Over in France during the 19th century,
they had this game called bagatelle. The
players hit balls on a table that had pins stuck
in it. Table? Balls? Pins? Yep, you're right,
bagatelle was the ol' grandad of pinball. The
French dug it so much that, of course,
everyone in England wanted to play too.
Eventually, bagatelle made its way to the U.S.
of A. The Americans, always on the cutting
edge of leisure technology, kept improving
on the game until, in 1946, the first pinball
game with flippers was born. The actual pins
on the tables of yore have now been replac
ed by ramps, spinners, bumpers and drop
targets, but the name still remains.
Constant innovation and burgeoning
popularity have fostered today's high tech,
solid state pinball industry. Almost two billion
dollars are spent every year on this country's
one million pinball machines. That's eight
billion quarters! Laid side by side, they could
circle the earth four times and leave enough
kateball
change for you to play Pin-Bot till Christmas.
Wouldn't Carl Sagan be impressed?
So, next time you're at the local arcade,
don't waste your time and eyesight on dry,
predictable, two-dimensional video games
when true excitement lies a few steps away.
Also, look in bowling alleys, bus stations,
casinos, malls and even the 7-11 (after you're
through skating the parking lot). Back in the
skatepark days, most park pro-shops had
games that were fully worked between runs.
If you're over 21, bars often play host to some
of the most raging silver ball sessions. Pin-
ball pursuit is a lot like skate spot seeking;
you have make an effort to find the best loca-
tions. If you try hard, you will be rewarded.
Nowadays, we're lucky enough to have a
bumper crop of hot games. Here's list of
some of the best.
-F-14 Tomcat is the top gun for high speed
action. It has a four ball multi-ball and a
lightning fast kick-back that aims straight at
you. This game rips, but it takes a little while
to get it wired because it's so fast.
-Pin-Bot takes you out of the stratosphere
and into deep space. Hit the right targets,
raise the visor of the giant robot, lock in, then
get a two-ball multi-ball. Pin-Bot is less fran-
tic than some games but it never gets stale.
-Fire has definite skater appeal with two
steep banks on either side of a killer jump
ramp. Ollie off the ramp, through the swing-
ing doors and multi-ball is yours.
-Heavy Metal Meltdown is a classic. It's
got a wicked soundtrack and a mega-
moshable multi-ball meltdown. Get the rail
on this game and bang your head for hours.
-Big Guns is a hybrid space battle/
medieval melee with four flippers and thun-
dering artillery sound effects. This game fires
some speedy salvos, so you've got to be fleet
of finger to save the queen.
-Cyclone, which takes place in an amuse-
ment park, demands precision shooting. If
you're good you can ride the Ferris wheel,
enter the spook house, try the shooting
gallery or ride either of the two roller coasters.
It even has Ron n' Nancy riding the Cyclone
on the backglass.
-Banzai Run gives you the opportunity to
hit true vert! Lock in to the ball lifter and rise
to a new plateau in pinball history-the game
continues in the backglass! You have flip-
pers, but now you're shooting straight up.
The best part is that when you drain from the
vert section, the ball goes back into regular
play. You've got to see it to believe it.
The games mentioned above are par-
ticular THRASHER favorites, selected after
many nights of intense research, but there
are plenty more to choose from. Once you
catch the pinball jones, you're bound to
spend hours critiquing and reviewing, so
keep an open mind. The Williams Electronics
Company dominates the industry, though
companies like Data East, Gottlieb and Bally
(which is now a subsidiary of Williams) make
some righteous games as well.
In many ways pinball can be looked upon
as cerebral skateboarding. It's a miniature
world of peril and persistence. There's no
pain, but you can get just as stoked and just
as rad. Don't take my word for it, though.
Head for the nearest silver ball session spot
and see for yourself.
Screaming Lord Salba.
Skate Rock
ROAD RASH - Vol. 6-Hell's Kitchen, UNGHI, Odd Man Out, House of
Wheels, Six Feet Under, Drunk Injuns, THEE Fourgiven, Septic Death,
Ivey's Vine, Skatemaster Tate, Fratricide. Cassette
SKATE ROCK Vol. 1-The Big Boys, Black
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Minus One, Los Olvidados, Riot 303
Soundrel Cassette
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TRUCKS-Vol 2-McRad, TSOL, Big Boys
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Racer X, Naked Lady Wrestlers, Stupids,
JFA, Excel, Dehumanizers, Screamin' Lord
Salba and His Heavy Friends, Eight Days
A Week. Cassette
A BLAST FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT
Video-Drunk Injuns, Agent Orange, Dicks,
Condemned to Death, Tales Of Terror,
Screamin' Sirens, and America's Top
Skaters. 60 min, Color VHS/Beta
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