FollowI have always liked pinball.
And I am okay at it.
Went out to First Friday night planning to maybe check out the studios in the State Theatre Building, and maybe the Portland Museum of Art.
Instead I went to Coast City Comics and played pinball, then across the street to Local Sprouts and heard a very cool guitar player and someone reading and showing their new graphic novel.
It was a good night.
I have played a fair amount of pinball since I was in the Rutgers pinball club back in college. There were several players in the club who were nationally ranked and played tournaments in New York City. I was just happy playing some of the great machines in the Rutgers College Avenue Student Center in the mid 90s like World Cup 1994, Addams Family and the Twilight Zone. And to every once and a while hear that ultra satisfying loud plonk of a replay.
And when I travel down the Mass Pike back and forth to Pennsylvania in this tough time, I often will play a game or two to calm down after the road. I enjoyed the Monopoly game Westbound near 495, didn’t like the Gofers game so much.
Tonight I played a few games. The first was Family Guy, which was okay. I actually like the Stewey mini-pinball game the most which felt like a toy pinball machine. Very cute.
The Star Wars pinball game which I often like felt beat up. Wasn’t a fan of it at Coast City.
Played an Elvira magic pinball which was okay.
But my two favorites were a game I like from back in the day, and I think was back to my mid 1990s Rutgers days, Attack From Mars. Lots of fun good sounds, fun gameplay reasonably easy center shot for a lot of the points. Fun game. I am not sure many pinball games use sounds better. I like the Revenge from Mars (I think that’s right) follow up too.
The other was an older game which I hadn’t played before Doctor Who. It reminded me a lot of one of my other favorite pinball games Pinbot. Pinbot is where I had possibly my best pinball game ever the first time I played it. Fun old school pinball. And I loved hearing the Doctor who music and Dalek noises.
Other favorites include games like Cyclone and Comet, both based on Coney Island roller coasters.
Was also nice to be back at Local Sprouts. Got used to going there every Tuesday when Port Veritas was there last year (2011-2012). It’s a fun place with great organic food, a nice beer list and very good coffee, bread and dessert. But, someone was reading today a graphic novel he just finished and it was his 30th birthday. Yet, someone still felt like they needed to talk the whole time he was reading. Please respect the artist and try not to talk when they are reading. It makes it hard for everyone else who is enjoying the artists work.
So a very satisfying Friday and I even got to see my friend Alexis Lyon when I came back to Coast City Comics on my way out to play Doctor Who pinball some more. Although I do wish I heard the satisfying clunk of a replay tonight.
Going out is making me feel better. It’s too easy to dwell at home. Too bad I have no money after not working much of the last 2 weeks and spending money in PA and getting there.
Pinball is fun. If you haven’t played or haven’t played in a while take a couple bucks in quarters and play. It’s a good time.