Ball-shooting game machine

A ball-shooting game machine, comprising:

• a vertical game board having a front side with a vertical partition member mounted thereon for dividing said game board into a game zone and a ball guide zone, said game board having upper and lower edges, said partition member having a distal upper end which is spaced from said upper edge of said game board;
• a metal game ball disposed on said front side of said game board;
• a magnetic ball shooter disposed behind said game board and including a magnet disposed adjacent to said ball guide zone, and a drive assembly for moving said magnet between a first position adjacent to a lowermost portion of said ball guide zone, and a second position adjacent to an uppermost portion of said ball guide zone, said magnet attracting magnetically with said game ball when said game ball is in said ball guide zone such that movement of said magnet from said first position to said second position will result in corresponding movement of said game ball from said lowermost portion to said uppermost portion of said ball guide zone;
• and
• a pivotable guard plate disposed at said upper end of said partition member, said guard plate having a pivot end mounted pivotally on said game board and a free end which extends horizontally into said ball guide zone, said game ball abutting against said guard plate and causing said guard plate to pivot upwardly when said game ball moves along with said magnet toward said uppermost portion of said ball guide zone, said guard plate preventing said game ball from returning into said game ball zone to cause separation of said game ball from said magnet and to permit said game ball to slide along said guard plate and fall into said game zone when said magnet is moved by said drive assembly from said second position back to said first position.