Artificial Future

Thread and the Spark by LA-based Jamie Drake was released a little over a month ago. There’s no music video for it yet, but according to Drake’s social media posts, one should be coming any day now. Normally that would take it out of the running for me, but in this case, I found Thread and the Spark to be such a joyful listen that I had to share it anyway.

It’s Stevie Nicks meets Tiffany meets Stranger Things 1980s summer-at-the-mall vibes (an AI definitely wouldn’t write that) and it’s perfect to put on loops as you coast into the 4th of July holiday (at least for those readers in the United States).

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This week, we received an official response from Harry Potter artist Jesper Abels about his use of AI tools in the creative process. With this new information, we wrote a follow-up article that includes the statement, plus some new discussions with Jersey Jack founder Jack Guarnieri.

So much has happened in the last week that I have to go back and read my own work to make sure I have some of these details correct.

When Pinball Brothers set in motion the launch campaign for Predator, one of the components that was inadvertently released (not by them) was some sub-par gameplay video. Since then, they have released the official gameplay video narrated by CEO Daniel Janson. Some people have strong opinions about it (from what I’ve seen, it’s focused on voice acting in the callouts and use of film clips in the LCD). I don’t think I have a strong opinion myself at this stage.

What I’m more interested in is how Pinball Brothers has been handling some of the public communications around this release, particularly in contrast to how Jersey Jack has handled theirs. This Facebook post, for example, directly confronts and addresses some of the community feedback. An interview with Dirty Pool did much the same.

You can pick apart some of the details and how they did or did not line up with the official gameplay video (transparently, I have not had the time to do that), but the open dialogue is certainly a step in the right direction for pinball, so I applaud that effort.

This one has been in the works for way too long! It’s been fun getting to know Stern’s Kyle Spiteri a little better over the last year, so excited to bring you a full interview with one of the nicest guys in pinball. We talk about how he got started in pinball, his rise through the ranks, how you can get more involved in the hobby, and more!

Published a brand new tutorial from Noah Crable this week. If you’ve been spending a lot of time with Stern’s Dungeons & Dragons release, have a scroll through our tutorial for the original version of the game, developed by Bally in 1987. It’s a simple game, but a lot of fun to shoot nonetheless.

Speaking of code updates, Stern dropped much-awaited major updates to the code for both Uncanny X-Men and John Wick. Noah was on top of both updates and has already revised both of his tutorials for those games on our site. Peruse at will for your weekend or 4th of July pinball activities.

I wonder if we should call this edition of the newsletter the Noah Crable issue? He’s been on fire with updates for us lately, from tutorials to reviews of digital pinball titles, like this latest review of Zen’s new Tomb Raider release. Check it out!

Ryan and Scott from Pinball Map run a regular series that highlights one new or interesting pinball location each week. This week, Scott writes about Dyrehavsbakken.

At one point in my life, I managed to sustain a relationship for over five years solely on the strength of my exceptional driving and an uncanny knack for finding drugs. These were my standout traits. But time dulls all edges, and those talents have long since faded. These days, my most impressive skill is probably rap battling. But that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to talk about my worst quality, one that’s remained stubbornly consistent throughout my life, my undying love for amusement parks. As a child, going to an amusement park was my only vacation. My memories are a blur of cotton candy, eternal lines, and regrettable themed headwear (e.g. a fedora from The Great Movie Ride). Even now, something about the immersive chaos of these parks stirs up a deep, twitchy thrill inside me. If I had my way, I’d happily waste your time with a meticulous rundown of every pinball machine inside Disney World, or go deep on the wood-paneled Indiana Jones machine at Disneyland. But all of that’s been covered. Instead, we must go further afield, all the way to Denmark, to find on-location pinball inside of an amusement park. Our destination is Dyrehavsbakken.

Bakken (may I call you Bakken?) was founded in 1583 and holds the extremely cool title of the world’s oldest amusement park. Its very first attraction? Clean water. In 1583, something was rotten in Denmark, and that something was the drinking water. So when a natural spring was discovered just outside Copenhagen, people flocked there with their buckets, desperate for a sip that wouldn’t kill them. Naturally, wherever crowds gather, entertainers and hucksters follow. And thus, the distant ancestor of the modern amusement park was born. Today, Bakken offers more than potable water. It’s packed with wooden roller coasters, churros, and even a play area called “Santa’s Obstacle Course.” And no visit would be complete without seeing Pjerrot the Clown, the park’s official mascot and a walking embodiment of childhood trauma. Dating back to the early 16th century, Pjerrot is traditionally an avatar of the downtrodden. Fun! But you didn’t come here for clowns. You came for pinball. And yes, puff your inhaler, Bakken has pinball.

Tucked away in the historic heart of the park is an arcade known as Mr. Muscle. Its main attraction appears to be a creaky old arm-wrestling machine, closely followed by a shooting gallery where, for some reason, you wield a tommy gun instead of a six-shooter. But let’s not bury the lede, they’ve got pinball. Eight machines. Mostly modern Sterns, with the exception of a first-run Medieval Madness. Playing Medieval Madness in a place with roots that stretch back to the actual Renaissance? That seems pretty good!

Admission to Dyrehavsbakken is free, and the park is open every day this summer. You’ll need tickets for the rides and swipe cards for pinball, but nothing’s stopping you from wandering the grounds and taking photos of yourself giving a thumbs-up in front of the attractions. That’s what I’d be doing. I’d also eat a churro.

Dyrehavsbakken
102 Dyrehavsbakken, Klampenborg 2930
Website

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