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Museum of the Game® & International Arcade Museum® Forums
If you currently have a United's puck bowler / shuffle alley with the back glass name of "Top Hat", pay attention because I think I have been led to believe something that you may have been wondering about. The KLOV entry of this game is incorrect and in fact it appears not to be a proper game at all in United's production. And also, it was not released in 1951 as the KLOV entry indicates. I believe this was only a generic reproduced back glass for a series of other games to work with in case an original back glass was to break or become missing and may also have something to do with late prohibition laws concerning gambling. What makes me say this?
1. There is no reference literature or factory flyer showing a proper game title of "Top Hat".. Only under Chicago Coin.
2. The back glass has no identifying manufactured name of "United's" printed on it.
3. There is no Billboard release date of said title that I can find.
4. It has been documented that black and yellow score reels were 1st released on United puck bowlers in 1952 not 1951 when we see the last "lighted" score boards with 6 players was used. So Top Hat Couldn't have existed prior to 1952 anyway.
On observed puck bowlers selling on eBay I have run into this many times so far and each puck bowler that had the name Top Hat showed different cabinet graphics stencils and backbox. I have found that this generic Top Hat back glass will work or has been made to work on some early specific puck bowler for these titles in the order they were released:
3/52 United's "6" Player Super Shuffle Alley (Certainly a 6 player was made but this may also have been United's 1st ball bowler.)
6/52 United's Official Shuffle Alley (4 Player) Top Hat probably couldnt be used on this one although it may fit on the back box. Obviously, the scoring is different on a " 4player" game.
9/52 United's 10th Frame Manhattan Shuffle Alley
9/52 United's 10th Frame Super Shuffle Alley
9/52 United's 10th Frame Star Shuffle Alley
10/52 United's Fireball Alley
Now the mystery is trying to figure out which cabinet goes with the correct back glass because they appeared to use the same cabinet graphics and colors for the titles "6" player super shuffle alley and official shuffle alley. while the remaining said titles use different graphics and colors but are identical to each other. Confused? Now ask yourself if I have a United puck bowler with the Top Hat back glass could I/you identify the original game title for that cabinet? In the meantime here are a couple of examples with the Top Hat back glass.