Yes or No: Strikes 'n Spares (Gottlieb) in a pinball tournament/league

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4336

Gameplay video

It’s currently being allowed at one New England Pinball League location.The precedent of allowing it makes me worried that someone is going to legitimately ask if they can play our pitch and bat for league in my location.

What say you, pinball’s best and brightest?

Well, what is the difference between strikes and spares and pitch and bat? Neither is ‘pinball style scoring’ rather it is taken directly from the other sport. Personally I wouldn’t want to play either.

SnS has two regular pinball flippers, apparently reinforced to work with the larger ball size. So it sort of looks pinball-y. But it’s a novelty game – a miniature bowler that uses flippers. It’s not a pinball machine to me, even with the flippers.

But I came here for other people’s opinions. :slight_smile:

Definitely wouldn’t use it and would question any TD allowing it in a league / event.

I’d use Hercules, Orbitor 1 and Big Flipper before I’d use Gottlieb SnS.

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Nope, not pinball, its a bowler, no a pinball machine.

No way I’d ever include it in League Play. If you do you might as well include shuffle bowlers as well.

I played this at Pinball Wizard over the summer and walked away saying that it was not even a pinball machine, it should be somewhere else in that facility besides in the pinball isle, lol. How it ever got approved in the first place is a head scratcher.

I’d allow it . . . but only if you also allow this (it’ll help pinball with the corporate sponsorship) :wink:

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[X] International
[ ] Flipper
[ ] Pinball

Damn. Soooooooo close. :wink:

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If anyone wants to start an international shuffle bowler association, I will run ISBA events at our local bar. The shuffle inn there is always popular after league night.

Although this post is irrelevant because the ISBA would probably not recognise strikes 'n spares either.

I wouldn’t use it.

Big Flipper is actually a pretty good tournament game with standard sized flipper bats installed! Not really!

ICE Flintstones is more pinball than that

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Would be a fun side tournament. Give someone three games and that’s their score.

I came really close to playing SnS last night in league. I personally wouldn’t have a problem if my opponent picked it to play (i guess it didn’t hurt that if you bowled a perfect game on it you won a pizza ), One of the things that makes pinball great is that there is no set design requirements. Every game played is a unique experience. However i would have a problem with a game like SuperMario Mushroom World. it plays like a regular pinball machine but it would give an unfair advantage to shorter person.

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We use to have punchy the clown at The Sanctum. Frequently picked for NEPL nights. And yes we had it set to the short leg setttings :slight_smile:

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Something like Mushroom World would’ve been great for me when I was little, because the normal pinball machines would’ve been way too tall for me.

Couldn’t you put the whole thing on a block or something to make it as tall as the others though?

I have definitely played Strikes ‘n’ Spares though. It is definitely listed on Pinball Map, and in fact I discovered the one at the bowling alley in Santa Clarita, CA. I could see where Gottlieb was going with this–it was aimed at the bowling alley owners who might’ve wanted more bowling themed things.

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I personally wouldn’t use it. I think this is a case of the person being the drunk driver while driving the bus as they say. Only they are wayyy over the limit.