This week marks the astonishing 40th year of the industry's longest-running pinball show, Pinball Expo. One of the highlights of the show each year is all of the getting to see all of the cool homebrew pinball machines that creative members of the community have brought. I have a sneak peek at a brand new one for everyone. And this one is based on a much-requested theme in the hobby - Tony Hawk!
Nick Neitzel of FlipNik Pinball has spent all of his free time over past year, weekends, after work, lunch breaks, creating this sweet game. And let me tell you, it shows. Check out these amazing features:
Skateboard Spinner Mech (Patent Pending): Hit Frontside and Backside Shove It’s, Kickflips, Heelflips, and Varial Flips, all on one spinner mech.
Outlane Ollie Ramp (Patent Pending): Activate the quarter pipe and ollie back onto the playfield through the flippers to save your ball and skate again.
Loop Wireform: Ride the loop around the halfpipe and into the bowl, and land on top of the upper playfield
Drop-In Ramp: After grinding the rail after the diverter, your ball will drop into a huge quarter pipe and launch off of the back of the scoop. From there, the “Ollie Ramp” shoots out, and you have to land on the right flipper to stay in the game and collect your points.
Halfpipe Grind: Hit the outer loop and grind over the halfpipe.
Big Transfer Gap: Land the transfer gap without bailing.
Vertical Flipper Diverter: Choose the pop bumpers, or drop in and catch some air.
Secret Tape: Collect “T-A-P-E” stand up targets and shoot the center ramp. A hidden flipper takes your ball behind the factory and back onto the playfield, jumping through the air to collect the Secret Tape.
Land a 900: Catch some AIR from the “A-I-R” drop targets, and hit the “9-0-0” stand up targets to land the famous 900.
Hit the Hydrant: Blow past the spinner and hit the hydrant to activate it
Taxi Captive Ball- Hit the captive ball and launch it into the Taxi’s wheel (it’s a hidden target).
Barrel Pop Bumpers: Getting past these can be tricky. The ball can exit the upper playfield on the left, or make it to the right and skate on
Big Red Rail- After making it past the pop bumpers, nudge the table to get your ball to grind down this iconic red rail. Land the trick on your left flipper.
Go “Underground”: Three entrances on the playfield feed the left scoop.
As I mentioned, Tony Hawk's Pro Pinball will be available to play this week at Pinball Expo. Look for it in the Electric Playground booth next to Kyle Smet's sweet Friday the 13th homebrew game. So make sure to get over there and check it out!
Here's the story of how this game came to being from Nick himself:
"I have been into extreme sports since I was a kid. I started racing motocross at 7 years old, then graduated on to building and racing drift cars once I got my drivers’ license. Once I hit my 30’s I started building racing simulators and arcade machines. After checking out Atomic Pinball in Wood River Illinois on a whim, I immediately knew “Oh man, this is my new thing.”
I have known I wanted to make a Tony Hawk machine since the idea popped in my head to make a game years ago. I searched online to see if any real or homebrew games existed, and I was shocked to see no one has taken on the challenge yet; it is the perfect theme! The gameplay loop, the sounds, the music, the attitude; it’s all there. I just had to bring it to life!
It took me a year from the time I said “I am gonna do this” until the game was completed enough to bring to expo; a HUGE feat going from nothing to a working game in that amount of time. I was working on it with every free second I had; on my lunch breaks, after work, and every weekend. None of it would have been possible without the network of support I am lucky enough to have from friends and family.
I’m stoked to show off my first homebrew at my first expo! See you there!
Credits: Coding and Graphic Design: Wes Mann
Project Manager: Allison Feit (my fiancé)
Photos: Tony Moses"
Holy cow, this is super innovative. Wish I were at Expo!