When it’s 31°F outside and the streets of De Pere, Wisconsin are silent under a clear March sky, you’d think not much is stirring past 9 PM. But inside District 82 Pinball, the electricity was all in the flippers. The Tilt’n Tuesday Side Tournament Finals on March 11, 2025, kicked off just as most people were thinking about hot cocoa. Instead, eight competitors locked into a brisk and brutal 8-round Group Knockout format that ran just over an hour—short, sharp, and strike-heavy. Three strikes and you’re out, but with placement determining punishment, players had to stay sharp in every game or watch their chances disappear in a blur of blinking lights.

Inside Wisconsin’s Pinball Powerhouse

District 82 Pinball in De Pere isn’t just a venue—it’s a proving ground. Tucked away at 800 O Keefe Road, this spot has become legendary among players who know their extra balls from their tilt warnings. With over 100 machines immaculately maintained and rotated regularly, it blends the old-school spirit of the silverball era with today’s tournament-hardened competition. From electro-mechanical charmers to unforgiving early solid-states, this arcade is where pinball resumes are made and tested. Whether you’re grinding for IFPA points or just trying to finally master that left orbit, District 82 is a machine-packed, no-nonsense hall of flipper fury.

First Blood on Gorgar: A Growl Heard ‘Round the Room

Let’s talk Gorgar. The first-ever talking pinball machine, released by Williams in January 1979, Gorgar only knows seven words—but that was enough to change everything. Its vocabulary may be limited to “Me Gorgar,” “You Hurt Me,” and a few other monosyllabic taunts, but it was the beginning of voice integration in pinball, opening the gates for sound design as a storytelling tool.

In Round 1, Gorgar was more than a historical footnote—it was a predator. Despite being ranked 46th in Wisconsin, Todd Dorschner handled the pressure like a pro, using well-timed nudges and patience on those slingshot rebounds to claim 1st place. Kevin Scott, significantly lower ranked at 142nd, followed with a strong 2nd place finish. Meanwhile, two of the state’s heavy-hitters—Jordan Cappaert (18th) and De Pere local Rick Petit (27th)—fell prey to Gorgar’s unpredictable magnet and punishing outlanes. Sometimes the growl is louder than the resume.

Silverball Icons and Tournament Terrors

This tournament’s game lineup was a love letter to the late ’70s and ’80s—a transitional time when pinball was moving fast from electro-mechanical to solid-state, and every manufacturer was experimenting. Here’s a closer look at some of the featured tables:

Hot Hand (Stern Electronics, 1979)
Stern’s Hot Hand is more than just a catchy name—it’s one of the few pinball machines with a rotating physical hand on the backglass that spins like a wheel of fortune. Designed by Jim Patla, this machine delivers a card-themed layout with rollovers and spinners that demand precise control. The novelty of the spinning hand adds unpredictability in multiplayer, making it a fitting wildcard in a strike-based tournament.

Disco Fever (Williams, 1978)
Banana flippers. That’s right—Williams tried to change the game (literally) by curving the flippers upward, claiming it would make ball control easier. Spoiler: it didn’t. Players either adapt or perish. Add in some disco-era art, a glitzy soundtrack, and lightning-fast gameplay, and this oddball remains one of the strangest, most polarizing games of the era. Love it or hate it, it demands your respect—and maybe your forgiveness.

Police Force (Williams, 1989)
With its outrageous late-’80s cartoon cop theme and multiball chaos, Police Force was designed during the golden age of Williams innovation. It features a fast upper loop, voice calls, and a magnetized police car toy that can trap the ball. Designed by Barry Oursler and Python Anghelo, it’s a combo-heavy machine where keeping your shot rhythm can make or break a run.

Mousin’ Around! (Bally, 1989)
This one’s deceptively cute. Three ball multiball, stackable jackpots, and a slick ramp layout mean that Mousin’ Around! plays faster than it looks. Designed by Mark Ritchie, the game leans hard into its cheese-and-cat antics, but underneath the cartoon aesthetic is a very calculated, combo-oriented scoring system. A tournament sleeper hit if you can control the chaos.

Flash Gordon (Bally, 1980)
Prepare for pain. With split-level playfields, unforgiving outlanes, and a layout that punishes hesitation, Flash Gordon isn’t a machine—it’s a bootcamp. One of Bally’s earliest licensed theme games, it pushed the boundaries of speed and challenge in the early solid-state era. The soundtrack? A beeping, shrieking intensity that only adds to the adrenaline.

Stingray (Stern, 1977)
This electro-mechanical holdout in a solid-state world brings stripped-down gameplay and serious risk. Stern was still finding its voice here, and Stingray shows it—simple layout, old-school chimes, and lightning-fast rebounds that require dead-on flipper control. With no toys or gimmicks to lean on, you either play clean or you drain fast. That’s why it made a perfect battleground for the tournament’s final round.

Eight Ball Champ (Bally, 1985)
A pool-themed strategy game that throws in drop targets, bonus multipliers, and just enough unpredictability to make you second-guess that bank shot. Part of Bally’s long-running Eight Ball series, this one added more complexity than its predecessors, appealing to control-heavy players who like to build up bonuses instead of chasing risky jackpots.

Final Flips on Stingray’s Razor-Edge Playfield

The final game of the night was played on Stingray, a 1977 release from Stern Electronics, and it brought the kind of bare-knuckle pinball energy only an early solid-state can deliver. No ramps. No multiball. No ball save. Just a wide-open playfield, screaming-fast pop bumpers, and a left outlane that might as well be a trapdoor to despair. Stingray’s minimalism is its menace—every point is earned, not gifted, and precision shotmaking is the only path to survival.

With that kind of environment, it’s no wonder the last men standing were tournament-hardened veterans. Rick Petit, playing on home turf in De Pere, turned the tide of the night with expert nudges and a cool, calculated approach. With 148 IFPA events under his belt, his experience showed as he danced through Stingray’s chaos to secure 1st place.

Tom Menge—ranked 10th in Wisconsin and no stranger to late-game pressure—fought hard to land in 2nd. His methodical style held up well against the machine’s unpredictability, proving once again why he’s a staple in the state’s top 10.

Jeff Asman, from Appleton, brought his sharp reflexes and tournament focus into play, taking 3rd. His quick reads and recovery flips kept him in contention, even as Stingray’s outlanes claimed other players’ dreams.

Jordan Cappaert rounded out the top four. Despite a tough start earlier in the tournament, he made a deep run to the finals, showing grit and skill that held strong through the grind. The final game may not have gone his way, but anyone who makes it to the final four on Stingray earns their stripes.

The Current Kings of Wisconsin Pinball:

 

Game Over, See You Next Tuesday

The Tilt’n Tuesday Side Tournament at District 82 proved that even on a cold Wisconsin night, pinball brings the heat. Between historic machines, sharp competition, and a layout that demanded everything from nudging finesse to flipper discipline, this tournament packed serious intensity into a tight window. Shout-out to Erik Thoren for another rock-solid event and to District 82 for keeping the classics alive and merciless. Congrats again to Rick Petit for taking home the win—proof that the local scene’s still got fire. Stay tuned for more pinball updates, game spotlights, and tournament coverage. And if you’ve ever yelled at Flash Gordon, you’re one of us. Rate the post below and let us know your favorite machine from the lineup!

Wisconsin pinball players went head-to-head at District 82, battling on legendary machines like Gorgar & Twilight Zone. Who flipped their way to the top?

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