👫 About Us

By Alexander Visotin

🕹️ During the "golden age" of pinball in the early 1990s, I wasn't even old enough to know what a pinball machine was, let alone play one. I spent most of my childhood playing games on the PC rather than slinging coins at the arcade. I had no idea about the wonderful world of pinball. I threw coins into the odd machine at the arcade or bowling alley, but I never understood how to play. So, like most people, I lost interest in the game of pinball quickly.

⏩ Fast forward to 2014. I downloaded a copy of Pinball FX2 on a whim, followed soon after by Pinball Arcade. I played these games like most people new to pinball would. That is, I would bash the flippers whenever the ball came near and hope that it didn't drain. Shooting for specific objectives or starting game modes was a totally foreign concept to me.

🤔 After a while, I started to wonder what it really took to get a high score. I read some gameplay guides and watched some tutorial videos. Soon enough, things started to make more sense. I learned how to start multiball, score jackpots, and accrue massive bonuses. Over time, I began to understand ways in which to get through the game's objectives. It was a massive eye-opener... pinball machines actually have a story with specific objectives to complete!

🖥️ Learning how to play was one thing, but playing pinball on the PC just didn't feel quite right. Digital emulation wasn't enough; I had to play the real thing...

🐞 The Bug Bit

🗺️ ​I visited a few locations near me that had pinball machines to play. Unfortunately, playing them was a lot less fun than I had hoped. Most of them were poorly maintained. Not satisfied with the few machines I could find "out in the wild", I started browsing the internet to see what the pinball market was like. I didn't realise there were people who had a pinball machine, or even entire collections of machines at home!

🔍 After a few machine inspections and plenty of research about what to look out for when buying a machine, I was the proud owner of my first pinball machine: Demolition Man (Williams, 1994). Knowing nothing about pinball machines or how they work, Fiona and I dove right into restoring it. It turned out to be a lot of fun and we learned a lot about pinball along the way. We played the hell out of that machine for the next few months.

📈 The collection started to grow pretty quickly after that. The next machine was a High Speed II: The Getaway (Williams, 1992). That was followed soon after by a Stars (Stern, 1978). The next thing I know, Fiona and I were driving a 16-hour round trip to collect eight games at once. When the bug bites, it bites hard!

🔮 Where to Next?

⏳ ​Since then, I have been repairing and playing pinball machines almost non-stop. Pinball is not only about the game; it has become a fantastic way to learn about electronics, engineering, woodworking, painting, and most importantly, patience and effective problem solving. I put these skills to use in every restoration I do, and learn something new with each machine I work on. Nothing feels better than restoring a game to its former glory and playing the heck out of it. That's what pinball is all about!

📣 We have also been trying hard to spread pinball far and wide, and get new people interested in the hobby. We attend shows, expos and events whenever we can, bringing a few pinball machines along for the public to play. We are looking to place some of our machines in public venues so people can have access to pinball on a more regular basis. One day, we'd love to open a retro-themed video and pinball arcade. This would be a fantastic venue for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and have fun in a safe, welcoming environment while enjoying the competitive spirit of a game of pinball. If you have a commercial space sitting unused, please get in touch!