Episode 9 - Operator Spotlight: Pop's Pinball Parlor

Explicit content warning

12/18/23 • 44 min

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In this episode Alan interviews Daniel and Ty, two buddies and pinball operators from New England. We speak about how they started operating games, what types of games they choose to operate, how to find locations and how they keep them happy, as well as some more nuts and bolts talk about fees and permits for running a route in the Boston suburbs and townships.
Plus we get to talk about their flagship location, Pop's Pinball Parlor in Somerville, Mass. and talk about the vibe of the place, and how they balance running serious pinball events like the New England Pinball League, with their weekly series of casual tournaments.
...also, we're all big boys so we swear sometimes throughout the episode.

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Previous Episode

Episode 8 - Pinball Terminology Explained (new players start here)

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Sample Definition
Pop Bumper : The round (usually) mechanism on the playfield of a pinball machine, often found in clusters, that contracts when the ball hits it, and slams it off into another direction, typically into another pop or two on the way out of the cluster. It's a randomizing mech found on most pinball machines from the 1950s until today.
This episode is here for some players who enjoy pinball, but are new to the hobby and don't yet understand all the nerdy pinball jargon that us pinball super-nerds spout off about without even thinking we are doing it.
I talk about eras, and attempt to define common acronyms like EM, VUK, and DMD, as well as talking about playfield parts and pieces like slingshots, drop targets, orbits, and more. I also discuss common pinball techniques like slap save, soft plunge, nudge, and tilt.
I hope that this audio glossary of terms will help you quickly understand what the hell the rest of us are talking about, and it should clear up any confusion that you may have from listening to some of our other episodes!
Special thanks to Derek, Laura, Azucena, and Gus for inspiring me to make this episode. This one is for y'all, and to any others new to the hobby yet eager to learn more.
For anyone that would care, there's just a little bit of adult language used in this episode FOR EMPHASIS!

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Episode 10 - Die on this Hill: Popeye Saves the Earth

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In this episode, Alan speaks with Daniel and Ty from Pop's Pinball Parlor in Massachusetts about why they unironically love the 1994 Bally Williams Superpin: Popeye Saves the Earth.
This is the second edition of our "Die on this Hill" series, and I give them the floor to explain themselves about why they enjoy this terrible game so much, before reading them a slew of bad reviews and then get their reactions.
It's a good time, but we are adults and sometimes we use swear words.

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