Multiballs, Mayhem, and a Shark-Sized Finale in Anaheim

On March 28, 29 players gathered under broken clouds and a brisk 60°F sky to compete in the fifth installment of the Pins & Pirates League – Season 6 at Captain’s Arcade Showroom in Anaheim, California. Organized by CC Castaneda, the event packed five games into one fast-and-furious round, wrapping in just under two hours. It was pinball at full throttle, with a lineup of games spanning four decades of design evolution.

Welcome to Captain’s Arcade Showroom

Set on East La Palma Avenue, Captain’s Arcade Showroom is Southern California’s not-so-secret treasure chest for pinball. Operating as the showroom extension of Captain’s Auction Warehouse, it offers players and collectors access to a deep bench of machines, from the latest Stern releases to vintage restorations. The space has become a regional staple for competitive play—part arcade, part museum, part proving ground. With nearly every machine in tip-top tournament condition, there are no excuses here. Just skill shots and heartbreaks.

Aerosmith LE Takes the Stage in Round 1

Round 1 brought the noise with a four-player showdown on Aerosmith (LE), Stern’s 2017 tribute to backstage chaos and toy-box-fueled multiballs. Designed by John Borg with a soundtrack loaded with hits, the game is best known for its literal toy box—slam the ball inside, lock up a multiball, and watch Jacky toss your shot back into play like a rockstar trashing a hotel room.

Dave DiFranco, a mid-tier grinder from Huntington Beach sitting at 352nd in California, turned the table into his personal arena. He didn’t just hang with the top dogs—he outplayed them, beating players ranked hundreds of spots above him. Johnny Modica, ranked 57th in the state and a top-60 IFPA global player, came in as the heavy favorite. But this time, the flippers had other plans.

Anaheim’s own CC Castaneda (321st) landed in fourth, but her local knowledge and aggressive playstyle kept pressure on the pack throughout. Octavio Lobato, a newcomer to watch with a ranking of 915th, managed to slide into second place—proof that even the least likely players can ride a good multiball wave to glory. It was a round that made the rankings look like suggestions rather than predictions.

A Tour Through the Tournament Lineup

With 74 machines on deck, this tournament had more variety than a System 11 drop target bank. But a few machines stood out either for their legacy, layout, or sheer novelty.

• Road Kings (Williams, 1986) – The only game on this list old enough to rent a car, Road Kings is pure mid-80s Steve Ritchie aggression. It was Williams’ first use of alpha-numeric displays, replacing segmented scoring for more expressive callouts. Its dystopian Mad Max aesthetic and grating synth soundtrack are beautifully over-the-top. Gameplay-wise, it’s unforgiving, fast, and stripped down—perfect for players who think Flash Gordon is too polite.

• Metallica Remastered (LE) (Stern, 2024) – A 2024 refresh of the beloved 2013 Metallica by Borg and Lyman Sheats. This version updates callouts and animations for modern LCD standards while preserving the original’s brutal layout. The game features four cleverly named multiballs, including “Seek and Destroy,” and a coffin bash toy that remains one of Stern’s most creative. The remaster is a loving tribute to one of Stern’s all-time classics and Lyman’s legacy as one of the best coders in pinball history.

• The Mandalorian (LE) (Stern, 2021) – Designed by Brian Eddy, The Mandalorian combines a compact fan layout with character-based missions and an up-post-happy upper mini-playfield. It was a welcome return to original layout design for Eddy after Stranger Things, and it helped reinvigorate Stern’s use of narrative progression in gameplay. The LE version has a hyper-polished Grogu sculpt, animated visuals, and a tilting playfield area for that extra “this is the way” complexity.

• ABBA (LE) (Pinball Brothers, 2024) – The newest face on the floor, ABBA was still glittering with factory shine. Developed by Pinball Brothers (of Alien fame), the game was a surprise hit. It nails its theme with infectious energy, choreographed light shows, and a ruleset that lets you build your concert setlist. It’s an unexpected gem that’s been converting skeptics with smooth flow and rhythmic ramps.

• Mousin’ Around! (Bally, 1989) – A Pat Lawlor sleeper hit packed with cheese puns, zany callouts, and some of the best ramps of the late ’80s. Released the same year as Earthshaker, this machine often gets overlooked, but it’s a masterclass in kinetic shot satisfaction. The center scoop “trap the mice” mechanic and escalating audio make it a crowd-pleaser and a deceptively strategic play.

• Creature from the Black Lagoon (Bally, 1992) – A movie-themed beauty by John Trudeau that pays tribute to the 1950s B-movie experience. With a holographic creature that rises beneath the playfield window and arguably the greatest backglass of the DMD era, this game set a standard for immersive storytelling in pinball. Plus, the “Move Your Car” mode is a rite of passage.

• Hot Wheels (American Pinball, 2020) – American Pinball’s first major hit, Hot Wheels surprised a lot of players with its modern rule depth and polished kinetic flow. Based on the animated series rather than the toy line, it features combo-rich gameplay and educational trivia inserts—because nothing says “learning” like combo loops at Mach 5.

The Final Battle: JAWS Bites Down

The night ended on JAWS (Premium/LE)—and nothing clears a room faster than a Keith Elwin layout backed by a mechanical shark. Stern’s 2024 thriller delivered a suspenseful final round, with each player circling the ruleset like hungry predators. This is the kind of game where knowing your modes isn’t optional—it’s survival.

Robert Potter came out on top, and not by accident. He’s not in the California top 100 (yet), sitting at 306th, but with over 160 IFPA events under his belt, Potter’s experience showed. He made confident choices, managed risk when others went fishing for jackpots, and delivered the kind of performance that makes tournament organizers take notice.

Second place went to Dennis Eichhorn, the highest-ranked player in the finals at 22nd in the state. He played with a steadiness you’d expect from someone who’s been to over 300 events, but even a veteran like him couldn’t close the gap when Potter started stacking modes and chomping through scoring opportunities.

Fran Irwin of SoCal (ranked 108th) took third, and while he didn’t quite break through the top two, he showed excellent shot selection and composure. With 256 events on his record, Fran has the chops to go deeper in future brackets. Rounding out the finals was Michael Kostolnik (87th), who’s no stranger to high-pressure play. He kept pace early but couldn’t quite land the game-changing multiball that might’ve flipped the outcome.

This was a final round that rewarded poise and punished impatience—and Robert Potter proved you don’t need a top-tier ranking to deliver top-tier results.

California IFPA Pinball Top 10 Standings

That’s a Wrap from the Showroom

From box-smashing multiballs to ramp-loopy throwbacks, Pins & Pirates League #5 brought out the full spectrum of what makes competitive pinball so addictively great. Hats off to CC Castaneda for steering the ship and to Captain’s Arcade Showroom for supplying the flipper fuel. And congratulations again to Robert Potter for outplaying the field and taking the JAWS finale with teeth.

We’ll be back soon with more scores, stories, and machine madness. Until then, keep your flips tight and your drains light.