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Get Ready To Flip Out At The Melbourne Pinball Expo

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If Chicago can have a Pinball Expo, then why not Melbourne!

The pandemic may have stifled many an event and expos, including the awesome FlipOut, but you can’t keep a good pinball event down!

From the FlipOut ashes the Melbourne Pinball Expo (MPE) has risen, just like the legendary phoenix. The Melbourne Pinball Expo has been scheduled for later this year, from November 30th to December 1st and will be held at the Matthew Flinders Hotel in Chadstone – a stone’s throw from the Chadstone Shopping Centre – the fashion capital 😉 We honestly can’t wait for this 2 days of absolute pinball bliss.

Highlights from FlipOut 2018

Melbourne Pinball Expo will feature pinball machines from every major manufacturer for you to flip on (woohoo!), and will also host special guests from the USA, like Jersey Jack himself, who will reveal JJP’s latest title! As time nears, we’ll have updates on the machines that will be on the floor to play and the rest of the special guests list.

We love our pinball events in Melbourne, so a big thank you goes to the organisers – Pinball Transport, GDA Australia, Pinball Sales Australia and  fellow distributors, resellers and contributors for putting this event on for us pinball fans!

For ticketing information and purchases, please go here.

These are the distributors, resellers, contributors and manufacturers that will have pinball machines available at Melbourne Pinball Expo

 

 

Zax Amusements Is Now At A Bigger & Better Location

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Looks like 2023 is the start of new beginnings!

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

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

image source: Zax Amusements



Star Wars Pin: The Force Is Strong In This One!

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We recently visited our friends at Zax Amusements to wish them all the best for the Festive Season and while we were there we got to play Stern’s Star Wars Pin. In case you weren’t aware, this is the ‘home’ edition of Stern’s popular Star Wars commercial pinball machines.

Don’t let the ‘home’ moniker fool you, this machine shares a lot of DNA with its bigger brother, like the Spike operational system architecture, flipper, drop targets, slingshots and pop bumper sub-assemblies. Not only that, the playfield dimensions are also identical! The best part of this machine is its price, at AU$6,850 it is almost $2,500 cheaper than the entry level Star Wars Pro model. So for those budget conscious pinball fans that are into Star Wars and don’t want the complex maintenance, this machine may be for you.

So how does it play? Well, since it’s a George Gomez designed game, it of course shoots darn well! All of the 11-shots (in a fan layout) feel great when nailed, some being easier than others, which makes it great for all skill levels. What we loved most about this machine was its flow and ease of understanding in how to progress through the game, including getting to the timed wizard mode called Jedi Multiball. The implementation of sounds and iconic dialogue from the original Star Wars trilogy also add to the overall experience and theme immersion. Nothing is ever perfect in this world, so our main gripe was the small screen as we struggled to view the videos when looking up quickly while playing, meaning we missed our shot and drained our ball. Apart from this niggle, we felt that there was enough on the playfield to shoot at, from drop targets, a spinner that sounds awesome when hit and the two ramps, to keep us coming back for one more go – we were hooked by the FORCE.

For those that love easy to understand rules and objectives, this machine keeps things fairly simple – hit the F-O-R-C-E target on the left side of the playfield to light up each letter. Once FORCE is all complete, the Rebels (Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker) are then lit, which you then shoot one (for example Luke Skywalker) and proceed to complete the designated shots for that character. Once all Rebel characters are completed (including R2-D2), the timed wizard mode Jedi Multiball begins, with the objective being to rescue Luke, Princess Leia and Han Solo by shooting the lit shots before time runs out – pretty straight forward if you manage to not lose that elusive silverball.

With four multiballs, including the aforementioned timed wizard mode Jedi Multiball, super jackpots, timed double scoring, bonus mutlipliers and the clever R2-D2 ball lock (which you can use to start or steal your opponents locked ball for the R2-D2 mutliball) , there is enough depth in the game to have you playing over and over again. Without a doubt, one of our fave and most satisfying objectives and shot (apart from ripping the blaster spinner) is destroying the Death Star – the light show, video and sound are choreographed perfectly, making you feel like you had a hand in the Rebels bringing down the Empire.

This game really surprised us. We love pinball, so we were sceptical at first since this machine is targeted for the home. But once we started flipping it, all that scepticism went away. The total package does look and feel good, from the art, sound, sound effects to the video (even though the screen is on the small side) and general playfield, we felt like we were in the original Star Wars universe. If you are interested in Stern’s Star Wars Pin, you can contact the folks at Zax Amusements today to have a flip and see if it is for you. However, if after playing it you feel that this machine is not to your liking, then then check out the commercial-grade Star Wars Comic edition.

The Force is definitely strong in this Pin!

 

 

 

Diary Of A First Time Pinball Buyer

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Ah life, it can be quite stressful and difficult at times, so it’s even more imperative to inject as much fun as you can for yourself and your family.

If there is one thing we know about pinball, it’s a lot of fun, no matter your age. The other thing about pinball, once you get bitten by the silverball bug, there is no shaking it off – it becomes part of your life.

This is exactly what happened to our brother-in-law, Nick. Once he (and his family) experienced pinball in the comfort of our Fun Factory, there was a twinkle in the eye that we had seen before – it happened to us years before, when we had been bitten by the same bug. Nick was hooked. He made it his mission to one day get a pinball machine for his family home.

Looking for your first pinball machine can be a daunting task. Which pinball machine do you choose? Will your family and friends enjoy your choice of pin? Do you go new or secondhand? What budget should you allocate? Once you answer these questions, you then have to decide, do you trawl the internet, forum or social media marketplaces to find your machine or do you go to a traditional bricks and mortar establishment to try before you buy?

Our advice to Nick was simple, when looking for your first home pinball machine, the most important aspect is to play and experience as many different machines as possible – this then determines the style of games, layouts and themes you (and your family) enjoy, which helps narrowing the choice of candidate machines. Once Nick got to play a myriad of machines at locations around Melbourne, he quickly had a number of candidates he wanted to check out and also have his family to play them to ensure they enjoyed them as much as he did.

After trying his hand at secondhand pinball machines, Nick found the process difficult and frustrating, as machines were either not as advertised, or worse, not in a working state. To help Nick, we told him about our dealings with Zax Amusements when we were buying our pinball machine, which made the whole process a breeze, with added peace of mind that we weren’t buying a lemon. This reassurance gave Nick the confidence to go to Zax with his family to play test the machines in their showroom and chat about his options to buy a new or secondhand pinball machine.

Before making his final decision, Nick checked out other Stern pinball machines at Zax Amusements

When purchasing a pinball machine, the family should be included in the decision making

With the family decision being made, Nick ordered a new Stern Pinball Star Wars Premium machine. He was kept informed of every step of the process, from when the machine would  land in Australia, to his options in adding optional features and most importantly, delivery and setup. Once the machine arrived at Zax Amusements, Nick was invited to be present during the unboxing and setup of the machine. This level of customer service was the reason we recommended Zax Amusements to Nick.

Speaking to Nick about his overall experience in purchasing his first pinball machine, he informed us that he appreciated the peace of mind by dealing with a reputable distributor with great customer service. As for playing the machine, we are happy to report that it has been played every day since it was delivered, which is music to our ears. The Force is definitely strong in pinball.

All eyes are on Star Wars!

After playing many machines, it was settled –  Stern’s Star Wars Premium was the chosen one!

Nick’s Star Wars Premium pinball machine on the line at the Stern Pinball factory in Chicago!

The machines are ready to travel across the globe from the US to Australia!

After a long ship ride, Nick’s machine lands in Australia!

Unboxing and going over the machine

The proud owner of their first pinball machine – it’s a beauty!

Play testing – it works flawlessly!

Playfield looks all good!

Getting the machine ready for delivery

Delivered safe and sound!

Final checks, adjustments and setup of the pinball machine

Family test – passed with flying colours!

One happy camper! May the Force Be with You.

Many thanks to Nick for allowing us to tell his story, Zax Amusements for allowing us to follow Nick in their showroom and prep area, and Zach Sharpe from Stern Pinball Inc. for providing photos of the Star Wars Premium machines rolling off the assembly line.

 

Flipout 2019 Highlights: We Had A (Silver) Ball!

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We always look forward to Mr. Pinball Australia Flipout Show as it gives us a chance to play heaps of pinball machines we would otherwise never get a chance to play out in the wild.

Flipout 2019 delivered the desired ‘pinball fix’ we were after, a state of pinball high which we are still riding – the buzz of playing so many pinball machines is still with us, days after the conclusion of the show! To say we had a (silver) ball at Flipout 2019, would be a gross understatement – we loved it!

A lot of hard work goes into preparing and setting up a show of this magnitude, so kudos must be given to Wayne Gillard and his Mr. Pinball Australia team, Martin Robbins from Melbourne Silverball and Scott Kellett from Zax Amusements for supplying over 70 wonderful fun machines for us to enjoy all weekend long. From our highlights package below, you’ll see that each era was represented, from gorgeous EM (Electro-Mechanical) machines, early and late Solid State machines to DMD and right up to the current LCD based pinball machines, the show catered for all pinball tastes.

The awesome folks that brought Flipout 2019 alive [L to R]: Scott Kellett (Zax Amusements) and Wayne Gillard (Mr. Pinball Australia)

The ever smiling Martin Robbins (Melbourne Silverball), showrunning the tournaments at Flipout 2019

From the pinball smorgasbord the most popular were the new offerings from American Pinball (Oktoberfest), Jersey Jack Pinball (Willy Wonka), Stern Pinball Inc. (Jurassic Park), Chicago Gaming Company (Monster Bash Remake) and Spooky Pinball (Alice Cooper’s Nightmare Castle). The Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) machines proved popular all weekend long, with a long wait to play on Dialed In and Pirates of The Caribbean machines.

The JJP and Stern machines were popular with all attendees!

We had a blast playing some mid-1990s machines we hadn’t played in a long time, like Williams’ No Fear, Junk Yard and the original Monster Bash. Stern’s Elvis LE pinball machine was a surprise blast which had us pressing the start button more than a few times. Lord Of The Rings was another blast from the past which left us smiling ear to ear – an absolute brilliant machine. It was also great to experience the lesser known titles for the first time, like Thunderbirds (we won’t comment any further on this one!). We reacquainted ourselves with Team Pinball’s The Mafia and Spooky’s America’s Most Haunted – it still plays like a dream.

The Flipout 2019 walkthrough!

The highlight and ‘Best In Show’ machine for 2019 for us was Haggis Pinball‘s debut title, CELTS! This pinball machine blew our expectations by a mile. Not only was this Australian designed and made machine looking gorgeous (we love the Scottish Highland Games art theme by Sam Greenwood, aka: Most Ill), but it also sounded great (we love bagpipes) and most importantly, it played like a dream – the shots felt true and fun to hit, with the geometry being spot on. The upper flipper was fun to smack the ball around and also bumping the ball in the upper playfield against the slings definitely kept us smiling while playing. Even though the CELTS pinball machine was a pre-production model, the whole package still felt solid, something that you would expect from a JJP Collector’s Edition or Stern Limited Edition machine. We actually can’t stop thinking about CELTS, and at the current entry price point, it is very very tempting to add one to our collection.

A neat little non-pinball touch were the balloons around the floor, these created a festive mood and the mini chocolates strewn around the venue were great for our energy levels to keep us flipping.

Enjoy the Flipout 2019 highlights and we hope to see you there in 2020!

The Sandbelt Hotel – the perfect venue for Flipout 2019

Energy to keep us flippin!

We love a signed flyer!

The Melbourne Silverball Flipout 2019 tournament machines are checked one final time!

Oo’er, aren’t the tournament trophies just so gorgeous!

Having a well earned rest!

 

PAX Aus 2019 was a Classic

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Wow, PAX Aus 2019 was an absolute blast! What a great 3 days. We just wish it went for longer.

The Classic Gaming area was busy with many attendees coming in and enjoying everything that was on offer; from classic gaming systems, vintage handhelds, to old school arcade and pinball machines. The Australian Pinball Museum display exhibit was a new addition in the pinball section which proved popular due to never before seen items, like the 10 metre bill of material print out from the Fish Tales pinball machine (it cost just under US$1800.00). But wait, that wasn’t all, the display pieces in the console section were yet again getting a lot of attention, especially Shane Battye’s very exotic development kits and prototype systems.

It is always great to get recognition from BIG gaming companies. Thanks PlayStation Australia!


To see attendees enjoying some nostalgia and having fun with their friends and family is exactly why we love putting together the Classic Gaming area every year at PAX Aus.

If you could not attend PAX Aus 2019 or you just want to reminisce, here are our highlights from an action packed three days – make sure you scroll slowly through the photos to take it all in!

On behalf of the PAX Aus Classic Gaming team**, thanks to all who swung by to have a game and say hello. We hope to see you guys in 2020!

PS: Keep an eye out for our Rest of PAX Aus 2019 Highlights post in the coming days!

** PAX Aus Classic Gaming team and contributors: Ausretrogamer, Weird And Retro, Press Play On Tape Podcast, Bartronica, Skott K. & Zax Amusements, Bayside Pinball Club, Mr. Pinball Australia, Australian Pinball Museum, Greg Pell, Cameron Bonde & Chris Van Graas.

Walk-through the Classic Gaming Area

Amazing historical pinball items on show in the Classic Gaming area!

 

Hope to see you all at PAX AUS 2020!

 

Flipout 2019 Ticket Giveaway!

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Thanks to our friends at Zax Amusements, we are giving away a weekend double pass for two people to enjoy Flipout 2019 on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27.

To be in the running for the Flipout 2019 weekend double pass, all you have to do is post a photo of your favourite pinball machine on our Twitter or Facebook page (don’t forget to tag us!) with the hashtag .

Entry is open to Australian residents that can attend Flipout 2019 on October 26 and/or 27! If you are interstate and will be travelling to Melbourne during those dates, please note that this giveaway does not include travel or accommodation. The other condition of entry is that the double passes do not give you entry to the pinball tournaments.

Are you flippin pumped to enter? If you are (and you should be!), then you better hurry, as entries close on October 1 at 3:00pm. The lucky winner will be notified on October 2.

Good luck and see you at Flipout 2019!

PS: If you want to get a feel for what to expect at this year’s Flipout, check out the highlights from Flipout 2018!

 

Stern’s Jurassic Park Pinball Finds Its Way To Australia

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Following his brilliant debut with Iron Maiden, Stern’s pinball designer extraordinaire, Keith Elwin somehow finds a way to go that one bit better with his second effort, Jurassic Park!

With an invite from our friends at Zax Amusements to play the specially air-freighted Jurassic Park Pro pinball machine, we got to be one of the first people in Australia to flip Stern’s dinosaur themed pinball machine – the greatest adventure of all time.

Being a cornerstone title, Jurassic Park pinball comes in three distinct models; Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE), which cater for all matter of tastes and budgets. The three models feature a Jungle Adventure Vehicle target in the middle of the playfield that is a spinning Newton Ball – a kinetic target that registers direct hits, which then determines the direction players navigate on the island during gameplay, and also lights the T-Rex modes. The pinball machines all include three flippers, four custom ramps, a spinning “Spitter” target, in-lane up/down lock post that sets up critical playfield shots and distinctive hand-drawn art by Johnny Crapp, highlighting the iconic dinosaurs from the blockbuster series.

As the model names suggest, the Premium and Limited Edition of Jurassic Park come with a few extra bells and whistles like the animatronic ball-eating, ball-throwing T-Rex that interacts with the ball. These models also include an interactive Raptor and Raptor Pen featuring a ball-lock mechanism guarded by a motorised gate. With unique mosquito-in-amber pop bumpers, custom metal horizontal helicopter spinner and distinct artwork to name just a few extras, the Premium and LE do really step it up.

If you are (or were a fan) of the original Jurassic Park movie, then you will feel right at home as this pinball machine transports you to Isla Nublar to rescue park staff and recapture dinosaurs from the chaotic environment unleashed by Dennis Nedry’s computer virus. Of course not all dinosaurs are cute and cuddly, so you will need to battle the clever Raptors and the mighty and menacing T-Rex! The game aims to immerse the player in all things Jurassic Park by packing a fun world of battling dinosaurs, which it achieves in spades.

So what were our first impressions of this dino-themed pinball machine? Let’s just say it was worth waiting 65 million years! We found the Jurassic Park Pro model we played to be a brilliantly smooth and flowing shooter with a tonne of things to aim and hit that give you an endorphin rush when nailing your shot(s). You know a pinball game has you hooked when its skill shot (hitting the T-Rex ramp) puts a huge smile on your face right out of the gate. Even though the game felt easy to get into and make your shots, it’s deceptively difficult, which makes it perfect for all skill levels and gives the game depth and longevity – you won’t be bored of this one any time soon. The satisfaction of hitting the silverball with your three flippers is complimented by an awesome audio and visual package which completes the immersion of the theme.

Jurassic Park pinball feels fresh and different from any other machines we have played in the last decade or so. Coupled with its unique Elwin-esque layout, this machine is worth a play or two 😉

If you want to experience this awesome dino pinball adventure in person, go and check it out at Pixel Alley!

Welcome to…

 

Star Wars Pin: The Force Will Be With You

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If you missed the news from last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, Stern Pinball Inc. announced their new home edition pinball machine, Star Wars Pin!

Jack Danger of Dead Flip fame streamed the new machine from the event and we have to admit, we really liked what we saw. If you missed Jack’s Twitch stream of Star Wars Pin, you can catch it here or check it out below.

Watch Star Wars Pin, Live from ComiCon from DeadFlip on www.twitch.tv

With a price point of AU$6,850*, the Star Wars Pin machine will hit Australian shores in October for those budget conscious pinball enthusiasts that want their pinball fix at home.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a smaller or massively cut-down version of a pinball machine – Star Wars Pin is still a commercial grade pinball machine with the same playfield dimensions plus all of the sub-assemblies (flippers, drop targets, slingshots, bumpers) of it’s big brother Stern cornerstone machines, but without the coin mechanism or coin wiring, hence the home edition moniker. Coupled with Stern’s ‘Spike‘ system (operating architecture), this Star Wars Pin becomes an attractive proposition for Star Wars and pinball fans alike.

For those of you that get nervous thinking about the maintenance of a pinball machine, don’t fret, as long as you keep the machine clean and change the rubbers (dependant on the amount of play), you should see many many years of trouble-free and fun times with Stern’s Star Wars Pin!

We look forward to play testing this pinball machine once it hits our shores and telling you all what we think – so stay tuned. If you are keen on Star Wars Pin, hit up your local distributor (AMD or Zax Amusements) now!

* dependant on $AUD/$USD exchange rate between now and October 2019.

image source: AMD via Stern Pinball

 

First Impressions: Black Knight – Sword of Rage

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Watch-out, that Black Knight’s flail is one mean mech! This game is brutally fast, unforgiving and a whole lotta damn fun!

The thumping soundtrack from Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian greets us as we approached Stern’s new offering, Black Knight: Sword of Rage (Pro model) at Zax Amusements. The striking artwork is typical Stern, it’s high calibre like their other titles, something that we have grown accustomed to, and possibly take for granted. The Black Knight mech with it’s glowing menacing eyes, the spinning flail and shield are the centrepiece of this Steve Ritchie designed game. Oh yeah, we can’t go any further without mentioning that Steve Ritchie lends his voice to the Black Knight.

Just in case you weren’t around 40 years ago, here is a quick recap: the iconic pinball character, the Black Knight, makes his return in 2019 to entertain new (and old) generations of pinball players with the third game in the Black Knight trilogy, the Stern Pinball made Black Knight: Sword of Rage. Dare we say, this could be Steve’s magnum opus (Ed: Actually, all of Steve’s pinball creations are magnum opuses!).

Before we get to our first impressions and thoughts on this game, we can tell you that this machine comes in three models, Pro, Premium and Limited Edition. We got to play the Pro edition at Zax Amusements with the optional mirror blades, which we highly recommend you get with your machine as it adds depth of field. Since we only played the Pro model, we can’t really compare it to the Premium and Limited Edition models which both feature a transparent upper playfield with a distinct 3-ball lock mechanism for a 6-ball multiball.

OK, here we go, Black Knight; Sword of Rage is a helluva lot of fun! Our games on the machine were short, brutal and enjoyable. Most importantly, the game had us coming back to it over and over again. We actually wondered why we wanted to play the game again since it was so brutal, but the simple fact is, the game is just so much fun to play and we just wanted to keep battling that damn menacing Black Knight and see if we could progress further in the game.

We read a lot of negative comments about the game’s playfield lacking toys and other interactive mechs, but we are here to tell you that sometimes less is more! In the case of this machine, once you press the start button it does a great job in immersing you in the battle against the evil doer and his horde. This immersion is accomplished via stunning hand-drawn artwork, brilliant integrated LCD visuals, a ripper soundtrack, great call-outs from Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson and of course Steve’s voice as the Black Knight. And the cherry on top of this yummy pinball cake is the custom sculpted, interactive, and multi-functional Black Knight bash toy. But wait, there is more to this bash toy than meets the eye – the Black Knight has a bi-directional motorised flail, a glowing RGB helmet with individually controllable expressive lighting to taunt you with and a sliding (coil-driven) shield that brutally bashes and blocks your shots – we found this was the quickest way to drain our silverball, even with the Magna Save button (which is on the lock-down bar), we were constantly too late at activating it – perhaps the Magna Save button would have been better served near the right flipper button, but that is a slight niggle we could overcome by playing the game more.

The old expression of never judge a book by its cover comes to mind when attempting to write about our first impressions of Black Knight: Sword of Rage. We admit that when we first saw the game on the net, we thought, “is that it?”, but boy were we wrong! If you are or were a fan of the previous iterations of Black Knight, then this game compliments them perfectly and brings the franchise into the 21st century. Our final word, reserve judgement till you stand over the machine and have a go. You never know, you may be pleasantly surprised. Now go to battle!

Black Knight: Sword of Rage pinball machines are available right now from Zax Amusements.

Thanks to Phil and Scott from Zax Amusements for their hospitality and opportunity to play Stern’s Black Knight: Sword of Rage.