A fairy-tale in silverball — Gottlieb’s Cinderella is an electromechanical single-player wrapped in the beloved storybook fantasy, from the celebrated hand of designer Harry Mabs, a genuine giant of early pinball, with art by the legendary Roy Parker, whose storybook illustration gave Gottlieb machines their unmistakable charm. With light-based scoring and a confirmed run of 4,000, it’s a handsome and popular early Gottlieb.
The layout has a genuinely unusual, eye-catching configuration: a remarkable six flippers, a whopping ten passive bumpers, and two kick-out holes. That extraordinary number of flippers and passive bumpers is the machine’s defining feature, promising a wildly bouncy, unpredictable game where the ball caroms off cushion after cushion — a chaotic, energetic playfield that demands sharp reflexes and active nudging, with the six flippers opening up a wealth of shot-making angles. The two kick-out holes offer captured-ball awards to chase, all in service of the enchanted fairy-tale theme. It’s a distinctive, bumper-heavy design typical of the era’s more experimental layouts.
Cinderella 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 founding visionary of the modern flipper game, and Roy Parker’s warm, whimsical artwork was the perfect match for the beloved fairy tale. That unusual six-flipper, ten-bumper layout makes for a genuinely distinctive 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 six flippers, and find your happily-ever-after. Some machines are treasured for their legendary makers and their bouncy charm alike, and this Gottlieb fairy-tale classic is one of them. Off to the ball, and drop a coin.