Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: EMs are the new hipster thing  (Read 3414 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

RayB

  • I'm not wearing pants! HA!
  • Trade Count: (+4)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11279
  • Last login:February 24, 2024, 12:00:13 am
  • There's my post
    • RayB.com
EMs are the new hipster thing
« on: September 14, 2012, 10:05:15 pm »
There seems to be a revival in Toronto for electro-mechanical pinball, at least from an aesthetic or hipster "we like old stuff for the sake of it being older than me!" perspective. "The Pinball Cafe" has pins and vids on Queen st., there's a really nicely restored EM sitting in a novelty store called Blue Banana in Kensington Market ($1 for 5 balls), and lastly I snapped this pic at "the 3030" (bar/restaurant/music venue -- they have a Mata Hari in the back too).

NO MORE!!

ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2012, 01:33:44 pm »



It's one thing to throw the hipster EM in there.  It's something else to have the sack to charge $1/play.  Yow.

Mental

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 93
  • Last login:May 18, 2013, 09:46:08 am
    • Complete cocktail arcade system
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2012, 06:13:35 pm »
The Pinball Cafe and 3030 Bar are both great venues for those in Toronto. Each has a unique vibe, and they are both very friendly.

Get Well bar is also quite fun with 9 upright arcade machines and two pins (Dolly Parton and Capt Fantastic) all on free play.
Complete cocktail arcade system: arcadecabinets.ca

pinballjim

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2012, 06:38:33 pm »
Bunch of them showed up at the last Houston pinball museum party.

Whatever keeps them out of a landfill.

compute

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 117
  • Last login:February 26, 2018, 05:33:36 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2012, 05:36:55 pm »
About time the community get around EM's.  Otherwise it's just carmudgeony old guys, and those are starting to drop off.

Xiaou2

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4098
  • Last login:November 12, 2023, 05:41:19 pm
  • NOM NOM NOM
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2012, 01:13:44 am »
I never saw much point in EMs till I was better exposed to them... and actually learned how to play pinball properly.

EMs are all about the table bumping.   The flippers are further apart at times, so you NEED to use good bumping skills to keep alive.

The playfields are fairly wide open, allowing many interesting shots / bounces.

There are some games which light targets as they are hit... and its a real fun challenge trying to get every
target lit, before a drain.

EMs have slower ball travel, but the ball is easier to bump.. and so the experience can be a bit more fun and
enjoyable... if your good at bumping and ore-calculating ball angles.

EMs have those wonderful sounding chimes (three of them).   No annoying voiceovers that repeat 20times a round, seriously grating on you.

Some EMs, like Flying Turns, have awesome moving 3d backdrops.. such as the Two magnet driven Race cars, that actually roll around an real oval track in the backbox... as you score points.

Not all EMs are created equal.  Some are slow and boring.   But some are actually more fun than some of the new digital machines.

There area many awesome non-pinball EM machines.. such as shuffle puck games, 12 to 30ft big-ball-bowling machines, gun games, coin spring games, and much more.   I played an EM shuffle puck skee-ball style baseball game at a collectors house.  Wicked fun, especially with multiple players. I played that game more than the pins that were there.   

 Many of the Pinball / Arcade Collectors here have been getting big-ball bowlers.  These are really fun machines, that are great at Parties.  Anywhere from 4 to 6 players.   The small ball ones are ok.. but the larger ball machines really challenge you.   Most lanes are like 10 to 15ft... though you can usually find extensions for them.   One guy has a true 30ft lane machine.  The pins are actually on strings.. held in place by magnets.  When the ball hits them, the retract up... but not before getting smashed well into the other pins.  Its very realistic.  Because of the long lane... you can even throw curved hook shots on it.  :D   The guy said its probably worth 30grand today... but he would never sell it.

 Anyways...

 Be aware... that Mass media suggestion could easily be blamed for new popular interests.   As many people are sort-of sleep-waking Zombies.    In the recent cooking show "Masterchef", their introduction was a Pinball based animation, mixed with live actors / contestants.

 Another example, is the popularity of Zombies.   Plants -vs- Zombies game was probably most likely to blame.  Which later led to Youtube songs, G4 TV goofs, and even later...TV series.  (To all tie into the movie?)

 Sames goes for style and music.   If it shows up on TV, by someone in a certain age bracket or level of fame...  then all the kids think its hot.   It could be the stupidest thing in the world... like pants that hang 9" below the belt line...  but kids will eat it up... and replicate it.   Even if they cant walk correctly...   heh

 I know of a few younger woman who have gone so far as to Tatoo mustaches on their fingers.. and think Staches are cool.  Funny... when I had one, nobody thought they were cool except me  heh...  And now I know better :P     Futhermore... after a recent string of commercials that proclaim "REALLY?" as a dramatic response... and my God... I cant keep count of the same exact responses, by the young ones.  Completely oblivious?  Or just loves to follow the so called Leader... ???


 Sometimes it works out for the good.. but for the most part... it seems to be a vicious ugly cycle
of consumerism, corporate greed / control, planted negative behaviors / poor morals / De-Sensitivity, brainwashing, etc.

 
 Who's behind that big green curtain over there???

 heh


 Most human Culture today.. is artificially Manufactured. 
 Not transcended, nor evolved on its own.

 
 Where do you think the Word "Hipster" even came from?!   Sorry, but no school kids
'invented' that term.

ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2012, 09:27:26 am »

Holy crap dude.  How long did you spend last night writing up all these diatribes?

Couldn't you just put them all in one long thread called "Xiaou2's Ongoing Manifesto"?

RayB

  • I'm not wearing pants! HA!
  • Trade Count: (+4)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11279
  • Last login:February 24, 2024, 12:00:13 am
  • There's my post
    • RayB.com
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2012, 09:41:42 pm »
I understand what you're trying to say Xiau, but...

NO MORE!!

Xiaou2

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4098
  • Last login:November 12, 2023, 05:41:19 pm
  • NOM NOM NOM
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2012, 12:31:06 pm »
Sorry...   >.<

  I just started taking a certain medication...  which is helping give me back some energy and life... however.. a side effect seems to be increasing my OCD.   ugg.

 Hours fly by like minutes.  Quite crazy.

 Hopefully I can learn to channel this into more fruitful things...

dragon32

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11
  • Last login:December 01, 2012, 05:19:46 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2012, 03:17:34 pm »
i love EM pins, simple to play all about skill and just getting that hi score.
i must admit modern solid state ones are great but offer a different experience.

ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2012, 03:26:11 pm »
There is something to be said for flipping the ball and having time to reach over and take a sip before it hits anything.

Gray_Area

  • -Banned-
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3363
  • Last login:June 23, 2013, 06:52:30 pm
  • -Banned-
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #11 on: October 06, 2012, 01:52:41 am »



It's one thing to throw the hipster EM in there.  It's something else to have the sack to charge $1/play.  Yow.

I don't see a dollar being that much, given that pins in the 80s were fifty cents.
-Banned-

ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2012, 10:47:01 am »



It's one thing to throw the hipster EM in there.  It's something else to have the sack to charge $1/play.  Yow.

I don't see a dollar being that much, given that pins in the 80s were fifty cents.


Not many pins take in a dollar now.  I was at a very high end pinball gameroom on wednesday, all immaculate Stern LEs along with some fully restored Williams games, and even there the only games at 4 tokens were X-Men and AC-DC.

Xiaou2

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4098
  • Last login:November 12, 2023, 05:41:19 pm
  • NOM NOM NOM
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2012, 09:40:25 pm »
There is something to be said for flipping the ball and having time to reach over and take a sip before it hits anything.

 You mean, hitting a Flipper?  Or getting a Drain?   Cause most EMs, no matter how slow you feel the ball is... is not going to allow more than a second.. or two at most, before its hitting something. 

 If you are waiting for the ball to come to your flippers... then in reality, ...your not really playing Pinball the way it was intended to be played.  Especially on the EM machines.   You should be  'Working'  the machines with bumps/nudges, so as to Make the ball hit all the targets,  ..and or to get the ball in the correct vectors so that it wont drain.   And usually this is a lot more challenging than newer games, because the Flippers are often much further apart.

 It took me some time before I realized the value as well as the appeal of these machines.  And certainly, there are EMs that either are not the best players... As well as machines that are so worn  (worn field = slower ball travel)  ,unadjusted, and electronically out of whack (IE: Weak Coil action)  ...that they are not playing the way they should play.


 If you really think about it... there are a lot of physical games and sports, which are not Rocket-Ship fast... yet are challenging and fun to play.

ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2012, 09:32:22 am »
You mean, hitting a Flipper?  Or getting a Drain?   Cause most EMs, no matter how slow you feel the ball is... is not going to allow more than a second.. or two at most, before its hitting something. 


You took my sarcasm a little too seriously.   :)

pinballjim

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #15 on: October 09, 2012, 09:38:18 am »
I've played a LOT of EMs and most of them are fairly quick.  There was kind of a lull when they all starting using switch targets but that didn't seem to last too long. 

I mean, we're not talking like Shadow or anything but still.


 :dunno

ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #16 on: October 09, 2012, 09:40:24 am »

The EM I play most often is Gottlieb Knock Out.  That game is fun but it may as well be an hourglass at times.  It could be sped up, obviously, by changing the angle but the flippers are so small that would make it a drain monster.



EDIT:  Didn't realize until I looked it up that there are several games of that title.  Editing to be specific.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2012, 09:42:35 am by ChadTower »

pinballjim

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #17 on: October 09, 2012, 09:57:26 am »
Looking at the Gottlieb Knock Out playfield, I can believe that.  That game sells for big money to the right collector... go figure.

1950 you're talking a borderline bingo... shoot the ball, get a couple nudges in, MAYBE touch the ball with the flipper and done.


ChadTower

  • Chief Kicker - Nobody's perfect, including me. Fantastic body.
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38211
  • Last login:October 19, 2022, 12:01:54 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #18 on: October 09, 2012, 10:08:02 am »

The animated boxing match in the ring is actually pretty cool.  Not sure it's $4000 cool but the guys do punch each other when you accomplish certain objectives.

TopJimmyCooks

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2097
  • Last login:March 26, 2024, 01:18:39 pm
Re: EMs are the new hipster thing
« Reply #19 on: October 09, 2012, 11:31:51 am »
X2, don't worry about the manifesto-I've done it from time to time as well.  Eg my Journey post in p&r.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2