If you have ever walked past a Twilight Zone pinball machine and heard collectors buzzing about a “powerball,” you are not alone. The term confuses plenty of new players, and even seasoned hobbyists sometimes mix it up with lottery terminology. I have spent years restoring and playing pinball machines, and the powerball is one of … Read more
Pinball machines hold their value because they combine limited production scarcity with hand-built mechanical durability, decades-long lifespans, and a passionate collector base that actively trades on platforms like Pinside. Add licensed pop culture themes that age into nostalgia, and you have a category of consumer entertainment that resists the depreciation curve seen in TVs, gaming … Read more
The backglass and backbox pinball machine components are the upper visual and electronic heart of every game I have ever owned or restored. The backbox is the tall vertical cabinet that sits on top of the lower playfield cabinet, while the backglass is the illuminated artwork panel mounted inside the front of that backbox. Together … Read more
A drop target is a flat mechanical target on a pinball playfield that is held up on a small ledge and drops down out of play when struck by the ball, typically spring-loaded and monitored by switches that register each hit. Drop targets are one of the most important scoring tools in pinball, and once … Read more
If you have ever stared at the backbox of a vintage pinball machine and watched those drum-style numbers flip and click into place, you have witnessed one of the most satisfying mechanical inventions in arcade history. Score reels were the beating heart of electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machines from the 1950s through the late 1970s, long … Read more
If your favorite arcade game has started feeling sluggish or unresponsive, the trackball probably needs a good cleaning. Dust, skin oils, and debris build up inside the housing over months of play. That buildup causes the ball to drag, skip, or feel gritty under your hand. Learning how to clean an arcade trackball is one … Read more
When you dropped a quarter into a Pac-Man cabinet in 1981, a remarkable chain of electro-mechanical events fired off in the blink of an eye. A coin dropped through a slot, passed a sensor, triggered a credit on a circuit board, and suddenly a pixelated character was ready to gobble dots. The whole sequence took … Read more
An arcade cabinet is a self-contained, coin-operated gaming enclosure that houses a monitor, game logic board (PCB or PC), power supply, control panel with joysticks and buttons, speakers, and a coin mechanism — all wired together to deliver a dedicated arcade gaming experience. When you drop in a quarter and press start, seven major systems … Read more
CRT vs LCD monitors for arcade machines is a debate I have followed for years, both as a long-time arcade operator and as someone who has restored dozens of cabinets. After testing a Wells-Gardner D9200 against a 4:3 LCD in the same Street Fighter II cab, I can tell you the answer is not as … Read more
If you’ve bought or restored an arcade game, you’ve probably heard someone mention a “monitor cap kit.” I remember the first time I saw the term on an arcade forum; I assumed it was some kind of fancy bezel. It’s not. A monitor cap kit is a collection of replacement electrolytic capacitors matched to a … Read more