Prospector, a 1977 electromechanical from the Spanish manufacturer Segasa, strikes gold with a comedic American West prospecting theme and a genuinely clever twist on bonus scoring. Where most games of the era offered a single bonus, Prospector splits it in two: a Silver Bonus that you collect during play, and a Golden Bonus that only pays out at the end of the ball. That dual system, built on a durable polyurethane playfield, gives the table a strategic wrinkle well ahead of many of its contemporaries.

Managing those two bonuses is the heart of the game. Since the Silver only collects during the ball and the Gold only when you drain, savvy players weigh their options — aiming at the 5 and 6 standup targets to light double bonus when it’s worth the risk. Topping out the Silver bonus lights a spinner at 1,000 a spin, a reliable points engine, while the lit top star rollovers advance the Gold bonus on the plunge, though hitting the top-middle rollover switches those Gold rollovers off, so sequence matters.

Distinctive, strategic, and a little off the beaten path, Prospector is a rewarding find for collectors who enjoy European pinball and inventive scoring systems. With its comic theme and dual-bonus depth, it’s a characterful and engaging late-70s Segasa classic.