** NOTE: similar to the last two years, the Main (Wizards) finals will be held on Saturday evening. **
Some revised schedule information that isn’t on the website yet that incorporates the side tourney aspects: I highly recommend being there for all of Friday.
Now only 28 left
It’s the final countdown! Only 9 left. Get ‘em before they’re gone!
Sold Out! Looking forward to seeing a whole bunch of you at TPF in March.
If you’re interested in getting on the wait list, there is a $0 item on the same TPF website store to join the list.
Updated pin list and breakdown:
| Event | Era | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Main | EM | 300 |
| Main | EM | Bow & Arrow |
| Main | EM | Solar City |
| Main | EM | Space Mission |
| Main | Modern | The Addams Family |
| Main | Modern | Metallica (LE) |
| Main | Modern | Stargate |
| Main | Modern | The Walking Dead (Prem) |
| Main | SS | Solar Ride |
| Main | SS | Stars |
| Main | SS | Tag-Team |
| Main | SS | Total Nuclear Annihilation |
| Classics | EM | Sweet Hearts |
| Classics | SS | Attila the Hun |
| Classics | SS | Eight Ball Deluxe OR Elektra |
| Classics | SS | Paragon |
| Classics | SS | Stingray |
| Classics | SS | Viking |
If you’re attending, please consider volunteering, and playing a bunch of Classics side entries for free!
Interesting. Why is TNA not considered “modern”?
Guess it resembles SS games more than modern? Wonder how it will be treated at Pinburgh.
Would you consider Pabst Can Crusher a Modern?
I am not sure i would consider it a pinball machine! 
Legit question. Ignoring the implementation detail of electronics vs relays and switch stacks (which are not relevant for game play), Pabst is derived from an actual EM game, retaining most of the original game’s playfield elements and general rules, albeit tweaked a bit. I think it’s fair to call this one an EM-era design.
Would you call a Capcom Breakshot an EM-era game? It portrays itself that way.
TNA was designed from scratch within the past couple years. It may be “retro” styled, but is not based on any existing SS playfield, and has no SS pedigree except the 7-digit scoring displays. Sorry, I can’t justify this one as anything but “modern”.
What year was it made? End of conversation.
The only thing that might push Can Crusher into the EM category is its score reels. As others have mentioned, there are a few games with solid-state electronics and score reels, and they’ve all ended up in the EM sets.
I decided to base it off of its style and gameplay, and not when it was designed and manufactured. From how it played when I played the whitewood last year, to the streams I’ve watched of gameplay, to the comments from Scott himself during various interviews regarding gameplay and type of game he designed, I stand by my decision to include it in TPF’s Solid State category. In my opinion, to say that TNA has “no SS pedigree except the 7-digit scoring displays” is a gross misunderstanding of TNA’s gameplay and the designer’s stated intent of making a fun, easy-to-understand, single-level, difficult-to-control, and fast-playing pin.
Why does a game produced in 2017 and beyond need to be based on an existing SS playfield to be deemed a SS style of game?
Pinburgh can choose otherwise and you are more than welcome to choose otherwise for any tournament you run. I’m going with classifying it as a SS. If I were making bank designations at Pinburgh, I’d designate it as a late SS. That’s what I effectively did for TPF, as my aim is to have two late SS and two early SS in the SS bank.
Most importantly: TPF tourney players will have the pleasure of playing a TNA in competition play, regardless of what era or style designation that people feel is appropriate. I can’t wait to play it!
Update: EBD is out. Elektra is in.
now that is an interesting curve ball…
Yeah, unfortunately, the EBD had issues and wasn’t going to make it to the show until afternoon on Friday. With Friday being the only day of Classics qualifying, having a pin show up late is a non-starter. Elektra was the back-up SS pin I’d already arranged.
All this labeling of games. Lets just say that TNA fits in the diverse mix of games for a tournament like TPF main. Who needs to label it “SS”.
So, what if “classics labeled” games are reproduced. A brand new Meteor with modern guts and materials. Does that fit in classics competition? And what if the rules are modernised too? Original single ball games now feature multiball?
The debate will be endless.
Let the TD decide. As long as the games are announced in advance. Including any customisation they might be fitted with.
The weirdest “classics” games I remember from tournaments at the top of my head. Partyzone and BS Drac.
For all the seasoned tourney vets out there: please be sure to check out the differences (vs PAPA finals) we’re using for Finals pin selections that are posted in each tournament rules page at http://texaspinball.com/tpf/tournaments/
Wizard Finals:
Each finals group must play one pin from each Era bank. And each group chooses their three pins at the beginning of the round, rather than one game at a time in order to speed up finals play and allow for streaming to get cameras set up on the next pin to follow one group each round.
“Finals will be played using a modified “PAPA style” format. Finalists will be placed into groups of 4 players. They play 3 games. At the beginning of each round, the top seed in each group gets to the pick the pin (from available pins) or his/her playing position for each of the three pins played during that round by his/her group, but each group must play one pin from each era for their 3-game match. Note that each group choosing all three pins at the beginning of each round is different than the PAPA rules, but the PAPA rule of only one group being allowed to play a particular pin as Game #1, etc. of each round still applies. Scoring is 4-2-1-0 for the four finishing positions. After 3 games, the top 2 players from each group advance.”
Classics Side Tournament Finals:
Each group gets to choose which pin they start on, and then move on to numerically designated next pin rather than one game at a time in order to speed up finals play.
“Finals will be played using a modified “PAPA style” format. Finalists will be placed into groups of 4 players. They play 3 games. At the beginning of each round, the top seed in each group gets to the pick a number N (from pins #1-6) as the first pin to be played during that round by his/her group, or he/she may choose playing position for the first pin. His/her group will then play pins N, N+1, and N+2, with the group wrapping around back to pin #1 if N or N+1 is pin #6. Player order for pins N+1 and N+2 are chosen in reverse finishing order from the prior pin. Once a particular pin (Pin N) has been chosen as a starting first pin by one group, Pin N may not be selected as the starting first pin by another group. Subsequent groups may end up playing Pin N as their second or third pin by selecting Pin N-1 or N-2 as their first pin. If one group is still playing on a second group’s Pin N+1 or N+2 when it is the next pin for the second group to play, the second group shall wait for the first group to finish playing, and not leap-frog to a different pin. If a pin has a catastrophic malfunction, then any groups assigned to that pin will play the pin that is one number higher instead. Final round tie-breakers are still settled according to PAPA rules.”
Feel free to post here or message me or @spraynard with any questions or clarifications needed.
that is an interesting tweak for sure. is that to avoid waiting for round completion and allow all group to move onto their next game right away with minimum amount of overlap?
Yes, this is one of the main reasons.