Sharp Shooters and Silverballs: March Match Play at Hotrods

Another fast-paced day of flipper fury wrapped up with the Max Match Play @Hotrods MAR 2025 tournament, and this one had just the right mix of strategy, chaos, and charm. Nine players squared off in head-to-head match play across 12 games each, cranking through nearly four hours of pinball duels under a crisp 55° sky with just a few scattered clouds for flair. It all kicked off at 1:00 PM sharp on March 15, 2025, and by the time the dust settled, a local pinball organizer had climbed to the top of his own bracket. But more on that in a minute…

Where Garage Vibes Meet Good Grub

Hotrods Old Vail isn’t your average tournament venue. Located at 10500 East Old Vail Road in Tucson, this place runs with a full-blown working garage theme—and pulls it off. You’re not just stepping into a bar and grill; you’re hanging out in a revved-up, retro-fueled daydream where the food hits the spot and the staff actually seems to enjoy being there (shout-out to Kristi, apparently the real MVP of the floor). The place nails that laid-back, engine-grease aesthetic while serving up French dips and good vibes. It’s weird in the best way—exactly the kind of spot where pinball fits right in.

Website, if you’re curious or hungry: hotrodsoldvail.com

So You Wanna Master Sharp Shooter II?

Sharp Shooter II may not have the flash of newer titles, but don’t underestimate this 1983 Game Plan classic—it was the most played machine in the tournament, and for good reason. The Western theme is fun, sure, but it’s the layout that hooks you. This game is from a fascinating moment in pinball history—Game Plan was a scrappy underdog manufacturer trying to compete with the big boys like Williams and Bally in the early ’80s. They didn’t have the budget for licensed themes or wide-body innovation, so they doubled down on playfield design and player challenge.

The game rewards accurate shots and punishes sloppy play, especially since the outlanes are as greedy as a prospector with a new gold pan. Your main targets are the drop target banks—hit them clean to build your bonus multipliers, and loop the left orbit for that satisfying flow. It’s all single-ball play, so there’s no multiball chaos to hide behind here. What makes Sharp Shooter II tricky is its pacing. You need patience, not panic. And that spinner? Once lit, it can quietly carry your score without much fanfare—old-school players know the value of a screaming spinner shot.

Standouts from the Lineup: Stars, Spa, and Some Heavy Metal

Out of the twelve machines in rotation, a few really stood out—either for their historical importance or the sheer number of curse words they inspired mid-match.

Let’s start with Stars by Stern Electronics, released in 1978. This machine is a brutal masterpiece of early solid-state design. It was Stern’s first game to feature the now-standard MPU-100 board, setting the tone for their early success. The rule set is simple: hit stars, light bonuses, and pray your ball doesn’t bounce out of control. It’s got that classic early Stern feel—quick, mean, and punishing. Modern tournament players love it because it strips pinball down to pure shot-making and nudging skills. No gimmicks, no safety nets.

Future Spa by Bally (1979) is a funky widebody that feels like someone tried to merge disco, yoga, and late-70s sci-fi into a single fever dream. It was Bally’s first pin with electronic background sound and synthesized speech—an early attempt to up the sensory experience without the help of a license. The layout is spacious (some might say too spacious), but there are clever risk-reward decisions around the multipliers and bonus holds. It’s also one of the most unintentionally hilarious art packages in pinball history—seriously, go look it up if you haven’t already.

Then there’s Ice Fever (Gottlieb, 1985), a hockey-themed oddball that doesn’t get enough love. This game was released during Gottlieb’s System 80B era, when the company was trying to modernize with quirky themes and new mechanical features. Ice Fever is one of the few pins where you can literally “score a goal” by shooting the puck through a gate. The playfield has some asymmetry that keeps players on their toes, and while the game isn’t deep by modern standards, it forces quick decisions and consistent shot making.

Modern bangers Metallica (Pro) and AC/DC (Pro) from Stern brought energy and complexity to the lineup. Metallica, designed by John Borg with Lyman Sheats’ deep ruleset, remains one of the best-coded music pins ever. The Sparky multiball, stacking Crank It Up modes, and coffin-lock strategy make it a modern tournament staple. AC/DC is no slouch either—it’s a Steve Ritchie design that’s all about speed and stacking. Picking your song isn’t just about vibe; each one changes the scoring and strategy, which makes it a mind game as much as a flipper game.

Taxi (Williams, 1988) gave players a taste of System 11 charm, with callouts from a hilariously chaotic cast of passengers including Dracula, Pinbot, and (a very not-legally-Barbie) “Lola.” Mark Ritchie’s design feels timeless, with satisfying ramps and excellent player flow. Getting all five passengers before locking in Jackpot is harder than it looks—especially when Dracula decides to ghost you.

We also had Attack from Mars, Bally’s legendary 1995 title that paved the way for the equally beloved Medieval Madness. Designed by Brian Eddy and coded by Lyman Sheats, AFM is all about smooth shots and strategic multiball stacking. Even two decades later, it’s considered a near-perfect game—easy to understand, endlessly satisfying to play well.

The Walking Dead (Pro) rounded out the modern lineup with its punishing difficulty and dark tone. Another Lyman-coded gem, this game rewards knowledgeable stacking and ball control, but it’s not forgiving. The prison and well walker multiballs are make-or-break, and when that magnet decides to throw your ball SDTM, all you can do is yell at the undead.

Champions of the Garage Arena

1. Wayne Saeger took the top spot, and no one can accuse him of home-field advantage abuse—okay, maybe a little. As the tournament organizer and a Vail local, he brought his A-game and some serious experience (394 IFPA events under his belt). Ranked 117th in the state and 1925th nationwide, he showed that consistency and familiarity can still beat raw ranking.
2. In second place, John Finnegan from Tucson played a strong tournament with his 40th-in-state standing and impressive IFPA rank of 464. With nearly 600 tournaments played, he’s clearly no stranger to the grind and pushed Wayne to earn that win.
3. Derek Jordan grabbed third, making a splash from farther down the rankings—227th in the state and 2484th nationally. A solid finish from someone with tournament stamina to spare.
4. BOB BODMAN rounded out the top four, proving once again that rankings don’t always tell the full story. Despite sitting at 384th in Arizona, Bob brought the heat and racked up wins when it counted.

Arizona IFPA Pinball Top 10 Standings:

That’s a Wrap from Old Vail

The Max Match Play at Hotrods was a fun, fast, and flipper-fueled event. Huge thanks to Wayne Saeger for organizing and Hotrods Old Vail for letting the tournament take over the garage for an afternoon. Congrats again to Wayne for nabbing the win—and for running the show. Look forward to more exciting pinball updates and stories!