Are we talking about like, pinball tables on the computer or the physical table units that emulate existing ones?

If the first, never found one that really captured me, though even the iffy stuff had better rulesets than Sega/Data East stuff. Also at the enthusiast level there’s a lot of moving and imparting force to the table I’ve never really found a system to emulate well.

If the second, never seen one, I guess the appeal would be getting to play tables you otherwise couldn’t but I’ve been exposed to a pretty solid chunk of everything post-EM already and I’m pretty satisfied with the selection available to me here in Portland.

somewhere-over-the-drainbow:

kontextmaschine:

Flashback to that time 9 years ago I threw a Taylor Swift-themed pinball tournament, where every table represented something particular in her arc with prizes including commissioned poems I hand-printed and framed (yes, I was manic when I came up with the idea)

I’m curious about the theming! You said you themed each machine in the tournament after an aspect of her career/life – that’s awesome. Would you be willing to share some examples?

Dolly Parton because female country crossover star, CSI cause she was on an episode once, 24 ‘cause that’s how old she was at the time, you can see from the pic that Bride of Pinbot represented Speak Now 'cause it was singing about becoming a woman… It was pingolf format.

Flashback to that time 9 years ago I threw a Taylor Swift-themed pinball tournament, where every table represented something particular in her arc with prizes including commissioned poems I hand-printed and framed (yes, I was manic when I came up with the idea)

onion-souls:

My favorite extra is this military germ warfare scientist who died of a superflu while playing ping pong in the opening of The Stand miniseries.

Black Rose (Bally, 1992)

kushblazer666:

This is a one-off Tom of Finland-themed redeco homed at the Fun House Ranch gay bar in Las Vegas, it’s apparently remade with new bumpers but it looks contemporary with Hardbody and Laser War so let’s put it down as 1987.

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

There are very few of these tables in the world but in fairness they basically have to be somewhere with techs on shift to keep it running

The processing is off-the-shelf, which means when it breaks down the screen displays Mac error messages

There is a White Russian on the playfield and there was legal action around them using the Kahlua brand unlicensed

The mode start scoop is a rug that rolls back when you hit it

There is a bowling alley parking lot miniature playfield.

The mystery animation is scratching a pencil on Jackie Treehorn’s pad

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

There are very few of these tables in the world but in fairness they basically have to be somewhere with techs on shift to keep it running

The processing is off-the-shelf, which means when it breaks down the screen displays Mac error messages

There is a White Russian on the playfield and there was legal action around them using the Kahlua brand unlicensed

The mode start scoop is a rug that rolls back when you hit it

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

There are very few of these tables in the world but in fairness they basically have to be somewhere with techs on shift to keep it running

The processing is off-the-shelf, which means when it breaks down the screen displays Mac error messages

There is a White Russian on the playfield and there was legal action around them using the Kahlua brand unlicensed

There are very few of these tables in the world but in fairness they basically have to be somewhere with techs on shift to keep it running

As inducement to get it done, when I rip out the wardrobe and hall linen closets I’m gonna have room to set a pinball table up in the study, I’m thinking the Keith Elwin-designed 2019 Stern Jurassic Park

Current list of pinball machines from upstart manufacturers so new I haven’t gotten to play them yet includes Legends of Valhalla and Toy Story 4

kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

Given how everywhere it was when I showed up in Portland I’m not sure I’ve played it in the last 3 years. I was going to say I liked the way you could (in that late 90s way) advance through either the crate or the ramps (so weak not-up-the-ramps flipper coils or a broken crate mech don’t alone ruin the game) but I might be thinking about Scared Stiff

I also like how it was a sterling early example of chaining multiballs together

Very mid-90s in that the obvious option is a bash toy and everything else trips off ramps

memecucker:

A really good pinball player calling pinball shots in a courtroom surrounded by stuffy lawyers in order to save pinball in New York feels like, a movie climax

kushblazer666:

more than any city here las vegas is a monument to amerikkkan hubris. there is a truly evil feeling permeating the whole place telling you it should not exist

Had said I would go to a pinball tournament at a bar 15 minutes from my house at 2 today “if I woke up in time” and set my alarm to 1

This was at 11 yesterday morning and when it went off I didn’t think to reset it

When I woke up today I rolled over and it was 1:36

Made it, though!

New pinball tables increasingly costing $1/play or 3 for $2, which if you date from when they went from 25 to 50 cents (Black Hole?) they’re actually lagging inflation by a bit

crowzenyogurt:

pinball wizard the arcane arcade trickster who makes a living by cheating at arcade games and reselling minion plushies to children

comms open!

kontextmaschine:

Because at debut, before flippers, it was basically a gambling thing, and Chicago was the headquarters of American shadiness

Like, the Bally in Bally Pinball is the same one as in Bally Casinos (and Bally Total Fitness), and I think Williams stopped making tables so their staff could focus on video poker for tribal casinos

Because at debut, before flippers, it was basically a gambling thing, and Chicago was the headquarters of American shadiness