Isaak Attacks, Price Prevails: Pinball Showdown in San Diego

On a cool and overcast Tuesday night—classic San Diego pretending it’s not paradise—the San Diego Pinball League rolled into Brewskis Bar & Arcade for its third Spring 2025 event. With 32 players flipping through five single-game rounds, the tournament clocked in at a brisk 3.5 hours of tactical tilts and turbo multiballs. Organizer Mark Schulz kept the chaos contained, and the lineup of modern-era pins didn’t disappoint. If you like your pinball fresh, mean, and mechanically unpredictable, this one had your name on it.

Brews, Bumpers, and a Bouncer You Can Trust

Brewskis Bar & Arcade sits at 8670 Miramar Road and has quietly built a name for itself as one of San Diego’s most welcoming corners to flip, sip, and hang. With a surprisingly deep arcade lineup, full bar, and bartenders that treat you like you’re on the regulars list—even if it’s your first time—it’s no wonder pinball leagues have found a home here. Security even gets high marks (when’s the last time you saw a bouncer praised in a review?), and yes, the coconut shrimp is actually that good. For a place that hosts competitive IFPA tournaments, it still feels like the kind of bar where you could accidentally discover your next favorite machine over fries and a good pour. brewskissd.com

Shark Attack in Round 2: JAWS Takes a Bite

Round 2 saw the players drop into the deep end with JAWS (Premium)—Stern’s early 2024 blockbuster that finally gave Spielberg’s iconic film the pinball treatment it deserves. With music and callouts pulled directly from the film, a backboard shark that lunges toward the ball, and some truly intense multiball modes like Feeding Frenzy and Orca Multiball, this machine is adrenaline wrapped in saltwater.

Tom Isaak was in their element here. They navigated the increasingly complex Boat Escape sequences and hit a flawless series of loop shots to get into Shark Cage Multiball, capitalizing on hurry-ups that left their opponents treading water. The premium version’s physical shark toy—a hungry, spring-loaded beast—adds real risk/reward to late-game scoring. And Tom? They didn’t just survive the ocean—they owned it.

The Machines That Made It Happen

San Diego’s tournament lineup leaned heavy into post-2020 Sterns, giving us a peek into what’s defining the modern competitive meta. Here’s a closer look at the machines that shaped the night:

Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (Pro) – Released in January 2025, this table channels 5th Edition chaos with a rotating “Tyrant’s Eye” disc that fires off randomized effects, ranging from reversed flipper controls (yes, really) to sudden “trap” multiballs. While newer and still being dissected by tournament players, early feedback loves the multi-path wizard modes and deep character-specific skill trees. Fun fact: it’s Stern’s first pin to officially integrate a companion app with real-time quest tracking during play.

Metallica Remastered (Premium/LE) – Dropped in October 2024, this is a remaster in the truest sense. Originally a 2013 fan-favorite, the new version keeps the Steve Ritchie layout but includes updated RGB lighting, newly recorded band callouts, and an expanded ruleset from Lyman Sheets’ unreleased 1.9 beta code. Think of it as Metallica 2.0 with fewer bugs and more balls-to-the-wall multiballs—Creeping Death mode still hits like a truck.

The Uncanny X-Men (Pro) – Stern took a swing at the mutant world in 2024 with a more comic-faithful aesthetic than past superhero pins. This machine plays fast, bordering on mean, with a center scoop that rewards risk-takers and a Danger Room wizard mode that’s a gauntlet of switch-hits and combo chains. Hidden gem: players can pick their “team leader” at the start (Cyclops, Storm, etc.), altering base scoring strategies across modes. It’s like choosing a class in an RPG—in pinball form.

John Wick (Premium) – Released in May 2024, this kinetic chaos machine matches its namesake’s intensity. You’re shooting to clear hitman contracts, complete “marker” modes, and survive Baba Yaga Multiball, which can be lights-out lucrative if you can combo through the orbit/inner loop. Insiders say this game was rushed to market but still became a sleeper hit in competitive circles thanks to its fast pace and relatively balanced scoring.

Deadpool (Pro) – No stranger to the finals, Stern’s 2018 Deadpool is still doing the rounds in tournament scenes because of its pure flow and laugh-out-loud theming. Featuring callouts by Nolan North and a layout from George Gomez that rewards combo-heavy play, Deadpool is one of those rare machines where players actually enjoy being trapped in multiball. Bonus trivia: it was among the last of Stern’s machines to feature the older-style SPIKE 1 system before their tech overhaul in 2020.

Deadpool Delivers the Final Blow

When the final round fired up on Deadpool, the stakes were high and the chimichangas higher. In a room full of seasoned competitors, it was Derek Price who took the top spot—pulling off a gutsy Lil’ Deadpool + Mechsuit Multiball stack that left jaws dropped and point totals climbing. Derek’s ranked 62nd in the world and brought 444 IFPA events worth of experience to this showdown, and it showed. This wasn’t just flailing into jackpots—this was a masterclass in control and intentionality.

Tom Isaak finished a strong second, proving again that their recent rise in California’s rankings is no fluke. Third went to Mike Welsh, whose consistent play carried him through a brutal John Wick earlier in the night, and Michael Kostolnik slid into fourth with another solid finish in the books.

California IFPA Top 10 Pinball Rankings

What a Night at Brewskis

From shark-infested deep dives to Beholder battles, Deadpool jokes to guitar riffs from beyond the grave, Brewskis Spring 2025 #3 was a wild success. Huge shoutout to Mark Schulz for running a clean, competitive tournament, and to Brewskis Bar & Arcade for being the kind of spot where pinball lives and breathes.

Congratulations again to Derek Price—your trophy should probably come with a Deadpool plushie and a shark fin at this point.

Stay tuned for more tournament recaps, machine spotlights, and the latest from the ever-flipping world of competitive pinball. See you next game!