I am an unapologetic Gottlieb pinball lover. During the 80s and 90s, Gottlieb was considered the second-class manufacturer to Bally/Williams (Debatably third-class--Data East Pinball made a fair few winners). Their games are filled with bizarre, experimental gimmicks that often don't work out as well as hoped, mechanics that were clearly not thought through very well, and designs that probably weren't playtested much before getting shoved out the door. But if you give me the choice between a Gottlieb table and a more polished Bally/Williams from the same period, I'll go for the Gottlieb almost every time. (Almost. Some of their late output really is miserable. Barb fucking Wire.) There's just something really endearing about these janky-ass tables that makes them much more appealing and interesting than their significantly more polished Williams counterparts.
My favorite Gottlieb pinball era is the mid-late 80s, what I call their "photorealism period" since almost all of their backglass art was photos of actual people. Seriously, check out some Gottlieb backglass art from this era and be mystified.) The tables themselves are just as weird and goofy as the backglasses would suggest, with many of them riffing on popular TV/movies of the time period.
Next Level Pinball here in PDX recently obtained this Gottlieb gem, and I am very happy about it. While Spring Break isn't obviously inspired by a specific piece of media like, say, Hollywood Heat or Gold Wings, it's still very clearly cribbing from pop culture of the time, as the presence of not-quite-famous adverdog look-alike Squdz McKlinsie indicates. Also, the music is legally distinct compositions that sound a whole lot like Wipeout, California Girls, and California Sun. (Lots of Cali influence even though the game's art makes it clear this table is set in Florida.) Also to emphasize what a PARTY this table is, every ball starts as a multiball and completing certain objectives will spit even more balls onto the table. And there's a sub-area with a mini-flipper for some reason. And the sound effects include a cacophony of dog barks and wolf whistles. It's not just stupid, it's Gottlieb Stupid! The best kind!
It's not the Most Gottlieb table (that's their masterpiece Class of 1812), but dammit, it's still so, so good. Weird, ugly, confusing, and obnoxious in that endearingly late-80s Gottlieb way. I truly hope Spring Break never goes away.
