I imagine there are at least several of you that are pinball enthusiasts like myself.
My local bar recently got a new machine, "No Good Gofers" for those that care, and everyone at the bar has agreed that the machine has been installed with too much height on the rear legs (giving the table more angle towards the player), so it is almost impossible to get the ball up the ramps.
On Gofers, the rear legs are lifted into the air by almost 2 inches by what looks to be non-original hardware, which puts it almost an inch taller than the machine next to it which was made by the same company around the same time (Monster Bash by Williams, late 90s). We all feel this is set up to eat quarters and ruins the machine's fun-factor and play-ability.
Is there some sort of database that might enlighten me as to the correct table angle for this particular pinball machine?
The game vendor is basically non-responsive and claims it was installed correctly...
The bartenders have no problem allowing us to adjust the height, but if we do I'd like to know that it is set that the height and angle for which it was designed...
bbozzy
New Reader
5/1/12 3:55 a.m.
Most of the newer gmes should be set up at 6.5 degrees. Bring a level with you next time and you can see if it is to steep or just has weak flippers.
Bill
mtn
PowerDork
5/1/12 6:10 p.m.
My solution: Take a 4x4x4 block, and cut a little hole in it to rest the two front legs on.
iphone level app is awesome for degreeing things. FYI. there are probably levels or something inside the table that you can only see when the coin/access door is opened.
the best way to get a table i liked playing and having it be set up properly was.... buy my own.
i have a 1977 bally blackjack machine and it plays nice. i do want one of the newer ones with all the ramps and multiball electronic fun stuff. i'm rather fond of the south park machine.
Pinball is unfortunately slowly becoming a thing of the past. I love it, but the only places that still seem to have them are the random bar, VFW hall, or people who have collections that they let the public play (there are a couple in the Chicago area).
I would like to eventually get a pinball machine along with a Skee Ball machine as well.
alex
UltraDork
5/1/12 8:38 p.m.
Paging jhaas, our resident arcade owner. Jhaas to the courtesy phone, please.
i'm buying a real skee ball machine even if i have to put it in the living room. but that takes $. the new iceball with the shorter ramp just pisses me right off.
In reply to patgizz:
Oh no, old fashioned Skee Ball is the only Skee Ball
God likes to play Skeeball...
mtn
PowerDork
5/8/12 2:30 a.m.
I asked a friend who used to repair these things, including those in the playboy mansion. He stated "Adjusting the back leg levelers raises or lowers the pitch making the game harder or easier."
patgizz wrote:
i'm buying a real skee ball machine even if i have to put it in the living room. but that takes $. the new iceball with the shorter ramp just pisses me right off.
I was at an arcade somewhere with the short ones not that long ago, and yeah, they're totally pathetic. You can just overhand toss the ball into the holes if you feel like it, as my GF discovered.
Oh, come to think of it, it was at Casa Bonita when I was in Denver a few years ago, which is actually a real place and not something South Park made up.
I love pinball and classic video games too. If I had the room in my house to get a pinball machine, I most certainly would. I do however have a Galaga cocktail table cabinet in storage, well, actually, it's a Galaxian cabinet with a Galaga board in it. I need to get it repaired though, it hasn't powered on in about 10 years. My extensive classic gaming collection will have to tide me over until I fix it.
I love cocktail cabinet games. I can't tell you how many pizza places in the past had Pac Man, Centipede, Galaga, etc.
Oh the memories
You could ask the folks at PAPA.org.
(They were neighbors during the big flood.)
RossD
UltraDork
5/8/12 11:21 a.m.
I found a new arcade machine to play with 4 people and it's a blast.