MAMEWorld Forums - The Loony Bin - Gentlemen, I warn you.

If you buy a pinball machine... you will be hooked.

First, you'll want to install all the right after-market protectors to keep your playing field nice and wear-protected. That steel ball can do some damage.

Then, since you've got it apart, you'll be like, maybe I should upgrade these cheap-ass speakers... and I suppose that old woofer in the garage can mount under there...

If you aren't careful, then you'll find yourself shopping the after-market mods, color DMD upgrades, and bedazzling your lucky pinball jean jacket (if the light catches it just right it's like diamonds!).

Before long you're way down the rabbit hole.

Plus I just nailed the Grand Champion high score for the first time tonight. Not much of an accomplishment for seasoned pinheads, but for a newbie like me, killing off the final default high score was a giant milestone.

The other nice side effect, is all of a sudden the old MAME machine is a family hot-spot again... at first mostly just to do something waiting your turn for the pinball machine, but eventually the kids were passing on their pinball turns to stay on the arcade cabinet. The little ones been riding Elevator Action up and down all day. I think I even got a glimpse of the get-away car once, so they are getting better.