Roll a perfect game — Gottlieb’s Bowling Champ is an electromechanical single-player that brings the ten-pin thrill of the alley to the flippers, designed by the pioneering Harry Mabs, a genuine giant of early pinball whose innovations helped shape the flipper game itself, with art by the legendary Roy Parker. With light-based scoring and a confirmed run of 2,419, it’s a handsome early Gottlieb celebrating the timeless appeal of the lanes.
The layout has a distinctive, bumper-heavy character: two flippers, two pop bumpers, a remarkable nine passive bumpers, and a kick-out hole. That extraordinary complement of nine passive bumpers is the machine’s defining feature, promising a wildly bouncy, unpredictable ball that caroms endlessly across the playfield like pins scattering across a lane — demanding sharp reflexes and active nudging to keep in play. The two pop bumpers add to the lively action, and the kick-out hole offers a captured-ball award to chase. It’s a gloriously kinetic, bumper-driven design that captures the elemental bounce and energy of the electromechanical age, all in service of the beloved bowling theme.
Bowling Champ is a lovely piece of history for the collector who cherishes the deepest roots of the hobby and the legendary figures who planted them. Harry Mabs was a genuine visionary whose work helped invent the modern flipper game, and Roy Parker’s warm, characterful artwork gave Gottlieb machines their storybook charm. That nine-bumper layout makes for a genuinely distinctive, bouncy play. For anyone who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its founding masters, it’s a rewarding find. Ride that wild field of bumpers, work the kick-out hole, and bowl for the championship. Some machines are treasured for their legendary makers and their bouncy charm alike, and this Gottlieb bowling classic is one of them. Lace up and drop a coin.