First one I remember was junkyard. I wanted one immediately and bought a sub $300 game soon after

My dad had a Rancho and a Fathom I grew up playing, coolest part was they were in my bedroom! Did not play much until a few years back when I seen a couple machines for sale in a auction and got em for cheap. Now I am addicted!

Four million B.C. it was in a pizza retaraunt. I could ride my bicycle over after baseball or football practice. I had to play on the sly, pinball was known to lead to smoking cigarettes and playing pool. It was a gateway recreation certain to cause one to become a juvinal delinquent.

The first one I remember was Space Shuttle.

I played six card Bingo machines in my Mom and Dad's bar and all 3 were Spot Em's. I'll never forget the thrill of having hit 5 in a row and then collecting the $20 payout. I know, I know, doesn't sound like much but back in the late 60's and early 70's it was a lot considering the only other form of gambling was either a trip to Vegas or the local Race track. I'd get me a roll of dimes and risk my allowance every damn week!

Taxi at the local skating rink. Had no idea what I was playing and definitely didn’t know I would want it when I was over 40 lol.

Can not remember. Too long ago. Was an old EM.
Stood on a turned over wooden soda crate.

I remember playing a Gottlieb em in the early 70s in a convenience store in northern MN. I remember a winter theme and thought it had a snowmobile on it, so maybe a snow derby. After that I remember Firepower and Black Knight at the bowling alley but I was more into video games at the time.

First one was Nascar for me.

Comet. A go-kart track around the corner from my uncle Tim's house had it and a few others. When the place went tits up he bought the Comet from them and it sat in his basement until just over 3 years ago when I bought it from him. I'm lucky enough to have the actual physical first pin I ever played back when I was 8 years old (Turn 41 in a few weeks)

Still a fun game to play to this day.

First one I remember playing was GTL Buckaroo.

I do not remember the first pin I ever played. I did play the crap out of Comet at the bowling alley back in the 80s.

I was way to young to remember bit years later figured it mostly out. I lived on a farm, a hour from the city. Once for my sister's birthday we went to a glow in the dark mini put place and they has 3 games in the lobby area.

1. Was HUGE.....Goliath. that was east
2. Had a big row of drop targets... found out its el Dorado
3. Has a red pop up or post between the flippers. That's all that I remember. Never looked to hard for this game, I assume theres a bunch with that feature and I cant remember the theme for the life of me

Spirit

Sinbad. 41 yrs later I finally bought an excellent one

I remember first playing pinball in the bowling alley when my dad would bowl on Wednesday nights. They had 4 pins of which Sinbad was one I played a lot. I was given a dollar each week to use as I wished. Back then most machines had an option for 1 game for a dime and I was hooked. After months of bugging my parents, they actually bought me a pinball machine which I still have for 40+ years. Hi Deal is almost family.
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TAF at the play place at a local burger king in Derry NH.

In junior high I started playing pinball for the first time. 8 Ball was one of our favorites but when Playboy came out that was all she wrote. The digital scoring and electronic sounds (and of course, the theme) was a big hit. Never did play the EM games back then as they just seemed old and out of date.

It took me until a few years ago before I could appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the sounds, art and rules of the EM games.

Bone Busters Inc. in a bar in 1989

I can remember playing TAF when it came out but there were definitely more before that... but the memories are a bit hazy. My son's was SMB Mushroom World since it was the only thing he could reach when he was 5.

A 1966 Gottlieb Subway near Rhinelander, WI.
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First one I ever played was Pinbot followed by Williams Fire. Roller rink back in the early 90's had both machines side by side. That's where I got hooked on pinball.

Gottleib Spot Pool. In 1948 or so the flipper was invented which made all others obsolete. I think he paid the equivalent of $50 or so for this flipperless model.

dupe

I think when I was around 7 or 8 I played a OXO. there was a Harts department store that had like 5 or 6 games, most of them shooting games I think.

I think the very first pinball I played was in a bowling alley either Space Invaders or Centaur , a little bit hazy , but the one I really remember playing as my first pin was Bad Cats and after that I was hooked . Meow meow meow

It bugs me that I can't remember what game it was. It was at JM Fields in Natick Massachusetts. I was wicked young, and it was an EM. All I remember is that it had kind of a space theme, and it had red and blue pop bumper caps on the top right side. Oh, and I do remember it took my money much too fast.

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This is a fun thread. I wish I remembered. I just remember anytime there was a restaurant with a bar that had a pinball machine, my brother and I would go pumping quarters into it. Gave my parents a little alone time before the food came also ha.

When I first started playing in the late 80s and early 90s every gas station, bowling alley, and pizza joint in my town of 7500 had them. Even Walmart had them. We didn't have an arcade. The games I remember regularly playing were Cyclone, Comet, Funhouse, and Police Force. It seems like those 4 rotated from location to location. If I was lucky I could find an Earthshaker or F-14 Tomcat.

Let me guess you're in your late 30's early 40s

My first was Amazon Hunt. It was everywhere in France, litterally the standard pinball.

AFM in a bowling alley. I was switching off between that and Crusin' USA.

Running out of quarters was the worst feeling.

Gorgar was the first for me. We went to a local convenience store and played when we had time

Bally Kiss. My dad brought one home for our game room when I was 7 years.

I grew up living near Rheem Valley Bowl, CA in the 70’s and 80’s. The only pinball machine I remember from those days was the 1978 Playboy pin. I bowled there for years and even worked there as a kid. I don’t remember most of the pins I played because around this same time, arcade machines were just coming out and was into them more than pinball. I do occasionally see older pins I remember playing like the Evel Knievel pin.

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Xenon... I was 10... it was exciting

I was around 8 to 10yrs old. My uncle had this in his basement.
1954 Gottlieb Gypsy Queen pinball

pretty ez to remember.

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First one I can distinctly remember playing is a WCS at a bowling alley near my grandparents house in Philly. I must have been three or four so this would have been around 1996-97.

Earthshaker and i thought i broke the machine lol... i was probably like 12 at the time. When it started to rumble it blew my mind.

I wish I could recall exactly, but figure it was Gorgar or FirePower....
Bowling alley Arcade.

First one I actually remember was Team One by Gottleib.

My father bought it for us back in '79.

I don't remember the first pin I played, it was an EM , I was probably 4 or 5

The first Pin I remember playing alot was a T2 in a bar I was around 15, at the time my mom would take me as I sang alot , Ironically T2 isn't one I want to own lol

House Pokus,on location in a bowling alley in 1977.

Comet, Gamatron, & Centaur are the first i Remeber playing all next to each other. So I was probably 6-8ish.