Kickoff, released by Williams in 1967, stands as a quintessential piece of Steve Kordek’s design legacy, capturing the gridiron spirit during the height of the electromechanical era. As a single-player, add-a-ball machine, it strips away the flashy digital complexity of modern tables in favor of pure, rhythmic scoring. The playfield is a study in classic geometry, centered around a trio of pop bumpers that serve as the primary engine for point accumulation; savvy players will prioritize keeping the ball pinned in the center of these bumpers early, as they offer a consistent 100-point return on every deflection.
The machine leans heavily into its football theme, though players should be wary of the scoreboard’s distractions. While the game tracks “football scores”—touchdowns and field goals that mimic a real game—these are largely cosmetic and serve primarily to unlock replays at specific thresholds. For those chasing high scores, it is far more efficient to ignore the simulated game clock and focus on the stand-up targets, which illuminate the saucer for a lucrative 10x multiplier, boosting your score by 500 points per hit.
With only 1,150 units produced, Kickoff remains a sought-after relic for collectors who appreciate Kordek’s minimalist approach to the sport. It eschews the “more is better” philosophy of later decades, demanding instead a disciplined touch on the flippers to keep the ball in the high-scoring pop bumper zone. It is a no-nonsense, high-replay experience that proves you don’t need a complex ruleset to capture the intensity of a championship game.