Pop-up pinball arcade a real blast from the past
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/04/2018 (1867 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As a teenager in the late 1970s, I grew up with pinball machines. Then, as the ’80s rolled along, video games like PacMan, Galaxian and Space Invaders started popping up. I tried them but there was something about the physicality involved with the pinball machines that I enjoyed more than just pushing buttons on video games. Not only the flipping of the flippers but the shaking and bumping of the machine was pretty exciting. Not to mention the sounds and lights of the machines.
A friend told me last month that a pop-up pinball arcade has been set up at Forth at 171 McDermot Ave. The Manitoba Pinball League and Phantom Amusements have teamed up to make the pinball addict’s dream come true.
Being one of those pinball wizards of the past, I just had to check it out.
Over 20 pinball machines, mostly of late ’70s vintage, lined the walls of the two rooms next to the lounge. The oldest machine in operation was Gottlieb’s Bank-a-Ball from 1965, offering “10 games for a quarter.” I just had to try it. Fun stuff but I must say not as fast-paced s some of the other machines there.
The Aerosmith machine (made by Stern in 2017) was pretty cool, as you could select one of nine songs by the band to enjoy while playing. The Adamms Family machine brought back some memories as I remembered playing this one when it first came out.
And, of course, I had to try the South Park machine which featured characters from the show not only talking but also belching, farting and spouting insults.
The newest machine, Dialled In!, made by Jersey Jack Pinball and with a price tag of $9,000, offered a few interesting surprises.
For example, as I was playing, I triggered s button to activate ‘The Selfie’ mode which started snapping my photo and displaying a series of photos of my startled and surprised face on the back glass of the machine. In the end it took 42 photos of me and, when I got the third highest score of the day the machine displayed my picture and score.
I visited the Pinball palace on a Friday and the place was very packed. It was quite interesting to see that most of the people playing were not even born when the majority of these machines were popular. But they all seemed to really enjoy themselves.
There is also a pinball memorabilia area behind glass which displays books, a 1947 Humpty Dumpty pinball machine and a space combat arcade game from 1971 called Computer Space.
With some of the older games costing 25 cents a game, up to $1 a game for some of the newer ones, it was a pretty cheap night of entertainment. The pop- up arcade will be in place until May 10.
Doug Kretchmer is a freelance writer, artist and community correspondent for The Times. Email him at quidamphotography@gmail.com
Doug Kretchmer
North End community correspondent
Doug Kretchmer is a freelance writer, artist and community correspondent for The Times. Email him at quidamphotography@gmail.com