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The Pinball Arcade |OT| play them all from Soho to Brighton

Shaneus

Member
There's a Taxi machine going for $1600 near me on CL. Ha.

And I was looking into this a bit, and what I may do (not just for pinball/arcade, but for my own sake) is finish insulating the garage. Once I do that (outside of the garage doors because that's expensive and I don't want to DIY it in case it's too much for the spring to handle), I think I can put a little carpet down and go to work. It'd be a lot of fun to make my garage a bit more usable in that respect.

I think the hardest part would be deciding what machine to get. I'd LOVE a Tron machine, simply because I think that's such a cool table. But it's tough since if I ever buy a machine, I want it to be one that I won't get bored with.
If you even remotely like that game on TPA, I would get it... if it's in good condition. I'd be wary of dropping ~$5k on something just for your garage (unless it rarely houses cars and is closer to being an extra room). Is there anything you're interested in that could be cheaper? If not something from the 80s, something newer that's unlikely to be expensive (like maybe WWF, Baywatch, something along those lines?).

Shoot for something ~$2k or so. That'll get you a decent condition big-name (ie. Williams) alpha-numeric game from the 80s, or a cheaper DMD game from the 90s that's less appreciated. I hear Last Action Hero is *great*, and can be had for very reasonable prices. I've heard of it as being a poor-man's Addams Family. Judge Dredd is supposed to be quite good as well, but I think that may be a little more expensive.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
If you even remotely like that game on TPA, I would get it... if it's in good condition. I'd be wary of dropping ~$5k on something just for your garage (unless it rarely houses cars and is closer to being an extra room). Is there anything you're interested in that could be cheaper? If not something from the 80s, something newer that's unlikely to be expensive (like maybe WWF, Baywatch, something along those lines?).

Shoot for something ~$2k or so. That'll get you a decent condition big-name (ie. Williams) alpha-numeric game from the 80s, or a cheaper DMD game from the 90s that's less appreciated. I hear Last Action Hero is *great*, and can be had for very reasonable prices. I've heard of it as being a poor-man's Addams Family. Judge Dredd is supposed to be quite good as well, but I think that may be a little more expensive.

My concern would be in the care of a machine. How easy/hard is it to care for a DMD machine? I'd be happy to save up some cash for a nicer machine if I knew I'd be able to care for it.
 

Shaneus

Member
Fair call! I don't think care really comes into it when you're using it at home, at least for newer machines. You can get leg protectors (that protect the legs from damaging the cabinet, they go in-between them) and various playfield protectors and such (like these) but they're usually reserved for REALLY anal people or machines that have been/will be on location.

Keep it out of sunlight when you can, keep it covered if it's going to be in a garage and play the living hell out of it! And clean the playfield once in a while (I think once a month is supposed to be more than enough).
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
Thanks for the info. I'm going to talk to my wife about possibly putting one in the loft instead. If she doesn't go for it, the garage will get the love, ha.
 

Shaneus

Member
Did you have anything specific in mind? If I were you, I'd try and name two or three from each "era" (80s early solid-state/alpha-numeric, 90s DMD and "modern" 2000's) so your selection isn't so narrow. Also, try and get one that's not in TPA (unless you REALLY love it) or your local arcades. Gotta keep it fresh!
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
Did you have anything specific in mind? If I were you, I'd try and name two or three from each "era" (80s early solid-state/alpha-numeric, 90s DMD and "modern" 2000's) so your selection isn't so narrow. Also, try and get one that's not in TPA (unless you REALLY love it) or your local arcades. Gotta keep it fresh!

My ideal machine would be a Tron machine, but that won't happen (mostly because it's too new and will be quite expensive). I haven't played enough machines to have a feel for what's fun, so that's tough, too.
 

Shaneus

Member
My ideal machine would be a Tron machine, but that won't happen (mostly because it's too new and will be quite expensive). I haven't played enough machines to have a feel for what's fun, so that's tough, too.
TPA is good for getting an idea of rulesets (don't expect to get a feel for how the game actually plays), as is (believe it or not) Visual Pinball (or vpinmame or whatever it's called). Vast majority play like crap, but well enough for you to get an idea of the rulesets, layout, quality of sound/animation etc. I played the hell out of the High Speed virtual table before I got my machine (only because I knew I was getting it). Played like crap, but it helped me decide that I wanted it.

Oh shit, almost forgot. pinball.org/videos is a great place to get ideas about certain machines. There's a couple for High Speed (again, another thing that cemented my decision) but there are (what seems to be) hundreds more on there, either tutorials or gameplay videos.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
I need to find a way to make cash on the side, haha. Buying a machine looks like it's going to be expensive, but damn would that be cool. I'm going to watch some of those videos this weekend - thanks.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
Bumping to say I've played all but I think 2 of the S1 tables now. A few comments on the ones that stick out...


  • Creature From the Black Lagoon plays a bit slow/laggy on the Vita. Or maybe it's just me. It's a relatively fun and exciting table, but it's just a bit too slow.
  • TZ is a neat table, but I'm not sure I understand what all of the fuss is. What makes this table so classic?
  • CV keeps breaking on me. After I finish a game, I have to quit and restart the table to get a second game going. That's getting annoying and really detracting me from an otherwise OK table.
  • Black Knight was kind of confusing. I'm not sure what I was supposed to do. I think a lot of older machines are like this, though. But I did enjoy the multiple play fields.
  • Taxi is FANTASTIC. I love this table. It plays well, has very clear goals. Pinbot is next to impossible for me to pick up, though. I usually get that passenger by blind luck. I haven't figured out how the carryover passenger thing works yet (I've never had it work like I think it should). My only beef with this table is that the table is easily completed and doesn't have any other big goals to achieve.
  • Big Shot is a fun diversion. But it's hard. Brutally difficult.
  • Scared Stiff didn't get enough play from me yet. I didn't hate the table, I'm just indifferent.
  • Genie is another confusing table up there with Big Shot in terms of difficulty. I want to complete the table, but I just don't know what to do.
  • Star Trek is a really fun table. I enjoyed what I played of it. I want to put more time into this one. I like the goals presented and love the way the game talks to you.
  • Arabian Nights and Theater of Magic are still probably my two favorite tables. Seriously, these are fantastic.
  • Attack from Mars is a table that I could play over and over and over and over and over and over....What a FUN table.

In all of my time, I was trying to pay attention to why I enjoyed a table and figure out what I prefer. I talked to my wife about redoing the 3rd car side of our garage. I told her I want to finish it off, insulate it, and put a pinball machine and an arcade machine out there. She said she thought it was a really cool idea, so that's exciting. The goal would be to do it next Spring/Summer.

What I've discovered is that I like tables that have complex yet accessible goals. AN and ToM are great examples to me - they have a lot of goals to achieve, it makes sense how to do it, but it takes skill to get them all. It feels very epic. I love that. In watching a LOT of videos this weekend, Tron still stands supreme on my list, with Iron Man and Avengers being two new tables that appear to have that same epic nature to them. The new Wizard of Oz machine that just released actually looks fantastic. It's just too bad that the theme looks a bit boring to me.
 

Psykoboy2

Member
Hope this isn't too far off topic, but is there a thread like this one for Pinball FX2? I did a search, but could have easily screwed that up and missed it.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I watched tournament play of this table, and I still have no idea how they hit it. It's insane.
I got one by accident, and I don't know how I pulled it off.

As for getting PinBot in Taxi, aim for the 25K spinout bonus, it'll spot you a passenger if you get it, and if you get it off the bat, then PinBot will be spotted for you.
 

Shaneus

Member
I just got this email due to my PAPA.tv backing. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me sharing it:
Thanks to our generous kickstarter backers, competitive pinball is about to move into a brand new phase. Never before in the history of our game have more resources or competitive coverage been readily available for players, fans, and viewers. It was less than three years ago when the first Pinburgh video received audio commentary, and it was only a few short months ago when we asked for your assistance in creating PAPAtv, helping us grow as both a game and organization. We are now very close to taking that next step toward putting competitive pinball back on the map in a big way.

We would like to welcome you to our new website. We have consolidated several of our existing resources on the web and made a long list of improvements. We are still hard at work behind the scenes and plan on continuing to upgrade and improve this website in the coming weeks and months. Our intention is to continue as a community resource, and we are always accepting feedback, ideas, and help. Things at PAPA are never slow, and we welcome you to contact us at any time!

You may notice a few brand new features we have begun offering the community. Our Player’s Guide is designed to introduce novice players to our wonderful game, while the brand new Director’s Guide is intended to serve as a helping hand for new tournament or league managers. Both of these sections will be expanding in the near future with additional information and differing points of view. In addition to the two guides, our video section is receiving an overhaul, and you may notice we are now publishing new material on a schedule.

Our broadcast booth at PAPA headquarters was finished only days prior to PAPA 16. We were lucky to put together a few tests runs and finally managed to send out a video signal of the PAPA 16 World Championships at 480p. Since this broadcast, we have been feverishly working to improve, and we are now capable of bringing our viewers a signal at 1080p with higher frames per second, making the action all the more exciting for those of you following along at home. We have also worked on improving our audio quality, and finally, we have transformed the broadcast system we designed this summer into a mobile solution, meaning we can bring you tournament coverage from all over the United States.

Our next broadcast will be October 19 & 20th from Pinball Expo in Chicago, Illinois. After that, we will head to the Southern Pinball Festival on November 22-24th, and close out the year broadcasting from Pinballz Arcade in Austin, Texas. While we will not be able to bring you every Circuit tournament every year, we will be capable of broadcasting the vast majority of them and have already added events to our initial list, including non-circuit special events, such as the League Challenge this November between the Free State Pinball Association & the Pittsburgh Pinball League. We will always be searching for new and exciting ways to bring you interesting pinball content.

Those of us pulling the strings within PAPAtv expect the journey over the coming years to be both challenging and entertaining, and it is our goal to keep you updated and interested every step of the way.

Thank you all sincerely for your support!

~PAPA Staff

On that note, would anyone else think it's valuable to have a standalone pinball OT for the physical game itself, and link to threads like this one, PFX2 and any other interesting ones that come up? I think this thread can be a little too ambiguous and that way (as long as it doesn't get shifted off to the "community" area) if anything remotely related to pinball comes up, it can get a bump as well as whatever specific thread that news might belong to (or not, whatever). Links to things like podcasts could go in there too, as well as news about new machines (for example, the new Star Trek machine or the up-and-coming ones like Full Throttle and America's Most Haunted).
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
I just got this email due to my PAPA.tv backing. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me sharing it:


On that note, would anyone else think it's valuable to have a standalone pinball OT for the physical game itself, and link to threads like this one, PFX2 and any other interesting ones that come up? I think this thread can be a little too ambiguous and that way (as long as it doesn't get shifted off to the "community" area) if anything remotely related to pinball comes up, it can get a bump as well as whatever specific thread that news might belong to (or not, whatever). Links to things like podcasts could go in there too, as well as news about new machines (for example, the new Star Trek machine or the up-and-coming ones like Full Throttle and America's Most Haunted).

Why not just have a general pinball thread that has everything to do with all games (physical and digital)? That way it keeps interest in the game and allows open discussion of all aspects. That may help keep conversation flowing.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
Also, after reading that schedule you posted Shaneus...I'm sad that I have my Professional Engineering exam next Friday. If I didn't, I would use it as an excuse to travel back to Chicago to "visit family" and go to a pinball tourney and convention, ha. Wheeling is so close to where I grew up.
 

Shaneus

Member
It's over (finished a little while ago actually, so it didn't last for long) but great to see the fruits of the PAPA.tv KS in action. Source quality looks amazing, though I guess being in Australia caused the slight hiccups (despite having cable :/).

Star Trek looks rad as shit. Still can't fathom why the pro doesn't have the Ritchie token kickback.

Oh wait, I know why. They're dicks.

I remember hearing that a reproduction run of Medieval Madness was going to happen, but never came to fruition.

Well, it's happening this time, for real.
OH SHIT THEY'RE DOING IT. I know it was rumoured (and hell, an Australian company was going to do it at one stage a number of years back, along with Cactus) but itshappening.gif

I bet it's fucking expensive. Which is a shame. But at least (hopefully) we'll have Williams-style build quality once more to show these Stern schmucks how it's done.

Edit: Here's a rundown of Expo so far. So much excite!


Have prices been announced for the MM remake? Any chance of AfM? Edit: $8k. Richer than I was expecting, but probably not too bad considering it's the same price for LE/Premium Stern games (I think?). But sadly, I was hoping for something significantly cheaper given that you can add at least $1500-$2000 when converting/shipping to Australia :/
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I think the price is $7500, with a $1000 deposit... but I've seen one website ask for $10000 for the original run version, so take that as you will.

The TPA guys were there, too, can't wait to hear what they talked about.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Not sure if this link will work, but it seems they have Pinball Arcade running in a Hyperpin cabinet...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=640281392659591&set=vb.255539697800431&type=2&theater

Works for me. I so want to drop ten grand on a virtual pin cab. I can't do it myself without destroying things, and I like the way this one looks. Put the racing theme on that, add a traditional plunger, replace the launch ball button with a gear shifter on the chance that The Getaway makes it in, and it'll be golden.
 

Shaneus

Member
Is the audio available?
Not yet. You can't click on the link? I mean, it might be now, but it wasn't available when I last checked.

Not sure if this link will work, but it seems they have Pinball Arcade running in a Hyperpin cabinet...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=640281392659591&set=vb.255539697800431&type=2&theater
Oh goodness.

There's no way I'll get a full-size table, but I have every goddamn intention of knocking up some kind of mini-cab that houses, say anything up to a 30-inch (or maybe even less) screen *but* with a full DMD. I didn't realise they were looking at getting real DMDs working, but that looks ace as hell.

This is good coverage for FS!
 
Just came to see if anyone posted that. So cool. Pinball Arcade needs to live and grow forever. Imagine a 3D screen set up where the tables really start to look like tangible objects.
 

Shaneus

Member
Oh god, SO MUCH IS HAPPENING WITH EXPO.

I'll see if I can do a quick summary off the top of my head:
* Medieval Madness re-release. I may have drunk bought one last night, lolz.
* TPA cabinet, looks insane. Working with actual DMD (which TBH I wasn't expecting).
* Josh Henderson is first seed for the finals tomorrow, meaning he gets to pick the games used in either the whole finals thing or the first round of the finals or something. The dude's just turned 18 or 16 or something... it's ridiculous.

I'm sure there was other stuff, at least it felt like there was... but I can't think of it. Maybe it's that there were a large number of talks that were informational and not promotional. I highly recommend everyone listens to the most recent Pinball Soul cast, where Gene X has a bunch of audio from a number of different presentations.
 

Shaneus

Member
This is incredibly, incredibly sad :(
Alvin J. Gottlieb, 86, formerly of Elmhurst, died Monday, Oct. 14, in Florida. His parents, Dorothy and David Gottlieb, established Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park in 1961. Alvin Gottlieb was very involved in overseeing the construction of the hospital, and he was dedicated to hospital operations for many years.

Mr. Gottlieb also was an inventor and a pinball pioneer; his family established D. Gottlieb & Co. Pinball in Chicago in 1927. Dozens of pinball fans expressed their condolences this week on online pinball discussion boards, like this one.
34.jpg

Alvin Gottlieb's Induction Into The Pinball Expo Hall Of Fame

We owe a lot of our hobby to his efforts in the pinball industry. RIP :(
 
It's amazing how much is happening all at once. Less than three weeks until the PS4 version. The PC version dropping any week now. That TPA cabinet... which... damn that thing is beautiful. I hella want one. Medieval Madness reproduction?

I wish I had the money and space to get some real tables. My wife, I think, is glad that we don't though. Still, that TPA cab... that would be a thing to own if they ever offer those for real.

One set up. No moving parts to replace. Multiple games... yeah... Hmmmmm
 

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
Sorry, what does the expo news mean -- they are making a new real Medieval Madness table or is that related to this game?
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
It's amazing how much is happening all at once. Less than three weeks until the PS4 version. The PC version dropping any week now. That TPA cabinet... which... damn that thing is beautiful. I hella want one. Medieval Madness reproduction?

I wish I had the money and space to get some real tables. My wife, I think, is glad that we don't though. Still, that TPA cab... that would be a thing to own if they ever offer those for real.

One set up. No moving parts to replace. Multiple games... yeah... Hmmmmm

Pics of the cab???

And AstroLad - it's a new real MM table.
 
Sorry, what does the expo news mean -- they are making a new real Medieval Madness table or is that related to this game?

A company is selling reproductions (with a few tweaks) of Medieval Madness for $10,000. Also, Farsight showed up with a slick virtual pinball cabinet with working DMD. I haven't seen any pics of it, but I watched the video on facebook.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
Damn OK. Now I need $10k for MM, and a house to put it in.

That $10k, ha.

I have been offered a NIB Avengers Hulk LE for $6.7k delivered. I'm on the fence. I can get a Pro for $4k, a Tron Pro for $4.8k, OR! I could build a really nice VP cabinet for probably around $3-4k depending on Black Friday TV deals.
 

Shaneus

Member
A company is selling reproductions (with a few tweaks) of Medieval Madness for $10,000. Also, Farsight showed up with a slick virtual pinball cabinet with working DMD. I haven't seen any pics of it, but I watched the video on facebook.
Ten grand? It's $8k AFAIK (if the last I heard from when I put my details down is any indication).

Latest Coast 2 Coast Pinball 'cast has a great discussion on MM.
 

Shaneus

Member
Ah, splitting hairs! But I think that $2k might be a significant though... $8k for a classic table is actually not bad (around the price of a Stern LE, afaik). But $10k is getting into "bit too much" territory.


In other news, I managed to "fix" the topper on my High Speed. By fix, I mean "buy a cheapo 24VAC-12VDC converter from eBay, hook it up to a cheap "emergency light" from Dealextreme and then hook it up to the relay that would've controlled the light on my machine. End result? Looks practically factory for *maybe* $25AU delivered.

Looks fucking amazing when you light the certain modes, too. Adds so damn much to the game, I had no idea.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
$10k is simply too much for me to spend on a game. If I were bursting at the seams with extra cash, sure...But in my current state? Not so much, ha.
 

Shaneus

Member
Other major factor is you just don't know what sort of resale you'll get on it. You're still guaranteed that somewhat even if you buy an original one (although with this one, obviously the value would drop) but with this re-release? No idea.

Pretty much everything else you can be sure you'll get a good percentage of your money back, provided you didn't overspend and the machine is in reasonable condition. Hell, I reckon I could come out ahead if I sold my HS today in the condition it's currently in.

No way in hell I'm doing that, though.
 

AcridMeat

Banned
Oh god it was a horrifying experience to launch Pinball Arcade today and not have all of the tables anymore. Now I have to bug them about my PC code for TNG.

sigh...
 

Shaneus

Member
Oh god it was a horrifying experience to launch Pinball Arcade today and not have all of the tables anymore. Now I have to bug them about my PC code for TNG.

sigh...
Oh, it's launched?!? Man, buying both seasons is going to be PAINFUL.

I hope they've fixed the colouring on some of the tables. Taxi should NOT look that ugly :(

Edit: Never mind, just testing the payment system. For some reason, despite emailing them T2 STILL doesn't show up as me having bought it, despite it supposedly being linked to my FS account :/ Table assets on most games are still wonky as hell, too. Two Taxi ramps are different colours and the textures on 1812's playfield looks like arse compared to the ramp signage.

Hope they polish the hell out of it before it's released (any day now, afaik).
 
Ooooh TPA cabinet -- depending on price I'm on board. Who is manufacturing it? Awesome news, can't wait for pics!

Yeah, the PC version (and really, all of them) need a ton of polish in the UI / flow area. Man if only they could borrow some of Zen's expertise in that area...
 
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