Gottlieb’s Ice Fever, released in 1985 and designed by John Trudeau, drops the puck on a fast-paced ice-hockey theme. With four pop bumpers, a three-bank of drop targets guarding a captive ball, a spinning target, and a charming mechanical backbox animation where a puck slides into the net, it’s a lively, sports-themed solid-state machine that captures the energy of a hard-fought hockey game.
The scoring rewards a player who learns its key shot. The lit inlane switch lights the spinner for a juicy 10,000 a spin, so the winning strategy is to alley-pass or “schatz” the lane to light it, then rip that spinner all day for big points. The captive ball, protected by the three-bank of drop targets, adds a satisfying layer of target-clearing, while the pop bumpers keep the ball lively across a clean, readable layout that’s easy to pick up but rewarding to master.
A handsome and approachable entry from Gottlieb’s mid-80s output — and an early design from John Trudeau, who would go on to create deeper machines like Creature from the Black Lagoon and Judge Dredd — Ice Fever is an enjoyable and energetic sports table. For collectors who love a good hockey theme and a spinner-driven scoring loop, it’s a likeable and characterful classic with a fun backbox animation to boot. Drop the gloves, light that spinner, and score for the win.