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Original pinball journalism — game reveals, industry analysis, interviews, tutorials, and opinion from the Kineticist editorial team.

Staff Picks

44 Best Affordable Used Pinball Machines to Buy in 2024 ($5k or Less)

The Best Pinball Websites to Feed Your Pinball Obsession

Pinball Content Creators Share their Favorite Games And What They Love About Pinball

The Best Online Pinball Communities (other than Pinside)

Moving Units

Moving Units: Pinball Sales Tracker (#8)

Pokémon cools off, Transformers carries the summer, and operators take to Sonic

Colin Alsheimer

September 28, 2026

Interviews

“I’m Like a Cover Band” — Brian Allen on Reimagining Pinball’s Classics

Artist Brian Allen on designing Gritty, remaking Tales of the Arabian Nights and Cirqus Voltaire, hidden Easter eggs, and why AI art is cheating. Paul Melio asks the questions.

Paul Melio·Sep 25, 2026

Staff Picks

44 Best Affordable Used Pinball Machines to Buy in 2024 ($5k or Less)

The Best Pinball Websites to Feed Your Pinball Obsession

Pinball Content Creators Share their Favorite Games And What They Love About Pinball

Moving Units

Moving Units: Pinball Sales Tracker (#8)

Pokémon cools off, Transformers carries the summer, and operators take to Sonic

Colin Alsheimer

September 28, 2026

Interviews

“I’m Like a Cover Band” — Brian Allen on Reimagining Pinball’s Classics

Artist Brian Allen on designing Gritty, remaking Tales of the Arabian Nights and Cirqus Voltaire, hidden Easter eggs, and why AI art is cheating. Paul Melio asks the questions.

Paul Melio·Sep 25, 2026

The Best Online Pinball Communities (other than Pinside)

Pinball Tutorial

How to Become Ringmaster of Cirqus Voltaire Pinball

Bally released Cirqus Voltaire in 1997, and American Pinball's remake begins shipping this October. Here, solar_espeon runs through the nine Marvels, the Ringmaster multiballs, Join the Cirqus wizard mode and the 2.0 code.

solar_espeon·Sep 23, 2026

Pinball Tutorial

How to Return to Base in Data East's Laser War

Data East released its first pinball machine in May 1987. Here, solar_espeon runs through Laser War's locks and multiball, the three Base saucer lanes, the Laser Kick, and an end-of-ball bonus worth paying attention to.

solar_espeon·Sep 18, 2026

The Score Card

The Score Card 18: District 82 SPC and Northwest Pinball Championships

August's two Stern Pro Circuit stops: Nick Weyna takes the District 82 Summer Pinball Classic on a last-shot White Water finish, and Jason Zahler defends his Northwest Pinball Championships title in Lynnwood.

Matt Owen·Sep 10, 2026

Pinball History

Exploring EMs: Ted Zale and New Frontiers for Bally

Ted Zale designed for Bally from 1963 to 1973. Here, we look back at eight of his machines and what each one introduced, from lock-and-release multiball on Star-Jet to the Balligator on Nip-It.

solar_espeon·Sep 8, 2026

Pinball History

Remembering Dolly Parton: Her Legacy in Pinball and Beyond

Dolly Parton passed away on August 25 at the age of 80. solar_espeon looks back at the 1979 Bally game that carried her name, the backglass her team sent back for a redraw, and how it plays.

solar_espeon·Sep 4, 2026

News

Stern Pinball Reveals Fallout

Stern Pinball revealed Fallout. Here's everything we know, plus photos, videos and more.

Colin Alsheimer·Sep 3, 2026

News

Pinball Never Changes.

Pinball, however, does advance. Hands-on with Stern's latest: Fallout.

James Fremont·Sep 3, 2026

New Pinball

Cirqus Voltaire Returns With American Pinball's Classic and Ringmaster Editions

American Pinball announces Cirqus Voltaire in Classic and Ringmaster editions, $9,989 and $12,589, shipping October 2026. Paul Melio reports.

Paul Melio·Aug 26, 2026

Interviews

Pinball as a Canvas: Gerry Stellenberg on Designing for Licenses at Multimorphic

Multimorphic founder Gerry Stellenberg on picking licenses nobody predicts, why the P³ screen is just another canvas, and the deals he walked away from. Part three of Paul Melio's licensing series.

Paul Melio·Aug 25, 2026

Pinball History

Exploring EMs: The Legendary Career of Designer Wayne Neyens

Wayne Neyens spent more than 40 years designing for Gottlieb. Here, we look back at some of his most influential ideas and popular designs.

solar_espeon·Aug 20, 2026

Pinball History

The 150 Most Historically Significant Pinball Machines

154 years of pinball firsts: from an 1871 bagatelle patent to the largest homebrew ever built.

Joe Ciaravino·Aug 19, 2026

News

Stern's Pokémon Home Edition Arrives at Costco for $4,999

Stern's Pokémon Home Edition appeared on Costco sales floors today at $4,999 with no announcement, and it's the closest one of these has come to the Pro.

Colin Alsheimer·Aug 13, 2026

The Score Card

The Score Card 17: Pinburgh, WIPT, and The BEAST

July's three big tournaments: Jason Zahler becomes the first player to win Pinburgh three years running, Stacey Moritz sweeps the Women's International Pinball Tournament, and Jack Slovacek takes his first Stern Pro Circuit win at The BEAST.

Matt Owen·Aug 11, 2026

News

Dutch Pinball Caps The Big Lebowski With a 300-Unit Jesus Edition

Dutch Pinball is closing out The Big Lebowski with a Jesus Edition limited to 300 numbered machines, and calling it the last edition before its next release.

Colin Alsheimer·Aug 10, 2026

Interviews

On Location: Inside the Pinball Room at Toys From The Attic with Owner Don Berrios

Don Berrios keeps a room of pinball behind the collectibles at his Somersworth, NH shop, and talks Sterns, maintenance, and how he got started in pinball.

Arcade Hunters·Aug 6, 2026

News

Slow, Then Fast: Meet the Builders Behind Pinball's AI-Era App Boom

Developers Conor Wilson, Ed Giardina, and Will Oetting talk about their latest projects amid an explosion of new services.

Colin Alsheimer·Aug 5, 2026

News

Tasker Smith Talks Flow, Focus, and Bad Luck at His Book Launch in Natick

Tasker Smith took questions from Marc Patenaude and the audience at the Center for the Arts in Natick for the release of Pinball: A Quest for Mastery. Flow states, focus rituals, split flippers, and the 1974 Strato-Flite he brought in for the occasion.

Andrew Quemere·Aug 3, 2026

Interviews

“I Had Started Writing the Book I Wanted to Read” — Tasker Smith on Pinball: A Quest for Mastery

Tasker Smith on the decade he spent writing Pinball: A Quest for Mastery — the sensory deprivation tanks that didn't survive the edit, what his editor changed, and why he says pinball comes down to playing against yourself. The book is out now, and he's on the road with it through August 9.

Colin Alsheimer·Jul 31, 2026

Pinball News

Latest Pinball News & Articles

Pinball News

Latest Pinball News & Articles

Staff Picks

44 Best Affordable Used Pinball Machines to Buy in 2024 ($5k or Less)

The Best Pinball Websites to Feed Your Pinball Obsession

Pinball Content Creators Share their Favorite Games And What They Love About Pinball

Moving Units: Pinball Sales Tracker (#8)

“I’m Like a Cover Band” — Brian Allen on Reimagining Pinball’s Classics

Staff Picks

44 Best Affordable Used Pinball Machines to Buy in 2024 ($5k or Less)

The Best Pinball Websites to Feed Your Pinball Obsession

Pinball Content Creators Share their Favorite Games And What They Love About Pinball

Moving Units: Pinball Sales Tracker (#8)

“I’m Like a Cover Band” — Brian Allen on Reimagining Pinball’s Classics

The Best Online Pinball Communities (other than Pinside)

How to Become Ringmaster of Cirqus Voltaire Pinball

How to Return to Base in Data East's Laser War

The Score Card 18: District 82 SPC and Northwest Pinball Championships

Exploring EMs: Ted Zale and New Frontiers for Bally

Remembering Dolly Parton: Her Legacy in Pinball and Beyond

Stern Pinball Reveals Fallout

Pinball Never Changes.

Cirqus Voltaire Returns With American Pinball's Classic and Ringmaster Editions

Pinball as a Canvas: Gerry Stellenberg on Designing for Licenses at Multimorphic

Exploring EMs: The Legendary Career of Designer Wayne Neyens

The 150 Most Historically Significant Pinball Machines

Stern's Pokémon Home Edition Arrives at Costco for $4,999

The Score Card 17: Pinburgh, WIPT, and The BEAST

Dutch Pinball Caps The Big Lebowski With a 300-Unit Jesus Edition

On Location: Inside the Pinball Room at Toys From The Attic with Owner Don Berrios

Slow, Then Fast: Meet the Builders Behind Pinball's AI-Era App Boom

Tasker Smith Talks Flow, Focus, and Bad Luck at His Book Launch in Natick

“I Had Started Writing the Book I Wanted to Read” — Tasker Smith on Pinball: A Quest for Mastery