Journey to the Stone Age — Gottlieb’s Caveman is a solid-state four-player wrapped in a prehistoric historical theme, designed by John Buras with a deep art team including Richard Tracy, David Moore, Terry Doerzaph, and Jeff Lee, and software by Joel Krieger, Frank Starshak, and John Buras. With an alphanumeric display and a confirmed run of 1,800, it’s a spirited early-’80s Gottlieb — and it holds a notable place in history as a pioneering pinball-and-video hybrid.
The layout is a well-appointed, flipper-rich spread: a generous four flippers, three pop bumpers, two four-bank drop-target arrays, two vari-targets, and two kick-out holes. Those dual four-banks of drops give a sharp-shooting player a satisfying set of objectives to clear, while the two vari-targets reward full, committed shots and the four flippers open up extra attacking angles across the playfield. The three pop bumpers keep the ball lively, and the two kick-out holes offer captured-ball awards to chase, all in service of the prehistoric theme. It’s a target-rich design that rewards accurate shooting and keeping the ball moving.
Caveman is a fine example of John Buras’s design craft and a genuinely interesting chapter of Gottlieb history, notable for its ambitious fusion of pinball and video-game elements in one cabinet. That deep art-and-software team reflects the technical ambition behind it. For the collector who loves early-’80s Gottlieb design and a machine that pushed the boundaries of what pinball could be, it’s a rewarding find. Clear those dual four-banks, work the vari-targets, and journey back to the Stone Age. Some machines dared to blend the flipper game with new technology, and this Gottlieb prehistoric hybrid is one of them. Grab your club and drop a coin.