Arizona’s dust wasn’t the only thing kicking up heat on July 26, 2025—Jason Barre lit up the flippers at Level 1 Mesa during the venue’s monthly pinball tournament, putting on a performance that flirted with dominance and ultimately landed him second place in a field of fierce contenders. With five rounds on the schedule and a lineup of both classics and hot-off-the-line Stern titles, Barre gave the crowd—and his rivals—a reason to stay glued to the scoreboard.
Let’s rewind and follow his run.
A Toast to the Host: Level 1 Mesa
Tucked into downtown Mesa’s revitalized Main Street corridor, Level 1 Arcade Bar brings more than nostalgia to the table—it brings heat. From its rows of ‘80s and ‘90s cabinets to the stacked pinball lineup spanning four decades, this arcade-bar hybrid knows how to host a tournament that feels both casual and competitive.
Beyond the glow of the CRTs and RGB underlighting, you’ll find a venue built for hangouts as much as high scores. Level 1 pairs a full drink menu (yes, even mocktails if you ask nicely) with bar food that punches above its weight. The boneless wings and loaded tots are local favorites, and the bartenders get high marks for friendly vibes—whether you’re on your first beer or your third ball.
What makes Level 1 such a great tournament site isn’t just the layout or the machine curation—it’s the atmosphere. The venue manages to be welcoming without watering down the competition, and the regulars are always ready with a tip, a challenge, or just a “good game” handshake. With a 4.5-star rating across hundreds of reviews, it’s clear Level 1 isn’t just a pit stop—it’s a community hub for pinball in the East Valley.
So hats off to the crew for once again opening their doors, dropping quarters, and letting the Arizona pinball scene do what it does best: compete hard, play fair, and have a damn good time.
The Machines, the Matchups, and the Mayhem
Every pinball tournament is part strategy, part improvisation, and part sheer survival—and nowhere was that more true than in Jason Barre’s five-round rollercoaster at Level 1 Mesa. From classic ‘90s bruisers to fresh-off-the-line modern marvels, each machine brought a new challenge, a different tempo, and a fresh set of rivals. Barre didn’t just have to master the flippers—he had to navigate shifting playstyles, player dynamics, and rule sets that ranged from brutal minimalism to multiball chaos. Here’s how it all went down, round by round, one machine at a time.
Round 1 – No Fear: Dangerous Sports (Williams, 1995)
The tournament kicked off with a brutal sprint on No Fear: Dangerous Sports, a Steve Ritchie-designed table that’s all velocity, no forgiveness. Known for its tight upper loops, “Challenge” mode stackability, and a launch ramp that shoots straight into a skull, the game punishes any mistimed flip. Jason Barre found himself in a loaded group against top seed Kevin Burns AZ and rising competitor Anthony Schultz. Kevin nailed the high-speed flow and crushed the Skull scoop repeatedly to take the win, while Anthony edged out Barre in a tight race for second. Jason took third—not the worst start, but certainly not the tone he was aiming for. Sometimes your warmup lap comes with a tilt warning.
Round 2 – Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure (Williams, 1993)
Things turned around quickly. This widebody legend, built during Bally/Williams’ golden era, throws everything at the player: stacked multiballs, the Path of Adventure mini-playfield, mode select chaos, and magnets that laugh at your shot planning. Barre faced off against Colin Taylor and Eric JonesAZ, both of whom are known for steady play but hadn’t yet found their groove that day. Jason went full relic raider—dialing in the left ramp, lighting multiball off the lock saucer, and stacking modes like a pro. The game favors players who can manage controlled chaos, and Barre’s years of experience showed. He walked away with a clean first-place finish, sending a clear signal that Round 1 was just a fluke.
Round 3 – John Wick (Pro) (Stern, 2024)
New game, same story. This was Jason Barre at his sharpest, navigating one of Stern’s freshest and most aggressive layouts. Designed for combo chaining, John Wick (Pro) introduces “marker collection,” “contract hits,” and kinetic inline modes that reward flow but punish hesitation. In a battle against Nick Wheeler, Jack Wheeler, and Elaine Hecht, Barre held command from plunge to final bonus. The others struggled to find rhythm—John Wick’s upper flipper timing and fast orbits create a learning curve, and Jason had clearly been putting in reps. His mastery of the scoop shot to access contracts and his ability to build towards multiball without overcommitting gave him a decisive win. This was his second in a row and the turning point for his tournament run.
Round 4 – Godzilla (Premium/LE) (Stern, 2021)
This round was the crown jewel. Godzilla has become a competitive favorite thanks to Keith Elwin’s masterclass in modern design: layered objectives, risk-reward Kaiju battles, and combo paths that can be optimized to no end. Barre found himself up against Alex Phillips and Dan Peterson, both scrappy players with a reputation for finding hidden points in complex rulesets. But Godzilla is about control—balancing multiball timers with battle modes—and Jason had both the finesse and the flipper endurance. He navigated the collapsing bridge, summoned allies through scoop shots, and used the left spinner to light Heat Ray Multiball. His lead never wavered, earning him a third straight win and putting him squarely in the hunt for the overall title.
Round 5 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Williams, 1991)
Barre’s final game was a throwback brawler—T2, the first DMD game ever produced, and still one of the most honest tests of skill in the hobby. With no mode stacking and little in the way of crutches, it’s all about precision: hit the ramps, load the cannon, nail the lock. Jason’s group this time included Shawn Barnett, Gregg Hopwood, and Chris Wheeler—a blend of old-school grinders and newer players who’ve studied the classics. But Barre stayed locked in, building to multiball quickly and taking full advantage of the video mode bonus. His third flipper work was solid, and his ramp consistency sealed another first-place finish. That made it four wins in five rounds—a monster performance, and one that would’ve been a tournament-winning pace in nearly any other setting.
.If there’s a theme here, it’s versatility. He won on a Williams widebody adventure, a flow-heavy Stern movie tie-in, a brutally stacked modern multiball beast, and a 1991 classic that launched pinball into the DMD era. Barre doesn’t just have range—he has timing, and he knows when to flip the switch.
Familiar Faces, Fresh Tension
One of the defining elements of this month’s Level One showdown wasn’t just the quality of play—it was who was playing whom. For Jason Barre, the climb to second place meant a gauntlet of seasoned veterans and regional rivals, each bringing different challenges—and baggage.
Let’s start with Kevin Burns AZ, the player who ultimately claimed the top spot. These two had faced off before, but this meeting felt heavier. Burns has only been in the competitive scene for three years, but already cracked the IFPA Top 1500 and built a reputation for climbing leaderboards through consistent finishes. Jason, on the other hand, is a long-haul grinder: 575 events, seven years of competition, and more than 100 Top 3 finishes in the past three years alone. In this tournament, they met once—just once—but it was enough to tilt the balance. The matchup came on John Wick (Pro), Stern’s newest cinematic battleground. While the machine demands precision shot control and a risk-reward feel with its bonus multipliers, it was Burns who capitalized best. The win wasn’t decisive enough to call it a takedown, but it was symbolic. One of Arizona’s rising stars had edged the state’s most decorated regular.
Jeff Janoski and Colin Taylor also shared the playoff orbit. Janoski, ranked outside the top 7000, played like a man with something to prove. Taylor? Even further down the rankings ladder, but still made a strong showing. Barre only faced Taylor directly once—in a four-player standoff on Terminator 2: Judgment Day. T2 is a tough machine with straightforward, punishing gameplay, the kind that doesn’t favor finesse so much as it does raw consistency and accuracy. Barre came out on top, using his depth of experience to handle the iconic cannon shots and risk-heavy chase modes.
There’s something poetic about the game selection at this tournament—machines like Godzilla (Premium/LE) and Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure leaned heavily into kinetic chaos and mode stacking. No Fear: Dangerous Sports, with its in-your-face jump ramp and frantic speed, gave younger players room to catch fire—Taylor in particular used it to bank a late win. Yet Barre, the more veteran competitor, shined on machines that rewarded longevity and playfield management over flash.
This tournament didn’t crown Barre the winner, but it did showcase why he’s still the player most others are measuring themselves against. And if you’re keeping score for future matchups, don’t be surprised if Barre-Burns becomes the next must-watch Arizona rivalry. The heat’s already there—whether from the Arizona sun or the high-voltage flippers.
The Final Verdict
What started as a low-key July gathering in downtown Mesa turned into one of the most compelling competitive pinball tournaments we’ve seen at Level 1. With a player pool that spanned every stage of competitive experience—from long-haul IFPA veterans to new names breaking through—and a machine bank that refused to play favorites, every round felt like a story unfolding.
The venue delivered a setting that was equal parts arcade nostalgia and tournament-ready intensity. The machines ranged from 1991 classics to brand-new modern monsters, demanding players switch gears with each round. And through it all, we saw some of the region’s sharpest talent show up and show out—Jason Barre with his four-round tear, Kevin Burns AZ with his well-earned victory, and players like Colin Taylor and Jeff Janoski stepping up in big moments.
Barre continues to be one of Arizona’s most consistent threats, and if this event proves anything, it’s that he’s far from done stacking top 3 finishes—he just picked up his 100th in the last three years.If this tournament proved anything, it’s that the Arizona scene isn’t just active—it’s evolving. And Level 1 Mesa continues to be one of the best places to see that story play out, one multiball at a time.