Pinball machine:Superman Pinball Machine

In 1979 Atari released Superman, a pinball machine based on the comic book superhero by the same name. Designed by Steve Ritchie, with sound by future Defender and Robotron 2084 video game creator Eugene Jarvis, Superman was Atari's only pinball machine based on a licensed character or theme, and it exemplified the industry's movement toward licensed games beginning in the mid 1970s.

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.