Raven, released by Gottlieb in 1986, is a quintessential piece of mid-80s solid-state design that leans heavily into a gritty, military-action aesthetic. Penned by designer John Trudeau, the machine tasks players with infiltrating a high-stakes mission, symbolized by the prominent helicopter toy mounted on the playfield. With its spinning rotor blades serving as the visual centerpiece, the game captures the era’s fascination with tactical themes, utilizing a four-player alphanumeric display to track your progress through the combat zone.
The mechanical layout is built around a robust set of objectives, featuring a quartet of drop targets and a series of ten standup targets that demand precision shooting to clear. The playfield is punctuated by four pop bumpers and dual kick-out holes that keep the ball in constant, unpredictable motion. For those chasing high scores, the spinner is a crucial tactical asset; rather than leaving it as a passive feature, the game forces you to earn its value. By rolling through the inlanes, you activate the spinner for a single high-scoring rip, requiring you to constantly navigate the lanes to keep the points flowing.
While Raven might not carry the same name recognition as some of its contemporaries, its 3,550-unit production run solidified its place in the arcades of the time. The collaboration between concept artist Jeff Walker and the Gottlieb design team resulted in a machine that feels like a genuine, retro-tech mission briefing. It is a straightforward, satisfying experience that rewards players who can manage the rhythm of the inlane-to-spinner loop while keeping the ball away from the drain during the chaos of the helicopter’s spinning blades.