Kitsap, WA
Hello, you can call me Sunset Shimmer if youād like (or anything that Iād recognize, for that matter). I refer to my location as Canterlot Suburbs in another forum, but I think itās more useful to indicate that my real-life location is Los Angeles, CA.
Iāve enjoyed pinball for as long as I can remember, but I didnāt actually enjoy playing pinball until late 2013. When I was little, my father did not let me play arcade games most of the time, and when he did, heād give me four quarters and no more. As he didnāt have any interest in games of any sort (whether it be pinball, video games, board games, tabletop games, or even sports), he didnāt see the big deal in why kids liked being at the arcade so much and just asked me to watch people play instead. The handful of times I tried a pinball game, both of them at All Amusements Fun Center (back then in Panorama City, currently in Burbank), I didnāt understand it at all. You see, at that age, I thought inserts were sensors, and that when theyāre lit, the effect would happen as soon as the ball rolled by. Hence, I was confused when, say, Extra Ball was lit, Iād find it, and Iād bring the ball there but nothing happened when the ball rolled over the light. So instead, I just resigned myself to watching and forgot about pinball when the machines vanished, and so did the arcades.
Before I continue, I should also mention that unlike a lot of people, who go from pinball to video games or remain in pinball, I went from video games to video games and pinball, which I think is the opposite direction from most others. The game Sonic Generations had been released in 2012, and if you pre-ordered it from GameStop or bought it off Steam, youād get DLC for Casino Night, which was a digital pinball table with Sonic the Hedgehog as the ball. I played it enough to max out the score at 999,999, which I managed to record and put onto YouTube. Now, I am one who cares strongly about getting every detail right, so I looked at various pinball glossaries to get the terminology right. That was when I learned pinball has stages, modes, and all of this other complex rule stuff I never knew existed. I found several locations nearby on my own, then found out about Pinball Map a few weeks later. Since then, by finding machines out in public and at nearby events (my work prevents me from leaving southern California, so itās been only Arcade Expo and It Never Drains in Southern California so far), I have played about 170 machines listed on the Pinside Top 300.
The other things I am into are video games, western animation, anime and manga, trivia, astronomy and astrophysics, and cooking (well, trying to get decent at it). I also like to collect plushes, with my favorites being the full Sugar Rush set from Wreck-It Ralph, and the PokĆ©mon Keldeo signed by Vic Mignogna, his English voice actor, at last yearās Anime Expo. (I will definitely attend this yearās, which is later this week.) My favorite video game series are Sonic the Hedgehog, PokĆ©mon, Super Mario (particularly Mario Kart and Paper Mario), and Rhythm Heaven.
Because I came from playing video games, my perspective will likely be very different than most of you, and hence I will probably ask a lot of questions in the near future. Video gamers and pinball fans seem to expect very different things from their games. Some of them Iāve been able to understand, and some of them I havenāt, and part of the reason Iāve registered here is to hope to understand it further.
I also decided to register here instead of Pinside, as I heard about the rowdy behavior there and lack of enforcementānothing wrong with people there, but Iāve been on such forums in the past and didnāt like them, and I think Iād like Tilt Forums better.
Thank you to anyone who reads this,
Sunset Shimmer
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Hi everyone, my nameās Eric Eickhorst and Iām from Overland Park, KS in the Kansas City metro area. I first got into pinball seriously a little over a year ago (beyond just casually playing a game here and there whenever I saw them). Last June I bought my first game, a Goldeneye, and played the stuffing out of it, then started looking to get more involved with the local pinball community. I learned about some tournaments near me, and I started participating in those around last November.
I feel like I have made a lot of progress already, but Iām definitely still a developing player. Everyone here has been really welcoming, friendly and helpful - we have a great community in KC with some fantastic players like @rawfulevil, who Iāve learned a lot from! Iāve gone to a couple of shows this year, including MGC in April and RMPS just a few weeks ago, and itās been an absolute blast getting to share the common love of pinball with everyone Iāve met, everywhere Iāve gone. Iāve enjoyed what Iāve seen so far on Tilt Forums and am looking forward to learning from the awesome knowledge base here! Thanks everyone!
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I am also a (video) gamer originally and then moved to pinball, and although I still game occasionally, pinball takes the majority of my attention and hobby time. Additionally, I also very much enjoy Mario Kart, especially Mario Kart 64. Cheers!
You may have seen me around various websites, but for those who donāt know, Iām a pinball and video game player and willing to enter some competitions. Sadly there are no leagues where I live, and as a result, very few pinball machines are located in my hometown. (However, thanks to digital pinball, I can practice anytime!)
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Lee Wiggy from Central New Jersey
I have about 16 pinball machines and run a bunch of pinball web related sites. The main website called
Pinball Supernova. I enjoy playing pinball and repairing my machines as well. Also enjoy helping others when I can if it is with pinball or computer related problems which pertain to my job being an IT Director and having my own business.
Many of the items I post on my blog and website pertains to items that I look for on the web but I cannot find information about. My sites are developed in helping others in the hobby. Please feel free to visit the sites and email with any feedback you may have. Thanks for having me on this forum.
Website: www.PinballSupernova.com
Chris Warren, Birmingham Alabama. I started the Magic City Pinball League in 2009. One of my goals is to get sub 100 in the WPPRās. I found this site from listening to Coast 2 Coast Pinball Podcast. Thanks Nate Shivers! And thanks Greg Dunlap for starting this site!
Jason Hougland - Louisville, KY
Christopher Sockrider - Shreveport LA.
Iām carrying the flag to get a pinball scene going in my small community. Our group is the Ark-La-Tex pinball club.
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Jim Sousae - Redwood City, CA
Been playing in BAPA for about 6 years and collecting pinball machines for about 25 years.
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Jim Walsh - Mansfield, TX
My first post here and I am looking forward to becoming part of a community as described in the Tilt Forum Code of Conduct.
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And Hello!
DaveH in Massachusetts. Also my first post here. Iām here from a recommendation of this forum, so I thought Iād stop by and have a look.
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Hi everyone.
Iām Martin Ayub in London, UK.
I run and edit the Pinball News website.
pinballnews.com
Iām also a tournament player, tournament organiser, league player, IFPA Country Director, collector, repairer, forum owner, author and consultant.
Thatās in my spare time. 
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I think most people know me from Pinside. I promise to leave the ball-busting over there and limit my posts to productive comments. So this may be my last post. 
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Welcome! I look forward to your contributions - always enjoyed your input at the other place. Well, almost always!
Hi! Alfred in Seattle, WA. Iāve always kind of liked pinball but my boyfriend and I went to the pinball museum last summer, where Taxi totally turned me on to what pinball is, and Iāve been kind of obsessed ever since! At some point Iād definitely like to join a league but Iām a little intimidated.
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Donāt be intimidated! Leagues are the best way to get into the pinball community! Lots of friendly people and usually a little more low key and less rushed than full tournaments. Most league will let you attend a few meetings before you decide if you want to join or not.
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Hey, Iām Brendan from Birmingham, AL and Iāve been playing for just over a year. I have a Sorcerer sitting in my living room, but my favorite pin is X-men. Iām also one of the developers working on Pindigo, a social scorekeeping app. Weāre hoping to start a beta soon-ish, so keep your eyes peeled. 
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Craig Pullen - Bristol, England
First post here
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Welcome, Craig! We missed you and Martin Ayub at IFPA this year. Enjoy the board.