Granada

Visually like Spanish Eyes [especially the backglass], but with a noticeably different playfield. Like Spanish Eyes, meant to be played with extra balls ON. And not much fun to play if the bumpers are weak.

There are two ways to earn EBs on the game: one via the G-R-A-N-A-D-A letter lanes, the other via the numbered 1-10 stand-up targets. Finish either and then hit the corresponding special target in the center to get your extra ball. If you’ve finished both, hit the center special for two extra balls.

Bumper strength is important since most of the numbers and letters on the game cannot be shot directly from either flipper. Most must be bounced into by the bumpers. If the bumpers are strong, shots up top will get you a couple of the numbers and maybe an up-the-top-lane letter or two. If they’re weak … you’ll wish you weren’t playing the game.

Like Spanish Eyes, you get a 5000 point feature lit when you complete things, in this case, the left saucer for the letters and the right saucer for the numbers. Otherwise, most of your points come from bumper action up top - - the bumpers themselves, each target or lane you score, and the 500-point gate between the lower pair of bumpers. The two return lanes score 5000 each, big on this game, so since the return lanes are shatzable, learn to do it. In fact, if the bumpers are so-so and the shatz shot exit from the return lanes is safe, consider a shatz-all-day strategy - - boring but effective.

Historical Note: this is the game where I first took up shooting the ball up the opposite return lane, what is now commonly referred to as “shatzing.” I think Neil Shatz was about 5 years old at the time.