Skill Shot

Just a few things to start the weekend:  The ACDC Limited Edition has finally arrived and should be set up at Shorty’s later today .  *  The Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show begins today at the Seattle Center. Photos from the set up can be viewed here.  *  The Grand Prize raffle  (at the pinball show) is the new Wizard of Oz pinball machine from Jersey Jack.  *  Skill Shot t-shirts will be available at the show, but we don’t have a table so you will have to ask around.  *  The IFPA World Pinball Championship begins today out on Bainbridge Island. Good luck to all our friends! Current results from the Championship can be found at the IFPA website here.  *                                                                             Support Local Pinball!

Originally published in Skill Shot 24, June 2012

The last issue of Skill Shot was still at the printer when Add-a-Ball Amusements announced the opening of their new backroom containing 5 more pinball machines! The new additions are more modern than their previous games, and include our personal favorite Wheel of Fortune which is on loan from Rod Olsen. The 2nd annual 420 Pinball Open took place there on April 20 (naturally), and they had a big turn-out. With the $20 entry fee, contestants got a custom tie-dye shirt created by Cathy Cartoon and a chance to win a Space Mission pinball machine. Like last year, a playfield glass was accidently broken at the beginning of the tournament, and there’s now talk about doing it on purpose next year to officially start the event! Ultimately Sergey won the tournament despite Maka having lived with the grand prize for quite some time. We personally don’t care to pay $20 to enter a tournament with so many champions about, but if a little bit of the cash went to help pay for Add-a-Ball’s new ventilation in the bathroom, then I guess we’re ok with it. Shit!

The Emerald City Comicon Pinball Party at Shorty’s on March 31st had a “lowest score” tournament with the first prize being a custom back glass designed by Frank cartoonist Jim Woodring. He and Fantagraphics’ Larry Reid co-hosted the contest on Surf Champ with a “no tilting” rule. This caused controversy amongst Shorty’s regulars when the winner of the tournament had a score that was impossible to achieve without tilting, but the event was packed and no one actually saw him tilt, so the prize was still awarded. The next day (April 1st) Skill Shot was the surprise guest-host of the First Sunday Tournament at Shorty’s with a Double Elimination Kootie Catcher Pat Hand Tournament. Headley prevailed in this one-handed April Fools’ Day tournament in which the winner of the coin toss had to play first, after choosing a game picked using a kootie catcher. Fancy!

The Seattle Pinball League held their first open-to-the-public tournament in April at Full Tilt Ballard. 20XX Amusements has completed the installation of all their pins at this location. There are now a whopping 13 pins! The May SPL tournament was held at Aaron Bendickson’s house on May 5th. He and his wife created a nice spread in honor of Cinco de Mayo that everyone said was “the bomb.” The next day the 2nd annual Border Brawl took place at Lou’s house in Redmond, pitting the top 12 ranked players of the SPL against the top 12 from Canada’s Vancouver Regional Pinball Association in a Three-Strikes-and-You’re-Out tournament. Not all the top ranked were able to attend so there were quite a few alternates on both sides. The VRPA quickly took the lead, knocking out 3 players from the USA, but after that it was pretty much a rout, as the SPL never lost another player. The VRPA was eventually whittled down to Kyle Seller, who couldn’t beat the odds and eventually was struck out by Raymond on The Flintstones. Fun was had by all as it was one of the first glorious sunny days of the year and Lou has a lot of great pins (like Big Guns) that we usually only see at the annual Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show. To top it off, the hosts generously supplied the group with margaritas left over from a party the night before! The VRPA’s Eden Stamm vows revenge next year. Yikes!

Another big social event of the season was Claire and Headley’s official unveiling party for their recently restored Dolly Parton pinball machine! Since it was also Claire’s birthday, she was Queen for a Day in a tournament of the same name on Dolly, which Sagel handily won due to his keen observation of the scoring. His skill had nothing to do with it. JK! We were also able to practice a few other playing styles such as Daisy Chain (which needs development) and Seattle Side Saddle, which was great, so you will be reading about it soon. Soon!

Also coming soon: a new Skill Shot t-shirt! It will feature the cover from issue #15 (Black Hole), and if you are smart enough to come to our Skill Shot 24 Folding Party, you get it at a reduced price. (Wait – does that mean they are available now?) Yes! Look for an ad in this issue or on our website. Other things you will find on our website include local tournament results, calendar listings for local pinball events and new content you won’t find in the print version of Skill Shot. Kayla’s article on Pinball Tournament Etiquette was the first online exclusive we’ve run and we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback for it so expect more in the future. Nice!

Pinball Tidbits: The Seattle Pinball Museum has appeared in 4 different films and newscasts recently. We’re jealous! Check out the links here, here, here and here. • Despite what we said last issue the next new Stern pin is now rumored to be X-Men. Really. No one knows when it will be released • The basement game room at The Unicorn may be open as you read these words • Jersey Jack’s first pin Wizard of Oz will make its Seattle premiere at the Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show at Seattle Center (June 8–10). The Fun House is sadly destined to close later this year. Both the cover and the list collage in this issue are from pins at that location • Skill Shot 25 will also be our 5th year of publishing this zine. We will be hosting a zine release/tournament/party on August 5th at Shorty’s! • There are a bunch of exciting events happening in Seattle this summer so expect an expanded News and Gossip in our next issue •

Support Local Pinball!

Originally published in Skill Shot 24, June 2012

Seattle is a great city for pinball. It’s also a great city, period. Here are some ideas of where to go and what to do in and around town, pinball and otherwise.

BALLARD. With a selection of 13 pins (many you can’t find elsewhere), amazing ice cream, and some of the best beer prices around ($2 cheap, $4 good), Full Tilt Ballard has quickly become a gamer hotspot. The machines are in excellent shape and each one is armed with cupholders, but keep in mind, kids often leave ice cream streaks and smudges on the glass. Centrally located, FT is within walking distance of other good Ballard spots. Just down Leary is Card Kingdom/Cafe Mox, where you can buy board games and card games and then play them in the cafe nextdoor over food and drinks! Along Market you’ll find Sonic Boom and Bop Street Records, both excellent destinations for audiophiles. Ballard Ave has a few decent options for food and drinks, but can be crowded and annoying. Skip it and get a cheap pint and a slice at Snoose Junction Pizza while playing Monster Bash or World Cup Soccer 94.  Just wash your hands first! (Kayla)

(editors note: Snoose Junction closed for business on 5/31.) 

FREMONT. Add-a-Ball Amusements is located in quirky Fremont just north of downtown. There are a variety of machines, ranging from electro-mechanical (Surf Champ) to solid-state (Bride of Pin-bot) to dot-matrix display (Twilight Zone). Several classic arcade games also share the rooms of this converted scooter repair shop. The owners Travis & Brad are usually on the premises, keeping the pins in working order or tending the bar, which features drafts and a rotating selection of cans and bottles. There’s even a microwave popcorn vending machine! The pinball is affordable (25 or 50 cents per game), and there is a taco truck in the parking lot. Not your average arcade! (4th Place Andy)

While you’re in Fremont, also check out Brouwer’s with beer galore and the gnarly Fremont Troll under the bridge, have your photo taken with a statue of Lenin and eat a messy gyro at Sinbad’s. If you love chocolate, stuff your face with samples at Theo Chocolate Factory. El Camino has fantastic margaritas; you can drink them on the huge back patio all year long.

SEATTLE CENTER/LOWER QUEEN ANNE. So you’re at Seattle Center. What is there to do besides dance in the fountain or eat mall food at Center House? Why not head over to 5th Ave and check out The Funhouse before it closes! They have 4 pins, including a Funhouse. It’s a divey punk rock space and a Seattle music institution that must be experienced before it’s gone. Speaking of experience and music, across the street is the Experience Music Project (EMP), a museum for music nerds. If you’re more of a science geek, the Pacific Science Center is right there too. And on Denny, there’s Bandits. They have Cactus Canyon! Over on 1st and Queen Anne, you can find Cafe Mecca and Floyd’s. Both have pinball machines and great bar food. Ozzy’s on Mercer has nightly karaoke, Pagliacci boasts “Seattle’s Best Pizza,” and Jabu’s on Roy Street has a newly renovated game room with 2 pins and at least one more on the way. Also on Mercer: a KFC/Taco Bell location to satisfy all of your Locos Tacos desires.  (Bernard)

BELLTOWN. Nestled in between downtown and Seattle Center, Belltown is one of the arts and entertainment hotspots of the city. For pinball players Shorty’s is the center of the action. Their large pinball collection (17) contains the newest Stern pins like TRON and Transformers as well as classics like Speakeasy and The Champion Pub. The punk rock atmosphere has stiff drinks, a seedy circus motif and tasty hot dogs (including veggie dogs). Hot dogs are the apparent late night food of choice in Belltown – they’re everywhere! The street vendors are almost as numerous as the crack dealers. It’s a bit shady at night, but don’t let that stop you. This is one of the easiest neighborhoods to hail a cab. Nearby, The Crocodile is a good place to catch both national and local rock acts, while Tula’s brings the jazz. Across the street, Bedlam Coffee is one of the favored independent coffee shops in the area. Belltown is also dotted with other small shops and art galleries, including punk record store Singles Going Steady. (Gordon)

DOWNTOWN. Gameworks is a massive arcade/restaurant/bar in the thick of the city at Pike and 7th. A great break from downtown shopping, Gameworks focuses on newer, flashier arcade games, so expect bright lights and moving pieces. If you’ve got an itch for gun games or DDR, they’ve got you covered. Next, head west to the water. After the Space Needle, Pike Place Market is Seattle’s most iconic landmark. Some locals take it for granted, but that’s their loss. It’s a bustling, vibrant open-air market with artisanal cheese makers and bakeries, great regional produce, and quirky and charming stores. Check out the Crumpet Shop, Metzger’s Maps, the Market Magic Shop, and the Gum Wall, or have a drink in Post Alley. There’s more than you have time for.

The waterfront has a million great diversions like the aquarium, Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, and soon even a ferris wheel! In the middle of it all is the Seattle Waterfront Arcade, complete with skee-ball, air hockey, a ticket-based prize booth, a carousel, and a few new Stern pins. (Graham)

Don’t Ride the Ducks.

INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT/CHINATOWN. In the heart of the International District/Chinatown (yes, we call it both) lies the Seattle Pinball Museum. Owned and operated by Charlie and Cindy Martin, the Seattle Pinball Museum is an essential visit, boasting the city’s largest year-round collection of pinball. The games span over 6 decades! Two years ago, SPM opened with about a dozen games and has grown to 40+. At SPM, you pay a cover, and everything is on free play – a relief for quarter-strapped beginners and heaven for pinball aficionados. While in the neighborhood, walk 10 feet in any direction and you’ll find Chinese or other Asian dishes. I recommend hitting Jackson St for a tasty and filling banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) for $3 at Sun Bakery. Uwajimaya is an Asian supermarket the size of a city block that must be seen to be believed. The ID can get pretty seedy at night, but epic karaoke at Bush Garden is worth it any night of the week.

Pioneer Square has cool architecture, Underground Tours, Ghost Tours, Magic Mouse Toys, antique shops, art galleries galore and standup acts at the Comedy Underground.  If you look extra hard (and keep a Skill Shot on hand), you might even find some pinball. (Graham)

GEORGETOWN. This neighborhood is dominated by the towering brick complex that once housed the Rainier Brewery – now converted to artist studios and light industrial work spaces. Art, metal, beer and pinball define Georgetown. This is the most dense cluster of businesses with pinball that Seattle has to offer: seven locations all within a half mile. The current gem is located at The Mix: Data East’s 1991 “Star Trek” — Beam me up! Some non-pinball highlights include: Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery (publisher of critically acclaimed, independent, and fringe comics); Georgetown Brewing Company (makers of the addictive Manny’s Pale Ale, a microbrew almost universally available in bars across Seattle); and the Trailer Park Mall (yes, vintage goods all displayed in and outside classic motor homes). If you’re in Seattle on June 9th, you can’t miss the annual Georgetown Carnival. This is not your average carnival: power tool races, The Freakatorium, side-shows, music, beer garden, and tons of mind-bending art. (Nosebleed)

TACOMA. From downtown Seattle it only takes 30 minutes by car and about an hour via bus or train to get to Dorky’s in Tacoma, possibly the biggest arcade in Washington state. Tons of pins and arcades to play as well as a HUGE beer selection and some damned tasty foods. Family friendly during the day with an adult atmosphere at night that occasionally includes live music, Dorky’s has something for everyone. Once you manage to drag yourself away, you can wander down to one or all three art and history museums on Pacific Avenue, or cross the Chihuly Bridge of Glass for free. There’s Hell’s Kitchen a block from Dorky’s to catch a punk or metal show and Poison Apple nearby offers pop culture and kitsch – well worth checking out. You can also grab the free light rail to Freighthouse Square for more boutiques and eats or catch bus route #1 and poke around all the cafes and shops (record stores galore!) on 6th avenue. (Kayla)

Look for us to update this article in the near future!

 

Please come and help us fold the new issue this week at The Lookout on Capitol Hill!