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Mike's Pinball PagesMike's Pinball Pages
Note: I've taken down my PAPA 6 pages, since they were eating up over half my quota, and I figured that everyone who wanted to see 'em already has. Email me if you want me to send you all the pages and pictures zipped up. It's a big zip, though (5.4 MB) since JPGs don't compress too well.
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There are only a few big arcades on the Westside:
For each location, I've listed their pins and my ratings of the condition of the games. The ratings are A (best), B, C, D, F (worst).
X-Cape (the new Gen-X name for what used to be called just "the gameroom") is on the A-level of Ackerman Union. It's been there for as long as I can remember, outliving the bowling alley, the pool hall, the old bookstore, the Bookzone, and the reconstruction of the A and B levels that took place during the summer of 1996, during which all the games were moved into the Cooperage (a mid-sized eatery). It was pretty funny to see games up on the stage usually used for music acts, and pins placed in between booths, where the tables would normally be.
To get to X-Cape, go in the main entrance to the UCLA campus (Westwood Blvd.) and stop at the parking and info booth (in the median strip). Tell the attendant you want to get to Ackerman, and they'll direct you to a parking structure. Parking is $5, unlimited time. Ackerman itself is easy to find; look for the big yellow arching structure thingies. The ground floor is the B level, and the gameroom is one floor up on the A level.
Back in the heyday of the gameroom, they were a showplace for the latest Williams pins, and the occasional Gottlieb. Their Data East pins didn't usually last too long, though that was hardly the gameroom's fault. I can remember the whole south wall being one big line of pins, from Millionaire to F-14 Tomcat to Earthshaker and more -- so many that you probably couldn't enjoy them all thouroughly in a day unless you got there when they opened and stayed 'till closing time. Their best game ever, without a doubt, was their prototype Twilight Zone. I was so depressed when they got rid of it... the only thing "wrong" with the machine was the rail diverter, which just needed a bit of minor tweaking. sigh.
Since those glory days of having prototypes, the gameroom has gotten rather dull, sad to say. Below is their rather short list of games.
Note that there are two other little gamerooms on campus, one at the North Campus eatery, and another way up in Sunset Village (a dorm complex). At least, those gamerooms were there last time I checked, which was the end of 1995.
A semi-warning: the gameroom is loud! They have a stereo system that blasts music, along with the various games. I strongly suggest bringing earplugs.
UCLA X-Cape Pin List - last updated August 26, 1998
A warning up-front: Westworld is a Lyle. They tend to get in the newest Williams games pretty quickly, but after that it's all downhill. All of their games have a severe left lean, are usually set to hard difficulty, and are set at 7-8 degrees. They also have no tilt, which means that they get thrown around a lot. When something breaks it rarely gets fixed. So, basically, a pin at Westworld is playable for about 2 weeks if it's lucky.
Westworld is located in Westwood, the college town around UCLA. Since parking in Westwood is a real bitch, I'd suggest parking in UCLA (see above) and walking to Westworld. From UCLA, walk south on Westwood Blvd., out the main entrance of the campus, and then one block farther. Turn right. Walk past the two big theaters (the Bruin and the Village) and the arcade will be on your right. There isn't a sign, but you'll be able to hear the place.
A semi-warning: this place is loud! I strongly suggest bringing earplugs.
Westworld Pin List - last updated November 23, 1998
This is a pool hall that has a few pins and vids in the back. It's at the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and 19th street. Best to go mid-afternoon, since the place becomes a hang-out during the evening hours. (If you're into vids, they also have Centipede, Ms. Pac-Man, and Robotron 2084.)
House of Billiards Pin List - last updated August 26, 1998
Another warning up-front: The Pier is a pathetic place to play. If there were a competition for World's Worst Lyle, the Pier arcade would be a top contender. The Pier never fixes anything. Never. If you go to the Pier, you should ride the rides in the mini-amusement park, or check out the sunbathers, or go grab an ice blended mocha at the Coffee Bean on 2nd St. and Santa Monica. Playing pin there will probably be a very unpleasant experience. You also have to worry about flying pucks coming from the nearby air hockey tables.
The Pier is located, well, over the water. :) If you're on one of the major east-west streets in West LA, just go west, until you can't go west any more without getting wet. If you're on Wilshire or Santa Monica Blvd., turn left; if you're on Olympic or Pico Blvd., turn right. Parking is $5 (unlimited time), but if you park in the Santa Monica Place shopping mall (2 blocks east of the ocean), you get 3 hours free parking. Just be sure not to stay too long, as parking tickets in Santa Monica are expensive!
All that being said, here's their pin list. Note that I haven't actually played any of the games (aside from TZ) since it seemed futile and a waste of money, so I'll just list the games and a general comment about them.
Santa Monica Pier Pin List - last updated August 26, 1998
The folks on rec.games.pinball write what we call rule sheets for pinball games. A rule sheet is a document explaining all the parts of the game, what the various rules are, how to play the game, and optionally some strategy. I've written and collaborated on these rules sheets:
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Williams/Bally games |
Data East games |
Premier/Gottlieb games |
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