It was a sweltering afternoon in Gilbert, Arizona, but inside Dangerzone Arcade, the atmosphere was electric. With temperatures soaring to 99°F outside, the real heat was on inside, where 28 pinball wizards gathered to compete in the much-anticipated Dangerzone Arcade Knockout Tournament.
Tournament at a Glance
Starting at 12:30 PM and wrapping up almost seven hours later, the day was packed with flips, tilts, and, of course, unexpected strikes. The tournament followed a Group Knockout format, with players getting eliminated after accruing three strikes. In four-player groups, the bottom two players received strikes, making the competition brutal yet exhilarating.
Round 7: An Epic Showdown
One game that had everyone’s flipper fingers tingling was Round 7 on Avengers: Infinity Quest (LE) by Stern. Mark Pearson, ranked 34th in IFPA standings, emerged victorious in the game but wasn’t so fortunate in the overall tournament. Special mention also goes to Gavin Gurule and Greg Mohs, whose IFPA ranks couldn’t foretell their game performance, proving that numbers can sometimes lie.
The Dark Horses Triumph!
The biggest surprise of the day? The overall tournament winners were players not featured in the Arizona Top 10 IFPA standings. A hearty congratulations to:
- Hailey Buhrman – From Chandler, AZ, Hailey took home the gold with her IFPA rank at 2570.
- Nicholas Zachry – Despite being the 980th in IFPA rankings, Nicholas clinched the silver.
- Adam Horton – His solid IFPA rank of 241 couldn’t predict his 3rd place win.
- Dave Halley – A veteran in the pinball world, taking the 4th place.
Someone, please tell Roland Nadeau that his top spot in Arizona’s IFPA rankings was not enough to predict the outcome of this competition!
Pinball Machines that Held Court
Although 16 pinball machines graced the venue, a few stole the show:
- Avengers: Infinity Quest (LE) – Stern’s 2020 masterpiece was a focal point of the tournament.
- Foo Fighters (LE) – The latest release that had everyone jamming along.
- Guns N’ Roses (LE) – A classic brought back to life by Jersey Jack Pinball.
- The Mandalorian (LE) – Who knew fighting off stormtroopers could be this fun?
- Black Knight (LE) – This Williams machine from 1981 proved some things get better with age.
Venue Details
Though no official reviews were available for Dangerzone Arcade, the quality of the games and the competition speak for themselves. If the pinball machines could talk, they’d tell you how much action they saw that day!
IFPA Arizona Top 10
| Rank | Player Name | City | Wppr Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roland Nadeau | 671.68 | |
| 2 | Mark Pearson | Phoenix | 588.17 |
| 3 | John Shopple | Mesa | 569.41 |
| 4 | John Magyar | Gilbert | 351.79 |
| 5 | kevan carter | Tempe | 320.85 |
| 6 | Jason Barre | Mesa | 312.19 |
| 7 | Adam Horton | Phoenix | 310.26 |
| 8 | Paul Blanco | Chandler | 305.5 |
| 9 | Joey Rio | Surprise | 282.01 |
| 10 | Walter dony | Phoenix | 280.57 |
As the day ended, players filed out of Dangerzone Arcade, both elated and exhausted. For those who took home the win, it was a day of unexpected glory. For the others, it was a lesson in the unpredictability of the pinball universe. Either way, everyone’s already buzzing about the next big showdown.
Stay tuned for more updates from the realm of pinball!