Record Breaking Year

Song of the Week

I’ve been looping the latest single by Oakland’s SPELLLING, called Portrait of My Heart, which was released just a few short weeks ago. It’s catchy, dramatic, and mysterious.

I have no idea what the song is about, but its repeated chorus of the phrase “I don’t belong here” made me think first of the familiar refrain of the dreaded imposter syndrome, but as the music video trades in visuals of dimensional portals and angels wings, maybe it’s a bit more existential and supernatural then it would appear on the surface.

Regardless, SPELLLING is a new-to-me artist that will be going into the regular rotation and I look forward to listening to the rest of her album when it is released in March of this year.

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Pinball News of the Week

First Impressions of Homepin’s Blues Brothers

Australia’s Dr. John Cosson guest stars in this detailed look at the very first copy of Homepin’s Blues Brothers to come off the line (#101, as shown in the backbox photo). There are a lot of little things that intrigue me about this release, from the use of Dick Hamill’s open-source code project to the riff on an established classic layout (Stern Electronics’ Stars). Would I buy one? Probably not! But I definitely would like to flip one sometime soon.

New Terminator 2 Pinball Tutorial

Continuing our regular pinball tutorial series from Noah Crable with a look at the 1990s Steve Ritchie classic Terminator 2. I don’t know what your first pinball memory is, but I have vivid memories of encountering this game (and others of its era) on location as a kid and being completely captivated and mystified by the “world under glass” of pinball machines. I never would have guessed then that I’d be writing a newsletter about these games now.

Analyzing Sales Data for the 2024 Pinball Releases

We’re back with another edition of Number Crunch, where we draw imperfect (but informed) conclusions from imperfect data sets! This time, we’re looking at publicly available sales data for the major pinball releases of 2024 for a directional snapshot of the market and some trends we can expect to continue for 2025.

Second Sponsor of the Week

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Product of the Week

I’ll be frank. I didn’t even know I needed a pinball utility leg bag, but now that I do, this new offering from upstart retailer The Missing Pin Co. looks like it very well could be a buy-it-for-life product. It’s a 30" x 36" canvas-carrying device reminiscent of a grill tools carrier I have, only it’s designed for pinball legs and bolts and tools instead of a grill brush and tongs.

According to the announcement thread on Pinside, this carrier has already been field-tested in the mean pinball streets of Wisconsin by the likes of Don’s Pinball Podcast and some rag-tag homebrewers, so you know it must be good. Order the solid color for $115, a stylish two-tone version for $125, or go hog wild with a three-tone version for $135. Add your 3-digit personal high score initials for an extra $10.

Purchase your utility leg bag on The Mission Pin Co.’s website.

Links of the Week

• This experimental pinball album is one of the most unique pinball ventures to come across my inbox. From the album’s description, “During the quiet and strange Covid days, Suzana Lașcu, Robert Kroos, and Reinier van Houdt began a recording project based on the soundbites of pinball machines. They visited the empty Dutch Pinball Museum in Rotterdam and captured field recordings of machines from the 1960s to the 1990s. From these, they selected 28 samples to serve as thematic starting points for what they called 'game pieces,' recorded in two sessions at Sonology Studios in The Hague. The recordings were then shaped into sound collages using cut-up techniques and probabilistic processes.”

• Pinball community member Mark Rowe (aka bdash) configured a Stern Avengers Infinity Quest to play the original Doom.

• Nudge Magazine recapped their trip to Stern for the D&D media day and I’m glad the office pizza party bit is a win for Ian like it is for me!

• Check out this super in-depth look at Bally’s Cirqus Voltaire by Alpha Bravo Pinball. I remember watching some of his content a while back, and his content is getting a lot better. Kudos on the polish here!

• Pinball Map joined the Wedghead Pinball Podcast once again for an episode of their Die On This Hill series, making a case for Stern’s Wheel of Fortune.

• Pinball made the NY Post with this look at Katie Martin and how she’s managing to host the NY State Championships in her tiny NYC apartment.

TWIPY Awards Updates of the Week

We’re entering the final days of 2024 TWIPY voting, and I think it’s safe to say that people are truly understanding the assignment this year. It’s been fun seeing some of the creativity and kindness on display as folks play the meta of the TWIPYs and campaign for support.

• We officially broke the record for the most TWIPY votes received in a single year! And there are still a few days left to get your vote in!

• Thanks for the TWIPYs plug LoserKids!

• We now have official TWIPY awards merch thanks to Silverball Swag. Grab a sweatshirt or a rocks glass and take advantage of the 25% off deal for additional items from the Silverball Swag originals collection.

• Tickets are still available for those who want to join in on the fun live and party with us at The Wormhole in Houston (plus a few other pinball-focused activities).

Poll of the Week

Last Week’s Poll Results

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