Drop the payload — Chicago Coin’s Bomber is an electromechanical single-player wrapped in an adventure-and-combat aviation theme, from one of the industry’s pioneering manufacturers whose history stretches back to the earliest days of the coin-op business. With light-based scoring, it’s a characterful woodrail-era piece celebrating the derring-do of wartime flight.
The layout is a lively, engaging spread with a distinctive touch: two flippers, two pop bumpers, a generous five passive bumpers, three standup targets, and a blocking gate between the flippers. That blocking gate is a genuinely welcome feature, giving a player a bit of defense against the dreaded center drain, while the combination of pop and passive bumpers promises a wildly bouncy, unpredictable ball that caroms across the playfield and demands active nudging. The three standups give clear objectives to work through, all in service of the combat-aviation theme. It’s a clean, bumper-rich design in the classic Chicago Coin mold, rewarding a player who keeps the ball moving through that busy field.
Bomber is a fine example of Chicago Coin’s electromechanical craft, pairing an exciting wartime-aviation theme with a satisfying, bumper-heavy playfield and that helpful blocking gate. Chicago Coin was one of the industry’s foundational manufacturers, and its machines carry a real piece of pinball’s deep history. The combat theme captured the era’s fascination with aerial derring-do. For the collector who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its pioneering companies, it’s a rewarding find. Ride those bumpers, work the three standups, and let the blocking gate save your bacon. Some machines connect you to the deep roots of the hobby, and this Chicago Coin combat classic is one of them. Drop the payload and drop a coin.