Finally Played Real Table

[Extork]

Exactly. I will say one thing though, it seems FarSight has been accomplishing their goal. As far as, getting people back into real pinball. As long as they get people playing real pinball, then they've done their job. I've been so into it lately that it's almost like a religion. I like to spread the word. Hell, I got a girl friend of mine playing with me. We took turns. Avatar gives you 5 balls. So we went back and forth. It was funny though that I offered to let her play the multiball cause I had already gotten it, then we got stuck in a limbo. What ended up happening was, we both took a flipper (sigh). But really, we did good as a team.

When it comes to the condition of the tables, it's amazing how important that is. I guarantee those poor tables at the truck stop aren't being taken care of. Since then I've found a Speedway that has Monopoly, and POTC. Strange thing is. That POTC is the exact same table literally that I have played before. The high scores must've been reset, but I just know that it's simply that same exact one.

The gas station I played those at had its faults too. Way way too hot in the game room. Too narrow. And again, the kids. And their parents that yell at them to get back. I'm not that picky tho, if I'm playing pinball at all, I'm having a great time. It's a hobby that takes my mind off of other issues. It takes my mind off of drinking. It's something I struggle with. But when I'm plaing pinball, there's no need to drink. Really though, it'd be nice to find an actual arcade around here, rather than scrounging around at truck stops and gas stations. There's always a better place, it's a matter of going and looking around

 

[Extork]

Btw, ZA. You seem like someone that would be cool to play real pinball with. It's tough to find people around here that wanna get down on some pinball. Trying to spread the word!

 

[Extork]

Also I'm amazed at how far along you've come, only getting into it recently

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

Even having one thing broken can dramatically change how much you like or dislike a game. I didn't like White Water at first, for instance, because balls would often get stuck on the ramp on the far left or up top, and plunging the ball full power on this particular machine caused the ball to drain. When these are fixed, however, it's a blast. I feel that these little things are the biggest factor in turning people away from pinball who would otherwise enjoy it. If playing for 30 seconds and then getting a ball stuck is your first impression, you probably won't want a second impression. I've also seen a White Water whose Gold Mine kickout would send the ball down the center drain, beyond the flippers' range. That could get people to think the table was just blatantly unfair. This is a risk that has to happen with pinball though, as it IS all about hitting everything you can with a metal ball. Things will break down like that.

Me, as I told you, I'm just a beginner. I play pinball because I want to understand it and the people who play them, as well as get some nagging questions answered. Call me a rogue anthropologist, if you wish.

Does Pinball Map cover any locations near you? It really helped me find a wide variety of tables. I couldnt have palyed on so many machines in such a short about of time without it as a resource.

 

[Extork]

There is a place very close to me that has 20 or so tables. They even have the best ones like MM, MB, and if I'm not mistaken, a SS. I will go there and be in heaven, it's just a matter of driving downtown, which kinda freaks me out. Speaking of malfunctions. Monopoly was full of them. Which is too bad because that's a great table. Had to put my whole body into it to get the ball unstuck. Not to mention they had it screwed down to the ground. Yeah, I've heard WH2O has its fare share of problems. Straight down the drain... But also those pop bumpers are usually falling apart. It's too bad that people would get a bad first impression. If it was me, I'd keep playing

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

Well, the thing is that you are a pinball enthusiast and they are not. For someone sitting on the fence, with a passing interest but nothing more at that point, anything can sway their opinions, and the first impression is the most important one. Pinball can easily get frustrating in that way.

That being said, some malfunctions may not even be recognizable to someone who has never played pinball before. The Simpsons Pinball Party, for instance, tends to have broken garage doors that won't open. Someone not familiar with the machine might not even be aware it's supposed to open. A stuck ball or a broken rollover switch, however, would be instantly noticeable, or a physical defect. I played a High Speed II: The Getaway whose upper-right scoop lane is faulty in that the ball actually gets stuck a bit PAST the scoop and lodges itself there, requiring the vibrations from 2 or more ball searches to get it to dislodge it. That's immediately recognizable as a problem. It frustrated me, and I'm sure it would frustrate anybody.

 

[DaPinballWizard]

I am going to Seattle again in a few weeks. Looking forward to going to the Seattle Pinball Museum when I am there. Great place with a lot of cool tables. I know they have the new Star Trek table. Look forward to checking out that table.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

AC/DC, of any edition, seems to be pretty rare in public. It's a table I want to get good at, but it's not going to be easy due to their scarcity. (And I can't afford to buy one for myself.)

There's one in my local movie theater (I don't know which edition), along with Stern Avengers. I only played AC/DC, and it instantly went to #1 in my all-time-favorite pinball soundtracks. It seems quite fun but I only played 3 games (2 credits + 1 replay, somehow) and didn't have a clue what I was doing. X-Men is coming out in a couple of weeks, I may make a return trip!

 

[Eaton Beaver]

I was wondering if any of you use the Pinfinder Pro Pinball finder app? I heard about it on Coast 2 Coast pinball podcast it is a great app for locating tables and you can also add tables in your area, cost per play, condition of tables etc... Here is the link for it on the iTunes store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pinfinder-pro-pinball-finder/id469805990?mt=8. There is also a free version of this app I got the Pro edition free several months ago and I think it costs $2.99. The last table I played out in the wild was Cirqus Voltaire in 2002 at a laundromat in my hometown. They had a pretty decent game room and I was thinking about stopping by there sometime this month to see if they have anything now.

 

[Richard B]

The last table I played out in the wild was Cirqus Voltaire in 2002 at a laundromat in my hometown. They had a pretty decent game room and I was thinking about stopping by there sometime this month to see if they have anything now.

I remember coming across an old pin map from 2002. There were machines all over the place! Not so many now. Luckily, there's a barcade near me, Zanzabar, which has been around since 1936, and now has a bunch of classic arcade games, including nine pinball machines, which regularly rotate. Right now they've got a World Cup 94, Championship Pub, Whirlwind, BOP, STTNG, and they just recently got in a TZ!

While these machines are more difficult than their TPA counterparts (some more than others - STTNG is pretty close, except hitting the Delta ramp is way harder IRL) I've discovered I'm much better at them after practicing on TPA. The left ramp/right ramp/ piano strategy works just as well on a real TZ, though the balls move faster, the kickouts more difficult (dead bouncing is a big risk), the piano shot is way harder, and missed shots are more harshly punished. The key to TZ, more than any other table, is to keep the ball under control. It's funny watching other players flail away and let the ball go nuts, and wonder why their game was over so fast!

 

[Eaton Beaver]

I loved playing Twilight Zone daily in Severna Park, Maryland when I was around 18-21 years old. I was a huge Street Fighter fan so I would go to the arcade to play Super Street Fighter II against opponents. I remember slowly learning how to play Twilight Zone and still remember learning the skill shot on the actual table. It has great sound effects and it definitely attracts attention when you play it. That is great you have a barcade they had a restaraunt in Glen Burnie, Maryland with a big game room and you could drink tall cans of Budweiser and smoke cigarettes in the game room. They had a Super Mario Brothers machine with a built in metal ashtray complete with cigarette butts! I used the Pinfinder Pro Pinball finder app back in March when I was in Tampa, Florida for a pro skateboard event. Unfortunately I didn't have time to play pinball but found a bowling alley called Tampa Lanes that had 8 tables. I remember them having Black Rose and World Poker Tour pinball and wanted to go so bad.

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

There's one in my local movie theater (I don't know which edition), along with Stern Avengers. I only played AC/DC, and it instantly went to #1 in my all-time-favorite pinball soundtracks. It seems quite fun but I only played 3 games (2 credits + 1 replay, somehow) and didn't have a clue what I was doing. X-Men is coming out in a couple of weeks, I may make a return trip!

Well, that's AC/DC doing the music and not Stern. So I don't think it can really be credited as a pinball soundtrack as it's pre-existing music meant to be listened to as standalone music.

The pinball machine has a thing for chewing out beginners though. That's something that I don't like about this machine. I got a lot better at it once I learned the rules though.

I was wondering if any of you use the Pinfinder Pro Pinball finder app? I heard about it on Coast 2 Coast pinball podcast it is a great app for locating tables and you can also add tables in your area, cost per play, condition of tables etc... Here is the link for it on the iTunes store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pinfinder-pro-pinball-finder/id469805990?mt=8. There is also a free version of this app I got the Pro edition free several months ago and I think it costs $2.99. The last table I played out in the wild was Cirqus Voltaire in 2002 at a laundromat in my hometown. They had a pretty decent game room and I was thinking about stopping by there sometime this month to see if they have anything now.

I actually use Pinball Map, and it's pretty reliable because the layout is so streamlined and simple. According to it, in Los Angeles, movie theaters and bowling alleys are the dominant location, and barcades are actually very rare. (To my knowledge, only two exist in Los Angeles: 82 and Blipsy's, which is something considering the map covers an area with a 9-million population.)

 

[SydyneBall]

I use pin rebel's pinball DB: http://www.pinballrebel.com/locator/index.php

It's updated by users (including me), but it's been accurate and most people include the condition of the games.

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

Heh, thanks for the link. Time to start cross-referencing and putting up locations the other ones have missed.

(By the way, I can tell you that the one for Los Angeles is somewhat outdated--I've been to some of these locations that have since removed their machines.)