GRUNGY youths in acid-wash jeans, hunched over with brows furrowed, have long been a stereotype for pinball players of the ’80s.

Now, in the hands of passionate 21st-century pinheads, the arcade machines — all but forgotten after the rise of home video game consoles — are making a big comeback.

Although retro arcades remain hard to come by, local pinball wizards attribute the game’s recent resurrection to the “explosion” of competitive pinball in South Australia and around the world.

Five years ago there were 500 ranked competitive players in the world — now there are more than 30,000.

A growing number of tournaments are being held locally, including the finals of the International Flipper Pinball Association Australian Championship Series, starting today.

It is the first time SA has held the national three-day event. Tournament director Greg Siegele said the pinball scene had “taken off” in SA, with the number of tournaments growing from a couple a year to about 20.

“Three years ago ... pinball was on its knees,” he said.

“I rediscovered pinball four years ago when I started playing it on my phone. Then I discovered there were competitions starting to be run in different places — but there weren’t any in Adelaide, so me and a couple of others started running tournaments here.”

Australia’s top 32 players will come to town for the national finals, held at an undisclosed location, with an additional three side tournaments open to players who didn’t make the cut.

Tournament participants will play machines from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s as well as modern machines to “find the best player across the eras”, Mr Siegele said.

He said pinball had become “cool and fashionable” with a variety of age groups.

“The classic artwork and the retro gameplay of the flippers and silver ball have appeal with hipsters,” he said. “And players in their 30s and 40s that were passionate about pinball 20 years ago are rediscovering their love for the game. People just forgot about it for a while and now when they rediscover it, they get hooked.”

Enthusiast Lucy Fairlie-Jones, of Hilton, is gearing up to contest the national finals this weekend.

Pinball Makes a Comeback Pinball Makes a Comeback

The 28-year-old said it was exciting to see the game she had loved for many years grow in popularity, especially among women.

“It is really cool to see women getting into pinball more and more in Australia and globally,” she said.

“Women seem to be getting involved in so many male-dominated sports and games, and it is really cool because it sets this ... nice tone in society.”

Ms Fairlie-Jones, the winner of a local tournament in 2013, said one of the things she loved about pinball was that it transcends stereotypes.

“A pinball player is somebody who likes pinball and whatever physical form that may take, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “I don’t think there is a ‘look’ and that is one of the reasons I love it so much.

“Not only does it have such a unique and interesting history, there is that social aspect — such a diverse range of people, an unlikely group of people, are brought together through pinball.”



Novice players interested in the event, presented by Amusement Machine Distributors, have the opportunity to snag one of 10 places reserved for newbies. Players can register their interest by checking out the Facebook page. For information about future events, visit ifpapinball.com

Greg’s top tips for beginners

GET to know the game rules. Machines are vastly different.

WORK out the high-scoring shots that are least likely to drain the ball.

LEARN to catch the ball and control it on the flipper – it makes it easier to aim. If you trap the ball then you’ve got plenty of time to work out your next shot.

IF it’s a modern game, work out how to get a multiball and make that your first objective. It’s the lowest-risk strategy.

LEARN when not to “flip”. Let the ball bounce over to the other flipper. It is a really good way to slow down the ball and gives you more time to work out your next shot.

TRY a more advanced, though risky move called the “drop catch” – hold up the flipper and the instant the ball touches it, let go of the button and drop the flipper. The ball should stick to the flipper like it is glued to it. It’s another way to get control of the ball and aim.

LEARN how to nudge the machine. You are encouraged to move the machine around to try save the ball from draining, but move it too much and you “tilt” and end the ball.