Eye Of The Tiger, released by Gottlieb in 1978, stands as a masterclass in mechanical progression from the legendary design duo of Ed Krynski and artist Gordon Morison. This two-player electromechanical machine leans into a fierce fantasy aesthetic, replacing the typical jungle-cat imagery with a focus on high-stakes, target-heavy gameplay. With a layout boasting four flippers and a dense thicket of drop targets—including a primary four-bank and two supplementary three-banks—the machine challenges players to master a rigorous, cascading objective system that demands precision over brute force.
The core of the experience revolves around the careful management of your bonus multiplier. Unlike machines that reward scattered shots, Eye Of The Tiger forces a disciplined approach: to climb the ladder toward a 15,000-point bonus, you must systematically clear the banks in sequence. You cannot simply cherry-pick your way to the top; the game requires you to keep previous target sets downed to unlock higher multipliers. While the spinner and star rollovers serve as your bread-and-butter for incremental scoring, the real tension lies in completing the three-bank arrays, which illuminate the top lanes to potentially grant a highly coveted extra ball.
Success on this table is defined by patience and sequencing. Once you have successfully cleared the entire field of drops, the machine rewards your persistence with a bonus payout before resetting the entire array, daring you to start the climb all over again. With only 732 units ever produced, this Gottlieb rarity remains a sharp, unforgiving test of skill for those who prefer the tactile, rhythmic clatter of real drop targets and reel-based scoring to the digital sprawl of modern pins.