Nashville, TN
I'm headed out on a business trip next week via car that will take me from western North Carolina through Knoxville, Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, Minneapolis, Lafayette (Indiana). I'm trying to build in enough time to stop and play as many EM's (and early solid state's) as I can. Here is a list of locations that I am aware of on my route that have good selections of old games: Game Galaxy (Smyrna, TN--only a few EM's, but quite a few early solid state, including classic Sterns), City Museum (St Louis...I've never been here and am curious what condition these are in. Looks like a lot of multi-player rather than wedgeheads. The rest of the museum looks cool, too). Hollywood Candy (Omaha. This place is a real gem. Years ago very few of the machines really worked properly...Last year I stopped in an a very young tech just getting into the business had just finished shopping out and tuning up the whole room. They played beautifully. Until that point, I had never really appreciated the 2" flipper games...now I love them). Bobby and Steve's Auto World (Eden Prairie, MN. Never been here before, but looks like they have a nice line up). Blainbrook Bowling (Blaine, MN). Main street Amusements (Lafayette, IN.) Last stop will likely be North End Pub (also, Lafayette). No EM's here, but the early solid state line up is excellent and very well cared for. The Quicksilver in the lineup here is sublime. And they have one of the only Frontier's I've ever seen on location.
Any other locations on this route that I am missing? (for EM and early solid state machines). I'm not planning on stopping anywhere in Chicagoland this time, but I'm also wondering about good locations in that area to play older games. (A quick look on pinside and pinball map doesn't turn up locations in Chicagoland that are focused on old games, which sort of surprises me.)
Also, I've made a list of the older games at each of the locations I am stopping at. I'm curious which games folks think the best of the bunch are. I'm still getting acquainted with the 2" flipper games. Often I am surprised at what I find I like. For example, visually I find asymmetrical play fields MUCH more appealing. Also, in theory, I think drop targets are much cooler than roll overs and stand ups. However, in reality I am finding that symmetrical, roll over/stand up play fields can be just as fun to play. For example, my brother has a Flying Carpet and I have an El Dorado. I love El Dorado, but I actually think Flying Carpet might be more fun. Nudging is essential and its very hard to trap the ball so the game just feel so much more kinetic than El Dorado.
Its long, but here is the list of the games at each location I am hoping to play. Recommendations on what to focus on?
(I know a lot of these are early solid state and not EM. I just wasn't sure where to put this post in the forums. I'm a first time poster so sorry if this is in the wrong place, too long etc. I'm still learning.)
Thank you!
Eric
Game Galaxy
Abra ca dabra
Algar
Bad cats
Barracora
BMX
Catacomb
Centaur
Cheetah
Cosmic gunfight
Dragon fist
Eight ball
Embryon
Fathom
Firepower
Flash Gordon
Frontier
Future spa
Gillian’s island
Gorgar
Grand Prix
Halloween
Harlem globetrotters
Hotdoggin
Joker poker
Jokerz
Joust
Lightning
Medusa
Meteor
Nine ball
Old Chicago
Pharaoh
Pinball magic
Quicksilver
Radical
Seawitch
Skate ball
Sorcerer
Spectrum
Star gazer
Strikes and spares
Surfer
Swords of fury
TNA
Viking
Voltan
City Museum
2001
Bank Shot
Baseball
Big Deal
Bronco
Crescendo
Flip a Card
Flighting Chariots
Gondolier
Hi-Diver
Jungle King
Klondike
Ro Go
Road Race
Roller Coaster
Safari
Shangri-La
Space Odyssey
Spirit of ’76
Super Spin
Vulcan
Wild West
Zip-A-Doo
Hollywood Candy
Apollo
Bank-A-Ball
Big Casino
Bowling Queen*
Buckaroo
Central Park
Corral
Covergirl*
Dancing Lady
Diamond Jack
Flipper
Flipper Clown
Flipper Fair
Flipper Parade
Flipper Pool
Flying Circus
Foto Finish
Gigi
Happy Clown
Hurdy Gurdy
Ice Revue
Magic City
Majorettes**
Masquerade
Melody
Nags
North Star
Nugent
Olympics
Paradise
Pro Football
Show Boat
Sing Along
Sky-Line
Slick Chick
Subway
Super Score
Sweet Hearts
Swing Along
Toledo
Tropic Isle
Wold Fair*
Bobby and Steves Auto World
Aladdin’s Castle
Bank-A-Ball
Buckaroo
Captain Fantastic
Grand Prix
King Pin
King of Diamonds
Rack-A-Ball
Royal Flush Deluxe
Sky-line
Spin-A-Card
Super Star
Target Pool
Top Card
Wizard
Mainstreet Amusements
300
Captain Fantastic
Dealer Choice
Disco Fever
Evel Knieval
Firepower
Gorgar
Harlem Globetrotters
Magnatron
Spanish Eys
Stellar Wars
Time Warp
North End Pub
Cheetah
Dolly
Flash Gordon
Frontier
Meteor
Prospector
Quicksilver
Space Station
Viking
