Playball is a single player electro-mechanical baseball themed pin from 1971. Sports themed games are generally not that interesting to me, but I really like this one. I also tend to dislike pins without plungers, and this game is an early example of that, but it works. Rather than pull back a plunger at the side of the playfield, the ball is shot from the center at the push of a button.
What makes this game interesting to me is that besides keeping score, you also score runs. I really get into this for some reason and find myself tracking only my runs and not my score. Plenty of targets are labeled "single", "double", "triple" and "home-run". These targets advance you through the bases and score runs. Free games start at 19 runs, and that is a realistic goal with a little practice.
There is an alternate version of this game from the same year called "Home Run". This version replaced free games with extra balls.
Playball at the IPMD
Find a Playball machine near you
Gameplay video:
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