Pasadena, CA
I'm not sure if it was the summer of '91 or '92 exactly, but it was way back in the early 90's that I fell in love with pinball. The bowling alley down the street always had a small arcade with about a dozen cabinets for as long as I could remember. But that fateful summer, something else showed up that I hadn't seen there before. The game was "The Machine: Bride of Pinbot" and to put it mildly, it intrigued me. Space shuttles, futuristic themes and a smooth-talking robot woman that lured you in? I can't think of a better game for a growing teenage boy into space/technology to stumble upon. It was hook, line and sinker.
I'd seen pinball machines before at other arcades and amusement parks but this was the first one that really got my attention. The first one I had constant access to. The first one that I could practice on and learn to appreciate the nuances of. And let me tell you, the Bride was not an easy machine to learn on with the small/fast play-field and lack of ball save. Undeterred, I spent countless hours down the street playing that machine. I'd show up on Saturday morning as the doors opened, roll of quarters in hand, prepared to dominate the machine until the afternoon rush came in.
Eventually, Bride of Pinbot left the bowling alley and was replaced by newer machines with fancy displays and ball saves, many of which I enjoyed. That said, The Bride of Pinbot always held a special place in my heart so when the opportunity came up over two decades later to have one of my own, I couldn't pass it up. So here I am in the midst of yet another "Silver Ball Summer". Only this time, it's Free Play all the way baby...
