1. Earliest pinball memory?1979 - Age 9: My parents moved to Dandenong. Back in those days there was a 1/2 K block of streets with parlours everywhere. "Casino" next the station,"Pacific" across the road, "Hollywood" on Foster St, The original Pot Black which was built in the old Dandenong cinema in Thomas st. The snooker/pool hall next to the old fire station...
I lived in Pacific where a guy named Paul used to run the place (And look out for me), and the snooker hall which was run by a lovely husband and wife whose names I have forgotten... (I learned how to make money playing pool and not get killed!)
I loved that snooker hall as the owners were more into pinball than videos - kept a lot of the dickheads out of there which suited the ambience of a snooker hall nicely!
EBD, Firepower 1&2, Gorgar, Paragon, BK, Space Invaders, Galaxy, Supersonic, Strikes and Spares, Xenon, X's & O's, Playboy & Kiss, you name it - it was probably in Dandy at some stage!
Every "Wog shop" (Coffee shops - the ones with curtains on the windows) had a machine or 2.
Mix of video/pinnys in most places was 50/50. I could clock Phoenix at will. Galaga and Pengo were popular with most of us in those days. Dragon's Lair took a fair bit of coin when it came out. (I hated it)
I missed the EM era completely - I have never seen one sited (except at Child's! And it didn't bloody work anyway!)
Stopped going to parlors when I discovered cars and girls... The last "new" pin I remember seeing was Fire! - the owner had the thing cranked up full bore... And that bloody bell! And they put the noisy piece of s**t next to my beloved Galaxy!
2. All time favorite pin? Why?Stern Galaxy - at the aforementioned pool hall, that was my fallback machine! If I was broke - I could rack up enough credits to either play all day, or someone would want to play the machine and pay me for the unused credit...
I would love to sit Xenon next to Space Invaders... At night.
Firepower for the way it used sound to get you into the game.
Firepower 2 for the bonus countdown sounds when you have maxed it out with hold bonus...
3. Favorite pinball manufacture?Nope - I think everyone has made a machine that I would love to own. Bally/WMS is the easiest to get info and fix though?
4. Favorite game in your collection? Why?
Party Zone because 1. It works! 2. People come around and have a laugh at it!
5. How long have you been collecting?Only about 9 months now that I think about it... (Still in Nappies!)
6. First game and how did you find it?
Caveman - My better half found it on flea-bay.
7. Do you still have it?
It hasn't beaten me yet....
8. What are you currently working on?Fixing the RTC on Party Zone, finish off the power supply on Caveman... Tip run to make room...
9. Most wanted game to add to your collection?Me? Dr Dude / Firepower 2... Toni wants a Monster Bash. I know which is cheaper... (Toni's also riding me to buy an EM machine...)
10. Best all time bargain game added to your collection?
Might be Caveman - dunno yet!
11. Worst ever miss – tell us about the one that got away!Anything that Rollerball has brought in the last 2 years... Lots of $5-800 things on fleabay. Had a deposit on an old mechanical pokie - guy got raided the next day...
12. Worst ever purchase – tell us about the game you wished you never bought
Nope - none yet.
13. Describe your collection
Party Zone that works - cheapie container pin, the playfields okay - bit of wear around the bumpers, right hand ramp replaced with homebrew metal job, the toys are tired cosmetically. Cab faded as usual. GI rewired and soldered to the back of the board (yuk!).
Caveman that doesn't! Cabs 6/10 headbox 2/10, glass is so-so, playfield has a bit of wear around the inserts - but it polishes up real nice. No ROMs, no RIOTs, no CPU, no trannys in the driver board, missing pbdb, missing sound board... The video I/O card has toasted tracks and RAM chips... Other than that - shes an easy fix...
14. Describe your gamesroom
The double garage ajoining the house (Modern style - plastered walls and roof). 6x6mt. 2 Pinnys, a Chase HQ sit down driving cab, a wicker lounge suite, tv, glass beer fridge, 2 workbenches covered in crap... Boat bits, things to fix, Shelf of old bike helmets I really should chuck out, this laptop...
15. Do you have other games other than pinball?
The Chase HQ which will eventually be gutted to build a gung-ho PC based simulator... Softmodded Wii with HDD, DSi's (2 because I got sick of the arguing over the Wii)...
16. Where can you see the hobby in 10 years?
The machines that are around now - will be worth a bomb in 10 years. They are not REALLY being replaced (Despite Stern's best efforts). They can only become more desirable. Mark's spare parts will be in the same boat.
Parts will drive everything - the more machines that are "saved" through restoration and having spares, the better off pinball will be. (Unless you are Daniel who seems to fix anything with chewing gum and fencing wire - who needs parts?)
