

The actual power switch is on the bottom front right of the case.
PINBALL WIZARD CONTROLLER PC
The PC "case" is just a back panel, and the power strip is the Smart Strip kind where it auto-powers everything based on the PC being powered on or off. Notice the large down-firing subwoofer mounted in the middle of the body, as well as the ventilation holes. Then lift it up and out, and you now have complete access to the interior. To remove the playfield, disconnect the power cord and the HDMI connector.

The 27" playfield monitor is mounted using a clever rod assembly to the standard VESA mount on the back, so we can easily rotate it up to work on the inside as needed. On the right front side, the digital plunger and right buttons. On the left front side, the audio amplifier and left buttons. All of which shows up as a standard game controller in Windows. This Digital Plunger Kit connects the 8 buttons (2 on each side, 3 on the front, 1 on the bottom) and includes an analog tilt sensor and analog plunger sensor. The most uniquely pinball item in the case is right at the front.

Then remove the metal lockdown bar and slide the tempered glass out. Open the front coin door and detach the two internal nuts for the front bolts, which are finger tight. Most of the magic is in those screens, and whether the pinball sim in question allows you to arrange the three screens in its advanced settings, usually by enabling a "cabinet" mode.
PINBALL WIZARD CONTROLLER PLUS
Plus you can emulate every pinball machine, ever! The Virtuapin Mini is a custom $3k build centered around three screens: The mini is much smaller than a normal pinball machine, so it's easier to move around, takes up less space, and is less expensive. But in my defense, it is a minor extravagance relative to a real pinball machine. That recently culminated in me buying a Virtuapin Mini. People of all ages seem to enjoy pinball because there is such a variety.I've had something of an obsession with digital pinball for years now.

“I remember the older games, but I enjoy the new ones, too. “There’s definitely a nostalgia factor involved,” Mark said. For new players, he suggests visiting Cactus Jacks, an Oklahoma City arcade with about fifty games from a variety of eras for people to experience. Mark recommends that anyone interested in becoming involved with pinball tournaments visit the Oklahoma Pinball Enthusiasts Facebook page. In the competitions, four people are paired up at a machine, and whoever scores the highest after playing several machines moves to the next round. Other tournaments are held once or twice a month in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, which have started attracting players from other states. Mark has begun hosting tournaments in a climate-controlled garage he owns in Edmond. The most popular games are about music or movies that people are familiar with, like Guardians of the Galaxy, Terminator 2, Guns N’ Roses, or Led Zeppelin.” “For example, the Godzilla machine plays old sixties movies on its screen,” Mark said. New machines are still being made, and they have more robust sound systems, video screens, and even touch screens. The sounds and music are part of the appeal of playing a pinball game. When Mark hosts a tournament, he said it sounds like a full-blown arcade. “Pinball ownership also takes mechanical skills, because the games sometimes break or a fuse goes out, but I’ve gotten pretty good at fixing them.” “Controlling the ball is a practice in physics,” Mark said. According to Mark, a game can last a few minutes, but experienced players can keep the ball moving for half an hour. Pinball machines have advanced, but the goal remains the same: keep the ball “in play” for as long as possible and hit various targets to score points. Now, they have circuit boards and digital displays.” “The machines were mechanical then, with switches and relays. It came out in the mid-sixties, and the goal was to hit all the card targets,” Mark said. “The first one I bought, King of Diamonds, was special because it was one of my favorites when I was young. Mark Schwisow likes to say his enthusiasm for playing pinball is a story in three acts.Īct One: As a young adult in the 1970s, Mark played lots of mechanical pinball at bowling alleys and convenience stores.Īct Two: As a father, Mark introduced his children to pinball machines in the mid-80s as something they could play together.Īct Three: As a retiree, Mark remembered his enjoyment of playing pinball, so he bought a machine four years ago, and then another, and then another, and now he owns 20 machines and hosts pinball tournaments.
