There’s no denying that Centaur had presence. Clad in black and chrome, he dominated the Games Room from the moment he arrived. His American accent - pronouncing his name “CentAR” instead of the British “CentOR” - made him seem even more exotic.

Yes, he had presence. What he didn’t have was class. His five ball attract mode was impressive at first but the showing off got old quickly. His constant demands that someone “Challenge Centaur” revealed his true nature as a macho bully.

Basically, he wasn’t very nice. I tried to get to know him yet really couldn’t get along with him. Maybe it’s because I was looking to have an enjoyable evening rather than a testosterone fuelled fight.

Yet despite that I couldn’t stay away from him. For all his faults, Centaur had a fascination and an ability to draw you in. Every time he treated me badly and humiliated me I swore it would be the last opportunity he got. Yet somehow I always managed to convince myself that I was the one at fault and that I should give him another chance.

Today I’d know better and walk away. Back then I’d never even heard the term “codependency”.

When Centaur finally left the Games Room, my emotions were a mixture of sadness and relief. For better or worse his presence had certainly made an impact on my life.

Online retailer Arcade Novelties has launched an online shop where you can browse and buy the company’s range of pinball and arcade game related retro products.

Arcade Novelties has done licensing deals with both Gottlieb and Alvin G. This means that they can provide official reproductions of original game artwork and logos (currently logo only for Alvin G). Order fulfillment is via CafePress Print on Demand (PoD) with designs available on various items such as T-shirts, mugs etc.

Robert Fesjian of Gottlieb Development LLC said:

“As caretaker of the oldest name in pinball, we fully expect that Arcade Novelties’ use of the Gottlieb® license will reinforce the already high international awareness of our brand”

Of course an even better way for Gottlieb to increase awareness would be to start building pinball machines again…

“Distance from start” is a concept I learned from Dwight Sullivan’s excellent pinball blog. It’s something most pinball players are probably aware of at a subconscious level without having thought about in any great depth.

So what is “distance from start”? It’s not a simple metric that can be measured in units such as inches or seconds. Rather it’s an abstract concept that refers to how much play is likely to elapse between pressing start at the beginning of the game and achieving the feature. Thus a skill shot straight off the plunger is very close to start, a complex feature that will probably take several balls to enable is a long way from start.

The best table designs incorporate a variety of shots, features and rewards at various distances from start. Thus when you come to a table for the first time there’s at least one thing worth shooting for. As the game progresses - and as you get to know the table - then more shots and features become realistically achievable. This sort of design allows newcomers to get into the table quickly but also rewards practice and helps keep the game fresh for as long as possible.

This is definitely something I plan to try and do in my table designs, thanks to Dwight for tip.

Photo Credit: robinvanmourik (Creative Commons)

Thanks to the wonders of YouTube those of us who couldn’t be at the Pacific Pinball Expo can vicariously enjoy some of the tables. Here are two great vids from YouTube user PonsMaar in which Michael Schiess of Lucky Juju pinball gives us a fascinating guided tour of some great old machines. Thanks!

I only just discovered the Internet Pinball Database (IPDB), so for anyone else who’s also missed it I thought it deserved a plug here.

If you’re a pinball fan then the IPDB is unmissable. It’s a totally free resource containing information on over 5,000 tables from mechnical bagatelles through the electromechanicals (EM) to the final solid state (SS) electronic machines. As well as fascinating nostalgic and historical reading the IPDB also includes downloadable files such as rules sheets, music MP3s and PinMame Roms.

If you’re a pinball fan I can’t recommend this site too highly. Many thanks to the site maintainers and contributors.