Pinball Goes Full Tilt at Tik Tok’s Matchplay 4/1

April 1st hit hard in Bremerton, but not because of prank wars or fake tournament flyers. No, the real action was at Tik Tok’s Workshop for their Matchplay 4/1 showdown. With overcast skies and a chilly 47°F outside, things were heating up indoors across eight rapid rounds of 1-game battles. Four players per group, 13 unique machines to tackle, and a two-and-a-half-hour window to settle some serious score business. Tight format, tight play, and plenty of drama.

Where the Flippers Fly in Bremerton

Tik Tok’s Workshop is one of those rare spots where passion and polish meet. Nestled on Sylvan Way, it’s part retro arcade, part pinball time capsule, and 100% community-driven. Players here aren’t just dropping quarters—they’re reliving the evolution of pinball. From electromechanical classics to the latest Stern offerings, the lineup reads like a love letter to flipper history. Add a helpful staff (shoutout to Astrid), a welcoming vibe, and drinks on deck, and you’ve got a place players wish they could teleport to more often.

Epic Tilt Battle: Round 2 Gets Medieval on Dungeons & Dragons

The standout match of Round 2 unfolded on Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (Premium)—a fresh 2025 release from Stern. This one blends high fantasy and high scoring with a layout that rewards bold moves and strategic wizardry. It’s inspired by the D&D campaigns that ruled game nights, complete with spell activations, magical beasts, and a multiball mode that might as well be called “Total Chaos.”

Stern designed this with a nod to Elvira’s House of Horrors and Venom, balancing style with a serious rule set. And yes, the Tyrant’s Eye animatronic actually watches you while you play—because nothing says “pressure” like a floating magical beholder judging your combo chains.

Jared Doss took full command, casting metaphorical fireballs with his flipper accuracy and chaining shots that kept his rivals scrambling. Richard Godwin made a strong showing with smart progression play, but Jared’s early locks and multiball timing sealed the win. The rest of the table? Let’s just say they met their fate in the dungeon depths.

A Machine Lineup That Told Pinball’s Story

Thirteen machines, each with their own attitude, legacy, and gameplay personality. Let’s break down a few that truly defined the night.

• Eight Ball (Bally, 1977)
  A barroom banger with nearly 21,000 units produced, Eight Ball helped kick off Bally’s solid-state era. It was designed during the height of pinball’s battle with early arcade video games. George Christian nailed a layout that’s all about controlled, deliberate play—comboing drop targets and shot precision. The artwork, featuring Fonzie-type characters in a smoky billiards hall, screams ’70s Americana, and its cultural imprint can still be felt on modern designs.

• Star Wars (Premium) (Stern 2017)
  When Steve Ritchie takes on Star Wars, expect warp-speed gameplay. The Premium model adds interactive toys like the exploding Death Star and a hyperloop that whips the ball around the playfield like it’s jumping to lightspeed. Stern launched this one during the height of the Disney Star Wars reboot frenzy, and the deep code ensures that each session tells a different hero’s journey, complete with TIE fighter tilt-outs.

• The Wizard of Oz (LE) (Jersey Jack, 2013)
  This machine redefined what a modern pinball machine could be. It was Jersey Jack’s debut, and it came out swinging: full RGB lighting, a 26-inch LCD screen, playfield toys galore, and a widebody layout that felt more like a theme park ride than a pinball game. It was the first time many players saw pinball truly go “next gen.” And yes, Toto and the flying monkeys are there, because detail was everything on this release.

• Monster Bash (Remake) (CGC, 2018)
  If you never played the 1998 original, this remake by Chicago Gaming lets you relive the monster mash magic. It’s a classic “build-the-band” style game where you collect Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, and the gang. Smooth shots, killer humor, and fast-paced modes keep it lively. CGC’s version sharpened the visuals, cleaned up the code, and gave a new generation of players a shot at becoming band manager to the undead.

• Devil’s Dare (Gottlieb, 1982)
  Released right before the infamous pinball downturn, Devil’s Dare had the guts to go full dark fantasy. One of the last widebody designs from Gottlieb before their restructuring, it’s known for dramatic art, aggressive outlanes, and some delightfully frustrating rules. Its multiball play is surprisingly ahead of its time, even if the flippers feel like they’ve got a vendetta.

• Laser War (Data East, 1987)
  This was Data East’s first pin, and they came out swinging—er, zapping—with the first stereo sound system in pinball. The design might be basic, but that dual-speaker setup paved the way for the audio-forward games that followed, like Guns N’ Roses and Jurassic Park. It’s retro-futurism at its finest, with neon explosions and a soundtrack that makes you feel like you’re battling space pirates in an arcade cabinet.

• Joker Poker (Gottlieb, 1978)
  This solid-state version is a spiritual successor to its EM counterpart, and Ed Krynski’s design is pure elegance. The playfield is wide open, inviting risk-taking, but it’s the strategic bonus ladder that keeps you coming back. It also has one of the coolest names in pinball—tell me you don’t want to beat someone at Joker Poker. It’s also featured in a few collector wishlists for its simplicity and replayability.

Final Round Goes Full Speed—Let’s Hear It for the Winners!

The final showdown of the night played out on Rollergames, a fast and flashy Williams title from 1990 that’s as much a rock concert as it is a pinball machine. Designed by Mark Ritchie, the game thrives on speed and flow, with a hypnotic upper loop and a magnet that yanks the ball mid-play like it’s making a dramatic entrance. And then there’s that soundtrack—pure synth-metal cheese that somehow amps up the tension in all the right ways.

In that chaotic, neon-drenched arena, it was Richard Godwin who brought the house down. With over 560 IFPA events under their belt, Richard isn’t just a regular on the scene—they’re a seasoned closer. They didn’t start the night as the top scorer every round, but when it came time to perform under pressure, they read Rollergames like a playbook. Smooth combo work, smart nudges, and excellent control on the dangerous left side sealed the win. It was a masterclass in patience during a game that rarely rewards it.

Jared Doss finished second, and he didn’t make it easy. Jared came in as a bit of a dark horse compared to Richard’s resume, but his earlier Round 2 performance on Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye showed he could hang with the best. On Rollergames, he leaned into aggressive shot selection and kept things close with clean loops and a solid multiball, but a few missed combo opportunities held him back just enough for Richard to pull ahead. Still, a huge night for Jared, and one that puts the rest of the Bremerton scene on notice.

Bruce Cherry, repping Silverdale, grabbed third with quiet consistency. He never really dropped the ball—literally or figuratively—but Rollergames isn’t a machine that lets you coast. Bruce had some great recovery saves and decent progress toward the “Sudden Death” wizard mode, but couldn’t quite find the rhythm needed to rack up the big points.

Mike Pursey, the lowest-ranked player on the final card by IFPA standing, came in fourth but showed real fight. It’s no small thing to make a finals group when you’re up against players with hundreds more events logged. Mike had flashes of brilliance throughout the tournament—especially on older titles like Eight Ball—but Rollergames demanded fast reactions and constant movement, and it just didn’t break his way this time.

Washington IFPA Pinball Top 10 Standings

Wrapping Up and Rolling On

Big props to Richard Godwin for pulling double duty as organizer and top finisher, and to Tik Tok’s Workshop for keeping their machines tournament-ready and their doors wide open to Bremerton’s growing pinball crowd. Every game told a story, but that Dungeons & Dragons match in Round 2? That was a full-blown saga.

Thanks to everyone who came out to play, cheer, or just soak in the sounds of flippers and synthwave. Stay tuned, stay sharp, and stay connected for more pinball excitement and tournament coverage—because we’re just getting started.