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Ice Cream Nachos
IFPA Rookie of the Year | TMNT Tutorial | Wonderland Update | RIP Fred Young | Product of the Week | Location of the Week | Links | More!
Colin Alsheimer
January 31, 2025 • Time to Read: 15 minutes
This Week in Pinball, we’re dreaming about ice cream nachos (see location of the week for more).
This Week's Pinball Agenda
Song of the Week
If you have ever spent significant time with bands like Cake, Dismemberment Plan, or They Might Be Giants, well, Cheekface might be up your alley. Their stylistic mix of talk-singing and a dry-to-dark sense of humor perked my ears, and I now find myself sprinting towards the growing group of self-described “Cheek Freaks” (there’s even a Discord server, which makes the band seem almost too accessible, even by today’s standards).
Formed in 2017 out of Los Angeles, the band has already released 4 full-length albums, with a 5th (Middle Spoon) due in just a few short weeks. Their latest single release, Growth Sucks, is a tongue-in-cheek tune that speaks to a strain of modern spiritual nihilism that feels particularly strong during these long dead-of-winter days.
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Pinball News of the Week
Interview with 2024 IFPA Rookie of the Year
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Matt Owen sits down with 2024 IFPA Rookie of the Year Jaden Rich of Louisville, Ohio, to talk about how he got started with competitive pinball, goals for his future in the sport, and much more.
New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tutorial
Noah Crable covers all the detailed nuances of Stern’s challenging 2020 release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I don’t know about you, but I never clicked with this game - it always felt too tough, but after reading this tutorial, I’m ready to attack it again with a fresh perspective and unbridled game knowledge. Cowabunga dude!
New Development Update for Alice Goes to Wonderland
Wonderland Amusements, the team behind the small-scale, sub-$1,000 pinball machine Alice Goes to Wonderland, released a new development update video of their prototype game after a trip to their factory in Hong Kong. You get some gameplay footage in this video, which is nice to see.
I’ve seen some of the community feedback on the project so far, and I gotta say I’m keeping an open mind to this release. If they are able to deliver on the promise of the product, I think it’ll have a healthy market and one that isn’t served well currently.
I’ll be watching the launch of their Kickstarter closely to see what the support tiers look like and how much risk is being distributed to backers. I do know, after conversations with the team, that backers can expect to enjoy discounts of up to 25% off the expected MSRP (among other things, I’m sure).
RIP Fred Young
Ending the news section on a somber note with news of the passing of Fred Young, a noted voice actor in pinball with over 30 titles in his credits, like Back to the Future to Starship Troopers. He was inducted into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame in 2024. Read more about Fred in the Pinball News article on his passing.
Pinball Map Location of the Week
Ryan and Scott from Pinball Map run a regular series that highlights one new pinball location each week. This week, Scott writes about Scooper Mcquades in The Dalles, Oregon.
Now-a-days, people are singing the same dingy refrain: “I feel low” and “I feel pretty sad about my situation right now” and possibly even “I long for the heavy burden of life to lift from my spirit.” It feels like a rough time all around and I’m not immune to it. I’ve grown weary and now I’m weary of feeling weary. But knowing how one feels deep inside does not solve your problems. Not even years of therapy will solve your problems. It will only birth tools unto you and now it’s up to your tired butt to use those tools (sorry for the swear). If you are “going through it”, maybe consider deploying a tool that has often helped me and single women depicted in comic strips of the 1980s: go stress eat an ice cream.
I know what you’re thinking (because in a few key ways: you are me — we are one)... “I love ice cream, but I’m mostly here for the pinball.” Good — great, even! Hold onto that thought for a moment. What if I were to tell you that there is a new pinball location in beautiful The Dalles, Oregon called Scooper Mcquades and it empowers you to experience ice cream and pinball in equal parts? Would you care? I suspect you are now thinking “hmmmm, kind of a silly name, can I take dates here?” The answer is an emphatic “sure, you can”.
Picture it now: a frosty Tuesday evening in Oregon. Your Hinge date has arrived (via Lyft) right at the corner of 2nd and Washington in beautiful The Dalles, Oregon. You are waiting for them in front of Scooper Mcquades (you called it Mcquades in your text messages with the Hinge date). It is a chilly 24 degrees but if your date could see through your winter mittens, they would see that your palms are sweaty (mom’s spaghetti). You need this to go well. There are only 16,010 people in The Dalles, Oregon, and it feels like you’ve had a bad first date with every single one. You take a sharp breath as your Hinge date approaches, panic creeping in. Quickly, you steady yourself by recalling the agenda: 1) ice cream, 2) pinball, and 3) departure. But will that departure come with a warm hug, a curt nod, or a muttered curse?
Scooper Mcquades prides itself on ice cream. Their name could have been Plunger Mcquades or Deathsave Mcquades, but it’s clear that they put ice cream first. They’ve got all the usual ice cream things you would expect (e.g. scoops) and they bake most of their pastries in-house. But they also have a dish called ice cream nachos (waffle cone pieces with a scoop of ice cream and your selection of two toppings with whip cream)! This is the item you and your Hinge date will enjoy together. You eat it and share a laugh over how a dot of strawberry ice cream on the end of your nose has made you look like a cartoon reindeer. Things are going well, it’s time for pinball.
Scooper Mcquades offers what may be the greatest pinball lineup in Oregon. Six machines, all on coin-drop, featuring Wheel of Fortune, Gilligan’s Island, and World Tour Poker (each one is a "Die on This Hill" selection on the Wedgehead podcast). The vibe here is casual. It welcomes you to enjoy an ice cream and play a low-stakes game of pinball. Your date picks up, settling into a natural rhythm between conversation and focused pinball play. This is someone you can picture spending more time with. But it’s late (Scooper Mcquades closes at 8 PM), and the moment of truth is here. How will you say goodbye?
You learned about courtship from TV—reruns of Growing Pains, Little House on the Prairie, and The Golden Girls shaped your expectations. First date farewells always stump you. A hug feels right this time, but you've misread these moments before. Summoning your courage, you strike a balance between bold and cautious. Clearing your throat, you ask, "I had a great time tonight. Would it be okay if I hugged you?" Your date smiles politely—though was that a quick glance toward the window?—and nods slowly. "Yes, I’d love to have another ice cream with you at Scooper Mcquades."
Scooper Mcquades, a mother-daughter-owned shop, is nestled in beautiful The Dalles, Oregon. Next time you are worried about the world, temporarily blot that worry out by taking a date there for ice cream and pinball.
Scooper Mcquades
215 E 2nd St, The Dalles, OR 97058
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Second Sponsor of the Week
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Product of the Week
Check out this insane new topper by Vincent Mods for Stern’s Dungeons & Dragons game. It’s got a 29” video screen with an integrated PC and a moving animatronic creature as its centerpiece. It’s also € 1,675.00! But for those topper maximalists (we know you’re out there) where money is no object, this one’s for you!
Links of the Week
Another great interview by Pinball Profile, this time talking with Erika from Erika’s Pinball Journey.
LoserKid Pinball Podcast discussed the legacy of Lyman F. Sheats with Penni Epstein and the Sharpe family (Roger, Zach, and Josh).
Stern Pinball shared their making of videos for Metallica Remastered and The Uncanny X-Men
Wormhole Pinball interviewed Doug Smith of Cooltoy
Congrats to Zach McCarthy for winning The Open IFPA World Championship at INDISC!
TWIPY Awards Updates of the Week
Our schedule of events for live attendees is solidifying nicely. On Friday, we’ll be doing a tour of The Wormhole Vault, where The Wormhole crew will have some seriously rare games on display. After that tour, we’re hosting a happy hour and casual tournament at Eureka Heights Brewery.
On Saturday, we’ll kick off TWIPY day with a tour of the Barrels of Fun factory, and then The Wormhole will open up for free play starting at 5pm.
Then we’ll wrap things up on Sunday with a 3x tournament at The Wormhole.
Tickets are available at twipys.com/tickets.
Poll of the Week
Would you consider renting a pinball machine? |
Last Week’s Poll Results
NGL these poll results were surprising!
“I’m really glad it exists because I have seen the excitement it brings people, but getting competitive makes me not enjoy pinball. I am “okay” but when my bad games are also loser games, it just breaks my spirit.”
“I play in a league, but almost never play in tournaments. Pinball for me is about the social aspect and far too frequently tournaments/launch parties/etc seem to bring out the worst sides of pinball.”
“IFPA # in the 15k range, but needs exercise since covid. Have loved watching the growth, and some of my fondest memories of my son's childhood were made at IFPA events. Priceless!”
“Heck yeah! Started with Boston Belles & Chimes 7(!!!) years ago this year, and it’s been a wonderful wild ride. Looking forward to improving even more.”
“I only enjoy the hobbiest side of the hobby. Maintenance, Restorations, Collecting.. Watching people play "competitively" while they bash on the machines, just doesn't interest me.”
“I was really pleasantly surprised to discover how friendly and supportive the competitive pinball community is within the SF Bay Area.”
“I wish I could in Osaka but I can never get free to attend. And there are so many pinballs there that it is impossible to learn the rules for all of them, so it is a bit intimidating.”
“Yes, and probably have the most northern pinball IFPA tournament in Europe. ;)”
“Takes the fun out of pinball.”
Thank you for reading! I love putting these together, but it’s also real work, and paid subscriptions are what make it worth my time. Paid subscribers get Discord access, early access to product launches, ad-free newsletters, and my unending love and appreciation. If you are already a paid subscriber, thank you so much!
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