Magic Baseball

Retro Coin Op Synopsis

Though the lion’s share of baseball coin-ops involved both pitching and batting, Sheldon, Dickson & Steven Mfg. Co.’s 1966 twist on America’s favorite pastime, Magic Baseball, offered a new gimmick. No pitching here, just swinging, and if the baseball gods were smiling upon you, hopefully a little ball/bat connection.

In this coin-op, the baseball floated up and down on a jet stream of compressed air, which the player controlled. Once the aspiring hitter inserted his coin and placed his ball, it was swingin’ time. If he placed the ball properly, he hit (and heard) a home run. If not, the only sound he was privy to would have been the sound his bat made as it whooshed, unobstructed, right through the air.

Batters got nine swings per play, but unfortunately, that was more than enough to figure out the game's secret. Once you had a pretty good idea about where to place the ball, you could repeat its location and find success with each swing. That little flaw made Magic Baseball the first and only game of its kind, despite the visual appeal of the game's blacklit cabinet. Batter up.

Arcade Machine Release History

1966 - Magic Baseball

Arcade Game Sub Categories

sports
simulator

Machine Manufacturer

Sheldon, Dickson & Steven

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