Gottlieb’s Paul Bunyan, released in 1968, is a charming slice of late-1960s Americana, bringing the tall-tale lumberjack of folklore to a classic wedge-head playfield. From the era when Gottlieb reigned as the king of the single-player and add-a-ball game, it carries the design fingerprints of an experienced team and Art Stenholm’s warm, storybook artwork — the kind of machine that defined the look of pinball for a generation.
The scoring centers on a satisfying A-B-C target sequence that, in a neat touch, carries over from player to player. Hitting A-B-C in order awards points and lights features, and from there a clever lit-letter loop opens up: striking the lit letter lights the rollunder, and a second strike resets the letters to start the cycle anew, with most switch hits shuffling the lit light around the playfield. It’s the sort of interlocking, light-chasing logic that rewards a player who takes the time to learn its rhythm.
A handsome and historically appealing survivor from the height of the electromechanical age, Paul Bunyan offers the tactile chimes, score reels, and uncluttered fun that make late-60s Gottlieb games such treasures. For collectors who love pinball’s folksy, wood-and-relays roots, it’s a delightful and good-natured classic.