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Operation Switch: Arcade1Up Pinball Mod

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Performing essential surgery on our Arcade1Up Pinball machine

The Arcade1Up Pinball machines have recently received a new lease of life with community enhancements, like Team Encoder’s brilliant A1Pinner software, which allowed owners of these machines to install other Arcade1Up pinball packs (Marvel, Star Wars and Williams) and the Pinball Arcade and Zen Pinball applications (Android versions) with their plethora of pinball tables. Team Encoder went as far as creating a custom launcher and the ability to change the display to 1080p, which was a bit of a hit or miss due to the limited hardware spec inside these pinball machines.

We came across IntecGaming’s Nintendo Switch DIY Pinball kit about a year ago and have been eagerly awaiting its release. Once IntecGaming had this kit up for pre-order, we immediately jumped on it. The improvement is great value with this low cost kit, and of course, playing video games, especially the pinball (and shoot’em ups) variety in 1080p is exactly what this machine should have had from the start.

The IntecGaming Switch DIY Pinball kit is a physical modification to the Arcade1Up Pinball Machine, so we had to get our hand dirty so to speak. With no soldering required, this was as easy as unplugging the old and replacing them with the new! Of course the control panel with its ball-top joystick provides the arcade experience we were missing when playing Switch games.

Without further ado, here are the steps (with photos) that we took to operate and modify our A1Up Attack From Mars pinball machine:

Time to commence Operation Switch!

Unboxing the contents of the IntecGaming Switch DIY Pinball Kit: We need to replace 3 boards (marked A, B and C)

One last look at the machine before we start operating

Popping the hood

Popping the rear to get to the smaller (DMD) screen

Following the instructions to unplug the controller wiring from the old board and connect them to the new (A) board

Board A attached and controller connectors rerouted to plug into the new board

Next, is the sound and solenoid driver board (board B)

Second board is totally removed from the A1Up and replaced by IntecGaming’s Board B

The metal casing is replaced with a breathable plastic cover for Board B

The main board hiding in its metal casing attached to the LCD

Last of the board updates – replace the main board with IntecGaming’s Board C

The original main board is unplugged

Got to follow the instructions carefully here, as any wrong move will render the machine an expensive doorstop!

Wiring up the replacement main board (Board C) and putting it back in the casing. Having two HDMI out ports is a godsend!

With the boards replaced and connections all plugged in, it’s the control panel that the last thing to add 

The new replacement lockdown bar is beefier than the original!

All modifications completed!

Instructions to sync the control panel and kit to the Switch

The plastic stand is perfect to keep the Switch and dock tucked away

Switch is docked, 3.5mm sound jack & HDMI are plugged in too

Success! All powered up and ready to go! The DMD LCD acts as our selection screen

First game we boot up, Zen’s Pinball FX 3!

Going to put the original boards & other parts in a safe place



Zax Amusements Is Now At A Bigger & Better Location

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Looks like 2023 is the start of new beginnings!

Our friends at Zax Amusements have relocated from their Port Melbourne location to a much bigger warehouse, service centre and showroom at 1661 Centre Road, Springvale, a south-eastern Melbourne suburb.

We will miss the old Port Melbourne location as it was convenient for us, however, the bigger showroom is a drawcard for us to visit Zax Amusements in Springvale to check out the latest arcade and pinball machines.

image source: Zax Amusements



The Flipside Barcade: Adelaide’s Cool New Pinball Bar

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If you are visiting Adelaide (or live in the great state of South Australia), then checking out The Flipside Barcade in Daw Park (about 7km south of the Adelaide CBD) should be at the top of your “must check out” list!

Infused with an American-style menu, craft beers to quench your hard-earned thirst and nostalgia inducing arcade and pinball machines, The Flipside Barcade is the hottest destination in the Festival State! The mix of food, drinks and amusement action is exactly what the doctor ordered. Oh yeah, if you are feeling competitive, then Flipside has plenty of pinball and arcade gaming tournaments on offer!

The important details:

  • Venue: The Flipside Barcade
  • Address: 538 Goodwood Road, Daw Park South Australia 5041

image source: The Flipside Barcade



Scooby-Doo Pinball Is Revealed

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The Best Pinball Company in Benton, Wisconsin – Spooky Pinball has dropped the official reveal trailer of their latest pinball machine, Scooby-Doo!

There will be three models available, with the Collector’s Edition being the most expensive (US$9,769) and limited to 1969 machines, followed by the Blood Sucker Edition (US$8,769) and finally, the Standard Edition (US$7,769).

Sales for all three editions will open on December 9, at 10:00am Central Standard Time (CST) – so set your alarms in Australia, as that makes it very early morning on Saturday!


source: Spooky Pinball via YouTube

The reveal trailer only shows the Collector’s Edition, which looks great and captures the campy theme perfectly. Of course we will reserve judgement on the game play, but we are excited about this title! The upper playfield in the top left seems to take up a lot of real estate, but the left hockey stick flipper looks cool to whack the silverball around. From the below photo, it seems that the Blood Sucker and Standard Editions look a bit lackluster in the art package, but again, you don’t play the art package, it’s all about what is under the glass!

According to Spooky Pinball,

This will be a widebody game based around solving original series mysteries, collecting Scooby snacks, and having the ultimate Scooby Pinball Experience!! Featuring the iconic Voice Actors Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Kate Micucci, and Grey Griffin. Let’s hop in the Mystery Machine and find some clues!

With tons of general and gameplay features (see below), including talented voice-overs, these machines will no doubt sell quickly!

Our pick would be the Collector’s Edition – it’s gorgeous!

image source: Spooky Pinball (various social media)



Get the Stern Experience at the Pinball Hall Of Fame

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Vegas Baby! If you ever needed another reason to visit Las Vegas, then Stern Pinball Inc. has you covered!

The new Stern Experience at the famous Pinball Hall Of Fame (we visited the old Pinball Hall Of Fame in 2015) will showcase all the hottest and latest Stern pinball machines featuring the award-winning Insider Connected platform! The Stern Experience will offer players brand new high score leaderboards to compete on, the ability to earn exclusive achievement badges, and participate in exclusive Stern events and tournaments only available in this one-of-a-kind interactive exhibit.

Don’t forget, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!


source: Stern Pinball



Modding Our Arcade1Up Pinball With IntecGaming’s Nintendo Switch Panel

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There were a couple of things we were looking forward to this year, Stern Pinball’s Insider Connected Kit for our Star Wars pinball machine, and IntecGaming’s Nintendo Switch Panel for our Arcade1Up (virtual) pinball machine.

Well, it was almost 2 for 2 in 2022, however, our Stern Pinball Insider Connected kit was delivered incomplete – which means we will have to wait for the next boat to arrive down under.

On the flip side, the IntecGaming panel for our A1Up pinball machine arrived and we can’t wait to get it installed! Just in case you have no idea what this thing is or does, check out our previous post here.

We will write about our exploits of getting this mod installed, so stay tuned (and wish us luck)!



Lego Ideas: The Pinball Frame

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With the cost of living going through the roof, owning a pinball machine doesn’t have to cost you an arm, a leg and one of your kidneys.

To ensure you can keep your arm, leg and kidney, make sure you vote for this cool and fun Lego Ideas Pinball Frame submitted by Pandis Pandus.

The Pinball Frame is a creation consisting of a frame and an interchangeable playfield. The frame itself features a lot of components to make the pinball experience as fun and customizable as possible: Adjustable legs, foldable flippers, a ball box, and a spinning plunger. This pinball contains a total of 554 pieces, of which 134 are unique and 2 are printed.

Go on, let’s make this happen, vote here now!

image source: Lego Ideas



Nintendo Switch Arcade and Pinball DIY Kit for your Arcade1Up Pinball Machine

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Take your Arcade1Up Pinball Machine to another level!

Almost a year ago we were gushing over IntecGaming’s Nintendo Switch Arcade Control Panel for the Arcade1Up pinball machines. It was promised to be released in 2022, and it now looks like IntecGaming has kept that promise!

If you have an Arcade1Up Pinball machine (even if you have modded with the additional Zen Pinball games), this new DIY Kit will take your A1Up Pinball machine to another level! We don’t have firm specs yet, but from the few bits and pieces we have found in our research, this kit will let you play your Switch games on the vertical screen, complete with an arcade joystick and buttons control panel for that authentic arcade feel. Of course you will still be able to use the flipper buttons on the side of the cabinet for your pinball gaming fix! For the Switch games that aren’t vertical (TATE), they can still be played, albeit in a letterboxed view on the vertical screen. The DIY kit will require tinkering to get setup, but we reckon it will be totally worth it.

We are just excited to play all of our vertical games using this kit, especially our library of shoot’em ups and pinball games (hello The Pinball Arcade, Pinball FX 3 and Stern Pinball Arcade!). This will breath a new life into our Arcade1Up Pinball machine.

The pre-order period begins on Halloween (Oct 31st U.S. time), with a special price of US$119.99! Who is in? We most certainly are.

PS: If you want to see this kit in action, check out ToyKade’s review video now!

image source: IntecGaming



The Sonic Pinball Machine That Never Was!

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With all the deep fakes these days, it is hard to tell what is real and what isn’t.

We will never ever know why Sega didn’t capitalise on it’s Sonic franchise back in the 90s by releasing a pinball machine. If Nintendo’s Mario got two pinball machines made, then surely Sonic deserved at least one! But all is not lost, thanks to talented folks like Ryan McQuaid, with his homebrew Sonic Spinball creation being the closest we will ever get to a physical Sonic based pinball machine – albeit a one of a kind.

Then there are folks like Greg Miller, who got us all excited when we stumbled upon his Sonic Pinball Panic machine! Before we dug deeper, the trade magazine-like ad for Sonic Pinball Panic looked like the real deal, even down to the 90s aesthetic and slogans that were bandied around those days. We did get excited for a moment, but then realised we had never ever hear of this machine, even the prototype – could this be fake? Of course it was fake, and Greg Miller didn’t hide this fact – he even explains how he did it!

The renders look so real!

All isn’t lost though, as Greg did create Sonic Pinball Panic in digital form. So, for all those Sonic fans wanting their pinball fix with their favourite speedy blue hedgehog, head on over to Greg’s site and grab the game for your Windows PC or Mac right now!

story and image source: Sonic Pinball Panic



Pinball Expo 2022 – The Homebrew Pinball Machines

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If you are into pinball and were in Chicago this past weekend, you would’ve no doubt attended Pinball Expo!

Being one of the larger pinball events in the world, among the many things to see, do and play is the homebrew section. The homebrew machines are so good these days that it could lead to a pinball designer gig at one of the many pinball manufacturers in North America – just ask Ryan McQuaid (Sonic Spinball) and Mark Seiden (Metroid Pinball), both are now pinball designers at American Pinball and Jersey Jack Pinball respectively!

For Pinball Expo 2022 there were quite a few eye popping and amazing homebrew pinball machines designed and built by enthusiasts that we just had to share with you all. Licensing notwithstanding, do you see any you would like being mass produced? We love the look of Elf, Pokemon and League of Legends!

image source: Pinball Expo via Facebook