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Stern Pinball’s Keith Elwin Creates The Avengers Infinity Quest Pinball Machine!

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If you are a seasoned pinball player and have been following the scene for a while, the name Keith Elwin means fun, innovative and awesome pinball machines. For the casual pinballers that don’t know or notice who designs the pinball machines they love playing, if we were to mention Stern Pinball’s Iron Maiden or Jurassic Park, then you have Keith Elwin to thank.

Keith is the new pinball designer on the block who has just finished his third game for Stern Pinball, Avengers Infinity Quest! Just looking at the video and pics further below of Keith’s latest creation, we know you’ll all be itching to play it, just like we are – it’s screaming at us to be played!


source: Stern Pinball

Before we dive into questions about Avengers Infinity Quest, we thought we’d start with introducing Keith Elwin and how he got started designing homebrew machines and then progressing to the big league in getting a job at Stern Pinball Inc.!

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: Hey Keith, to help our audience get to know you, tell us, before you became a household name in the pinball design space, what were you up to?
Keith Elwin [KME]: I was a pinball operator and technician actually! I had games in San Diego and Los Angeles.

ARG: Following up on the previous question, how did your love of pinball translate to getting a pinball design gig at Stern Pinball?
KME: I always wanted to be a pinball designer. When I was a kid I spent countless hours on a video game called pinball construction set which allowed you to design your own game! When I got older I made my own game in the garage which caught the interest of Stern and the rest is history.

ARG: In the world of pinball design, you are a relatively newcomer, were you nervous or felt intimidated in any way when you first walked into Stern Pinball and bumped into seasoned pinball design veterans like Steve Ritchie, John Borg and George Gomez?
KME: I had met and interacted with George and Steve before but it was my first time meeting Borgie. I remember being nervous then he came down and was super chill and fun to talk to so any nerves were quickly gone.

Avengers Infinity Quest Whitewood

The awesome Captain Marvel Ramp!

Whitewood at night!

ARG: In the space of a few years, you have created instant classic pinball machines, firstly, Iron Maiden, then with Jurassic Park and your latest machine, Avengers IQ – how does one keep that high trajectory and momentum of designing awesome, innovative and fun pinball machines?
KME: Why thank you! Well I am trying to do things differently yet not TOO differently where people will not like it. I will always try to have a mix of new stuff not seen before with stuff not seen in a long time from classic games.

ARG: Now, to your latest machine, and dare we say, masterpiece, how long did it take from concept to hitting the production line? Oh yeah, were you also working on two machines at once (tail-end of JP and Avengers IQ) – if so, how did you manage to pull that off?
KME: I think all designers in some way are working on their next game whether it be on paper or in their mind. For me when I get spare time I start sketching ideas in my head to paper with the intent to revisit it to see if it fits a future game. Avengers started in July last year and is currently now in production!

Keith testing his creation!

ARG: Looking at all the photos and videos of Avengers IQ, we can’t help but think, WE WANT THIS MACHINE! What is it about Keith Elwin designed machines that excite people to a point that they already know it will be great to play (or own) before they even get to flip it?
KME: Ha, probably because I don’t have a template I go by (yet – haha) I think people like seeing lots of shots, multiple flippers, lots of ramps and get excited because that is what gets me excited as well.

ARG: The Avengers IQ playfield has A LOT going on in it (the motorised Dr. Strange pop-up disc scoop / underground Portal on the Prem/LE models and the custom intricate wireform ramps have blown our mind), do you come up with all the ideas (in what to include and how the machine will play) and then seek input and/or constructive feedback from others in the design team, or is the entire process collaborative from start to finish?
KME: Most of it is me bouncing ideas off my engineer Harrison Drake and he will either tell me I am crazy or he takes it as a challenge and creates exactly what I am looking for. The whole subway system I thought would work perfectly for this game as a “portal” with some cool lighting effects and Harrison did not disappoint!

Avengers Infinity Quest pinball team assemble – the Stern Pinball design and engineering team behind this great machine!

ARG: With the team behind Avengers IQ (lead software programmer Rick Naegele, lead mechanical engineer Harrison Drake, lead artist Jeremy Packer (aka Zombie Yeti), computer graphics art director Chuck Ernst, and lead sound designer Jerry Thompson), how did the current worldwide health situation impact the creation of Avengers IQ?
KME: It was fine with the Stern employees as we can always come in and have a meeting. It was harder with the contractors like Jerry and Jeremy since we have to convey what we want via email or text.

ARG: What were you most excited about working on Avengers IQ and what will surprise the player when they play this machine for the first time?
KME: The Tower magnet! I will never forget Gary’s response the first time he hit that shot…..”Whoa!!!”

ARG: Lucky last and possibly the toughest question, who is your favourite Avenger?
KME: Growing up it was Hulk but as I get older I think Dr. Strange because well… he is strange 🙂

Well there you have it folks, Mr Keith Elwin of Stern Pinball Inc. fame – the Pinball Design Avenger! Remember that name, remember the pinball machines, as we guarantee you’ll love playing them all. We thank Keith for his time and wish him the best with whatever pinball magic he creates in the future.

For now, check out Stern Pinball’s Avengers Infinity Quest and get hyped!

The first Avengers Infinity Quest Limited Edition rolls off the production line!

The gorgeous Avengers IQ LE model!

The Avengers IQ Limited Edition playfield!

Playfields Assemble!

The Stern Pinball Avenger!
image source: Stern Pinball

 

Check Out This Awesomely Cool Mini Virtual Pinball Machine!

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We love stumbling upon awesomely cool DIY projects, just like David Schwab’s Mini Virtual Pinball machine creation! What makes David’s construction even more amazingly cool, is that it was his first attempt – wish we were that clever! Oh yeah, David has also created a Space Invaders themed tabletop, but we’ll tell you about that cool creation in another feature in the not too distant future.

Scrolling through all of the photos of the build and final product, it is hard not to be impressed. We asked David to provide his thoughts and inspiration behind his Mini Virtual Pinball machine, so we hope this gives you all an insight on how to go about embarking on such a project.

David Schwab’s thoughts on gaming nostalgia and on his Mini Virtual Pinball build: 

You can break it all down to 3 areas of competency; Software, hardware and construction. You need to be able to converse across all three disciplines. I think the attraction to this hobby is in the building and tinkering. To be able to assemble all parts, select hardware and build to a final and satisfactory presentation.

This is a work in progress as there are improvements I want to make. I don’t think anyone who sets to build one of these gets it right the first time, and that’s part of the fun.

In my design, I was going for pure nostalgia and very 0ld school. I would not say I was a big pinball player back in the day, as I was more the type of kid who nagged his mum for 20 cents to play Space invaders or Galaga. Those endless family holidays at caravan parks where there were tabletop arcade games demanded a feed of coins every day. I also majored in the Atari 2600, which was a great source of fun for both my brother Matt and I.

I went for the music and the ‘feel’ of some of the pinball tables, not necessarily staying with a purist collection of games. Everything I placed in this cab evokes emotion. The music, the aesthetic and the visualisation of the games. I have a Blues Brothers pinball table. This classic movie invokes great memories and a lot of fun. There are other pinball tables that others like – Doom, Crysis and Half-Life, although modern recreations bring a sense of nostalgia from the 90s and early 2000s.

This mini virtual pinball uses an Intel NUC 8i5 for the necessity of space and has an onboard 655 graphics processor, 250GB storage and 8GB of RAM. The 8i5 plays VP10 tables well, with no perceivable lag that I could notice. The back-glass is running a 1024 x 768 display which may also help the graphics processor. The playfield is a 1920 x 1080 IPS screen which holds a great resolution for a rig this size. 4K should never be considered with a small PC like a NUC and in any case you won’t need 4K unless you increase the size of your CAB past 32”!

So how did David get started on this project?

I did a lot of research online and asked questions. The best way to start is by typing ‘Virtual Pinball’ in Google and then head over to VPForums – which has a wealth of resources.

You can spend anywhere from $500 to $1500 depending on what you already have lying around, and how perfect you want it to look when finished. Some just plonk a couple of monitors in a box, others, just a couple of desktop screens to an existing PC while others want the full ‘this has got to look’’ fair dinkum.

The build process in (very droolworthy) photos:

images used by permission from David Schwab

We really really love this mini virtual pinball machine by David. If he took orders, we’d be getting in line 🙂

 

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball – The Real Pinball Machine

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We absolutely love DIY creations, and Pinsider Ryan McQuaid’s (aka:McSquid) homebrew Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball pinball machine is definitely no exception!

To make a virtual pinball game is one thing, but to make a real flipping pinball machine is something totally different – making pinball machines is HARD!

We have been following McSquid’s Sonic The Hedgehog pinball machine build for the last 7 months, and we must say, the progress has been fun and quite amazing to see it go from a digital creation to a physical beast. This kind of project ain’t for the faint-hearted!

So why a real Sonic The Hedgehog pinball machine? Well, according to Ryan, he had been lamenting for years that SEGA never made a Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine. Despite SEGA manufacturing pinball machines in the 90s (remember that!) and placing Sonic animations in the DMDs of their pinball machines (as as well as in their manuals), they never pulled the trigger on creating a pinball machine based on their celebrated blue mascot.

With his Nintendo rival, Super Mario, having his own pinball machine, and coupled with Ryan being a huge Sonic video game fan, plus loving to go FAST, it was a match made in pinball heaven or should that be Green Zone heaven…..

First rule of designing a pinball machine – do it in the virtual world first, and iterate!

With his pinball restoration skills honed over a number of years, the idea of making his own pinball game was always in the back of Ryan’s mind, with the theme seeming to be quite obvious. Like all good homebrew creations, Ryan started writing down his ideas and allowing the design to evolve naturally. Teaching himself to use Visual Pinball (digital pinball platform), Ryan set out to design his dream theme pinball machine in the virtual world. With multiple iterations of his digital Sonic pinball machine, Ryan finally settled on his creation that was worth his time to build in the real world.

The iconic Sonic (360) Loop comes to life! Wow, what an amazing ramp!!

The donor cabinet in Sonic blue!

The video assets are coming along nicely too

With a donor pinball cabinet found, Ryan’s dream theme has taken one giant step to reality. With the current health crisis and restrictions in place, Ryan has powered through with the build of his Sonic pinball machine. From the video assets, sound and effects to a flipping whitewood playfield, Ryan is at a point where we can all see the fruits of his labour, and that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel to this amazing project! Just imagine how it will look once everything is completed, including some cool Sonic art on the cabinet, backglass and playfield!

Being a perfectionist, we know that Ryan will only make this creation even better, so we are hanging on his every update. So stay tuned as we bring you more work in progress updates on this amazing homebrew pinball creation! Go FAST or go home!

Looking, sounding and shooting good so far!


source: Ryan ‘McSquid’ McQuaid via Pinside 

 

Digital Pinball Cabinet – Nintendo Switch

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There is nothing like anticipating the arrival of a cool gadget. We originally ordered Far East Pinball’s Digital Pinball Cabinet for the Nintendo Switch back in April, but due to the current world health crisis, we knew that shipping it from Japan to Australia was going to impact its arrival. Well, we are quite chuffed to finally have this cool contraption in our hands!

As huge fans of pinball video games, we always felt that the experience could be better. Don’t get us wrong, playing pinball games on your fave console are darn awesome these days, even if you are playing them using a controller. But, to get the most immersive experience playing pinball video games, you need to have the screen vertically oriented, which the Switch does quite admirably. If you have the FlipGrip, you’ll understand how awesome it is to play these games in their proper TATE orientation.

Bumping Action!

Far East Pinball’s Digital Pinball Cabinet takes the experience of playing pinball video games that one huge step forward. The Digital Pinball Cabinet for the Nintendo Switch allows you to play pinball using proper arcade flipper buttons and best of all, allows nudging, shaking and slap saving via its built-in motion sensors, just like a real pinball machine – but be careful not to tilt! The device is really easy to use, you just slide the Switch into the cradle, plug in the connector cable into the Nintendo Switch’s Type-C port, slide on the (grey) lockdown bar and you are ready to flip! The cabinet also has cut-outs along the side to access the Switch’s headphone jack, vents, volume and power buttons.

The Digital Pinball Cabinet comes with 7 arcade quality buttons, three buttons on the right of the cabinet, two button on the left and two buttons on the front. The cabinet allows for two distinct button mapping configurations, but we encourage players to use the default mappings. It also provides the means to change the motion/nudging settings to be high/low sensitivity or turned off. Oh yeah, the only buttons that are not mapped are the plus (+), minus (-) and the screenshot button – a very minor niggle that actually doesn’t affect the use of this awesome piece of kit.

The overall built quality of the unit is good, but it could be better. There is a DIY look and feel to it with some rough edges on the 3D printed case and lock down bar, but we are being quite picky now and in all honesty, you get over this  quickly one you playing games on it. Speaking of games, we played Pinball FX3, Star Wars Pinball, The Pinball Arcade, and Stern Pinball Arcadewithout a hitch. Playing these games using the Digital Pinball Cabinet has given us a renewed love for playing pinball video games.

If you are into playing pinball video games on your Switch, then we very very highly recommend you consider Far East Pinball’s Digital Pinball Cabinet – it’s flippin awesome! 

NOTE: If you are interested in buying the Digital Pinball Cabinet for the Nintendo Switch, you will need a Japanese address, as Far East Pinball only ships within Japan. We used a mail-forwarding service to purchase our cabinet. The total cost for the cabinet and then mail-forward shipping was AU$180.45.

 

Stern Pinball Unleashes The Heroes In A Half-Shell in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pinball

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Oh wow, we finally have a good reason to unleash all of the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quotes we’ve had in our head over the last 30 years! Let’s see how many we can sprinkle in this righteous announcement then! COWABUNGA Dudes!

If you haven’t yet worked out what we are talking about then let’s just cut to the chase, the cool folks at Stern Pinball have just announced their latest cornerstone title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) pinball! This new machine oozes everything that is great and iconic about the TMNT cartoon series, from the heroes (our fave is Michelangelo – he is such a cool dude), their sensi, Master Splinter, their NYC sewer lair, their tough friends, the villains (yep, we are looking at you Krang, Shredder and the Foot Clan!), lots of pizza and of course, their ultra gnarly vehicles – these machines have captured it all!

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Game Trailer

For those of you that are too excited to read more and just want to check out how the three TMNT pinball models (Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE)) look like, scroll down now (and then scroll back here)! Oh yeah, check out the videos too (above) and just a tad further below to whet your Ninja Turtles appetite.

Right, for those of you that are a tad more patient, let’s talk about what we have seen in the press kit, including videos of the different models in action, features list and of course, the hi-res photos of the three models.

Zombie Yeti’s gorgeous playfield artwork (Premium model)

The first thing you notice is the eye popping hand-drawn art by Zombie Yeti (aka: Jeremy Packer) – just check out the pic above (from the Premium model), it’s so bodacious! Each model has a distinct and unique art package, with Zombie Yeti nailing the cartoon aesthetics of this iconic series, and just like Michelangelo drooling over a pizza, we reckon you will be doing the same with the look of these machines – all three are gorgeous!

The design of the game is by none other than John Borg, who brought us The Munsters, Guardians of the Galaxy, Kiss, The Walking Dead, Metallica and Tron: Legacy to name just a few. With a design pedigree like that, you know John will give us all a heart racing and fun shooting machine in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball. From the software side, Dwight Sullivan is in charge of code, so we can expect a game that is both deep and easy to get into – perfect for all player skills, from the novice to the pinball wizard.

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Premium / LE game features

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Pro game features

Once we get past the beautiful artwork, we are immediately greeted (and gobsmacked) by the playfield – it’s packed with Turtle Power! There is the obvious differences between the entry (street) level Pro model when compared with the Premium and Limited Edition (LE) – more on this in a bit, however the differences won’t make you feel like you are missing out too much.

All three models are powered by Stern’s SPIKE 2 system and feature three flippers, with the third flipper positioned in the upper left side of the playfield. Other common traits include:

  • a high-speed magnetic spinning pizza disc, capable of holding and throwing 3 balls during pizza multiball mayhem
  • 3 high-speed ramps
  • 3 pop bumpers
  • foot spinning target
  • turtles van
  • hidden ninja training ball lock area
  • 17 RGB software controlled LEDs
  • 6 balls (Pro) / 8 balls (Prem/LE)

For the complete list of features, check out the TMNT Feature Matrix here.

The Premium and LE models up the ante with an interactive custom sculpted Turtles Van, equipped to lock up to 4 balls inside with a mechanical opening/closing side door, ready to unleash multiball havoc. They also feature the iconic TMNT Glider, a custom-sculpted, player-controlled diverter assembly stationed above both ramps, giving players the ability to control and transport the ball to the flipper of their choice. In addition, a custom-sculpted mechanical Krang toy hovers over the pop bumpers, jumping up and down while taunting players throughout game action.

 

As it’s model name suggests, the Limited Edition will be limited to 500 machines globally. The LE oozes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored backglass, exclusive custom themed cabinet artwork, a custom autographed bottom arch, exclusive custom art blades that compliment the playfield, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball glass, a shaker motor, and a sequentially numbered plaque.

To spice up the player experience, Stern have implemented a 4-player co-op mode, just like the old Konami TMNT 4-player arcade machine – so the only problem you’ll have is picking which turtle you’ll play as! Completing the theme integration is the audio and video, with the original 1987 theme music, plus 80s tracks complementing the action with speech call outs from 17 characters and custom video scenes and events created exclusively for a complete TMNT immersive pinball experience.

We like what we see in the initial photos and videos of these machines, so to say we can’t wait to flip this would be a gross understatement. Right, it’s time to order some pizza. COWABUNGA!  

Pricing (in $US / $AU)* 

  • TMNT Pro Model: $US 6,099 / $AU 9,450
  • TMNT Premium Model: $US 7,699 / $AU 12,250
  • TMNT Limited Edition Model: $US 9,099 / $AU 14,250

*pricing correct as at time of publishing.

For those of you radical dudes and dudettes that skipped the wall of words above, feast your peepers on Stern’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pinball machines; starting with the Pro, followed by the Premium and LE models. Be warned – scroll slowly, as you may miss something really cool! These are definitely better than cheesy pizza (well, almost) 😉

Stern TMNT Pinball Pro

Stern TMNT Pinball Premium

Stern TMNT Pinball LE

All press assets supplied by: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

 

STAR WARS Comic Art Pinball: May The Force Be With You

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far too close to home, I was excited when Stern Pinball announced their Star Wars pinball machine. I was so excited by this news, I almost bought one without playing it!

But there was a disturbance in the (pinball) FORCE in mid 2017! Bear with me here, as this story delves into the depths of the dark side before I see the light.

Cooler heads prevailed and I took Ms. ausretrogamer’s advice to play the pinball machine before making a decision to buy it or not. Well, on that fateful day in mid 2017, my initial impression of Stern’s Star Wars pinball wasn’t at all positive. I played the Pro model of the game, and let’s just say that it didn’t inspire me to press the start button to play it again. The FORCE just wasn’t strong enough to engage me. I was gutted! I felt that the machine did not capture the theme and universe of my all-time favourite movie franchise. I buried my disappointment and forgot about the machine. As the great Jedi Master, Yoda once said, “Disappointment is the path to the dark side. Disappointment leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Welllll, he didn’t say that exactly, but you get my drift.

Luckily I did not give in to the disappointment, no matter how tempting the dark side of the force was. At the time, I found solace in another pinball machine, Chicago Gaming Company’s Attack From Mars Remake. My pinball mojo was back to peak level and the disappointment of the Star Wars pinball machine was all but a distant memory.

source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Then in mid 2019, there was a flicker in the FORCE. My brother-in-law, who got the silverball bug after playing our machines, went hunting for his first pinball game and settled for a Stern Star Wars Premium pinball machine. I remember thinking to myself, I hope he loves the game. Well, to my surprise, he did. What surprised me even more was my reaction to the game – once I pressed the start button and started flipping, I was immediately grabbed by the FORCE, just like Darth Vader’s force choke. Taking Yoda’s advice to heart, we had to unlearn what we learned about this game.

Wow, what a difference two years had made! The updated code and of course, this being the Premium model of the game, it felt like I was in the middle of the (original) Star Wars universe! I found that my excitement for the machine was at the same level as when Stern first announced that they were making a Star Wars pinball game. I knew then that I had to hunt down a machine to fulfil my wish of owning my pinball dream theme.

Just like all Star Wars stories, starting with a struggle and then ending on a positive note, so has this musing. I finally saw the light side of the FORCE and procured my pinball dream theme, a Stern Star Wars Comic Art Premium machine, beautifully presented by Star Wars comic artist, Randy Martinez – it’s so eye-poppingly beautiful. It was a long time coming to get to this point, but I am glad I went on this journey and reached my destination. The moral of my story is, never judge a book by its cover and always come back to a pinball game you haven’t played in a while, it may surprise you.

Thanks to the folks at Zax Amusements for fulfilling my wish – they made this Padawan very happy. May the FORCE be with you!

A lightsaber is required to bust open this beauty!

The Ausretrogamer Fun Factory is READY!

The machine is (almost) in its position – love the right side cabinet art!

Love the left side art cabinet too!

And we are upright!

We have the keys to the Millennium Falcon

Time to play and defeat the evil Empire!

Always Use The Force!

Love the LCD – it integrates the theme with visual Star Wars eye-candy

The comic art is eye-poppingly gorgeous on this machine

Taking in the comic art with the glass off!

Randy Martinez should be commended for his brilliant art work on this machine

Let’s blow up the Death Star

Making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs

The magnets on this machine whiz the balls around on the hyperspace loop at breakneck speeds!

And we are on, like Donkey K… Ah, never mind!

Who doesn’t like seeing their name on the high score table

Just enjoying the view

A handsome threesome in the Fun Factory

 

Where To Play Pinball in Melbourne

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Location pinball is experiencing a renaissance where the silverball game is popping up at more locations in and around one of the world’s most liveable city. If you want to get your pinball fix you may want to check out these establishments.

MELBOURNE

THE PINBALL PARLOUR (Located inside Man Cave Madness at 4/1813 Sydney Road, Campbellfield)
Melbourne’s newest and biggest pinball venue! Over 45 machines and growing. Classics from the 70s, 80s, 90s and latest and greatest pinball machines. Open every Saturday and Sunday with two, two hours sessions per day! Prices start at $30 for adults / $20 for kids.

BARTRONICA (335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne)
Right in the heart of the Central Business District (CBD) of Melbourne, Batronica is the place to be seen at. The renovated venue (titled: Batronica 2.0) has made playing pinball (and arcade) machines even easier while you enjoy a drink.

MOON DOG WORLD (32 Chifley Drive, Preston)
This brewery can accommodate 700 patrons spread across its massive floor space which sports an indoor lagoon, a bar equipped with 72 taps, a beer garden, a hidden tiki bar, a waterfall and best of all, pinball machines!

GENERAL PUBLIC (366 Boundary Rd, Dingley Village)
Home of the Bayside Pinball Club, this awesome venue has it all, from great food, lots of fun attractions, including bowling and of course beautifully maintained pinball machines for you to flip to your heart’s content. But wait, there is more – there is another General Public in Frankston with more pinball action (16-22 Playne St, Frankston).

B. LUCKY & SONS (Level 3/211 La Trobe St, Melbourne)
It may only have one pinball machine inside, but B. Lucky & Sons quirky arcade is so cool with other distractions, you won’t want to leave. Oh yeah, the big plus is that it is inside Melbourne Central located on the entertainment level, level 3!

FORTRESS MELBOURNE (enter via Shop 25, Lower Ground, Emporium Shopping Centre)
Open 7 days a week, Fortress Melbourne is Australia’s largest video games venue with a smattering of pinball machines in their Arcade Alley area. Entry is always free, so do yourself a favour, when in the CBD, hit up Fortress Melbourne, you may never leave!

MARVEL STADIUM (740 Bourke St, Docklands)
If you are heading out to the footy at Marvel Stadium, why not hit the pins there too. They currently have Deadpool, Spider-Man Vault Edition and Avengers: IQ!

TIMEZONE (various shopping centre locations: Highpoint, Knox, Forest Hill and Craigieburn)
That old staple is starting to add more and more pinball amongst their arcade and redemption machines – which is a good thing! Know and Forest Hill have a lineup of multiple newer Stern pinball machines, which we hope means other Timezones will follow suit.

BRAYBROOK HOTEL (353 Ballarat Rd, Braybrook)
In the heart of the west, you’ll find a Guardian Of The Galaxy (GOTG) pinball machine and some bronze statues of a couple of Footscray Football Club’s legendary players.

ARCADE GARAGE (518-530 High St, Northcote)
Arcade Garage Northcote is Melbourne’s largest retro arcade with more than 60 machines (including a handful of pinball machines) available to play spanning from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s+.

HIGHPOINT HOTEL (Level 1 Tenancy 10, Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong)
If Timezone Highpoint’s pinball machine doesn’t tickle your fancy, then walk around the corner to the Highpoint Hotel where you can play NBA Jam and some cool Stern pinball machines.

FUNDERDOME (inside Hoys Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong)
Looks like Highpoint Shopping Centre is the place to be, with not one, but three venues sporting pinball machines (Highpoint Hotel, Timezone and Funderdome)! Funderdome has Stern favourites, Deadpool, The Munsters and Black Knight: Sword of Rage – all at $2.50 per game.

THE DONCASTER HOTEL (855 Doncaster Road, Doncaster)
According to our intel, Bob’s Diner at The Doncaster Hotel has two machines for your enjoyment!

RIDDELLS CREEK HOTEL (10-12 Hamilton St, Riddells Creek)
Heading out of Melbourne? Stop by this hotel to get some Grand Prix pinball action with your beer and burger!

KARTING MADNESS (Factory 9/841 Mountain Hwy, Bayswater)
Don’t let the name of this place fool you, Karting Madness also has a mad collection of pinball machines that will keep you occupied for quite a while.

PEACOCK INN HOTEL (210 High St, Northcote)
This sleek venue serves up a couple of pinball machines amongst their gastropub menu. Oh yeah, they also have a beer garden when you need to take a break from flipping.

THE HAWTHORN HOTEL (481 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn)
With its wood-paling bar, bistro food, trivia and karaoke, it’s amazing that this comfy pub could fit in any pinball – luckily, they do!

TOWER HOTEL (686 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn East)
With $7 schooners, Stern’s Mustang and Star Trek, you are all set for some cool pinball action.

THE OLYMPIC HOTEL (31 Albert St, Preston)
If you are heading out to Preston, then you can get some dinosaur pinnie action on Stern’s Jurassic Park!

TAYLORS LAKES HOTEL (7 Melton Hwy, Taylors Lakes)
Hit the family hotel for some good food, good drinks and of course, pinball.

COMMERCIAL HOTEL (111 Walton Street, Werribee)
Situated 35km west of the city, the Commercial Hotel offers a couple of pinball machines to be enjoyed while watching live sports and having a tipple.

RETREAT HOTEL (280 Sydney Road, Brunswick)
Head toward the back of the Retreat for a special surprise – pinball. With live music , craft beer on tap and hearty pub grub, you can’t really go wrong.

GRANDVIEW HOTEL (429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield)
This 130+ year old triple story grand Victorian hotel will keep your hands occupied, both with drinks and pinball.

THORNBURY EXPRESSO COFFEE BAR (792 High Street, Thornbury)
A café with pinball? Yep, enjoy a coffee and perhaps an ice-cream while also playing some pinball in this ultra casual and cool cafe.

THE SALOON BARCADE (273-274 Nepean Hwy, Edithvale)
With locally brewed craft beers, cocktails, wine, spirits, and of course, PINBALL (arcade and pool), The Saloon Barcade is the place to be if you are out Edithvale way! Oh yeah, for those with the munchies, there are the staples, pizza, burgers and pasta too.

Oh yeah, another pro-tip is to check out your local AMF Bowling Centre and the foyer of Hoyts or Village Cinemas, as they usually have at least one (or more) pinball machines!

This was never going to be an exhaustive list, but it should get you started playing pinball in and around Melbourne. Due to the nature of locations changing their lineup or removing machines, this ‘Where to play pinball’ list is correct as at the time of publishing. We’ll endeavour to update this post as new locations pop up (and remove the ones that no longer have pinball machines).

If you appreciate what we do, please feel free to show your appreciation via the ausretrogamer virtual tip jar 🙂



Mad Max Pinball – The Original 1979 Movie

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We have featured quite a few custom re-theme homebrew pinball machines, like Doom, Kill Bill, Undertale (Underpin) and Dragon’s Lair, but this custom re-theme by Australian Kurt Savage (aka: Jakusu on Pinside), is something else!

Based on the original 1979 Mad Max movie, Kurt had a dream to re-theme a Getaway pinball machine into the iconic Australian dystopian action thriller, complete with a young Mel Gibson (playing as “Mad” Max Rockatansky) on the backbox side-art!

Fast forward 10 months and Kurt’s dream has now roared into reality like a supercharged V8 Interceptor! The attention to detail on this custom re-theme is nothing short of jaw-dropping. We are in awe of this creation, where it seems no expense was spared, from the key start (an ignition car key starts a game of pinball), gear shift, speaker panel based on the XB Ford Falcon, supercharger and blower,  the brilliant aural attack with brilliant sounds from the classic movie, to the playfield, cabinet and backbox art, and last but not least, the complete integration of the theme just oozes everything from George Miller’s brilliant 1979 movie.


source: Kurt Savage

When you check out the photos and videos of Kurt’s Mad Max Pinball (model cleverly named ‘Last of the V8 Interceptors’), you’ll no doubt be totally blown away. If Kurt decided to mass produce this machine, fully licensed of course, we guarantee he would be busy for a very long time. With the cost being around AUD$17,000 to complete his custom re-theme project, we reckon it was money very well spent. Take a bow Mr. Kurt Savage, this is an amazing accomplishment.

NOTE: Kurt was finalising the animations at the time of this post!

image source: Jakusu via Pinside

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Super Awesome Pinball Birthday Cake

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Once we saw this pinball shaped birthday cake, we knew we had to track down its creator to ask her some hard hitting questions about pinball, and of course, the flippin’ amazing pinball birthday cake!

So sit back, relax, grab some cake as we speak to Belles & Chimes Melbourne pinball tournament player, Katrina Pingnam (aka: Kat), about her love of pinball and also making awesome and very yummy pinball shaped birthday cakes amongst other sweet creations!

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: How did you get into pinball?
Kat: I always liked it as a kid, but stumbled across the pinball community after researching some unique venues for my 40th birthday party. FlipOut Melbourne 2019 popped up in my Facebook feed, which turned out to be my first pinball event I attended and am now hooked on pinball!

ARG: What do you enjoy about competitive pinball?
Kat: Although I’m not playing to win (as there’s so many skilled players), it does give you motivation and purpose to play. I enjoy two player games as well for that reason, having a reason to gain points also makes you aware of what to aim for in the games.

Most people who aren’t in the pinball community (like myself at first) wouldn’t even be aware that there are certain goals to achieve in the game. It’s so much more than just aimlessly flipping those flippers! The competition side of it is also fun as everyone shares their advice on the games.

ARG: Favourite pinball machines (& why they are your fave)?
Kat: I have so many favourites! Funny enough, it’s not ones that I thought would be my favourites (ie: based on themes). For example, I’ve never watched Guardians of the Galaxy, yet that is one of the most fun to play as it’s so easy to activate multi ball! Whereas Super Mario Bros which I’ve been a fan since the very first one, isn’t as fun as I’d hoped!

My other favourites I’ve played at the Australian Pinball Museum are Total Nuclear Annihilation (designed by Spooky Pinball), it’s a very fast playing game designed to have an 80s theme with modern technology, it even has a bass amp!

I also discovered Revenge from Mars at the museum which is a fun game and a nice smooth playfield. It looks (shape) like an old school stand-up arcade machine. It has a projection which changes for each scene you play. It also has my two favourite colours, red and green!

I’m hoping to play Stern’s Stranger Things in the near future! Other favourite pinball machines to play include:

  • Ghostbusters
  • Pirates of the Caribbean (LE)
  • Medieval Madness
  • The Simpson’s Pinball Party
  • The Walking Dead
  • Johnny Mnemonic
  • Judge Dredd (Super multi ball mode)
  • Bonsai Run
  • America’s Most Haunted (nice smooth playfield)
  • Jackbot
  • The Munsters (purely for the cute mini pinball game under the main playfield)

Favourite machines based on appearance, are JJP’s:

  • Willy Wonka; and
  • Wizard of Oz (love those ruby ‘flippers’!!)

Katrina’s brilliant creation! That playfield looks so flowy (and darn yummy)!

ARG: Tell us more about your awesome pinball birthday cake – what it’s got inside it and how long it took to make?
Kat: The cake itself is basically a Mars Bar slice, with a layer of chocolate, then fondant icing (pre-rolled from the supermarket) and the edible icing sheet with the playfield printed onto it.

The cake is complete with edible silver coated Maltesers ‘pinball’ and fairy lights for effect. The actual making of the cake and assembly/decorating only took a few hours. However, designing the playfield took about 10hrs all up, not including the backbox, which I designed separately and my husband, Luke, helped add lights to make it come alive.

As I mentioned initially, instead of traditional cake, I made a super thick Mars Bar slice (about 18 mars bars in it!) as I wanted it to be very sturdy, plus we had the petite cupcakes so then guests could have both cake and slice.

The slice itself didn’t take long to prepare, it was more designing the playfield to be printed onto an edible icing sheet. Since I’m no graphic designer and only have very basic skills in paint editing software, it took about 2 days at around 5hrs/day to design.

I found a website where you could design your own virtual pinball playfields. There were some uploaded that could be downloaded, so I took a screenshot so I had the general playfield already designed and edited the image by removing/adding images, customising to include little details about myself/things I love and changing up the colours. It took a long time as I only had Paint3D on my computer, and was basically self educating using the program as I went along. Plus, some images needed pixel by pixel filling/erasing, which took a long time.

The cupcakes were made by a cake shop, they were red velvet and I just added the edible ‘pinballs’ on top. ARG: Wow, just wow. Wish we could have a slice – Mars Bar cake is our fave!

ARG: We absolutely love your cake, I mean it looks like a playable pinball machine, and it is made out of Mars Bars! Have you made other cool cakes?
Kat: I haven’t really, as I’ve only learnt a bit of cake decorating from high school for one semester where we made and decorated a Christmas cake. For that one, I decorated mine with cartoon characters.

The other thing I’ve made isn’t a cake as such, but Choc truffle bouquets, where I customise the colour of the choc coating then match it with similar coloured edible glitter and decorations and make it into an edible bouquet.

The yummy choc truffle bouquet that was the inspiration for the pinballs!

The only other recent cake I’ve made was a ‘joke’ cake I made for my friend’s kitchen tea, which was a take on the Masterchef’s (a reality TV cooking show) lolly-bag cake complete with detailed ‘pressure test’ instructions! Except, mine had about 12 layers of all different flavoured lolly themes, such as Musk frosting, banana lolly syrup and popping candy choc spread. It was hideous and tasted horrible but it was hilarious!

Katrina’s joke cake! We actually wouldn’t mind trying this one.

Well there you have it peeps. Katrina’s natural talents and passion for pinball have culminated into one amazing birthday cake that not only looks great, but is also darn yummy (we are still drooling and waiting for our piece!).

Well done and thank you for chatting to us Kat. We wish you all the best on your special occasion and of course, in your pinball playing journey.

The pinball cake whitewood!

Playfield done!

The finished product! We can stare at it all day.
image source: used with permission from Katrina Pingnam

 

Celebrating Our 8th Anniversary!

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It is amazing to think that we started ausretrogamer 8 years ago! How time flies when you are having fun!

When we started our site and social media channels in January 2012, we had no idea what was to come. We were pleasantly surprised to find so many like-minded people who enjoyed playing and talking about old games we used to play many many decades ago. Nostalgia is a powerful force that binds us all – long may it continue!

To all the people that have contributed and to those that are still contributing content and everyone that engages with us, thank you very much – you all rock our world!

Looking forward to another year full of retro gaming goodness 🙂