Knob on right controls how hard the balls are launched into the playfield. Object is to hit the jackpot holes to get payouts and spins for "fever" modes that pay out a LOT more. Usually if you find the sweet spot and just hold the knob there it's most effective.

I have one. I rarely use it. The little kid loves it, the big kid will play with it sometimes. It's EXTREMELY LOUD.

It's "pinball" in the traditional sense of ball and pins. Older ones have plunger-like devices, newer ones are automatic. Other than that, pretty much everything Frax said.

You can get a part to make them quieter. I own two, a Back to the Future and a "Julie: Pinball". They are cool to look at, but if I turn them on more than a few times a year it's a miracle. They are fun for corners and for game night type events.

Also, I bought a slot machine. One of the Japanese "skill stop" ones. Best $200 I ever spent - after two hours with it, I have NEVER been compelled to drop a penny into a slot machine again.

Gambling is illegal in Japan so when you won balls, you would go out in the alley and trade them for cigarettes, etc. Buyer would then sell them back to the parlor thus circumventing the law. And yes they are loud. I had to muffle my speakers with foam which helped a lot.

The basic concept behind pachinko is to make the maximum amount of noise possible while having the minimum amount of fun possible.