Looking for a tabletop pinball suggestion or two.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

This is more of a toy than a serious machine, but I used to have a Juke Jubilee when I was a kid.

 

 

Though since all the ones I'm finding online now are dated 1979, I'm thinking mine had to have been a reproduction (unless my parents picked it up at a thrift store or garage sale or something). Anyway, sometime when we moved house the base disappeared and now I have the scoreboard in a box all by itself.

 

Looks like a nice one. How were the spring-peg tables compared to motorized bumpers like Atomic and Astroshooter? I keep seeing some nice spring-peg machines on eBay but I can't imagine they feel very "pinball like"

[Andromeda Stardust]

I think you need real solenoids to get that Pinball feel. The toy machines mostly use spring return pegs where the more force you apply to the bumpers, the harder it hits the ball bearing. I imagine the feel is very spongy.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

This is more of a toy than a serious machine, but I used to have a Juke Jubilee when I was a kid.

 

 

Though since all the ones I'm finding online now are dated 1979, I'm thinking mine had to have been a reproduction (unless my parents picked it up at a thrift store or garage sale or something). Anyway, sometime when we moved house the base disappeared and now I have the scoreboard in a box all by itself.

 

So that's what it was! I remember having a toy pinball machine as a kid, but I could never remember what it was called and I had never seen any pictures of it online until you posted that one. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[jmetal88]

 

Looks like a nice one. How were the spring-peg tables compared to motorized bumpers like Atomic and Astroshooter? I keep seeing some nice spring-peg machines on eBay but I can't imagine they feel very "pinball like"

 

They don't feel very "pinball like". It's very much an approximation, and like I said, it's more like a toy (including the feel). But it was still fun, and I really wish I knew where the base of mine was.

[Tartfox]

This is an awesome thread, it's good to read the comments by fellow pinball enthusiasts. Full size pinball machines are quite big, difficult to transport and are more complex to maintain. Tabletop units and the mini standing machines from the likes of Saitek, Zizzle and other manufacturers are very convenient. They are more simplistic but depending on the types you pick up, can still offer great gameplay that feel like the real thing.

 

I'm loving the larger Tomy tabletop pinball machines- American Pinball, Pirates Treasure, Astro Shooter etc. These machines all share the same playfield but thankfully the graphical themes for each are so drastically different that they provide great visual variety while you're playing. The Tomy machines are also, in my opinion, the closest that one can get to a full size pinball machine thanks to them having most of the perks you'd see from a regular sized machine- lights on the playfield, slingshots, reactive bumpers, kick out holes, circular impressions above the drain that changes the direction of the ball, and a left orbit that leads to a cellar hole that shoots out your ball after you rack huge points. There's also mechanical scoring, which is more reliable (as in, longer lasting) than electronic scoring screens. There are no missions except one- keep the ball in play to get the highest score, which works for me.

 

The Tomy machines may also need maintenance on rare occasions but there are far easier to fix should you come across any problems. American Pinball and Pirates Treasure are the ones I own and I thoroughly enjoy playing them.

 

One day I would also love to get one of the Generation 2 Zizzle machines. Hopefully in the near future one will pop up at an affordable price somewhere.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Tartfox

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Just posted a video of a tabletop pinball I own, thought you might enjoy....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI3iQ88HYho

[Tartfox]

Just posted a video of a tabletop pinball I own, thought you might enjoy....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI3iQ88HYho

 

Thorough video, I enjoyed watching it.

 

I think you would genuinely enjoy American Pinball from Tomy- it will provide more challenges, has more going on in the playfield, and the playfield artwork is a joy to look at.

 

By the way everyone, I did manage to acquire a generation 2 Marvel pinball machine- and absolutely hated it. It is not worth picking up, due to how unplayable it is. Even though the Tomy machines are less advanced, they wind up being immensely more enjoyable to play. So my advice to everyone looking for a home pinball machine- avoid the Zizzle machines at all costs unless you plan to spend time in seriously modding the machine to remedy its numerous problems.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Tartfox

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Aaaaannnnd here's another one similar to my Atom Pinball This was quite a rare one apparently.....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Eeef1Y2GQ

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Just released video of my third pinball machine. Probably the best one out there in my opinion.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYVtsntGEkI

[ComputerSpaceFan]

I picked up a cheap toy pinball machine at a thrift store that needs some repairs. Worst problem is it's missing the back cover for the batteries. The good news is my brother in law has a 3d printer. The bad news is I am not sure how to find the files for him. I tried searching this site but couldn't find an easy match.

 

Anyone specialize in 3d files for battery covers?

 

I'll take a pic of the toy if it helps.

[Andromeda Stardust]

You'll need more than photos. Precise measurements of the original part with cappilars would help. Modelling a part or creating cad files from scratch isn't easy, and not having the originalpart on hand makes iteven more difficult. Multiple parts may have to be printed before one with an acceptable fit is found.

 

When I lose a battery cover, I just place duct tape over the compartment. That usually work well enough. Sometimes a piece of cardboard under the tape helps too if the battery compartment is recessed. You could also wire an AC adapter to the battery terminals as well. Just check the polarity and that the no-load voltage isn't excessive.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

You'll need more than photos. Precise measurements of the original part with cappilars would help. Modelling a part or creating cad files from scratch isn't easy, and not having the originalpart on hand makes iteven more difficult. Multiple parts may have to be printed before one with an acceptable fit is found.

 

When I lose a battery cover, I just place duct tape over the compartment. That usually work well enough. Sometimes a piece of cardboard under the tape helps too if the battery compartment is recessed. You could also wire an AC adapter to the battery terminals as well. Just check the polarity and that the no-load voltage isn't excessive.

 

Good point Kosmic, I'll stick with good ol fashioned tape for now.

[RobRR]

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone knows the name of this Table top Pinball machine?

thanks,

Rob

[Tanooki]

My turn. I've had a long history with dedicated handheld/tabletop pinball going back into the 80s. My first experience was a gift my dad got but I played with into near ownership. The Tomy Astro Shooter pinball (basically the video a few posts up back from October.) Mine was this model of it, I think it's the original one?

We held onto it for years, but somewhere down the line it was destroyed/lost (I forget.) For some reason, probably related to me getting into bigger toys as time went along I longed for that exact model and about 2 years back I bought one -- complete in the box with minimal use. I keep it around, it's fun, and probably the best in size for those types of table.

 

From there it goes upwards from tabletop to the tabletop like with long legs like the little pinball lineup in those pics in this thread too. I've never owned one of these, but before I was married (so a little over 10 years ago) I actually came into a second hand Zizzle Pirates of the Caribbean pinball table locally for just $20 as it needed a little bit of help, worked but badly. Long story short, I did some major research in the day as the company stopped selling by then that model of unit. I somehow found the table creators private email address, John Popadiuk, better known for full size arcade area pinball machines made the Zizzles! He was the nicest guy, we got from email into a conversation. He was mind blown I loved his table so much and that I wanted to make it right as it had a short with a plunger solenoid, and a mostly toasted volume setup as well, among other little glitches (as you all noted, the Zizzles were not built to last.) He mailed me a box of parts I offered to buy up front for free and with some spare extras and balls too as he was happy to help me fix it. It lasted a couple more years, but then the main board blew and it was over. I still would strongly suggest this or the Tomy I had as the best options out there, the Zizzle (2nd model, and modded) can be damn near the quality of a lower tier commercial table even being 2/3 sized. I've seen some crazy work pinside forum members have done.

 

One thing led to another and this goes slightly off topic, a couple years ago thanks to being bit by the bug I ended up buying my first real pinball table thanks to being at the Louisville Arcade Expo (Gold Ball, Bally 83) and eventually a second Pin-Bot. The first I ditched last May for a 2slot Neo Geo cabinet and a stack of games, PinBot a personal fav of the 80s remains.

 

Now this one kind of skirts the rule of a tabletop, but it's big enough you can lay it down on the table and the molding even kind of leans towards it being a solid option. This one is all LED based, fairly old, but fairly fun too. 1979 Parker Bros Wildfire Pinball. Found this at a flea market a couple years back for just $10 complete in the box. It's oddly addictive and fantastic.

If you want minimal sized tabletop that can be a large clunky handheld too, it's an option.

 

 

 

By the way the one white whale I've wanted is the scaled down tabletop of the real pinball table of Black Knight. I've seen a few images, not much else, but I know it exists. I'd love more than anything to get my hands on it just because of the breeding behind it. It's a standard unit much like the playtime models you had Mario Bros and other licenses on. I don't recall it being quite as on the level with Tomy Astro Shooter.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Tanooki

[ComputerSpaceFan]

 

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone knows the name of this Table top Pinball machine?

thanks,

Rob

 

 

I couldn't find exactly that table but it looks like one of these old Marx pinball toys from the 60's

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

There was a Family guy episode where dr hartman said to peter "here take anything on this shelf" and peter chose the toy pinball tabel and dr hartma was like "sorry that shouldn't have been there" and peter was like "awww".

 

Sorry google/yt search turned up dry.

 

 

[curscene missing]

 

btw I M dunk right now. But if you watch a lot of Family guy you've prolly seen the cut gag i reference toooo.

[RobRR]

 

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone knows the name of this Table top Pinball machine?

thanks,

Rob

 

 

 

I couldn't find exactly that table but it looks like one of these old Marx pinball toys from the 60's

 

Thanks for the response. I really appreciate your reply. I managed to track it down. It was a pinball machine made in the 80's based on a cartoon called Centurions.

Edited January 30, 2017 by RobRR

[Tartfox]

I'm still very much interested in finding this, the home version of Williams 'The Getaway' pinball machine. Only pictures I could find were on Shopgoodwill but it gives you a good look at the machine-

 

 

 

 

Also, for those looking for a step up to the Zizzle machines, I'd suggest looking into the 'Star Galaxy' Pinball Machine by MightyMast. From the pictures and videos I've seen of the unit, it seems they've fixed all the issues that plagued the Zizzle machines. Here's a video-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXUkWjkoisI

Edited February 21, 2017 by Tartfox

[ComputerSpaceFan]

I'm still very much interested in finding this, the home version of Williams 'The Getaway' pinball machine. Only pictures I could find were on Shopgoodwill but it gives you a good look at the machine-

 

 

 

 

Also, for those looking for a step up to the Zizzle machines, I'd suggest looking into the 'Star Galaxy' Pinball Machine by MightyMast. From the pictures and videos I've seen of the unit, it seems they've fixed all the issues that plagued the Zizzle machines. Here's a video-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXUkWjkoisI

 

Interesting! Never saw that Getaway tabeltop before. Too bad there's not more info cuz I'm curious what the power plug is for. It doesn't have pop bumpers like Astro Shooter so what is it powering? The score board and lights I guess? Couldn't do that with batteries?

[Tanooki]

Same here I knew of the Williams conversions of both Earthshaker and Black Knight 2000 done by the Playtime company who did all those branded overly basic tables in the 80s which had the popular Super Mario Bros table among others (TMNT, etc.) But that one I've never seen or heard of that before. I loved High Speed 1 and 2 (Getaway) and I'd love to have an opportunity to buy that.

Is the maker known for that one?

 

 

Also I do agree on the Zizzle's. I already wrote the repair story on the one I had in the last post.

[Austin]

Also, for those looking for a step up to the Zizzle machines, I'd suggest looking into the 'Star Galaxy' Pinball Machine by MightyMast. From the pictures and videos I've seen of the unit, it seems they've fixed all the issues that plagued the Zizzle machines. Here's a video-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXUkWjkoisI

 

The guy that posted that video claims otherwise.

 

"The Star Galaxy pinball machine is not worth buying, it is very low quality (after a few games it had electronic problems which caused malfunction of the flippers, now a plastic part on the playfield is broken."

[Tanooki]

Perhaps but people say Zizzles were garbage too and some lasted a long time and still do and others broke pretty quickly. I think it's more of a your mileage may vary thing. If you could score one for $50 or something not much north of that I'd say go for it. My zizzle I got second hand after fixing it lasted a couple of years and I only had $20 into it so I was sad it died but I got more than $20 in fake quarters out of it and then some.

 

I think I saw that star galaxy one somewhere, maybe craigslist around here not too long ago.

[Tartfox]

 

Interesting! Never saw that Getaway tabeltop before. Too bad there's not more info cuz I'm curious what the power plug is for. It doesn't have pop bumpers like Astro Shooter so what is it powering? The score board and lights I guess? Couldn't do that with batteries?

No idea, wish I had the answers. I did forget to add a better look at the scoreboard though, check it out.

 

 

 

Same here I knew of the Williams conversions of both Earthshaker and Black Knight 2000 done by the Playtime company who did all those branded overly basic tables in the 80s which had the popular Super Mario Bros table among others (TMNT, etc.) But that one I've never seen or heard of that before. I loved High Speed 1 and 2 (Getaway) and I'd love to have an opportunity to buy that.

Is the maker known for that one?

 

 

Also I do agree on the Zizzle's. I already wrote the repair story on the one I had in the last post.

Assuming that this page's information is correct, the manufacturer is 'American Home Entertainment' -http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=5181

 

Now that I think of it, there are a couple other machines I'm looking for. It might be a shot in the dark to ask about them here, but there was a larger home pinball machine by Marx Toys called 'Power Pro Pinball'- http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6336

 

It was recently on eBay but without the legs or AC Adapter. The seller wouldn't answer any of my questions so I chose not to bid on it. Here's what the playfield looks like-

 

 

The other machine I'm looking for is 'Super Trucker', whose information can be found here- http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=5112. They were sold by JC Penney in 1980. Below is an ad for it-

 

'Power Pro Pinball' and 'Super Trucker' are two very obscure home pinball machines that I'd love to try out. At the very least, I'd like to see video footage of either/both so I can gauge whether the gameplay is fun enough for me to want to purchase them. So... does anybody know a bit more about these two?

Edited February 21, 2017 by Tartfox

[Andromeda Stardust]

Same here I knew of the Williams conversions of both Earthshaker and Black Knight 2000 done by the Playtime company who did all those branded overly basic tables in the 80s which had the popular Super Mario Bros table among others (TMNT, etc.) But that one I've never seen or heard of that before. I loved High Speed 1 and 2 (Getaway) and I'd love to have an opportunity to buy that.

Is the maker known for that one?

 

 

Also I do agree on the Zizzle's. I already wrote the repair story on the one I had in the last post.

Super Mario was Gottlieb, I believe.

[BillLoguidice]

Perhaps but people say Zizzles were garbage too and some lasted a long time and still do and others broke pretty quickly. I think it's more of a your mileage may vary thing. If you could score one for $50 or something not much north of that I'd say go for it. My zizzle I got second hand after fixing it lasted a couple of years and I only had $20 into it so I was sad it died but I got more than $20 in fake quarters out of it and then some.

 

I think I saw that star galaxy one somewhere, maybe craigslist around here not too long ago.

 

My Zizzle Marvel Superheroes model may have recently died. Right now, it boots up, but cycles through all the sounds and lights non-stop, like it's stuck in a loop. Obviously, I can't play it. I haven't had a chance to troubleshoot it. I'm hoping it's just a bad power supply, but who really knows at this point.