Blown Away

Song of the Week

For the morning after the Pinball Media Mixer I’m selecting a song that more or less reflects the state of my mind. It’s by pop duo Magdelena Bay and it’s a version of their song Domino, sung in Spanish, and accompanied by some trippy visuals. It’s helping me get a late start to the day.

Sponsor of the Week

These cannabis gummies keep selling out

Just 1 can get you feeling right within 5 minutes!

Get 20% off your order.

If you were a paid subscriber, you wouldn’t see this ad! Sign up for $4.99/mo to support our work and receive other perks like access to our private Discord chat.

Pinball News of the Week

Stern Pinball Launches Metallica Remastered

I got a chance to put a few games on a Premium and an LE of this game at the Stern factory yesterday and man was it fun. I’m normally of the opinion that the OG Metallica is a okay game. For one reason or another, it never clicked with me in the same way it does with its many fans. But something about this version sure did. Maybe it was that it felt easier to shoot. Maybe it was the good feelings generated by a high score. Or the spectacle of the enhanced audio and light shows. Or the new animations on the LCD. Whatever it was, it left me wanting to play more, which is not a feeling I often get from the original.

Classic Rock. New Tutorial for JJPs Elton John

Speaking of rock music, we have a new tutorial from Noah Crable, which covered Steve Ritchie’s modern classic game, Elton John.

American Drama

On Wednesday, former American Pinball designer Dennis Nordman took to Pinside to clear the air and respond to some comments that were made about him on a podcast published in May of this year. Granted it’s only one side of the story, and coming from a former employee with an ostensible axe to grind. Still, it’s not a great look for AP, particularly when you have another former employee commenting in the same thread that they are still owed money for their work.

Cactus Canyon Updates

Josh Sharpe also took to Pinside (side note - make these kinds of announcements on your company website or social media channels. Pinside is not the best way to get the word out about these things) to share some fun updates to CGCs Cactus Canyon, including a bevy of new code (mostly modes) and some playfield hardware updates. The best way to consolidate these announcements is to just link you to all of Sharpe’s posts in the Pinside thread. Posts about recent code updates start around #16166.

New Wave Toys Announces New Line of Licensed Bally/Williams Mini Pins

As part of their Replicade series, where a miniaturized Black Hole was used as a bit of a proof of concept for future titles, New Wave Toys briefly announced (about 10 minutes into the stream above), that they will be building more licensed mini pins, working directly with Planetary Pinball for the Bally/Williams licenses. They plan for 2 new releases in 2025 and are soliciting customer input on which titles they should tackle first.

The Pinball Media Mixer Happened! It was Awesome!

I don’t have too many photos at the moment. Just about 20 disposable cameras in various states of completion. We had a phenomenal turnout and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Huge thanks to Erika S. and Dan Yarrington (Pinball Tycoon) for jumping into the registration fray and making it go as smoothly as possible. Thanks to Josh Roop for helping with the raffle and various other odds and ends. Thanks to Foghorn Leghorn for the graphic design support. Thanks to Erin Seiden for letting me store stuff at her house. And, of course, thanks to our sponsors. Planetary Pinball, Stern Pinball, FAST Pinball, Scorbit, Pedretti Pinball, Silverball Swag, PINQUEST, PinHub, Barrels of Fun, and Pinball Brothers.

3.0 next year?

Pinball Map Location of the Week

Remember when Ryan and Scott from Pinball Map did a monthly series for us about new (to the map) pinball locations? Those were fun! Well, Ryan and Scott are back with a new-ish series where they will highlight one new location each week. This week Scott writes about FACTORY.

Bonjour. Did you know that France is wild about pinball? If you’re reading TWIP I guess you probably already knew that. I think it’s because they invented Bagatelle and just never stopped caring about what a ball can accomplish within a wooden box? They call pinball “flipper” over there, and the act of playing pinball is called “jouer au flipper”. Beyond these United States lies a vast world we mustn't overlook. Please journey with me for a moment, if you will, to Centre-Val de Loire, where a new flipper venue has opened its portal.

The pinball map (carte de flipper) indicates that a place called FACTORY (with a little gear as the 'O') now offers flipper machines for you to play. Ten machines, all relatively new, are likely in great condition, though the map doesn't specify. Go and enjoy their flipper machines, but remain open to the possibility of falling in love with a person or concept after playing. I find myself a bit underwhelmed by flipper alone, which may contrast with my peers who may secretly believe (but never say to my face) that “le ballon c'est la vie“ (the ball is life).

Humor me while we explore FACTORY's other offerings. Firstly, it's a bowling alley. Imagine bowling in France – holding a 12-pound ball aloft, proudly proclaiming, "I'm in Fr-AAAA-nce," and then nailing a beer frame. Perhaps such a feat has never occurred in the entire country, making you the Jacques Cousteau of French bowling alleys. If bowling isn't your preference, consider their cuisine – a chocolate pizza (pépites de chocolat au lait, noir, blanc accompagné de nutella) and a drink called Jackito (Jack Daniel’s, menthe fraîche, cassonade, citron vert, eau gazeuse).

Even if you doubt France's world-class food, explore their Cube Challenge. From what I understand, you're locked in a room and encouraged to complete a challenge, such as making a basketball basket or filling cartoonish blocks with tennis balls, to unlock the door. It sounds like an escape room without the pretense and pageantry – a wonderful chaser after your hundredth attempt to GC Toy Story 4.

Once, while in Japan, I adamantly insisted that my travel companion and I visit an arcade so I could engage in a Street Fighter match against authentic Japanese citizens. As a child, I had daydreamed about this scenario – the spotlight on me, feigning the selection of Ryu, only to astonish my opponent by choosing Chun-Li at the last moment. We would trade leads until the climactic round three, where a skillfully executed Yosokyaku (Hawk Leg Claw or "head stomp") would secure my victory. I would then awkwardly reach for a handshake just as my opponent solemnly bowed to me, leading to laughter and parting ways as new friends.

Reality, however, unfolded differently as I was repeatedly trounced by a growing line of sadists who seized the opportunity to reenact world warrior on their home turf. So, if you choose to visit FACTORY in France for some flipper, approach it with a warrior's mindset, but aim to depart having made a new friend. Avoid my fate of leaving broken and defeated.

FACTORY
3055 Rte de Sandillon, Saint-Denis-en-Val, Centre-Val de Loire 45560
Website

Links of the Week

• The official Metallica podcast interviewed Stern’s Jody Dankberg about Metallica Remastered

• Enjoyed the most recent Eclectic Gamer’s Podcast, where they discussed Alices Adventures in Wonderland

• I had fun with BASH Pinball Podcast’s latest, a fun spoof on a pinball news and rumors segment. Later, I was told to watch the video version, and the people who told me were right. It does not disappoint! 

Poll of the Week

Last Week’s Poll Results

Weekly Feedback

Your feedback helps us learn your preferences and improve our work. All notes are appreciated!