Octopus Overlords

Yep I've got the Terminator 2 table now and it is very fun indeed.

I need to visit Gaming in General more often.
But yeah, I've got two electro-mechanical machines from the early 70's that I've owned for decades.

Bally's "Hi Deal" (single-player) and Gottlieb's "300" (four-player).

Last time I tried them out, they still worked perfectly, though both had low play-counts on the counters when I bought them, so neither has had much use. I've never needed to do any maintenance on them, aside from the occassional contact cleaning, and normal playfield clean and wax. The "Hi Deal" machine was perfect when I bought it (6,400 total plays), EXCEPT for the backglass, which has a crack in it from top to bottom. Which is why I only paid $150 for the machine, but it still bugs me.

Haven't seen the playfields on either one for years though. Turns out they double as great sturdy storage shelves, so they are buried in boxes of computer parts in my storage room.

Computers come and go, but those old machines remain playable today, and are timeless. The graphics have always been beautiful on them, and the gameplay stellar.

Been playing Dream Pinball more.. Doing better. Got over 1 billion points on the Aquatic table. As a kid I was only into video games wit ha little pinball thrown in. Now I recognize pinball tables as works of art. Least I think they are. They have their stories. I appreciate them now. If I ever win the lotto Im building a classic arcade fill with pinball and video games. Lol.

For years I owned a High Speed pinball machine. It was in terrible condition when I got it. I resurfaced the board, put in all new lights, put in new motors, replace the motherboard and lots of minor repairs. Ended up getting bored with it after a couple of years and sold it. I found that it was too much room to dedicate to one game.

Just noticed Rammstein is playing Star Trek pinball on the moon in their Livin in Amerika video.

That's a sweet pinball machine there! My only personal experience is that my brother-in-law likes to buy old machines and fix them up. He'd planned to run a side-business selling the fixed-up ones in order to buy new ones (partly so he'd have a constantly-changing series of games to play and play around with, partly because he likes fixing that kind of stuff, and only lastly to make money off it). He's been pretty busy with his main business, though, so he's had the same four or so - most working well, one (I think) still needing repair - for a year or so.

I'm more the videogame type. If I were to get into this (which would require large amounts of money I don't have and would probably spend on other things first if I did), there's definitely a handful of old 80s arcade games I'd love to get my hands on. But I wouldn't mind a couple of pinball machines. They just weren't ever a big part of my youth so I don't feel a super-strong affinity for them.

I own a Cirqus Voltaire that I bought new in box when they went on 50% off clearance. Great game that still provides lots of challenge for me.

I saw this interesting piece from the BBC on the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame. Next time I go to Vegas I am definately checking it out.

Pinball wizard Tim Arnold shows off his Las Vegas museum

Nice little video. Thanks, Moat_Man. One of the few videos I've seen that actually bothers to show a little of the complexities of the internals of those old electro-mechanicals. I've worked on my own, but mostly only maintenance, like cleaning the contacts, etc. And while I still have the schematics for both machines, there's no way I'd attempt an actual repair (beyond maybe replacing a solenoid). Fortunately, in the decades I've owned them, they've never needed an actual repair. Those things were built to take heavy use, and mine have never had anything more than very light use.

Theres probably only about 8 machines that come to mind I really want. But Im sure if I looked at them in real life I could find tons more. If that lotto ever hits im set

You might check out the Louisville Arcade Expo the first weekend in March.

All games at the expo will be on free play for all to enjoy!

I know I'm loojing forward to the Texas Pinball Festival at the end of March.

Isgrimnur wrote:You might check out the Louisville Arcade Expo the first weekend in March.

All games at the expo will be on free play for all to enjoy!

I know I'm loojing forward to the Texas Pinball Festival at the end of March.

On the one hand, I wish there were something like this around here. On the other hand, the selection of arcade games is a little underwhelming - certainly a fraction of what you'd have had at even an average Aladdin's Castle back in the 1980s. I really wish my older son could experience a real arcade - it would blow his mind. The kid has more Pac-Man clothing and toys than you can imagine.

Odin wrote:On the one hand, I wish there were something like this around here. On the other hand, the selection of arcade games is a little underwhelming - certainly a fraction of what you'd have had at even an average Aladdin's Castle back in the 1980s. I really wish my older son could experience a real arcade - it would blow his mind. The kid has more Pac-Man clothing and toys than you can imagine.

The games at these events are largely contingent on what the local hobbyists own and are willing to loan.

silverjon wrote:

Odin wrote:On the one hand, I wish there were something like this around here. On the other hand, the selection of arcade games is a little underwhelming - certainly a fraction of what you'd have had at even an average Aladdin's Castle back in the 1980s. I really wish my older son could experience a real arcade - it would blow his mind. The kid has more Pac-Man clothing and toys than you can imagine.

The games at these events are largely contingent on what the local hobbyists own and are willing to loan.

Yeah, I get that.

New York might have a bit more of an interesting array than Kentucky, is all I'm sayin'.

Just got a YouTube update on ClassicGameRoom and it has a pinball machine in it. One I had forgotten about..Black Hole.

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4

And a Black Hole Pinball simulator....
Pinball sim

silverjon wrote:New York might have a bit more of an interesting array than Kentucky, is all I'm sayin'.

Yeah, I've heard there's a pretty good one that's within driving distance of here. Buffalo, maybe? I should ask my brother-in-law. I think he's either attended it or thought about attending it. He likes to buy and repair old pinball machines, resell them, then repeat.

Pinball.org Events

No mention of Buffalo, and I couldn't find one in a cursory Google search.

Isgrimnur wrote:Pinball.org Events

No mention of Buffalo, and I couldn't find one in a cursory Google search.

Yeah, I'm pretty sketchy on the details. He mentioned it once in passing. For all I know, it may not even have been an annual event.

this is one of my annual events:

http://www.nwpinballshow.com/" target="_blank

hitbyambulance wrote:this is one of my annual events:

http://www.nwpinballshow.com/" target="_blank

And it's a good one. Let me know when they announce the dates for 2012?

Picking up my 2nd pin tomorrow - THE X-FILES....my big purchase for 2012. That's me in the picture with the bald spot on back of head. Pic taken
at the collector's house I'm buying it from. He has a collection of near 40 pins.

I was never a huge pinball player, but only because I sucked at them. I also never realized how complex the modern tables were, thinking it was all about just hitting bumpers and racking up scores. However, I always appreciated the artistry of them and loved looking at them in the arcades.

It's only been very recently that I've really got the pinball bug, mainly due to pinball sims like Virtual Pinball and stuff on the iPad. They really made me nostalgic for the tables I used to pass by all the time in the arcades.

I'd love, love, love to have a virtual pinball machine like one of these. Yeah, I know it's not the "real thing" but I'm afraid I'd get bored with one table. The ability to play hundreds of them and admire the art of each would be really awesome.

I wish I had the room (and money) for a collection, but I hold out hope that one day when the kids are grown and out of the house I'll have the time and money to build a nice game room.

The more you play and practice the better you can become when it comes to pinball. It does require some concentration and at times fast reflexes.
It also helps to actually love playing pinball. To a person that just walks up to it and has little to no interest in playing I've seen them become bored with it
after the first or second ball.

The man I bought my XF pin from has a collection of pins in the his basement totaling over 40+. He has a really nice basement area and he's been
buying them for the past year and a half from another guy I know. It's safe to say he is doing very well financially and can afford everything he's
purchased.

I'm happy and content with the 2 pins I have now. Having 2 is better because you don't get bored playing just a single pin. I'm on schedule to buying 1 pin
a year. I've got some ideas on what #3 will be, but am not going to start that process of finding it until 2013. When the pinball bug bites it can become an
addiction. If you want to see some people that REALLY have pinball addictions, go to http://www.pinside.com" target="_blank and check out their forum area. Lots of pics to see
of other people's gameroom's & collections.

I see you've blocked your fire escape route

I've given up on the pinball idea due to space/cost, and am now looking at building a MAME cabinet over the summer. Should give me my "arcade in my house" fix without breaking the bank, and I've already got a corner set aside for it.

Daehawk wrote:I see you've blocked your fire escape route

It's a closet, a very small one at that.

UPDATE!!! - I am no longer an owner of any pinball machines.

Last sunday I sold my star trek, today I sold my X-files. DONE!

I went through a mini-mid-life crisis where I felt the need to make a change, ditch the pins and get back into my movie room.

After the buyer left my house my wife, almost 4 year old daughter and I got into the Expedition, hit Wally-World (walmart) and I
bought a 65-inch Toshiba LCD-flatscreen. "MONSTER SCREEN" is what I call it.

I was thinking about buying some really nice theater seats, 2 of them. But I reconsidered and now the 40" Toshiba that was in the movie room is
now in the bedroom. Our family room has a 46" Toshiba and when I took the 65 out of the box it was just overpowering, it would have been up on
a higher sized pedestal which I had a fear of it falling off and crushing the young one.

I'll take a pic and post it here later on.

I learned alot about pins and the whole pinball hobby. It takes alot of spare cash to keep them maintained WHEN they break down, and
it's like getting an unwanted car repair bill when you're least expecting it. And when you're not playing them it's kinda like having a big piece of
furniture that doubles as art work, that take up space.

It was fun while it lasted, but I'm really loving this big ass screen that I will now watch every dvd & blu-ray that I buy.
I know some people are getting out of buying them, I'm not ready to do that. I'm too much of a collector to give it up.
I'll probably give it up when they stop manufacturing them.

Not to pry into what you sold your's for but what is the average price of a Star Trek machine like your's?

They can sell for under $1000, to upwards of $3000 or more. It really all depends on condition, and what the buyer and seller can agree on.

Some seller's hold firm on their selling prices, and some buyers are looking to buy low, play them, flip them and try to make a profit on the sale.


$3000 and higher for one that's been fully restored, playfield and cabinet 100% redone with no flaws, all new plastics,
all new components could go for more than $3000.

I sold mine for $750, bought it for $1000. I was ready to have it gone, and gone quickly. A pinball tech that worked on mine had a contact that he knew from listings on craigslist, and he made a call and the guy drove roundtrip 7 hours. He's a professor from Duke University, really nice guy. He had been wanting one and looking for one for a long time, he's hardcore Trek fan. He was really happy about getting it.

The X-Files sold for $1500, bought it for $2000. I overpaid on both of them. It's something that people tend to do when buying a pin and they want one
bad, they'll overpay, kinda like the "buy it now" feature on ebay. It guarantees you're locking a deal in and no one steals it out from under you.


Here's the new 65", still have to remove the yellow sticker on the lower right side, just got it yesterday.



Here's the 40" from 2009 that got moved into the bedroom

Thank you for the info.

And yes that looks MUCH better

I was just talking pinball with some buddies and I had a sudden rush of nostalgia for the Xenon pinball machine. I did a quick EBay search and someone had one for $4000, completely restored and repainted. Man, it was tempting, but it would have been what I call a "marriage limiting move. "

When I get that lotto Im having a huge arcade built. one whole area will be pinball. My top 2 are STTNG and F-14 Tomcat.

Came across a 10% off deal in my local ad magazine and remembered this thread. We have a bunch of arcade places to but from so thought Id post. I'm not sure on the one but Chattanooga Pinball ship to the lower 48 states.

First Choo Choo Arcades. I know nothing of this one but came across while looking for the other one.

Chattanooga Pinball. This place seems really cool. They had a fire late last year / early this year but are open again. Here is a tour of their warehouse.

I found another amazing Star Trek table. Its the newest one based on the last two movies. Its sooo bright. I love it's look. Must be all LED.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaePMq7zvLg" target="_blank

The new Humble Bundle is ALL pinball

https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly" target="_blank

Wow you even get the 3 Star Wars game!!!

Pinball FX is about to release a new table based on the pc game The Walking Dead

Pinball Arcade review

Pinball Arcade ...this is a page for Oakland unbanning pinball but it has a good video on the game.

The base game is free on Steam right now. You get the Arabian Nights table.