I played pinball from the time I was 6-7 until a few years ago. I rarely play anymore because pinball machines are not made anymore (or are they?). I am an excellent pinball player (not to toot my own horn). Arcade people hated me because I would put 25 cents in their machine and sit on it for 3-4 hours winning games. Those replay pops meant less money for him. Oh well.
If I had the money, I would be a pinball collector, and have a gameroom filled with my favorites. I loved machines from all eras. From the 60s-70s, there was a baseball like pinball game where the machine shot you a ball and you hit it with a flipper. The ball would go into a slot which read 1st base, 2nd base, HR, OUT etc. Then I remember **KISS ** and PLAYBOY from my childhood in the 1970s. See, in the 1970s, 95 percent of an arcade were pinballs. Space Invaders was the first true wildly played video game, and it did not come out until 1978 or so (I know PONG, but hell, what would you rather play PONG or Pinball?).
Then for a while, they were making table top games. You sat down (had to) and play on a smaller table, that was literally, a table. The glass was flat. I am sure many beer glasses were put on them in bars. I remember one whose theme was Roy Clark (the singer). I also remember a Pac Man table top with a video game inside.
OK, to my all time favorites,
MY FAVORITE-Harlem Globetrotters! Came out about 1979-80. I remember playing this game at a roller rink I used to play at. The rink also had a Space Invaders pinball that was incredible too. I used to rack some many games on it, that the owner of the rink had to rig the thing and way up the replay score to make any money.
**8 Ball Deluxe
High Speed
Whirlwind (liked the fan on top of the game)
Gone Fishing (fun, fun game)
Funhouse (for pinball experts only)
Taxi (great game that would be a wonderful house game)**Williams made the best games by far. Data East made the worst. I hated data East games because they were so CHEAPLY made and would break down so easily. A Williams machine was fine craftsmanship. Gottlieb was OK, but not as good as a Williams.
If it was 1985, I would advise people who play pinball to only play those games from the arcades whose owners RENT the machines, and not owned them themselves. A rented game held up so much more nicely. In my city for many many years there was a great arcade that had many pinballs and the owners kept good care of them, but alas, they finally went out of business.
Lastly, then Ill shut up, Microsoft has a game called Microsoft Pinball arcade that has a game from every era from the 1930s to the 1990s. These were real games, and I remember playing the last three machines in the past. I wish Williams or someone would make video renditions of some of their classics. I have had “Visual Pinball” before, but it is far too technical for my taste. But thats me.
