The Internet Pinball Database Presents

Big Hit

[ Quick Search ] [ Advanced Search ] [ Game Lists ] [ Archives ] [ Pinball Glossary ] [ Playing Skills ] [ FAQ ] [ Settings ]
Big Hit / IPD No. 253 / March, 1977 / 1 Player
 		[ Submit Changes ]
Average Fun Rating: [ 7 stars - Click for comments ]    7.3/10  (27 ratings/20 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Company, a Columbia Pictures Industries Company (1977-1983)
[Trade Name: Gottlieb]
Date Of Manufacture: March, 1977
Model Number: 400
Type: Electro-mechanical (EM) [?]
Production: 2,313 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Sports - Baseball
Notable Features: Flippers (4), Pop bumpers (2), Vari-targets (2), Star rollovers (3), 5-bank drop targets (2). Ball is launched into play from the outhole through the flippers by pressing right flipper button. Wedge head. No slingshots.

Sound: 3 chimes, 1 bell, knocker.

Design by: Ed Krynski
Art by: Gordon Morison
Notes: Shown in this listing are three versions of playfield produced by the manufacturer. The flyer shows the "standard version" with unpainted woodgrain in the area between the lower flippers as well as in the area just above the upper flippers (the "swipe" area). A "white version" has white paint in these same areas. A "yellow version" has yellow paint in these same areas. The quantities produced of each are unknown to us.

Tim Arnold contacted us with the following information for 'Big Hit', 1976 'Volley', and 1977 'Jacks Open' which explains the different playfields:

I have noticed a mystery on these three games I can solve for you. I have had many examples of these machines over the years. Playfields with PAINT over [flipper] swipe area and top arch are made of CHIPBOARD! I first saw this at Cleveland Coin back in the day when we were thinking of buying the game off the floor. Our salesman told us to take one in the box as the painted over area was "Pressed wood". I later talked to Cliff Strain [in Sales] at an annual trade show. He told me they were trying new materials because of a spike in the price of plywood. I have had two of these three machines since then, and the paint seems to stick to the wood just fine, but the surface turns rough and bumpley (sic) under the paint.

Gottlieb Domestic & Export Sales Sheets for Big Hit: 2200 total
Domestic Sales: 1478
Export Sales: 722

The above total does not include 113 Sample games produced in 1977 per handwritten documentation identified by Wayne Neyens as coming from Bob Malvasio, a draftsman for Gottlieb whose initials RHM can be found on schematics.

If you have this game and have the schematic for it, and are familiar with reading schematics, please contact us. We ask you to help us identify possible errors on the schematic. (We don't seek your schematic.)

Photos in: Encyclopedia of Pinball Volume 2External Link, page 212
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F
The Pinball Compendium 1970-1981External Link, page 112
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/253  (External site)
Documentation: 756 KB PDF Installation Procedures And Game Operation Instructions (OCR searchable manual) (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
  5 MB PDF Schematic Diagram (continuous) (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 245: Big Hit Backglass
Backglass
468x435
 		 Image # 4760: Big Hit Flyer
Flyer
609x789
 		 Image # 15106: Big Hit Playfield
Playfield
450x600
[Tom Graham]		 Image # 15108: Big Hit Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View
450x600
[Tom Graham]		 Image # 16088: Big Hit Backglass
Backglass
791x859
[Brent Sorensen]
Image # 16089: Big Hit Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield
1024x768
[Brent Sorensen]		 Image # 16090: Big Hit Middle Playfield
Middle Playfield
1024x768
[Brent Sorensen]		 Image # 16091: Big Hit Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield
1024x768
[Brent Sorensen]		 Image # 16092: Big Hit Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left
1024x810
[Brent Sorensen]		 Image # 16093: Big Hit Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right
885x789
[Brent Sorensen]
Image # 16094: Big Hit Cabinet - Front
Cabinet - Front
1024x774
[Brent Sorensen]		 Image # 24996: Big Hit Backbox
Backbox
1024x1015
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 28448: Big Hit Illuminated Backglass
Illuminated Backglass
400x457
[Bruno Durand]		 Image # 35784: Big Hit Playfield (Serial number 03400.)
Playfield*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35785: Big Hit Upper Playfield (Serial number 03400.)
Upper Playfield*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 35786: Big Hit Upper Playfield (Serial number 03400.)
Upper Playfield*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35787: Big Hit Cabinet - Front View (Serial number 03400.)
Cabinet - Front View*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35788: Big Hit Playfield - White Version (In this version, the area between the lower flippers and the upper flipper swipes are painted white from the factory.)
Playfield - White Version*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35789: Big Hit Upper Playfield - White Version (In this version, the area between the lower flippers and the upper flipper swipes are painted white from the factory.)
Upper Playfield - White Version*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35790: Big Hit Middle Playfield - White Version (In this version, the area between the lower flippers and the upper flipper swipes are painted white from the factory.)
Middle Playfield - White Version*
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 35791: Big Hit Two Playfield Versions (The standard playfield is in the foreground. The 'white' version playfield is in the background.)
Two Playfield Versions*
1024x768
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35792: Big Hit Underneath Playfield
Underneath Playfield
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35793: Big Hit Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35794: Big Hit Motor
Motor
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35795: Big Hit Drop Target Assembly
Drop Target Assembly
744x944
[Vic Camp]
Image # 35796: Big Hit Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield
1024x768
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35797: Big Hit Middle Playfield
Middle Playfield
1024x768
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35798: Big Hit Outhole
Outhole
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35799: Big Hit Cabinet - Full View
Cabinet - Full View
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]		 Image # 35800: Big Hit Cabinet - Aerial View
Cabinet - Aerial View
1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 47890: Big Hit Illuminated Backglass
Illuminated Backglass
914x870
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47891: Big Hit Playfield
Playfield
1200x1600
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47892: Big Hit Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47893: Big Hit Middle Playfield
Middle Playfield
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47894: Big Hit Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 47895: Big Hit Playfield - Drop Targets
Playfield - Drop Targets
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47896: Big Hit Playfield - Ball View
Playfield - Ball View
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47897: Big Hit Backbox - Left
Backbox - Left
1004x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47898: Big Hit Backbox - Right
Backbox - Right
1200x1600
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47899: Big Hit Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 47900: Big Hit Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right
1200x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47901: Big Hit Cabinet - Front
Cabinet - Front
1000x900
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47902: Big Hit Under Lower Playfield
Under Lower Playfield
1200x1600
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47903: Big Hit Under Upper Playfield
Under Upper Playfield
1200x1600
[Mark Clayton]		 Image # 47904: Big Hit Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet
1200x1600
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 61600: Big Hit Playfield - Yellow Version (In this version, the area between the lower flippers and the upper flipper swipes are painted yellow from the factory. Serial number 03505.)
Playfield - Yellow Version*
925x900
[David Hoover]		 Image # 61601: Big Hit Upper Playfield - Yellow Version (In this version, the area between the lower flippers and the upper flipper swipes are painted yellow from the factory. Serial number 03505.)
Upper Playfield - Yellow Version*
1200x900
[David Hoover]		 Image # 61602: Big Hit Lower Playfield - Yellow Version (In this version, the area between the lower flippers and the upper flipper swipes are painted yellow from the factory. Serial number 03505.)
Lower Playfield - Yellow Version*
1200x900
[David Hoover]		 Image # 61867: Big Hit Playfield Edge - Yellow Version (This view shows the playfield is composite, not plywood. Serial number 03505.)
Playfield Edge - Yellow Version*
1149x900
[David Hoover]		 Image # 78821: Big Hit Backglass
Backglass
1200x1338
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 78822: Big Hit Backglass - Detail
Backglass - Detail
1166x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]		 Image # 78823: Big Hit Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail
1200x1007
[Jean-Pierre Renault]		 Image # 78824: Big Hit Vari-Target
Vari-Target
947x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]		 Image # 78825: Big Hit Apron - Downfield View
Apron - Downfield View
1200x350
[Jean-Pierre Renault]		 Image # 78826: Big Hit Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View
751x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 78827: Big Hit Cabinet - Full View
Cabinet - Full View
1094x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]		 Image # 78909: Big Hit Motor Board
Motor Board
1200x900
[William Medwin]		 Image # 78910: Big Hit Inside Cabinet - Interlock Relays
Inside Cabinet - Interlock Relays
1200x900
[William Medwin]		 Image # 78911: Big Hit Runs Stepper Unit
"Runs" Stepper Unit
1200x900
[William Medwin]		  
[ Support the IPDB ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ About Us ]		All copyrighted and trademarked Gottlieb® material licensed from Gottlieb Development LLC.
Copyrighted and trademarked material from Planetary Pinball Supply, Inc® used with permission.
All photographs licensed from original photographers, who retain their copyright. Do not use without permission!
Site design, phrasing, and other local content copyright 2004-2024 by The Internet Pinball Database™.
Where appropriate, other trademarks & copyrights remain property of their owners. 		[ Database Change Log ]

ipdb.org hosted at pair.com

 
blank line