On July 29th, 2025, District 82 Pinball once again proved why it’s hallowed ground for pinball fans. Hosting 73 players for the latest Tilt’n Tuesday Qualify event, the venue fielded an astonishing 109 machines spanning six decades—from 1964 electromechanicals to state-of-the-art LCD-era titles. This wasn’t just a battle between players—it was a generational clash of machines. Which era came out on top? That depended on your flipper skills and your ability to adapt to wildly different designs.
A Venue Built for Competitive Depth
Nestled just outside Green Bay, District 82 is more than an arcade—it’s a museum-grade pinball destination. With over 100 tournament-ready machines spanning the 1960s through modern releases, the facility offers a “no‑quarters, unlimited free‑play” experience beloved by enthusiasts. A clean, family-friendly environment complete with seating, TVs, and multiple restrooms makes this pin‑mecca a home away from home for serious players and fans alike.
Owned and operated by passionate collectors and tournament organizers, District 82 was featured on WFRV‑TV CBS Local 5 last year, where co‑owner Erik Thoren discussed the arcade’s community-driven mission and commitment to preserving pinball across eras
Classic Machines That Shaped the Tournament
F-14 Tomcat (Williams, 1987) was a mid-round standout. Designed by Steve Ritchie, this military-themed speed demon is known for its brutal loops, quick locks, and red-alert multiball start sequence that still raises heart rates nearly 40 years later. For Dan Quella, who landed a first-place finish on the machine, knowing when to risk a loop for a letter lock was likely the difference between a solid round and a great one. The game’s aggressive layout punishes hesitation but rewards rhythm—a theme echoed in several close matchups.
Meteor (Stern Electronics, 1979) also appeared during the night and is beloved for its spinner-focused gameplay. Sharp players know the trick: knock down most—but not all—of the “METEOR” targets to keep the spinner value lit, then rip it repeatedly. The simplicity masks depth, which makes it a tournament staple despite its age. Its balance of control and risk-taking echoes through the decades.
Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure (Williams, 1993) deserves a special mention for being a “widebody wonder” that blends physical and software complexity. Danny Bronny, who finished second overall, saw action on this machine during the tournament, capitalizing on its layered modes, strategic multiball locks, and some of the best audio integration of its era. With four movies represented and a unique Path of Adventure mini-playfield, it’s a game that turns knowledge into points.
Comet (Williams, 1985) was a surprise battlefield for several top players, including eventual champion Gregory Hein. This single-level game is a masterclass in layout economy. The 1-2-3 ramp shot progression is iconic, but it’s the risky double-scoring loops and timed bonus ladders that force strategic decisions. Its low scoring ceiling meant that every shot counted, and that made for tight finishes and heart-pounding end-of-ball bonuses.
When Modern Tech Took Over
Foo Fighters (Pro) (Stern, 2023) brought fast flow and a modern wizard-mode-heavy rule set to the event. Keith Elwin’s design channels the kinetic energy of his earlier work (Iron Maiden, Godzilla) into an original layout loaded with inner loops, fast ramps, and combo opportunities. It was featured in multiple rounds—including one where Greg Hein logged a solid score. With strategic modes like Area 51 and the layered Team-Up Multiball, modern players who learned the stacking nuances had the edge.
Led Zeppelin (Pro) (Stern, 2020) also made the rounds. While divisive among casual fans, this machine shines in tournament settings thanks to its clean sightlines and precise shot-making demands. The game’s electric piano-based skill shot and “Song Mode” layering rewarded deep rules knowledge. Multiple players in the top half of the field used it to climb the standings, especially those who could manage the difficult left ramp.
Star Wars (Pro) (Stern, 2017) challenged players with its brutal outlanes and multiball-centric scoring. Drew Geigel, who secured fourth place overall, encountered the machine in a round that saw multiple drain-heavy battles. With its deep code and player-selectable characters, success depended on tailoring strategy to strengths—whether that meant stacking Hyperspace Multiballs or exploiting R2-D2 perks for bonus points.
Spotlight Match: A Pre-Final Clash on the World Stage
Round 4 gave us more than just another shuffle in group play—it gave us a glimpse into the tournament’s eventual podium. Four of the top contenders—Greg Hein, Kassidy Milanowski, Matt McCarty, and Erik Thoren—were drawn into the same group, battling it out on Bally’s World Cup Soccer (1994). What followed was one of the most consequential matchups of the night.
World Cup Soccer might look playful on the surface—with its mascot dog, colorful art, and goal-kicking animations—but it’s no pushover. Designed by John Popadiuk, the game combines intuitive rules with deceptive scoring potential. The “Goal” shot behind the moving goalkeeper, the multiball setup through the TV lock, and the strategic “Final Draw” wizard mode all offer multiple paths to high scores—and multiple chances to drain if your timing’s off.
Greg Hein came into the match already warmed up, but this round was a test of focus. With three top-tier opponents and a machine that rewards fast but accurate play, the margin for error was razor-thin. Hein emerged victorious in the group, leveraging early locks and strong shot control to edge ahead.
Kassidy Milanowski wasn’t far behind—his second-place finish on the game kept his podium hopes alive. Matt McCarty and Erik Thoren, two of the tournament’s most seasoned competitors, traded multiballs but couldn’t quite catch up in the end. Thoren’s experience on modern machines may have worked against him here; World Cup Soccer favors players who can manage flow but also know when to slow things down.
What makes this round such a standout isn’t just the lineup—it’s how much it foreshadowed. Three of these four players would go on to finish in the top 11, with Hein and Milanowski claiming first and third overall. In hindsight, this wasn’t just a Round 4 match. It was an early final.
And it all happened on a 30-year-old machine that still knows how to put players on edge.
The Final Four: How They Earned the Podium
This wasn’t just a leaderboard—it was a showcase of distinct playstyles, strategic choices, and hard-earned experience across a demanding eight-round format. Here’s how the top players carved their paths to the top at Tilt’n Tuesday:
🥇 Gregory Hein – The Tactical Closer
Greg Hein’s win was no fluke—it was a masterclass in calculated performance. With four first-place finishes and an average round placement of 1.5, Hein consistently outmaneuvered his groups throughout the night. He kicked things off with a streak of three firsts, stumbled briefly in Round 4 with a fourth on World Cup Soccer, then rallied with another three top finishes.
What’s striking is his versatility: Hein played on everything from Foo Fighters (Pro) and Metallica to Palooka (an EM from 1964). That kind of machine fluency is rare, and his arena log reflects that—eight different machines, eight different styles. In a field loaded with specialists, Hein proved to be the Swiss army knife of the tournament.
🥈 Danny Bronny – Consistency, Volume, and Clutch Play
Hailing from Indiana, Bronny brought the heat with four Top 3 finishes, including a critical win on Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure. His play leaned toward ’90s widebodies and early Sterns—machines with layered scoring and mode complexity. And while he didn’t always dominate a round outright, he never dropped far enough to lose momentum.
Bronny’s long-running rivalry with Hein added weight to their parallel climbs up the standings. The two players have met dozens of times across Midwest events, and their Round 4 proximity on World Cup Soccer (though in separate groups) was a quiet subplot to the final podium.
🥉 Kassidy Milanowski – The Silent Striker
A regular force at District 82, Kassidy Milanowski didn’t need flash to reach third place—just steady, sharp play. Across the eight rounds, Milanowski placed Top 2 five times and never finished lower than third until the very end.
One highlight came on Comet, a deceptively simple game where Milanowski’s calculated play earned a key second-place finish. He also faced Hein, Thoren, and McCarty in that Round 4 battle on World Cup Soccer—finishing just behind Hein in a preview of the eventual standings. The result? Milanowski edged out dozens of higher-ranked players, proving again that home-field experience and cool decision-making go a long way.
🏅 Drew Geigel – High Risk, High Reward
Fourth-place finisher Drew Geigel had one of the most dramatic arcs of the evening. His early rounds were strong, including a first-place win on Star Wars (Pro)—a punishing, tilt-sensitive game with an unforgiving layout. Geigel thrives on fast, modern machines that require reflex-heavy play and aggressive multiball stacking.
What made his run compelling was the contrast between highs and lows. While others hovered around consistent finishes, Geigel often went big or went home—trading second-place highs with riskier rounds that could have dropped him from contention. In the end, his daring approach paid off.
A Tournament of Depth and Discipline
These weren’t just names on a list—they were players who adapted across eight different machines, multiple rule sets, and group reshuffles. Some won with early momentum, others built their case with steady progression. But what united them was their ability to find the patterns, adjust their strategies, and outplay the chaos.
In a tournament where every round brings a different machine, and every opponent has a different strength, the podium was earned one flip at a time.
Flippers, Grit, and 60 Years of Pinball: A Tournament to Remember
Tilt’n Tuesday on July 29th wasn’t just another qualifying event—it was a celebration of pinball’s enduring legacy and its ever-evolving future. From EMs like Palooka to modern beasts like Foo Fighters, District 82 delivered a playground where every machine told a story and every player had a chance to leave their mark.
The 73 competitors who filled the venue brought more than just skill. They brought history. Familiar rivalries reignited, like Bronny and Hein trading finishes once again. Emerging talents pushed deeper into top ranks. And veterans like Drew Geigel and Kassidy Milanowski proved, yet again, that there’s no substitute for sharp instincts and relentless consistency.
Through eight rounds, the machines were as much competitors as the players—some forgiving, others merciless. The layout changed every round, but the formula for success stayed the same: adapt, execute, and never take your eye off the ball.
And thanks to District 82, with its meticulously maintained lineup and deep bench of pinball’s greatest hits, players were tested in all the right ways. Whether it was your first tournament or your 100th, this one had something to teach you.
Until next Tuesday—keep flipping, keep learning, and keep celebrating the game that never stops evolving.