The Red Snifit 05.20.08: THE PINBALL HALL OF FAME
Posted by Chris Scott on 05.20.2008
This week in The Red Snifit, 411's Chris Scott tells about his experience in the Pinball Hall of Fame. I know; another week about pinball. What's wrong with him? Plus, he takes all you youngins' back to The Virtual Console Corral and also leads all the Snifiteers (nice name, huh?) into The WiiWare Ranch!
Welcome to yet another episode of The Red Snifit. I'm your host (and on time for a change) Chris Scott. Today I reflect on an adventure I took last September as me and my family went on a rare vacation. We decided to go to Las Vegas, the land of broken dreams and noisy slot machines as far as the eye can see! While I was there, I visited an unusuall tourist attracton that was away from all the glitz and glamor of the strip that became my most treasured memory of our vacation. The only place where a pocket full of quarters wll buy you hours of entertainment you'll find in Sin City is............
Our Feature Presentation: THE PINBALL HALL OF FAME
Sounds odd, dosen't it? Of all the things to do and see at the tourist trap called Las Vegas, in a little hometown-like mini-mall lies the Pinball Hall of Fame.
I 1st heard about the Pinball Hall of Fame in an in-game advertiement when I bought Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gotllieb Collection. Somehow fate works in mysterious ways, because later that very week, my mom and sister were talking about going to Vegas sometime, and before I knew it, it was determined that the 3 of us would take a little vacation over there (for the record, we NEVER go on vacation, to this was a major deal).
Even though it's called the Pinball Hall of Fame, it's really a vintage arcade including over 200 pinball machines, a few old novelty games, and a few video arcade classics. When I think about our visit there, I 1st think of what arcades have become in the United States. What was once one of my favorite places became a landfill of ticket games where the only fun you have is cashing in the tickets in the end for some flimsy spider rings. The Pinball Hall of Fame was a flashback to how great arcades were. No tickets, no prizes in the end, just some good ol' fashion fun!
One of the major surprises on the Pinball Hall of Fame were the non-pinball games features in the back. What arcade can you go in now days that has Donkey Kong, Punch Out, or an acrade verson of the classic Super Mario Bros. for only 1 quarter? Other games is featured included Centapede, Asteroids, Crazy Climber, and The Simpsons.
As much fun as you can have in the back, the real meat of the matter is the pinball. Pinball Hall of Fame founder Tim Arnold along with other pinball machine collectors feature the world's largest collection of pinball games in the world, completely restored, and playable at the same price as it as when 1st it came out. They include classic machines from the 50s and 60s such as Ace High and Big Flipper to modern machines such as Pirates of the Carribean and The Simpsons Pinball Party and everything in between.
My favorite machine that I played while I was there was Rocky. Each game was 50 cents, but was won 2 free games while only paying for 2, and the playing style was just beautiful (4 flippers at the bottom). Oddly enough, the pinball machine art shown in Rocky 3 differs from the actrual machine I saw there.
This one I just had to show you since I'm such a Nintendork. Of course I gave this game a try (come on, it's freakin' MARIO!), but didn't do so well.
Here's a refreshing change of pace; water at the Pinball Hall of Fame only costs 50 cents! Sure, it's Nestle's water, but try getting water anywhere else in Vegas for that price (water in the hotels cast $2.50).
Perhaps the best part of the Pinball Hall of Fame is the principle. After paying the bills, all the profits go to the Salvaton Army. It's refreshing to know that n a world of "lookout for #1 and plow over everyone else" mentality to go to a place (in Sin City even) what offers good fun for a good cause.
This is Tim Arnold, the founder of the Pinball Hall of Fame. When I was there, he was busy restoring a pinball machine. Do yourself a favor and go to www.pinballmuseum.rog to read his story. You'll be glad you did.
All in all, the Pinball Hall of Fame was an extremely enjoyable experience and (as far as I'm concerned) the best value for entertainment in Las Vegas. I was entertained for hours and only spent about 6 or 7 bucks. Try doing that anywhere else in Vegas. It was a reminder of how great arcades used to be.
Seeing how they're actually open this week, let's go ahead and checkout what's going on at..............
THE VIRTUAL CONSOLE CORRAL!
SKYKID (NES - 500 Points) Nintendo Says:
Red Baron, from the freedom- and peace-loving nation of birds, Bird Land, faces off in the skies with his rival Blue Max in this side-scrolling shooting game. Defeat the many enemies that await you as you complete your mission, using moves like the loop-the-loop to shoot down enemies from behind. Fly low to pick up bombs placed in the stage and drop them on command posts, warships or other designated targets to destroy them. Then land safely at base to proceed to the next mission. Beware of enemy fire, though-it will cause you to crash, unless you're able to recover by rapidly pressing the buttons. You can even play with a second person and fly simultaneously, sometimes helping each other and other times competing against each other. Prepare yourself and take to the skies, but make sure that the catchy background music (which became an instant classic when this game was originally released) doesn't distract you from your goal.
Nintendo MEANS to say:
A whole lot of you little punks got their panties in a bunch because we didn't add any VC games last week, so here's another shooter for you to play around with. It's true to the arcade version and allows you to live out your Red Baron fantasy!
Hit or Miss: Miss. Another shooter. Whoop de freakin' do.
Well, that was short, so lets head on out to..........................
THE WIIWARE RANCH!
This week's offerings include the following games:
Critter Round-Up (1,000 Points): The critters have escaped, and the barnyard is in chaos! It's up to you to quickly corral the animals in this puzzle-action challenge. You'll have to mend fences in a hurry to keep all the critters safe and satisfied. But the fun doesn't stop with the farmland; more than 50 challenging levels take you to several exotic locations, including the outback, the icy Arctic and more. There's even a series of minigames for when the critters get you down: Snowball Soccer, Predator Rampage, Chicken Catch and Fence Trap. Up to four players can compete or cooperate as the critters run wild. So roll up those sleeves and grab a friend-those critters won't catch themselves.
Star Soldier R (800 Points): Star Soldier R is a new kind of shooter where players aim for the best scores within a two- or five-minute time limit. Develop various scoring strategies, and pump out those points within the breakneck time frame. Assembled in record time to counter the advance of a powerful enemy, the mysterious Brain Forces, the "Caesar" starfighter takes off to fight for the very future of mankind. Shoot down countless enemies, upgrade your ship to the max with power-ups hidden throughout the levels and wage an all-out assault against the core of the enemy fortress. Combining the excitement of shoot-'em-ups with in-depth scoring strategies, this state-of-the-art competitive shooter will keep you coming back for more. Upload your best scores with Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, and pit your skills against the world's best fighter pilots from the comfort of your living room. Hone your skills and show the world who's boss.
It's the 2nd week and still no Dr. Mario? COME ON NINTENDO! IF YOU WANT THIS TO SUCCEED, YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR FRANCHISE PLAYERS INTO IT! With that being said, Crtter Round-Up looks to be the better of the 2 offerings as it looks like a fun puzzle game. I was excited about Star Soldier R for at frst, but then I learned that only the Caravan (2 and 5 minute time limit challange) mode would be available, it ruined the deal for me. I'd would have much rather pay $15 for a full Star Soldier version than an $8 Caraven only version. After getting LostWinds last week, this is rather disappointing.
That will do it for another edition of The Red Snifit. I'm Chris Scott, and I swear next week pinball will not be mentioned.
