When the Lights Went Out, the Scores Went Up: Starlite’s Pinball Brawl

Hey there, fellow pinball wizards! Bride of Pinbot here, your resident pinball blogger, dishing out the highlights from yet another tournament packed with thrilling comebacks, devastating drains, and the kind of high-stakes flipper action we live for. This time, the Speakeasy at Starlite brought 14 players together for ten rounds of head-to-head battles in a competition that lasted just shy of three hours.

Who dominated the playfield? What machines put up the biggest fights? And how did a 1980 Williams classic steal the show? Let’s dive in.

Starlite Arcade: A Classic Pinball Experience

Nestled in Richmond, Michigan, Starlite Arcade is one of those places that immediately feels like home to pinball fans. The lineup is impressive, spanning modern Stern heavy-hitters, classic Bally and Williams titles, and a few surprises. But the best part? $10 gets you four hours of free play—a deal that’s nearly impossible to beat.

Players consistently rave about the arcade’s well-maintained machines, the friendly staff, and the solid variety. Whether you’re a competitive player working on your flipper accuracy or a casual visitor looking for some nostalgia, Starlite offers an environment where everyone can get lost in the silverball madness.

The Blackout Strategy Guide: Racking Up Points in the Dark

The night’s most-played machine was none other than Blackout (Williams, 1980), a game that proves you don’t need ramps, modes, or deep rulesets to make pinball thrilling. Designed by Claude Fernandez, Blackout thrives on a straightforward yet highly rewarding objective: complete all three banks of red, blue, and yellow targets to trigger the Blackout effect, where the playfield goes dark, signaling big points and major excitement.

To master Blackout, keep your shots tight and aim for controlled play rather than frantic flailing. Prioritize hitting the three color-coded target banks as quickly as possible, as this not only boosts your bonus multiplier but also sets you up for the Blackout sequence. If you’re feeling bold, keep an eye on the spinner shot, which feeds into the upper right flipper, allowing for quick, repeatable hits to high-value areas. Like all great early solid-state games, Blackout rewards precision over speed—so slow it down, aim carefully, and light up the leaderboard.

Williams and Bally: The Titans That Shaped Pinball

No matter how much pinball evolves, Williams and Bally remain two of the most important names in the game’s history. These two companies, which eventually merged in the late 1980s, created some of the most legendary machines ever made, setting the standard for what a great pinball experience should be.

Williams: The Innovators Who Changed the Game

Founded in 1943, Williams initially produced arcade novelties before shifting its focus to pinball in the late 1940s. By the 1980s, Williams was on the cutting edge, introducing features that would become staples of modern pinball, such as multiball play, ramps, and deep rulesets.

Then came the 1990s—the golden age of Williams pinball. With design legends like Steve Ritchie, Pat Lawlor, and Barry Oursler, Williams produced some of the greatest pinball machines ever made, including:

• The Addams Family (1992) – The best-selling pinball machine of all time, featuring innovative gameplay elements like the Thing hand that grabs the ball.
• Twilight Zone (1993) – A mind-bending masterpiece with complex rule depth, a Powerball, and the now-iconic “Lost in the Zone” wizard mode.
• Medieval Madness (1997) – A game so beloved that Chicago Gaming remade it in 2014, featuring destructible castles and hilarious callouts.
• Monster Bash (1998) – A comedic take on classic horror films, with some of the smoothest flow in pinball history.

One of Williams’ most important contributions was Pinball 2000, a system designed to integrate video elements with traditional pinball play. While Revenge from Mars and Star Wars Episode I were technical marvels, the timing couldn’t have been worse—arcades were in decline, and in 1999, Williams shut down its pinball division, shifting its focus to slot machines.

Bally: From Slots to Pinball Icons

Bally’s origins trace back to 1932, when the company launched with the game Ballyhoo, a mechanical pinball-style game that laid the groundwork for what was to come. By the 1970s, Bally had become one of the biggest pinball manufacturers in the world, producing hits like Eight Ball Deluxe, Harlem Globetrotters On Tour, and Paragon.

But Bally wasn’t just about flashy artwork and fun themes—it was a company that pushed pinball forward. One of its biggest contributions was the rise of solid-state technology in the late 1970s, replacing the old electromechanical relay systems with circuit boards, allowing for more complex rulesets and digital displays. This era saw Bally dominate the pinball landscape with games like Xenon (the first pinball with digitized speech) and Medusa, which featured some of the most intricate playfield designs of the early 80s.

By the late 80s, however, Bally’s pinball division hit a rough patch, leading to a merger with Williams. While the Bally name remained on machines, the design teams and technology all came under Williams’ umbrella—marking a new chapter for both brands.

Although Williams and Bally no longer produce pinball machines, their influence is everywhere. From remakes of their classic games to their design principles still being used in today’s machines, their impact on pinball is immeasurable.

Crowned Champions of the Night

And now, the stars of the show!

Brandon Blake took home first place, proving that a state rank of 131st means nothing when you’re on fire. With 68 IFPA events under his belt, Brandon showcased impressive consistency across the lineup. Pat Maurer snagged second place, showing the kind of endurance only a player with 262 tournaments on record can bring. Scott Styles, a top 20 player in Michigan, locked down third place, proving why he’s a name to watch. And Leonard Narmore, though relatively new to competitive pinball, landed a well-earned fourth place finish—an exciting sign of things to come.

Michigan’s Top 10 Pinball Players

Here’s where the best in the state currently stand:

Til Next Time, Keep Flipping!

That’s a wrap on Speakeasy at Starlite! Huge thanks to Joe Wade for organizing another fantastic night of competition and to Starlite Arcade for keeping the machines in top shape. The mix of games kept everyone on their toes, but Blackout proved that sometimes, the oldest game in the lineup can still be the most electrifying.

Stay tuned for more pinball tournament coverage—until next time, keep those flippers up and your tilts under control!