Step right up to the big top — Big Top is a circus-and-carnival solid-state single-player from Wico, a manufacturer far better known for arcade joysticks and parts than for building complete pinball machines, which makes this an intriguing curiosity from an unexpected name. With art by Dick White and an alphanumeric display, it’s a scarce entry from a company that dipped only briefly into the flipper business.
The layout is lean and focused: two flippers, a single pop bumper, three targets, and a spinning target. That spinning target is the machine’s standout scoring feature, offering satisfying, high-value shots for a player who keeps the ball moving, while the three targets give a clear objective to work through and the pop bumper adds a bit of lively bounce. It’s a clean, simple design in the classic mold, the kind of straightforward playfield that rewards accurate shooting and keeping the ball alive, all in service of its cheerful circus theme and the midway spirit it evokes.
Big Top is exactly the kind of off-the-beaten-path machine that makes pinball collecting so endlessly fascinating — a title from a company outside the usual pantheon of manufacturers, carrying its own quirks and character. Wico’s brief venture into building complete machines makes its games a rewarding pursuit for the collector who prizes the unexpected and the rare. Dick White’s art brings the carnival theme to life, and that spinner gives a player something satisfying to work. For anyone who loves the hobby’s surprising corners, it’s a worthy find. Rip that spinner, work the targets, and enjoy the show under the big top. Sometimes the most interesting machines come from the least likely names, and this Wico circus curiosity is proof. Drop a coin and step right up.