Is pinball on the way back.

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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:49 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21200001

This should be right up the boss's street. (Shiver) Laughing

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:59 pm

I had a wasted youth and still can't help myself when I see a pinball machine standing there alone. I have to play it!
I just love them and wish I had the money and space to house them. If we are expecting a resurgence, then I'm looking forward to it. jump_4_joy

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:21 am

I always loved the game.

At one point I owned the Star Trek machine ( can't remember what it was actually called) but sold it during a moment of weakness. Currently I have a non functioning digital machine (Totem) that I will one day fix but I have been saying that since the mid-nineties.

An old friend of mine fixes and sells the classic units on occasion but always wants way too much money for them. His pride and joy is an analogue Captain Fantastic machine. I never knew such a thing actually existed as I thought they were the first digital units to hit the market.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Good stuff. Great way to ferret out the older members.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:26 am

Fowan Nine wrote:

I had a wasted youth

Pinball was a big part of my misspent youth. Our favorite bowling alley had a room with 8-10 machines. Whenever a new one came in it took us 3 or 4 days to figure out how to cheat it.

Some folklore (or perhaps not): Pete Townshend wrote Pinball Wizard to catch the attention of a music critic who was a known pinball freak.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:33 am

* Mysterious strummy harp music *

Oo, It's 1983 and I'm in The Red Lion, Liverpool Rd, Islington N1.

They had this one based on a 50's American Drive-in Dinner. Played it every day for years until I knew every facet of the game.

Then they changed it to another one (Based on the A-Team I think) and I lost interest. Didn't want to start the leaning curve all over again.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:38 am

Oh happy days ..... Many an evening was spent with a 3 inch flipper Gottlieb.

I still remember the mechanical "CLUNK!" when my skills were rewarded with a Free Game.

#sure plays a mean pin ball # Cool

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:53 am

Used to play on the old style Gottlieb ones in the 1970's (they would probably be worth a few quid nowadays for their retro / kitsch value alone) and in the early 1990's used to play Star Trek and Terminator ones but they seem to have disappeared since from cafes and pubs etc

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:06 am

I just remembered that "3D Pinball: Space Cadet " comes pre-installed with Windows - up to but not including W7.

Just short of 3 million points on my first game in years !

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:16 pm

^I've got that on my netbook. Love it. Crap at it, but love it. Very Happy

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

spot wrote:

I still remember the mechanical "CLUNK!" when my skills were rewarded with a Free Game.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:59 pm

3D Pinball: Space Cadet

Go to Google, enter the above.

Click on Microsoft 3D Pinball: Space Cadet for windows vista & 7- home

Click on Download at top of page.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:37 pm

spot wrote:

I still remember the mechanical "CLUNK!" when my skills were rewarded with a Free Game.

...And the digital one's gave off a noise like a "Astra" banger. Very Happy

Edited to name correct brand

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 1:02 am

The only pinball games I liked were Airport, Road Race, Batter Up, Attack from Mars, Flip-A-Card, Snow Derby, Snow Queen, Flying Carpet , Jumping Jack /Jack In The Box, Jungle Life, Wild Life, Jungle, Big Shot, High Hand, Big Indian, "Sky Jump", Fast Draw, Abracadabra, Spin Out, "300", Buccaneer, Surf Champ, Royal Flush 4 player version of Card Whiz, Sure Shot, Target Alpha, Volley, Solar City, Fire Queen, Jet Spin and Pyramid if there was nothing else to play.

I like the clean table and elegant shot requirement of Flying Carpet but have been drawn into the pure escapism of the multiball bonus available on more recent games.

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:33 pm

^That's all huh? You're a discerning player. Wink

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 1:31 pm

More info & trivia....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:09 pm

^^^ great reference. I forgot I also liked one of the first talking machines, Zenon. Its like forgetting one of your first boyfriends.

I once got a "B" on an economics paper on pinball. The prof said I did a great job but pinball was not a good topic. After the Wall Street Journal did a write up it he suggest it as a paper topic. I am a little sad as it soured me from Wall Street and my classmates have made a killing.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 30 Mar 2012 Posts: 949

I spent a lot of time playing one called Firepower. I tended to gravitate more toward the arcade games though. Once upon a time I had an emulator that would run just about any pinball game ever made. Fun, but I miss being able to play the real thing.

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