1961- Dr Nim
1961- Dr. NIM was a game manufactured by E.S.R., Inc. in the mid-1960s. It consisted of a plastic computer and a set of marbles. The machine would play a person at the game of Nim. The machine was powered by the action of the marbles falling through the machine.
A classic game played commonly with 15 sticks. Two players have the choice of taking one, two, or three sticks from the pile at each turn. The player who gets the last stick loses. Dr. Nim plays the same game, only with marbles. Either player can start, and Dr. Nim rarely loses!
Another example of computer programming logic realized in plastic. Dr. Nim is also capable of playing a number of variations on the game, and is equally difficult to beat in all of them.