Description: Mermaid, Gottlieb, 5/51, 600 produced, backbox animation of fisherman catching a boot (nearly identical type of backbox animation unit as used latter in Flipper Cowboy and Buckaroo), woodrail pinball. Artwork by Roy Parker.

Mermaid has five dead bumpers and two pop bumper numbered across the top of the playfield (1 to 7), and one red un-numbered pop bumper. The object is to unlight the seven yellow numbered bumpers. If you do you this once, the side rollover lanes go from 10,000 points (times two) to 100,000 points (times two). If you complete the seven numbered bumpers a second time, the two kickout holes go from 1 point plus 200,000 to 1 point plus 500,000 points. If you complete the seven numbered bumpers a third time, the two kickout holes light for Special (free game).

In addition, there is a ball saver "safety gate" between the flippers. There is a switch at the top of the runway shooter lane that raises this gate. The gate stays up until a "1 point" target is scored. The "1 point" system was a secondary scoring system used on a lot of Gottlieb games. The operator could select how many "1 point" were required to win a free game (starts at 11 points, adjustable to 21 points). Replays were also awarded at (operatable ajustable) points from 2.5 million to 5 million points.

Down the center of the playfield are nine rollover buttons. These are worth 10,000 points each, but one is always lit. The lit rollover gives a "1 point" reward instead of 10,000 points. Also the very center white rollover button will raise the safety gate up. Also after the top most rollover button is lit, the next 10,000 point scored advance the red center pop bumper to be lit, making it worth "1 point" instead of 10,000 points.

If you are interested in how I restored my Gottlieb Mermaid playfield with a new playfield and cabinet repaint, details are available here.

If you have a Gottlieb Mermaid pinball for sale please contact me at cfh@provide.net