“He’s a pinball wizard / there has got to be a twist / a pinball wizard / he’s got such a supple wrist.”
— The Who, “Pinball Wizard.”
Play a mean pinball I do not. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy stretching the ol’ flipper fingers occasionally and giving the silver ball a run for its money between classes. Luckily there are several places within walking distance of campus that have pinball machines.
The closest location to offer pinball is The Break in the bottom level of the Erb Memorial Union. The Break has five different machines, each offering one play (three balls) for 50 cents.
My two favorites at The Break are “Roller Coaster Tycoon” and “Medieval Madness.” The “Roller Coaster Tycoon” playfield — the part of the machine where the action takes places — is set up like an amusement park. The bumpers are cleverly disguised as bumper cars, and when hit, an orange-haired troll doll lights up. There is also a haunted house, an information booth and, of course, a roller coaster — all rewarding the player with bonus points for hitting them.
“Medieval Madness” has the best light display in its playfield. The game also features a light-up dragon and castle. When hit by the ball several times, the castle — in all its
miniature, plastic glory — will tremble and flash until the towers fall over, signaling the ball’s destruction of the
building. I also found “Medieval Madness” the easiest to play.
“Monopoly” has the most annoying music of all the machines. And the bonuses were no more exciting than “free parking.”
The other two machines are “Junkyard” and “Star Wars: Episode One.”
A less obvious place to spend your quarters is Carl’s Jr. at 686 E. Broadway, where the aroma of french fry grease permeates the air, adding to the seedy arcade atmosphere necessary for cheap game play.
Carl’s Jr. also has the “Star Wars: Episode One” game. “Star Wars” proved to be even more disappointing than “Monopoly,” due to the fact that the playfield includes a television screen that shows clips from the movie every time a ball goes out of play. Even the “Force” couldn’t save this game from being a total bore.
Thankfully, a “Rocky and Bullwinkle” game can also be found at the fast food restaurant. This game has so much kitsch it makes up for the dismal “Star Wars.” “Rocky and Bullwinkle” also offers multi-ball play. The playfield and backglass designs are great, and one play is only 25 cents.
My favorite location for pinball is the 7-Eleven on the corner of East 13th Avenue and Alder Street. What goes better with a couple games of “Tales of the Arabian Nights” than a Slurpee? Plus, while waiting for your friends to finish their games, you can check out the wide selection of magazines or mingle with shoppers.
This location also has two machines — “X-Files” and “Arabian Nights.” “X-Files,” which is currently out of order, features giant pictures of FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, as well as a fetus-like creature in a plastic container.
Out of all the machines in the University area, “Arabian Nights,” with its jackpot genie and harem bonus, is the most fun to play. The game has lots of spiraling chutes to send the ball racing through, as well as a genie lamp that glows and racks up points after being spun.
With all the flashing lights and ringing bells, it’s easy to forget about class altogether. Just don’t become so mesmerized you spend all your laundry money trying to earn enough points for extra ball play.