Categories
news & gossip

Skill Shot #7 News & Gossip

Originally published in Skill Shot issue 7, Spring 2009

The 1st annual Georgetown Pinball Tournament takes place Sunday Feb. 22. Hosted by Larry Reid, who also hosts the Annual Shorty’s Tournament, it will have less contestants (32) and be held at three different bars: Jules Maes, Calamity Jane’s and the 9LB Hammer. The 9LB will have more pins for the event including Taxi, Monster Bash and maybe more. The weekly Sunday Tournament at Shorty’s will probably be canceled for that day but we’re not sure. What we are sure of is a bike thief tried to cut the lock off a bike chained out front a few of weeks ago. That asshole has balls!

Speaking of tournaments, another first is going to be at Ground Kontrol down in Portland OR on Sunday, April 19. Ground Kontrol sounds great (over 20 pins!). It’s hoped that Seattle players will make it down to compete, much like the Crazy Flipper Fingers crew occasionally come to Seattle. Some of the CFF guys were annoyed at us for the gossip in our Skill Shot #6.5 Special, but we think that’s all behind us now. If you missed #6.5 that’s because it was our first color issue and the added expense meant a lower print run. Copies are still available as part of the Skill Shot Collection mentioned elsewhere in this issue.

Also in this issue are photos taken at Cry Baby Studios where they have four vintage pinball machines (High Hand, Fire Queen, Pat Hand and Out of Sight). Both the cover and list pictures are from these machines (owned by Silver Age Silver Ball who also has pins at Sure Shot in the U-district). These pins are not open to the public so they’re not included on our List. A big Skill Shot thanks goes out to ELF at Cry Baby! In other Skill Shot happenings not open to the public, rumors are that one of us has a new girlfriend. Hold the presses: we thought we were all gay!

In other gay news: Madison Pub (aka Skill Shot Office East) has pinball you can play if you’re of drinking age. Roland the manager bought the back page ad of this issue, even though he was less than amused by our other zine, Chicken With Penis. Rumors are circulating that the Pub is going to switch out one of their games and we really hope that it’s Indy Jones and not Family Guy. The Twilight Exit is switching out everything as they finally move from their old location to their new digs at 26th and Cherry. No word on what their new pins are going to be, but there will be at least two of them. Maybe Fish Tales??

Other upcoming events: a Tuesday Night Pinball League at Full Tilt Ice Cream and The NW Pinball and Game Room Show 2009 (June 12-14) at Seattle Center (more details upcoming). Remember to check out our Myspace page for our most up to date Pinball List.

Support Local Pinball!

Categories
reviews

Uncover the Clues

The first new Stern pinball release of 2009, CSI made its debut at Shorty’s recently and we were thrilled to finally get a chance to check it out. The first thing you will notice when seeing the game is the fairly unexciting back glass, which is just the television show’s logo and the faces of the various characters from the show. Unless you are a fan of CSI they are just a bunch of regular looking people looking back at you sternly. But that doesn’t matter since unlike other television and movie based pins the game itself isn’t about the characters but is actually about investigating a crime scene.

On CSI pinball there are different shots, such as the spinners, that will compare various finger prints or compile composite mug shots. Going to the pop bumpers is the equivalent of taking photographs of the crime scene, while hitting the scoop will take you to the Ballistics Lab where bullets are examined, or (if the drop targets have been hit) strands of DNA examined. Like other recent pins, starting these modes usually light up different shots on the playfield that are designated by flashing arrows that you then have to shoot for, all with the purpose of (supposedly) solving a crime. And of course, getting points.

There are lots of easy ways to get multi-balls on this game and the most obvious one is the big skull in the upper left corner. The only way to get to the skull is by going up the (only) center ramp, and once you’ve done it enough times the balls become trapped in the eye sockets and begin a multi-ball. If you are at a crime scene, there’s usually a dead body involved so that’s where the skull comes in. It’s nice to see a big skull in a pinball machine, even if it’s a sort of flat looking one. Too bad they didn’t put that on the back glass: a big skull (that’d be cool)!

The second obvious way to get a multi-ball on CSI is the centrifuge which is in the middle of the playfield. While the centrifuge is used for spinning blood samples on the show, in the game it’s for spinning (surprise) pinballs! Shoot the ball in the centrifuge and watch it spin around a bunch of times (a la Pirates of the Caribbean). Do the shot over and over, and when the centrifuge counts down to zero you’ll get a multi-ball. Just watch out for when the ball comes out of the centrifuge because it often drops straight down the middle. It’s a good idea to nudge the game a bit just as the ball is leaving the centrifuge because, while there is a center post just below the flippers, it rarely seems to work well and should only be relied on if you’re feeling lucky.

The third way to get a multi-ball is by shooting the microscope which has different colored flashing lights and a looping lane under it. Sometimes the ball just shoots through the lane and back to the flippers quickly! At other times a magnet stops the ball and begins a mode where different shots light up on the playfield that you need to hit in order to collect evidence. There are three different sections of evidence to collect that are designated by the different colors and once you’ve collected all of a particular color you get a multi-ball! The evidence collecting is our favorite because it mentions interesting things like insects, gun shot residue (GSR) and bite marks. It almost makes you want to watch the show!

The first shot of the game is of course the skill shot which is quite easy to see and figure out. It’s similar to the Wheel of Fortune skill shot because you have to shoot the ball just barely to the top of the playfield for it to drop back into the designated spot. Shoot it too hard and the ball goes to the pop bumpers and if you do it too softly it falls back to the flippers. One nice difference from the WoF skill shot is that when you shoot it too softly and it falls back to the flippers, you can let it drain without hitting anything and the game will let you do the shot over and over until you either make the skill shot or hit something that gives you points (like the pop bumpers). It’s a nice way to practice doing a skill shot, especially for people who don’t play pinball very often.

All in all the game was better than we expected it to be. While CSI isn’t as engagingly fun as Family Guy is with its Chicken Fight, Stewie Pinball and Farting, it does have multi-balls that are either easy to get or at least easy to figure out; the crime investigating theme is interesting; there’s a third flipper which hasn’t been seen on the past few Stern releases; and the looping lane adds a fun twist. There’s lots of animations that appear on the screen that are nicely done and the game gives you a bit of time to check them out before shooting the ball back into play (when it’s in the Lab). Plus there’s a big skull and that’s always cool! Did we already say that we think that Skulls are cool?

Categories
news & gossip

Skill Shot #6.5 News & Gossip

Originally published in Skill Shot 6.5 (Color Special), November 2008

The 11th Annual Pinball tournament at Shorty’s happened earlier this month and was a success. Not everyone was happy with the delays between games, but with 116 contestants and only 16 pins, well what do you expect? We had a great time hanging out with both old friends and new ones who we met that day.

Although the tournament drew in players from all over to compete, it was Seattle’s Cayle George who won the first place grand prize of a Gottlieb Sinbad pinball machine. There were other winners too! Nycole Hyatt won the women’s division ($$) and Tim Smith won the drunkest contestant award (a PBR snowboard). Woo hoo!

Someone who didn’t win this day was Slam Tilt from Portland’s Crazy Flipper Fingers (CFF) crew. He not only lost during the tournament, he also got a public hazing on Craig’s List Rants and Raves. According to the rant he wasn’t too happy about losing to “a girl” (for the second year in a row) and the mysterious author offered the opinion that it was similar to watching a painful sex act. While we didn’t observe any of the CFF guys competing that day, we have heard from a few of the local ladies that some of them were far from gracious towards them. Thus prompting the creation of a Seattle pinball crew: the Magic Flipper Friends (MFF). You go girls!

We recently made a new friend after being ejected from the Of Montreal concert at the Show Box Sodo for being too drunk: Dana the Bouncer. We can’t be angry at him for putting that big black X on our arm (which took four scrubbings to remove), because he was just doing his job. Once he cheerfully informed us that he is the proud owner of two pinball machines and that his father is a pinball collector also, all we can say is “when are we invited over?”

Speaking of be ejected: Stern Pinball recently laid off close to 50% of their staff. Seeing how Stern is the only pinball manufacturer making new pins these days, we are unsure what this means for the future of new games. CEO Gary Stern describes the lay offs as company “right sizing” and assures everyone that all is well with the company. The next two pins on the assembly line are C.S.I. and 24, and while it seems as if those are still coming out we’ll have to see what happens after that; hopefully tv fans are big pinball buyers!

In better news (we think): the sale of Piccolo’s Pizza didn’t go through, and at least three pins will be residing in their game room. Doctor Dude and Gold Ball (which was featured on the cover of Skill Shot#4) are there currently and we were left wondering what the third game is going to be, since the employee on the phone abruptly hung up on us. Ouch!

Categories
reviews

We Love Spectrum!!

Spectrum is one of the coolest pinball games ever created!

The first time we saw Spectrum was at last summer’s Northwest Pinball and Game Room Show at the Seattle Center. It totally drew us in with its colorful playfield and back glass, and once we played it we realized there was a lot more to this game than we expected.

The first thing that comes to your attention when you play Spectrum is the fact that there is no plunger; instead, you hit one of the flippers, and that launches the ball from the drain area up into the playfield. The second feature that quickly becomes apparent is that there are no side drains, and instead there are hidden side lanes that, once the ball enters, prompt the game to eject a different ball just above the flippers.

While these two unique features are enough to confuse many people, it’s the object of the game that really makes this pin stand out. Unlike the typical way you get points on most games, with Spectrum the object is to figure out the secret color code that the machine randomly selects. Red, yellow, green, and blue are your choices, and you either guess correctly or not by hitting the appropriate targets on the play field. The more guesses you try before draining the ball determines your score.

Confusing? You bet! This game really opened our eyes to the potential of pinball and how most of the games we see and play today are just the tip of the iceberg. We look forward to all the other pinball machines we have yet to discover, both from the past and into the future. Spectrum kicks ass!

Spectrum Fun Facts:

Spectrum is based on the board game Mastermind.

Bally manufactured 994 machines, but due to low sales over half were dismantled.

Spectrum has a lot of speech programs that continually run while the game is played. Many clues concerning the hidden codes are given this way.

If you ever get a chance to play Spectrum, do it!

Originally published in Skill Shot issue 6.5, November 2008

Categories
news & gossip

Skill Shot #6 News & Gossip

Originally published in Skill Shot issue 6, October 2008

Have you ever seen an issue of Pingame Journal? The latest issue (#128) includes a few Seattle related pieces: one about Full Tilt Ice Cream and another about last summer’s Northwest Pinball and Game Room Show. As we mentioned last issue, the pinball show was a great success, and next year’s event is booked and will have more space, not only for more pins, but more video games and vendors too! Awesome!

We were amazed and fell in love with so many pinball machines at that show. So imagine our delight at being invited to a pinball party in Milton, that not only had the fabulous Spectrum pin, but also an Atari Superman machine! (Thanks James!) The first flipperless pinball game we had ever played was there too, and it was pretty darn cool, if a bit wobbly. Who comes up with this stuff?

Recently at Shorty’s, we were surprised to see every single pinball machine being played at the same time (even Surf Champ)! Could it be that people are practicing for Shorty’s 11th Annual Pinball Tournament? Players are coming from all over the country for a chance to win the mystery grand prize (which is a pinball machine and not a wide screen TV). Since this is an open tournament, contestants qualify to gain points for the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association), but regulars around Shorty’s seem less concerned about that, and more about someone from Seattle winning.

Apparently Shorty’s will change out a machine the day before the tournament. Those of us who like to speculate suspect that either Speakeasy or Pirates of the Caribbean will be the next to go. But what will be the replacement pin? If anyone knows for sure, they’re not saying, but we certainly hope that it’s not another Fish Tales! How many of those games does Seattle need anyways?

Speaking of places getting new games, The Twilight Exit is finally leaving their current location and will be in their new spot (at 25th and Cherry) by early December. Their new space sounds exciting because there’s going to be a game room with a lot more pinball! So if you want to suggest a pinball machine for them to get, we’re guessing that now is the time to do so.

As always, please check out both our website (www.skillshotzine.com) and our mySpace page (www.myspace.com/skillshott) for Seattle Pinball List updates as well as present and past articles from previous issues. New web-only features are also in the works. Do you know what the next new Stern pinball machine is going to be? C.S.I.

Categories
news & gossip reviews

What Comes Around Goes Around

By Bernard Boulevard

Picture this:  It’s Saturday night, and you’re out at your favorite pub with 4 of your friends, itching to play a few games of pinball.  You grab a couple of pitchers and head to the pinball area.  There are three games, and no one is playing them yet.  You and your buddies do the math:  There are five of you, and three pinball machines.  Since most pinball games have a 4 player limit, there’s no way you can all play the same game, unless you shuck the whole idea of playing traditional 3 ball games, and play the new Skill Shot game (patent pending), “Round and Round”!

Here’s how it works:  As in the above scenario, you’ve got three open pinball machines and five pinball-hungry friends.  Drop enough quarters or singles into one or more of the machines until each machine has enough credits for a 4 player game.  Press Start four times, and the game is on.  Whoever wants to take a turn goes next.  There is no typical “game” other than the ball you are playing, because, as is Skill Shot’s motto, “It Only Takes One Ball”!  Hop from game to game, ask one of your buddies if he’s played game So-And-So yet and let him go next, or play one ball for a half hour while your friends cheer you on.  It’s all about one ball, so don’t worry about high scores, getting your initials in, or trying to outplay your friends.  And setting up shots is great, because it can be fun to watch a newbie get the ball that you were the last to play and see him get multiball or extra ball or even Stewie Pinball (if you’re playing Family Guy).

Round and Round works with many combinations of machines and players.  Eight people can buy into one or more machines, while three people can play it on two machines.  The only time it won’t work is if two of you are playing one machine in a two player game (no matter what, it’s still a two player game, right?).  Playing Round and Round with people that are uncomfortable playing pinball (“I suck at it!”  Yeah, right.) can be awesome because each ball is like a clean slate, and it can be seen by novices as a practice session or a learning experience without the outcome of an embarrassingly low score.  Or it can be a way to include all of your friends in America’s Favorite Pastime:  PINBALL!  With Round and Round, it only takes one ball, literally.

Coming up next, another new Skill Shot game:  “Half and Half”! (patent pending)

Categories
reviews

Why So Serious?

by  DJ B00M

In July, 1939, Robert Kahn created a character that would change the world forever. It would launch many careers and destroy others.  At the time, I doubt that Bob (Robert is too stuffy) Kane had any idea how far Batman would go: radio shows, television, movies, toys, clothing….

The latest incarnation of the Dark Knight comes to us in the form of a pinball machine. The black cabinet makes the artwork pop, with its glossy, book cover-like faces. While the game is called Batman, there can be no doubt that this is the Christopher Nolan flick. So, of course, there is a picture of Heath on the back glass and on the play field. Somehow creepy and sad.

The Mad Pub happens to have Family Guy right next to Bats. When it’s quiet, you can hit the flipper on Batman, and it will talk. Then hit the flipper on Family Guy, and it farts. Hilarious! Anyway, I have to say the voice work is pretty good, at times. The Scarecrow and Bruce/Bats sound a lot alike, which can be a little confusing when you’re given a shot prompt.

One of the easiest shots, at least for me, is the far left orbit. Hit that, the ball goes around and lands in the trap for Mystery. It’s a random choice, and you tend to get a multiplier bonus, but sometimes ya get extra ball. Yahoo! The other way to get extra ball is to collect two items from Lucius Fox, which will light extra ball on the play field. Then simply shoot the scoop to collect extra ball, which by the way, has some nice animation. Lucius  has an easy ramp, and it’s the same thing as Path of the Dead from LoTR.  So it’s easy to collect items from him. He’s got a funny sound bite here and there too.

“Careful sir, the Joker can be a tricky one.”  You got that right Alfred! I suggest using the left flipper to hit the Joker target. Another good feature is that the game lets you get Scarecrow and Joker multi-ball at the same time. Ka-ching! That comes in pretty handy too, as Bats isn’t a high scoring game, although you get 70 points when you hit almost anything. One of the nicer touches is during game play a large ‘drum’-like thing sits in the upper play field, and during Joker multi-ball it spins around to reveal a little toy Joker. I want one!

The game has this teeter totter in it as well, but it doesn’t really do anything. So I’m not going to talk about it. I like that Stern used the larger dot graphics display, like in the new Indiana Jones game (which I have a feeling will quietly go away soon, not one of Stern’s better games).  Batman, however, is pretty damn good.  Fast paced, check. Lots of pretty lights and sounds, check. Only two flippers, so no “how the hell am I gonna make that shot” issues, check.  Sounds like a pretty good game to me. Think I’m going to start saving my pennies and buy myself one. Now if only it had a peg in front of the center drain. . . . . . .

Categories
reviews tips & tricks

Welcome to Champion Pub

by Geoffro

Welcome to Champion Pub, Kid. I hear ya fancy yerself a bit of a boxer – well, we’ll just see about that. We got plenty of fellas here waitin to knock yer teeth out. But if ya think ya got what it takes, Kid, I ain’t gonna stop ya. Let me show ya around a bit first, this place can get a little rough.

First off, yer gonna need to test yer skill shot. Hold down that launch button and see what ya get. I’d recommend the door prize, those can be pretty useful.

You wanna be the Pub Champ, I can see it in yer eyes, Kid. Well, to do that yer gonna have to go thru five of the toughest brutes around. I can’t say who’ll be here on a given night – might be Sir Winston Pounds, the English Gent. Maybe you’ll run up against old Knuckles O’Brien. Or maybe you’ll run into SteveO – I guarantee he’ll like ya real well, Kid.

Course ya can’t hop in the ring just like that. Ya wanna fight, ya gotta do a little trainin first. There’s the heavy bag, that’s in the middle there. And ya got yer jump rope up on the left and yer speed bag up on the right. Ya work on those a bit and hit Start Fight when it lights up.

That bag will spin around and you’ll be face to face with yer first opponent. Use the green hook ramps to land a few right on his kisser. Make sure ya don’t miss too much tho, cause he’ll be fightin back. That’s the general idea, Kid, but as long as I’ve got ya here, let me show ya a couple more things.

Ya got yer video modes. First there’s the poker night – that’s generally a door prize. If yer any good at cards ya might land yerself a multiball or even an extra ball, among other things. And then there’s the spittin gallery. Move that spittoon around and catch the spits. I’d recommend mostly holdin down the flippers, Kid, rather than just tappin em. And keep yer eye out for that extra ball.

Now don’t forget about yer multiballs. They can generally be stacked if yer into that. There’s the MultiBrawl, that’s pretty standard. Lock 3 balls and this pub goes ballistic! And then there’s the Fisticuffs multiball – that’s a 2 baller – just keep poundin the heavy bag fer that one. You’ve got Raid Multiball, that starts after ya win yer 3rd fight. Lastly there’s Champion Multiball – ya get that once you’ve become the Champ.

Well Kid, I’m running out of time. Ya gotta train and fight to be the Pub Champ. Ya gotta complete yer multiballs. But ya gotta remember to collect yer jackpots. Also, try out yer jab combos and see if ya can get a win by K.O. Ya do all these things and ya got yerself the Ultimate Challenge… I won’t even get into Cash Fights.

Alright Kid, I gotta run – this pub doesn’t run itself, ya know.

And hey… Kid… good luck.