The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Who doesn’t like building stuff with K’Nex?! We sure do!
After drooling over the K’Nex Mario Kart, we now have a full-sized working pinball machine made out of K’nex! We honestly can’t stop watching this video. Ah, to have the skills and smarts to build such an awesome thing!
source: Tyler Bower
story source: hackaday
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.
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 | – |
| + 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!
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!
Looking good from any angle!
Interface instructions – quite easy really!
Settings galore!
Front of the cabinet – the control deck of the Arcade1Up pinball machine
Love how the angled bezel creates the depth of field!
Can’t wait to get flippin’
Let’s get these pesky Martians!
The backbox does pop once the machine is switched on!
Another fave table of ours
Oh how we wish they used 1080p to sharpen the look on these games!
Lil austretrogamer loves a bit of flipper action! The kids seem to love this machine.
It looks just as good turned off!
For the record, nothing beats playing our real pinball machines, but the Arcade1Up is still darn cool!
The Mandalorian has garnered critical acclaim among Star Wars fans and critics alike for good reason, it’s an awesome TV series! Since it’s the hottest property right now, it is no surprise that we find the Emmy award-winning show on all kinds of licensed products. With Stern Pinball’s great working relationship with Lucasfilm and their proven success with their previous Star Wars pinball machines, the two giants have once again collaborated to bring us the hottest streaming TV show in the galaxy into pinball form – introducing The Mandalorian range of pinball machines; the Pro, Premium and Limited Edition.
With a 16 month development cycle, Stern’s Director of Marketing, Zach Sharpe tells us that Brian Eddy (Lead Designer), Dwight Sullivan (Lead Software Engineer) and the rest of the development team have worked hard to cram as much of The Mandalorian storylines into the machine. Zach goes on to say that this game’s development was unique (from previous pinball machine developments) due to the fact that the team was working on the machine while Season 2 was airing. Even though Lucasfilm was tight lipped about Season 2’s storylines, they did provide input to Stern’s team by advising them to leave some “space” whether it be in artwork or on the playfield for something that would be critical to the story they were trying to achieve in The Mandalorian pinball experience – and we are glad that they did!
For those new to The Mandalorian saga, the series is set after the fall of the Galactic Empire and before the emergence of the First Order and follows the travails of a lone gunfighter, The Mandalorian, in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. Stern’s new machine emulates the world of Mando by transporting players to a galaxy far, far away as they play as the titular protagonist, teaming up with key allies and protecting Grogu, while battling dangerous enemies and forces across their journey.
So what’s in the three models of The Mandalorian pinball machines that transports the player in this awesome Star Wars universe?
Hold onto your Amban phase-pulse blaster and prepare for battle on the gravity-changing, rotating Encounter upper mini playfield available on the Premium and Limited Edition models. This innovative, motorised rotating playfield is packed with six stand-up targets, lights, and two full-size flippers for high intensity pinball action.
What bounty hunter doesn’t like or watches out for ambushes?! Like the Mandalorian seen in the series, players can be ambushed by enemy forces. A dynamic inner loop shot activates an up/down horseshoe scoop ramp for fast, repeatable precision shooting, creating tense experiences on the Premium and Limited Edition models.
Players can navigate their way to multiball mayhem by hitting a unique hanging uplift target attached to a custom moulded Razor Crest ship – success in hitting the target qualifies a centre ramp shot on the Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models.
Other features of The Mandalorian-inspired pinball machines include a large custom sculpture of Grogu, authentic video and audio from seasons one and two, and exclusive custom speech performed by actor Carl Weathers (Greef Karga). The game includes the iconic title theme song by Ludwig Göransson and stunning hand-drawn artwork by Randy Martinez, one of today’s most popular comic artists.
The limited edition version includes an exclusive full colour mirrored backglass inspired by Beskar armour, iconic custom cabinet artwork, custom high gloss powder-coated pinball armour, a custom designer autographed bottom arch, exclusive inside art blades, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball playfield glass, shaker motor, a sequentially numbered plaque, and Certificate of Authenticity. With only 750 Limited Edition (LE) machines available, we reckon they will sell out fast!
As we leave Stern Pinball to bask in their new pinball glory, we ask Zach to tell us what his favourite shot is on this new pinball machine, he tells us, “On the Premium/LE models the dynamic inner loop almost acts like two shots as it can become a ramp shot by activating an up/down horseshoe scoop. It feeds the ball back to the left flipper for repeatable looping opportunities and can get quite intense, especially during ambushes!”.
To say we can’t wait to flip this new pinball machine would be a massive understatement. This is the way!
For those of you in the market for The Mandalorian pinball machines, this is what they’ll cost you**:
** For sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes.
NOTE: For our Australian readers, please contact Amusement Machine Distributors (AMD) or Zax Amusements for pricing and availability of The Mandalorian pinball machines.
It is a proud day for us Australians when our very own pinball manufacturer, Haggis Pinball, takes on the might from the US with their brand new pinball release!
Hot on the heels of their maiden Celts pinball machine (Ed: which is ace!) is the newly announced Fathom Revisited, which comes in two trim levels; Classic and Mermaid Editions. The company is giving their Clan Haggis members first crack at these machines (till midnight April 28), and then the order banks will be thrown wide open.
With competitive pricing (Classic Edition $9,500 / Mermaid Edition $11,500), bulletproof build quality and revised game code, Haggis Pinball has just captured the imagination and attention of all pinball lovers around the world, us included!
What makes this new announcement even more intriguing is the fact that Haggis Pinball were successful in obtaining the licensing rights (from Planetary Pinball Supply) to (re)make 5 classic Bally pinball machines from the early 1980s, starting with Fathom. Since this business model of remakes has been proven successful by Chicago Gaming Company (CGC), Haggis Pinball has definitely scored a major coup.
With their build quality being top notch, Haggis Pinball is fast becoming the hot pinball manufacturer in the world. With their move to newer and larger premises and with a build capacity of 50 machines per month, they are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the pinball world.
For more information about Fathom Revisited, head to This Week In Pinball or listen to the latest Pinball Profile episode with Jeff Teolis and Damian Hartin (Haggis Pinball CEO).
PS: Read our interview with Haggis Pinball CEO, Damian Hartin from November 2019 right here.
Haggis Pinball CEO, Damian Hartin
image source: Haggis Pinball
We have fond memories of our times in Vegas. Travelling to the US was never complete for us without popping into the desert city to catch a show, fly over Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon, and of course, hit the Pinball Hall of Fame (PHoF).
Since our last visit at the Pinball Hall of Fame in 2015, a lot has changed! Pinball Hall of Fame’s Tim Arnold bought a large parcel of land on the strip (4925 Las Vegas Blvd South), which allowed for a huge building to be erected (25,000 square feet to be exact!) to house the many many pinball and arcade machines that the PHoF had in their old location (on and in storage. When we stumbled upon Debbie Courson Smith’s Facebook post about her visit to the new Pinball Hall of Fame, we were quite chuffed to see how far along Tim and his crew had come since we saw an empty lot that long ago.
According to Debbie, this was a soft launch, with the grand opening scheduled for July. Once air travel is safe, we know where we are going again 😉
PS: If you want to see how the old Pinball Hall Of Fame looked like, check out this post.
image source: Debbie Courson Smith via Facebook
Who doesn’t love a 10 minute promo video for a (then) new pinball machine!
Check out Bally-Midway’s promotional video for their 1993 smash hit pinball machine, Judge Dredd. The machine was based on the comic series ‘2000 AD’, not the 1995 movie starring Sylvester Stallone.
With a rotating planet and rings, magnetic robotic arm and diamond plate playfield, this ‘SuperPin’ was darn awesome in its day (and still is)!
source: JoBlo Horror Trailers
After clicking through the amazing images of pinball machines (below), you’ll be blown away by the drone videos by live streaming producer, Eddie Codel, of the mass of pinball machines at the Pacific Pinball Museum (PPM) Annex!
Eddie’s bird’s-eye view videos are mind boggling, as they show the sheer volume of machines the PPM house and preserve for all of us to enjoy. With the current health situation around the world, we truly hope that the Pacific Pinball Museum reopens safely in the not too distant future.
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To the casual observer, pinball seems random and chaotic, but if you watch carefully, there are skills involved that make pinball not as random as it seems.
Don’t be fooled by the flashing lights and seemingly random callouts, there are rules and set objectives (ie: modes) in pinball that reward the player that can control the flippers best. By aiming at specific targets at specific times, the player unlocks specific secrets of the machine and activates other objectives all while racking up a high score.
Watch closely, as you may learn that pinball is definitely not random once you know how to control the silverball.
source: Vox
We absolutely love archival footage from television broadcasters, especially footage from amusement centres (or as we used to call them, parlours) from back in the day!
The below video is from the popular segment on ABC News’ ‘This Day Tonight’, with this particular occasion focusing on Pinball Parlours in Australia in the mid 70s. This is very intriguing with some very enlightening discussions with Malcolm Steinberg (from Leisure & Allied Industries (LAI) and Timezone fame) about video gaming and pinball entertainment that are apt to this day.
So, how much did you spend on gaming back in the day? In 1976 a player might’ve spent as much as $5 (approx. $35 in today’s money) on amusement machines!
source: ABC NEWS via Facebook
Homebrew pinball machines have always fascinated us. For one, making or re-theming a real pinball machine is not for the faint of heart. The mechanical engineering, software control systems, coding rules and art that go into making your own pinball machine makes our head spin, not knowing where to start!
Luckily for us, there are smarter folks out there that take on projects like retheming existing pinball machines into something they love, be it a music band, movie, tv show or in this case, a video game! We came across Well Fed Games’ Mega Man pinball machine (rethemed from Williams’ Flash pinball machine from 1979), we had to share this with you all
The video below provides an overview of this retheme project, which is fascinating and darn awesome! We’d love to flip this one!
source: Well Fed Games