He's a pinball wizard
There has got to be a twist
A pinball wizard,
S'got such a supple wrist
From Pinball Wizard by The Who
Does anyone play pinball anymore? Where have all the pinball machines gone?
Growing up, my friends and I played all the time. Our favorite spot to play was in a strange outdoor place behind the Sit-n-Dip donut shop on Stein Highway in Seaford. We played another machine at a Sinclair gas station owned by the late Granville Ward.
Granville's son is none other than Sherman Ward of Funsters' fame.
Gas stations always had pinball machines.
For some reason, we looked at ourselves as young rebels when we played pinball. I guess it was because older guys sometimes played for money. We also didn't realize at the time that playing pinball was illegal in many cities.
We played the games so much, we mastered them and won free games so we could play for a long, long time on one quarter. Pinball is a game of chance, but good players who know how to bump a machine just right – without tilting – and use the flippers to their advantage can usually win free games.
I ate lunch at Pizza Villa in the Midway shopping center in Lewes the other day where they have Monopoly and CSI pinball machines. I've played them a few times, but I've lost the touch I had as a youth.
I can't recall any other place in the area with pinball machines. Maybe the movie theater? Maybe on the Boardwalk? It's funny that I can't see any of them in my mind.
Arcades have minimized the number of pinball machines they have and now offer more video, shoot-em-up games.
Pinball was banned for several decades
Pinball has a long, strange history. From the 1940s into the early 1970s, pinball was considered a form of gambling and was banned in most U.S. cities. It started to come back in vogue in the mid-1970s when officials realized it was a game of skill.
In 1933, games became electrified; in 1947, flippers were added; and in 1970, microprocessors were used in production.
The 1991 Addam's Family game is the best selling of all time.
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Ron MacArthur has lived and worked in Sussex County all his life. As a journalist for nearly 50 years, he has covered everything from county and town meetings to presidential visits. He also has a unique perspective having served as an elected official and lived on both sides of the county.
Contact Ron at ronm@capegazette.com
