North Mountain Pinball Finals Results – Phoenix AZ

Under the Lights at North Mountain

It was a clear late-September afternoon in Phoenix — 83 degrees outside, dry light bouncing off the city’s stucco walls. Inside North Mountain Brewing Company, the temperature felt different. Between the scent of malted grain and the sound of clinking glasses, the back game room was alive with rhythmic flipper chatter and the sharp echo of steel on glass.

Tournament organizer Rachel Bess had assembled one of the strongest local finals of the year: four players, each a known quantity in Arizona pinball. Mark Pearson, Adam Horton, John Magyar, and Kristofer Jonson AZ weren’t just regulars — they represented four distinct eras of the state’s competitive scene.

This wasn’t a casual brewery showdown; it was a finals event played in a matchplay format, where points earned over multiple rounds decide the champion. With three Top-500 IFPA players and a rising newcomer, it carried the energy of a state championship compressed into one Saturday afternoon.

Brewing Greatness: The Venue Behind the Finals

North Mountain Brewing Company has built its reputation on community. The brewery sits along Dunlap Avenue in north-central Phoenix, a neighborhood institution pairing Filipino-American fusion food with a steady rotation of house beers. Patrons mention the Mindless Monkey hazy IPA and the Candy’s Filipino Fried Rice with equal enthusiasm, often discovered only after wandering past the bar to the game room tucked in the back.

That back room — the true heart of the local pinball scene — holds a curated lineup of modern and remake machines. “A really cool game room in the back with pinball machines, darts, and board games,” reads one review, echoing what Phoenix players have known for years: North Mountain is both a neighborhood brewery and a legitimate competitive venue.

In Arizona’s growing pinball circuit, it stands alongside Electric Bat, Player 1 Arcade, and Starfighters Arcade as one of the four cornerstones of the state’s brewery-barcade ecosystem. For this September event, ten machines filled the room — all modern, all tournament-ready. By early afternoon, the sound of Godzilla’s roar and the clatter of a tilted Cactus Canyon Remake echoed off the brick walls as Rachel Bess checked the standings.

Four Players, One Taproom

Mark Pearson – The Arizona Standard

At IFPA rank #174, Mark Pearson is a familiar name across state leaderboards. Sixteen years, 678 events, and seven different competitive ranked states make him one of Arizona’s most decorated competitors. His signature is control — the kind of calm, deliberate play that thrives on repeatable precision rather than wild swings.

Pearson entered the finals as both the statistical favorite and the psychological hurdle. He has a dominant head-to-head record against every finalist: 215–48 over Adam Horton, 138–29 over John Magyar, and 54–2 over Kristofer Jonson AZ. Few players sustain that kind of performance consistency in an era of increasingly volatile tournament formats. At North Mountain, he looked relaxed, quietly calculating his angles before each plunge.

Adam Horton – The Comeback Craftsman

Ranked #332 nationwide, Horton has become known for a technical, Stern-era style of play — deliberate but bold. Over seven years and nearly 400 tournaments, he’s developed a methodical rhythm built around shot repeatability and in-game adaptability. His numbers show a player who’s steadily closing the gap on Arizona’s elite: while Pearson has long had the statistical edge, Horton’s recent performances suggest momentum.

After a rough stretch in midsummer, Horton rebounded with top-three finishes in multiple league events. His tournament logs show marked improvement on modern titles like Foo Fighters, Rush, and Jurassic Park, machines that reward precision over luck. North Mountain, with its lineup of 2018–2025 Stern titles, played directly into his strengths.

John Magyar – The League Ace

John Magyar, ranked #380, represents the quiet strength of Arizona’s league circuit. The recent reigning Electric Bat League champion, Magyar has built a career out of consistency: nearly 400 events in five years and a deep well of local finals appearances. He’s not the flashiest player in the room, but when the pressure climbs, Magyar’s flow-based game shines — particularly on modern Sterns that favor combo rhythm over stop-and-go control.

Heading into the finals, Magyar had been in form, logging recent high finishes in both the Tempe League and multiple Starfighters tournaments. Against Pearson and Horton, he’s faced dozens of matches, and while his lifetime record skews negative, his wins tend to come at key moments — exactly the kind that make a North Mountain final interesting.

Kristofer Jonson AZ – The New Blood

At IFPA #4567, Kristofer Jonson AZ entered as the clear underdog — but also the most intriguing story. Only a year into competitive play, he’s already appeared in 88 events with a rapid +817 ranking gain. His recent average finish around 35th, with an efficiency rating of 4.05, reflects a player on the steepest learning curve imaginable.

Jonson faced the unenviable task of battling three nemeses in one bracket. Across dozens of meetings with his three rivals, he’s had to claw for every win. Yet he’d been improving across September, notching several top-ten finishes in regional strikes events. For a player still building his fundamentals, this final wasn’t about winning — it was about belonging.

Monsters in the Brewery: Godzilla Takes Center Stage

The first round opened with the thunder of Godzilla (Premium), Stern’s 2021 masterpiece and a community favorite rated 8.3 overall for its depth and flow. With lights dimmed and spectators packed shoulder to shoulder, the taproom transformed into a mini stadium.

This 43-minute battle — the night’s longest — became the defining game of the finals. Pearson, Horton, Magyar, and Jonson took turns confronting the chaos of collapsing bridges, heat-ray jackpots, and Kaiju multiballs.

Early play saw Horton gamble on the difficult Skill Shot #1, attempting the soft plunge behind the upper flipper to the scoop — a shot worth 11 million times two if hit perfectly. He missed narrowly, and Pearson capitalized. By mid-game, Pearson had built a lead through controlled multiball play, repeatedly qualifying the add-a-ball during Godzilla Multiball, earned by spinning the right spinner 30 times.

Magyar’s ball two surge — a near-complete Tokyo destruction mode — briefly narrowed the gap, but Pearson’s composure on his final ball sealed the win. His score stood well above the pack, taking first ahead of Magyar, Jonson, and Horton.

When the machine’s knocker fired, the crowd reacted less like a bar audience and more like a league final. The tension, the duration, and the near-misses made it clear: Godzilla had once again proven why it’s the definitive modern competition title.

The Rise of Kong

The next round shifted to King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Pro), Stern’s newest release and one of its fastest-playing designs. Launched in April 2025, it has quickly gained a reputation for brutal drains and short ball times. Still new to competition in 2025, its strategies and scoring routes are still evolving, giving players little to rely on beyond instinct and control.

Average match duration here was a blistering 90 seconds per player — a contrast to the marathon that came before. In the first minute, Horton rebounded from his earlier stumble, posting a strong opening multiball that secured him a temporary lead.

But once again, it was Pearson who found rhythm. His knowledge of the emerging meta — prioritizing the left-ramp loop combo for early mode access — allowed him to surge ahead while others struggled with control. Magyar kept pace with measured play but couldn’t convert his final mode start. Jonson, facing one of the toughest machines in the modern lineup, exited the round fourth after a pair of unlucky side drains.

The round ended almost as quickly as it began. The spectators, still reeling from the long Godzilla match, watched balls drain in seconds. The commentary from nearby tables was unanimous: King Kong was the kind of machine that exposes nerves — and Pearson had none.

The Machine Lineup That Defined the Finals

The finals used ten machines, all modern or remake models representing the modern Stern-dominated era:

• Elvira’s House of Horrors (2019)
• Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (2018)
• Godzilla (2021)
• Black Knight: Sword of Rage (2019)
• Jurassic Park (2019)
• Avengers: Infinity Quest (2020)
• Rush (2022)
• Cactus Canyon Remake (2021, Chicago Gaming)
• Foo Fighters (2023)
• King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (2025)

Each game rewarded precise flipper control and situational awareness. For competitive players reading the results, a few notes stand out:

On Iron Maiden, a secret super skill shot exists with a soft plunge to the left outlane — though most tournaments disable it for fairness.
On Cactus Canyon Remake, the route to multiball still runs through the mine — light the lock, drop in both balls, and shoot for the Motherlode.

Looking across the lineup, North Mountain’s collection represents the evolution of competitive play from 2018’s resurgence through 2025’s latest Stern releases — a timeline where code depth and mechanical flow have steadily increased the skill ceiling.

Rivalries and Redemption

Competitive pinball thrives on repetition — the same players meeting across dozens of events, learning each other’s tendencies and timing. The North Mountain finals condensed years of Arizona rivalries into one bracket.

Pearson vs. Horton has been running since 2017. Across more than 250 matches, Pearson holds a commanding 215–48 advantage. But the recent results tell a subtler story: Horton’s win rate has risen over the past six months, including a strong showing in the Tempe league circuit. Their rivalry is one of technique versus tempo — Pearson’s patience against Horton’s risk-reward aggression.

Pearson vs. Magyar reads similarly. Magyar’s most notable victory came earlier this summer in the Electric Bat League Finals, where he edged out Pearson in a head-to-head decider. Their history is long — over 160 documented meetings — and while Pearson’s lifetime dominance is clear, Magyar’s comfort in league formats keeps the gap narrower than raw stats suggest.

Horton vs. Magyar remains the most balanced matchup in the group. Horton leads the lifetime series 106–67, but 2025 has been competitive, with each taking turns in the top tier of Arizona’s Sunday Strikes series. Both favor fast-paced Sterns and both tend to thrive under quick-cycle conditions like King Kong.

Then there’s Jonson versus the field — less a rivalry, more a rite of passage. Facing all three of his statistical nemeses in one finals match was symbolic of his 2025 season. In July, he finished ninth at North Mountain’s August tournament, losing only to Pearson in an early group. His improvement curve remains one of the steepest in the state.

After two decisive rounds on Godzilla and King Kong, the points left little doubt. For Pearson, this final wasn’t about proving dominance; it was about maintaining it. For Horton and Magyar, it was about narrowing the margin. For Jonson, it was about exposure — to competition, to pressure, to the kind of games that forge future champions.

Final Results and Reflections

When the points were tallied, the results matched the expectations but not without drama:

1. Mark Pearson
2. Adam Horton
3. John Magyar
4. Kristofer Jonson AZ

The data behind the standings tells its own story. The four finalists combined for 1,557 lifetime events, averaging 7.25 years of experience. Three of them rank within the Top 500 globally, and their mean IFPA rank of 1,363 would rival many state championships.

Pearson’s clean sweep across all rounds cemented his role as Arizona’s benchmark. Horton’s second place signaled a strong rebound and consistency on Stern’s newest code. Magyar’s steady third maintained his league-ace reputation, and Jonson’s fourth — against this field — marked an essential milestone in his first full competitive year.

Arizona IFPA Pinball Top 10 Standings

Pearson’s position at #3 statewide underscores his dominance, while Horton’s presence at #6 highlights his steady ascent. Together, their North Mountain performances mirrored the Arizona leaderboard itself — Phoenix players continuing to anchor one of the country’s most competitive pinball scenes.

Beyond the Flippers

The North Mountain finals reflect more than a single day of results. They mark the continued growth of Phoenix’s interconnected pinball ecosystem. Venues like Electric Bat, Player 1 Arcade, Starfighters, and North Mountain Brewing Co. form a loop that supports weekly competition and shared player development.

Brewery-based tournaments, in particular, have become critical to community expansion. They attract casual players through food and atmosphere, then convert them into competitors. Organizer Rachel Bess has helped shape that environment, fostering a circuit where new players — like Jonson — can enter and quickly find a foothold against Arizona’s best.

As Stern continues to produce machines that blend entertainment with tournament depth, venues like North Mountain provide the proving ground. The brewery’s commitment to maintaining modern titles and hosting monthly events has quietly made it one of the region’s most influential competitive stops.

One Last Multiball

By evening, as the crowd thinned and the final scorecards were recorded, the game room returned to its regular hum — clinking glasses, background chatter, and the occasional echo of a free-play start button. Outside, the desert sky shifted from orange to deep blue, the air cooling under the promise of fall.

Inside, the machines still glowed — Godzilla’s skyline, Kong’s island jungle — reminders of the battles that had unfolded only hours before. For the players, it wasn’t about beer or applause. It was about precision, composure, and one more shot at the flashing scoop.

In Phoenix, there’s always another ball in play.