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1974

Fun Land Rifle

Quick Overview

Fun Land Rifle is a 1974 electromechanical shooting game from Chicago Coin of Chicago. It has no screen and no computer: relays, score reels and mechanical targets make up the game, and a bell rings on every hit. The machine recalls the mechanical arcade era that came before video games.

Fun Land Rifle

Basics

  • Release1974
  • ManufacturerChicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company (Chicago, USA)
  • TypeElectromechanical rifle gallery
  • GenreShooting game
  • TechnologyElectromechanical, no video display

Standout Features

Fully electromechanical operation, with no screenMechanical targets and score reelsA bell rings on a hitShot counter and credit display

Gameplay

Aiming and firing at mechanical targetsCollecting points on the score reelsRationing your shots

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Game Objective

You fire a rifle at mechanical targets, and every hit scores points. The score is shown on mechanical reels and a bell sounds on a hit. A counter keeps track of your shots, and a coin adds a credit, as on other electromechanical machines of the era.

Chicago Coin: The Chicago Pinball Maker

The Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company was founded in Chicago around 1931 by Sam Gensburg, Sam Wolberg and Lou Koren. Its first pinball table was Blackstone (1933), and Kilroy (1947) stayed the best-selling pinball table for decades. It merged with Genco in 1959, and in late 1976 Gary and Sam Stern bought the company assets and founded Stern Electronics.

Fun Facts

  • It was built in August 1974: the trade paper Cash Box of August 31 reported it in production.
  • It is fully electromechanical, with no screen.
  • A bell signals a hit and mechanical reels show the score.
  • Chicago Coin's pinball Kilroy (1947) sold 8,800 units.
  • Chicago Coin passed to the Stern family in late 1976 and became Stern Electronics.

The Evolution of Arcade

Shooting galleries are among the earliest arcade genres. Fun Land Rifle dates from 1974, a year after Chicago Coin had already moved into video games with TV Ping Pong (1973). To collectors today, the sound, the mechanics and the clatter of the score reels preserve the atmosphere of the arcade before video games.

Who Is It For?

Anyone who wants to see and hear what an arcade was like before video games. It is especially interesting to collectors and fans of mechanical machines.