As someone who LOVES to write pinball reviews. I've got a few things to say. You have been warned... HA!
1) I see reviews as a representation of a person's pinball "Philosophy". Personally (as a person who loves pinball) I am all about the game within the box. Do I have biases... yes. Do I find games that exceed or alter my expectation, I certainly do. Especially older games from the 50's and even the 40's. I usually don't care for these games, but the more I seek out games to review, these are the ones that I am finding, playing and spending time with to put together an honest assessment. I am not starting to understand why some collectors focus on these decks. The oldest game in my collection is from 1963 and if I found a great playing game that was older, I'd seriously consider buying it. In line with my personal pin-philosophy, I have altered the importance of certain aspects of my own ratings (reduced the importance of the cabinet and increased the value of game play) to reflect this point of view.
2) I don't take anything that anyone says here personally. I love pinside and all the characters that inhabit it, but in the grand scheme of life, no one here has any real effect on my life. People that get their panties in a twist over things like this are very silly people and should be mocked for the fools they are. Part of this has to do with my own pinball journey through life. A while ago I earned the reputation for being an angry player. I'd take out my frustration on games. This got to the point where people would have to take me to the side and set me straight. I stopped getting invited to events because people believed I'd abuse their games.
I like my friends.
I had no excuses for my behaviour.
Real change had to come from within.
I work on it every day because every day I do, the further away from that emotional retard that I had let myself become.
This is what I see when I see people do things like this on pinside, or RGP, or IPDB or in real life. I see part of me that I really don't like. So I laugh at them as I laugh at myself. I forgive them for being having a low EQ as I do sometimes. I try to be the best I can to them, because that is what they usually want (good and real attention as compared to just any kind of attention). Lastly, I love them for who they are and that's that. I love you too. I sincerely try to practice that honest love to everyone I meet. Unless you are an douchenozzle, of course...
3) When I say things that are mocking or negative, I do it with a smile on my face. You know... as a joke. Get it? The more people get angry about things like this the funnier it is and the joke is on them. The joke will continue to be on them until they get it. You are not Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. You are a pinhead. Pinheads are big kids who play with big box toys. I have certainly have met a few characters in the pinball community. I even had one treat me really badly. But that was him, not me. Out of all the pinheads I have come across in my life I have NEVER met a mean pinhead. I have met some incredibly intense competitors, but they are not mean. They just really want to win so badly that they forget who they are in the process sometimes. Not that "I" have ever done something like that before. Nope. Not me. Ever. (Psssst... that was a joke.) In summary this string needs a review as only Caucasian2Step can do the voodoo that pinside loves, so well.
The Pros:
We are playing pinball.
The Cons:
We forget we are playing pinball.
The Takeaway:
Hey, it's only pinball!!! - Rudy
Tuscaloosa, AL
