Aloha and welcome to paradise — Gottlieb’s Aloha is an electromechanical two-player that whisks you off to a sun-soaked Hawaiian getaway, and it comes from the legendary team of designer Wayne Neyens and artist Roy Parker, one of the most beloved creative partnerships of pinball’s golden woodrail age. With reel scoring and a confirmed run of 1,700, it’s a warm, inviting island-themed gem.
The layout is a clean, engaging spread with a classic period feature: two flippers, three pop bumpers, four passive bumpers, a pair of slingshots, two kick-out holes, and a gobble hole tied to the end-of-ball bonus. That gobble hole is the strategic heart of the game — the daring, high-risk feature that swallows the ball for its bonus award, a hallmark of the era’s bold design philosophy. Those four passive bumpers promise unpredictable caroms, adding to the lively, bouncy character of the playfield, while the combination of pops and slingshots keeps the ball moving. It’s the kind of elegant, bonus-driven design that made these Neyens-and-Parker machines such enduring pleasures.
Aloha is a lovely showcase of the celebrated Gottlieb team’s craft, pairing a breezy tropical theme with a satisfying, gobble-hole-driven layout and Parker’s warm, inviting artwork. The Hawaiian setting was pure escapist charm, all sunshine, surf, and island paradise, and this machine radiates that easygoing warmth. For the collector who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its greatest creative teams, it’s a rewarding find. Brave the gobble hole for that bonus, ride the bumpers, and soak up a little island sunshine. Some machines just make you smile, and this tropical Gottlieb getaway is one of them. Aloha, and drop a coin.