I like these types of threads. Unfortunately, I'm unable to identify this one, and curious what it ends up being from.

Five pop bumpers doesn't seem like it goes along with the style/age of game the inserts suggest. Interesting

I don't instantly recognize it.

There's also the possibility that it was an unproduced layout.

I'm guessing unproduced too, at least in that configuration. Honestly, if it was a modern game with five pops like that taking up all the real estate in the center of the playfield and only two major shots as identified by the inserts, it would probably shoot pretty poorly.

Can you post a photo of that?

What shots are the two yellow inserts in the middle? Scoop and captive ball?

The shoot again lights between the flippers are interesting. They remind me of Metallica's but I can't think of another game with those.

I wanted to say Cactus Canyon at first glance but I know that's not it.

Judging by the way the bottom of the playfield is cut, I'd say it was a Stern.

Those giant square inserts make me want to think that it's a 90s/00's sega/stern playfield.

The playfield is from the Sega Pinball era. We redesigned our flippers and pop bumper assemblies to rival Williams, at the time. I also noticed the slingshot cutouts are for Data East 1-piece design (http://www.thepinballwizard.net/images/products/slng-0005.jpg) with square openings for the leaf switches. In addition, the large rectangular cutout in the ball trough area is Data East/Sega Pinball (http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/xfiles/xfiles_balltrough_start.jpg). My guess is Tim Seckel or John Borg designed this prototype playfield.

Good luck in your quest and congrats on your rare find.

The BIG Hurt

I count seven shots? Not sure where they all go, but

are those different from what earlier Stern used? I'm not a newer stern expert but my PotC has one piece slingshots and a nearly identical ball trough area

I'd say there's four major shots, 2 orbits, 2 ramps. Plus the scoop targets to the left and right. The layout may look deceptively simple but I bet it shoots well

I believe the early Stern designs are the same. I do know having a scoop in front of pop bumpers is one of John Borg's signature design elements. If anyone can identify this playfield it would be John Borg.

Are those five sided cuts in front of the outer square inserts blue arrow inserts, or slots?

Everything is pretty jammed up by the flippers other than the orbits though.

A lot of people knock NBAFB for having too many shots close to the flippers so that everything bricks back too quickly. While I really enjoy NBAFB (enough to have two), I do understand that criticism of it.

The layout for those five pops is large enough to take up nearly as much space as the shooting mech for NBAFB, thus my comment. Additionally, it looks like there is only one or two spots for the ball to come out, so you're waiting for the ball to bounce around a lot to ultimately slowly dribble out one place or another. I'd argue that this would be less interesting than the NBAFB mech. Addams Family, one of the few other "modern" games that I can think of with so many pops in one configuration, stacks them vertically to keep them more limited, and allows for two exits where one leads to more or less a toy. Additionally, I don't know that much of anyone cares there are 5 pops on TAF there, the game plays almost like it was three.

Also, if you look carefully at the right orbit, the path of it looks like it takes the ball to a saucer or something uncut, and not a straight orbit shot. The way the cut outs are, I'm guessing neither would have been an orbit, and the left side would have fed the pops.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like a lot of dead ends and holding the ball, without many places that would have interactive toys. Having said that, maybe there was some sort of amazing toy that we don't see. If it's a Borg design, I automatically think it probably kicks butt - I've been a huge fan of his since long before Iron Man.

Well I thought the right orbit doubled as the plunger lane and both orbits led to the upper lanes. It also looks like an up post is on the right of those lanes to block the orbit at some point similar to SST.

It's possible the ramps led to an upper playfield or maybe a ramp flipper to make some sort of loop shots. That's what I keep thinking at least. But I get what your saying about no real need for five bumpers.

Bump...I'm interested to see if anyone is able to identify this.

Me too. I hope OP tries contacting Borg.

Just checking back, only to find the identity of the whitewood is still up in the air here it seems.