Carry the flame — Gottlieb’s 1980 Torch is a solid-state four-player built around the pageantry of the Olympic Games, and it comes from a familiar Gottlieb team: designer John Buras, who also handled the software, with art by the masterful Gordon Morison. With a confirmed run of 3,880 and an alphanumeric display, it sits right at the transition point where Gottlieb’s beloved electromechanical instincts met the new world of solid-state electronics.
The layout is a satisfying early-solid-state spread with a distinctive twist: two flippers, two pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, two big five-bank drop-target arrays, a standup, a rollunder, and — the eye-catching feature — three roto-targets, those spinning drum targets that add a unique bit of mechanical variety to the playfield. That combination of dual five-banks and the roto-targets gives a sharp-shooting player plenty to work through, rewarding accuracy across a busy, target-rich field. It’s a clean, aggressive design that captures the competitive spirit of its Olympic theme.
Torch is a fine example of Gottlieb navigating the shift to solid-state while keeping the honest, target-focused design philosophy that made its EM machines so enduring. Morison’s art brings the Olympic pageantry to life, and the roto-targets give the game a signature feel among its early-’80s peers. For the collector who appreciates this pivotal moment in pinball’s technological evolution, Torch is a worthy pick, blending mechanical charm with the new electronic scoring. Clear those five-banks, work the roto-targets, and go for the gold. It’s a spirited, well-built machine that honors the competitive fire of the Games in classic Gottlieb style.