This trip to Einstein’s Katy brought the first time I got to play the James Bond 007 60th Anniversary pinball. This game has scoring reels as a retro throwback, though the score is in fact kept electronically. (In a multiplayer game the score reels will switch to the next player’s score; all scores can be compared on the playfield LCD.) I feel my high score of 12,347 is at least decent though it was not enough to make the high score list. The same goes for my score of 533.9M+ on The Shadow. The other scores are pretty run of the mill. I do feel like it was a pretty good evening, though.

Continuing on to Saturday the 16th, I got to check out the new pinball additions to Star Pizza. The two machines on offer there are Dolly Parton (presumably the exact same machine that used to be at Poison Girl) and Guns ‘N Roses (which was moved in from Little Dipper).

Before the end of the night, I was able to put up a pretty good 271K+ on Dolly Parton, though my performance on Guns ‘N Roses left a bit to be desired. Nevertheless, I look forward to coming back here every so often. The only thing better than great pizza, is great pizza paired with great pinball.

Another drop-in at Go Kart Raceway was on the schedule on the 14th. This location only has two pinball machines: Kiss (Stern) and The Simpsons Pinball Party. Of the two, the latter is more playable, though still rather dirty and the ball save is turned off; 21.5M+ is the best I’ve done in a long while.

I actually tried to play Kiss, though. I’m not particularly proud of this score, so it’s just as well that the photo is not the best quality either. Taking into account the machine condition, though, maybe it’s not so bad. The left flipper was inconsistent, and even at its best still barely made the ramp. The demon lock/Gene’s mouth shot simply would not register and accept a ball no matter how carefully aimed. I’m not sure if this was to “fix” a broken kicker or end complaints about balls being shot straight down the middle (usually the ball save is turned on after this shot during single ball play but it’s possible the operators turned it off).

In the middle of all this, we (the group I was with) played laser tag. The system is called Helios and it’s a product of Zone Laser Tag (the company behind Ultrazone, known previously as Zone Empire). Helios actually plays a lot like Laser Quest did. Perhaps not that surprisingly, I came in first place out of nine players (there were four others besides our group of five). The code names/call signs are pre-assigned and tied to the vest in use, for better or worse; I did not voluntarily choose “Astro” but it is what it is.

Finally, rounding out the night was a game of Donkey Kong.

Another week, another visit to Poison Girl. Tonight I would put up an all-time personal best on Six Million Dollar Man, and a rather good run on Bad Cats, among others.

It’s surprising just how addictive a simple game like Six Million Dollar Man can be. Now that I understand the ruleset and have an accessible example that’s in relatively good condition, it’s one of the more satisfying offerings in the Houston area. (I think last time I played this title, there were significant burned out bulbs and I didn’t understand the flow.)

Finally, to close out October I made a quick stop by Poison Girl for the first time in several months. The lineup has undergone some changes, with the addition of Pulp Fiction (which was very briefly at Little Dipper before being moved), Bad Cats, and Six Million Dollar Man, and the departure of Iron Maiden, Whirlwind, and Dolly Parton, and possibly other changes I have missed.

I put up some rather satisfying scores all around. My score on Six Million Dollar Man is perhaps the most satisfying of them all, though there is also a lot to be said for landing on the (possibly recently reset) high score list on Foo Fighters. Bad Cats was a favorite of mine back in the day, and it’s taking me a while to re-learn it; don’t be too surprised if I bust loose on it in the next few weeks.

The vast majority of those interested have probably already received notice, but for the few who have not: Signups for the Texas Pinball Festival Wizards tournament will open this Saturday, November 2, at noon (12 pm), for the tournament in 2025 March. This tournament is held alongside the Texas Pinball Festival in Frisco, TX (about 25-30 miles north of Dallas). The cost is $200 including the weekend pass for the festival (the tournament entry fee is $112 of that). There is also a women’s tournament which will be held on just the Sunday of the festival weekend for $25.

Full details are available at the Texas Pinball Festival website. (Follow the appropriate link at the top for women’s and kids’ tournament information.)