pinball machine

Pinball Brothers Will Rock You With The New Queen Pinball Machine

July 22, 2022 By ausretrogamer

QUEEN & PINBALL BROTHERS ANNOUNCES NEW PINBALL MACHINE:

QUEEN – LIVE IN CONCERT!

With over 300 million albums sold worldwide, the iconic British rock band Queen are one of the biggest bands ever. Formed in London in 1971, Queen have released 15 studio albums, toured extensively, and produced innovative film, video and theatre shows for over 5 decades and they continue to pull in the crowds around the world.

The time has now come to honour this legendary band with a pinball machine based on their truly spell-binding songs – all played LIVE!

The game will be available in two different editions: Champions Edition and Rhapsody Edition. The Rhapsody Edition is limited to a run of 1,000 numbered games and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The limited Rhapsody Edition will come with a number of unique add-ons and the two editions will be different in appearance – see pics below!

Pinball Brothers have worked closely with the band to ensure their approval, which features the following live songs:

A Kind Of Magic,
Another One Bites The Dust,
Bohemian Rhapsody,
Hammer To Fall,
I Want To Break Free,
Killer Queen,
One Vision,
Play The Game,
Radio Ga Ga,
Seven Seas Of Rhye,
Somebody To Love,
We Will Rock You,
We Are The Champions; and
Who Wants To Live Forever

Game Features

The game features 14 live songs accompanied by call outs by the band, exclusively recorded for the game. Featured also is Brian May’s legendary Red Special guitar, in the shape of an upper playfield where you can lock balls to start the Red Special multiball. Or you can visit the epic Wembley Stadium to lock balls to start yet another of the game’s many multiballs.

Keep an eye on the Radio – it might help you time your flips! Collect autographs, instruments, band members, tour passes and posters on your way to eventually reaching the final wizard mode »I Want it All!«

The game is presented with an awesome full RGB light show and a Hi-Fidelity sound system, including an 8” bass speaker. It is hard to imagine a better way of experiencing Queen live, whether it be at the club or in your own living room. It is truly immersive! This machine will truly rock you!!!

Pricing and Availability

Champions Edition (Orange artwork)* 9,295 USD
Rhapsody Limited Edition (Golden artwork)^ 10,995 USD

* The Champions Edition will become available in Q1 2023.
^The Rhapsody Edition is limited to 1000 units and will be available through Pinball Brothers’ global distributors.

The new Queen pinball machines can be pre-ordered via your local distributor right now! For Australian folks keen on these machines, please contact Mr. Pinball Australia.

Follow all things Queen Pinball on the dedicated Queen.Pinball Instagram page!

How To Afford A Real Pinball Machine In Your Home

July 4, 2022 By ausretrogamer

Pinball has been around for a long long time. As an iconic cultural phenomenon, pinball has had more golden ages than we can count! It just so happens that it finds itself again in the middle of another golden age era.

With popularity at an all-time high, it seems pinball has attracted players from all walks of life, age and gender. The by-product of this popularity is that affording a pinball machine in your home right now may seem like an out of reach possibility, however, we are here to tell you that there may be a way!

Of course you can go and play pinball at a location near you (which you should, if you are able to), but if you are like us, you’d want to have a pinball machine in your home, ready to be played whenever you get the urge to belt the silverball around the playfield.

New or Old Pinball Machines: Profit or Break-even

The cost of ownership is quite steep, with new pinball machines fetching well above the AU$10K mark these days. The second-hand market isn’t much better, with popular old titles costing way more than new machines – it’s crazy times! There was a time in the early 2000s when you could pick up machines for the same price it costs to buy a PS5 now, but those days are long gone. You can still find cheap machines, but you’ll have to be prepared to look long and hard (and possibly travel interstate) and spend a lot of time and more money in getting it to a working and playable state.

If you have the means to be able to purchase a new or second-hand pinball machine, we are here to tell you that this investment will pay itself in spades, not just in fun times (which is priceless!), but when it comes to moving the machine on to replace it with another one, you’d expect to make a tidy profit or at worse, break-even. There are caveats though, if you abuse your machine and don’t take good care of it, then of course you won’t get top dollar. From our own experience, we have never lost on a sale of one of our machines, which means we haven’t needed to dip into our savings or redraw from the home loan to afford the next pinball that catches our eye. Since machines seem to go up in price (there has been no price correction in over a decade!), what may seem expensive right now, could look like a bargain in a year or two. Again, the initial outlay is quite high, so only jump in if your finances allow it.

Swapping

If you already own a pinball machine(s) at home that you don’t want to offload it to afford another one, then swapping is an option that many pinball owners get into to get their fix. There are many pinball based social media groups and forums that have swapping available, so if you want to swap your Stern Spider-Man for another title, this is the best way to go! Like with any swap, it’s best done with others that you may know or who have a reputable standing in the community that are local to your area.

Rent A Pinball Machine

You read that right! If you don’t have a machine to swap or you can’t justify outlaying AU$10K+ for one, then there is another way to enjoy pinball in your home – rent one (or more)! The global pandemic had a huge impact on location pinball, so some operators, like Ryan from Melbourne Pinball Hire, got creative by offering their extensive range of pinball machines for rent. The rent process is pretty straight forward – you find the machine you want, contact the operator, pay for the month’s rent and then wait for the machine to be delivered and setup for you. All you have to do then is enjoy playing the machine without any other worry! The longer your rental agreement (like a multi-month rental), the better the price.

Once again, there are plenty of pinball operators out there that offer their machines for rent, so hit the pinball social media groups to find the nearest one, or if you are in Victoria, then Melbourne Pinball Hire has a great collection of pins to choose from between AU$375 – AU$500 per month!

JJP’s Guns N Roses machine rental from Melbourne Pinball Hire

image source: Melbourne Pinball Hire

DISCLAIMER: We are not a financial advisor. None of the information provided in this article should be considered as financial advice. This feature is strictly informational/educational.

JAWS Pinball – You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat!

June 27, 2022 By ausretrogamer

There is one theme that has been asked for by pinheads ever since we can remember – a JAWS-themed pinball machine!

We stumbled upon this post on Facebook that Jake Danzig shared from the Pintastic New England event) on the Strictly Custom Pinball Machines! group which totally blew our mind! The pinball homebrew scene has been growing at a rapid rate these past 5 or so years, with amazing creations either from scratch or rethemes of old machines. There are a lot of highly skilled pinball homebrew builders out there. This amazing homebrew JAWS pinball machine looks like a Dino Gaspari (shipmypinball.com / pinballdepot.ca) creation, but we’ll need to confirm this!

source: No Quarters Arcade

This JAWS pinball (retheme of an old machine – anyone recognise the donor machine?) is simply stunning with its meticulous and eye catching cabinet, playfield, lockdown bar, legs and backboard artwork – we just can’t stop staring at it! By listening to the sound in the above video, it would seem the theme’s immersion is complete! If we do stumble upon a video of the machine being played, rest assured we’ll update this post.

The JAWS licence may be difficult to obtain, but if a pinball manufacturer can miraculously pull it off, they will definitely make bank!

image source: Jake Danzig via Facebook

Feel the Buzz with JJP’s Toy Story 4 Pinball!

June 15, 2022 By ausretrogamer

There is nothing like the buzz of a new pinball machine being announced. Did you see what we did there? No? Ah, never mind.

After what has been one of the worst kept secrets in pinball (but very highly anticipated), Jersey Jack Pinball has announced their latest pinball machine, Toy Story 4!

Designed by the one and only Pat Lawlor (celebrated designer of the best selling pinball machine of all time, The Addams Family), Toy Story 4 from Jersey Jack Pinball will be released in two model options, the Limited Edition and Collector’s Edition.

For the Toy Story fans out there, this is the world under glass that will bring the magic of Toy Story like never before, playing pinball with Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and more of your favourite toys as they come to life in this new pinball adventure.

Longer video (26 Minute) going through all the features

Source: Jersey Jack Pinball

All your fave character voices are in this game, from Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Bo Peep, to Duke Caboom and many more! Custom call outs from Buzz and Woody, coupled with the original soundtrack that includes a special rendition of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, completes the Toy Story immersion.

Some of the cool features and toys include sending the silver-ball flying off the Duke Caboom jump ramp — just don’t let the Bensons block your shot! Blast into the jet bumpers to collect a super jackpot in Buzz Multiball, and aim for the stand-up targets to light Rescue Forky. Hurry up and bash Gabby Gabby into a pinball frenzy on the way to scoring Grand Champion. Take a chance on the spinning wheel to earn different awards like Extra Ball, Tiki Party, Super Loops and more! Start interactive carnival games like Star Adventurer, Dragon Zone, Squirrel Derby, and Flipball on the 10-inch playfield frame display, and don’t forget to smile for the camera – a special high-tech digital photo booth feature that takes pictures while you play!

Oh yeah, the Toy Story 4 pinball machines come fully equipped with Bluetooth audio for wireless listening and Wi-Fi connectivity for seamless over-the-air software updates. Scorbit, a competitive pinball platform and social network, is also included in the package.

So that’s it, that is the buzz, folks!

Cost:

Toy Story 4 Limited Edition US$12,000 / AU$18,000**
Toy Story 4 Collector’s Edition US$15,000 / AU$20,000** (Limited to 1,000 units – already sold out!)

** Australian prices and availability for TS4 CE and LE are not confirmed at this point in time. This post will be updated once the AU$ price and availability are confirmed.

Toy Story 4 Collector’s Edition

Toy Story 4 Limited Edition

image source: Jersey Jack Pinball

History of The Addams Family Pinball Machine

June 3, 2022 By ausretrogamer

Ask anyone that played pinball in the early 1990s to name their favourite machine, we reckon The Addams Family will be right at the top of the list.

Without a doubt, The Addams Family pinball machine is one of the greatest machines of all time. Not only was it the best-selling solid state pinball machine of all time (selling over 20,000 units worldwide) TAF, as it is affectionately known, is still beloved by many and enjoyed some 30+ years after its release. This Pat Lawlor and Larry DeMar designed pinball machine is an absolute masterpiece.

Enjoy this cool history about The Addams Family pinball machine!

source: Kevin Carrington

Mark Seiden’s Amazing Metroid Pinball Machine

October 15, 2021 By ausretrogamer

A week is a long time in pinball! When we got in touch with Mark Seiden (aka: TheArrrrrcade) last week to chat about his impressive homemade Metroid Pinball machine, he was just an amazingly humble and talented homebrew pinball designer. A week later, Mark was announced as Jersey Jack Pinball’s newest pinball designer, rubbing shoulders with industry legends (and now teammates) Steve Ritchie, Pat Lawlor and Eric Meunier! Prior to finding out this news, we had asked Mark if he had aspirations to become a pinball designer, so this was great news indeed and very well deserved. If his Metroid Pinball is anything to go by, then watch out for Mark’s creations at Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP)!

Before all this JJP news, it was Mark’s homebrew pinball machine that caught our attention. Based on Nintendo’s iconic Metroid franchise, Mark’s pinball machine has been able to capture Samus Aran’s world all under glass, with a whole lot of bells and whistles to immerse the player in the theme. Tackling a monumental project like a homemade Metroid Pinball machine is no easy feat. The immense number of skills and disciplines required to create a pinball machine is just mind-blowing, so it is quite staggering to think what Mark has been able to achieve on his own – no wonder his talents caught the eye of a major pinball manufacturer.

The Jersey Jack Pinball design team: [L-R]: Steve Ritchie, Pat Lawlor, Eric Meunier and Mark Seiden
image source: TheArrrrrcade on Twitter

We sat down and had a chat with Mark about how he got into pinball, what led him to start creating his own pinball machine and all the ups and downs associated with such a monumental project. Put down Metroid Dread for now and let’s meet Mark Seiden!

Ausretrogamer: Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into pinball?
Mark Seiden (MWS): In the 90s I was more of a Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter kid. Pinball was there in the background and I would occasionally play but that wasn’t why I was hanging out in the arcade. It wasn’t until the early 2000s when I started seeing my wife that I started getting into pinball. We were at Dave and Busters, back when they still HAD pinball, and we spent the entire evening playing Star Wars Episode 1. We decided then that someday we should buy a pinball machine.

Unfortunately we didn’t have space at the time because we were living in a small condo. We moved a couple of times and finally we had much more space. So we decided to buy a game. We checked out a bunch and decided we wanted Doctor Who since we were both fans of the series. We bought it from an online retailer, supposedly shopped and working. When it arrived it was obviously anything but that. After hounding the seller they finally sent out someone to fix it. He was a local repair guy who was excellent about actually teaching me what he was fixing.

In another year we bought our second game, and the next year we bought our first new in box game, a Wizard of Oz. I was getting better at repairing and even working on friend’s games occasionally. Then after a while I decided that I would take on the challenge of designing and building my own game.

ARG: When did you get the idea to build your own pinball machine and how did you choose Metroid as the theme?
MWS: In 2015 I made up my mind to make a homebrew after watching a homebrew panel at Pintastic New England. The next year I purchased a half-populated, filthy, Data East Jurassic Park playfield. My brother joined me for a bit while I was stripping it for parts. He looked at what remained of the dinosaur mech and said “You should make a Metroid game. That thing could be Kraid!” I didn’t end up using that mech because it was missing too many parts, but the theme stuck.

ARG: Where does one even begin with building their own pinball machine – it seems such a daunting project – did you have any prior experience in building a pinball machine?
MWS: You start with a drill, a piece of wood, and a pinball controller such as Fast Pinball (what I chose) or P3-ROC. Of course you’ll need a few mechs such as flippers and slingshots. For software you can use the Mission Pinball Framework. Some people start off making their game virtually using Visual Pinball.

I didn’t have any prior experience building games but you do need a basic understanding of how to wire a switch or coil.

ARG: How long have you been working on this one of a kind machine?
MWS: I started in 2016. Since 2019 the majority of my time has been writing code.

ARG: How far off are you from completing Metroid pinball?
MWS: Really, will it ever be done? And since I was just hired as a game designer at Jersey Jack Pinball, I don’t think I’ll have time to truly finish it. I will be working on a different license. My goal now is to finish and polish the game code.

ARG: What has been the most challenging part so far in building this Metroid pinball game?
MWS: Each individual thing in building a homebrew is fairly easy. It’s just that there are so many things that putting them all together is difficult. I’d say for myself the thing I’ve struggled with is welding. Other people might say coding or wiring. There are many skills needed to build a game.

ARG: Do you have a favourite aspect (playfield toy, ramps, lighting, code etc) on this machine?
MWS: The things I like the most are the light shows, exploding bridge mech, and the Metroid ball dropper.

ARG: The backbox is quite intriguing, can you tell us more about its design?
MWS: The backbox uses an LCD screen in portrait orientation. I use it to dynamically change backbox art and display a virtual DMD. There are also 100 individually addressable RGB LEDs used in an infinity mirror, like an updated Xenon or Space Invaders. It’s also way too tall and I want to rebuild it. It was originally a Sega Showcase backbox. I put a speaker box on top which adds a lot of height. I also converted the front panel to accommodate the screen and lights.

ARG: For the techies out there, could you tell us what is under the hood that is driving this machine (controller boards, software etc)?
MWS: The pinball control system is Fast Pinball. The Fast controller also drives the backbox lights. There’s an Up Squared single board x86 compatible computer running Mission Pinball Framework for the game code. The playfield lights are driven by a Fade Candy board. All lights are NeoPixel compatible. I have 5, 12, and 48 volt power supplies.

ARG: Once this is done, do you have plans to build another one – if so, can you tell us the theme? (You don’t have to tell us if it is a secret)
MWS: Yes, and I can’t say! ARG: Haha, touche 😉

ARG: You are clearly well talented, so do you have aspirations to become a designer at one of the many pinball manufacturers?
MWS: You sent me these questions the week before I started at Jersey Jack. I think it’s safe to say that I do have aspirations to work at a pinball manufacturer! I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work on a production game and learn from these talented game designers.

ARG: Lastly, where can folks go to see find out more about your creations and keep informed on all things Metroid Pinball?
MWS: I have a Pinside thread all about Metroid Pinball. I also stream on Twitch and post on Twitter.

images source: TheArrrrrcade via Pinside and Twitter

After speaking to Mark, we feel inspired to tackle a project like this. Ah, but then reality hits, as any project of this magnitude would be a massive undertaking. The dedication that Mark has shown in his ability to begin building a real pinball machine without prior experience is something to be commended. We are truly in awe of Mark’s creation and his skills in getting his Metroid Pinball machine to where it’s at right now – we’d love to sneak it into our Fun Factory.

As we thank Mark for his time and say our goodbyes, we honestly can’t wait to see what he creates for us all at JJP!

Parkour In The World’s Biggest Pinball Machine

October 7, 2021 By ausretrogamer

Does Red Bull give you wiiings? Well, according to Latvian freerunner and Red Bull Art of Motion champion, Pasha Petkuns, it certainly does!

Red Bull built a huge wall depicting a pinball playfield complete with flippers, ramps, drop-down target, bumpers, all angled at 45 degrees to provide some gravity-defying antics for Pasha to test his parkour and freerunning skills! Oh yeah, there is even a Harbour Bridge on the playfield!

source: Red Bull

For behind the scenes details on this Human Pinball, go here.

Godzilla Pinball – The King of Monsters Is Unleashed by Stern Pinball

September 15, 2021 By ausretrogamer

The King of Monsters is back and this time he is conquering pinball!

Stern Pinball and Toho International have joined forces to take Godzilla from the swap to pinball, and boy are we glad that they did!

This awesome collaboration between two powerhouses has resulted in the creation of three Godzilla pinball machine models; Pro, Premium and the already sold out Limited Edition! Before we get into the nuts and bolts of this new cornerstone title, Godzilla pinball marks the debut of Stern’s Insider Connected system, which includes a QR code reader (bottom arch) that enables players to interact with the game and other cool platform features in a variety of new ways.

source: Godzilla Official by TOHO

As already mentioned, being a cornerstone title, Godzilla Pinball will come in a three model range, starting with the street level Pro, home collector Premium and the Limited Edition for the hardcore collectors – as at the time of writing, the LE is sold out! From what we have seen so far, this is a monster-packed pinball machine straight from the mind of Keith Elwin, arguably the hottest contemporary pinball designer on the planet. Coupled with Zombie Yeti’s gorgeous and eye-popping hand-drawn artwork, this complete package will satisfy Godzilla and pinball fans alike.

From the video and images, we reckon that Keith Elwin has been dreaming a lot about Kaiju and has captured the essence of Toho’s Godzilla, pulling material from the ten earliest, campiest and most iconic films. In this game, the players takes control of Godzilla, ridding the earth of the evil Xiliens, while rampaging and trashing cities along the way. The game consists of classic Godzilla sets, including a skyscraper that has a virtual lock for one of the six multi-balls. According to Stern, this title has an industry first ‘Magna Grab’ magnetic Newton ball directing the ball from 5 different directions, often setting the ball up for the upper (3rd) flipper – pure chaos, as it should be! Godzilla also has a scoop to change cities, 3 spinning targets, mind-blowing chrome wireform ramps, 13 RGB lights, and a new return lane chase lights that strobe as balls return to the flippers, just to name a few. The theme immersion is complete with movie scenes and audio from ten Toho Showa Era movies, the original 1954 Godzilla film score, iconic title song “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult and custom speech in English and Japanese (with subtitles).

But wait, the rampaging isn’t over yet! The additions and changes on Godzilla Premium and LE models are substantial. The aforementioned skyscraper is motorised to collapse down multiple levels, with 3 balls locked on its roof by a vertical upkick skyway ramp. A breakaway bridge ramp that collapses to drop pinballs onto the playfield. The Premium and LE models have another motorised device – a rotating 3 bank of targets that reveal a spinning target and jump ramp. There is a 2nd magnet in a sculpted Mechagodzilla to catch the ball. Oh yeah, the game wouldn’t be complete without the star itself, so there is a Godzilla sculpted toy on the playfield too. You can check out the full feature matrix of each model here.

Pricing and availability:

Pro Model: $US 6,899 / $AU 10,650
Premium Model: $US 8,999 / $AU 13,250
Limited Edition Model: $US 10,499 / $AU 15,500 (limited to 1,000 machines – sold out!)

The Pro model will start rolling off the Stern assembly line next week, with the LE model to follow and then the Premium machines in October – these should start arriving in Australia in early Jan 2022.

If you are interested in grabbing your very own Godzilla pinball machine, please contact the good folks at Amusement Machine Distributors or Zax Amusements.

Now, enough words, time to feast your eyes on the awesome Godzilla pinball machines – scroll slowly and please mind your drool 😉

image source: Stern Pinball

Interview with The Mandalorian Pinball Designer – Brian Eddy

May 24, 2021 By ausretrogamer

To say we are fans of Brian Eddy designed pinball machines would be a gross understatement! There is a reason why Brian’s machines have withstood the test of time and are still ranked as the best pinball machines of all time – they are pure fun and are approachable for all players, regardless of skill level.

When Stern Pinball announced back in March 2018 that Brian would be making his return to pinball, the excitement among his many fans (us included) was palpable. There was speculation on what Brian would be working on over at Stern, with his maiden (Stern) title being Stranger Things, released in December 2019. Since then, Brian had been working on his sophomore Stern game, which we now know was The Mandalorian. Officially released on May 11, 2021, The Mandalorian has garnered a lot of interest and attention around the world, all for good reason – it’s a Brian Eddy designed pinball machine of one of the most popular Disney+ TV series based on the largest pop culture franchise in history.

As Star Wars fans and of course, Mando fans, we have also been caught up in the excitement of all things The Mandalorian pinball, so it was great to have a chat with Brian about his experience in designing this highly anticipated pinball machine.

AUSRETROGAMER: How difficult was it designing and creating The Mandalorian while season 2 was still in progress?
Brian Eddy [BE]: It was certainly a challenge. We wanted to use both seasons, so we focused on ways of making it happen right from the start. Disney wasn’t able to tell us much about season 2 during development. It was all kept very secret, just like the reveal of The Child in season 1. So like everyone else, we had to wait for each episode to air to see what happened and what content would work in the game. Disney was very supportive of using season 2 and helped us plan ahead on how we could make it happen. The art needed to be pretty much done before Season 2 even aired, so we did things like leaving space on the backglasses and playfield for certain characters or items. We didn’t know who or what they would be, but Disney said, “you should leave some space here for 3 characters”. Then when the episode aired and the item was revealed, the artist, Randy Martinez, would quickly fit in the item to get us to production on time. We did the same in software and left certain holes in modes for themes we expected we would want from season 2. It actually worked out really well and allowed us to pick and choose from the best characters and scenarios that fit the game but was rather tricky at times since it came so late in the development cycle.

ARG: Did you have to re-design or retro-fit any design aspects (mechs/shots etc) as season 2 unfolded? If so, what where they?
BE: We did not change any mechs/shots for season two. We knew with the development timeline, that would not be possible. But that was fine as we picked the core concepts of the series and items from season 1, we knew it would be in season 2 to make sure they would still be relevant and stayed away from ones we thought would not be a big part. Though I will say, we were shocked when the Razor Crest was blown up toward the end of season two as it was a core of the series, but it’s still a really important element and a tight tie-in with Mando.

ARG: Which model do you begin designing for first and why?
BE: I start with the premium. I like to look at the whole picture of the design and how all the elements work together and fit on the playfield. How does each element enhance that model but not change it completely. Then for the Pro, look at what elements can be removed while still making sure the core playfield is there. It’s a tough balance as I want all the models to be fun and a little unique in their own way. I think we found that balance well on Mandalorian, each model plays similar, but a little different, and both are fun!

The Mandalorian Lead Designer, Brian Eddy (Left) with Lead Software Engineer, Dwight Sullivan

ARG: This machine oozes Brian Eddy with clever and unique mechs, intelligent design that draws players of any skill levels and flowy shots that ramp up the difficulty (in a good way!) – do you have a favourite mech, shot or design aspect in The Mandalorian pinball machine(s)?
BE: I always like to have flow in a pinball machine which is a core element I love in Steve Ritchie games. You will have these moments when playing where you just hit shot after shot, each shot leads to another, and it just feels great when you pull it off. Shot-wise, the right up/down scoop is fun because it changes the flow and allows you to loop continuously on one shot for a set period of time. A fun “how many times can you do it” break from flipper to flipper flow. But I think my favorite is the Encounter rotating playfield. It’s deceptively simple but challenging to play well. We start it out flat with simple rules of hitting lit targets, and most people can play this for a bit. Then as you get comfortable and get deeper into the game, it will start rotating steeper and steeper, and your reactions need to be quicker and tuned to the new gravity. At times it’s moving when you are playing, so there are lots of variations. It’s also obvious what you need to do to hit the flashing targets, but it’s hard to master. That adds up to a lot of fun long-term. Rule design-wise, I like most things to be pretty straightforward and easy to follow for anyone who jumps in. The programmer, Dwight Sullivan, is doing a fantastic job achieving that feel while adding in some long-term strategic elements for the more skilled players, like saving Beskar to trade at the Foundry for features.

ARG: We also absolutely love the look of the rotating Encounter upper mini playfield (on the Prem/LE models), how did you come up with that and were there many iterations from concept to final design?
BE: Yes, lots of iterations. I went through several different layouts. I had more targets at first and different playfield shapes, but some were too hard to hit and not as fun. I tried larger and smaller playfields, and each had its pluses and minuses. I wanted to be able to go near vertical, so that drove some of the size and balance also. I tried mini flippers but went with full size as you just didn’t have enough time to make targeted flips or enough power for it to work as well when vertical with the mini flippers. Spacing was a big issue between the flippers also. Too much, and it was way too hard when vertical, too little, and the ball wouldn’t drain. Then fitting it all onto the playfield was a tight space challenge. The mechanical engineer, Tom Kopera, did an amazing job fitting it in and delivering a ball no matter what angle it’s at. I didn’t want it to be an element of the playfield where you went, and play was stopped for a long time while you were playing it and then back to the main playfield. I wanted it to feel like a shot on the main playfield, integrated into the flow, where you could go anytime for a quick unique challenge, even in a multiball. On the Pro, I find it a similar but different experience. Since you only have one flipper, there can be some bumping element to playing it well that is fun in its own way. We also increase and decrease the flipper strength to help ramp up the difficulty. So both are fun to play in their own ways.

ARG: When this machine came up, did you have to fend off other designers to get the gig?
BE: I was already a big fan when it came up and would have fended off others, but I didn’t need to do that. I was ready to start my next game, and George Gomez came to me and said it was available and if I was interested. I jumped on instantly even though the schedule was a bit tight, but it was worth it for such a great title. So it came down to the right time, right place, right theme, the right team.

ARG: Are you a fan of the TV series? If so, what did you think of season two’s conclusion?
BE: Huge fan. I think it’s the best put-together Star Wars show to date. It’s a fresh take on the universe with the “space western” feel and all the nostalgic hooks and tie-ins to the existing Star Wars world. I loved the ending with Luke coming back. It was pretty emotional for a lot of people in my house. I think we all knew it was a possibility, but until it happened, we just didn’t know. Even Disney wouldn’t tell us a thing right up to when it aired. It was certainly satisfying to watch. I am sad that it seems like Grogu may not be as big an element in the next season, but he couldn’t have ended up with a better person to train him, so I’m sure we will see more of him in the series. I’m looking forward to where Disney will take the series and all the new series starting up like The Book of Boba Fett! It’s a great time for Star Wars fans!

It absolutely is a great time for Star Wars fans, and an even better time if you are into pinball! Brian’s love of the franchise has definitely translated well into The Mandalorian pinball machine, which on first impressions, looks great and plays well with signature Brian Eddy design elements injected all over the playfield. We can’t wait to play it!

image source: Stern Pinball

Arcade1Up Attack From Mars Pinball – Review

May 19, 2021 By ausretrogamer

UPDATE 5-October-2021: Arcade1Up has released a firmware update to resolve the lag on the White Water game and a few other bugs which you can read about here. This review has been amended to account for this firmware update.

Product: Arcade1Up Attack From Mars Pinball
Price: AU$1,199 to $1,400 (depending on retailer)
Official Australian retailers: Kogan, Arcade Gamer, The Gamesmen, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi

We love playing our real pinball machines. Heck, we love pinball on any platform, including in the digital space. Where digital (aka: virtual) pinball has always fallen short is in the physical and mechanical feel that real pinball machines provide, but that gap has somewhat been bridged, with digital pinball machines being fitted with solenoids and haptic flippers to provide the player that real tactile pinball feeling. How good can these digital pinball machines be?

PROS	CONS
+ Build quality is AMAZING! The Cabinet and Backbox are glorious	– 720p is sacrilege in this day and age
+ Compact size makes it fit in all kinds of spaces	– ~~The lag in White Water makes it totally unplayable~~ (this was fixed in the latest software code update!)
+ Packed with 10 of the greatest pinball machines of all time	– No Internet connectivity / No way of updating with more tables (right now)
+ Haptic flippers for real flipper feedback	– Price! The sweet spot would have been sub-$1,000 (AU).
+ 4 x Solenoid modules for real ball feedback
+ A real working plunger

Arcade1Up needs no introduction, as their 3/4 arcade machines of iconic arcade games have proven to be quite popular with gamers and collectors the world over. When Arcade1Up announced at CES 2020 that they would partner with Zen Studios to create 3/4 size digital pinball machines, our interest was piqued big time. At the show they announced three pinball machines, Attack From Mars, Star Wars and Marvel, each packed with themed pinball games from Zen Studios’ Pinball FX platform. We naturally gravitated to the Attack From Mars pinball machine, not only due to owning the real one, but the fact that it came with 10 of the greatest pinball machines of all time – Attack from Mars, Fish Tales, The Getaway: Highspeed II, Junk Yard, Medieval Madness, White Water, Red & Ted’s Road Show, Hurricane, Tales of the Arabian Nights and No Good Gofers.

The beast arrives!

While suffering insomnia one evening, we did what anyone would – we hit the web for some late night shopping (beware of weekend night-time shopping! – Ed). When we stumbled upon the Arcade1Up pinball machines, we ended up procuring the Attack From Mars machine, which surprisingly arrived on our doorstep a mere 48 hours after the purchase! Upon delivery we were taken aback by the size of the box, we somehow visualised a 3/4 sized pinball machine to be smaller than 3/4 – crazy hey!

Loving our @arcade_1up Attack From Mars pinball machine so far.

We’ll gather our thoughts & tell you what we think overall (soon-ish)!#pinball #gamer pic.twitter.com/42ZXejHQM1

— ausretrogamer (@ausretrogamer) April 30, 2021

We noticed that the pinball machine and all of its parts to put it together were perfectly packed, minimising the chance of damage while in transit. Once we started taking things out of the box the first thing that struck us was the build quality – it totally blew our expectation, with the whole thing feeling and looking superb! From the cabinet to the backbox, artwork and buttons, to the polished steel lockdown bar, legs and side rails, this thing oozes quality and is almost as good as a real commercial pinball machine, minus the cost (relax, we said “almost”! – Ed). Putting the machine together was a cinch, but it helped having another person around to assist in lifting the cabinet as it’s not that light. While the machine was coming together, we were constantly wowed by how good it looked and how sturdy it felt – it was a good start!

Assembling the machine was a breeze

The QA department checking our progress

Being impressed with the physical aspects of the machine was one thing, but how did it fare once the rubber hit the road, or should we say, once we turned it on – would it play as good as it looked? The quick answer is yes, but – there is always a but! Once we fired up the machine, we instantly loved the lit up backbox – it just makes the artwork pop! On the playfield screen, the interface felt familiar as it uses Zen Studios’ Pinball FX software platform. The button layout for interacting with the machine was intuitive, with the flippers acting as the selector (left, right, up or down) and the start/launch button (under the plunger) as the selection confirmation. On the front of the cabinet there are two rocker-type switches, one for turning on the machine and the other to control the volume – we preferred to set the volume via the software settings. Below these two switches are the settings and table guide buttons. The settings allow for the usual stuff, from adjusting the audio and video, to the pinball machine specific settings for the solenoids and plunger calibration. For the record, we left our machine settings stock, which worked perfectly fine for us.

Once the language is selected, the machine presents the 10 pinball machines to choose from. As mentioned earlier, we were quite chuffed to see that most of the classic Williams pinball tables were on this model. Barring the unplayable White Water due to excessive flipper lag and jerky motion, the rest of the pinball tables played pretty darn well, just like they do on any system that has Zen Studios’ Pinball FX.

We love playing digital pinball on any device!

With the screen being 23.8″, the first thing that ran through our minds was that it was too small. However, after playing a few games, we realised that the screen size was admirable and found that it did not detract from playing pinball. Our eyes adjusted and really didn’t know the difference in screen size – it’s as if someone played a Jedi mind trick on us! The best analogy we could come up with regarding screen size is that it’s like telling someone how great your 65” TV is and they are completely satisfied and don’t see the difference 3 minutes into watching the same stuff on a smaller, 55” inch TV – all being near the same in the minds eye. One thing that is unforgivable is the use of HD (720p) instead of Full HD (1080p) – it just makes the visuals not as sharp and looking a bit dated for this day and age where we expect 4K+ visuals! Hopefully this can be resolved with an update from Arcade1Up. ~~And while they are at it, we hope they fix the lag on White Water too~~ this has now been fixed with the latest firmware update!

There was quite a lot of discussion on social media regarding the black plastic bezel around the screen due to its thickness. When you stand over the machine while it is turned off, the bezel does detract from the visual aspect of the machine, however, once it’s turned on, the bezel, coupled with the screen set under it, creates a depth of field to the playfield screen which adds to the realism of playing pinball. Another neat touch in the video department on this machine are the different colours represented for each of the 4 players on the DMD (the small screen in the backbox), so there will never be any confusion whose turn it is or who wins!

We couldn’t really fault anything in the audio department on this little beauty. The dual speakers pump out great tunes and sound effects which immerse you further into your pinball playing pleasure. With the addition of the solenoids giving the player physical feedback plus the well integrated sound effects pumping through the speakers, you definitely get a sense of playing a pinball game just as you do from playing the real thing. Oh yeah, you’ll find that on maximum volume this thing can really get the heart rate going and possibly have your neighbours calling in to see what the heck is going on!

VERDICT:

We’ve been playing digital / virtual pinball games since the days of Video Pinball on the Atari 2600, and the one thing we used to always wish for over the decades was a way to play these games in a physical pinball cabinet format, just like the real deal. What we can say is that as an off the shelf consumer product, Arcade1Up have delivered on our wish, and even more so with the firmware update ~~even if it’s not 100% perfect~~. If you want to play the awesome Zen Studios produced pinball games, then there is no better way than playing them on an Arcade1Up pinball machine.

Build quality is top stuff!