Michael Hew Captures the Pokémon Launch Party
It was a clear, 96-degree Monday evening in Arlington with 44% humidity, but the real focus was inside Tokyo Station by Free Play. The industrial-style retro hangout was packed for the debut of Stern’s newest release, Pokémon (LE). Between the authentic Japanese gacha machines, UFO catchers, and the build-your-own ramen bar, local competitors gathered to test the new layout. Organizer Chris Delp welcomed the group, setting the stage for a long night of competitive pinball accompanied by pub grub and craft beer.
A Room Full of Contenders
The tournament drew 18 players to the floor, featuring 11 competitors ranked by the IFPA and seven unranked entrants. The field was anchored by top seed Greg Gibson, who brought a formidable national ranking of #297 into the building. Players competed in five rounds of Group Match Play, a format that awards points based on finishing positions within four-player groups.
The stakes were standard for a weekly league night, but the energy around the room was high. With the Texas NACS standings in mind, state-ranked participants like Gibson and Daniel Martin (#23 in the state) looked to secure valuable points. The top eight scorers from the qualifier would punch their tickets to a high-pressure Amazing Race finals bracket.
Miller’s Early Command on the Floor
Rick Miller took control early in the qualifying rounds. He put up the top score on four of the five machines he played on his way to securing the number one overall seed for the finals. His performance set a high bar for the rest of the room to chase.
Elsewhere in the qualifier, familiar opponents traded positions on classic games. During a Round 4 match on Bally’s 1993 Twilight Zone, Abel Cardona finished ahead of Matthew Bryan. That outcome pulled Cardona even with Bryan in a dead-even rivalry spanning six shared tournaments. Twilight Zone, a widebody pinball designed by Pat Lawlor and featuring John Youssi’s artwork, challenges players to hit the piano for the multiball jackpot.
Later in Round 5, Duane Fair bested Michael Hew on Bally’s 1994 World Cup Soccer during a 13-minute, three-player game. Despite that specific drop, Hew managed to finish ahead of John Richardson overall in the tournament, chipping into Richardson’s slim edge across their 69 shared events.
The Amazing Race Narrows the Field
The finals shifted to an Amazing Race format, where all eight advancing players competed individually each round on a single machine, with the lowest scorer facing elimination. The small field created a tight environment where every drained ball visibly moved the standings.
Spencer Abercrombie made a massive statement in Round 2 on World Cup Soccer. He posted 415,717,500 points, creating the widest scoring margin on any machine that night. Fair could only muster 143,484,040 points in response, resulting in his elimination in seventh place. World Cup Soccer, known for its spinning hemispherical soccer ball toy, requires precision to navigate its diverters and ramps. Abercrombie’s run ended the very next round on JAWS (Pro), where Cardona survived the cut.
In Round 4 on Attack From Mars (Remake), Gibson flexed his top-seed muscles by putting up 944,232,350 points. That massive score was enough to outpace Richardson’s 696,537,840, eliminating Richardson in fifth place.
Cardona’s Cinderella Run
Cardona entered the bracket as the seventh seed out of eight players, but he steadily navigated his way through the elimination rounds. His defining moment came in Round 5 on Stern’s 2025 release, King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Pro). Cardona edged out Gibson with 51,888,930 points to Gibson’s 48,576,540, a narrow 21-minute victory that sent the strongest competitor in the room home in fourth place.
In Round 6, Hew and Miller faced off on Turner Pinball’s 2024 Ninja Eclipse (First Edition). The two shared a 14-minute game that ultimately saw Hew advance with 6,270,180 points. Miller’s 3,309,360 points left him in third place overall, a strong finish for the veteran player whose rating has been trending up over the past year to reach IFPA #952.
Hew Claims the Launch Title
The championship naturally came down to the machine that brought everyone together: Pokémon (LE). Stern limited this production run to just 750 units, and the highly anticipated design from George Gomez and Jack Danger—wrapped in vibrant Zombie Yeti artwork—did not disappoint. The layout relies on a tight two-flipper, three-ramp setup, featuring a Meowth Balloon Arena magnet that creates wild kinetic action. Sending the ball up the left ramp feeds an animatronic Poké Ball lock and a Squirtle Whirlpool bowl that charges up water energy.
For future competitors stepping up to the custom Master Ball plunger, securing a strong start is key: don’t hold the left flipper for the skill shot unless that outlane has been rebuilt. Once the ball is in play, the strategic cadence of the layout becomes clear, as shooting the main four shots three times unlocks separate modes.
Cardona’s deep run from the back of the bracket finally ended here. He managed a respectable 141,419,800 points in the nine-minute title-decider, but Hew outlasted him in the final elimination round. Hew, whose IFPA ranking has improved to #715 this season, secured the launch party victory and successfully clawed back some ground in his tight, 72-tournament shared history with Gibson. It was a well-earned win for Hew to cap off a long Monday night of competitive pinball.
Tournament Podium:
- 1st: Michael Hew
- 2nd: Abel Cardona
- 3rd: Rick Miller
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