Pinball General

[Anonymous No.860859]

I play pinball! Does anyone else? I never thought it'd be this cool. (I was raised on more modern gaming consoles...)

Major cities have loads of places to play pinball. Las Vegas has the Pinball Hall of Fame. From Internet reports, it seems to be a little decrepit, but it is also a very thorough collection.

These sites seem to be helpful in finding public pinball machines:
http://pinballmap.com/
http://www.pinballrebel.com/locator/locationsearchform.php

Pinball seems to be undergoing quite a resurgance from the shitty 2000s. Games like Pinball FX2 (modern game, modern fake tables) and The Pinball Arcade (modern game, retro / re-created tables) are doing quite well. I wish the Pinball Arcade UI was better, but the table selection seems pretty neat. Fresh off of digitizing The Twilight Zone and Star Trek: The Next Generation, they're trying to get the license for Terminator 2. They need the help of pinball enthusiasts though. You can find more about that with a quick Google search.

Pinball Regrets:
>Local bowling alley has The Twilight Zone
>Never played it
>Gain interest in pinball several years later
>It no longer has it
>Still have never played The Twilight Zone, the highest-rated pinball game ever

Fan projects like Visual Pinball and Future Pinball also hope to re-create some classic tables. Since they're not professionally done I find the quality is sometimes lacking.

[Anonymous No.860864]

How's this for a pinball collection? This is what The Pinball Arcade has right now.

Attack from Mars
Big Shot
Black Hole
Black Knight
Cactus Canyon
Centaur
Central Park
Champion Pub
Cirqus Voltaire
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Dr. Dude
Elvira and the Party Monsters
Firepower
FunHouse
Genie
Gorgar
Harley-Davidson, 3rd Edition
Medieval Madness
Monster Bash
No Good Gofers
Pin*Bot
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Scared Stiff
Space Shuttle
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Taxi
The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot
Theatre of Magic
Twilight Zone
Whirlwind
White Water

Considering real pinball costs 25 cents per play, the regular prices are pretty good. Sale prices, even better.

[Anonymous No.862809]

No pinball love?

[Anonymous No.862832]

>>860864
Medieval Madness HNNNGGGG

[Anonymous No.862943]

what exactly makes 1 pinball table better than I other.

I assume its about what has the more complicated scoring system

[Anonymous No.862957]

>>860864
No Guns N' Roses? My heart...

[Anonymous No.863758]

>>862943
There's a lot of factors!

Sometimes it's as simple as the theme. If you really like Star Trek, you'll probably like all the little references in the pinball table.

The main reason, though, is the design of the table itself. Like most games, gameplay is king. Games like The Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, and Star Trek: TNG are notable for the complexity in their designs. There's more to most pinball games than stopping the ball from falling down the hole at the bottom: there are all kinds of special modes.

[Anonymous No.863786]

>>862943
It's a combination of how cool or fun the board is, in terms of decoration and lighting; how much skill plays a factor - that is, whether or not you can actually get better the more you play; and how exciting it is to play overall in terms of board density, secrets to unlock, multiballs, etc.

The best pinball boards have enough of a luck factor that you can surprise yourself with a decent score even on your first play, but enough skill required that you can't make the leaderboard without working your ass off for it. Also, good pinball tables don't have cheap losses, like abnormally wide flippers or a ball launcher that fires your ball straight between the flippers half the time.

My favorites are Dr. Who and The Lord of the Rings.

[Anonymous No.863789]

>>860864

I wish that would come out for PC already. I can't get enough of Arabian Nights

[Anonymous No.863797]

>>863789
You and me both. I haven't bought it on any platform because the 360 is a clusterfuck and I don't have a Mac/iPad. PS3 would be okay but it's my brother's system, not mine.

[Anonymous No.863843]

>>862943
For virtual tables (ie. games), I would name three important factors: physics, table design and audio/visuals (ie. stuff that doesn't directly affect gameplay, but sets the atmosphere).

I haven't played much either IRL or virtual tables, but the Pro Pinball series really shines in all three areas. I might even say that I haven't played other pinball games (or at least the ones avaible on PC) because they don't live up to the standards these games already set in the late 90's: the physics are realistic as fuck, the prerendered graphics look still damn pretty (picture related) and the skill level is just perfect, varying from Fantastic Journey (simple but still challenging) to Timeshock and BRUSA (complex in terms of both physical table design and "game modes", latter even more so).

[Anonymous No.863865]

Also, have a motherfucking remake.
http://www.pro-pinball.com/

>>863786
>enough of a luck factor that you can surprise yourself with a decent score even on your first play
I'm not so sure how I feel about that.
I had played Pro Pinball: Big Race USA's demo only a few times as a child (ie. not enough to remember anything about the game), but when I tried it once again I got accidentally into a crazy multiball mode that also gave several MINUTES of ball saving so I ended up shooting tons of jackpots and eventually beating the internal grandmaster score on my very first game.
>don't have cheap losses
I think this is implemented very well in Pro Pinball: in Timeshock, the left out lane has a gate that can return the ball by luck or a skilled nudge, the right outlane has a magnosave which requires a good timing (and must be lit after use by shooting targets) and the center drain has a pin in the middle that bounces balls which comes from dead above. The center pin is the same as in FJ, but the magnosave is in the left outlane while the right outlane has an automatic returner (once again, both need to lit to use).
You don't even need to really learn nudging in these games to reach good scores, which eases my heart.

[Anonymous No.864753]

>>862832

I was never big into pinball. But when I was a wee-kid and still in daycare, they took us to PGN (near Chicago Ridge if anyone is from this area) and it was the first week they got medieval madness in. We all crowded around the machine and watched this guy just completely destroy the game. He beats it (from what I can remember. I think it just ends up looping at the end?) and then eventually just loses because he gets bored.

That's probably, literally, my only pinball memory aside from, like, Kirby's Pinball and Space Cadet. I've played so many but I suck too hard at pinball. I can get streaks of god luck but never enough to complete a table.

[Anonymous No.866536]

Thoughts on Pinball FX2 on steam?

I think it's pretty fucking stellar, there's also a free table now if you download the free base client through steam.

[Anonymous No.866549]

pinball is awesome. two best runs i ever had was on a mario bros pinball table (easy table) and the congo pinball table. There is only one pinball game in my town, thats a pirates of the Caribbean table and I will go in and play it when I can.

[Anonymous No.866559]

>>863758
I like Star Trek, but I really don't like the table. It's one of the harder tables on the pinball arcade I've found.
In saying that I really love the older tables
>Big Shot
Still trying to hit all the stripes and solids on one ball, man I play this one daily
>Black Hole
dat under the table reversed section
>Genie
wide table, tiny flipper section in the top left and the basic sound effects are so awesome
>Gorgar
a no frills table with a cool dark and demonic theme that makes me wonder how it was released back when it was without controversy.

My faves would have to be the two Elvira tables. I was never an Elvira fan but there is just an indescribable charm to the two pinball games that bears her likeness (and Scared Stiff is so god damn easy once you get the hang of it).

[Anonymous No.866586]

Any general pinball tips? I've seen my scores go from less than a million to 10+ through perseverance but I'm still quite a few mil shy of beating a friends high score. How do I up my game?

[Anonymous No.866591]

Powerless humans.

[Anonymous No.866717]

>>866586

Could you give some examples of what tables you play and what scores you get? It'd help in judging how good you are.

To me, pinball is all about the strategy, which varies heavily from table to table. You've got to have a solid strategy first, the "skill" develops over time.

[Anonymous No.866732]

>>866717
I got the marvel pack for that new pinball game on steam, it has a friend list leaderboard.

I can get 12 mil in Wolverine, 9 mil in Spiderman, 8 mil in Blade and I haven't really tried Iron Man.

IRL my dad has the Flinstones movie table although I can't remember my best score for that.

[Anonymous No.866761]

>>866591
Oh I had that !
It was awesome !

[Anonymous No.866790]

>>866586
Takes time, learn the table, find the "sweet spots" on the flippers so you can hit the loops in succession (an easy way to multiply your score).
Most Pinball tables have in-numerous multipliers and jackpots that take time and learning every nook and cranny has its rewards.
Learn to aim and time your shots and not just shoot wildly around the table. Every table has it's own nuances, some are more difficult than others. Each is designed differently and is individual. Part of the joy of pinball is relentlessly playing for that high score and discovering new and better ways to achieve it.

[Anonymous No.867476]

>>866536
I played the shit out of it on Xbox 360. I can't get into the Star Wars tables for some reason.

>implying you can beat my 28 million on Iron Man

[Anonymous No.868214]

>>867476
I just got 28 million on the thor table.

cum at me nignog.

[Anonymous No.869230]

is there a point to playing any virtual pinball games that are not pinball fx 2? It's just so damn good.

[Anonymous No.869252]

>>869230
Yes. Pinball Arcade actually simulates real tables, and other software like Visual Pinball and Future Pinball(especially with 2.4 and 2.5 physics) have great recreations as well as some stellar original table designs. pic very related.

[Anonymous No.869979]

anyone ever play dragon pinball for the Sega genesis. Its a fun pinball game I always spend a few hours playing it every time I dig my sega out.

[Anonymous No.869981]

I don't get why we allow non vidya pinball
not saying it's cool but why

[Anonymous No.869989]

>>869981

its retro games, not retro video games. its not really what would go in traditional games, so /vr/ is the best choice. Don't be an ass. If its cool and the thread is a good one why complain.

[Anonymous No.869994]

>>869981
You ever visit a video arcade as a youngster?
Or are you 15 years old and never got to experience the glory of pinball and video games sharing the same space side by side.

[Anonymous No.870564]

>>869981
Fuck off m8, where would you put us?

[Anonymous No.870574]

Can we get a /pbg/ leaderboard going for FX2?

[Anonymous No.870596]

>>860859
In Houston right next door to Minute Maid Park is an amazing Bar-arcade called Joystix Games.
Tons of pinball and arcade games. They update their variety and most of their stuff works pretty well.
The best part?
Pac-Man Fever Friday. For the first and last Friday of each month, it's all-you-can-play for 15 bucks from 9pm to 2am.

[Anonymous No.870708]

>>870574
Just made a shitty one in google docs.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah_USNY0jS99dFlvVmFnMDZXZGlEZkRFVWpjUE05M2c&usp=sharing

How to submit your score:
1. Take a screenshot of the leaderboard like pic related
2. Post the screenshot and if you have a friend on your leaderboard like me specify which score is yours (If you're paranoid you can blank you and your friends names out and underline the score you're submitting in red)
3. Post 3 letters or numbers to sign your score with or you'll be AAA on the leaderboard

So in summary, if I were submitting the score in pic related I would say:

submitting score for seanyc123 (SJC)

[Anonymous No.870738]

>>870708
Wasn't there supposed to be a free table ?

[Anonymous No.870746]

>>870738
Sorcerer's Lair at the bottom is the free one. If you download the free FX2 client on steam Sorcerer's Lair will be fully playable and the others will be trials that end and request purchase after about 3 minutes of playtime.

[Anonymous No.870751]

>>870746
thanks.

[Anonymous No.870778]

>tfw waiting for people to buy your trading cards so you can amass £1.99 to buy the Epic Quest table

[Anonymous No.870784]

>>870564
Hey man calm down

[Anonymous No.870795]

>>870784
Pinball people are quite defensive, what with pinball probably being forgotten to history in 10 or less years time.

[Anonymous No.871570]

< my favorite table, will own a real one someday with any luck

Future Pinball on my PC
Visual Pinball on my PC
Pro Pinball on my PC
The Pinball Arcade on my tablet & phone

Real tables are a blast and are having a bit of a comeback.

[Anonymous No.871720]

>>868214
Iron Man is one of the hardest FX2 tables. Thor is not. But, congratulations!

>>871570
Too bad Revenge from Mars sucks. :(

[Anonymous No.871743]

>>870564
/tg/

[Anonymous No.871748]

>>871720

I've yet to play Revenge from Mars

[Anonymous No.872785]

>>871720
>>871748
Didn't revenge have the cool video graphics reflected on the playing field feature? I thought it was a hit?

[Anonymous No.873149]

>>872785

Pin2K was not a commercial success at all due to technical problems (while not error-prone in and of itself, when something breaks, shit's terribly hard to fix) and cost. There were only two tables released that used the system (Revenge From Mars and Star Wars Episode 1) before Williams/Bally quit, and nobody has picked the system up since, apart from maybe Jersey Jack with their Wizard of Oz pin, although I'm not exactly sure how to call what they're doing.

Kind of a shame. I loved both tables. I remember when I was at PAPA, I played four tables more than any others:

- Champion Pub (one of my personal favorites)
- Scared Stiff (my dad's all time favorite - on the one I played the gate blocking the ball from going through to the Laboratory and making it drop into the Deadheads was broken, making it near-impossible to get Return of the Deadheads. I took that to mean a challenge, and made it to the Stiff-O-Meter anyway. Once, and I didn't get Scared Stiff, but it was a victory anyway)
- Frank Thomas' Big Hurt (criminally underrated pin - it's really fucking fun)
- and Revenge From Mars (the one I dropped the most tokens into because it was great)

[Anonymous No.873182]

There's a video arcade not three minutes away from my house. The arcade has:
-Twilight Zone (sorry OP; and it is the best goddamn machine I've ever seen/played/seen played)
-Johnny Mnemonic
-Jack Bot
-Terminator 2
-Skateball
-Dirty Harry
-Earthshaker
-Comet
-The Getaway
-some more I can't remember
I leave this city in two months, and goddamn will I miss those machines. Even if I was never very good at them. I'm not very used to the... complex scoring system.

My regret is that there used to be this arcade called Merlin's, and I never got to see it because I was a wee lad. I've heard the owner personally had over 100 pinball machines in his collection. That'd have been something to see. Goddamnit.

But yeah, I get my pinball on every so often

[Anonymous No.873195]

I've got a bunch of pictures from the NW Pinball & Arcade show last month. I'll post a couple tonight, but I'll post more tomorrow.

[Anonymous No.873198]

That first picture was awful.

[Anonymous No.873202]

>>873198
My tired self really isn't working right now. I meant the post I deleted, not OP's.

[Anonymous No.873205]

The worlds largest pinball machine. It uses a cue ball instead if the standard pinball.

[Anonymous No.873209]

[Anonymous No.873215]

>>873209
The art on this one was fantastic. I love the guys facial expression.

[Anonymous No.873218]

[Anonymous No.873223]

I need some rest, but I'll try to post more pictures tomorrow.

[Anonymous No.873247]

>>873223
The gayest pinball machine that ever lived?

[Anonymous No.873250]

Why has no one ever made a pornographic pinball table?

Here's a prototype ramp I just made, the bumpers are testicles and the ramp is a penis shaft, the girls teeth are spinners and every time you hit the ramp you lock a ball and help spell out the word cumshot which activates a 7 ball multiball mode (to represent a load or spunk) which you have to keep hitting in to the mouth and vag ramps and the more you hit the bigger the moneyshot (jackpot).

[Anonymous No.873260]

>>873250

Well... there's this: http://ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2106

[Anonymous No.873265]

>>873250

[Anonymous No.873279]

>>873205
Sounds appropriate.

[Anonymous No.873331]

>>871570
Ahhhhh shit son, the bowling alley that I basically lived at in elementary/middle school had that, and I got -real- good at it. Sadly I've never seen one again. That was a good long while ago.