What Are The Best Pinball Machines For A Games Room?

Games room looking a little empty? Enter… The pinball machine

Whether you’re a retro gaming fan or are simply looking at an empty space in your games room or man cave, the pinball machine is easily one of the best additions to any games room. Not only do they look incredible, but they’re genuinely fun to play and have a low learning curve when compared to other popular games (of those that fit the ‘games room’ category!).

It’s also something that you can play alone, so if you don’t plan on being social one evening but still want to get your game-on, then the pinball machine is a fantastic solution to scratch that gaming itch.

In this guide, we’ll look at some of the more popular types of pinball machines to choose from, as well advice for beginners who are looking to buy their fist pinball machine and are stuck on where to start.

What are the different types of pinball machines?

Pinball machine-buying can quickly get quite technical in terms of how the machines are built, but what do you need to be aware of if you’re buying for the first time?

Rather than dive-down into all the smaller intricacies and components, we’re going to outline the types of machines available online for you to purchase, and who they’re recommended for in relation to their size, build type and ultimately their price.

Premium/Ultra-Modern Pinball Machines

As the name implies, these are often pinball machines that are given a whole host of extras that a more ‘traditional’ machine wouldn’t have.

These machines are typically themed to a show or a film, like in many of the versions we’ve recommended above, and usually come at a higher cost in comparison to their less-modern counterparts.

These are often purchased by gamers who are either mega fans of a franchise, band, series, game or film, and really want to immerse themselves in the merch lore by purchasing the ultimate in fan gaming tech… a themed pinball machine!

What you’ll often find is these machines have intricate lighting elements and gaming setups, with projectors and customisable gaming options so that you can tailor each game to suit your playing type or preference.

Are they usually fairly expensive? Yes, of course, as there’s more that goes into these machines than what you’d define as a ‘typical’ machine. But, are they worth it? Well, if you’re going to be playing the machine constantly and want easily one of the coolest pieces of equipment for your games room or man cave, then absolutely they are.

Pro/Entry-level pinball machines

These are usually the cheapest option, built more for durability and sustained use than they are for customisable tech. Not to say that you can’t customise them, or that they aren’t also a ton of fun, but naturally at a cheaper price point you’re not going to get everything you’d have in the premium models.

This makes the pro machines perfect for first-time players or purchasers. They’re not cheap in comparison to something like a table tennis table, but the sting in the wallet will be much less than that of a premium machine. These often also sit nicely with arcade machines… who wouldn’t love a retro arcade and pinball machine combo in their man cave?!

Mechanical versus virtual pinball machines

You’ll also see that some online retailers have mechanical or virtual machines, with mechanical often being more of what you’d define as a classic machine, whereas virtual versions will often have games pre-loaded and offer much more in the way of modern additions.

Naturally, you can expect to pay a premium for both versions, especially if the mechanical machine sits firmly under the ‘retro’ category and is consider more of a collectors piece.

It often comes down to the machine type you want based on its theming and the game(s) you want to play on it, and most importantly, how much you’re willing to spend to get the machine of your dreams. Or, just get both… But don’t tell your wallet we told you that…

Our top tips for mastering the pinball machine (pinball wizard, anyone?)

Like any game, sport or hobby, you need to focus on getting to grips with the basics before trying speedruns or going all-out with fancy tricks and manoeuvres. When it comes to pinball mastery, we recommend first focusing on:

Trapping the pinball

Trapping allows you to essentially ‘halt’ the ball and reset your strategy, so that you’re not aimlessly whacking the pinball each time it lands back on your flipper.

Practice with balancing the pinball as it lands on your flipper at different speeds, and learn how much pressure you need to ‘trap’ the ball based on the speed at which it’s coming into your flipper.

Knowing how to aim effectively 

Proper aiming will allow you to guide the pinball to where it needs to be, whether that’s for a certain bonus score or simply to get it out of harms way. Start slowly with aiming, and build-up your speed steadily.

Complete flipper control

This relates to the trapping technique, but overall flipper control is one of the best ways to set you on the path to pinball wizardry. Practice controlling the ball based on different speeds and angles.

Saving the pinball

You’re going to accidentally hit the ball too hard and it’ll inevitably ping all of the board, so you’re going to have to get good at learning how to make a save.

This is something that is harder to practice based on speed levels, so it’s really something to focus on over time so that you know how to trap the ball or control it away from the drop zone.

How to properly clean and maintain your pinball machine

Like any intricate game or machine, the best cleaning advice we can give is to do so gently, with limited cleaning product usage (ideally none if you can help it), and try to stick to a dry cloth to get rid of any dust or grime that could be building-up in the machine.

The best way to prevent any build-up of dirt and dust is to ensure that you’re not spilling food and drink down the machine, and that you wash your hands prior to playing to ensure no dirt is transferred directly from yourself as you’re playing.

Modern pinball machines do have coverings which protect the game and its components, and this often can be removed for cleaning, and you should take a look at the machine on a weekly basis to ensure no dirt or grime has made its way inside.

But, the last thing you want to be doing is pulling-out or cleaning-around critical components, so focus on prevention and regular inspections more than deep-cleans (as there are just so many things that can go wrong with that approach!).

How much do pinball machines usually cost?

You can buy very basic pinball machines anywhere from £500-1000, but if you’re looking for premium, then these are typically £3,000 up to £15,000, and can even run higher.

Yes, they’re expensive, and that’s why they’re often considered as the ultimate in games room or man cave additions.

How much space do you need in your games room for a pinball machine?

A typical pinball machine will be 76 x 27 x 55, and it’s not uncommon for machines to weigh between 200-250lbs.

Our advice is to always give yourself more room than you need, are really think about the space that you’ll have around the machine, either for other gaming additions, or simply the space to play and manoeuvre effectively without backing yourself into a cramped gaming corner.

Conclusion

As you can see, pinball machines seriously are one of the best additions to any games room. They’re iconic, the customisation options are plentiful, and they’re ultra-addictive.

Will your wallet thank you? Probably not. But you’ll certainly be giving yourself a pat on the back on the day your pinball machine arrives and takes pride of place in your gaming haven.