Bonanza

Previously, we had shown Wayne Neyens as the designer of this game. This is Ed Krynski's first game for Gottlieb. Pinball book author Michael Shalhoub told us that Krynski had this game at his home when he visited him. Krynski told him he did not like the design. The game shown in the manufacturer's flyer shows all plastic playfield posts in four colors: Yellow posts at the top lanes and next to the flippers, white posts at the center diamond, red posts at the standup targets, and green posts at the slingshots. We see production games use almost entirely the metal faceted posts. We asked Steve Young if there was a change of posts during the run. He said the BOM showed 9 yellow flat top 1" posts and 43 faceted metal posts (17 low, 26 tall). Steve said there is no change on the BOM indicating a revision during production, so the implication is that all production games were made with the metal posts and the 9 yellow posts. 'Bonanza' was a popular and long-running American television western, broadcasted from 1959 to 1973. It was a fictional account of a widower and his three sons on their large ranch in Nevada in the 1860's. All four men are depicted on the backglass. Female ranch hands were not part of the story, however, so the ladies on the backglass undoubtedly are visitors to the ranch, which could explain the hospitable reception they are given.