Full tilt pinball free#

We focus on titles that have a little character and history.” “We don’t focus on the newest, latest and greatest. Rainwater, one of Transmission’s four joint owners. “People in Columbia like pinball there’s plenty to go around,” says J.P. But what began as an attempt to create “a really cool restaurant” gave birth to an arcade featuring a rotating roster of vintage video games and pinball machines, some dating back to the 1970s. Transmission Arcade on Main Street serves up food and fun with a selection of vintage pinball and arcade games.įood is at the forefront of Columbia’s other new barcade, Transmission Arcade on Main Street. Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 to 10 p.m. For the less adventurous, there are tacos, sliders and other bar standards, often incorporating regional flavors.īang Back Pinball Lounge is located at 741 Saluda Ave. The location features a menu of unique cocktails, craft beer and food items, served from their “funky fresh indoor food truck.” Richardson recommends the Bao Bun, a Korean steamed bun with dark hoisin pulled pork. “We’re kind of at the epicenter of it here.”

“We’ve had this huge interest from women in pinball,” Richardson says. Thursday is Women’s Pinball Night, and Bang Back is home to the first women’s pinball league in the state. Richardson’s beloved Terminator 2 is also on the floor. “I've been doing it for 29 years.”īang Back-named for a frowned-upon technique that involves smacking a pinball machine to keep balls in play-features older classics such as Twilight Zone, to modern hits like Avengers. “That began a very formidable part of my life, which is competitive pinball,” he says. Richardson was soon competing in national pinball championships, eventually becoming a two-time champion doubles player. “I think I played that game for three hours straight.” “It had a gun, a cannon, a video display and a countdown,” he says. “People can stand on the sides and converse, and be with their family and loved ones,” he says.Īs a kid growing up in Michigan, Richardson says he “scraped dimes out of the couch to put credits up,” on pinball machines, but largely forgot about the game until the 1990s, when he wandered into an arcade and discovered the Terminator 2 game. This provides for safe distancing during the pandemic and also allows enthusiasts to get a better look at the playfield and the artwork on the colorful backbox where scores are displayed. The venue boasts 16 machines, arranged “pinwheel style”-like spokes on a wheel-rather than the traditional side-by-side layout. Located in Five Points near the University of South Carolina, Bang Back Pinball Lounge is built around the social aspects of the game, says Richardson. There’s something about solving that puzzle.” “Intelligent people are really drawn towards pinball,” he says. “We’re bringing the community of pinball to the state of South Carolina.”įrederick Richardson, a two-time doubles world champion and owner of Bang Back Pinball Lounge, enjoys sharing the social aspects of the game with visitors to his barcade. “We’re doing something pretty special here,” says Frederick Richardson, a two-time pinball world champion and owner of Bang Back Pinball Lounge. Serious “pinheads” and aspiring wizards alike are flocking to the city, where a handful of venues are offering unique takes on the classic arcade experience. Pinball is enjoying a resurgence in South Carolina, and the capital city is at the forefront.

It’s a ritual that repeats night after night around Columbia. An unlucky bounce sends the ball into the “drain,” followed by an inevitable groan of frustration and the jingle of more quarters down the coin slot.

Full tilt pinball free#

A player watches their score shoot into the millions, looking for enough points to win a free game or claim the high score. The flippers chatter, batting the ball into orbits around the board. Springs, gears and relays wake from their electric slumber, and a silver ball appears, ready to be sent careening into a psychedelic obstacle course of ramps and bumpers.Ī flick of the wrist launches the ball into play, and the machine responds with a cacophony of music, abstract sounds and visceral mechanical clacks and rattles. A quarter falls into the depths of the machine with a satisfying clink.