   It may seem like an easy machine to play and build points, but you may have to hit the same shot 5 or 6 times before registering the correct suit of cards.   The game plays somewhat fast and is a great machine to learn machine nudging, flipper passing and just keeping the ball alive. 

Machine/playfield features:

·       Manufacturer by Stern in 1979

·       Designer – Harry Williams

·       Up to 4 Players per game

·       Digital Scoring

·       5-bank drop targets

·       1 spinner

·       Upper kicker lane

·       3 pop-up bumpers

Game 2: Iron Maiden – Legacy of the Beast

In this week, segment of pinball play hit or miss we’re gonna talk about my favorite pinball machine, Iron Maiden legacy of the beast. 

This machine was released in 2018 by Stern pinball and designed by Keith Elwin It features 12 of Iron Maiden’s most classic tunes:

  • The Trooper
  • Hallowed be Thy Name
  • 2 Minutes to Midnight
  • The Number of the Beast
  • Powerslave 
  • Fear of the Dark
  • Run to the Hills
  • Wasted Years
  • Flight of Icarus
  • Rime of the Ancient Mariner
  • Can I play with Madness
  • Aces High

It’s not just my favorite machine because I love Iron Maiden. It’s because I love Iron Maiden and I love pinball.  It’s got some great classic shots some and pretty hard shots as well but yet it’s good for both tournament and casual players. 

There’s a great flow when playing and a lot of opportunities for combo shots. There are also  several different modes to keep you playing of hours (days weeks months).     

This game is not only a game you want to play over and over, but it is a game to seek out if you have never played it or you’re just jonesing for some great pinball action. 

Until next week.  “Up the Irons!”

Game Three: Dolly

I love Dolly Parton and I love the Dolly Parton pinball machine. 

Manufactured by Bally in 1979, this is a classic solid-state electronic machine.   There were 7,350 machines manufactured making it a someone difficult machine to find but I don’t think it’s impossible. 

Themed after Dolly Parton, the machine incorporates Dolly’s “Here You Come Again” at various times during game play.   The art work on the machine is great and the game design makes it a fun game to play.  

The game features an up to 4 player game with a digital alphanumeric display.  There’s also 2 flippers, 3 pop bumpers, 4 drop targets and a saucer/ball lock feature.  Spelling Dolly Parton can help run up your score.   

This machine is definitely on my list of machines to add to my pinball collection and I play it anytime I see it.  

Game Four: Jaws

There are a few different version of the Jaws pinball machine manufactured by Stern with some slight or significant differences. 

The 2024 regular pro, premium and LE versions are all based on four of the jaws movies (Jaws, Jaws 2 , Jaws 3-D and Jaws: The Revenge.  The games feature actual movie footage and original character dialogue.  There’s a motorized mechanical shark that interacts with the ball at times.  There is also a shark fin target that pops up during certain segments of play. 

The pro version is said to be “less mechanically complicated” while the premium adds additional mechanical features including an upper play field.  

Stern also launched a 50 Anniversary model in 2025 which offers a different color scheme and special cabinet decals.  Each machine also has a hologram sticker to identify it as the 50th anniversary machine. 

I love the artwork and playfield design of these machines but have honestly only played the pro version.  The play is fast and fun. 

The price starts around $7000 and only goes up based on the model and condition.  

This is another machine I play anytime I see it out in the wild or our local pinball arcade. 

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