Kickback Pinball Cafe was great, but ReplayFX is obviously the next best thing when it comes to playing on location. The arcade was HUGE. Pinball machines and video games are EVERYWHERE. There were many people there, but the place wasn't crowded when I attended on Saturday, August 1st. Right away, I hopped in and played pinball.
Twilight Zone: At the very least, it didn't punish me as badly as the one at Kickback. Still a very challenging game, but managed a score of 476,670,870. Next time, I'll get Lost in the Zone.
No Fear: I remember seeing this one at a now-closed down skating rink; it had that Jump ramp design that I noted when I was younger. Played a few challenges and reached Multiball. Even got a Super Jackpot from the Jump Ramp. (That really is a neat gimmick!) Got a score of 976,243,710 after a few games.
Dracula: It destroyed me. Nuff said. (When I was a kid, one of the old Pizza Hut buildings had that machine. While watching the display, I noted the castle and the names of certain people. I still remembered it after all these years.)
Attack From Mars: Really had fun with this game! Almost got to Rule the Universe; all I needed was a Super Jackpot and Destroy Mars. Reached Strobe Multiball (it was still early in the morning so I didn't really experience the Strobe intensity) as well as completing the Cow (Saucer) Attack video mode. Got a score of 8,731,990,770. Not bad for a first time!
Medieval Madness: More brutal than AFM. I'll get it next time.
I stopped by Farsight's booth, but it wasn't opened yet. I did get to talk to Norman, one of the guys from Farsight. I was very happy to meet him and got to talk to him for a moment before heading off for more pinball play.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Turned off.
Tommy: Finally had the chance to play one of these! Activated about 4-5 modes (Captain Walker being one of them ) as well as TOMMY Multiball. Didn't make it to Stage 2 (spelling Tommy) but still a good game. 325,015,000 was the score I got.
Black Knight: The one I played had a faulty lock.
RoadShow: This one actually played accurately to Pinball Arcade, so kudos, Farsight. The game was actually very drainy; one wrong shot and you're done (don't even aim low from the small flipper!).
FunHouse: The one I played was loud and eyelid-less. And brutal. Reached Midnight but couldn't get a ball inside of Rudy's Mouth. I'll get him next time.
Cirqus Voltaire: Hard game. At the very least, I defeated the Ringmaster.
NASCAR: Thankfully this one had a working Test Car and Left Ramp Opto. Unfortunately, didn't play any better than at KingPinz and no Sammy Hagar for me, either.
I headed back to Farsight's booth after eating lunch. I talked with Mike Lindsey and then surprised both of them of my true identity. It was great talking to both guys, and am very happy to be a part of this community as well as beta testing the game to ensure that the game plays right.
Terminator 2: Played at Farsight's booth and enjoyed it. No Super Jackpots, but still managed to get a few good sources of points (Video Mode, Jackpots from Multiball, and Payback Time). Managed a score of 93,603,830; securing the #1 spot on the high scores for that machine.
Elektra: Practiced tap passing and it worked out for me! Wanted to play this at Kickback but never had the chance to. Didn't get into Multiball, but I got enough Elektra Units to make the most of my time on the lower playfield. (Pro Tip: Flippers aren't disabled when the timer expires.) After hefty bonuses from the lower playfield, I managed a score of 1,348,510.
Demolition Man: This one I played was for sale, and it had a weak flipper (can't make the right ramp with a trap). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much; a very flowy game. Really enjoyed playing with the gun grip handles, and managed a good game after some practicing. 1,113,928,340 was my score, earning a #3 spot on the high scores. Got as far as Museum Multiball. (On one game, I got a Super Jackpot. Really satisfying.)
Jack*Bot: Hard game, but once you get things going, you're set for a good game. Managed a few Casino Games, as well as Multiball #1 (2-ball). I even got a Super Jack*Bot during that multiball, and proceeded to get a great score of 1,545,524,770. (Couldn't seem to have found a sweet spot for soft plunging, but I had a few of those.)
Centaur: Centaur destroyed me. Kind of ironic.
Banzai Run: Still never gets old, but this one was pretty brutal. Played a few games before letting another person play.
Fireball: Why isn't this on Pinball Arcade yet? This is a great example of an EM utilizing features like Multiball, zipper flippers, a spinning disk, and even a skill shot. Enjoyed it very much.
Pin*Bot: Plunging the skill shot was a minor problem, but I managed a few good Vortex Power shots (100K hole). On different games, I managed to get into Multiball, but this one was set up to be brutal. Extra Balls were turned off.
F-14 Tomcat: Who set this up to "Brutally Difficult"? It felt like a machine used solely for the PAPA tournaments! After many struggles, I managed to get into Multiball and receive one Safe Landing. Got a score of 1,230,420, which really isn't that bad considering how hard it's set up.
Space Station: Had some difficulty with the game, but after making some good shots and a Multiball session (might have gotten lucky with those STATION and SHUTTLE awards), I got a score of 2,025,310.
Stars: I blame Bowen for getting me into this game. Brutal, but very fun. You never get enough of it. I even tried the technique Bowen explained in his tutorial, and it works! Thrilled to use this technique despite getting bad scores.
Whirlwind: I felt the power of the wind. But no power of a high score.
Corvette: Somehow I could never get the hang into this game when attempting to combo shots. I'll need to put some more time on this machine whenever I find it.
Space Shuttle: Sound effects are clear, and the bumper to right outlane path isn't as apparent as the one on Pinball Arcade, which I'm glad to see. Managed to get into multiball a few times, but the center ramp is a tough shot to make. (Maybe the spinner is the next best thing?) Even when brutal, Space Shuttle is a classic game to play.
High Speed: No extra balls, and after a few games, managed to find that ramp shot (it's just so satisfying!). Reached multiball twice and collected a Jackpot on the first one. With the dialed spinners as well as the Ramp shots, I managed to score 4,919,020. On a game with no extra balls whatsoever, that's pretty good.
300: A very interesting Gottlieb game and enjoyed it very much. Shame that we don't see these games on Pinball Arcade.
Safe Cracker: Man, what an unforgiving game! Took me MANY tries to break into the Vault but to no avail. I even played with a person who played in Pinburgh, yet still no breakthrough. Eventually, I made it in (finally!), but the disappointing thing was that it didn't dispense any tokens! I even spelled VAULT (got the last letter really), but no Token Multiball. Managed 2,271,570 on my last Safe Cracker game for the day. (Should have had at least 3 tokens from all that.)
No Good Gofers: I enjoyed this game very much. Reached multiball only once, but I made that into good use. Surprisingly, I found the side ramp shot so easily, and eventually made my way to the Hole in One for a Super Jackpot. What's even better is that I managed another Super Jackpot on the same multiball! The Hole in One is a really satisfying shot to make, in or out of Multiball. Got a score of 31,356,440 points. Not a high score, but a good one for a first time.
Wizard: Great Bally EM to play on. Difficult and slow-playing, but very fun. Don't aim for the 5000 target unless you want to lose a ball. Managed a few good games but no picture saved.
High Speed II: Gotta enjoy the Supercharger and the Gear mechanism. Managed to get into Multiball one time on certain good games, and even got close to Redline Mania a few times. I remember getting a score around ~125,000,000 but had no picture saved for it. I'll try and play better on it the next time around.
Space Odyssey: Great Williams EM. Managed a score of 86,960 after one or two plays. This one was not meant to be kind on the lower two kickers beside the flippers that can rebound off of the moving target and into the outlane.
NBA Fastbreak: I noticed that there was a link system intact! Didn't make use of it, but after playing some modes, I scored 53 points. Not really sure what score starts to become respectable, but more than likely in the 100s.
At 6:00 PM I attended Farsight Studios' seminar on their history and what they're doing with Pinball Arcade today. Norman explained to us about his job on sounds within the game, as well as dismantling the games and how the process of each table goes. It's all about measurements: if something isn't right, then the table isn't going to play right. Objects including ramps are a big part of this.
Afterward, I attended the Pinburgh Division A Finals. Wow. This part I'm speechless. One of the greatest final rounds I have ever witnessed in my life. Especially Raymond's second ball on Super Orbit. This is just Class A play; I'm not spoiling everything here.
This sums up my day at ReplayFX. For it being my first convention, I give it an A+. I look forward to attending more events like this in the future, and hopefully I'll be able to participate in PAPA tournaments very soon. http://pinballarcadefans.com/showthread.php/10510-ReplayFX-Experience-(Continued-from-Blog-Post)
Twilight Zone: At the very least, it didn't punish me as badly as the one at Kickback. Still a very challenging game, but managed a score of 476,670,870. Next time, I'll get Lost in the Zone.
No Fear: I remember seeing this one at a now-closed down skating rink; it had that Jump ramp design that I noted when I was younger. Played a few challenges and reached Multiball. Even got a Super Jackpot from the Jump Ramp. (That really is a neat gimmick!) Got a score of 976,243,710 after a few games.
Dracula: It destroyed me. Nuff said. (When I was a kid, one of the old Pizza Hut buildings had that machine. While watching the display, I noted the castle and the names of certain people. I still remembered it after all these years.)
Attack From Mars: Really had fun with this game! Almost got to Rule the Universe; all I needed was a Super Jackpot and Destroy Mars. Reached Strobe Multiball (it was still early in the morning so I didn't really experience the Strobe intensity) as well as completing the Cow (Saucer) Attack video mode. Got a score of 8,731,990,770. Not bad for a first time!
Medieval Madness: More brutal than AFM. I'll get it next time.
I stopped by Farsight's booth, but it wasn't opened yet. I did get to talk to Norman, one of the guys from Farsight. I was very happy to meet him and got to talk to him for a moment before heading off for more pinball play.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Turned off.
Tommy: Finally had the chance to play one of these! Activated about 4-5 modes (Captain Walker being one of them
) as well as TOMMY Multiball. Didn't make it to Stage 2 (spelling Tommy) but still a good game. 325,015,000 was the score I got.Black Knight: The one I played had a faulty lock.
RoadShow: This one actually played accurately to Pinball Arcade, so kudos, Farsight. The game was actually very drainy; one wrong shot and you're done (don't even aim low from the small flipper!).
FunHouse: The one I played was loud and eyelid-less. And brutal. Reached Midnight but couldn't get a ball inside of Rudy's Mouth. I'll get him next time.
Cirqus Voltaire: Hard game. At the very least, I defeated the Ringmaster.
NASCAR: Thankfully this one had a working Test Car and Left Ramp Opto. Unfortunately, didn't play any better than at KingPinz and no Sammy Hagar for me, either.
I headed back to Farsight's booth after eating lunch. I talked with Mike Lindsey and then surprised both of them of my true identity. It was great talking to both guys, and am very happy to be a part of this community as well as beta testing the game to ensure that the game plays right.
Terminator 2: Played at Farsight's booth and enjoyed it. No Super Jackpots, but still managed to get a few good sources of points (Video Mode, Jackpots from Multiball, and Payback Time). Managed a score of 93,603,830; securing the #1 spot on the high scores for that machine.
Elektra: Practiced tap passing and it worked out for me! Wanted to play this at Kickback but never had the chance to. Didn't get into Multiball, but I got enough Elektra Units to make the most of my time on the lower playfield. (Pro Tip: Flippers aren't disabled when the timer expires.) After hefty bonuses from the lower playfield, I managed a score of 1,348,510.
Demolition Man: This one I played was for sale, and it had a weak flipper (can't make the right ramp with a trap). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much; a very flowy game. Really enjoyed playing with the gun grip handles, and managed a good game after some practicing. 1,113,928,340 was my score, earning a #3 spot on the high scores. Got as far as Museum Multiball. (On one game, I got a Super Jackpot. Really satisfying.)
Jack*Bot: Hard game, but once you get things going, you're set for a good game. Managed a few Casino Games, as well as Multiball #1 (2-ball). I even got a Super Jack*Bot during that multiball, and proceeded to get a great score of 1,545,524,770. (Couldn't seem to have found a sweet spot for soft plunging, but I had a few of those.)
Centaur: Centaur destroyed me. Kind of ironic.
Banzai Run: Still never gets old, but this one was pretty brutal. Played a few games before letting another person play.
Fireball: Why isn't this on Pinball Arcade yet? This is a great example of an EM utilizing features like Multiball, zipper flippers, a spinning disk, and even a skill shot. Enjoyed it very much.
Pin*Bot: Plunging the skill shot was a minor problem, but I managed a few good Vortex Power shots (100K hole). On different games, I managed to get into Multiball, but this one was set up to be brutal. Extra Balls were turned off.
F-14 Tomcat: Who set this up to "Brutally Difficult"? It felt like a machine used solely for the PAPA tournaments! After many struggles, I managed to get into Multiball and receive one Safe Landing. Got a score of 1,230,420, which really isn't that bad considering how hard it's set up.
Space Station: Had some difficulty with the game, but after making some good shots and a Multiball session (might have gotten lucky with those STATION and SHUTTLE awards), I got a score of 2,025,310.
Stars: I blame Bowen for getting me into this game. Brutal, but very fun. You never get enough of it. I even tried the technique Bowen explained in his tutorial, and it works! Thrilled to use this technique despite getting bad scores.
Whirlwind: I felt the power of the wind. But no power of a high score.
Corvette: Somehow I could never get the hang into this game when attempting to combo shots. I'll need to put some more time on this machine whenever I find it.
Space Shuttle: Sound effects are clear, and the bumper to right outlane path isn't as apparent as the one on Pinball Arcade, which I'm glad to see. Managed to get into multiball a few times, but the center ramp is a tough shot to make. (Maybe the spinner is the next best thing?) Even when brutal, Space Shuttle is a classic game to play.
High Speed: No extra balls, and after a few games, managed to find that ramp shot (it's just so satisfying!). Reached multiball twice and collected a Jackpot on the first one. With the dialed spinners as well as the Ramp shots, I managed to score 4,919,020. On a game with no extra balls whatsoever, that's pretty good.
300: A very interesting Gottlieb game and enjoyed it very much. Shame that we don't see these games on Pinball Arcade.
Safe Cracker: Man, what an unforgiving game! Took me MANY tries to break into the Vault but to no avail. I even played with a person who played in Pinburgh, yet still no breakthrough. Eventually, I made it in (finally!), but the disappointing thing was that it didn't dispense any tokens! I even spelled VAULT (got the last letter really), but no Token Multiball. Managed 2,271,570 on my last Safe Cracker game for the day. (Should have had at least 3 tokens from all that.)
No Good Gofers: I enjoyed this game very much. Reached multiball only once, but I made that into good use. Surprisingly, I found the side ramp shot so easily, and eventually made my way to the Hole in One for a Super Jackpot. What's even better is that I managed another Super Jackpot on the same multiball! The Hole in One is a really satisfying shot to make, in or out of Multiball. Got a score of 31,356,440 points. Not a high score, but a good one for a first time.
Wizard: Great Bally EM to play on. Difficult and slow-playing, but very fun. Don't aim for the 5000 target unless you want to lose a ball. Managed a few good games but no picture saved.
High Speed II: Gotta enjoy the Supercharger and the Gear mechanism. Managed to get into Multiball one time on certain good games, and even got close to Redline Mania a few times. I remember getting a score around ~125,000,000 but had no picture saved for it. I'll try and play better on it the next time around.
Space Odyssey: Great Williams EM. Managed a score of 86,960 after one or two plays. This one was not meant to be kind on the lower two kickers beside the flippers that can rebound off of the moving target and into the outlane.
NBA Fastbreak: I noticed that there was a link system intact! Didn't make use of it, but after playing some modes, I scored 53 points. Not really sure what score starts to become respectable, but more than likely in the 100s.
At 6:00 PM I attended Farsight Studios' seminar on their history and what they're doing with Pinball Arcade today. Norman explained to us about his job on sounds within the game, as well as dismantling the games and how the process of each table goes. It's all about measurements: if something isn't right, then the table isn't going to play right. Objects including ramps are a big part of this.
Afterward, I attended the Pinburgh Division A Finals. Wow. This part I'm speechless. One of the greatest final rounds I have ever witnessed in my life. Especially Raymond's second ball on Super Orbit. This is just Class A play; I'm not spoiling everything here.
This sums up my day at ReplayFX. For it being my first convention, I give it an A+. I look forward to attending more events like this in the future, and hopefully I'll be able to participate in PAPA tournaments very soon. http://pinballarcadefans.com/showthread.php/10510-ReplayFX-Experience-(Continued-from-Blog-Post)
