So I am off to get ready...

- clean up gameroom

- fix EOS on Nine Ball

- swap playfields on Wild Fyre

- Shop Wild Fyre

- check out Big Game and F2K

- make room for Grand Lizard

- assemble the 60-in-1 vid

- try to get some sleep.

You know, there are times when I utterly hate this hobby, and there are days where I love it. Today is the second...

I have been worried about getting enough pins running for the tournament... no longer an issue!

I have F2K and Big Game running great and I have a Grand Lizard on the way. Those were my sure bets. Well, Nine Ball had a few issues but all I have left to fix is the left flipper on which the hold-up circuit seems dead. I will check that tomorrow.

Wild Fyre had me worried for a while though. Well, lo and behold, it is now 100%!!! I changed the crappy displays, fixed the left flipper (simply missing the pawl), cleaned it and put in new rubbers. Plays like a champ! The sound goes wonky every once in a while, but on a Stern M100, I don't think anyone will care...

Another bonus for tonight is that I set up a TMNT pin I have from Axe in order to restore. I put in the restored backglass I had and cleaned it a bit. Fun pin! Now I know why he wants me to restore it!

And the biggest surprise of the evening... MAGIC. I was considering selling it and even offered it to Cooke and McMean, but that might change. Here is a brief history of the game:

It was purchased in 1979 by an operator in Newfoundland, who had it on a route until 1988. At that point, it suffered a big breakdown (MPU assuredly as the battery seemed original...) and was put aside in a warehouse. 9 years ago, that operator threw it in a trade deal with a MTL operator for peanuts, and this operator put it on a shelf in his warehouse. So basically, the game hasn't played in 21 years...

Well, I decided to set it up, just for the hell of it. I noticed that the 20-pin connector on the power supply was broken and hacked beyond belief, so I replaced it and put on new terminals on all 3 power supply connectors (had typical soldered wires directly on header pins). I then replaced the power supply with one I had rebuilt by Mindstorm for my Meteor project. I then turned it on and MPU LED was locked on. I removed all but one connector and got 3 flashes. Screw it... it is corroded. I also had Mindstorm rebuild me an MPU for Magic, so I put it in. I changed the slenoid driver due to a small issue, and lo and behold, IT WORKS!!!!! HOLY CRAP!!! It plays great!!! Original displays are all crisp and bright. Needs a lot of bulbs changed, but otherwise is 100%. I was amazed...

So we will have a few spare pins to play... woohoo!!!

The line-up:

Stern Magic
Stern Wild Fyre
Stern Flight 2000
Stern Nine Ball
Stern Big Game
Data East TMNT  (I owe you one Axe!!! I will make it worth your while...)
Williams Grand Lizard

I will try to get that 60-in-1 vid working today, but no promises... I am exhausted, and the kids are waking up in 4 hours...

Sparky signing off...

Cool ! Cant wait till tonight, i barely ever played a classic Stern and i'll have whole bunch to try all at once

Wow... what a great evening! I want to thank all of you for a great start to the league! I already can't wait for the next meeting!!!

And as for the results, we were 8 people, and Azatotht came in first with 13 points, with me right behind him at 12, followed by Hyann and Pinball Wizard at 11 points.

See you all in October!!!! The meeting will start at 8pm on October 30th, in order to give everyone a chance to get there.

Comments???

Lot of fun, all new machine for me and meet new peoples too (learned that Redketchup checked my eye few years ago   Small world!

I'm not that bad finally... what save me was the old school machine (high score of the night on Flight 2000 and beat Aza by 5000 on Big game  
But barely made 3th place on TMNT and dead last on Grand Lizard (accept a cool magna-save, I wasn't even near the other guys  

Do you know if Grand Lizard have a setting to prevent locked ball to be carried to the next player? ( I'm sure it's the only reason Azazoth made 11 times my score

I liked playing Big Game even if I didn't know the rules, the kind of game I could own one of this day.
I liked TMNT... well not really for it's gameplay, it just remembered me the animated serie.
I will have to play more game of Grand Lizard, my ball time was too short to really enjoy the game


One complaint: $$%?& Champlain bridge with two lines closed, took me 2 hrs to get home!

Quick videos of the night, nothing spectacular, I was there to play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuhVgbwYBsw  The amazing Foot Flipper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcNdbGoPKYM  line-up (minus Grand Lizard)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NcBq9QlXVE Wow an open playfield

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8KHjavPVF0  first games

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhOqATlFif4  TMNT multiball and Claude head

Super night, thank,s for everything

All new machine for me too, very like Grand Lizard (look like new) and F2k.

I'm eager to see you guy in my basement, just checking the agenda if it's possible for november.

best part of the night was just to talk with you guy and finally know you ( all new guys for me, just know pinball wizard) and Hyann but did know

I think it's a great start

Have a good day

Gino

ben tu peux venir jouer a grand lizard anytime

Thanks Sparky for having us over, it was great as usual.

Got to meet redketchup and Whizzervic for the first time, always cool to meet new members. Was really glad to meet you guys.

Cant wait till next time, hopefully with even more people..

Quoted from Azatotht

Thanks Sparky for having us over, it was great as usual.

Got to meet redketchup and Whizzervic for the first time, always cool to meet new members. Was really glad to meet you guys.

Cant wait till next time, hopefully with even more people..

Well, by next time, the pins along the back wall will be gone, as well as the BK2K beside the Magic, so we will have more space to move... mind you it wasn't that bad.

I am the one that is grateful!!! I haven't had a meeting at my place since 2005!!!! So this was a lot of fun for me!!! I was very surprised that only Magic suffered a major problem (totally expected... the damn thing hasn't worked in over 20 years!!!) and Nine Ball only had a small coil problem. My old Sterns held up!!!

Well, for those who weren't there, I had these set up:

Flight 2000
Magic
Nine Ball
Big Game
Wild Fyre
Grand Lizard
TMNT (thanks Axe!)
BoneBusters (nice buy Gory!!!)

Quoted Text

BoneBusters (nice buy Gory!!!)

absolutely put it outside for halloween!

here is some pics.

couple more.