The General Gordon

The General Gordon is located  at 20 Swains Street, Sydenham just across from Sydnenham train station.  They have one pinball machine, a Scared Stiff.  It is $1 or $2 for 3 credits and is set to be a 3 ball machine.  It is in good condition though does have a couple of minor issues.

The saucy minx herself

The Gordon is a large pub that has had some recent refurbishments, including a new bistro with plenty of pub staples on the menu.  It's a decent price and they are big servings. 

The front bar where the pinny is located has a large TAB area.  There's also general trivia on a Tuesday night.  

Scared Stiff is a bit of a classic that often pops up around town.  It has a fairly easy to follow rule set with a couple of multiballs and some saucy double entendres from Elvira to encourage you.

*Gloat*

It plays well but as noted above there are a couple of issues worth mentioning.  There are three Dead Head lanes behind the crate and the left one doesn't work/won't register.  Its not a major problem though as you can still use your flippers to change the lit lane and collect the Dead Heads feature.  

As on a lot of Scared Stiff machines the spinning spider on the head board doesn't spin, but the lights still work so this is barely worth a mention. Neither is the fact that the decal is missing on the crate.  

The only other thing worth mentioning is that we did get a ball stuck on a decal - as seen in the below photo.  This only happened once and a quick nudge dislodged it but as I got the photo I thought I'd show it.

no bonus points awarded for replicating this

Overall though this was a good machine, none of the issues break the game and the whole thing ran pretty smoothly.

So, next time the train stops at Sydneham station on a Tuesday night, consider jumping off and heading over to the Gordon for some trivia, a bite to eat, a beer, a bet and, of course, a quick game of pinball.

The Henson Park Hotel

The Henson Park Hotel is located at 91 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville.  It has recently reopened after some renovations and now has a dedicated Pinball room which currently has five pinball machines., including two old school Solid State machines.  The modern machines are  The Sopranos, The Addams Family and Circus Voltaire while the two older machines are Space Shuttle and Firepower.

They are all $2 a credit and 5 ball.

There is also a Big Buck Hunter, a Street Fighter and table top arcade machine as well as an odd little machine called little pro, a kind of novelty golf themed pinball-esque thingy that has been set up with the promise to win beer. 

Little Pro

Apart from the pinball room the other most notable change to the Henso is the new restaurant.  The night I went it was packed, the restaurant area is kid friendly and a few kids wandered into the Pinny room as well.  Depending on your feelings about small people this is either a good or bad thing.  It's certainly a change for the Henso.

The menu is a bit overpriced and trying for a gastro pub thing, but the $18 burger I had didn't impress.  I'll give it another go, and I guess its good you can now eat there.

Solid State machines in the wild

It's rare to see old SS machines so I went straight for them.  They are priced the same as the modern machines but they can be quite unforgiving.  I started on Firepower and instantly felt the pain of no ball save.  I found this machine to be quite a punish and was through my 5 balls pretty quick.  My second go I fared a bit better but these older machines are definitely harder going.

Space Shuttle was a little easier but there's a definite adjustment to be made when playing these machines.  So, after losing my money relatively quickly on these two I turned my attention to the newer machines.                         Circus Voltaire is quite good, though I had played it recently at The Courthouse Hotel.  The Addams Family machine was fully kitted out and in good condition but the machine I was most keen to play was The Sopranos.  I'd only played it once before and hadn't seen it for years. 

 The Sopranos a fun game based on a great tv show though apart from the Annie Liebowitz cast photo on the headboard I wasn't a huge fan of the artwork.  The chequered table cloth motif looks a little tacky to me and the art work in general was quite cartoony, suited more to Fish Tales than The Sopranos.  That said, the toys are interesting, spinning strippers on poles, a talking fish head and a safe that opens up.  Overall its a good game, and rare enough that its worth a go whenever you're at the Henso.

                                                         

So overall it's good to see this Inner West pub reopen and even if it can be a little crowded in the pinball room that's a small complaint to make when there are five machines to choose from .  So, next time you go see the Newtown Jets play at their local ground, wander up after the game to the Henso for a post match beer and pinball.

Intencity Broadway

Update:  I went by here last week and it appears that the X-Men machine has been removed.  Currently there are only two machines - AC/DC and Medieval Madness - at this location


The Intencity in Broadway shopping centre is located upstairs next to the Hoyts cinema.  They have three pinball machines at the moment, a Medieval Madness, an AC/DC (Premium) and an X-Men (Magneto LE) machine. They are all 3 balls games.

This area is a pretty good little hub for Pinball, with the Off Broadway downstairs boasting a Tron Legacy machine and The Lansdowne across the road traditionally housing three machines, though due to a fire and water damage it is temporarily closed. I'll try and get a post up once it reopens.  Just down the road The Clare Hotel has a couple of machines as well.  So, if for some reason you want your pinball without a beer just head here.

Just don't expect it to be a quieter or more relaxed venue.  I've seen bands at the Lansdowne that were quieter than the screams and cries of children and machines bombarding me while I played Medieval Madness.

You can expect the machines to be available though.  I only saw one five year old convince his mum to let him have a go on the X-Men machine the hour or two I was there, and most of the high scores and replays are relatively low, which, hopefully, will allow for a few free replays before you run out of coins.

oooohhhhhh, Lens Flare.

Medieval Madness is $1, or $2 for 3 credits.  This is a great machine and, although this one isn't immaculate it is probably the cheapest MM I've seen around.  The tilt is almost non-existent as well so those 3 balls can go a long way.  On the downside the flippers were a bit weak which made it difficult, though not impossible, to collect the ramp shots. 

The other negatives are due to the venue though.  On the back wall is a linked 4 player car racing game, which during my time there was frequently occupied.  Not that the machines were overly loud but there were a lot of victory whoops and roars.  Meanwhile directly behind me was a machine that spat out tickets depending on how hard a sensor was hit with a mallet.  So its hard to get into the zone with the whoops and bangs - but maybe I'm just used to the sounds of a pub band, and angry drunk and the tinkle of the pokies while I play.

X-Men and AC/DC were both in good condition, as you would expect from relatively new machines.  They just didn't offer the value for money that Medieval Madness does.  At $2 a credit or $5 for 2 credits and only 3 balls I felt these were a bit over-priced.  

Not pictured - Loud Noises

This might also be because I just didn't have a great go on either machine.  With 5 balls I think I could get the hang of X-Men but the magnets just play havoc with my game.  That big image of Magneto on the back glass reminds you that in this machine the magnets are thematically justified, or at least gives you something to focus your swearing at.

As for AC/DC I'm just not a fan.  There seem to be so many modes that I just cant get a clear idea of the rule set involved.  They seem to be everywhere though so I'm sure that I'll have plenty more games over the years and maybe one day it will click.

Angus Young's head cut off for compositional effect

The only other comment I would offer would be that X-Men and AC/DC sit in the middle of the room, back to back.  And when not sitting against a wall, as you would normally find them, you lose a lot of the audio.  On top of the general noise level at this venue it can mean you just miss most of audio cues, dialogue and music.

Overall though, three machines in good condition, a cheap Medieval Madness and a cinema next door.  I'll definitely be popping back, maybe outside of school holidays next time.

Oh, free piece of trivia: Did you know Tina Fey contributed her voice talents to Medieval Madness?  Well now you do...

P.S. Apologies for the photo quality... I think I need a new phone

The Newtown Hotel

It appears there have been some changes here and the only surviving Pinball machines I could see last time I stuck my head in were the Scared Stiff machine and Playboy.

The Newtown Hotel is located at 174 King st Newtown and has RollerCoaster Tycoon, Funhouse, Scared Stiff and Playboy pinball machines.  They are all 3 balls at $1 a credit.

The Newtown Hotel re-opened a few months back after extensive renovations.  Its good to see the Pinball machines are still a fixture here, we'll have to wait and see how well maintained and cycled they are.

As it stands, while not in the greatest condition, all these machines appear to be in fully working order, at a bargain price, and are all well worth playing.

Scared Stiff - always a classic

Playboy, its been a while since I've seen this one about but its a fun machine with the chance to see some tits.

Fun House - I haven't given this is a full workout, and some will be put off by Rudy, the giant creepy head, but this is an acknowledged classic and I would like to return and put it through its paces.

Roller Coaster Tycoon - based on the best selling PC Game!  I had a few goes on this one as Id never played it before.  The roller coaster theme is a natural fit (though Im not sure how the Troll got in there) with plenty of ramps .  This is another Ill return and put a few coins through.

The Machines are located in the same room with two pool tables, two Buck Hunter machines (HD and world ) and a claw machine.  keep heading out the back for the beer garden or head upstairs to the restaurant or balcony seating.

Overall, while I was worried that the new look Newtown would forgo the Pinnies and while it doesn't have the sheer quantity (or quality) of yesterdays I'm happy we have another Pinball venue back in town.

The Royal Hotel

The Royal is located at 370 Abercrombie st Darlington.  It has two pinball machines,a Theatre of Magic and The Addams Family machine.  Both are $1 a credit or $2 for 3 and are 3 ball.

 

 

The machines can be found upstairs, off the dining room, in a games room where there is also a pool table.  Downstairs is a TAB and Bistro with the standard pub grub, but onto the machines.

Theatre of Magic is a great machine. In fact both Theatre and Addams Family feature in the top 10 machines on ipdb.org.  Theatre's most prominent feature is the trunk that is used to lock balls to build to a multi-ball.  Unfortunately the machine at the Royal is missing the decals so it looks like a simple aluminium box.  It all works fine though and ultimately I'd rather have a working machine than a pretty machine with faults.

Hitting the trunk sets up ball lock.  Lock the ball three times and it's multi-ball.  the various ramps correspond to different "magic tricks" like sawing a lady in half or pulling rabbits our of a hat..  The aim is complete them all.


 

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this machine.  I like the theme and it integrates well into the pinball machine with the novelty value of the trunk, trapdoor and use of magnets.  I can see myself returning and spending quite a bit of time on this one.

 

Meanwhile the Addams Family machine is a classic.  It's a relatively common machine, one of the most successful machines ever made.  Great range of ramps and toys, Thing coming out and picking up the locked ball is a favourite.  It can be a little unforgiving with a particularly harsh ball save being especially frustrating.  Its possible to launch the ball and not even get a flipper to it and still not have the ball save work for you.  once it gets going though this can be a great machine.

 

There are a couple of danger zones with the electric chair being a close shot and when "the power" is triggered you have a magnet randomising the ball to contend with as well.  Overall though this is a classic and if you haven't already played it, well, you should.

 

So, two great machines at this location, what more do you want?



The Hampshire Hotel

Sadly it seems there is no longer a pinball machine at this pub.

The Hampy is located at 91 Parramatta rd Camperdown.  It has recently had a few minor renovations and along with a new coat of paint there is now an NBA pinball at this location.  It's 5 ball and $2 a credit.

Although there is only one pinball machine there are quite a few other games on offer including two of the punching bag, strength testing machines, a "Deal Or No Deal" machine, a crane machine (with mini footballs as prizes) and a Golf machine as well. 

They have a good sized courtyard that's great for a few beers in summer and a cheap and cheerful bistro with the standard $10 pub fare.  There's also a pool table and they have trivia and meat raffles on various days of the week. Overall it seems to have retained the air of a genuine inner city pub and hopefully the new renovations don't diminish that.  The addition of a pinball machine keeps me optimistic.

I hadn't played this machine before.  It's from Stern, 2009, and is the first I've seen in Sydney.  I'm not an NBA fan but the novelty factor on this machine is fairly high with a number of shots seeing the ball thrown onto a magnetised backboard to drop through a pinball sized basket. There is also a spinning disc in the centre of the playfield that can act as both a help and a hindrance.  I'm generally not a fan of the spinning dics or magnetised playfields as they add that random element that makes it easy for me to blame the machine rather than myself when I have a bad game.  However, I did find this one fit nicely into the game, both preventing shots from rolling straight back down the centre and also acting as a kind of "defence" when you needed to shoot for the hoop that fit into the NBA theme.



 

My biggest concern with the machine however was that the right flipper botton was broken.  I know this machine had only been in the pub for a week at most when I played it and to see it already has a broken flipper button already has me worried.  Hopefully this was something that occured after the machine was installed in the pub and will be fixed soon, but if this was installed with the broken button (a very cheap part that should be a relatively easy fix) this doesn't bode well for any future issues the machine may encounter.

I'm sure I will head back over the coming months so I will report if this gets fixed or not, and whether the completed pub renovations see any more machines installed.

Overall though the Hampy is a pub well worth a visit, whether it be on a sunny weekend to have a few beers in the courtyard, or to duck in for a few games of pinball and a $10 steak.  The bus stops right out the front and next door is one of the best places to buy a chicken burger in Sydney while across the road is a great little Korean restaurant if you're not up for pub grub.  All in all the addition of pinball to this pub has only increased my fondness for it.

The Canterbury Bowling Club

The Canterbury Bowling Club is located on Close street Canterbury.  There are three pinball machines located here, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Congo and Dr Who.   They are all $1 a go and 3 balls.

 



These are all older, fairly hard to find machines, the only one I'd played before was Doctor Who. 

 



In the few times I played it seems like the multiball was very get-able, lock two balls which raises a section at the centre back of the playfield revealing a set of targets that once hit (till the playfield lights are all lit) raises the platform again to reveal three holes that correspond to Daleks - hit one of them to start a three ball multiball and some "Exterminate!" sound effects

This was about as far as I got with this machine though. I didn't really suss out any high scoring techniques but i think the use of the third flipper  (up and to the left) might be the key.  At any rate, this is a fun machine well worth a go, and with a relatively gettable multiball may of been the easier of three.


Congo is a much better pinball machine than it was a movie.  In fact it has been quite a while since I saw Congo and I had forgotten (or tried to) how bad the movie was until I heard the sample on the machine saying "The Gorilla knows where the diamonds are!".  And is my memory playing up or were there Gorillas with laser beams attached to them?  Either way, you don't need to have watched the movie to enjoy the pinball, in fact I recommend not watching the movie.  Although, reading that back, a movie about Gorillas with laser beams smuggling diamonds sounds awesome... Maybe I need to re-think my stance.







 

Congo seems to be an intereesting balance of easy shots and hard.  The right ramp volcano is an example of the hard.  It's not just that it's the steepest ramp on the table but the fact that the shot is through the field of bumpers means if you dont make the shot the ball with careen off the bumpers and all control is lost.  Worse case scenario the ball will rocket out of the bumpers and straight between the flippers.  The three shots on the left are relatively easy, it just took me a while to get used to the third flipper.  At any rate the left side of the playfield is definitely safer.

 

Also the table seems to have an inset playfield but despite lighting the Gray targets via the Gray lane and it locking the ball (which is apparently how to activate it) I didn't see it in action. Maybe next time.

 

 

The third machine is Elvira and the Party Monsters. The oldest machine of the three it is the predecessor to Scared Stiff and shares a few things in common with that machine - including the appearance of the Dead Heads, the Boogeyman Boogie and Elviras encouraging innuendo.

 

 

 

And although it's not crazy hard it is probably the most unforgiving of the three with no ball save and a couple of ramps that can mean trouble if you dont make them.  Overall I'd say I had my best go and my worst go on this machine.  It's well worth playing especially as I believe it's quite rare to find this machine in such good condition.

 

My only negative points regardig these machines would be that there is some glare off the glass (as can be seen in the photos) as a flourescent light sits above them.  Congo and Doctor Who are hit the worst but even so this isn't a deal breaker.  I've seen worse glare in other venues.  Be sure to take plenty of gold coins though as being 3 ball and fairly punishing you will more than likely need a few credits to get into the swing of things.

 

I'll definitely be heading back to the Canterbury Bowlo for a few more games of pinball and a few cheap beers - the drinks holder on the legs of the machine are genius.  I should also mention that these are zball.com.au machines and they are running a Pinball Comp with the grand prize being a Dracula pinball machine.  Check their website for details.