DFO's mention of Pin at Boogie's got me thinking...there is a distinct lack of quality pinball in this city.
So please post your locations for good pinball.
The airport is probably the best that I know of...there was also a scuzzy Arcade called "Southern Fun" downtown off the c-train tracks...but you had to play your pin while having drug deals go down around you. Does anyone know if it still open?
Bonus points if anyone can tell me where there is a "Twilight Zone" pinball machine which is far and away the best pin.
Oh, for the days when Easy Street was still open. What an amazing place to waste money that was.
There're a couple in Southland Leisure Center, although I can't vouch for their quality. Movie theatres, maybe? The arcade in Eau Claire market?
Eau Claire arcade is closed now, and is being turned into a gym.
For some reason I find the death of things like Arcades fascinating. Another thing dieing is video stores. You've got your Roger and Blockbuster, and VHQ locations but in the last 3-5 years there have been tons of other video stores go out of business. There are virtually no stand-alone video stores left in Calgary, apart from Casablanca.
Back to pin - some bars have one or two machines, but the selection is poor.
The pool hall at the U of C used to have a good selection - not sure if it still does.
Location: In a land without pants, or war, or want. But mostly we care about the pants.
Exp:
It is a shame that arcades have more or less died out completely, as there is something different and better about a stand-up machine on which to play a game as opposed to emulating it on a computer or console. That being said, when you get 90% of the experience for 10% of the cost, economics dictates that the expensive option will disappear or become a niche market.
Pinball, however, can't be adequately simulated at even 50% of the experience - the game is all about analog reality. I was pretty good at pinball as a teen, and the digital reproductions are so vastly inferior that they are not even wroth playing; however other types of games more than fill the gap so I don't really miss it other than a certain kind of nostalgic regret.
If I was a rich layabout, however, I'd be all over having a pinball machine or two in my basement, along with a pachinko machine and maybe a couple standup games like Defender or Robotron.
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I am a huge pinball guy! Sometimes when the wife is shopping at Winners at Heritage, I walk a couple stores down and play at Southern Music for free. They don't mind, as long as you aren't playing for hours on end.
The newest Batman is pretty fun, it's also at my local pub. Re-played that sucker a few times.
When I lived downtown (years ago) the Sunset Billiard & Arcade always had 2-3 pinball tables. However, I don't know if that place is still open.
I like this thread, I am just finishing up my basement and have added a boys room.
Where could I buy a pinball machine (an old school game like the KISS version), video game machine (preferably an old school game Pole Position, Galaxia or Dig Dug) and a pop machine (pop for the youths, beer for the adults)?
Here in Toronto, the best thing to do to find pinball machines, etc, is to go for a walk outside of the downtown core, in some of the more sprawling, older areas, like east just off the Danforth, or west, in Little Italy. A lot of the older restaurants and shops that are a little more run down and Mom & Pop seem to have one or two every so often.
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This got me reminiscing and I remembered the two pinball games I wasted many a quarter on:
I played Pinbot in the Jack Daniels Arcade in south Regina daily as I grew up.
Through University we had one in the Admin society office based on fighter jets...Top Gun, F15, or Afterburner? Something like that...I can't remember the name...
Love to find either of those.
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I used to go to Southern Fun on 7th ave a lot when I was younger. And it's funny people mention the airport as that same guy is now at the airport, most likely some deal worked out for him and the cabinets.
As for the topic at hand, sorry I have no other suggestions.
I also enjoy playing foosball and heard that the Blackfoot Inn has some professional quality ones. Anyone know anywhere else to play?
I used to go to Southern Fun on 7th ave a lot when I was younger. And it's funny people mention the airport as that same guy is now at the airport, most likely some deal worked out for him and the cabinets.
As for the topic at hand, sorry I have no other suggestions.
I also enjoy playing foosball and heard that the Blackfoot Inn has some professional quality ones. Anyone know anywhere else to play?
My basement!
I have a great old foosball and love the game.
When I went to Montreal a few years back I found Foosball was huge there and they had rows and rows of tables in some bars. Kinda weird but fun.
When I went to Montreal a few years back I found Foosball was huge there and they had rows and rows of tables in some bars. Kinda weird but fun.
Are you setting up any tourneys?
I got into foosball about 6 years ago. I worked for a company that had two in the lunch room. I probably stayed at that job about 6 months too long just for that reason.
Places for Pinball in Calgary
