1975 · Gottlieb
"300" / Top Score
Known for Backglass bowling balls, Center spinner and Waterfall lanes. Flat royal-blue airbrushed field, orange and black framed score windows, white instruction card strip across the top, chrome pinball machine with red apron and coloured balls along the bottom edge, white horseshoe curve at lower right and black ball at lower right.
- Year
- 1975
- Maker
- Gottlieb
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
Known for
- backglass toy
Backglass bowling balls
- Spinner
Center spinner
- Lane
Waterfall lanes
2 games under this title
On the playfield
Orbit 1
- Upper left horseshoe horseshoe
Hole 1
- Left side saucer saucer
Spinner 1
- Center spinner
Target 1
- Upper right standup standup
Lanes 3
- Waterfall lanes
- Star rollover rollover
- Upper-left side lane
Post or gate 1
- Right gate gate
Backbox 1
- Backglass bowling balls backglass toy
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Diving horizontally across centre-right, barefoot, short brown hair, white shirt with red cursive lettering on the back, lime-green trousers, left arm reaching forward and right arm thrown back, smiling open-mouthed
- woman Blonde with long hair and ponytail, low-cut dark top, left of centre, pointing right with an outstretched index finger, looking along her finger
- man Grey-green tinted male head in profile at top left, short hair
- man Grey-green tinted male head in profile below the first, short hair
- man Third grey-green tinted male head in profile, lower left
- other Small yellow ski-jumper silhouette mid-air in the top instruction strip, arms and skis out
Setting
- Flat royal-blue airbrushed field
- Orange and black framed score windows
- White instruction card strip across the top
- Chrome pinball machine with red apron and coloured balls along the bottom edge
- White horseshoe curve at lower right
- Black ball at lower right
Text on it
- Gottlieb's
- "300"
- A GAME OF SKILL!
- PLAYERS
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- CAN PLAY
- AT THE SAME TIME
- Bonus
- 80
- 300
- 13,400
- 00,000
- BALL IN PLAY
- IT'S
- MORE FUN
- TO
- COMPETE
- D. Gottlieb & Co.
Made by
- Design
- Ed Krynski
- Art
- Gordon Morison
Reference
Linked terms
- Backglass bowling balls also called ball count display
- Center spinner also called Center Bonus spinner
- Waterfall lanes also called Right waterfall also called eight-lane waterfall
- Star rollover also called Lites Special Target
- Right gate also called right-side gate
- Upper-left side lane also called left gate-opening lane
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield "300"
- pink
- teal
- yellow
- red
Fingerprint: Bowling-themed playfield: giant pair red-and-white striped bowling pins top-center under pink striped pin deck, cartoon bowler in blue shirt mid-stride down full-length wooden lane center, cream circular bumpers stamped 1000 and 100, swarm of pale-blue pin-shaped lane guides arranged symmetrically, large multicolored spinning clock-hand fan upper right.
A giant pair of red-and-white striped bowling pins dominating the top-centre under a pink-striped pin deck, the tallest pins on the machine. A cartoon bowler in a blue shirt and dark trousers frozen mid-stride on a wooden lane that runs down the whole centre of the playfield. Cream circular bumpers stamped 1000 and 100, and a swarm of pale-blue pin-shaped lane guides arranged in symmetrical rows either side. A large multicoloured spinning sweep / clock-hand fan of coloured radial wedges on the upper right. A rosette-decorated white bowling ball on a pedestal at mid-right beside a SPECIAL flash circle.
Setting
- Cream/off-white playfield ground
- Central wooden bowling lane with yellow planks and red arrows
- Pink-and-white striped pin deck at top
- Pale-blue abstract pin-shaped lane guides
- Yellow starburst and ribbon banners
- Lower grey-and-white instruction apron cards
Symbols
- Bowling pins
- Bowling ball with star rosette
- Circular bumpers numbered 1000 and 100
- Pink-and-white striped pin deck
- Yellow starburst
- Red arrows painted on the lane
- Spinning multi-coloured wedge fan
- Ribbon banners with scroll ends
- Playfield coin/ball insert circles
- Metal ball-guide rails and lane-lane wireform
Notable shapes
- Giant striped bowling pin pair at top centre
- Pale-blue pin-shaped lane guides in symmetrical rows
- Central full-length painted bowling lane
- Concentric multicoloured wedge spinner on the right
- Yellow starburst banner on the upper left
- Large 'w' style red-bordered ribbon on the lower apron
Art motifs
- Concentric coloured wedges
- Red-and-white vertical stripes
- Yellow star shapes
- Scroll ribbon banners
- Crown on the top-left man's head
Themes
- Bowling
- Ten-pin
- Pins and ball
- Arcade
- Lane
Text on it
- HIGH SCORE TO BE CHAMPION
- SPECIAL TARGET
- ADDS BONUS
- 1000
- 100
- 1000 SPECIAL BONUS
- TWO BONUS
- SPECIAL
- Mr. Casual
- OPENS GATE
- 500 POINTS BONUS
- KICKOUT BONUS
- SCORES BONUS
- SHOOT AGAIN
- MORE BALLS TILL EXTRABALL
- FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET
- INSERT COIN ONLY WHEN BALL IS IN PLAY
- 300
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Two enormous red-and-white striped bowling pins at top centre, upright and side by side, tallest objects on the playfield |
| Other | Numerous pale-blue plain bowling pins arranged in rows left and right of the central lane as lane guides or spinners |
| Man | Single male cartoon bowler, seen from behind, in a blue shirt, dark blue trousers and black shoes, mid-stride with one arm swinging down, on the central wooden lane at mid-lower playfield |
| Other | A white bowling ball covered in red and yellow star/rosette decals sitting on a small pedestal at mid-right, next to a red special flash target |
| Other | Small caricature heads: a man in a red cap and a pin at the upper left corner, a man's face inside a yellow ribbon banner at upper left, and a bespectacled cartoon man's head on the blue sign above the special wheel at right |
| Other | Row of small cartoon pin/bowler figures and a red-haired face on the left side lane guide cluster |
Full-length view of a bowling-themed pinball playfield behind glass, photographed head-on with reflections on the glass and a bare metal cabinet frame visible around the edges. The artwork is a flat, brightly coloured cartoon/airbrush illustration on a cream ground. A huge pair of red-and-white striped bowling pins sits top-centre beneath a pink-and-white striped pin-deck, flanked by a yellow starburst reading HIGH SCORE TO BE CHAMPION and SPECIAL TARGET. Four large cream-coloured round bumpers numbered 1000 and 100 sit in the upper third. A large wooden bowling lane with yellow planks, red lane arrows and a blue-suited bowler mid-stride runs straight down the centre to a red KICKOUT BONUS bumper at the bottom. Nine pale-blue bowling-pin shaped lane guides flank the lane. Saturated pink, teal, yellow, red and cream dominate. Lower apron cards read SCORES BONUS, MORE BALLS TILL EXTRABALL and FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET.
Playfield Top Score
- red
- cream
- blue
- yellow
Fingerprint: Bowling alley lane running to drain with bonus arrow, two cream bumpers printed 100 in red, single bowler mid-delivery stance, bowling pins flanking sides, chevron arrows up lane, tan-ochre planks, red-blue-yellow palette, apron styled like score card
The whole playfield is a bowling alley, dominated by a varnished plank lane running to a big 'SCORES BONUS' blue arrow pointing down at the drain. Two huge cream pop-bumper caps printed '100' in red sit side by side like a pair of score windows. A single cartoon bowler in mid-delivery stride stands frozen on the lane with his ball arm swung back. The apron is a big white card set printed with scoring and replay information, unusual for a playfield.
Setting
- Interior of a bowling alley lane
- Varnished wooden lane planks
- Dark navy blue back wall behind the pin deck
- Red and yellow painted side walls
- Pale blue painted gutters and shadows either side of the lane
Symbols
- Five-pointed yellow star target
- Red chevron lane arrows
- Bowling pins
- Bowling ball
- Yellow arrow-shaped inserts
- Red and white star bursts
- Blue downward arrow insert
- Red semicircular bonus panel
- Score replay numerals
Notable shapes
- Large blue downward arrow below the two flippers
- Red triangular apron panels flanking the slingshots
- Yellow star target at mid-lane
- Pair of oversized circular 100 bumper caps
- White wraparound ball guides down both outer edges
Art motifs
- Polished wood lane perspective
- Concentric lane lines and gutters
- Star-shaped lane targets
- Marbled red and cream plastics
- Instruction cards styled like score sheets
Themes
- Bowling
- Ten-pin
- Sports
- Alley lanes
- Electromechanical
Title on it
- Ambowl
Text on it
- 100
- ADDS BONUS
- 1000 SCORES BONUS
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- STAR TARGET
- SPECIAL
- 10 SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- When Lit
- 500 and 2500 BONUS
- D. Gottlieb & Co.
- CHICAGO, ILL. U.S.A.
- BONUS VALUE MULTIPLIED
- SCORES BONUS
- TOP SCORE
- INSTRUCTIONS
- ONE or TWO PLAYERS - 5 BALLS PER PLAYER
- INSERT COIN OR PRESS CREDIT BUTTON TO RESET MACHINE
- REPLAY FOR SCORED POINTS
- POINTS ARE SCORED AS INDICATED
- ROLLOVERS AND STAR TARGETS SCORE 500 POINTS
- THE YELLOW HOLE SCORES A MYSTERY OF 1, 2 OR 3 BONUSES AND 500, 1000 OR 1500 POINTS
- THE SPINNING TARGET SCORES 10 POINTS AND ADVANCES YELLOW BONUS VALUE 300 POINTS
- THE INDICATED BONUS IS SCORED WHEN THE BALL ENTERS THE RED HOLE OF WHEN LIT MARK THE PLAYFIELD BONUS VALUE IS 1000 POINTS OR 2000 POINTS ON FIFTH BALL
- A TILT DOES NOT DISQUALIFY A PLAYER
- MATCHING LAST TWO NUMBERS IN SCORE TO NUMBER THAT APPEARS ON BACK GLASS AFTER GAME IS OVER SCORES 1 REPLAY
- FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET
- INSERT COIN ONLY WHEN COIN ENTRANCE IS LIT
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 70,000 POINTS.
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 84,000 POINTS.
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 92,000 POINTS.
- MADE IN U.S.A.
- AMBOWL
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Single cartoon male bowler at bottom centre of the lane, white short-sleeved shirt with red trim, blue trousers, dark shoes, dark hair, right arm swung back behind him holding a dark bowling ball, left arm out for balance, captured mid-stride in a classic delivery pose |
| Other | Painted upright bowling pins used as decorative fillers along both side lanes - white pins with two red neck bands, several on the left and several on the right |
| Other | Painted cartoon character bust at upper right beside the pin bank, red cap and pale face, partly hidden under the ball guide |
Full-length electromechanical bowling-themed playfield photographed in a cabinet, viewed from above through the playfield glass. Painted artwork shows a wooden bowling lane in warm tan and ochre planks running from the bottom-centre drain up to a dark navy-blue backwall area, with red and yellow side walls and pale blue gutter shadows. At the bottom centre a single male bowler figure in a white shirt, red trim and blue trousers is captured mid-stride, arm swung back with a dark bowling ball, positioned on the lane below a red semicircular 'When Lit / BONUS VALUE MULTIPLIED' panel. Above him the lane carries four red chevron arrows pointing upfield. Two large round pop bumpers with cream faces reading '100' in red sit side by side in the upper third, flanked left and right by banks of painted bowling pins with red bands. The upper area is crowded with yellow arrow-shaped inserts reading 'ADDS BONUS', star-burst targets, and a central yellow star insert. White ball-guide rails run down both sides, with cream flippers and two white rubber-covered slingshots near the bottom. Lower apron area carries white instruction and replay cards with red-and-blue borders, and the cabinet side shows large yellow 'AMBOWL' lettering.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass "300"
- blue
- yellow
- orange
- white
Fingerprint: gottlieb's "300": "300" giant quoted yellow numerals beneath cursive Gottlieb's, barefoot man in white shirt diving horizontally in lime-green trousers, blonde woman pointing, three stacked grey-green male heads in profile at left, chrome pinball machine art below, score-card style
A barefoot man in lime-green trousers and a white shirt diving horizontally across a royal-blue field, arms thrown out, with a blonde woman pointing at him from the left. Overlapping him is a huge chrome pinball-machine illustration with coloured balls on a red apron. The title is a giant quoted yellow numeral '300' under cursive 'Gottlieb's'. Three grey-green male heads in profile stacked down the left margin are an unusual identifying detail.
Setting
- Flat royal-blue airbrushed field
- Orange and black framed score windows
- White instruction card strip across the top
- Chrome pinball machine with red apron and coloured balls along the bottom edge
- White horseshoe curve at lower right
- Black ball at lower right
Symbols
- Row of x-in-box symbols in the instruction strip
- Black radiating starburst of splintered lines at top right
- Large red discs with yellow numerals 1, 2, 3, 4
- Coloured pinballs on the lower machine apron
- Black pinball at lower right
- White horseshoe curve
- Quotation marks around the title numeral
Lettering
- White cursive script for the maker line, very large yellow block numeral in quotation marks for the title, small white sans-serif capitals for slogans and instructions, yellow sans-serif capitals for the in-play and slogan text, white numerals in rectangular score windows
Themes
- Athletic competition
- Swimming or diving
- Pinball playfield art
- Score card
Title on it
- Gottlieb's "300"
Text on it
- Gottlieb's
- "300"
- A GAME OF SKILL!
- PLAYERS
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- CAN PLAY
- AT THE SAME TIME
- Bonus
- 80
- 300
- 13,400
- 00,000
- BALL IN PLAY
- IT'S
- MORE FUN
- TO
- COMPETE
- D. Gottlieb & Co.
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Diving horizontally across centre-right, barefoot, short brown hair, white shirt with red cursive lettering on the back, lime-green trousers, left arm reaching forward and right arm thrown back, smiling open-mouthed |
| Woman | Blonde with long hair and ponytail, low-cut dark top, left of centre, pointing right with an outstretched index finger, looking along her finger |
| Man | Grey-green tinted male head in profile at top left, short hair |
| Man | Grey-green tinted male head in profile below the first, short hair |
| Man | Third grey-green tinted male head in profile, lower left |
| Other | Small yellow ski-jumper silhouette mid-air in the top instruction strip, arms and skis out |
A painted score-card style backglass on a flat royal-blue field. Top left carries white cursive 'Gottlieb's' above a very large yellow '300' in heavy quotation marks, with 'A GAME OF SKILL!' in small white capitals below. Across the top is a white instruction strip marked with a row of X-in-box symbols, a small yellow ski-jumper silhouette, the word 'Bonus', and a black starburst of splintered lines ending at a white '300' box; a separate white '80' sits above it. Four large cream score windows in black and orange frames read 13,400 / 00,000 on the top row and 00,000 / 00,000 on the bottom row, each preceded or followed by a red disc with a yellow numeral 1, 2, 3 and 4. A yellow-and-blue badge with a cursive signature sits right of centre. Left edge shows three grey-green male heads in profile stacked above a blonde woman pointing right; 'BALL IN PLAY' is printed in yellow. Centre-right a barefoot man in a white shirt and lime-green trousers dives horizontally, arms outstretched. Bottom shows chrome pinball-machine art, coloured balls, a white horseshoe curve and 'IT'S MORE FUN TO COMPETE' in yellow.
Backglass Top Score
- blue
- yellow
- white
- green
Fingerprint: TOP SCORE rendered as glowing orange-yellow sunburst disc at center of blue field, young man in light blue shirt and bright lime-green trousers lunging right reaching for white crescent, smiling brunette in pale grey headscarf white blouse and peach-pink shorts standing center-left with both palms raised, giant chrome-grey bowling-pin or curved ramp shape sweeping lower left
The central glowing orange-yellow sunburst disc with block letters spelling TOP SCORE inside it, set against a flat royal-blue field. A young man in a lime-green outfit dives horizontally to the right across the lower half of the artwork, reaching for a white crescent motif. A woman in a grey headscarf and pink shorts stands beside the disc smiling with raised hands, mirrored by a blonde woman crouched at the far left edge. A large chrome-grey pin-shaped form curves across the bottom left above a red platform carrying a row of black dots.
Setting
- Flat royal-blue sky field
- Red horizontal platform or lane across the bottom
- Cream top banner strip
- Speckled white motion dashes
Symbols
- Glowing orange-yellow sunburst disc
- White crescent
- Chrome-grey pin or ramp shape
- Red platform with row of black dots
- Two red numbered discs
- Mechanical roller score windows
Lettering
- Title in large condensed orange block capitals with cream/white outline and horizontal white striping through each letter, on a cursive script word above it in yellow-orange. slogan in small cream capitals stacked in four lines. instruction text in small red and black capitals on a white box. company name in a yellow rectangular plaque in black.
Themes
- Sport
- Competition
- Skill game
- Mid-century
- Athletic figures
Title on it
- Top score
Text on it
- BALL IN PLAY
- PLAYERS
- CAN PLAY AT THE SAME TIME
- TOP SCORE
- A GAME OF SKILL
- IT'S MORE FUN TO COMPETE!
- 1
- 2
- D. Gottlieb
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Brunette, pale grey headscarf tied back, white blouse, peach-pink shorts, smiling, both hands raised open beside the central disc, standing centre-left |
| Woman | Blonde, short hair, shown in left profile at far left edge, one arm extended to the right, seated or crouched low |
| Man | Young, short brown hair, light blue short-sleeved t-shirt with lettering across the chest, bright lime-green trousers, one leg kicked back, right arm stretched forward to the right, smiling |
| Woman | Faint pale face and grey hair barely visible in profile at the extreme upper left edge, mostly cropped by the white instruction box |
Rectangular mid-century style backglass, slightly skewed in the photo, mounted in a white wooden cabinet frame. Deep blue field behind a sports-field scene. Three human figures: a smiling brunette woman in a pale grey headscarf, white short-sleeved blouse and peach-pink high-waisted shorts, standing centre-left with both palms raised; a blonde woman seated low at far left edge in profile, one arm extended; and a young man in a light blue T-shirt and bright green trousers lunging to the right, one arm outstretched. A giant yellow-orange glowing circle at centre contains the title. Two stacked white mechanical score windows with black roller digits sit upper right, each flanked by a red numbered disc reading 1 and 2. A huge chrome-grey bowling pin or curved metal ramp shape sweeps across the lower left, with a row of small dark circles along a red rail beneath it. Upper left carries a white instruction box, and the very top has a narrow cream horizontal panel with tick marks and numbers. Blue field is speckled with white dashes suggesting motion. White cabinet surround is chipped, and the glass shows reflections.