Booked

No need to warn us... you guys are less foreign than the Californians!

(Make Moose milk and I'll bring my EBD to your room...)

Overheard at the Houston show earlier this month - "Where in the hell is everyone getting their beers at? The bar doesn't even open for two more hours!"

Looking forward to TPF as always. With a little luck, EBD and SI will be completed and back along with the Acrylic pin and the Acrylic Bingo.

Meh, its been done before.

Loved last years epic road trip thread. I look forward to meeting you and your happy bunch!

That's awesome, baby!

Ed squared?

Say between 5 and 7 Friday night? Joking! Would love to if there is actual interest. Isn't Gerry hosting a bunch of P-Roc machines?

Gauging interest in remade EM machine backs. I am adding them to the lineup of Third Coast Pinball but the cost to ship them is insanely high. Delivering to TPF, however, would be free. $25 per includes lock hole. And I'll be making a form explaining the nesc measurements needed, etc.

Shawn
Third Coast Pinball and Graphics

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((POW!!))

You will recognize most of us. We're the middle-aged pasty white guys with beer guts and nerdy t-shirts. See you there!

I never actually stopped at one until last year when lo and behold there's one between Corpus Christi and Houston. Now it is a must stop every time we go to the Houston show. What's not to like? There's a fudge counter, jerky counter, food of all description... hell, there's even a Frito Pie bar! I'll have to check out the Waco one on the way to TPF this year.

My wife promises a slow and painful death if we drive through Waco again without stopping at "The Silos."

Not who, what! It's where Kirk got sent when the Enterprise hit it? And then Picard went there too and they had to magic their asses back to reality?

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What is this, "down-time" that you speak of?

It's a scam by the rental car agencies, not the state and yeah it is messed up. We'll hit the big toll road on the way from San Antonio to Dallas and then trip around the whole weekend and we MIGHT get a bill for around $16.

I thought I did! All kidding aside, this will be our sixth TPF, fifth as exhibitors. We arrive after lunch on Thursday and don't stop moving until breakdown is done around 6PM Sunday. Between playing, meeting, greeting, playing, eating, drinking, playing and maybe just possibly sleeping there never seems to be enough time. I gave up on most of the lectures and speakers some time ago because that's when the popular machines get the shortest lines. (One can always find an open machine, though. I don't want to give the impression that it gets overly crowded.) Did I mention happy hour and the swap meet? And the food trucks? And vendors? And playing and meeting and greeting? If it wasn't for inner ear issues and PTSD I would probably never leave the game floor. The venue has lots of nice comfy chairs right outside the doors where one can get some blissful silence and meet new people. There are plenty of places to have a decent dinner within walking distance. I have several old friends in the area so we usually go offsite for dinner, but that's it. Great show, little down time if any. Bring comfortable shoes and say hi when you see me!

All items in the Third Coast Pinball store (except T-shirts) have a variation for pickup at TPF. No shipping means you can save a couple of bucks and stock up on all your rebuild and repair supplies! I may have some stock at the Saturday swap meet but it will have Texas state taxes added on for all of you out-of-staters. (8.25%!) Stop by anyways, say hi or howdy and see what's in the store! See y'all at the show!

PS - Space Invaders the Pin, Eight Ball Deluxe the '84 edition and Super Straight the Acrylic Pinball Project will all be there. Looks to be a great show!

Now that is one FINE looking machine in that picture!!

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If you want a "shadow" free one I'm pretty sure I could dupe this.

Oddly enough, my body, when in the fetal position, fits perfectly under a pinball machine.

Nothing like distracting a player with my curled up half-naked self. Blame it on the (insert adult beverage here).

**/-*-*/-*-- -***/*/*/*-* ***/-/*-/- !!!

On the road and loaded for... well... pinball? Temple on Tuesday, WinStar on Wednesday and load in Thursday afternoon.

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Nope.

Breakfast. No one in their PJ's. Yet...

Something for everyone!

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Jetsons and Dialed In are in da house!

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My two cents - I have been attending TPF since 2012 and showing machines since 2013. With every year it gets bigger and better and more enjoyable.
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From the Meet and Greet Friday afternoon until packout Sunday afternoon I get no sleep and complete joy out of almost every minute. The machines are fantastic and the people are even better. To all the old friends I saw and the new ones I met I cannot wait until we play together again. The small world we live on gets just a little smaller and friendlier whenever we get together and it is true what the back glass says... it IS more fun to compete!

New Games -
There is waaaay too much to say but I will throw in my personal highlights. The P3/MM area was as fun as ever. Still havan't mastered Lexy and cannot stop playing Cannon Lagoon. I enjoyed Dialed In for a game or two. To those who find the constant beeping annoying, try playing Batman 66 when the red phone needs to be answered and you just can't seem to hit it. I liked dialed in despite the 1000 or so magnets under the play field. Seriously.
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Aliens was pretty cool as well. It played very finished and the layout was simple enough for me to figure out what I was supposed to do. Not that I could, mind you. But it was fun. Hobbit was a drain monster for me, but I liked all of the real estate and the pop-up targets. Didn't get to play Houdini, but the glowing eyes creeped the bejuzus outa me. Just as well.
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Batman was fun because the theme really speaks to my childhood. But if I were to take one home tomorrow, Aerosmith would be it. The play is fast but manageable. The music is the best. I love that machine.

Home Brew -
I hate to call a well-finished game a retheme, but sometimes it just is.
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'Buffy' was fun to play and the callouts were awesome. The wooden stake plunger was icing on the cake. My only complaint was that the flippers blended in too well with the playfield and Ill say that is why my scores were so low. Didn't get to play Doom or Wizard Blocks. Wished I had.
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I played 'Total Annihilation' every chance I got and picked at Scott Denisi's(SP?) brain until it probably hurt. If you haven't watched the 'Dead Flip' video of this game you need to. https://www.twitch.tv/videos/126176110 The design is simple and elegant and it plays like a dream. No ramps, no subways, no joke. Just outright fun for beginners to pros. (I saw one guy take out 2 reactors, I didn't even start one!) No-hands super skill shot? Check! Great light show? Check! Kick-ass music and graphics? Check! Smooth flow that makes you come back for more? Yeah, it's got that. And the most innovative ball hold I have ever seen.
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Moving on, 'Polynesia' was a real work of art. Can't wait to see it finished and running. 'Spinal Tap' was back and played full games this year. Rock-on!

Modified -
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The 'Fish Tales' and the 'Frontier' were the end all for me for older games. For newer games? The Pinball Refinery's Walking Dead made all others look sad by comparison. Whoever took that home will enjoy it for a long, long time!

The Show -
What can I say besides my feet and hands and back are killing me? Well, my mother came to join my brother and I this year and played pinball for the first time in her 75 years. We have created a monster. She loves it and is a natural. Her first game was on my acrylic beast but it was not long before she moved up to Batman 66!
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A few people seemed to notice...
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And then naturally she ends up on the evening news along with my brother in the background, all three of my machines and a healthy dose of Eric Stinson! You just cannot make this stuff up!
http://www.nbcdfw.com/entertainment/Texas-Pinball-Festival-Launches-in-Frisco-417070893.html

We had celebrities!
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We had comic relief! (Pinbot says what???)
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And mostly we had fun. Picture two guys who can tear an old Bally down to parade rest and completely rebuild it trying to figure out how to turn on Brett Butler's Batman 66SLE. Frickin' hilarious! Now we're home, safe and sound. The trailer has been returned to uhaul, my three machines are home safe and my garage is fat three coin doors, one transformer and 5 playfields. including the best 'Dolly Parton' that $5 can buy. rotordave
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Audits -
I'll easily discount a hundred plays on the Acrylic and Space Invaders due to orphaned games when the ball got stuck, etc. Still puts them at an impressive 500+ plays EACH over the weekend. EBD racked up 638 flawless games. (Yeah, gotta fix the machine gun sling!) See y'all next year!!

Shawn

Almost forgot -

You see my hands, though. Right? "Look ma, no hands!! I promise!"

I sympathize and have the same problem. Pictures taken from above or behind me tend to be... problematic? That being said, I probably should not have posted the pic that makes me look like I am in my second trimester.

Only if you're the guy driving the DeLorean...