I have wandered far and wide in the eastern Massachusetts area, and I have seen a truly wretched collection of machines in bars, pizza places, campuses of both "real" and "state" schools, and worst of all, arcades.
The news isn't good, from what i've seen. All of these places were noisy with the latest ninja-vidgame, or the various noises of busi- ness. Arcades seem to come in two flavors: noisy and cavernously dark, like Fun and Games in Framingham, or noisy and blindingly lit, with the light reflecting off the playfield glass directly into one's eyes, like the Teddy Bear arcade near the Park Plaza hotel in Boston (which has the added attraction of truly menacing patrons). Many treat patrons with an attitude approaching hostility.
The machines themselves, oh how I weep when I see the dead flippers, the blackened and weak playfield rubber-bands, the plunger spring broken or lame. Operators after the maximum buck tilt the tables high enough for me to keep an adjustable wrench in my backpack, so I can try to even things out a bit. Sometimes enough of a machine is malfunctioning to make it impossible to attain multiball, light specials, or even to score above a few thousand. And sometimes machines remain broken like this for weeks, for no apparent reason at all, unless perhaps the operators truly don't care, or feel it might be a revenue enhancement.
*I have a dream.* (apologies to Martin Luther King, jr.)
I dream that someday I will be able to rent out a storefront in Cambridge, near Harvard Square, and get the necessary permits from the City of Cambridge.
No ninja-games. No idiot ticket-redemption rube-fleecer games. I want to open a _PINBALL_ arcade.
Background music, fine, but not loud enough to be intrusive. Lighting indirect, and not bright enough to outshine the playfield lights.
And the games, oh the games... The most modern -- Funhouse, Bride of Pinbot, Dr. Dude... But even better, I want the *classics*. Who says that electro- mech games shouldn't be played anymore? Why do old machines languish in warehouses? What about all the grand electronic machines of the past? Would you pay a few quarters to find out what it's like to play an old woodrail game?
Fireball. Tic-tac-toe. Decatron. Riverboat. Bank Shot. Chicago. Embryon. Gypsy. Flash. Gorgar. Xenon. Airborne Avenger, with the score displays down by the left flipper button. Firepower I and II. Black Knight and Black Knight 2000. Wild West. Flying Ace. Daytona 500. Seawitch. Space Invaders. Mercury. Old, new, E-M, electronic, E-M with manual ball lift, woodrail, add-a-ball, wide-table, multilevel. I want them *all*. (enough to be able to rotate games in or out from a warehouse, depending on my whim of the week... :)
I would be the antithesis of most of the local operators: how many times have you wished that the people who brought you the machine that you're playing on actually CARED about the machines, how the pins play, whether the jet bumpers are all working, whether the volume is too soft, whether all the lights are working, and the flippers *alive*.
Games that pay off, in free games, and in extra balls, are the games that get played more. My favorite sound in all pinball, the loud *thwack* by the right flipper button when a special is scored, means that maybe when the wizard on the table finishes his game, others might have a chance, too.
And I imagine hosting an annual Wizards' Open Tournament -- a small entrance fee, and the chance to win your OWN machine.
I suppose I'd have to include a video game or two, but only the greatest games of all time...(Stargate/Defender, I Robot, Marble Madness, Battlezone, and the like...)
Now if only I had the startup dough for the real-estate, permits, machines, back-room repair shop, etc...
In article <1991Mar15.163451.17...@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> joelll@.ai.mit.edu (Joel Herda) writes:
I would be the antithesis of most of the local operators: how many times have you wished that the people who brought you the machine that you're playing on actually CARED about the machines, how the pins play, whether the jet bumpers are all working, whether the volume is too soft, whether all the lights are working, and the flippers *alive*.
And I imagine hosting an annual Wizards' Open Tournament -- a small entrance fee, and the chance to win your OWN machine.
Now if only I had the startup dough for the real-estate, permits, machines, back-room repair shop, etc...
But it is a wonderful dream. :-)
It's not a dream where I live. Looks like it's about time for my monthly plug for the Broadway Arcade in New York City. :-)
With a few exceptions -- it doesn't have many old games of any kind, being a little too small these days to have the luxury; no replays, 'cause it's against NYC law -- you've just given a good description of Broadway. Truly a player's arcade, a place that gets all the new games first and takes care of them. When it doesn't, they're all too happy to have you point out problems.
And they do better than an annual Wizard's Open -- they have league nights. I wish I had time to join... :-(
I realize that this doesn't help you much at MIT, but if you're ever in NYC, you should make it a point to drop by. They're on Broadway, right off 52nd street.
OK, end of plug. I don't have anything to do with them, except for virtually having grown up in the place. Plus, I'll be there tomorrow morning at 8:00 -- just me and FUNHOUSE and CAR HOP and ....
-- Steve Baumgarten | "New York... when civilization falls apart, Davis Polk & Wardwell | remember, we were way ahead of you." baumg...@esquire.dpw.com | cmcl2!esquire!baumgart | - David Letterman
> I would be the antithesis of most of the local operators: how many times > have you wished that the people who brought you the machine that you're > playing on actually CARED about the machines, how the pins play, whether > the jet bumpers are all working, whether the volume is too soft, whether > all the lights are working, and the flippers *alive*.
> Now if only I had the startup dough for the real-estate, permits, machines, > back-room repair shop, etc...
> But it is a wonderful dream. :-)
>It's not a dream where I live. Looks like it's about time for my >monthly plug for the Broadway Arcade in New York City. :-)
Okay, I've been listening in on the news group for awhile, but Joel finally struck a nerve. I'm not a pinball fanatic. (That means I won't fill my family room with lots of pinball machines.)
On the other hand, I used to love video games until the ninja rambos took over. So I found a 7-Eleven which had The Comet (?) and now has Whirlwind. I now really enjoy playing pins. (Did I say that right?)
The problem is where to play them. The Whirlwind is located 30 minutes from home, near a customer I rarely have to visit. And I don't know where there are any other *decent* places to play. (Horrors- I've never seen a Funhouse, much less played it!)
The $64 question: Where are there pins to play near Fremont, Ca? (Actually, anywhere between Fremont, North San Jose and Palo Alto.) I don't mind bars but I'm really tired of the kiddie crowd.
The $64,000 question: Where are the *best* places to play in the US? We're not talking about run-of-the-mill or a cut-above. We're talking about in a class by themselves. Those that Joel could live in.
The $64,000 question, part b: What makes those places so good? If you don't know of a qualifying arcade, what would you do to create a dream arcade. Come on, let's turn Joel's dream into a fantasy. Someone may build it!
I'd appreciate the $64 answers via email but the other answers might prove interesting news reading.
{Craig R. Saunders} {...@Altos.COM} {These are my opinions only.}
> The $64,000 question: Where are the *best* places to play in the US? We're > not talking about run-of-the-mill or a cut-above. We're talking about in > a class by themselves. Those that Joel could live in.
> The $64,000 question, part b: What makes those places so good? If you > don't know of a qualifying arcade, what would you do to create a dream > arcade. Come on, let's turn Joel's dream into a fantasy. Someone may > build it!
Boy, that's a good question. I'm sure everybody has their favorite place to play. When I was younger, there were two or three very good arcades in Ann Arbor that were in houses. Each room had a couple pins and a vid or two, sometimes a foosball table. It was oddly homey and comfortable to stand around a parlor or bedroom and shoot pins. Alas, last time I was there I couldn't find them any more.
Student Unions often provide top-notch machines, but boy do they get a lot of play. Good repair contracts will help here. Cal Berkeley Union has a good assortment of machines in reasonably good repair. The Texas Union (Austin) has a handful of pins, and there's an arcade right across the street (Le Fun) that also has (or at least, had) most of the current crop. The Univ. of Illinois seems to do pretty well with pins, and there is an arcade a couple blocks away from it (Spaceport?) that's pretty good.
part b: Good things.
1) Variety/assortment. I like most of the new machines, but I also like the classics. Even some of the weird classics. Paragon. Gorgar. Eight Ball. Evel Knievel. King Kool. A good place should have the best of the new and some of the old classics, too.
2) Repair. All machines should be in good shape. Clean glass and playfield, good spring on, uh, what are those little catapults called? and the pop bumpers. GOOD STRONG FLIPPERS. Especially on multiple-level flipper machines; that upper flipper HAS to work if you're going to win.
3) Lighting. I like it pretty bright, but not with spots that reflect off the glass, obscuring the playfield. Diffuse indirect fluorescent lighting seems to work best.
4) Ambience. No smoking. I can certainly live without food or drink, too, but so long as the machines stay clean, I don't care either way. Actually, I like to have a cup of coffee nearby while I play...no thunderous obnoxious top-40 music. Or thunderous "classic rock", or thunderous ANYTHING. Music should be virtually subliminal. And, sigh, I guess I'd rather not have screaming kids running around, leaning on my flipper finger and peering over the glass, informing me that "HEY, MISTER, YOU MISSED THAT TARGET! HEY, WHAT DOES 'EXTRA BALL' MEAN? CAN I HAVE A QUARTER? CAN I PLAY YOUR NEXT BALL?" I suppose it's too much to ask that such children be taken out and shot, but I too have a dream...
I'm sure there are other factors that I've just forgotten about. Let's hear 'em!
Josh Hayes, Zoology, Miami of Ohio jaha...@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
I have found that about the best place to play pin is in the Columbia, Missouri region (my old home town)-- if you know where to go, there are a lot of good pins in good shape.
The places: - Gunther's Games: Normally the machines here are in really good shape, though not perfect. Dark place, but enough light to not be annoyingly dark. Prices are the standard 1/.50 - 3/1.00. The operators are usually very responsive to suggestions and problems. Tilt sensitivity is usually a bit high for real physical play, but not too bad. - Pocket Change (Columbia Mall Arade): Usually have five new Williams/Bally machines in top condition. Tilt sensitivity is very reasonable and maintenance is EXCELLENT. Standard pricing. The general crowd is often annoyingly immature, but generally stay out of the way of anyone who looks serious-- besides, they mostly stay away from teh pins... Due to the lack of skill of most of the patronage, the free game score is often relatively low. - Heidelburg bar: usually two games; more often than not Williams or Bally (they went through a data east phase, but got rid of them because of complaints). Maintenance is excellent, and it is a nice bar to play in anyway.
For older games, it is less than an hour and half drive to the Lake of the Ozarks-- hit the strip in 'HillBilly Towne' and there are four or five arcades w/collections of old machines... lots of vintage vids as well. Maintenance generally sucks, but it is the only place I have seen w/huge (like 100s) of old games that even work.
In columbia, there are also a lot of other pins in random places around town. Another place to play is Missouri Amusements-- the maintenance isn't great but the selection is weird.
b.bum
b.bumgarner | Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own. wb...@andrew.cmu.edu | I officially don't represent anyone unless I NeXT Campus Consultant | explicity say I am doing so. So there. <Thpppt!> "I ride tandem with the random/Things don't run the way I planned them.."
BTW: I will be in Columbia all of next week-- if anyone in the vicinity cares to go on a pin tour, send some mail.
b.bumgarner | Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own. wb...@andrew.cmu.edu | I officially don't represent anyone unless I NeXT Campus Consultant | explicity say I am doing so. So there. <Thpppt!> "I ride tandem with the random/Things don't run the way I planned them.."
In article <4317.27e5e...@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> jaha...@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes:
... When I was younger, there were two or three very good arcades in Ann Arbor that were in houses. Each room had a couple pins and a vid or two, sometimes a foosball table. It was oddly homey and comfortable to stand around a parlor or bedroom and shoot pins. Alas, last time I was there I couldn't find them any more.
the past (and current) state of ann arbor pinball...
there used to be mickey rat's (on william), now replaced with a pinball pete's in the same place. upstairs, grungy floor, currently has 6 or 7 pins in good condition. current selection includes whirlwind, fire, earthshaker, pinbot, rollergames, simpsons. pinball pete knocked down a lot of walls to put in more machines.
another pinball pete's on south u., this in an old house; used to be called something else. 5 or 6 pins also in good condition though some of the places they put them have non-level floors (so it seems). includes diner, elvira, another whirlwind, another simpsons, taxi. i think pete knocked down some walls here too.
in the vid craze of the early 80's, a lot of arcades sprung up. among them were "focus" and "double focus". well focus closed but double focus lives on, corner state & packard. 4 or 5 pins in sort of creaky shape, not really worth a visit. uses tokens (not quarters) which increases the minimum investment.
used to be pins in a real grungy part of the michigan union, in the basement upstairs from the bowling alley. the bowling alley is now a computer center and the pin room is replaced by a suburbanized sort of mall thing with travel agents, a ripoff bookstore, greasy quasi-dorm food. the arcade has perhaps two pins, usually in medium bad shape. crowded, brightly lit, big screen tv, movie rentals. bleah.
detroit metro airport has a few pins, old electromechs in really abysmally horribly bad condition. like a gorgar with flippers so weak you can't get to the top of the playfield, sigh. i would gladly pay 50/75/$1 for gorgar if the machine was in top condition.
by the way, pinball pete is memorialized on the elvira pin (look at the stack of pizzas on the right hand side by the plunger).
-- Msen Edward Vielmetti /|--- moderator, comp.archives e...@msen.com
wb...@andrew.cmu.edu (William M. Bumgarner) writes:
> For older games, it is less than an hour and half drive to the Lake of >the Ozarks-- hit the strip in 'HillBilly Towne' and there are four or >five arcades w/collections of old machines... lots of vintage vids as >well. Maintenance generally sucks, but it is the only place I have seen >w/huge (like 100s) of old games that even work.
I've been there!!! There is an arcade on the west end of the strip called the 'Rebel Arcade' that has TONS of old electro-mech pins, as well as some old moldy vids as well. It's the last known place I've seen Food Fight in a long time... There is another huge one with lots of old vids, as well as some strange counterfeit vids that are interesting to look at. The arcade with the old pins gives you something like 5 games/quarter if I remember well...
-- Louis Koziarz University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign * kozi...@uiuc.edu We _love_ the NCAA, really! * * * * * * * * *
I've been out of touch with "modern" machines, so I don't even know where to go any more. I fell behind when multi-level machines came in style. The higher prices and shorter play time discouraged me. I'd like to get up to speed on modern multi-level machines. The discussions here have convinced me that the many of the new machines are worth playing. I'm even toying with the idea buying a BK2K just because of all of the positive comments.
A couple other sources for pinballing pleasure: the PuttPutt on Washtenaw. Quite a few pinball machines generally of the multilevel, multiball variety. Another place I particularly like because they don't wax the fields and put the games on a severe angle is the pinball arcade in the Westland mall. Well maintained games usually the latest and greatest, plus a rotating cast of older games such as Fireball, Flash, Gorgar, Black Knight, etc.
For all you older video game fans, there was an article in one of the pinball and video games mags about a museum show that is making the rounds with all the old favorites. Some of the exhibits include the original Pong, Death Race 2000, Galaga, Space Wars, Space Invaders, Centipede, and Defender. Look for the show to be in Detroit around this time next year at the Detroit Institute of Arts. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-= John I. Hritz Photons have mass?! j...@ox.com I didn't know they 313-930-9126 were catholic!
Never saw the original posting here, odd. Anyway, some of us are so addicted that we actually go out and BUY machines (I have Odds `N Evens sitting in my garage right now). Several years ago, I stopped in at a wonderful place on Michigan Ave in Dearborn. Forget the name but they sold used coin-operated everything (juke boxes, pinball machines, video machines, bowling alleys) as well as a lot of other large, mechanical neat stuff. Don't know if they are still around but it was a great place to visit (plus good for spare parts).
/\/\ \/\/ -- Michael R. Wayne --- TMC & Associates --- wa...@teemc.tmc.mi.org Operator of the only 240 Horsepower UNIX machine in Michigan
In article <215...@teemc.UUCP> wa...@teemc.UUCP (Michael R. Wayne) writes:
> Never saw the original posting here, odd. Anyway, some of us are >so addicted that we actually go out and BUY machines (I have Odds `N Evens >sitting in my garage right now). Several years ago, I stopped in at a >wonderful place on Michigan Ave in Dearborn. Forget the name but they >sold used coin-operated everything (juke boxes, pinball machines, video >machines, bowling alleys) as well as a lot of other large, mechanical >neat stuff. Don't know if they are still around but it was a great place >to visit (plus good for spare parts).
There is a place in Warren where they hold regularly-scheduled auctions of pinball machines and video games. It is fun to go there, but there are a lot of professional dealers that go there and snap up all the good stuff.
|
