Gay 90’s, released by Williams in 1970, is a quintessential piece of Steve Kordek’s legacy, capturing a nostalgic, turn-of-the-century Americana theme through the lens of classic EM engineering. Featuring vibrant, period-appropriate artwork by Christian Marche, the machine feels like a stroll through a historical vaudeville hall. Beneath the glass, the layout is deceptively simple but demands precision, utilizing two flippers to navigate a playfield populated with three pop bumpers, a swinging target, and a pair of drop targets that serve as the primary tactical objectives for the savvy player.
The mechanical heart of the machine is the center up-post situated between the flippers, a feature that rewards those who can control the tempo of the game. A reliable strategy involves clearing the A and B drop targets to deploy this post, which can then act as a steady backboard to set up clean, repeatable shots back to the top of the playfield. However, players must exercise extreme caution; the left U-turn lane is a notorious trap that frequently funnels the ball directly into the outlane. On some well-maintained examples, a ball resting against the left side of the center post can even be nudged into the nearby saucer, providing a lucrative scoring rhythm for those who master the subtle geometry of the table.
With a production run of over 3,000 units, Gay 90’s remains a staple for collectors who appreciate the tactile satisfaction of an EM machine. The inclusion of a left kickback outlane and a right-side return gate adds a layer of forgiveness not always found in its contemporaries, balancing the risk-reward nature of its side-lane shots. It is a charming, if occasionally treacherous, slice of history that showcases Kordek’s talent for creating engaging gameplay within the constraints of the era’s technology.