I had the privilege of playing a live tutorial of Pokémon by Stern Pinball, with Software Developer Tanio Klyce and Game Designer Jack Danger, in front of an audience at Texas Pinball Festival.
While Tanio and Jack were representing Stern, I was an independent representative of … well … myself. So, like the seminar attendees, I wanted to know what updates were being planned for this game.
IFPA Pin-Masters – a tradition unlike any other. This year, the tradition was held at ORD Pinball near Chicago, Illinois. A site where many pinball Players, including State Pinball Champions, dared to navigate the most sensitive slingshots known to mankind and the toughest PinGolf target scores.
As Roger was making quick work of the electromechanical game Wild Card, it malfunctioned. That gave us the opportunity to have a conversation with him about Pin-Masters and competitive pinball in general while the game was being repaired.
“My first game” is an experiment where I try to avoid as many spoilers or marketing material as I can, when a manufacturer releases a new pinball game, before I get to play it myself.
![5-7-3 Take Highest Score! [Police Force]](https://funwithbonus.com/wp-content/uploads/PoliceForce-TakeTheHighestScore.png)
Here is a time when I could definitely say I was “LOCKED IN” or “IN THE ZONE” while playing pinball. At District 82 Arcade, it’s me vs. Police Force with the “TAKE HIGHEST SCORE” challenge set to 8 ramps in a row. Also, JACKPOT is lit. 8 consecutive ramps needed to win the game.
(Who’s that guy on the far right side?!)
See what happened at the event and how the game was revealed to us. Scan the differences among the trim levels of the Pro, Premium, and Limited Editions. (Insert Pokémon pun here.)
Throwing it back to the most recent Pinball Expo which had its largest Homebrew / Custom Game maker space to date, viewable from anywhere in the convention area.
This Ace (a difference of 0.364%) was livestreamed on one of pinball’s biggest stages, The Open World Pinball Championship.
See the close calls, the skillful saves, the simuldraineous events, the cash-ins, the scissors (me), the Commentators Curses (me again), the Lazarus bounce backs and much more exciting tournament action. Use this video to introduce someone to competitive pinball.
Look! Here’s a time when I remembered how to play pinball well, consistently. Well … for most of it.
I am so grateful to have had her in my life.