Pinball machine:NBA Fastbreak Pinball Machine

Bally's 1997 NBA Fastbreak pinball machine attempted to capatilize on the popularity of professional basketball in the late 1990s. Designed by George Gomez, NBA Fastbreak featured real basketball scoring, with 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point shots into a plastic and metal basketball hoop at the top of the playfield. NBA Fastbreak was the first pinball machine to allow players to link two machines together to play a special game against an opponent on the other machine. Bally produced more than 4,400 units.

The history of pinball dates back to 18th-century Europe; many similar games gradually evolved from court games--games played with balls upon a playing surface, including bowls and even golf. Table versions, it seems, were inevitable inventions to make these games portable and to bring them indoors. What we recognize as pinball evolved in America during the 20th century. The year 1947 saw the invention of the "flipper," which added a whole new dimension to the game. In the 1960s, smaller and cheaper home versions were commonly available.