From Addams Family to King Kong: Mesa Pinball Night

Monday Night Lights at Level 1

Downtown Mesa was buzzing on September 15th as Level 1 Arcade Bar hosted its second Monday night pinball tournament. Ten players showed up to battle through four rounds of group matchplay, surrounded by the glow of a lineup that spanned from Terminator 2 to Stern’s brand-new King Kong: Myth of Terror Island. It was a short event — just 87 minutes start to finish — but one that packed in drama, upsets, and a reminder of why Arizona pinball thrives on Monday nights. Organizer Scott Goldsmith kept the rounds running smooth while the bar kept players fueled, and the desert heat outside (a “crisp” 96 degrees) melted away in the neon-lit oasis inside.

A Creature of Surprises

Round 2 turned the night on its head. On Bally’s Creature from the Black Lagoon (1992), Alex Phillips — a player ranked far outside the IFPA spotlight at #15,576 — toppled Arizona regular Jocelyn Bowers (#9,266). Jocelyn has been a steady top finisher in recent months, but Alex found his rhythm on Creature’s orbit-to-snackbar loops and grabbed the group win. Russell Woodworth slid into second, leaving Jocelyn in third. In a tournament this short, a single upset reshaped the standings, and Alex suddenly looked like a contender.

Machines Across Three Decades

If you like your pinball with variety, Level 1’s lineup delivered. The night spanned 34 years of design, from Williams’ Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) to Stern’s brand-new King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (2025).

• Creature from the Black Lagoon (Bally, 1992) – John Trudeau’s drive-in-themed gem is as stylish as it is punishing. Players spell F-I-L-M to start multiball, but the real trick is juggling jackpots at the snackbar while “Move Your Car” blares from the speakers. It’s also a looker: one of the highest-rated backglasses of the ’90s. On this night, it delivered the biggest upset of the tournament when Alex Phillips took down Jocelyn Bowers in Round 2.

• Fish Tales (Williams, 1992) – One of the fastest, flail-friendly games of the DMD era, with a notorious video mode where you literally shoot fish. Its short ball times make it a league staple — no one wants to be stuck waiting forever while someone fishes for multiball. It showed up twice here, handing wins to both Shawn Barnett and Quinn Yost, and keeping the pace quick in the late rounds.

• The Addams Family (Bally, 1992) – Pat Lawlor’s all-time classic and the best-selling pinball machine ever made. Everyone knows the power of the chair scoop and the chaos of the “Seance” mode. In Mesa, it showed it still has teeth: Kevin Burns AZ pulled off a Round 4 win that reminded everyone why this 33-year-old title still headlines tournaments.

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Williams, 1991) – Steve Ritchie’s first DMD game, packed with flow and that iconic cannon shot. Its simple rules make it approachable, but its speed punishes sloppy play. Russell Woodworth managed to wrangle it for a Round 4 win, proving that even a game with “easy rules” can separate the precise from the impatient.

• Godzilla (Stern, 2021) – Keith Elwin’s modern masterpiece, often hailed as one of the best pins of the past decade. Between Kaiju battles, building destruction, and loops that feel endless, it’s a game that rewards planning as much as shotmaking. Shawn Barnett opened his night with a win here, setting the tone for his march to first place.

• King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Stern, 2025) – The newest game in the lineup and the undisputed time-sink of the tournament, with average games stretching beyond 25 minutes. Players got lost in its long rule set, where multiballs and modes stack endlessly. Shawn, Quinn, Kevin, and Ashley all had to wrestle it in Round 2 — Shawn came out on top, but everyone walked away a little glassy-eyed.

• John Wick (Stern, 2024) – Stern’s neon-soaked action shooter is brutal but fair. Pick your weapons, stack your missions, and pray you don’t brick the scoop. It produced the single longest game of the night, nearly 20 minutes, where Jeff Janoski punched out the win to keep his finals run alive.

The Players Behind the Flippers

1. Shawn Barnett (1st place) – Consistency won the day. Shawn started strong on Godzilla, notched wins on Fish Tales, and kept pace on T2. He’s been steadily collecting Top 3 finishes in Arizona, and this win adds another jewel to the collection.

2. Quinn Yost (2nd place) – Visiting from Illinois, Quinn made his mark in Mesa by never finishing lower than second across four rounds. Wins on Stranger Things and Fish Tales showed off his adaptability, whether it was a 90s Williams quick-hitter or a modern Stern mode stack.

3. Jeff Janoski (3rd place) – Jeff’s road to third included a statement win on John Wick and steady finishes on The Mandalorian. He’s been a regular at Level 1, and this podium run proved that persistence pays off.

4. Alex Phillips (4th place) – The breakout story. Alex’s win on Creature was the headline, but backing it up with solid seconds on Fish Tales and John Wick cemented his surprise run into the Top 4.

Arizona’s Soap Opera, Played Out in Multiball

This wasn’t just a one-night story — a lot of these matchups had baggage trailing in from past events.

• Shawn Barnett vs. Kevin Burns AZ
  These two have been circling each other for years. Kevin’s got the volume (245 events logged), and he’s usually the steady hand. Just back in August at Atomic Age Modern Group Match Play (Aug 22, 2025), Kevin finished 16th while Shawn walked away the winner. At Level 1’s Monday event on September 1, Kevin got the better result, topping the field while Shawn placed second. This week’s clash broke the tie: Shawn took the whole tournament, leaving Kevin back in eighth. If you’ve followed Arizona pinball at all, you know this rivalry is one of the state’s defining through-lines.

• Jeff Janoski vs. Jocelyn Bowers
  Jeff and Jocelyn’s results have seesawed across Level 1 and Atomic Age tournaments all summer. On Level 1’s July 9th event, Jocelyn stood on top of the podium while Jeff finished 10th. A month later at the 3-Strike Knockout on Aug 24, Jeff climbed to 5th while Jocelyn dropped to 14th. The most recent clash was just the night before this event, at the D&D vs. Kong Double Launch (Sept 14), where Jeff finished 28th and Jocelyn 33rd — both buried in the pack. Here in Mesa, Jeff’s 3rd vs Jocelyn’s 9th felt like another notch in Jeff’s slow but steady climb to finally match her consistency.

• Ashley Buker’s flash of brilliance
  Ashley’s biggest result of the night came on The Mandalorian, where she beat both Quinn and Russell head-to-head in Round 3. It wasn’t her first taste of the spotlight either — she’s met Kevin three times in this tournament alone and has held her own against higher-ranked locals at recent Level 1 events. While she ended 7th here, her trajectory is building, and those group wins hint at a bigger breakout waiting to happen.

The Stage: Level 1 Mesa

Downtown Mesa has no shortage of neon, but Level 1 Arcade Bar stands out as a retro-meets-modern playground. Sitting right on Main Street, it blends a full-service bar and kitchen with a rotating lineup of more than 200 arcade and pinball machines. The Mesa location carries everything from early Bally/Williams classics like Addams Family and Creature from the Black Lagoon to Stern’s newest blockbusters like John Wick, JAWS, and King Kong.

It isn’t just pinball either — the floor is lined with golden-age hits like Donkey Kong, Frogger, and NBA Jam, plus fighters like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter III. Throw in signature cocktails, rotating food specials, and late-night hours (open until 1 a.m. on weeknights, 2 a.m. on weekends), and you’ve got a space that’s equal parts bar, nostalgia trip, and competitive pinball battleground

Wrapping Up Monday Night Madness

Level One’s Monday “Tournament #2” may have been short on runtime, but it was long on storylines: upsets, rivalry chapters, and machines that kept players guessing. From Alex Phillips’ breakout on Creature, to Quinn’s road-warrior consistency, Jeff’s steady climb, and Shawn’s steady hand at the top, the night delivered everything you want from a Monday tournament. Thanks to Scott Goldsmith’s smooth directing, it all wrapped in under 90 minutes, leaving players with bragging rights — and just enough energy to do it all again next week.