I just finished up restoring this 1946 Chicago Coin Goalee. It was bought in a package deal about 10 years ago. At the time, getting it working again was well beyond my skill set. To say it needed work was an understatement. Years of hacks and quick fixes had done a number on it. Everything had to be gone through. But over the last 9 months I was able to get it looking good and playing again.
I am completely amazed at the guys who can make a game look like it did the day it rolled off the assembly line. But my interests are more in complete, original games that look like they’ve been played but also taken care of over the years. Bringing a game up to these standards also happens to align with my skill set. That’s what I did here.
The game is actually very fun. In single player mode, the player competes against the “robot mannequin” which is controlled by the game. This causes the player to rotate clockwise and then counter clockwise repeatedly. Chicago Coin patented this feature. In two player mode, each mannequin is controlled independently. The balls alternate where they enter the playfield so each player has an equal chance of hitting it first. It’s surprisingly challenging against an equally experienced foe. The mirror above allows those a chance to watch the game as they wait their turn to play.
Spending so much time on a game like this makes you appreciate the effort that went into designing and building it. It sure is a great feeling to breathe some new life into it to ensure it’s around at least a little while longer.
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