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1980

The Incredible Hulk

Quick Overview

The Incredible Hulk is Gottlieb's 1980 pinball machine that puts Marvel's legendary green giant front and center. It was made well before Hulk became one of the biggest superheroes on the big screen — here, the classic comic-book world is still clearly the inspiration. The machine was designed by Ed Krynski, with striking artwork by Gordon Morison. The result is an unmistakable early-1980s Gottlieb: vivid colors, comic-book style art, and classic target-based pinball gameplay.

The Incredible Hulk

Basics

  • Release1980
  • ManufacturerD. Gottlieb & Co.
  • DesignerEd Krynski
  • ArtGordon Morison
  • SystemGottlieb System 1
  • GenrePinball
  • Players1–4
  • ThemeMarvel – The Incredible Hulk
  • Flippers4
  • Bumpers3
  • Drop targets7
  • Multiballnone
  • Units produced6,150

Creators

Ed Krynski – designerGordon Morison – art

Standout features:

Four flippersCollect the letters H-U-L-K for bonusSeven drop targetsAn active upper playfield

Play It Live!

HULK SMASH! Try the 1980 Gottlieb The Incredible Hulk pinball machine in person at Arcade Museum Budapest, and find out how many points a machine can take before Hulk really gets angry.

Insert Coin

Game Objective

The Incredible Hulk still comes from the world of classic pinball. There are no long quests or video scenes: the game is about completing targets, building bonuses, and of course scoring as high as possible. One of the playfield's key elements is collecting the letters H-U-L-K. Completing various targets and playfield features builds your bonus and unlocks higher point values. With four flippers, controlling the ball plays out differently than on a standard two-flipper machine, and the upper playfield's targets are an active part of the game too. Easy to pick up — but reaching a score worthy of Hulk is another matter.

Fun Facts

  • The machine came out in 1980, more than two decades before the modern era of Marvel superhero movies.
  • That's why Hulk's look here is based on the classic Marvel comics rather than any film.
  • The game was created by Ed Krynski, one of Gottlieb's most well-known pinball designers.
  • The artwork was handled by Gordon Morison, whose distinctive style appeared on many classic Gottlieb machines.
  • The playfield features four flippers.
  • The seven drop targets play a central role in scoring.
  • The Incredible Hulk is one of the last machines of the Gottlieb System 1 electronic generation.
  • The machine has no multiball — the entire game is built around controlling a single ball and hitting precise shots.
  • 6,150 units of the machine were produced.

Why Is It Special?

Today it feels almost natural for a popular superhero to get their own pinball machine. In 1980, though, a pinball machine built around a Marvel character represented a completely different world. That makes The Incredible Hulk a piece of both pinball and comic-book history. In Gordon Morison's artwork, Hulk looks exactly the way period comic readers knew him: huge, green, furious — and practically taking over the entire machine. And the gameplay itself doesn't need complicated rules. Aim. Smash. Score. Hulk probably wouldn't overcomplicate it either.