I don't recall the name of the first pinball I played. I do remember it was in the very early '70s, and it was obviously an EM machine with a ball lifter. I played pinball whenever I could. When a mall opened up nearby when I was a young teenager, I was in pinball overload at the Aladdin's Castle. I played the EM machines until the took them away, then gravitated to Eight Ball (in my wish-list).
I didn't like the SS era where every ball hit triggered a horrendous synthetic sound. When CPUs advanced, I started to enjoy the SS machines again. I bought my first machine, a Gottlieb Abra-Cadabra, in the early '90s. Sold it when we moved (regret that), and went pinball-less for about five years - when I finally stumbled on a DE Star Wars. I again stumbled across a Funhouse and a Police Force. Bought them both, then immediately sold the Police Force to "fund" the purchase.
I literally am a pinball junkie. On several occasions, I would drive home from business traveling on the back-roads, so I could hit all of the small town bowling alleys and establishments that would still have pinball. They've mostly gone away...
I'd love to have a late model Williams/Bally, but those are rather pricey. Now that the kids are gone, I may save up for a new "Star Wars" machine - in case one is produced.
