Pinball Wizard Arcade (Pelham, NH) 12/27/13 Report

Captain B. Zarre

New member
Apr 16, 2013
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After 7 months of waiting, I was finally able to head back to the suburban town of Pelham to play some pinball. This time, instead of focusing on pinballs I've loved, I decided to focus on some other, more obscure games that I have seen videos of and liked. It definitely led me to some awesome discoveries.

There were a boatload of Williams games on my trip. I first played some No Fear, the machine was in good condition but not great like many of the other machines there. I couldn't get the jumps to properly work, the ball kept sliding down onto the right habitrail. It's still cool when it does occur though. I also discovered that World Cup Soccer 94 just came in shopped condition to the arcade, and I loved it! Making goals with the kicker is pretty neat, I love the multiball, and it's just a great game overall. I then played some Mousin' Around... it might as well be THE underrated alphanumeric game. Cheese ball locks, the mouse hole, an awesome multiball with a tough-to-reach jackpot... it all blends together perfectly. Just wonder how I got that Special from collecting the million. I furthered onto Cyclone & Bad Cats: Cyclone was in very good shape, and I hilariously failed: I got the Jackpot Bonus lit, but I never got it because I drained flat out of nowhere. Bad Cats was extremely fast - that Tiger Ramp shot is very aggressive. Junkyard was in beautiful shape: I also witnessed a great incident where I activated Mamushka from the Time Machine, keep in mind that TAF was right next to the machine I was playing.

I decided to head into the back room, and it looks like Gilligan's Island and BBBB are on the way out. I gave the former a play through, and it was meh... I love the ramp, particularly getting into a groove onto it, and the music has to be heard, it is THAT catchy... but I got a replay a little too easily. Terminator 2 and Taxi were still in the back room, and there I learned that T2 is much harder in real life (and has a much louder knocker). Taxi had an extremely weak plunger, but the game acted just like on TPA, which was helpful for me. I decided to spend the rest of my time playing Data East & Stern machines. Tales from the Crypt was a major success, I managed to activate Tri-Ball manually and chainsaw someone's head off. Tommy I didn't like as much, but it was still pretty good. Guns N Roses is awesome when you begin to loop the two ramps for millions, it's very satisfying.

The major highlight of my trip was, wait for it, Black Rose. Even though I had never played it, I did hilariously good at it. I just barely managed to begin Hidden Treasure and also sunk 2 ships and lit the outlane Specials. No wonder this is the #1 pick on the Bally poll!

It was certainly a fun trip, and I can't wait to head there again.
 

Kolchak357

Senior Pigeon
May 31, 2012
8,102
2
More than a bit jealous of you CBZ. You played a lot of my favorites. If I'm ever up that way, I will find a way to check that place out.
The place I place World Cup Soccer 94 at is now closed for the season. I'm jonesing to play it.
 

Bowflex

New member
Feb 21, 2012
2,287
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I can't wait to go back. I see they have the new Star Trek there now. Nightwing is there as I type this!
 

Nightwing

Active member
Aug 1, 2012
1,139
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We should plan a meetup for all of the New England/Upstate NY folks at that location.

I absolutely agree!!!

I can't wait to go back. I see they have the new Star Trek there now. Nightwing is there as I type this!

And I most certainly was! Went with the family up for the trip,including my daughter Sara,who really got to experience some decent tables for the first time in her life. (Her favorites were Doctor Who and Star Trek)

So my highlights of my day:

Finally getting to see & play Hercules for the 1st time. The table is HUGE. Seeing pictures doesn't do it justice. But,I'll try anyways:

2y5n.jpg


But,as has been posted pretty much everywhere else over the net - once you get past the coolness factor as to how big it is...Hercules is a pretty "meh" pin. I played it twice & then moved on.

I made sure to get some playing time with some of my favorites:

Banzai Run (I'm so hoping it's coming to TPA this season. Only time will tell...)
Doctor Who
Champion Pub (much fun to play IRL)
Road Show (see Banzai Run)
The Shadow,STTNG,and a few others too!

I did make sure to get in some playing time with the known tables of Season 3,all playable at TPWA:

Black Knight 2000,Who Dunnit,Junk Yard,and Fish Tales (OMG what a brutal table)

But....easily the highlight for me are the two "main attractions" at TPWA:
Stern's Star Trek & Jersey Jack Pinball's Wizard of Oz.

I'll start with WOZ...

In a word - incredible! I was amazed at how colorful the table was. And with all the toys,bells & whistles on the machine,it was almost an overload to my senses! It took me a few games,but I got the hang of some rhythm to the game and posted a score of 24,183. I especially liked the "Save Toto/There's no place like home" modes that if you activate after draining your ball,will give you the chance to get it back. Here's a pic of this awesome table:

nps7.jpg


If you are a pinball fan,you have got to try this table! I can't recommend it enough....

Last,but certainly not least - is Stern's Star Trek (Enterprise LE)

Now,I have had the chance to play the Pro version. Easily my favorite 2000's Stern table to date,and I posted my thoughts about it before in another thread. But the LE is just some great tasting eye candy:

nxci.jpg


I'm sold on the LE table - my daughter & I had a LOT of fun playing this,and now that one is about twenty minutes away from my house,maybe I can get better at playing the game :)

In closing,again - I cannot stress enough just how awesome TPWA is. If you EVER get a chance to go...take it!
I promise that you won't be disappointed!

Until next time...
 
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Captain B. Zarre

New member
Apr 16, 2013
2,253
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Sidenote, it also looks like I found a lot of kids playing Space Shuttle over the time I was there. Looks like it maybe a great "first" pin. What was weird is that no one was playing the Space Station next to it, I think I was the only one who used it.
 

Bowflex

New member
Feb 21, 2012
2,287
1
Sidenote, it also looks like I found a lot of kids playing Space Shuttle over the time I was there. Looks like it maybe a great "first" pin. What was weird is that no one was playing the Space Station next to it, I think I was the only one who used it.

I enjoyed playing quite a bit of space station and sorcerer when I went but both are in the back corner dominated by gnr. Space station is an odd game. Has much of the look and feel of its predecessor but it is all about ramps and the multiball locks by the spinning station module. Looks very plain and basic to the point of almost appearing boring. Plays a lot better than it looks and was decently fun. I also love Johnny mnemonic placed next to WoOz. Great table with some real uniqueness getting attention by location.
 

ER777

New member
Sep 8, 2012
797
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We should plan a meetup for all of the New England/Upstate NY folks at that location.

I would be up for that too. I felt like 2013 was the year of getting back into real pinball for me, and 2014 it going to be the year of taking it to the next level (going to events and whatnot). This would be a good start.
 

Ark Malmeida

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Apr 3, 2012
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I would be up for that too. I felt like 2013 was the year of getting back into real pinball for me, and 2014 it going to be the year of taking it to the next level (going to events and whatnot). This would be a good start.

I'd be interested in that too. Any excuse to get back up to the arcade is a good one for me!
 

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