Where it all began for Atari — The Atarians is a genuinely historic solid-state four-player, the very first pinball machine produced by the video-game giant Atari, marking the company’s bold entry into the flipper business. Conceived and designed by Bob Jonesi with art by George Opperman — creator of Atari’s famous logo — and sound and software by the future video-game legend Eugene Jarvis, it’s a pivotal machine in the crossover between the arcade video and pinball worlds.
The layout is a busy, feature-rich early-solid-state spread: a generous four flippers, three pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, a remarkable seven kick-out holes, and four standup targets. That extraordinary complement of seven kick-out holes gives the playfield a rich array of captured-ball awards to chase, while the four flippers open up extra attacking angles and the four standups offer additional objectives. It’s an ambitious, well-appointed design for its early-solid-state moment, hinting at the technical spirit of the company that built it — a video-game pioneer taking its first swing at pinball.
The Atarians is a must-know for anyone fascinated by pinball history and the crossover between the video and flipper worlds. As Atari’s debut pinball machine, with that remarkable Jonesi-Opperman-Jarvis pedigree, it’s a genuine piece of the story, the opening move of a company from the video world staking its claim on the arcade floor. For the collector who values historical significance and famous names, it’s a treasure. Work those seven kick-out holes, ride the four flippers, and play a piece of pinball history. Some machines matter for where they sit in the timeline, and this Atari debut is one of them. Drop a coin and honor the pioneers.