Up the beanstalk — Gottlieb’s Big Jack is an electromechanical two-player wrapped in a fairy-tale fantasy theme, and it comes from a distinguished team of designers including the legendary Wayne Neyens, Ed Krynski, and Steve Kirk, with art by Art Stenholm. With reel scoring and a confirmed run of 1,725, it’s a handsome woodrail-era Gottlieb with a genuinely unusual six-flipper layout.
The layout’s standout feature is that generous complement of six flippers, more than most machines of the era offered, opening up a wealth of shot-making angles across the playfield, along with three pop bumpers and two kick-out holes. The strategy, for five-ball play, has a satisfying rhythm: hit A-B-C in order for points, which lights a pop bumper, then strike the lit letter to arm the rollunder (most switches move the lit light), and hit that letter again to reset all the letters and start the cycle anew. It’s a clever bit of sequential scoring that rewards a player who works the letters methodically, all while managing that busy six-flipper field.
Big Jack is a fine showcase of a stellar Gottlieb design team, pairing a charming fairy-tale theme with an unusually flipper-rich layout and Stenholm’s warm artwork. That six-flipper configuration makes it a distinctive play, and the A-B-C sequence gives a thoughtful player a rewarding objective to master. For the collector who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its greatest talents, it’s a rewarding find. Work those six flippers, complete A-B-C in order, and climb the beanstalk. Some machines stand out for an unusual layout, and this Gottlieb fairy-tale classic offers a genuinely different kind of game. Fee-fi-fo-fum, and drop a coin.