The score reads "0404620" because most 80's williams machines roll at 10000000. They still record the high scores properly, unlike gottlieb machines.
Of the things I miss most about arcades, one was the atmosphere and the other is pinball.
A game of vanguard, gauntlet or 1942 on a system with arcade controls is not too far off from the real deal. Throw an emulator in a multicade cabinet, and you are there. Almost.
You can get pinball simulator cabinets. They have pinball controls and monitors to display the table and backglass.
It plays pretty nice. Some of the simulations are fairly accurate.
Alas, pinball being an electro-mechanical device, the sims have something missing.
I think it would be possible to build a device to reasonably simulate "english" - the art of subtle physical table movement to influence the ball. Perhaps with some kind of accelerometer.
But even the most convincing sim will be missing elements of a real table.
Sometimes the ball hits something, shoots up fast and hits the glass so hard you think it will break.
Flipper solenoids get weak or the rubber wears down and the game plays like ***.
Or you get the ball stuck in that weird place and have to get the guy to unlock the machine. That can kill a hot streak.
All kinds of things.
Still, in lieu of nothing, the sim is kind of nice.
Keeps the memories alive, and the feel of the game is there. Maybe not exactly the same, but it still feels good.
The score reads "0404620" because most 80's williams machines roll at 10000000. They still record the high scores properly, unlike gottlieb machines.
Of the things I miss most about arcades, one was the atmosphere and the other is pinball.
A game of vanguard, gauntlet or 1942 on a system with arcade controls is not too far off from the real deal. Throw an emulator in a multicade cabinet, and you are there. Almost.
You can get pinball simulator cabinets. They have pinball controls and monitors to display the table and backglass.
This is visual pinball: Vpinball.com
It plays pretty nice. Some of the simulations are fairly accurate.
Alas, pinball being an electro-mechanical device, the sims have something missing.
I think it would be possible to build a device to reasonably simulate "english" - the art of subtle physical table movement to influence the ball. Perhaps with some kind of accelerometer.
But even the most convincing sim will be missing elements of a real table.
Sometimes the ball hits something, shoots up fast and hits the glass so hard you think it will break.
Flipper solenoids get weak or the rubber wears down and the game plays like ***.
Or you get the ball stuck in that weird place and have to get the guy to unlock the machine. That can kill a hot streak.
All kinds of things.
Still, in lieu of nothing, the sim is kind of nice.
Keeps the memories alive, and the feel of the game is there. Maybe not exactly the same, but it still feels good.