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Video games were my first love -- Space Invaders, Galaxian, Rally X and Pengo had me in their grip -- but I always loved looking at the pinnies. (Maybe even more than playing them, sometimes, seeing as how ruthless the tables were. This was a big issue for a kid without much money: the pinball tables just ripped you off with their house balls, and lack of ball saves. It felt more like chance than skill, at the time.)I used to watch and nag the pinball repair guys. Often, they'd leave me credits on the machine, which was just awesome. (20 cents was a lot of money back then.) I was fascinated by the stuff behind the backglass and underneath the playfield.And I was rapt by the digital LED/plasma scoring on games like Genie. It's soooo pretty.Here in Australia, in the '70s and '80s, every fish n chips shop or corner deli had a pinball or two, as well as some videos. Eventually, the videos took over, and then eventually even the videos went.Nowadays, the pubs are filled with gambling machines. Probably many of them made by Williams.I grew up with the start of the solid state machines, and the weird EM-solid state hybrids. I generally avoided the older EMs; they were drain monsters, the noises/music sucked.Played stuff like KISS with its awesome art and crappy music. Gorgar, of course. Silverball Mania. Six Million Dollar Man. Charlies Angels. Evel Knievel. Harlem Globetrotters. etc. etc.Lots of Bally and Williams games. Gottlieb was a distant third; just never really liked their themes or designs that well. I still play a lot of games on the 360 and PS3, but over the years I keep going back to pinball.For me, pinball is art+engineering. I love the aesthetics of pinball, and don't like ugly tables, even if they play well. The theme and design is everything. (Which is why I'm down on so many Stern games, and why I'm harsh on Farsight's UI and art choices.)To my mind, Farsight have a responsibility to these games. They represent memories; our youth, even a little bit of heritage. These games should be presented in their best possible light. I know Farsight want to do this, but they have a lot of work to do.
Video games were my first love -- Space Invaders, Galaxian, Rally X and Pengo had me in their grip -- but I always loved looking at the pinnies. (Maybe even more than playing them, sometimes, seeing as how ruthless the tables were. This was a big issue for a kid without much money: the pinball tables just ripped you off with their house balls, and lack of ball saves. It felt more like chance than skill, at the time.)
I used to watch and nag the pinball repair guys. Often, they'd leave me credits on the machine, which was just awesome. (20 cents was a lot of money back then.) I was fascinated by the stuff behind the backglass and underneath the playfield.
And I was rapt by the digital LED/plasma scoring on games like Genie. It's soooo pretty.
Here in Australia, in the '70s and '80s, every fish n chips shop or corner deli had a pinball or two, as well as some videos. Eventually, the videos took over, and then eventually even the videos went.
Nowadays, the pubs are filled with gambling machines. Probably many of them made by Williams.
I grew up with the start of the solid state machines, and the weird EM-solid state hybrids. I generally avoided the older EMs; they were drain monsters, the noises/music sucked.
Played stuff like KISS with its awesome art and crappy music. Gorgar, of course. Silverball Mania. Six Million Dollar Man. Charlies Angels. Evel Knievel. Harlem Globetrotters. etc. etc.
Lots of Bally and Williams games. Gottlieb was a distant third; just never really liked their themes or designs that well.
I still play a lot of games on the 360 and PS3, but over the years I keep going back to pinball.
For me, pinball is art+engineering. I love the aesthetics of pinball, and don't like ugly tables, even if they play well. The theme and design is everything. (Which is why I'm down on so many Stern games, and why I'm harsh on Farsight's UI and art choices.)
To my mind, Farsight have a responsibility to these games. They represent memories; our youth, even a little bit of heritage. These games should be presented in their best possible light. I know Farsight want to do this, but they have a lot of work to do.
