A well shopped, players Taxi. The reasons are numerous, but just a very high fun factor is the most important one. Would likely make life long pinheads out of some young people. Pretty strong aphrodisiacal powers with this title too. 
I back up some of the other posts - no pinball for this dude.
20 y/o women dislike/don’t understand pinball - it’s lady repellent. Trust me - I know, I did way better when I didn’t have all these games weighing me down.
He’s gonna be busy with other things - the pin could get trashed when all 25 freshmen get trashed - I say college is expensive enough, don’t need to add a pin to the cost.
Quoted from SilverballSleuth:I back up some of the other posts - no pinball for this dude.
20 y/o women dislike/don’t understand pinball - it’s lady repellent. Trust me - I know, I did way better when I didn’t have all these games weighing me down.
He’s gonna be busy with other things - the pin could get trashed when all 25 freshmen get trashed - I say college is expensive enough, don’t need to add a pin to the cost.
I disagree wholeheartedly. First, it's not for the women. It's for the 25 guys in the house. I don't think the pin will get trashed if everyone sees the love OP's son puts into maintaining the game. I mean these are industrial machines designed for public use. Women will think it's kitschy and unique. Plus there's a chance that OP's son can expose pinball to hundreds of other people that are in and out of the house that otherwise wouldn't take the time to care.
Quoted from Pahuffman:I disagree wholeheartedly. First, it's not for the women. It's for the 25 guys in the house. I don't think the pin will get trashed if everyone sees the love OP's son puts into maintaining the game. I mean these are industrial machines designed for public use. Women will think it's kitschy and unique. Plus there's a chance that OP's son can expose pinball to hundreds of other people that are in and out of the house that otherwise wouldn't take the time to care.
I know it’s not for women - but being 20, almost 21, the few women that have seen my collection find it kinda odd. Just in a “Why have all this old sh!t?” Sort of way.
Sure, a couple people might discover pinball - but that game is gonna get messed up over time.
Quoted from Grandnational007:Let me know if you see any <$2000 Nascar or WPT's, I'm actually looking for both titles, as I really enjoy both of them.
Shipping cross country would kill the deal. Add $500 and it becomes less attractive for a C level pin.
Quoted from mrossman5:Someone please find me a WPT for 2k
That's the thing. If you want the good deals, you have to find them yourself. They're still out there, I get them all the time, but it takes effort to find them, and I'm not talking craigslist and facebook.
I had TAF when I was in college and had it in a house with a few room mates for a while.
We had a ton of fun drinking beer and playing it, pre-gaming if you will, and then we would go out and mingle with the ladies and have a few more beers. Many times we would bring girls back to the house, for choir practice and early breakfast, of course, and while some of us would hang out in the living room watching movies and whatever else the imagination can conjure, there would undoubtedly be a few folks playing the machine in the game room.
Make sure it has good beer seals, and it will be fine. I never covered the one I had with a towel or anything, but people never really put drinks or bottles on the glass anyways because they would slide off because of the slant. It never got trashed, but then again, it wasn't in a "public" place. Our pool table, on the other hand, had countless drinks spilled on it.
I'd chalk it up to the type of boy you have; playing pinball is certainly a social activity. College is a social place, a very social place really, if you want it to be. If the intent is to let the guys have a good time and socialize, it'll do just that.
I'm not sure what you want for the boy, or what kind of person he is, but you'd be surprised, shocked even, at the intrigue elicited of asking a co-ed, "Want to come back to my place and play some pinball?" in an actual college environment, especially if it's a rural campus or there really isn't all that much to do. It's innocence and innuendo all in one.
I say go for it. At a time and a place in most young people's lives where being an individual is very important, I would almost guarantee he'd be the only guy with a pinball machine. The "college experience" comes down to the person. I wouldn't give up my experiences in school for anything, albeit being 15-20 years ago, which now seems like eons ago.
Go with an interesting theme: Tee'd Off, NBAFB, TPZ, The Getaway, Austin Powers, all fit the non-old man, cheap, "non-offensive", non-childish, fun themes I can think of.
Good luck to him and you!
How about a Stars and/or Meteor. Both great games that can be found pretty cheap and are a blast to play in groups.
25 guys with a machine set on free play means it will certainly need repairs. Does your son know how to repair a machine? Will he have the money to hire someone? Will some of the 25 guys be irritated when they want to watch TV or study but a loud pinball machine is making that impossible?
To me it seems the better idea would be a foosball table because its cheaper, nothing to really break besides one of the soccer figures who can be cheaply and quickly replaced, is quieter, and easier to move. Plus when some kid spills a whole pitcher of beer on it it can be easily hosed down.
It was a pain in my ass dragging my stereo/speakers back and forth to college. I can't imagine doing that with a pin. It would be awesome, though.
We used to skip class to go to the mall and play Rampage at the arcade.
Quoted from gliebig:Playboy.
Playboy 78 or Stern? No, what the kid needs is a HARDBODY
After my days at University of Pittsburgh, I'd pick something you won't be mad if it gets destroyed by drunk students, haha. If I had a pinball machine in college I probably never would have made it into medical school. You, my friend, are a cool parent!
if ya got 25 people in the house, seems like everyone pitch in a $100-125 and get something a bit better..... then it's less likely to get trashed because everybody has a little ownership in it.
This! I have seen system 3's that have been wildly abused and they would still work. Not too long ago I derusted and shopped a SMB that has sat in a moldy church basement for over 10 years and it still played like a champ. Also I've seen some garage kept SF2's that looked awful and were rusted to the max but they still played.
Quoted from ForceFlow:Honestly, I would go with any gottlieb system 3 game. They are built like tanks, and it would be able to take the physical abuse from a rowdy bunch of college students.
Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:if ya got 25 people in the house, seems like everyone pitch in a $100-125 and get something a bit better..... then it's less likely to get trashed because everybody has a little ownership in it.
Why would 24 other kids pitch in 100 bucks for a pinball machine?
Not gonna happen. Their 100 bucks are spoken for.
My son’s super mature and will be living primarily with his fellow footballers. I know this sounds like a recipe for an Animal House type of situation but to know him you’d loose much of the anxiety with leaving a machine in his care. He’s a rare combination of size, strength and talent as he is his high schools (award winning) orchestra’s first chair violinist/concert master and an all scholastic football stand out. He’s worked on many pinball machines with me. He so enjoys hunting for a good pinball machine off of Craigslist all he asks for his time/effort is a large vanilla frosty from Wendy’s. Maybe all those trips to pick up machines from basement, attics and walk-ups gave him the farmer strong strength he possesses now. Imagine the movie Blind Side and just exchange the quarterback for a pinball machine.
Quoted from PinDoctor82:After my days at University of Pittsburgh, I'd pick something you won't be mad if it gets destroyed by drunk students, haha. If I had a pinball machine in college I probably never would have made it into medical school. You, my friend, are a cool parent!
HAIL TO PITT!!! Class of 03! I agree 100%, a pinball machine would never survive Oakland...
@John, you son sounds like a great kid, but he is growing up an becoming his own man
he is making his own life.
unless he is asking for a game, leave it be
I would shelve pinball and send him with a superchexx. Up to 4 players at once. Tons of trash talking, betting, and straight up craziness. And they don’t break.
That thing would get a serious workout
I think a pinball machine is an awesome idea. My only thought of advice would be to let him get settled in first, and get a better feel for his housemates and classes, before adding a pinball machine in.
If classes are going well and his new 24 buddies seem like respectable young men, introduce the pinball machine then.
If after the first two months or so of him being there, he notices that his housemates are pretty rowdy and the parties tend to get a little out of hand, then maybe a pinball machine is best kept away for now. I don't doubt your son will take great care of it, its the 24 other young men that are the unknown. It only takes one foolish act by one immature (possibly intoxicated) young individual to ruin the pinball machine and the fun that comes with it. Also, this might put your son in an awkward spot. If someone I barely knew damaged something a family member paid good money for, I would be tempted to "respond" in some fashion.
With all that being said, I have faith that his roommates will be respectful, and they along with your son would quite enjoy a pinball machine in their house. Let them all settle in and get to know each other, and if everything seems good, bring over a pin for them to play. Before you leave it there though, be sure to set a few really highscores to give them something to chase (besides the ladies haha).
Quoted from embryonjohn:They have this strange type of housing at Union College where groups of 20 or so kids live in multiple stand alone houses with 1 big kitchen, 3 baths, BBQ grills outside and a big living room.
That means all the friends each of the 20 kids have over to the house - plus the hundreds that crash the parties they throw - will be abusing the game (and your son can't be watching over it every minute). I'd bet that one of the times he comes home (for the weekend or on break) when he goes back to school the pin won't even be there, as with all that exposure some less than honorable person will have removed it during your son's absence.
Let me just jump in as I (and @Forceflow) live roughly a half hour from Schenectady. Firstly I’d suggest buying your son a Kevlar vest because Schenectady is still a DUMP. The college is probably the only decent thing left in that city. Pinball machine’ll be stolen in the first week. Hub cabs missing in the first 30 minutes when you drop him off.
Now moving on from how much I can’t stand that city, there is essentially ZERO LOCATION pinball here in Upstate NY. herbertbsharp just put some games in Troy, but unless your son wants to joyride to the beer gardens, he’s SOL.
Being college age (but working full time since I need $$$ for pinball) I can assure all the older generations that owning pinball machines has been popular for literally all my friends except my GF, which is expect.
About the 3rd or 4th time you drag them on a road trip for a game they start hating it, lol.
If you have a standup arcade or pinball machine people think that’s badass. Fake Nostalgia is HOT right now, with everyone born from the late 90’s onwards fondly remembering on the golden age that they weren’t even alive for.
Go for it. I’d say let the kid pick something out of the reasonable options. Definitely pick an easy, multiball game.
He’s gonna wanna get his buddies into pinball, and the only way is to have a game that’s accessible for new players.
When new people play and get their ass kicked it discourages them. If it’s a harder game I try to setup a multiball and then humbly pass on my turn to a newer player if they get the MB started then they usually wanna play a few more games after.
I wish you and your son the best of luck, sounds like it’ll be a badass dorm either way! Be sure to give me a shout so I can come play some pinball too! :b
It might be above your price range, but Getaway. Getaway just works, and it can be set up easy or hard. The rules are easy to explain, and it’s a great game.
I’m basing that on the fact that I brought my Getaway to work for 6 months, and it was a huge hit. It was easy to explain, and except for a couple of repairs, was rock solid. It got played constantly by an amazing array of people. I’d sometimes hear discussions about the rules as people figured it out, which is crazy when people were talking about a pinball machine. You have to keep in mind that it’s going into an environment of non-pinheads. So it needs a hook. Saying “do this, then run the red light and run from the cops” just clicks for people.
Put a 2500.00 World Cup soccer in my Girls college house 2 years ago. Still a big hit with no problems.
Quoted from Luckydogg420:...Imagine if each kid wanted bring a pin, would there be room in the house?
That would be damn cool!
Quoted from MikeS:Otherwise I'd recommend a tornado foosball table. No maintenance worries and it's more fun for 4 players than pinball. When I was in college my roommates and I all chipped in for a table.
1,000%
I took my coin-op Tornado table with me in the back of my truck 1,300 miles when I left for college. Played almost daily and hours on the weekends. Best party game ever especially when you force people to stop egg beating, then they get destroyed 
Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:Let me just jump in as I (and Forceflow) live roughly a half hour from Schenectady. Firstly I’d suggest buying your son a Kevlar vest because Schenectady is still a DUMP. The college is probably the only decent thing left in that city. Pinball machine’ll be stolen in the first week. Hub cabs missing in the first 30 minutes when you drop him off.
Now moving on from how much I can’t stand that city, there is essentially ZERO LOCATION pinball here in Upstate NY. herbertbsharp just put some games in Troy, but unless your son wants to joyride to the beer gardens, he’s SOL.
Being college age (but working full time since I need $$$ for pinball) I can assure all the older generations that owning pinball machines has been popular for literally all my friends except my GF, which is expect.
About the 3rd or 4th time you drag them on a road trip for a game they start hating it, lol.
If you have a standup arcade or pinball machine people think that’s badass. Fake Nostalgia is HOT right now, with everyone born from the late 90’s onwards fondly remembering on the golden age that they weren’t even alive for.
Go for it. I’d say let the kid pick something out of the reasonable options. Definitely pick an easy, multiball game.
He’s gonna wanna get his buddies into pinball, and the only way is to have a game that’s accessible for new players.
When new people play and get their ass kicked it discourages them. If it’s a harder game I try to setup a multiball and then humbly pass on my turn to a newer player if they get the MB started then they usually wanna play a few more games after.
I wish you and your son the best of luck, sounds like it’ll be a badass dorm either way! Be sure to give me a shout so I can come play some pinball too! :b
Travel from Schnectady to Saratoga Springs or through the countryside up to Cooperstown way. Beautiful places. My suggestion also. A foosball or Chexx hockey game instead and make sure he has a car to get out of Schectady to those beautiful places at will. I went to college without a car. Was ok for the time made me study more, but I was in striking distance of Ottawa and Montreal (upstate NY college) and missed out on that experience having no car.
Quoted from midcoastsurf:1,000%
I took my coin-op Tornado table with me in the back of my truck 1,300 miles when I left for college. Played almost daily and hours on the weekends. Best party game ever especially when you force people to stop egg beating, then they get destroyed
Yeah we played foosball daily and I remember plenty of times coming back from parties or the bars and playing at 3a.m. Even remember a few times playing strip foosball with co-eds. Can't really do that with pinball.... Oh to be in college again!
Quoted from Mike_J:He might be too busy with the ladies, booze and the books to care very much about pinball.
I had no problem in college finding time for, booze, books, babes and Pinball. Pretty much all four every day.
Was a small store a few blocks from my dorm with two machines and a coupon in the free newspaper for two tokens, it is where I fell in love with Centaur, could play a lot on two tokens with where the free game was set to. The student union also had a few games as well (Xenon, EBD, forget what else)
I would agree an EM could be the most trouble free, if working good at the start. Had a jackbot at work, which the twenty somethings who did not have much pinball experience really enjoyed, not much to break on that game. WCS94 is another good choice, easy to learn and have fun with and again, not a ton that can go wrong.
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Sargeant, MN