http://globalnews.ca/video/1403373/squires-take-vancouvers-pinball-wizard#

I have no idea why they called me a wizard - Eden or Robert can clean my clock any day of the week!

John :-#)#

I've always found the evolution of pinball (Intelligent Design?) a most interesting subject. Starting (for me) back in the 70s when I first heard about the games and started working on them I've always been intrigued about the artwork and overall game design. I happen to think that most pinball games are interesting to play if approached correctly. You have to consider a few things - first of all, what was the designer thinking of when he(she?) put this machine together? Were they looking at shots, game time, strictly commercial, or something to get out the door because we don't have any better ideas?
Many people prefer the newest games - OK, lots of flash, ramps, noise, chatter, etc., not unlike being in a bar or really loud theatre...other people like older games - skill shots, short ball times, make the most of the shots you get because you really have to work to keep the game alive.
Interesting EM games? Interflip DRAGON, Recel LADY LUCK, Gottlieb El Dorado, and many others. Dragon is an amazing game to play in competition, it is very fast, the most powerful pops I've ever seen with great early electronic sounds that go wild when the pops are flying! Lady Luck - Simple playfield layout, but a lot of fun for single players or competition, the double bell when you get the 50,000 shot is hard to beat! El Dorado - a feast of drop targets!!
Interesting SS games? Many of them grow on you. Williams Tri-Zone for example - my staff and I have been playing it often for our end of the day tournaments (every night we play for around 1/2 hour to allocate closing up chores), and it has some good plays in it even if it is not considered a classic. The drop targets have sucker shots built in, spelling TRI is not as easy as it looks, and the game only allows you to keep up to 4X bonus from ball to ball, go to 5X and it resets the multiplier to 1X and you have to build it up again. Interesting, so as we learn the game the object becomes trying NOT to get 5X, but to take out the drops enough times that they are 10K each, along with the spinner up to 200 points per flip.

Enough for now. Drop by the shop, play a few games, they are always on Free Play and you know where the power switch is...

John :-#)#