Originally published in Skill Shot issue 11, October 2009
Marc O’Farrell of Space Age Amusements was recently observed at 9LB Hammer replacing the Monster Bash pin with a newly shopped Monopoly. Monopoly is becoming one of our favorite games to play mostly because of the sudden influx of them around town (for a long time there was only one). Of course free credits and an almost nonexistent tilt never hurts. Space Age has a reputation for not leaving pins on location for very long and Full Tilt Ice Cream is a perfect example, as they have had different games every time we publish a new Skill Shot.
Another place with new pins is Hooverville, which reopened last month after a fire devastated the bar earlier this year. Shorty’s supplies the games there so we are disappointed that Wheel of Fortune didn’t show up, but Red and Ted’s Road Show sort of makes up for it. 8 Ball Delux is the classic that replaces the beloved Centaur (whose fate is still unknown). Check out our Seattle Pinball List for a complete line-up.
The Shorty’s 12th Annual Pinball Tournament has expanded to two days this year (November 14th and 15th ) order to accommodate everyone who is interested in participating. Last year 116 people competed which made the tournament last until 2AM and forced the finals into single elimination matches, which didn’t sit well with almost everybody. Hopefully the two day format will solve this, although we wonder what effect having the tournament on two days will have on the number of people able to attend and compete. Regardless of what happens, we look forward to the event.
Chicken With Penis hosted a zine release and pinball tournament recently at Add-A-Ball Amusements that had all the contestants wearing diapers! While we won’t mention the theme of the tournament in a family publication, we will tell you that there was lots of fun and excitement at the event including a vicious girl fight, a gun, and the police in the parking lot next door. Late arrival Tim Smith added to the fun when he wrote a manifesto (and nailed it to the wall) deriding tournament official Jeff Groper and fellow contestant ELF. Many of the participants walked away with one of the new CWP t-shirts, fancy!
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, pinball enthusiasts are anticipating a new bar opening later this year called The Unicorn. Located in the space where the Satellite Lounge once was, The Unicorn will have a basement level (similar to The Cha Cha), a French circus theme and lotsa pinball machines (sound familiar?). Apparently the upper bar area will open first with the lower arcade soon to follow, and rumors are that there will be as many as 16 pins on location. At this writing we are unsure of who will be supplying the games, but we are hoping that they are better maintained than the machines at the Twilight Exit where one of The Unicorn’s owners currently works. Stay tuned…
Another exciting development is the new Seattle Pinball League, which had their first official meeting in October at Andrew Nunes’ house. With 20 members so far, the SPL hopes to attract pinball players of all skill levels and as part of the $25 annual membership fee you receive a t-shirt and a subscription to Skill Shot. Go to www.seattlepinballleague.com for more info!
If you’re looking for something a little less formal, don’t forget about the Sunday Pinball Tournament at Shorty’s. Although it’s a weekly tournament, the first Sunday of the month usually has a little something extra for the winners, so check it out! The entry fee is $5 and sign up begins at 6.
Tidbits: The next new Stern pin is going to be Big Buck Hunter but there is no word yet on a release date. We are still looking for a pinball machine for the Skill Shot office, if anyone has a tip on a cheap one or a loaner, keep us in mind. And thanks to Greg the Fireman for showing us his Amigo!
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