So a few weeks back, Decepticreep and I were coming down from our sugar high and needed to stimulate our already stimulated ‘selves with some old fashioned visceral coin-op entertainment, so the obvious choice was the Pinball Hall of Fame. I was curious about the new place and had to get a gander at the new home of the Pinball Hall of Fame. The banner pinned over the building was an obvious place holder and the windows were being dry walled up, the building’s exterior was hiding the electric sex lurking inside.
Upon entering the hallowed temple dedicated to the shiny silver spheres, I noticed the lineup of new Stern tables at the very front, glowing with pride.
The new 24 pinball table was there as is…
NBA pinball.
Of course, if you prefer the older tables, there are plenty of them. From the 90′s all the way down to the 40′s. Expect to see more as they eventually get restored for use.
Walk down each row and you will be introduced to the many eras of Pinball design.
Of course, Pinball Circus is probably one of the most unique and probably rarest pinball machine in the PBHoF. I’ve always enjoyed the side art on on this table.
I have a soft spot for this row of older Pinball tables. They always seem more attractive due to relaying on vivid colors and loud sounds to attract the player. Playing through the older tables makes you appreciate the newer Pinball designs though personally, the newer tables seem to lack soul.
Granted, I’ve become more partial to the EM pinball due to owner one myself.
Of course, if Pinball isn’t your thing, you can also enjoy the retro arcade in the back row…
with various old coin-op mechanical arcade machines intermixed throughout. Of course my favorite is Ice Cold Beer.
The new Pinball Hall of Fame is freaking hug with only half of the building being used so far with plenty of room to expand.
The one side of the building is temporarily being used for storage while the newest row is showcasing the doubles. The new building is ginormous and sheer potential is pretty awesome. If you are ever in Vegas, you need to spend some time over at the Pinball Hall of Fame.
Ninja Theft from PBHoF’s Website:
PHoF Location
1610 E. Tropicana, Las Vegas NV 89119
(new location, opened 11/3/2009)
The new location is on the north side of Tropicana between
S. Maryland Pkwy and S. Eastern Ave, about 12 blocks (1.5 miles)
from the ‘strip’ straight down Tropicana. (About a 10 dollar taxi ride,
within walking distance for those with good legs.)
Right across the street from the Liberace Museum.Hours & Contact Info
Hours: 11am till 11pm, Sunday to Thursday.
11am till Midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Telephone: N/A
Email: pinballhalloffame@msn.comEntrance Cost
Entrance to the Pinball Hall of Fame is FREE.
I’m hoping with the extra space, they’ll put in a few more arcade cabinets.
My only real complaint about the new location is the plugs and outlets. I almost tripped over a line on the way in.
I want more pinball. The cabs need to stay against the wall. If you haven’t tried it yet, you have to play NBA. It’s my favorite of the Stern tables.
Gonna try to hit up the new local this week. Will have to try that NBA pinball when I go. My personal favs there so far are still Ice Cold Beer by Taito and QBert’s Quest by Gottlieb.
I finally got around to hitting up the new local over the weekend and I see a lot of potential in the new local. It still doesn’t feel as ‘comfy’ as the old local was, but I am sure that will change once the extra space is filled with more machines. That and unfornately it looks like a lot of his machines took some damage during the move.
I did get a chance to try out the NBA Pinball as well. Very cool table. The game layout and sounds work really well in the context of the table. I think this is the only other table other than Whirlwind I have seen with the spinning playfield too.