A Different Drummer: Ball 2, Extra Ball!

For 50 years pinball machines were made and played in America. From the introduction of the flipper in 1947 to the mid ‘90s, over 5,000 different pinball machines were manufactured. Arcades flourished, bowling alleys, skating rinks, pool halls, bars and diners rang with bells and clanging quarters. Because of its illegal status in major cities, pinball became a symbol for teenage rebellion, ala Fonzie and “Tommy.”
Then pinball died, gobbled up by Pac-Man. Computer arcade games came in like a tidal wave and then washed back to sea, moving out of arcades in less than a decade, leaving entertainment centers empty or opulent, and gamers sitting at home alone on personal devices.
After a few years of that nonsense, interest in pinball began to resurge. More legacy arcades and museums opened across the country. Restoration became a unifying effort. Clubs, chat rooms, and swap events gave opportunity for fans to share knowledge as well as pieces and parts. A web of renewed interest spread around the globe.
While hobbyists collected, repaired, and shared legacy pinball machines, entrepreneurs decided it was time to revive pinball manufacturing. In America Gary Stern started the silver ball rolling with Stern Pinball, Inc. way back in 1999. Over the last 17 years, Stern has introduced over 50 new machines, always capping on popular culture, like his more recent Walking Dead and Star Wars machines.
On the east coast, Jersey Jack Pinball has produced three sensational machines since starting in 2011. The first release was Wizard of Oz with new-age ball mechanics and high-resolution animation across the back glass. They’ve since introduced The Hobbit and most recently Dialed In!
In Wisconsin is Spooky Pinball. They released Rob Zombie’s Spook Show International to popular reviews. In the UK Heighway Pinball has built Alien and Full Throttle. In The Netherlands, Dutch Pinball has released “The Big Lebowski.” Quetzal Pinball in Spain has Captain Nemo. Brand new themes and technology combined with new global talent is providing this wanna-be pinball owner with a new basket of options.
If the price were the same, should I buy a top-rated classic in excellent condition, or a new any-theme game with modern technology? What if the new machine is a dud? What if the classic needs frequent repairs?
New machines may have some spike in popularity hits. Only years of steady playing will test out that popularity convincingly. What if a buyer were too impatient to wait years?
According to Pinside.com four new-machine titles are in the Top 10 Solid State list, implying that popularity is pretty evenly matched between legacy and new machines. The list is fluid, however. A similar survey on Internet Pinball Database (IPDB), lists no new machines in their Top Ten.
I spent a leisurely Tuesday afternoon at Phoenix Games in Concord familiarizing myself with several newer pinball machines. In the cool, dark, back room of a video-game rental store are 14 new and top-rated classic machines side-by-side, games like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Ghostbusters, Aerosmith, and two of my classic favorites, Twilight Zone and Scared Stiff with the voluptuous Elvira sprawled across the back glass.
I brought a bag of quarters the size of Yorick’s skull and started at one end, playing each machine in the shop three to nine times each, depending on the fun factor. After two hours in the multi-colored darkness flipping out, I matched a few times. I didn’t win any games on skill.
I had fun, picked a couple favorites, and drove home with a new notion in my head: Playing for quarters feels different than playing for free, even with a paid wristband. When every game asks for more quarters, I noticed vividly on these newer machines how quickly the darn balls go down the drain.
I could fix this if I owned one of these drain monsters. Game fields can be adjusted for liberal or conservative play; move a few pins and the drains diminish.
Have I narrowed my search? Will I buy new or classic? I posed this question on a Reddit group for pinball. Several people responded. Most leaned toward the proven classic machines, which is how I was leaning.
Then one dude posted a quick cryptic message using acronyms as if I were some sort of pinball head. He said if I like the classic themes, but desire the stability of new technology, I should “check out AFMR and especially MMR.”
Just searching the acronyms led me astray so I added the word pinball. This search led me to
Chicago Gaming and Planetary Pinball Company. These guys are doing something so unifying, so synthesizing, so satisfying, than I cut the wheel and yanked on the emergency brakes to my research.
These geniuses are taking the most popular classic pinball machines of all time and remaking them as enhanced replicas with new technology, LEDs, and better graphics. Game play is true to the originals. So far they have remade Medieval Madness (MMR) and Attack From Mars (AFMR).
Remake prices are less than the originals. Do I want legacy? Yes. Do I want resale value and authenticity? Meh, only if I intend to resell, and why would I? Do I want reliability? Yes. Do I like both these games? Yes, yes. I’ve played them both ten dozen times.
I’m on the verge of a decision, but need to complete a few more field trips and discussion threads.
Of all the new games I played in Concord, I liked The Walking Dead best.