Marble Queen

[Replay]

So, been reading the threads with Popeye, Baywatch, and Taxi and nice to see games off the radar getting some love. Thought I would do something similar but I realize most on here find em's boring and one dimensional.

Hoping detailing the rules of Marble Queen will highlight the strategy of this game and how clever these games were for this era.

So, Marble Queen 1953. Gottlieb. 1000 made. Hard game to find.

This was the era that games were closer to gambling machines and thus had different ways to win. The aim was to get the specials any way possible and if you get enough, go to the bar and cash them in

Some pics, then video and rules.

This game is a nice original. Often the marbles are missing and as they are made from a marbled plastic of the era, they are impossible to replicate.

 

[Replay]

What makes games of the pre 1955 era different was more complex rulesets that earned more money for the operators due to players always feeling close to winning.

This game has 5 ways to win.

1. Routine getting high scores in millions.

2. Always win specials by scoring single points. Dual scoring system. So, each time you lose a ball down the single gobble hole, you light a rollover button that then scores a point. Pretty difficult to win this way.

3. Unlight pop bumpers 1 - 9 in order, to light rollover button at top of playfield for special. Once done stays on for rest of game so chance to win big. As ever, this is not easy. Also once pop bumper 9 is unlit, the 100000 when lit bumper at bottom of playfield lights up. This makes it easier to win via the millions route.

4. Each time you lose a ball in the gobble hole a marble in the centre lights up. Get all 5 in the gobble hole and you win a special.

5. There are 4 lanes, A, B, C, and D - unlight these and lanes A, B are lit for special.

So, rulset is pretty detailed and complex and way more complex than say 70's em's.

What it means is that you start of playing with one particular strategy but as the game develops it becomes clear which is the best chance of winning, so you adjust your play to try and win that way.

Playing competitively is fun because you can agree whether to play for millions or single points and so completely different strategy.

 

[Replay]

Video of the game.

Contrary to popular opinion of these games playing sluggish the ball flies around the playfield. And even more surprising for a 60 year old game is that no coils have been modified - original 60 year old coils!

Gottlieb were the kings of this era and the quality of parts etc was second to none. No reason why this game won't still be playing in a 100 years time if looked after!

 

[replicas]

Pretty game, l love the Gottlieb wood rails.

 

[Spandangler]

Nice to see the oldies getting the love. They really are a cool looking game

 

[thelab]

really enjoyed that write-up definitely made it more interesting to learn about these games and era, cheers!

 

[ronsplooter]

Very pretty game, always fancied a wood rail

 

[cooldan]

nice job @Replay
if you want to write any more blurb, i'll put it all into a rulesheet for you and submit it to PAPA for pinheads worldwide to enjoy. i'm just finishing off turning @Sgt GrizZ' Popeye rules writeup into a thing that can be published, should be ready in a couple of days. it's always nice to see something you created in an official repository along with ones by your heros like Bowen and Lyman

 

[Special When Lit]

Sweet.