From: dbidwa@sei.cmu.edu (Daniel Bidwa)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Pittsburgh Pinball List #31
Date: 4 Jan 93 16:11:22 GMT
Distribution: pa
Organization: Software Engineering Institute

PITTSBURGH PINBALL 31
---------------------
As you might have guessed from the name, this is (or attempts to be) a listing
of all the pinball machines in the Pittsburgh area. Feel free to post this
where it would be helpful.

Your contributions and suggestions are welcome, and will certainly help me
keep the list up to date (I play a lot of pinball, but not *that* much). Send
them to db4s@andrew.cmu.edu, and I'll add them to the list. (Note: Before
sending corrections, please check the list to make sure that the change hasn't
already been made -- when CMU changes one of their machines, I don't need
to get twenty email messages telling me so.) Many thanks to Rob for the
initial list (sorry I simplified some of your ratings!) and for continued
research. (For those of you on Andrew, an updated version of the list is
available at ~db4s/public/pgh_pinball.##.)

NEW: At Dave Stewart's suggestion, I've started adding dates to entries. The
date shown is the day that I received the change. 

Both the machines and (if there's more than two machines) the
space/hall/arcade are rated so that it's easier to identify which operators
take care of their machines and which don't, so you'll know where to go if
you're in the mood for some precision pinball. Of course, a lousy operator
might still have a perfect machine, but chances are it won't stay that way.
Also, where possible, the rental agency is noted, since many locations don't
actually own or maintain their machines themselves. We're also trying to
note if the machines follow the (apparently) normal $.50/.75/1.00 pricing
scheme; if nothing is explicitly stated, you can assume that the .50/.75/1.00
scheme is in effect.

The rating system:
  	Perfect - fresh out of the box (crate, whatever). Everything works
            	perfectly; the playfield is hardly scratched.
  	Good - not quite so spotless, but everything works. The playfield
		shows some wear, but doesn't noticeably affect play.
	Okay - not at all spotless; not everything works as it
		should (i.e., bumpers don't bump as hard as they should,
		flippers are mildly sketchy, etc.), but nothing's broken
		enough to severely hamper the play of the machine. Playfield
		is black in high wear areas.
	Poor - barely passable; important items don't work (i.e., flippers
		are dead, targets don't register, etc.). Playfield wear
		affects game play.
	Crummy - mostly unplayable; many or major items don't work, ball
		sticks often, etc. Playable only in times of need.

These ratings are obviously open to interpretation, especially since (IMO) a
very well kept KISS machine is a lot closer to a Perfect rating, and is in
general more noteworthy, than a slightly worn Whirlwind machine. Besides, I've
never seen a completely perfect KISS machine, so the high end is open to
interpretation. 

If the location is marked with a *, it's a bar, and won't take kindly to
underaged persons whanging on the pinball machines.

So, away we go: 
---------------
OAKLAND (in no particular order right now):

 CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (30-Dec-92)
 Skibo Hall, upstairs
   Terminator 2 - Good
   Fish Tales - Perfect
 General condition of machines: good to poor; Lazar machines

 WILLIAM PITT STUDENT UNION 
 downstairs
   Terminator 2 - Good
   Diner - Good
   Earthshaker - Good; $.25
   The Addams Family - Good
 General condition of machines: good to okay

 PIZZA OUTLET
 On Craig St., near Bayard Blvd.
   Cyclone - ???

 WHITE TOWER
 On Craig St. near Centre Ave.
   Taxi - Okay

 PIZZA PERFECTO
 907 South Millvale, Oakland
   Terminator 2 - Okay

 OAKLAND FOOD MART
 504 Semple St.
   Black Knight 2000 -- Good; $.25
   Whirlwind - Okay
   
 "SOAP OPERA" LAUNDROMAT
 (about a block from Semple and Forbes)
   Star Trek (1977) - Good; $.25 (of course), 5 balls
   Kiss - Good; $.25, 5 balls

 *THE ATTIC (14-Dec-92)
 3609 Forbes Ave.
   Star Trek - ???

 *PANTHER HOLLOW INN (17-Dec-92)
 4611 Forbes Ave.
   Addams Family - Good
   Bride of Pinbot - Perfect

 *THE HOLIDAY
 4622(?) Forbes Ave.
   Gilligan's Island - ???

 *PETER'S PUB
 116 Oakland Ave.
   The Addams Family - Perfect

 *CALICO'S
 ??? Oakland Ave.
   Lethal Weapon 3 - ???
   The Addams Family - Good

 TIJUANA TACO
 3??? Forbes Ave.
   Earthshaker - Okay

 5226 PENN AVE.
   Black Knight 2000 - Fair

 5107 PENN AVE.
   Big Guns - ???

 4911 PENN AVE.
   Sorcere (1985 Williams) - Fair

 4060 PENN AVE.
   Black Knight 2000 - Fair

 4740 LIBERTY AVE.
   Comet - near Perfect

------------
SQUIRREL HILL
 
 *SQUIRREL HILL CAFE/SQUIRREL CAGE (10-Dec-92)
 5802 Forbes Ave.
   Police Force - Good
   Rollergames - Good

 D'ALESANDRO'S PIZZERIA (formerly the Italian Dog)
 5804 Forward Ave.
   Super Mario Brothers - ???
 (This place has been keeping very strange hours lately -- it never seems to
  be open, even during times that a pizzeria would normally be open.)

------------
SHADYSIDE

 DUDS N' SUDS
 Centre Ave., near The Food Gallery
   Earthshaker - Good; $.25 (despite what the card reads)

 *DOC'S
 5442 Walnut St.
   Fish Tales - ??? (Excellent)

 *(?) COLLEGE INN
 corner of Ellsworth and College
   Elvira - Good (?)

------------
DOWNTOWN

 ACE AMUSEMENTS
 811 Liberty Ave
   Black Knight 2000 -- ???
   High Speed 2 - Perfect
   Fire! - Perfect (except that machine is set up way too high)
   The Addams Family - Good
   Super Mario Brothers -- Perfect
   Taxi - Poor
   Star Trek - Good
 General condition of machines: Perfect to Poor; all machines set on 5 balls,
	but also set up extremely high, so the balls don't last long

 GREYHOUND BUS TERMINAL
 11th St. and Liberty Ave.
   The Addams Family - Perfect
   Terminator 2 - Good
   High Speed 2 - Good

 ECONO-WASH
 Around 200 Forbes Ave.
   Space Station - Good
   F-14 Tomcat - Perfect

 UNIVERSAL NEWS
 (on Smithfield across from Kaufmann's)
   High Speed 2 - Perfect
   Terminator 2 - ???
   The Addams Family - Good
   Lethal Weapon 3 - Good

 SMITHFIELD NEWS (2-Jan-93)
 115 Smithfield St. (2nd Ave. and Smithfield)
   Hook - Perfect
   Cue Ball Wizard - Perfect
   Lethal Weapon 3 - Good
   High Speed 2 - Good; ball kickout into plunger is flaky (29-Nov-92)
 (open 24 hours)

 FAT FRANK'S
 2000 Smallman St.
   The Machine: Bride of Pinbot - Good

 CHAUNCEY'S (24-Nov-92)
 Station Square
   The Addams Family - Perfect (but higher than normal - very fast)
   Fish Tales - Perfect

------------
SOUTH SIDE

 FAT HEADS (24-Nov-92)
 ??? E. Carson St.
   Fish Tales - ???
   High Speed 2 - ???

 REAL McCOY SANDWICH SHOP
 2010 E. Carson St.
   F-14 Tomcat - Okay

 NICK'S FAT CITY
 ??? E. Carson St.
   Pool Sharks - Good
   Super Mario Brothers - Perfect

 BEEHIVE
 1327 E. Carson St.
   Diner - ???

------------
NORTH SIDE

 ALLEGHENY CENTER MALL
 "FUN AND GAMES" or some such name.  It doesn't matter too much, because:
   Whirlwind - Poor; $.25
   Taxi - Dead; $.25
  Whirlwind had a dead upper flipper, and some playfield lights appeared
   not to work.  Pinball area was badly lit, and management seemed basically
   apathetic.  So this is in for completeness; don't waste your money here.

------------
LAWRENCEVILLE:

AMATO'S
4123 Butler St.
  Taxi - Good; $.25

*MONICO'S BAR
4121 Butler St.
  Lethal Weapon 3
    playfield in excellent shape, but flippers barely get above
     horizontal, so it's probably just "Okay".

------------
OUT OF TOWN

 GREATER PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (6-Dec-92)
 "GAME WORLD"
 (in the A concourse, just past gate 5)
   The Addams Family - Perfect
   Lethal Weapon 3 - Perfect
   Hook - Good
   Hurricane - Good
   Super Mario Brothers - Good

 ROSS PARK MALL (13-Dec-92)
 "POCKET CHANGE"
 McKnight Road
   The Addams Family -- Good
   Terminator 2 - ???
   Cyclone - ???
   Lethal Weapon 3 - Perfect
   Fish Tales - ???
   Star Wars - ???
 General condition of machines: ???

 MONROEVILLE MALL
 "TILT"
   The Simpsons - Okay; $.25

 ARDMORE ROLLER RINK (5-Dec-92)
 (on Rt. 30, in the Ardmore Shopping Plaza)
   F-14 Tomcat - Poor; $.25
   Arena - Good; $.25
   Black Belt - Okay; $.25
  
 GOLDEN MILE ICE RINK
 Monroeville
   Bride of Pinbot - Good
   Hook - Poor (weak flippers)

 OLYMPIC LANES (23-Nov-92)
 McKnight Road
   Police Force - Okay
   Earthshaker - Okay
   Jokerz! - Okay; $.25
 General condition of machines: Okay (but I think they're Lazar machines)

 SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE
   Pinbot - Perfect; $.25
   Police Force - Good
   The Simpsons - Good 

 NORTH HILLS VILLAGE (24-Nov-92)
 "AMERICADE FUN CENTER"
   Whirlwind - Okay; $.25
   Terminator 2 - Okay
   The Addams Family - Okay
 Note: Games set up _very_ slow. They occasionally have a special on Fridays
 where you can play all you want for $5. 

 CENTURY III MALL
 "FUN N' GAMES" (first level)
   Jokerz! - Good; $.25
   Atlantis - Good; $.25
   Monday Night Football - Good; $.25
   Playboy 35th Anniversary - Good; $.25
   Rollergames - Good; $.25

 "FUN N' GAMES" (third level)
   Dr. Dude - Good; $.25
   Pool Sharks - Good; $.25
   Cyclone - Perfect; $.25
   Hot Shots - Good; $.25
   Back To The Future - Good; $.25
 Note: I've gotten recent (10/92) complaints that the machines at both Century
 III arcades suffer from weak flippers, making them  difficult to impossible
 to play. 

 NORTHWAY MALL
 "TIME OUT"(?)
   Party Zone - Perfect
   Big Guns - Good

 PARKWAY CENTER MALL (27-Nov-92)
 "SPACE AMUSEMENTS"
   Fish Tales - Good; $.50/game
   High Speed 2 - Good
   Terminator 2 - Good
   Lethal Weapon 3 - Good
 Note: liberal tilt on all machines
 Pool Hall and Bar
   Pool Sharks - ???

GOLDEN MILE BOWLING ALLEY (28-Nov-92)
Rt. 22 Business, Monroeville
   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ???
   Lethal Weapon 3 - ??? 

 DONALDO'S
 McKeesport
   Earthshaker - Perfect

 KANGAROOS
 McKnight Road
   The Addams Family - Perfect

 HI-TOPS (24-Nov-92)
 McKnight Road
   Pool Sharks - Perfect; $.50/game


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dbidwa@sei.cmu.edu                                    Barbie says math is hard!
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball