Get into the groove — Gottlieb’s 4 Square is an electromechanical single-player pulsing with a psychedelic theme of dancing, music, and happiness, and it comes from the legendary team of designer Ed Krynski and artist Gordon Morison, the partnership behind an incredible run of Gottlieb’s most cherished classics. With reel scoring and a confirmed run of 2,200, it’s a handsome, groovy woodrail-era machine full of period color and charm.
The layout is elegantly focused in the classic Gottlieb tradition: two flippers, three pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, and a generous eight standup targets. Those eight standups are the heart of the game, and the strategy is delightfully clear-cut — knock down 1, 2, 3, and 4 in turn, then loop back and do it all over again, working that satisfying sequence to rack up your score. It’s the kind of clean, repeatable objective that makes these EM machines so rewarding to learn, rewarding a player who finds the rhythm of the sequence and keeps the ball alive to run it repeatedly. No ramps, no multiball, just the honest, chiming pleasure of picking off those targets in order.
4 Square is a fine showcase of the celebrated Krynski-and-Morison team’s craft, pairing a vibrant, psychedelic theme with a satisfying, target-focused playfield. Morison’s colorful art brings the mod, danceable spirit of the theme to life, and that simple, addictive 1-2-3-4 sequence gives a player a clear groove to settle into. For the collector who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its greatest creative teams, it’s a rewarding find. Work those eight standups, run the sequence again and again, and keep the beat going. Some machines just capture the joyful energy of their era, and this groovy Gottlieb classic dances right along. Get into the groove and drop a coin.