Johnny Mosely 
TLDR A pinball machine can change the feel of an event fast. People walk over. They ask what game it is. Someone who “hasn’t played in years” suddenly remembers exactly how to nudge. Then the person behind them starts waiting for a turn. That is the good version. The less good version is a machine … Read more
TLDR A pinball mod should make a machine feel more complete, more personal, or more exciting to walk up to. It should not make the inside of the cabinet look like a drawer full of holiday lights had a disagreement with a power strip. Custom pinball mods can be great. They can also get out … Read more
TLDR A pinball machine at home sounds simple until the machine is actually on its way. Then the questions show up. Will it fit through the door? Is the room too bright? Is the floor level? Will the sound drive everyone else in the house gently insane? Can the machine be serviced where it sits? … Read more
TLDR Pinball machines usually do not fail with a dramatic puff of smoke. Sometimes they do. That is exciting in the worst possible way. More often, a machine starts getting weird. A flipper feels soft. A shot stops scoring. A ball hangs up somewhere it never used to. The machine boots, but something about the … Read more
TLDR Jersey Jack Pinball has officially revealed its new Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine, designed by Steve Ritchie. The game comes in three versions: Arcade Edition, Special Edition, and Collector’s Edition. The machine is built around Sonic zones, boss battles, Chaos Emeralds, rings, a Spin Dash feature, a clear upper playfield, and a Magnetic Accelerator … Read more
TLDR Yes, there are several common issues with Earthshaker pinball machines, but most are normal vintage pinball problems rather than reasons to avoid the game. The biggest things to check are the shaker motor, pop bumpers, fault line mechanism, under-playfield fuses, battery holder, flipper strength, switches, connectors, and the auxiliary power driver board. Earthshaker is … Read more
TLDR Harry Potter pinball vs Pirates of the Caribbean is a fun comparison because these are not small games. These are big Jersey Jack machines with wide-body presence, layered rules, cinematic licenses, and enough mechanical stuff on the playfield to make a new player stop and ask, “Okay, what am I supposed to shoot first?” … Read more
TLDR Football feels like it should have a huge pinball history. It has clear goals, obvious scoring language, built-in drama, strong team loyalty, and the kind of physical energy that should translate well to a steel ball flying through lanes, targets, and ramps. But NFL pinball machines are surprisingly rare. There are plenty of football-themed … Read more
TLDR A Goonies pinball machine feels like one of those ideas that should have happened decades ago. Pirate treasure, booby traps, a giant ship, a criminal family, screaming kids, a deformed hero, Cyndi Lauper, and a line every ’80s kid can still quote. It is almost suspicious that no major manufacturer turned it into a … Read more
TLDR Harry Potter pinball can feel like walking into Hogwarts halfway through the school year. Lights are flashing, the staircase is moving, Quidditch is happening somewhere above you, and the game is asking you to care about lessons, Horcruxes, shops, allies, potions, multiballs, and wizard modes all at once. That is a lot. But the … Read more
TLDR JJP Harry Potter is a huge, ambitious pinball machine with a lot of mechanical movement, upper-playfield action, lighting, software, and ball-routing complexity. Most of the common JJP Harry Potter pinball issues reported by owners are setup or tuning problems, not necessarily fatal design flaws. The most discussed areas are the wand lock, moving staircase, … Read more
TLDR The Creative Arcades drama became a major Pinside discussion because buyers reported paying for Pokémon Limited Edition pinball machines or preorder positions, then facing missed delivery expectations, shifting refund explanations, and chargeback concerns. The Concretehardt part is related, but different. Pinside users debated whether he sold a machine, sold a preorder allocation, or helped … Read more
TLDR Buying a pinball machine online can be safe, but the hobby has enough scam websites, fake seller profiles, risky preorder transfers, and payment traps that buyers need a process. The safest path is simple: A real pinball machine is expensive, heavy, and hard to unwind once the wrong money goes to the wrong place. … Read more
TLDR Finding local pinball events and arcades nearby is easier than it used to be, but there is still no single perfect source. Pinball lives in all kinds of places: full arcades, barcades, breweries, bowling alleys, museums, pizza shops, collector-owned spaces and one-machine neighborhood spots that only locals seem to know about. The best approach … Read more
TLDR The most pure fun pinball machines are not always the deepest, rarest or hardest games. They are the games people understand quickly, laugh at, shoot again and want one more game on. Godzilla is the best overall modern pick because it combines huge depth with immediate shot satisfaction. For CGC games, Cactus Canyon Remake … Read more