So I started thinking about this when I was playing gold ball down at the Manitou springs arcade here in Colorado. The reason why this was important to me is because I finally got the chance to stand in front of this game with someone who knew how to play it well.
I had been unkind in my review of this game earlier. To the point where someone called me out for being overzealous on the matter. And while I did enjoy being on a rant about a game, this person had a point.
which really came down to the fact that I had judged something (gold ball) and not thought about it. Rather, felt about it, and not in a good way.
There's a number of things going on in my life and in relation to pinball for me this year that have been changing. Prioritization in how I spend my time in the hobby has changed, as as intent with going to shows. even competition has been altered. As in I haven't played in a single tournament so far this year.
I can't say that I miss competitive play. I miss more of the people that I would play competitive pinball with then actually playing pinball competitively. Strange, isn't it? Actually it isn't. I stopped by the tourney room at Texas and I saw a whole bunch of people standing in the same body language type. Pursed lips, furrowed brows, crossed arms and clenched buttocks. I spoke to one friend there and headed out right quick. All I could think to myself is "Damn... They look like they are having so much FUUUUUUUUUUNNNN!" I'm going to go over here and play for the fun of it. Imagine that?!?
So there's a lot of things happening with now I'm seeing things in my life and how I choose to spend my time doing those things. Which brings us to the point of gold ball and review that I wrote for that game. Someone really liked gold ball, end took issue with the review I wrote. And I remember thinking to myself "wow, I think I just read this review out loud and boy do I sound like a cranky dude." The little voice in the back of my head says "Listen to what you are saying". If I ever meet Jiminy cricket, I'm stomping him flat.
that's not who I want to be, especially when I'm supposed to be enjoying playing a game of pinball. So somebody showed me the game (gold ball) and how it played and I have to say that there were some interesting things about it that I did not know about before. While the layout is not incredible, it's not bad either. the hard thing is that you have to compare that game to such incredible games coming out of Bally's factory for that vintage, that the game still is okay. Not good, not great, but certainly not worthy of the negative description that I gave it earlier.
so I took some responsibility for this and updated the review and the scores and added a version update. But with this really comes down to is pinball in the life's journey that is the real life analogy of the game we play. I don't know if this is growing older or growing up, but I do appreciate the feeling that it's more true to myself.
And that's what it could pinball review should do. Be true.
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