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How To Properly Store Your Pinball Machine

Andrew MacBain — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 23:43:45 +0000

How To Properly Store Your Pinball Machine

If you are thinking about adding a pinball machine to your home, you are not alone. Many homeowners are purchasing pinball machines in hopes that their kids will enjoy this beloved game just as much as they did (and to indulge in a little nostalgia). But when you add a pinball machine to your home, you must know how to treat it. Storage is an important part of caring for your machine and making it last.

What is the proper way to store pinball machines? Pinball machines should always be in a climate-controlled area. The best place for your pinball machine is inside of your home. Too much moisture, heat, or humidity can cause significant damage to the pinball machine. If you decide to store it in a garage or basement, it is recommended to have the pinball machine up off the floor to avoid potential water damage.

Taking proper care of your pinball machine is critical to its lifespan. The good news is that a pinball machine is easy to take care of, but you need to make sure you are doing it the right way. One important aspect of pinball ownership is proper storage, and this article will provide you with the best details on how to store a pinball machine.

Why Is It Important to Properly Store a Pinball Machine?

Think of your pinball machine like you would any other type of gaming system or device. You wouldn’t toss your expensive PlayStation 4 into the basement without a thought, so why drag your pinball machine down there and expect it to be fine? Sure, pinball machines are much larger than most current gaming systems, but it doesn’t mean that they can be neglected.

Without proper storage, your pinball machine can be affected in many ways. The biggest issue is that the overall system can malfunction and become damaged from excessive heat, humidity, or moisture. Additionally, there is also the problem of dust accumulating in the pinball machine, which can cause the pinball machine to stop working properly.

Another thing to worry about when it comes to storage is the possibility of water destroying the pinball machine. Certain areas, such as a garage or basement, are more prone to leaks and floods, which can have a seriously negative impact on your pinball machine and potentially destroy the sensitive electronics or damage the entire cabinet.

Proper storage is imperative for the functionality of your pinball machine. Continue reading to find out some of the best places to store your pinball machine and how to store it correctly to avoid damage.

How to Properly Store a Pinball Machine

The best place for your pinball machine to be stored is inside of your house. In most cases, the inside of the home is going to be climate-controlled to suit you and your family. This means that the humidity levels will be relatively low, and the temperature should never rise too high or drop too low.

If you can, find a spot in your home to place your pinball machine. Your machine will be the safest in this environment You also won’t have to worry about cleaning your pinball machine too often while it is inside because there is less of a chance of dust or dirt accumulating in the playfield. Of course, it’s probably best to keep it out of direct sunlight since the sunlight can cause the machine to deteriorate over time.

But what should a pinball machine owner do if he can’t find room in his home? What if he needs a temporary space to place his precious device? If you can’t store your pinball machine in the home, there are a few other options. However, you will need to take extra precautions when using these areas.

The Basement or Garage

The most common places you might find a pinball machine stored in are garages and basements. After all, many people have basements and garages that can make excellent storage spots for their pinball machines. Does your garage or basement have to be finished, though? Of course, not. Even unfinished areas like these are great places to store different things.

Related Post In Air Hockey, Are You Allowed To Stop The Puck?

But when you opt for a basement or garage, you need to be extra careful. Always make sure that the humidity levels don’t rise too high in the basement or garage. Humidity can have the biggest impact on pinball machines and can render them unplayable if exposed to too much humidity. Always check the levels, especially if you live in an area that is prone to high humidity.

If you live in an area where the humidity is high over the summer time then investing in good dehumidifier is a good option to keep your basement moisture free. If moisture collects inside of your machine it will quickly begin damaging a variety of components.

The other thing to worry about is potential leaks or floods. Since basements and garages are prone to these disasters, it is a good idea to place the pinball machine up off the floor by using a wood pallet or another similar item to keep it safe. As you can imagine, water getting into your pinball machine is going to cause significant damage, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Self-Storage

Many people may end up using a self-storage facility to house their pinball machines temporarily. This is a great option because self-storage locations are generally climate-controlled, and you won’t run the risk of moisture destroying your machine. This leaves the owner feeling confident and secure.

I wouldn’t store it in a self storage facility that isn’t climate controlled. Often the climate controlled units are more expensive but being that you spent thousands on your pinball machine a few extra dollars a month is well worth it to keep it in good condition.

Clean Your Machine Before Storing

For the most part, running a cloth across the playfield of your pinball machine regularly is enough to keep it functioning and increase its lifespan. This should be done as much as possible while in storage. If kept in the home, you will only need to clean it every couple of weeks.

Don’t Wrap Your Pinball Machine

Some people might think that they should wrap their pinball machine to keep it safe. This is mostly because many items that are kept in storage and should be handled with care, such as a glass table, will likely be covered with a blanket of some sort. But should you cover your pinball machine?

The simple answer is no. You should not cover your pinball machine while it is in storage. This will make it easier for dust and dirt to find itself into the smaller crevices of your pinball machine, which will make the grime harder to remove once out of storage.

Conclusion

Taking care of your pinball machine is an important task. If you need to store a pinball machine, the best option is inside of your home. If you cannot keep your pinball machine in your home, you must find another climate-controlled area. Humidity and moisture can wreak havoc on a pinball machine, so keep your device as far away from them as possible.

If you’re honest with yourself, though – You will probably be playing your pinball machine much too often to need to store it except for in rare instances like a move.

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Pinball Adventures is a North American manufacturing company producing fresh and unique Pinball machines. Our goal is to create to the highest standards, and spark the same joy we found as gamers when we rolled our first quarter into that coin slot so many years ago. Stemming from a lifelong passion, Pinball Adventures is created by gamers, for gamers. We strive to bring high quality, innovative, and captivating experiences for all to enjoy.

Visit our website at pinballadventures.com and also check out our new Instagram page for more updates https://www.instagram.com/pinballadventures/

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Injection Molding DIY & Process

Andrew MacBain — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 01:18:15 +0000

Looking to make a customized toy for your pinball machine? We got you covered with the DIY Injection Molding process and what you’d need!

Injection Molding DIY & Process

What Is Injection Molding?

It a process used for manufacturing a wide variety of items from small components to large ones. It uses a granular plastic that is gravity fed from a hopper, forced into a heated chamber by a screw-type plunger, melted, and then pressed against the mold. It then cools and is removed as a solid part. Rapid injection molding uses aluminum molds that are quick to make, while large-scale production typically uses steel molds.

Injection fabrication makes it possible to produce parts in large volumes. This is why it is typically used in mass-production processes, where thousands or even millions of parts are needed. The biggest drawback, really, is that the tooling time and costs required to set up for the molding process make the technique inappropriate for small batch production runs (luckily we have 3D printing for that now).

What You Need for DIY Injection Molding

Building a setup for DIY injection molding does require some investment. It takes both money and time to acquire the right equipment and to master using it. However, these costs are in many cases still lower than the cost of a single metal mold, so the eventual time and cost savings, once you’re up and running, will easily offset the initial effort. source.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

A high-performance desktop SLA 3D printer, like the Formlabs’ Form 3. The Form 3 can produce accurate molds with crisp features, and a smooth surface finish that will yield high-quality final molded parts. Beyond DIY injection molding, an SLA 3D printer is also a valuable asset for prototyping and other applications throughout product development.
A 3D printing material that can withstand the temperature and pressure on the mold during the injection molding process. We recommend the following materials for Formlabs SLA 3D printers:
- Rigid 10K Resin is an industrial-grade, highly glass-filled material, which provides a solution that can cope with a wider variety of geometries and injection molding processes. It has an HDT of 218°C @ 0.45 MPa and a tensile modulus of 10,000 MPa, making it strong, extremely stiff, and thermally stable.
- High Temp Resin offers a heat deflection temperature is 238 °C @ 0.45 MPa that is suitable for injection molding. This material is more brittle, but is recommended for materials with a high molding temperature and to reduce cooling time.
- Grey Pro Resin has a lower thermal conductivity than High Temp Resin or Rigid Resin, which leads to a longer cooling time, but it is softer and can wear hundreds of cycles.
A benchtop injection-molding machine, such as the Galomb Model-B100 or the Holipress. There are a number of benchtop injection molders on the market that vary in cost. Many of the lower cost molders use a hand-driven plunger, while some of the more expensive units use a screw or pneumatic system. Some of our customers have recommended systems from Minijector, Morgan, APSX, or Micromolder as well. Desktop automated molders such as the product line from Babyplast are good alternatives for mass production of small parts.
Plastic pellets of your choice
A CAD software tool of your preference to design the mold insert, such as Blender, which you can download for free

The injection molding process cycle follows 4 stages and typically takes between two seconds and two minutes per part

Clamping

This is the part where two halves of the molds are securely closed by the clamping unit. Hydraulic power is used to keep the clamping unit in place while the specific material is injected (typically a thermoplastic).

Injection

At this stage, raw plastic material or pellets are fed into the injection molding machine, pushed into the injection unit, melted and then injected into the mold.

Cooling

Cooling allows the molten plastic to solidify and take the shape of the mold. There are specific cooling times for different parts and components, depending on the maximum wall thickness of the part and the thermodynamic properties of the plastic material

Ejection

An ejection system is used to push the molded part out of the clamping unit. A mold release agent may be sprayed onto the surface of the mold cavity before injection to facilitate easy ejection and prevent damage to the new part.

What are the benefits of injection molding?

Low production costs

In injection molded manufacturing, the price per unit is extremely low. The most significant costs are the setup costs. As more parts are produced, the price tends to drop drastically. Once the initial costs of fabrication have been paid, the profit margin can be quite wide. This makes financial sense in the business front, so long as there is a demand to satisfy the production.

Low scrap rates

Unlike traditional manufacturing processes, where a substantial percentage of an original block or sheet is cut away during production, injection molding cuts with accuracy and waste plastic usually come from overflow material that leaks out of the cavity. It can also come from runners, sprue, and gate locations.

Repeatable and consistent

As a process used in high-volume production, injection molding is ideal for producing practically identical parts. Each part produced is going to be the same as the first one, which is important for consistency and reliability.

Of course, injection molding is not perfect. But its benefits often outweigh the disadvantages.

A major challenge in injection molding is designing a mold. The main focus is usually on the finished products, but no part would be made without the mold from which it is formed. The design aspect of a component is often overlooked, but it is the most important.

Thanks for reading

Injection Molding DIY & Process

PINBALL ADVENTURES

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Process of Manufacturing A Pinball Machine

Andrew MacBain — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 01:00:34 +0000

Curious about the process of making a pinball machine? Look no further, Pinball Adventures is here with some information

Process of Manufacturing A Pinball Machine

Design

While a new pinball game took only 20-30 hours to manufacture, the design process was far more protracted. Designing a new game took a team of professionals from 12-18 months, and the investment cost could run up to a million dollars. Games were designed by teams, with members taking on specialized tasks. The team included a game designer, who came up with the game concept and generally organized the other members; a software developer; an artist to come up with the backglass art and playing field graphics; a mechanical engineer, responsible for the design of all the gadgets on the playing field; a sound designer to create the music and other sound effects for the game; a mechanical designer, who brought together the drawings and designs from other team members; an animator to animate images on the scoring display; an electrical engineer and a cable designer to work out the circuitry and wiring; sculptors and model-makers to build the prototype devices for the playing field, and a publications writer to write the technical documents and manuals. The team might include other people, as well, such as someone who kept track of the cost of materials, and people working in marketing, sales, and licensing.

The design work starts with a concept, which might be an original idea or might come from a licensed product, such as a movie. After the concept is agreed upon, the design team works on the layout of the playing field. Designers fiddle with placements of any special elements the game will have, and try to work out how the player will make shots leading to the element. The placement of ramps, flippers, kickers, tilt mechanisms, and such is planned out, while the mechanical engineer produces prototypes for the special elements.

After the playfield design is more or less completed, the team then produces what is called a whitewood version of the game. This is a bare plywood prototype of the

A. Playfield. B. Flipper mechanism. C. Pop bumper.

playfield. The designers use computer assisted design (CAD) software to record their plans, and this software is then used to control a computer-driven routing machine that cuts the board. The game elements for the whitewood are made by hand and glued on. Lights, ramps, and flippers are added. The whitewood may go through many revisions, as placements are changed or elements taken off or added. When the design seems satisfactory, the whitewood is wired to make it playable. Meanwhile the software developer has been creating the unique software to control the game. Williams, the last major American pinball manufacturer, had developed its own proprietary pinball operating system so that a basic framework could be used for each game, simplifying the design process. The software developer also works with the lighting and sound designers and animators to run all these effects. At the whitewood stage, the designers can actually play the game they have created, and work on developing rules.

Meanwhile the artist creates sketches for the backglass. If the game is based on a licensed theme, the artist needs to submit sketches for approval to the licensing agency. When the whitewood is near its final form, the artist makes sketches for the playfield. Pinball artists in the 1990s utilized traditional media such as pen and ink and paint, as well as computer graphics.

While the game is in development, team members keep constant track of how much the game might cost to make. If parts need to be ordered from an outside vendor, the team needs to retrieve estimates from the suppliers. The game has a total budget, and sometimes the cost of one spectacular effect means that other game elements, such as lighting, have to be redesigned to make them cheaper. The design team also creates a bill of materials, listing every part needed to make the game. Parts are ordered so that everything is in place when the game is ready to be mass produced.

After the design is finalized, workers at the plant assemble 10-20 prototypes. These are completely finished games, just like ones that will eventually be sold. The prototypes help the production plant determine that all the parts fit together, that the suppliers have sent the correct parts, and that mass production will go smoothly. Any glitches in the assembly are caught at this stage. And if any part of the manufacturing process needs to be modified, it is discovered now. The prototypes are also used for testing.

Raw Materials

The raw materials for pinball are not extraordinary. Inexpensive, sturdy plywood is used for the playfield, wiring boards, and cabinet. Metal parts, such as screws and springs, are made out of a variety of common materials, such as stainless steel and aluminum. Special elements on the playfield may be of molded plastic. Manufacturers require vendors to supply parts exactly to specifications, and to hold down production costs, which are considerable, the cheapest materials possible may be used.

Process of Manufacturing A Pinball Machine

Pressuring the playfield

1 Almost all the production of a pinball game is done by hand. The exception is the manufacture of the playfield. The design for the playfield is programmed into a special machine. Workers load plywood into the machine, and it squeezes each board under high pressure. The pressure incises each side of the board with marks, which show where all the assembly units go.

Screen printing

2 Pinball backglasses and playing field art are made by the silk-screen printing process, also called stencil printing. This is usually done by an outside vendor. From the artist’s design, the printer makes a series of patterns called stencils that break down the design into four colors. That is, all the red parts of the design are isolated on one stencil, all the blue on another, and so on. Through combinations of four colors, every possible shade can be made. The stencils are made of a sieve-like fabric. Ink will pass through the open weave of the fabric and adhere to the material being printed. The printer lays the stencil, which might be a thin, plastic laminate, down on the material. An applicator sprays the color. Then the stencil is lifted, the material briefly dried, and the next stencil laid down. After the fourth color, the design is complete. For a backglass, the whole design could be screened as one piece. For the playfield, the artwork is broken up into small sections. At the pinball factory, workers punch out the sections and adhere them to the playfield. This way, the artwork is made to fit around the holes for the targets and other mechanical parts.

Hand assembly

3 Most of the remaining work is done by hand. Some of the small parts, such as spring-loaded bumper mechanisms, may have to be put together at the factory from components parts. Then these parts are assembled on the board. The wiring is very complicated. Workers painstakingly connect the wires, using screw drivers and soldering guns. The cabinets are made as rectangular hollow boxes. Workers screw rails on to hold the circuit boards and playfield. The screened art for the backglass is inserted in the backglass assembly, and that part attached to the main cabinet. Each game has close to 1,000 parts. The whole game takes from 20-30 hours to finish, and the factory itself requires about 1,000 workers.

Quality Control

Most of the quality control in pinball manufacturing is done before mass production begins. Individual parts from vendors are inspected and measured to make sure they are to specification. But the main check the manufacturer has on total product quality is in the prototypes made after the design process is complete. These 10-20 prototypes are tested in a variety of ways, including playability, general safety, and ability to withstand shipping. One is played on regularly, for field testing. One prototype is tested for sturdiness during shipping-this suffers a drop test. Another is sent to a private laboratory for a safety test, to make sure players could not be injured by the game. Other prototypes are used for publicity photographs, for the rules or manual writer, and perhaps for display at trade shows or promotions. Even after the prototypes pass inspection, the manufacturer might make a small run of some 50-100 games, just to make sure that everything is set in the production room for a bigger batch.

Thanks for reading the process of manufacturing a pinball machine!

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Visit our website at pinballadventures.com and also check out our new Instagram page for more updates https://www.instagram.com/pinballadventures/

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What Is CNC Machining?

Andrew MacBain — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:41:09 +0000

Curious to know the process and what CNC machining is and how they cut pinball playfields? Then keep on reading!

What Is CNC Machining?

Computer numerical control (CNC) is a method for automating control of machine tools through the use of software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool. It is commonly used in manufacturing for machining metal and plastic parts.

CNC machining is a manufacturing process in which pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery. The process can be used to control a range of complex machinery, from grinders and lathes to mills and routers. With CNC machining, three-dimensional cutting tasks can be accomplished in a single set of prompts. Under CNC Machining, machine tools function through numerical control. A computer program is customized for an object and the machines are programmed with CNC machining language (called G-code) that essentially controls all features like feed rate, coordination, location and speeds. With CNC machining, the computer can control exact positioning and velocity.

CNC MILL & CNC ROUTER: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The CNC mill and CNC router are terms often used interchangeably. In actuality, they are two distinct machines with specific purposes.

CNC Router

A CNC router is mostly used for cutting wood, plastic, model foam or other soft materials. With some routers you can also machine aluminum, but this is mostly for engraving purpose.

The spindle of a CNC router can rotate up to 20,000 Rpm, a necessity in order to experience low torque when cutting into the material. Typically the frame and bearings of a CNC router are not configured for high stiffness. The upside of this high-speed low torque cutting is that a CNC router can do its work quickly, compared to slow CNC mills.

Another benefit of the CNC router is that they broadly tend to offer more working space in the X- and Y- axes, with a shallow Z-axis movement when compared to the CNC mill.

Despite being generally less stiff than a CNC mill, the stiffness and quality of a CNC router depends on the price tagv

CNC Mill

Perhaps the most noticable difference between the CNC mill and CNC router is cost. A decent CNC mill can costs in the range of $10,000, and that’s before factoring in maintenance and tools.

The upside of such an expensive machine however, is that a CNC mill is capable of machining all kinds of metals such as (cast) steel, aluminum alloys and precious metals.

To do so, the spindle of a CNC mill runs at around 1,000 Rpm — much slower than a CNC router. Paired with a stiff frame and sturdy bearings, it’s possible to precisely cut to a tenth of a millimeter, though this of course depends on the quality of your tools, talent and machine

Get To Grips With Software

All CNC machines use computer software to control their tools—hence the acronym: computer numerical control. The software is essentially a three-step process. The part is drawn in a CAD program (computer-aided design) before a CAM program (computer-aided manufacturing) converts the drawing into a code called g-code. The machine reads the g-code and makes the part. Some machinists write g-code straight into the machine, but most rely on the CAM program.

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Visit our website at pinballadventures.com and also check out our new Instagram page for more updates https://www.instagram.com/pinballadventures/

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New Westminster Arcade Hosting Private Parties

Andrew MacBain — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 22:21:34 +0000

New Westminster Arcade Hosting Private Parties

Industry Arcade is open for private parties up to 10 people! This arcade is located in New Westminster, Canada and is COVID friendly with sanitized machines and social distance is required.

Sessions are 2 hours, 10 people max. Your group gets our FREE PLAY arcade to yourselves. Starting at $200. They are located beside Another Beer Co in New Westminster. No booze is allowed, pre and post beers are available at Another Beer co just 5 seconds from them

Industry Arcade has a big variety of games to pick from, including pinball, pac-man, car racing, skee ball and more!

Pinball

Over 20 modern and classic pinball machines, all fully serviced and ready to rock. Many new releases such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, TRON, Ironman, Walking Dead, Black Knight, Spider Man, Game of Thrones and classics like Attack from Mars, Addams Family, Taxi, Dirty Harry, Funhouse, Lord of the Rings, Terminator 2, NBA Fastbreak, Party Zone, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Sharkey’s Shootout, Monopoly, World Cup Soccer and more!

Arcade

Lots of killer arcade games to choose from. Ms Pac Man, Street Fighter 2 +3, Mortal Kombat, Frogger, Bubble Bobble, Tapper, Simpsons, NBA Jam, Tetris, Metal Slug, Puzzle Bobble, Centipede, Frogger, Galaga, Marvel vs Capcom, Super Monaco GP, Super Gem Fighter, Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, Donkey Kong JR, Double Dragon, Robocop and more.

Skee Ball

Everyones favourite, the classic Skee ball. We’ve even got it to dispense tickets if you get a high score. Win a ticket, get 10 bucks off a shirt!

Bubble Hockey and Foosball

Super Chexx Bubble hockey is the best Bubble Hockey available. Our commercial grade Foosball is backlit with LED lighting for maximum action.

Pac-man Battle Royale

A modern take of the classic Pac Man, up to 4 players can play this fast and super fun game!

Racing

Rush the rock is known to be the best driving game in history by many. They even feature a 4 speed manual transmission.

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Visit our website at pinballadventures.com and also check out our new Instagram page for more updates https://www.instagram.com/pinballadventures/

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3 Greatest Older Pinball Machines

Andrew MacBain — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 21:36:39 +0000

3 Greatest Older Pinball Machines

PINBOT (1986)

Pin-Bot is a pinball machine released by Williams in October 1986. It was designed by Python Anghelo and Barry Oursler

PINBOT was one for the ages. PINBOT was, as far as I could tell, a malevolent robot intelligence that has taken over the world (Your mind? Your room? Your arcade?), and you must use your pinball skills to give him eyes and a soul to talk him down from his automated destruction. Or maybe that was just the narrative I constructed in my mind while playing. Whatever the reason, PINBOT was way fun.

PINBOT also had a robot voice that would, once you gave him eyes, declare creepily “NOW. I. SEE. YOU.” When you’re eight years old, and you’re playing pinball at your local Yellow Balloon waiting to get your hair cut, and a pinball machine declares that it can see you… Well, let’s just say that your haircut will not be the more memorable part of that halcyon 1980s afternoon.

FUNHOUSE (1990)

FunHouse is a pinball machine designed by Pat Lawlor and released in November 1990 by Williams Electronics. Starring a talking ventriloquist dummy named Rudy, the game is themed after the concept of an amusement park funhouse.

Williams’ Funhouse was a mainstay in most arcades, and was always in high demand. Pinball machines started going electronic as far back as 1978, but Funhouse seemed like a bizarre watershed moment in pinball tech. It was the first, at least in my hazy recollection, that had voices and sound effects. It was the first to have such an elaborate ramp system. After Funhouse, pinball machines only exploded in complexity and enjoyment.

What most people remember from Funhouse, however, is that creepy, creepy ventriloquist doll head prominently displayed in the play area. It was about the size of, well, a child’s head, complete with swiveling opening eyeballs, and a creepy mouth that would open and swallow up your ball, were you a skilled enough player. To this day, Funhouse is one of the more coveted machines. Who would have thought a creepy doll head would take you so far?

DR DUDE AND HIS EXCELLENT RAY (1990)

Dr. Dude and His Excellent X-Ray is a pinball machine designed by Dennis Nordman and released in 1990 by Midway (under the Bally label). The theme of the game revolves around gaining coolness.

Dr. Dude represents a strangely pure version of what every child of the 1980s wanted to be: Preternaturally cool, equipped with cool shades, big hair, busty nurses, and a hip-talking patois that only the elite (and kids from Capri-Sun commercials) could understand. Indeed, Dr. Dude even had his own backstory, as seen on the comic strip backglass of the machine pictured above.

Dr. Dude and His Excellent Ray is a weird peek into the mindset of 1980s and early 1990s cool. He’s like the logical conclusion of a journey that begins with Bill & Ted. Oh yes, and the game is also plenty fun, featuring ramps, habitrails, and, most amusing of all, a magnet to hold your pinball in place.

SOURCE

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Visit our website at pinballadventures.com and also check out our new Instagram page for more updates https://www.instagram.com/pinballadventures/

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5 Pinball Games From The 90’s

Andrew MacBain — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 02:24:38 +0000

We’ve done games from the 70’s & 80’s and now its time for 5 pinball games from the 90’s that we like! Keep on reading for more information on these games

5 Pinball Games From The 90’s

Creature From The Black Lagoon, 1991

Creature from the Black Lagoon is a pinball machine designed by John Trudeau (“Dr. Flash”) and released by Midway (under the Bally brand name). It is loosely based on the movie of the same name. The game’s theme is 1950’s drive-in theater. The pinball game was licensed from Universal Studios by Bally so that all backglass and cabinet artwork and creature depictions would resemble those of the original movie

The main objective of the game is to collect the four letters in F-I-L-M to activate the game’s wizard mode, Rescue the Girl. They are, from left-to-right:

F: Shoot the ball into the left K-I-S-S scoop four times to collect the letter F. The letter F can also be collected on the skill shot.

I: Light the four menu targets to open the Snack Bar and collect the letter I. Menu targets can also be lit by shooting into the Snack Bar.

L: Complete the P-A-I-D rollovers at the top right of the playfield to collect the letter L. The letter L can also be collected on the skill shot, by shooting the ball into whichever rollover is flashing.

M: Shoot the ball into the Slide (right scoop) to collect the letter M.

F-I-L-M letters can also be collected as Snack Bar rewards. Once the four letters in F-I-L-M are collected, shoot the ball into the left or right scoop to begin a 2-ball multiball. The Creature will randomly hide the girl in one of three locations: the left scoop, the Snack Bar scoop, or the right scoop. Shooting the ball into the correct scoop, then into the Snack Bar scoop, then again into the Snack Bar scoop, scores a Jackpot. The Jackpot value starts at 40 million, but increases with each jet bumper hit. Once the Jackpot has been collected, after a certain number of jet bumper hits, the Super Jackpot will light up. Shooting into the Snack Bar scoop will score a Super Jackpot, whose value is twice the current Jackpot value, multiplied by the field multiplier currently on the board.

Additional scoring modes or methods include:

Snack Bar: When the Snack Bar is open, shooting into this scoop gives a random reward.

Mega Menu: The four menu targets are lit. These targets are worth 5, 10, 15, and 20 million.

Playground Award: The game activates one of the following three modes at random.

Unlimited Millions: The left ramp is worth 3, 6, 9, … million until the timer expires. This mode lasts for 25 seconds.
Fighter Jets: The jet bumpers are 1 million per hit. This mode lasts for 25 seconds.
Intermission Time: Both ramps are worth 5 million each. This lasts for 15 seconds.

Big Millions: The right ramp is worth 5, 10, 15, … million. This lasts for 10 seconds.

Move Your Car: After a certain number of center shots, Move Your Car is activated. A score on the display starts at 8 million and decreases rapidly until reaching 2 million. Shooting a center shot scores the current score on the display and starts a 15 second timer. Successive center shots score 2x, 3x, and 4x the score of the first center shot.

Double Feature: Shoot the left ramp several times in succession. The Double Feature score starts at 500,000 and doubles up to a maximum of 16 million for each consecutive left ramp shot. Shoot the center ramp immediately afterwards to score the Double Feature.

Snack Attack: After shooting the right scoop 4 times, Snack Attack begins. A score on the display starts at 20 million and rapidly decreases. Shooting the Snack Bar scores the amount shown on the display.

Video Mode: After shooting the right scoop 8 times, shoot either the left or right scoop to begin Video Mode. In this mode, a peeping Tom appears, and the player must engage the left or right flippers to punch the peeping Tom a certain number of times.

Super Mode: After shooting the right scoop 12 times, a 12 second timer starts. Shoot the Snack Bar scoop to begin Super Mode. In Super Mode, the Mega Menu, Big Millions, Snack Attack, Unlimited Millions, and Intermission Time scoring modes are activated. This mode lasts for 25 seconds.

Super Creature Feature: During Super Mode, shoot the ball into the left ramp within the first 10 seconds. This will send the ball into the whirlpool. Each spin in the whirlpool is worth 5, 10, 15, … million up to a maximum of 35 million.

2. Stark Trek: The Next Generation, 1993

tar Trek: The Next Generation is a widebody pinball game, designed by Steve Ritchie and released in November 1993 by Williams Electronics. It was part of WMS’ SuperPin series, and was based on the TV series. It is the only pinball machine that features three separate highscore-lists

The game features seven “missions/episodes” the player must complete before entering The Final Frontier:

Time Rift
Worm Hole
Search The Galaxy
Battle Simulation
Q’s Challenge
Rescue
Asteroid Threat

There are various marked targets around the playfield with the Star Trek insignia. Different combinations of these are lit for different modes, indicating which shots the player needs to make. These modes are not stackable, meaning the player must complete one mission before starting another. There is a hole in the center at the top of the playfield labelled “Start Mission” which will start a mission at any time if the player makes the shot. In addition, hitting the lit “Command Decision” Target allows the player to select which mission to attempt, including already attempted missions (marked as “rerun” missions; varies from no allowable “reruns” to unlimited “reruns”, depending on the machine’s settings).

In all missions except Q’s challenge, if the player fails to complete certain objectives by losing the ball to the drain, Data will say, “Had you projected the ball along the proper trajectory, you would have been rewarded.” Pressing both flippers during this line activates an Easter egg, in which Picard will interrupt Data and say, “Thank you, Mr. Data.” The Easter egg also adds 10 million points to the score.

3. Super Mario Bros, 1993

Another pinball from the 90’s is Super Mario Bros. a machine from April 1992, manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Co.

Super Mario Bros. is a pinball machine licensed by Nintendo and developed by Gottlieb. It was released in the U.S.A on April 25, 1992 and a total of 4,200 units were manufactured. The machine is designed by Jon Norris, with artwork by David Moore and Constantino Mitchell. It was the first pinball machine produced by Gottlieb to use the Dox Matrix Display; a screen on the bottom of the lightbox which keeps track of the current score and can also display various animations during gameplay (such as Mario running towards a Castle). Despite the name “Super Mario Bros.”, the machine appears to share a majority of its artwork with Super Mario World, released two years before. A second pinball machine in the Super Mario Bros. series was released in June later in the year under the name Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World, which seems to be based on Super Mario Bros. 3.

4. The Who’s Tommy: Pinball Wizard, 1994

The Who’s Tommy Pinball Wizard is a pinball machine from February 1994, manufactured by Data East USA, Inc.

The Who’s Tommy Pinball Wizard is a pinball machine based on the rock musical The Who’s Tommy. The machine features twenty-one songs from the musical sung by original Broadway cast members. The machines were designed by Joe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula, Lonnie D. Ropp, and Lyman F. Sheats Jr.

There are three skill shot bonuses possible on the launch of each new ball. Two of which award increasing point values, and the third initiates a multiball if lit. The main game modes of the table are accessed by lighting the entire Union Jack on the playfield’s center. There are 12 mini-games in this mode based on various scenes and scores from the musical. Completing these 12 modes unlocks the Pinball Wizard multiball of six balls. By lighting the letters to spell T-O-M-M-Y then hitting one of two scoops. Depending on which scoop activates the multiball, the player is given either 3 or 4 balls. This mode has multiple subsequent stages, each awarding greater point values as jackpots

source

5. Batman Forever, 1995

Batman Forever is a pinball machine released in June 1995 by Sega Pinball. It is based on the motion picture of the same name.

The game uses the 192×64 “supersize” dot matrix display with a Motorola 68000-based 16-bit controller. It features several electric-green wireform ramps with the “Batcave” escape ramp extending down behind the flippers and over the playfield apron, releasing balls up the playfield during multi ball. The “Batwing” cannon rotates & aims across the playfield and fires the ball with a pistol grip on front of the machine. Speech clips from the film are used. Additionally, the game had a video mode in which the Batwing is guided over rooftops, dodging obstacles to earn bonus points.

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New Led Zeppelin Pinball

Andrew MacBain — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 05:47:25 +0000

As most people may know, Stern has just released their newest game, The Led Zeppelin Pinball! Keep on reading to find out more information!

Led Zeppellin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham.

With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. The band have been credited with significantly impacting the nature of the music industry, particularly in the development of album-orientated rock (AOR) and stadium rock. Many critics consider Led Zeppelin one of the most successful, innovative and influential rock groups in history. Source

New Led Zeppelin Pinball

The Led Zeppelin pinball machines will be available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models.

In this high energy rock and roll pinball concert experience, pinball and music are fused together. Players are transported back to Led Zeppelin’s early days and tour the world from 1968-1980. As if players were members of the band playing its music, their play updates game features at the start of each verse and chorus of ten iconic Led Zeppelin songs:

Good Times Bad Times
Whole Lotta Love
The Song Remains the Same
Black Dog
Trampled Under Foot
Ramble On
Kashmir
Immigrant Song
Rock and Roll
Communication Breakdown

The Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models all feature a custom-molded Hindenburg Zeppelin toy, based on the iconic imagery from the Led Zeppelin I album. When lit, the Zeppelin toy scores speed locks on the player’s musical journey to Zeppelin multiball. A custom Swan Song Records trademark Icarus sculpted leaper toy takes flight when smashed by the chaotic pinball. A 3-bank of drop targets, 3 custom steel ramps, and 3 flippers keep the pinball action rolling.

The Premium and Limited Edition models feature an innovative interactive Electric Magic toy. This device is a unique motorized toy which rises from below the playfield to create different magical pinball experiences. An optical spinner charges the Electric Magic magnet, capturing and making balls disappear. The Electric Magic device also converts into a physical pinball bash toy capable of locking a ball or launching a ball around the playfield.

Pricing and Availability:

Manufacturer‘s Suggested Retail Price:

MSRP for sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes.

Pro Model:                                                      $US 6,199
Premium Model:                                             $US 7,799
Limited Edition Model:                                    $US 9,199

Led Zeppelin pinball machines and accessories are available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world. Source

Check out their video here!

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5 Cool Pinball Art From The 80’s

Andrew MacBain — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 05:44:12 +0000

We love pinball and appreciate a lot of things that go into making one, but one the best parts is the artwork. Keep on reading to find out what these 5 cool pinball art looks like!

5 Cool Pinball Art From The 80’s

Xenon (Bally, United States, 1980)

Xenon is a 1980 pinball machine designed by Greg Kmiec and released by Bally. The game was not only the first talking pinball table by Bally, but also the first with a female voice.

Medusa (Bally, United States, 1981)

Incredible game ahead of it’s time with great art work and exceptional game play with a nice layout wish I could obtain one in good condition hard to find.
Brutally difficult game with awesome artwork. There is a lot to do for a game from this era…if you can play long enough to do it.
Easily one of the top “drain monsters” I have ever played.

Mars, God of War (Gottlieb, United States, 1981)

Eclipse (Gottlieb, United States, 1982)

Fathom (Bally, United States, 1980)

Unlike other Bally electronic pinball games, their documentation for this game shows the model number only as 1233, not 1233-E.
We asked artist Kevin O’Connor to clarify for us if he contributed to any artwork for this game. He replies:The only work I recall doing on Fathom was the design and art for the brochure which we created to look like a page out of a comic book. Greg Freres was the lead artist and I believe handled all the graphics for the game.

At a Chicago Expo 2012 presentation, artist Greg Freres stated that Ward Pemberton’s working title for this game was “Barracuda”. Greg wanted to use the name “Deep Threat”. Both names were rejected by Bally management.

Source

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Get Better At Pinball

Andrew MacBain — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 05:02:06 +0000

Is Pinball something new to you or never got the hang of? Then keep on reading for tips on playing!

Get Better At Pinball

Ah yes, classic pinball. As one of the most popular games of our generation, pinball might be an ever present aspect of some of your fondest memories. So it really wasn’t a debate when you found out you could buy your own pinball machine for your man cave. But once you ripped that bad boy open and found it a place in your space, you might have discovered that you actually suck.

Yeah, those childhood memories can really play a trick on you. So now you’ve come to learn that you weren’t actually as good as you remembered. But since you already told the guys that you were hosting a mean challenge-the-winner style pinball battle at your place, you have no choice but to learn. Source

I learnt most of my skills through years of practice. I’ve been lucky to have been to many pinball expos or have friends that have a collection where I played different variety of games

the question is, how can you actually get better at pinball? Here are some tips.

We’ve all been there – watching a little metal ball zipping and zooming, going every which way as it racks up those points. Our gut response would be to go crazy with the flippers in eager anticipation of a ball that might suddenly shoot its way back down. But what you need to realize is that pinball isn’t a game of chance. It isn’t a matter of getting lucky by going ballistic with the flippers, but a process that you can actually anticipate thus control.

Timing your strike can help you make the most of each contact that you make with that small ball. In fact, there are a number of tricks that involve timing that can help you become the pro you’ve always wanted to be.

Try This:

Start off a typical pinball game. Your objective isn’t to win, but to learn the physics of the ball in play.
Learn how different flipper positions can impact the ball. For instance, flicking a flipper just as the ball makes contact can result to an explosive ricochet. But having the flippers bent slightly in anticipation of a high-speed ball can result to a loss of momentum, which isn’t always a bad thing.
If your ball isn’t going fast enough to rake up points, try to time your flipper flick just as the ball free-falls back down. Strike the ball as it makes contact with your flipper to increase its speed.
If your ball is going too fast for you to be able to anticipate how to control it, consider catching it with a dead flipper. Flick the flipper after the ball makes contact to significantly reduce its momentum.

After a few minutes just watching that small metal ball go absolutely crazy inside the machine, you watch on as it start to shoot straight down the center. Your boys start screaming bloody murder in the background as everyone panics at the sight of certain death. You go crazy with the flippers, hoping to get a random strike. But the ball just keeps travelling straight down, and it shoots straight past your flippers. Dang it. You were so close to breaking your record.

We’ve all been there and most of us even think that these dire moments can’t be fixed or saved. But there is a way. According to expert Bowen Kerins – competitive pinball player and champion – the trick is to not engage both flippers.

Once you see the ball shooting straight down, engage one flipper and keep one tilted slightly upwards to tighten the space between them and lessen the chances of the ball sweeping clean through. Plus, you might also want to give the slap save a try.

The move entails hitting the flipper button so hard that you end up nudging the entire game just enough to move the trajectory of the ball. Doing this can push the ball slightly towards the flipper, which gives you a greater chance to save the ball from shooting through.

Know Your Machine

Every machine is different, because the unique little aspects all have different sizes and weights. In effect, the entire physics of a machine can be different from every other one that you play – even if they come from the same manufacturer. One thing that is similar though is that those flashing lights usually mean something.

Your machine is trying to tell you something by showing you all of those flashing lights and frantic sounds. So it’s really up to you to decode what it’s trying to say. Follow the flashing lights and try to strike the bumpers that are working to get your attention. Sometimes, those risky shots will help you make the most points in the shortest period of time.

Learn the Basics

Bounce pass, cradle, post pass, nudging are some of the basics that you need to learn and practice. Rather than going over all of the basic skills of playing, there are 2 excellent resources.

The guys at Dead Flip have created animations of all of the basic flipper skills. While the Professional & Amateur Pinball Association have beginner, intermediate and advanced tutorials.

Practice Makes Perfect

As with any other game, there really is no better way to improve at pinball than with practice. Taking a few minutes out every day to learn how to improve your playing style should pay back ten fold when the boys come over for a few rounds. But even if they beat out your score, don’t sweat it. Learning from your opponents is part of the process.

When I play for fun I try and focus on one skill until I get that down and then move onto another. I would recommend starting with a dead bounce

5 Quick Tips

1. Think More Than One Move Ahead

No it’s not a chess game but even playing pinball, you should try to think at least 2 moves ahead. Not just deciding what you want to shoot at next but where the ball is heading.

2. Set Goals

They can be as small as going “Alright, I’m going to start multi-ball.” It can be easy to get into a “Just keep the ball in play” routine but you always need to keep the bigger picture in mind. Every game will have progression so it’s important to progressing to obtain more points.

3. Master the plunger

Just about every pinball will have some sort of skill shot to start. Getting the skill shot is often very technical and precise meaning that once you can master the plunger, you should be able to get the skillshot just about every time, and of course skill shots means more points!

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice the same, preferably hard shot, repeatedly. It may seem boring and tedious but if you want to increase your chances of making a certain shot then practicing it over and over again will only help.

5. Every Machine is Different

Get to know angle and power of the flippers. Just because you’re skilled in playing one machine means that you’ll automatically master every machine. Your game will always depend on how well you can control those bad boys, so play loads of different machines and get a feel of how they can differ.

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Our Favourite EM Games

Andrew MacBain — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 05:49:18 +0000

Curious to find out what our favourite EM games are? Keep on reading

Our Favourite EM Games

Abra-Ca-Dabra – Our Favourite EM Games : Gottlieb single player EM game made in 1975. It’s a popular game and requires some restoration work since it didn’t work when I bought it as part of a package deal with a Buccaneer from Rod Wideman who is the most meticulous restoration person I have ever met. One bit of wisdom Rod told me was to focus on single player games since there is far less scorewheels that need attention and the game is lighter without all those scorewheels. The game looks nice and everything is there, just a matter of restoration since it’s in the same shape as when Rod bought it. There is an add-a-ball version of this game made in 1977 named “Team One” which was also has an Itialian market version known as “Kicker” also made in 1977.
Alpine Club – Williams single player EM game with a snow skiing theme made in February of 1965. I bought this game from Jim Swenson for 400 bucks on April 3th of 2011 and it’s in good condition for a game of this age. The game features the same kind of odd cabinet design similar to Full House which was made the same year by Williams, and there were 1,200 games produced (not that many). It features 4 flippers, 4 pop bumpers, 3 passive bumpers, 2 slingshots, 2 kick-out holes, 1 standup target, and a right outlane ball return gate. Lots of things going on for this game. It also features a backglass marguee and backglass light animation which shows a climber ascending a mountain. When the climber is almost at the top of the mountain a flag at the summit flashes. When the climber reaches the summit the player is rewarded with a replay and the animation resets. Note that this is a carry-over feature from game to game. It uses a bell instead of chimes for sound effects. The game was designed by Steve Kordek with artwork by Art Stenholm. There is an add-a-ball version known as “Ski Club.” An interesting note is that the backglass shows the mountain climber is silkscreened fourteen times but only 10 lamps were used in the stepping mechanism to light the climber. You will also find that near the upper flippers are holes where a lamp should be, however there are no lamp sockets wired to these holes. A very interesting game.

Big Hit – I got this game from my pinhead buddy Tim in June of 2012. This is an Exhibit Supply game made in February of 1946, so this is an old guy. The game doesn’t have flippers and is an EM game with 13 scoring bumpers, 1 kickout hole, and 3 lanes in the center of the playfield. Although this game doesn’t have any flippers, it’s still a neat old game that was made months after WWII was over. It even has a card in the backbox that says “Important Due to acute wire shortages it has been necessary to substitute colors in some instances.” This was caused by the war of course since copper wiring with cloth insulation was in short supply. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot known about the game and in particular, no idea of the number of games manufactured, who designed the game, or who did the artwork.
Big Shot – Gottlieb single player EM game with a pool theme made in August of 1973. I bought this game from Kim (Mr.68) for 400 bucks and it’s in great condition. Looks like it was a game that was never on a route it’s so clean. There were 2,900 games made and it has 2 flippers, 1 pop bumper, two 7-bank drop targets, and one kick-out hole. The game was designed by Ed Krynski and artwork was created by one of my favorite artists – Gordon Morison. There is a 4-player version named “Hot Shot’ and a single player add-a-ball version named “Pro Pool” which has an Italian version named “Play Pool” which was made in 1972.
Big Top – Genco single player game made in February of 1949 (the game is older than me). It’s a woodrail game that features 2 flippers (that flip in the opposite direction when compared to newer games) with 2 pop bumpers and 5 kick-out holes. The game was designed by Harvey Heiss and there isn’t any more info about the game. The backglass has some issues, but the cabinet and playfield look nice for such an old game. I got this game for $150 from Jim Swenson on April 30th of 2011.
Buccaneer – Gottlieb single player EM game made in 1976. I bought this game from Rod Wideman as part of a package deal along with Abra-Ca-Dabra. The great thing this game has going for it (other than it’s a fun game to play) is that this is a Rod Wideman shopped game. That means that everything is meticulously restored and looks like a game you could eat off of it’s so clean. Probalby the finest example of a restored game that I own thanks to Rod’s work. There’s an add-a-ball version of the game made in 1976 known as “Ship Ahoy.” I sold this game to a fellow pinhead in 2014 that should really enjoy this classic game.

Captain Kid Rifle Game – Although not a Pinball game, it is an EM rifle game featuring a spinning ship’s wheel with targets, a captain’s face that rotates from side to side periodically throughout the game, and a couple of pirate flags that raise up and down during play. Very fun game. I got this game along with the Magic City EM from Jim Swenson for $250 in April of 2010. Took some minor switch adjusting that Jim did to get the game basically working, and only needed to be cleaned and a power cord replaced. I ended up selling this game to fellow pinhead Steve Dankanich along with a few other games in 2014.

Casino – Williams single player wood rail EM game that featues 2 flippers, 4 pop bumpers, 2 kick-out holes, and 1 gobble hole. Rollovers and kick-out holes will light playing cards on the mirrored backglass which is often distorted (the mirroring). I got this game through a trade with my pinhead buddy Tim. I traded him a clear-coated Target Alpha that had most all of the playfield parts replaced and 200 bucks for the working Casino game. The game was designed by Harry Williams with artwork by George Molentin.

Central Park – Gottlieb single player EM game made in 1966. Central Park is a very fun game to play and unlike many other games from the 60s, the playfield is usually found in a very nice condition for some reason. The playfield looks new with no wear on it and plenty of targets. The game works and I had it set up for awhile, but due to space constraints (ugh), I had to take it down and store it on end. I’ll set it up one of these days since it’s a very fun game to play. I bought this game for $900 from John Detweiller (Sir Tiltsalot) who sent me email not too long afterwards wanting to know if I would be interested in selling it back to him since it was so popular in his house.
SOURCE

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5 Vintage Pinball Machines Before The 70s

Andrew MacBain — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 05:50:33 +0000

Do you know any vintage pinball machines? Keep on reading to see our top 5 picks!

While the 1970s era is often considered as the golden era of Pinball, with its notoriety reaching the zenith, there are a number of pinball machines before this decade that are noteworthy. The pre-70s pinballs are the machines that served as the guinea pigs for the many features that we now enjoy in our modern pinball machines.

To explain further, in this list we gather 5 of the best vintage pinball machines that you can still buy at garage markets.

5 VINTAGE PINBALL MACHINES

1. Blast Off (Williams, 1967)

Blast Off is an electro-mechanical pinball manufactured by Williams in 1967. It was born in the years of space race, thus its theme revolve around launching rocket to space. It features a stainless steel trim, front door and frame. It is also fairly advanced in its time for having an automatic ball lift. The gameplay includes launching the Apollo rocket by counting down the rollover buttons.

2. Heat Wave (Williams, 1964)

As its name suggests, the Heat Wave Pinball (1964) by Williams is themed around scorching hot summer day. It features a thermometer in the backglass, which increases as you hit “advance” bumpers on the playfield. As the temperature increases, the target value is multiplied. It also features an adjustable 3 to 5 ball play and a replay game where the drop target and two side lanes register replays.

3. The Wiggler (Bally, 1967)

Wiggler by Bally features futuristic artwork designs with spacemen, spaceships and the Wiggler woman in a futuristic space suit. It is an exciting game as you make your way to prevent your balls from being captured. This game can capture up to two balls, but you can release them if you hit the yellow mushrooms and play with up to three balls in the playfield

4. Bank-a-ball (Gottlieb, 1965)

Made by Gottlieb in 1965, it is the first ever pinball machine to feature flipper return lanes which allows you to hit the ball behind the slingshot towards the flippers. It is a pinball game. It is a pinball pastiche of billiards with the original design including 15 colored numbered balls. Source

5. Ace High (Gottlieb, 1954)

Ace High is one of Gottlieb’s classic Pinball machine inspired by ace high in poker. In the game, hitting the Queens, Kings and Aces each give replays. It is the last pinball machine to have no match feature which means players can still activate the flippers even after the game is over.

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Difference Between Virtual and Visual Pinball?

Andrew MacBain — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 07:20:42 +0000

Who doesn’t enjoy a good game of pinball? The bright lights, the exciting sounds, a good bump of the machine? Physical pinball machines can be expressive but are limited in their game range and take up space so modern virtual and visual machines have gained fame. But what is the difference between Virtual and Visual pinball?

Virtual pinball machines are any form of digital pinball emulators played on laptops, smartphones, tablets or with a virtual pinball cabinet
Visual pinball refers specifically to a certain brand of free software used for emulating pinball tables which allows users to play, build and share pinball machines designs

Key Differences

Virtual pinball machines refer to any software or game which emulates a physical pinball machine. Improvements in virtual pinball have allowed for impressive 3D animation, virtual cabinets and accurate ball physicals accurately mimic the physical machines.

Virtual pinball emulators have existed for decades on early home computers such as the Apple II which was released in 1977. Official titles of pinball games and machines are often licensed, credited and included in many virtual pinball games and simulation.

Visual Pinball refers to a specific brand of pinball simulation software released in the year 2000. Visual pinball machines allow users to play, design and share their own creations. Visual pinball builders often recreate famous existing pinball machines.

Criticism of Visual Pinball include quality control which can sometimes be an issue with some games offered. Licensing and credit for the original creators of original pinball games is also often ignored by Visual Pinball builders.

What is Virtual Pinball?

Virtual pinball refers to any form of simulation which digitally emulates pinball tables. Physical often artful pinball machines were replaced in arcades, shopping malls, and bars by video games. Interesting pinball is making a revival thanks to that same video game industry.

In 1983 Pinball Construction Set was released for the Apple II and later the Atari 8 bit family and Commodore 64. Tt was the first program that let the user create and play their own simulated pinball machine. The simulation required no programming or typing to make commends.

Instead parts for the pinball game such as bumpers, obstacles and borders were selectable. Users only had to choose what they wanted and place them on the playfield. The designs were colored by users carefully with the provided game paintbrush. The game was impressive for its time and created a new builder genre of video games.

Virtual pinball simulations have been popular with for decades dispute limitations. The early pinball simulations were top down 2D, but with time the processors and graphics capabilities improved, allowing for 3D simulation with accurate ball physics.

Virtual Pinball Games

In 2006 the first digital video pinball machine which faithfully replicated the look, feel and play of traditional pinball machines was released. The game was called UltraPin created by UltraCade and features 12 digitally recreated classic playfields. Games included Funhouse, Pin-Bot, Eight Ball, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, Sorcerer, Black Knight and more all together in the one unit.

In 2012 The Pinball Arcade was released by Farsight studio who signed the licensing agreements with Williams, Bally, Gottlieb and Stern allowing all pinball companies to appear together in the same game. The Pinball Arcade included games such as Black Hole, Ripley’s Believe it or Not and the Theatre of Magic with more tables released monthly.

In 2017 Pinball FX was released on multiple devices including Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The game was developed and published by Zen Studios and along with similar titles assisted in making virtual pinball accessible to new players.

Smartphones and access to free games has allowed players to casually enjoy virtual pinball. Pinball Flipper Classic is considered of the better-quality free pinball games. The game features achievements, leader boards and multiplayer options. The free price tag does mean there are some advertisements within the game, but it’s a good gateway game for newbies to get hooked on pinball.

Virtual pinball has been credited with preserving the culture of the game. Virtual pinball programs can be played on various devices including laptops, phones, tablets or even with a virtual pinball cabinet.

What is Visual Pinball?

Visual Pinball is freeware composed a pinball simulator and editor. The program allows users choose between faithful recreations of existing pinball machines and original pinball simulations based on licensed themes. Users can design and share their own tables. Online, there are hundreds of players created visual pinball tables available free to play.

The software was designed to be used on Microsoft Windows for PCs and laptops, but newer versions added touch controls, allowing for play on smartphones and tablets. It was initially released on December 19th, 2000. On the 29th of July 2018 the Visual Pinball source code was released as freeware under a license that allows free use for non-commercial purposes.

The visual pinball software was developed by Randy Davis and various Open Source contributors. Visual Pinball software comes with Visual PinMAME which is an additional program (a COM class) originally designed to work in combination with Visual Pinball. PinMAME can also be used with other COM class programs and allows for 3D rendering of actual pinball table designs. Open source contributions from dedicated pinball fans mean the program is continuing to develop and offers almost unlimited choice in games.

Visual Building

The software allows players to build their own pinball machine by selecting different items for their table such as plungers, flippers. Bumpers, ramps, lights, text displays, gates, spinners, triggers, timers, and drop targets. Players are also able to change the table and item size shape to further customize their game. The displayed graphics can be changed also as well as the programming for the logic of the table using the VBScript.

Visual Pinball machines main features include:

Emulation of real pinball machines
Simulate the physics of the table and ball
Custom and recreate exciting pinball machines
Apply individual game rules controlled via Visual Basic Script
Supports configurable camera views
Allows virtual cabinet support
Supports Stereo 3D output and Tablet/Touch input
Option to play 3D televisions to give illusion of real machine

Criticism of Visual

There has been some criticism that Visual pinball creations are essentially rip-offs of the original games. Users of Visual pinball rarely credit never mind pay for the rights of the original traditional pinball machines.

The range of Visual pinball creations is impressive however the quality of the tables varies. It was clear some creators spent hours in research to lovely recreate their favorite pinball games. Others seem more interested in being the first to recreate popular games.

The most popular games such as The Addams Family have dozens of different versions for play. Visual Pinball also allows users to adjust their own physic settings meaning the flipper strength and table angles vary from the different versions created.

Advantages of Virtual and Visual Pinball

Physical pinball machine can only play one game where virtual pinball allows the players almost unlimited game choice on multiple devices. Almost every pinball machine created can be found in faithful recreations online. Games include popular machines such as Medieval Madness, and The Simpsons.

Physical pinball machines are expressive and even other virtual pinball programs can be pricey where Visual Pinball and other virtual pinball simulators are free to play. If the players really want to increase the arcade experience they can also use a virtual pinball cabinet.

Virtual Pinball Cabinets

The greatest complaint with virtual pinball is playing on a smartphone, console or laptop simply does not feel the same as playing a real machine. Advances in technology have allowed virtual pinball to equal and sometimes surpass the original physical tables.

Virtual pinball cabinets are compatible with Visual Pinball and can be used for official and open source gaming. Many models include integrated lights, DMD score fields, tilt/nudge effects and 3D tracking across detailed playfields. The cabinets provide buttons and plungers to recreate the feel of a physical pinball game.

Virtual cabinets are considerable cheaper than physical pinball machines and more reliable as they don’t contain many mechanical parts which can be prone to failure. Virtual pinball cabinets usually cost around $4500. Some cabinets include LED screens to display the playfield and scoreboard meaning there is little assembly, you will only need to plug in and play.

Understanding

So now you should have a better understanding of the differences between virtual and visual pinball machines. Virtual pinball refers to any brand, game or software which emulates physical pinball machines.

Official titles of pinball games and machines are often licensed, credited and included in many virtual pinball games and simulation. Titles include official releases like 1983 Pinball Construction and 2017 Pinball FX.

Visual Pinball refers to a pinball emulator and builder first released in 2000 and made available as freeware in 2018 for non-commercial purposes. Visual Pinball allows players to play, build and share their own pinball machines.

Visual Pinball machines have experienced some problems regarding their quality control as users can publish whatever they like. There are also concerns that Visual pinball machines rip off original creators often denying credit or payment of licensing.

Both machines offer a huge range of games and can also be played in customize cabinets to better mimic the physical machines. Virtual and Visual Pinball machines have been credited for preserving classic pinball games and introducing pinball to a new audience. source

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Pinball Playing Techniques

Andrew MacBain — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 07:02:11 +0000

Playing Techniques

The primary skill of pinball involves application of the proper timing and technique to the operation of the flippers, nudging the playfield when appropriate without tilting, and choosing targets for scores or features. A skilled player can quickly “learn the angles” and gain a high level of control of ball motion, even on a machine they have never played. Skilled players can often play on a machine for long periods of time on a single coin. By earning extra balls, a single game can be stretched out for a long period, and if the player is playing well he or she can earn replays known as “specials.”

A placard is usually placed in a lower corner of the playfield. It may simply show pricing information, but should also show critical details about special scoring techniques. This information is vital to achieving higher scores; it typically describes a series of events that must take place (e.g., shoot right ramp and left drop targets to light ‘extra ball’ rollover). Learning these details makes the game more fun and challenging. With practice — and a machine in good operating condition — a player can often achieve specific targets and higher scores and trigger exciting events.

Pinball Playing Techniques

Nudging

Players can influence the movement of the ball by moving or bumping the pinball machine, a technique known as “nudging” or “shaking.” After some experience in playing a certain machine, a skillful player is able to nudge the machine to make the ball bounce harder from a bumper or go in a certain direction. A very skillful player can shake the machine and cause the ball to bounce back and forth and prevent it from “draining.”

There are tilt mechanisms which guard against excessive manipulation of this sort. The mechanisms generally include:

a grounded plumb bob centered in an electrified metal ring – when the machine is jostled or shaken too far or too hard, the bob contacts the ring, completing a circuit. The bob is usually cone-shaped allowing the operator to slide it vertically, controlling the sensitivity.
an electrified ball on a slight ramp with a grounded post at the top of the ramp – when the front of the machine is lifted (literally, tilted) too high, the ball rolls to the top of the ramp and completes the circuit.
an impact sensor – usually located on the coin door, the playfield and/or the cabinet itself.

When any of these sensors is activated, the game registers a “tilt” and the lights go out, solenoids for the flippers no longer work, and other playfield systems become inoperative so that the ball can do nothing other than roll down the playfield directly to the drain. A tilt will usually result in loss of bonus points earned by the player during that ball; the game ends if it’s the last ball and the player has no extra ball. Older games would immediately end the ball in play on a tilt. Modern games give tilt warnings before sacrificing the ball in play. The number of tilt warnings can be adjusted by the operator of the machine. Until recently most games also had a “slam tilt” switch which guarded against kicking or slamming the coin mechanism, or for overly aggressive behaviour with the machine, which could give a false indication that a coin had been inserted, thereby giving a free game or credit. This feature was recently taken out by default in new Stern S.A.M System games but can be added as an option. A slam tilt will typically end the current game for all players.

Trapping

Skilled players can also hold a ball in place with the flipper, giving them more control over where they want to place the ball when they shoot it forward. This is known as trapping. This technique involves catching the ball in the corner between the base of the flipper and the wall to its side, just as the ball falls towards the flipper; the flipper is then released, which allows the ball to roll slowly downward against the flipper. The player then chooses the moment to hit the flipper again, timing the shot as the ball slides slowly against the flipper. Multi-ball games, in particular, reward trapping techniques. Usually this is done by trapping one or more balls out of play with one flipper, then using the other flipper to score points with the remaining ball or balls.

Once a player has successfully trapped a ball, they may then attempt to “juggle” the ball to the other flipper. This is done by tapping the flipper button quickly enough so that the trapped ball is knocked back at an angle of less than 90 degrees into the bottom of the nearest slingshot. The ball will then often bounce across the playfield to the other flipper, where the ball may then be hit (or trapped) by the opposite flipper.

Occasionally a pinball machine will have a pin or post placed directly between the two bottom flippers. When this feature is present, the advanced player may then attempt to perform a “chill maneuver” when the ball is heading directly toward the pin by opting not to hit a flipper. If successful, this will cause the ball to bounce up and back into play. A related move, the “dead flipper pass,” is performed by not flipping when a ball is heading toward a flipper. If done properly, the ball will bounce off the “dead” flipper, across to the other flipper, where it may be trapped and controlled. Source Wiki

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5 Classic Pinball Machines You’ll Love

Andrew MacBain — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 06:50:30 +0000

Curious about what classic pinball machines we’re gonna list? Keep on reading!

History

Pinball machines have been around for almost 90 years, evolving from shady barroom amusement in the 1930s to pop-culture phenomenon by the ’70s. After a resurgence in the early 1990s, pinball nearly died out by 2000 as the Big Three manufacturers (Williams, Bally, and Gottleib) exited the business or went bankrupt. Amazingly, the game held on and has even flourished, thanks in part to fans who spread their pinball passion online and new manufacturers that have entered the business. Today, you can find pinball-themed bars, arcades, museums — and even laundromats — from coast to coast, where games old and new are just waiting to be rediscovered — or discovered for the first time. Not sure what to play first? We talked to a couple pinball experts for their take on the best games from pinball’s golden era, the early 1970s to the late ’90s. Odds are, you can find some or all of these classics at an arcade near you. Just bring extra quarters; most vintage games now cost anywhere from 50 cents to $1 or more to play.

5 Classic Pinball Machines You’ll Love

FIREBALL (BALLY, 1972)

There’s no missing “Fireball” at the arcade with its demonic red namesake glowering at players from the backglass. Its fantasy-world theme was one of the first games to depart from the traditional sports and guys-and-girls designs of the 1950s and ’60s. And in the center of the playfield was a novel feature that had only been found on a couple of earlier, obscure pinball games: a spinning disc. “That can change everything in an instant,” says Chloe Hansen of the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, California. “You think the ball is going to hit the left bumper, then, boom! It hits that disc, spins, and goes right.” The spinning disc, it’s “zipper” flippers (which could “zip” together to prevent a ball from going down the drain) made “Fireball” a hit, and it remains one of the best electromechanical games of the early ’70s. A home version of the game appeared in 1978, and Bally produced an arcade sequel, “Fireball II,” in 1981.
HIGH SPEED (WILLIAMS, 1986)

By the mid-1980s, pinball machines were losing the arcade popularity contest with video games. In response, manufacturers like Williams began adding new features to the playfields and props on the cabinets to make them stand out in a sea of blinking, beeping machines. One of the most distinctive is “High Speed,” a police-chase-themed pinball game with a red emergency light on the top of the backglass that spins during play. “No one had ever done that before,” says Kuntz. It was crammed with fun-to-play features: two ramps, a toy traffic light on the playfield that changed colors as you hit targets, and a novel multiball that could be carried over from one game to another. There wouldn’t be another pinball machine this sophisticated until games like “Addams Family” arrived in arcades. “For five years, this game defined pinball,” he adds. “The light box, the multiball…. ‘High Speed’ sort of invented that.” It also had several technical advances new to the industry, most notably its digital alpha-numeric display, which displayed not just your score but also flashed status updates and point values during play.
FRONTIER (BALLY, 1980)

This Wild West-themed pinball game is a bit of a sleeper hit. Only about 1,000 were produced — far fewer than other classics from the era — and it’s harder to find in arcades today than other games from the same era. But for players and collectors who can track one down, “Frontier” strikes pinball gold. It’s not particularly sophisticated, but it’s got all the elements of a classic-era game, with two banks of drop-down targets that would trigger big point bonuses, thumper bumpers, and rollover targets. “I like games based on the emotional response you get when you play it,” Chris Kuntz says. “And ‘Frontier’ is a really, really good game. The layout, the rules, it’s all challenging.”
THEATRE OF MAGIC (BALLY, 1995)

In order to compete with video games, pinball machines in the 1990s morphed into complex creations with multiple goals and outcomes, not to mention ever more outlandish playfields crammed with interactive features. All of it was designed to keep people playing. One of the most engaging and eye-catching, says Hansen, is “Theatre of Magic.” Drop in a quarter and you’re greeted with a booming “Welcome to the Theatre of Magic!” The centerpiece of the playfield, a large revolving magician’s trunk, is one of the era’s most notable “bash toys,” designed to trigger game functions like multiball mode when struck by the ball. Other notable features include ramps that snake around the playfield and a magnetic “magician’s ring” that makes the ball float from one ramp to another. “It gives you so much feedback that you want to keep playing,” she says. “It’s one of my favorite games.”

5.

REVENGE FROM MARS (BALLY, 1999)

At the tail end of pinball’s golden age, the industry had one last trick up its sleeve: Pinball 2000. The gaming system, invented by Williams and licensed to Bally, was a curious hybrid of pinball and video, with a floating screen atop the playfield that created the illusion of computer graphics hovering in space. The graphics were as sophisticated as any arcade video game of the time, flashing an ever-changing sequence of exploding spaceships, attacking aliens, and other displays. “The holographic floating screen and how it interacts with the game below has yet to be surpassed, though augmented reality will ultimately accomplish that someday,” says Nic Schell, director of the Roanoke Pinball Museum in Virginia. Although revolutionary, “Revenge From Mars” wasn’t enough to save Bally or Williams, however. Both of the once-legendary pinball manufacturers ceased making games by the time 2000 rolled around.

And thats the 5 Classic Pinball Machines you should play at least once in your life!

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Pinball Adventures is a North American manufacturing company producing fresh and unique Pinball machines. Our goal is to create to the highest standards, and spark the same joy we found as gamers when we rolled our first quarter into that coin slot so many years ago. Stemming from a lifelong passion, Pinball Adventures is created by gamers, for gamers. We strive to bring high quality, innovative, and captivating experiences for all to enjoy.

Visit our website at pinballadventures.com and also check out our new Instagram page for more updates https://www.instagram.com/pinballadventures/

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DeepRoot Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland Update

Andrew MacBain — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 06:05:26 +0000

Have you been following the news on Deeproot? Their machine Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland is well known in the pinball community now due to their continuous delays but they are almost finished! Keep on reading to find out more!

DeepRoot

Deeproot Pinball, based in San Antonio, Texas, have been building up a teaser campaign that ultimately indicated the company would reveal the production model of their first game, Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland on Sept 21st 2020

Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland Delayed

The weekend before the appointed date, six US-based internet bloggers, podcasters and vloggers were invited to the Deeproot Pinball facility to spearhead this launch alongside Deeproot Pinball’s own social media team. Unfortunately, what this revealed was that the RAZA game and the platform on which it is built were a long way from being ready to be reveal, suffering reliability and design issues along with a number of unfinished or incomplete elements which would badly scupper RAZA’s first public showing. Source

After announcing their launch date things were going smoothly until just days before the launch they have delayed the launch for the 3rd time. Here is there statement

Latest Update

On Saturday 21st November, Deeproot Pinball placed two prototype models of their upcoming Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (RAZA) game in the What’s Brewing coffee shop in San Antonio for guests to play.

They posted this on their facebook

“Deeproot Pinball will have the Arcade and Xtra editions of Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland at

What’s Brewing?

(138 W Rhapsody Dr, San Antonio, TX 78216) tomorrow Saturday Nov. 21st from 6pm to 10pm and Sunday Nov. 22nd from Noon to 3pm. We are appreciative for What’s Brewing hosting us and providing a fun venue for the public to play RAZA! While RAZA will be on freeplay, we request you show your support for the arcade by playing one or more of the 30+ other pins while there or waiting in line.

What’s Brewing House Rules

——————————–

– Pinball entrance: Enter through right fence gate and park behind the building

– No more than 40 people are permitted in the arcade at one time

– Non-playing patrons may be asked to step out in case of capacity issues

– No food or drink inside

– A mask covering the nose and mouth is required at all times when inside

– Use of hand sanitizer is required, and the staff performs frequent wipe downs of play surfaces

– Cash or quarters only”

Photos

Old photo

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Hardest Pinball Game?

Andrew MacBain — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 04:37:14 +0000

After researching and playing pinball i’ve found one of the hardest pinball game, many of you would agree as well. Keep on reading to find out which game is this!

The Hardest Pinball Game

This is based solely on our opinion and we will be posting what you think of this game after as well.

Manufacturer	Williams
Release date	April 1993
System	Williams WPC (Fliptronics II)
Design	Barry Oursler, Mark Sprenger
Programming	Bill Pfutzenreuter
Artwork	Mark Sprenger
Music	Paul Heitsch
Mechanics	Zofia Bil
Production run	6,801

Have you guessed it? Its Bram Stoker’s Dracula!

The game was characterized by its unusual blood-red DMD display (most other games at the time used orange for their color) as well as a “Multi-Multi-Ball” mode, where up to three different multiball variations could be active at the same time, with each successive active mode providing a jackpot multiplier of up to 3x. It also featured a unique variation on the usual multiball mode known as “Mist Multiball,” where a magnet would drag a pinball across the playfield and the player would be required to knock it loose from the magnet’s grasp to start the mode. Source

This machine was designed by Barry Oursler for Williams in 1993. The machine was based on the 1992 movie of the same name and features many toys based on the movie. The primary challenge of the machine is to stack 3 multiballs (Castle, Coffin, & Mist), kill bats and rats, and earn big points in the process of doing so. Toys in the game include a revolutionary magnet that can throw the ball along a trail for Mist multiball, and two separate lock traps for “Castle” and “Coffin” multiballs.

Game Features:

Flippers (3), Pop bumpers (3), Upper mini-playfield, Left outlane kickback. Multiple ramps. “Whirlpool” funnel. Toys include an interactive BigFoot figure that needs to be distracted in order to let the ball come into his cave. Bigfoot turns and spins head for certain shots

Let us know which game you found the hardest? .

PINBALL ADVENTURES

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Pinball Space Cadet Windows Nostalgia

Andrew MacBain — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:30:58 +0000

Anyone else remember space cadets pinball on your old windows computer? Keep on reading to read peoples story and their nostalgia with this game!

If you don’t know what space cadets pinball is, it’s a pinball video game developed by Cinematronics and published by Maxis in 1995. It features pre-rendered 3D graphics and three tables—Space Cadet, Skulduggery, and Dragon’s Keep. Nostalgia is often triggered by something reminding you of a happier time. Whether it’s an old commercial or a book from your past, it belongs in /r/nostalgia. Here we can take pleasure in reminiscing about the good ol’ days… times we shared with loved ones, both humorous and sad.

Pinball Nostalgia : The Space Cadet Pinball table features the player as a member of a space fleet that completes missions to increase rank. Players can attain nine different ranks (listed from lowest to highest): Cadet, Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Commodore, Admiral, and Fleet Admiral. Players accept a mission by hitting “mission targets” which select which mission they will take, and by going up the “launch ramp”. Each mission has a set number of things for players to do, such as hitting the “attack bumpers” (which are a set of four bumpers at the top of the table) eight times (this is the “target practice” mission). Some missions involve a number of steps which must be completed in sequence. Missions end either by being completed, or by being aborted due to running out of “fuel”, as indicated by the lights in the passage that passes under the launch ramp. The “fuel” lights go out one by one at a time interval, and can be re-lit by having the ball go over them, or all at once by going up the launch ramp again. Upon completing a mission, some of the blue lights in a circle in the middle of the table turn on. When all of the lights in the blue circle turn on, the player’s rank increases, and a light in the orange circle turns on. I

Here are some of your stories on this game.

PINBALL NOSTALGIA

In my mid 20s I work working a job as a financial analyst that actually paid pretty well, but I hated the job and the company. A few months in I decided that I was moving across the country but needed a few months to save money. I no longer cared about the job, so there were days where I would literally play this for my entire 8 hour shift. I eventually had a Ron Livingston from Office Space moment where I was deep in an intense game and my boss came to my cubicle to talk to me about something. As we were talking, I kept my face on the screen and kept playing intensely while he spoke. A minute or two in, I gave him the old “I’m really busy, can we pick this up later?” And he said sure and walked away. He couldn’t see my screen from his position, but if he had taken 1-2 steps inside the cube to talk, he would have seen what I was doing. I was so proud of that moment.
So often I had played this while listening to XP’s sample song “Like Humans Do” on repeat in the early 2000’s. Such a nostalgic time. Always came in handy when the Internet was down or I wanted to procrastinate on homework.
This was the only entertainment when we would stay at my grandparent’s house. One time when I was about 11 I was playing a game of this and paused it to use the bathroom. When I got back my dad had started playing the game that I had paused. I was really mad and asked him what he was doing and he basically told me to buzz off.
I remember playing this game back in the day when the internet was not working, I would be so invested in this game ill still be playing it once the wifi is back up, I wish this game were still on the games section on computers

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pinball adventures Archives - Pinball Adventures

How To Properly Store Your Pinball Machine

Why Is It Important to Properly Store a Pinball Machine?

How to Properly Store a Pinball Machine

The Basement or Garage

Self-Storage

Clean Your Machine Before Storing

Don’t Wrap Your Pinball Machine

Conclusion

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Injection Molding DIY & Process

What Is Injection Molding?

What You Need for DIY Injection Molding

Clamping

Injection

Cooling

Ejection

Low production costs

Low scrap rates

Repeatable and consistent

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Process of Manufacturing A Pinball Machine

Curious about the process of making a pinball machine? Look no further, Pinball Adventures is here with some information

Process of Manufacturing A Pinball Machine

Design

Raw Materials

Process of Manufacturing A Pinball Machine

Pressuring the playfield

Screen printing

Hand assembly

Quality Control

PINBALL ADVENTURES

What Is CNC Machining?

What Is CNC Machining?

CNC MILL & CNC ROUTER: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

CNC Router

CNC Mill

Get To Grips With Software

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New Westminster Arcade Hosting Private Parties

New Westminster Arcade Hosting Private Parties

PINBALL ADVENTURES

3 Greatest Older Pinball Machines

3 Greatest Older Pinball Machines

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5 Pinball Games From The 90’s

5 Pinball Games From The 90’s

PINBALL ADVENTURES

New Led Zeppelin Pinball

Led Zeppellin

New Led Zeppelin Pinball

PINBALL ADVENTURES

5 Cool Pinball Art From The 80’s

We love pinball and appreciate a lot of things that go into making one, but one the best parts is the artwork. Keep on reading to find out what these 5 cool pinball art looks like!

5 Cool Pinball Art From The 80’s

Xenon (Bally, United States, 1980)

Medusa (Bally, United States, 1981)

Mars, God of War (Gottlieb, United States, 1981)

Eclipse (Gottlieb, United States, 1982)

Fathom (Bally, United States, 1980)

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Get Better At Pinball

Get Better At Pinball

Try This:

Know Your Machine

Learn the Basics

Practice Makes Perfect

5 Quick Tips

1. Think More Than One Move Ahead

2. Set Goals

3. Master the plunger

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

5. Every Machine is Different

PINBALL ADVENTURES

Our Favourite EM Games

Curious to find out what our favourite EM games are? Keep on reading

Our Favourite EM Games

PINBALL ADVENTURES

5 Vintage Pinball Machines Before The 70s

5 VINTAGE PINBALL MACHINES