Season 38 Opens Under the Brewery Lights
There’s something about walking into Heart State Brewing on league night. The smell of whiskey and pizza hits first, followed by the glow of twenty pinball machines lining the walls. On this September evening, the air outside was warm and clear, but inside the brewery the temperature was already climbing. Twenty-six players gathered for Season 38 of League Super Awesome, veterans shaking hands with newcomers, all sizing up the lineup that mixed familiar classics with brand-new chaos machines.
It felt like one of those nights where anything could happen—and right out of the gate, it did.
When the Bat-Signal Turned Red
The first gasp of the tournament came courtesy of Batman 66 (Premium), Stern’s 2016 homage to Adam West’s campy caped crusader. This is not a machine that forgives sloppy play: spin the TV targets to light villain modes, lock balls for multiball through the orbit, and keep one eye on that giant siren carousel—when it’s glowing pink, you’re sitting on a playfield multiplier that can flip a game in seconds.
Top seed Mitchell Banks found out the hard way. Facing off against Alex Marling, a player ranked far below him, Banks fell into early trouble. Marling, meanwhile, dialed in, stacking modes and letting the siren multiplier do the talking. When the dust cleared, Marling had pulled off the upset of the night in Round One. If the favorite could stumble so quickly, suddenly no one felt safe.
Veterans Hold, Climbers Charge
The early drama cleared the stage for familiar names. Columbus veteran Ross Bergantino, with nearly 300 career events and 35 top-three finishes, showed why he’s long been considered the league’s rock. His methodical style turned game after game into points on the board, a reminder that experience matters when nerves are high.
But experience wasn’t the only story. Aaron Larson made the most of his night, delivering the event’s biggest surprise climb—nearly a thousand spots gained in the IFPA rankings. Larson’s performance forced players to take notice, reshaping the narrative from “who will win” to “who is this guy shaking up the bracket?”
Meanwhile, the rivalry thread wound tighter. Banks found himself facing Lucas Berger, Stewart Pomeroy, and Robert Bush again and again, across games as different as The Mandalorian, Metallica Remastered, and Foo Fighters. Each encounter piled on the tension, turning the evening into a running drama of familiar foes colliding under different backglasses.
Sharks, Saucer Beams, and Stomping Apes
If the players brought the passion, the machines brought the personality. Each table carried its own role in the night’s story:
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JAWS (Pro) (Stern 2024): Still fresh from the factory, JAWS confounded players with its chum bucket rules. Hit the bucket too casually and you risked draining before you even saw the pop-up fin. Those who managed to harpoon the shark and light multiball created chaos on the playfield. It was equal parts thrilling and punishing—a true “learn it live” machine.
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Attack from Mars (Bally 1995): This classic didn’t need gimmicks to prove its point. Ranked over 8.2/10 on IPDB, it demands precision: knock down the saucer shield, blast the UFO, repeat. Veterans knew to save multiball for when the visor was down, but newcomers quickly discovered why the Martians remain feared three decades on.
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The Mandalorian (Stern 2021): The Razor Crest multiball became the night’s crowd-pleaser. Stack it on top of a mission and you could swing an entire round. But as many players learned, missing that center shot meant bricking your way into disappointment.
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King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Stern 2025): The new kid on the block, towering and flashy, but with rules still being uncovered. Players approached it cautiously, some experimenting, others hoping just to survive long enough to see what secrets it held.
Together, the machines created a kaleidoscope of eras—1990s depth sitting next to brand-new code, reminding everyone how wide and wild pinball’s design history really is.
Banks Rebounds in the Finals
The early stumble might have rattled some, but not Mitchell Banks. As the night wore on, he found his rhythm, pulling himself back to the top of the standings. By the end, Banks claimed first place, proving resilience can matter more than a perfect start.
Behind him, Ross Bergantino’s steady hand locked in second place, while Matthew Klaiber, with seven years of experience, earned third. Tim Malloy’s persistence secured fourth, another solid finish for the Westerville player.
Even the strongest-ranked player in the building, Matt Waters—currently 339th in the nation—wasn’t able to dominate outright. His presence raised the bar, but the night’s story wasn’t about one player’s dominance. It was about depth, surprises, and resilience under pressure.
Taps Wind Down, Stories Linger
By closing time, the tournament had turned into a celebration. Players shared stories over whiskey tastings and pizza slices, distillery tours gave newcomers a reason to stick around, and pinball was the excuse that tied it all together. Eleven multi-region competitors mixed into the local scene, giving the evening the feel of a crossroads rather than a closed circle.
And as the brewery’s lights dimmed and the last flippers finally went quiet, Season 38 left Columbus with a storybook evening—upsets, rivalries, and a reminder that pinball, like whiskey, is best enjoyed with a little fire and a lot of company.