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In this episode Alan sits down to talk with Ian Matheson, operator at Propeller arcade inside of Propeller Brewing in Halifax, Canada.

We talk about how he got started, including some incredible stories about the old school underground Nova Scotia pinball scene before opening his public arcade which include stories of setting machines on fire in the front yard, peeing in sinks, and drinking beers while blasting Van Halen.

But in case that description doesn't hint at the content enough, we do swear occasionally throughout the episode. 

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In this episode, Alan and Alex discuss the outlier machines released in the last 7 years without ramps, and with simpler rulesets.

We talk about Total Nuclear Annihilation, Beatles, Bond 60th, and Pulp Fiction, and why we love seeing the variety added to modern pinball offerings.

But sometimes we use swear words.

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In this episode we finally talk in depth about "Modern" pinball, where it started, what defines the modern era, and the different innovations or changes to the classic game that we all know and love.

For all the listeners out there that have been asking us to talk more about modern games, this episode is for you. 

And if you want to hear more about modern pinball and enjoy this show, there are literally dozens of other pinball pods out there that almost exclusively discuss all the newest releases from all the different manufacturers, and we recommend listening to a few and seeing if you can't find one that you enjoy to supplement our normal coverage of older games. 

If you're new to the show, we cuss sometimes when we get excited, this is your warning.

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In this edition of our popular "Die on this Hill" series, we are rejoined on the show by Mitch Curtis, the operator known as 'Pinball Over Boston' as he jumps onto the show to defend one of his favorite underappreciated games, 2000's Sharkey's Shootout made by the fledgling Stern Pinball.

Mitch is a very passionate boy, and speaks at length about how much he loves this old/new mashup game, so much so that he even filmed himself giving a tutorial on this game years ago!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=SFk_aUkF8Ps

But it wouldn't be a DOTH game unless there were haters, and so we have once again scoured the internet to find the juiciest bad reviews to share with Mitch.

...this should be known by now, but we are adults and that means that we use adult language sometimes in this episode, and in all of our other episodes as well.

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In this episode of our 'Operator Spotlight' series Alan and Alex speak with Mitch Curtis of Pinball Over Boston, about his decade of running a pinball route in the Boston area.  We cover what it was like starting out, how he grew it, how he handled the covid 19 shutdowns, and what it's like for him nowadays on the other side.

We talk about his locations Flat Top Johnny's, Roxy's, and Double Bull Taphouse, and the transition from part time to full time operator, and managing 70 amusement devices across all his locations.

Mitch was an absolute beauty,  and an open book, and he was happy to discuss how he prices his games, and is introspective about some of his previous mistakes pricing his ultra premium games. 

If y'all are ever in the Boston area, make sure to throw some money into Mitch's games, he deserves your support!

...obligatory note here: we are all adults, so we use adult language in this episode.

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In this edition of our "Die on this Hill" series, John Dozier of Inner Orbit Pinball rejoins the show and steps up to defend Sega's 1996 pinball machine based on the hit movie, Space Jam!

This game is actually the LOWEST rated game that we have featured thus far on the show, and the internet has some strong opinions!

And despite this being a family friendly theme, we definitely use some adult language during our discussion.  This is your warning. 

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In the latest addition of our Operator Spotlight series, Alan speaks with John Dozier of Inner Orbit pinball about his pinball route based in Springfield Missouri.  John began operating pinball machines about 10 years ago, and was drawn in due to a familiar refrain of the modern pinball operator - there just weren't any good machines to play in his area.

Hear about John's move from player, to part time operator, to full time operator, and now finally a partner in the 1984 Arcade in Branson.

We discuss the region, how to start a route, and why sometimes the best person to bring pinball to your town just might be YOU.

...we do swear sometimes though.

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In what will surely be the most controversial episode of the podcast, Alan and Alex discuss all the different ways that people can choose to customize the setup of their pinball machines.

Pitch, tilts, outlanes, rubber types, toy and lighting mods, as well as software settings, we go through them all.  We discuss the differences in setups, and we share our preferences for each category, whilst acknowledging that others are free to choose how to setup up their own games in their own ways.

There is no wrong way to setup your own games, but they are infinitely adjustable by nature, and we encourage people to find their own setup.

Remember: no matter your preferences, complaining about the way someone else setups their games is corny, SO DON'T DO IT!

Unless you see people swapping in colored LEDs for the GI, because that should be a CRIME! 

...sometimes we swear a little bit, this is your warning.

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In this episode we discuss how to get to know your friendly neighborhood pinball operator, including tips for making a good first impression, and how to find the proper channels in which to communicate with them about machine malfunctions.

Alan speaks about it from the Operator's point of view, while Alex shares his insights as an expert Operator Whisperer on how to befriend these strange and mythical creatures.

What to report, how to report, and reminders that operators are people too to help you foster better relationships with the operators in your region.

...but we do use swear words occasionally.  

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Rachel and Cale from the Electric Bat join us on the show once again, and they are back to defend their favorite Gottlieb System 1 game: Sinbad!

Listen to us discuss the merits of this first generation solid state effort from the kings of the EM era, and respond to all the hater reviews that we scrounged up on the internet.

...obligatory warning for adult language.

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