Playboy 35th Anniversary is a pinball machine released by Data East Pinball in 1989. It was designed by Joe Kaminkow and Ed Cebula, with artwork by Kevin O'Connor.
As one would expect, this game commemorates the 35th anniversary of Playboy magazine with a poolside party at Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion. Shoot up the ramps to enter the Mansion, then play with the animals in the Mansion Zoo for a score multiplier. When you're ready, head on over to the pool patio, where you can take the 35th anniversary playmates to the Photo Shoot and earn a Special. While 1989 Playmate of the Year Kimberley Conrad watches from the playfield, lock two balls into the Grotto for multiball, and try to shoot the ramps for the Jackpot.
Cynics would say this table was simply an excuse to put scantily-clad women in a pinball game, and they'd be right — in the opinion of most players, Playboy 35th Anniversary is a boring table with shallow rules, a game that relies on the license and sex appeal over any sort of depth or play value.
The Playboy 35th Anniversary pinball demonstrates the following tropes:
- As Himself: Hugh Hefner and Kimberley Conrad.
- The Cameo: Little Annie Fanny (a cartoon character from the magazine) is shown in the pool on the backglass.
- Fully-Dressed Cartoon Animal: A human-sized white rabbit wearing a black suit and slacks can be seen on the backglass and by the pool on the playfield.
- Hand-or-Object Underwear: A woman in the pool covers her breasts with her hands after losing the top of her bikini. Wait, did she forget where she was?
- Licensed Pinball Table
- Lilliputians: Playboy's "Femlin" mascot appears around the playfield.
- Millionaire Playboy: Hugh Hefner, prominently featured on the backglass.
- Ms. Fanservice: The various Playmates, of course, with Kimberley Conrad prominently featured on the backglass and playfield.
- No Plot? No Problem!
- Playboy Bunny: There are a few around the table, but most of the Playmates are shown wearing bikinis.
- Roger Rabbit Effect: The backglass shows real-life people such as Hugh Hefner and the Playmates hanging out with cartoon characters (specifically, Little Annie Fanny, the Playboy Femlin, and the Playboy Rabbit).
- Sex Sells: Averted; fewer than 2,400 tables were sold.
- Slippery Swimsuit: A woman in the swimming pool covers her breasts with her hands after losing the top of her bikini. Because the Playboy Mansion is no place for indecent exposure...
- Spelling Bonus: P-L-A-Y-B-O-Y enables the Special, M-A-N-S-I-O-N awards the Mansion Million Countdown, P-I-N-B-A-L-L enables the Extra Ball, and H-M-H (Hugh Hefner's initials) increases the bonus multiplier.
- Timed Mission: The Mansion Million Countdown.
