Electronic Arcade Pro Pinball adds real pinball thrills in a tabletop size - full review!

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Is this something you'd think about picking up for Christmas or as a birthday present? Would you want to see something similar in a 3/4 scale sized machine?

[@jacksonwallace6211]

Definitely gifting myself one at some point. I have several of the original Tomy games these are based on, so it'd be hard to justify it as a gift for the kids. Plus, I already played that card with an ATgames micro pinball back in October, haha.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

It's a very fun mini-pin, definitely old school in many ways. The LED lights are fantastic....

[@NickLordiYT]

Maybe a fun gift. I can tell you that I would have loved this as a kid. The mechanical flippers are the deal breaker for me.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Nick - you couldn't possibly expect solenoid/electric flippers in a product like this, plus I'm telling you those flippers are silky smooth. The next level real pin you can buy new - ones with electronic flippers - cost over $6000. But it would make a fun gift for sure....

[@NickLordiYT]

@@evilgeniusentertainment The issue for me is that different shots from the same area of the flipper could be vastly different. But I digress, perhaps learning how to control the power of the flipper is an additional skill one could master. I’d have to try it out myself.

[@jacksonwallace6211]

They did it! They remade Tomy Astro Shooter! I was hoping they would after they remade Atomic Pinball, but I didn't get my hopes up.

[@nerdloftgaming]

Heck yeah! Tomy had some really bangers back in the day.

[@WickedGamerCollector]

Wow, this is a really cool version. Thanks for showing.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

It is pretty dang neat! And thank you for checking it out!

[@Johnenoch226]

Thanks for sharing this exciting product. Awesome job!

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thank you John!

[@videogamevegas]

Evil Genius Entertainment, THIS IS CRAZY! I was just on Amazon yesterday and came across a Pac-Man Pinball machine, same company, and searched for a video to see how it played. The first video that came up was an older video of yours. You did a review of a smaller version of the Ambassador Tabletop pinball, it wasn't the Pac-Man one I found on Amazon, but it was the same layout. I decided today I would stop by that same video and let you know about the new variant I found, but HOLY MOLEY, you got some Pro models of this machine that I didn't even know existed! The timing couldn't be more perfect! I wanted to let you know that your review on these machines were very well done! It definitely sold me on this. I used to get these tabletop machines for Christmas when I was a kid, and they'd pretty much immediately broke after a day or two, but I didn't care, they were just so fun to play! And I'm a HUGE fan of Pac-Man, but the crazy thing is, the general version actually looks more appealing to me and I think that's the one I'm going to get. I'm glad I came back to revisit your older video and found this new one. I'm definitely going to pick up the Pro version over the original now :) Have a great one! vgv

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Wow VGV, thank you so much for that great post! I'm very glad you got something out of it. Also glad the timing worked out too! :)

[@simonwilliamson1979]

Tomy Astro Shooter has been remade! Count me in.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thanks for checking out the review Simon!

[@simonwilliamson1979]

@ great work as always. Love your pinball content. Thanks for your efforts. Best wishes to you from the UK.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thank you so much Simon! I really do appreciate the kind words, and I'm glad you dig the content!

[@MelissaLee-g2x]

I own the original Astro Shooter, and I bought the Electronic Arcade Pro Pinball machine a couple weeks ago after playing the smaller Atomic Arcade re-make. These are great updates. The Pro Pinball plays very similarly to Astro Shooter (down to the loud motor noise). Very happy to have this - leds are great. Thanks for the review. I found your channel when I was looking into whether or not to buy the smaller version.

[@arcadetalk]

This will be great to get kids introduced to pinball.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

TM - it really would be!

[@MrSteveonbroadway]

I had something just like this when i was a kid in the 70,s.. I loved it...

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Steve - yeah, me too! It's an interesting mix of nostalgia combined with very modern tech. Really is the best of both worlds....

[@MrSteveonbroadway]

@evilgeniusentertainment maybe I'll get grandkids one..

[@MIK_F40]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention! UK side Smyths Toys only have Pac-man, I'll have a nose around. 👍 As for the slightly smaller versions that have been out for a few years I managed to get the speaker more quite. Get a strip of electrical tape, about 2inches long, stick one side over half the speaker, make a loop but don't join that loop making sure there is a gap of a few millimetres and stick the other side down over the other half of the speaker. Your basically allowing the sound to come out of a small slit..., the sound will be much quieter, if you want it louder make the gap slightly bigger. Being electrical tape it's easy to take back off.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thanks for watching, and for the tip!

[@Angultra]

5 C batteries, just like the ones in the 80s / 90s. Would've been nice if it was rechargeable, but glad they're bringing these back.

[@SScorpio0]

Very cool looking, the Pac-man is $90 at BJs, but it also on their Black Friday ad for $60. Guess I'll wait and see if I can snag one for the lower price.

[@2bin]

Link please?

[@computerboy2k]

Still have my Zizzle Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest 3/4 size. I bought at Best Buy on clearance for $100 in 2007 I wish they still made these…

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Right there with you (trying to convince Ambassador brass to make a 3/4 scale version even as we speak!). Been trying to find a good copy of PIRATES for $300 for a while now.

[@chrisgrossnickle1479]

First time seeing these. Think I'm gonna get one. Thanks!

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

You got it Chris - glad you enjoyed the review!

[@MikeS-el6vd]

Great review JDV. These remind me of my Tomy Atomic Arcade Pinball which I bought new back in the day and still own.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thanks Mike! Yeah, a lot of nostalgia in this machines, but with a bunch of modern improvements. It's a cool little rig.

[@pcata]

Nice video. What was not mentioned, but extremely important, is whether the actual gameplay is FUN or not? Does it have replay value? Multipliers? Objectives? Actual complexity? Or is it basic. Looks basic, which will likely not hold interest after the novelty wears off.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Hey, thanks for watching! I think it has as much replay value as is possible for the form factor. Perhaps the dirtiest secret in real world pinball is that no matter how amazing the game is, you will, eventually, want something else. That's why pinball games are so often traded for other pins, vs out-right sold. (it's also the major advantage V-pin has over the real thing). This particular unit reminds me of early solid state pins; you're mostly in it to bang away at the ball for a simple, bu fun, time. Hope that helps!

[@chriscaruana3471]

Hi JDV! Thanks for this review! Awesome job! I ordered the neon version earlier this month, the Pac-man version however (still waiting for it tho) mainly based on your review. Had I known this was going to be available I'd have ordered this one. Well. it will happen anyway :) haha. Keep up the reviews which I love very much! Cheers!

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thanks Chris for the kind words!

[@gwildor8543]

The Pac-Man is cute. I only have full size pins and arcades in my converted garage home arcade, but this would look cool lit up on my wall if I could figure out a way to mount it.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

You could drill hole through the feet to be able to attach a bracket, then epoxy the feet to the machine? Where there's a will, there's a way.

[@wizzel22]

These will throw Visual Pinball X against the wall. Fancy lights, though... 😂

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

VERY fancy.

[@nerdloftgaming]

These look so good, like a modern Tomy Atomic Pinball (which I still have!) I really dig these, especially the Pac•Man! Thanks for sharing as usual 😄

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thanks for watching NerdLoft!

[@boomerbob]

Is there a speaker grille one could put tape over to quiet the volume down?

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

I don't that would work. I have added rheostats to other machines to get control over the volume, but likely won't for this - it's a loud machine even without the music, and I tend to use it in the gameshack on Friday nights; meaning I have all the machines and music pumping, so noise isn't really a factor. YMMV!

[@tedadamgreen]

Thanks for the review! A legit product basically the pinball equivalent of Countercades and Evercade Alphas. Thanks for the excellent break down and review And it’s totally an A 👊🏻🕹️😎

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Ted - hey thanks man! And the comparison to countercades/evercades is spot on. They really did pack so much into a small package. When I saw the ball go down the hole only to pop up on the other side, I really was blown away. Incredibly hard to pull off in a tabletop.

[@tedadamgreen]

@ yeah … that was a level up special move right there that they did not have to do … but they did

[@Krashnburnz123]

Great review as always!

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thank you Krash - I appreciate the nice words!

[@tron3entertainment]

Looks great, but no rubber on the bumpers and flippers?

[@bonesjackson81]

When i pinball i turn it to 11. Cause you can't go higher then 10. Unless you have 11.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

"But this one goes to 11!"

[@dalecummins689]

Thanks for the review... so the couple other reviews said they returned it because it was really was way too loud. You don't think this is major drawback then from buying one?

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

I mean, it wouldn't keep me from buying it - it's not inherently too loud. I suppose it's about context - on a Friday with the whole arcade on, it would seem like nothing. On a Tuesday school night at 11pm, it would be way too loud. I mean, it's a small hard plastic machine shooting a metal ball around as fast as it can while smacking it with paddles....

[@dalecummins689]

@evilgeniusentertainment Thank you. I've no experience with it myself. It does look cool... maybe it will keep my grandkids off my 4K 😜

[@jacksonwallace6211]

the original Tomy Astro Shooter is very loud, so these are probably the same. The whole thing runs off one electric motor and it's noisy. I assume these are a little better, but still noisy on their best day.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Yeah, I mean pretty much par for the course. I thought it was fine, but I can see some people not digging it.

[@bietekwiet2812]

it needs ramps and a bit of a rule set. Perhaps for a Pro Ultimate version?

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Ramps would be awesome... but would never fit in a tabletop like this. And yes, I've already begun pestering the guys at Ambassador for an even bigger version! We shall see....

[@carlo1132]

These are slick, will keep an eye out for them on amazon, looks like they are sold out.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Already? Gee, that was fast! They very nice little machines for the money; a nice little "Taste" of real pinball since I sold my full-sized machines. Interesting to compare "real" pinball physics with the 4KP/Zen's version (which is surprisingly close).

[@carlo1132]

@@evilgeniusentertainment Pacman is!

[@warpigjohnson9710]

Kinda love tabletop games

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Yeah, something about them is just inherently fun & nostalgic.....

[@JoshuaMilrad]

Hmmmm. Good video but I'm not sure an adult would enjoy playing this often. Maybe to get a child interested in pinball? Idk. $150? I think a used ipad and digital pinball would be much more exciting.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

I mean, you're not going to play it for 4 hours a week for the rest of your life. But if you enjoy a nice, fast, game of pinball in a small form this is without a doubt the best option out there. I can definitely seeing playing it every Friday night when I go out to the shack to actually game (as oppose to kicking out these videos). YMMV

[@jacksonwallace6211]

they're more than meets the eye. I've had a Tomy Astro Shooter for almost a decade, and it was old when I bought it. But, it's a really fun, simple pinball. If you can score over 100k, you're really doing something. It sounds like you can earn extra balls on this new one which adds a whole 'nother gameplay mechanic.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Exactly - it's a genre onto itself. There's a surprising number of tabletop fans out there. And this new machine, IMO, is the best of 'em.

[@ThetaxDeltax]

trying to find the most omish non electronic one. table top if possible. Is this one actually good. Still needs battery's. Still looks pretty good. everyone liking it? Is there better ones? money isn't to much of a factor. Don't have the room at the moment for a big one. One day i suppose. For now just pinball fx on the computer.

[@AD.ArcadeGaming]

Great review! Looking forward to this one.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Hey, thanks for checking out the review!

[@AD.ArcadeGaming]

​@@evilgeniusentertainmentJust waiting for the price to come down in Canada.

[@gamewizardks]

90 bucks is not bad. Gonna probably pick one up. Thanks for the video.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@Th3DarkCanuck]

The Pac Man one is very cool! Nice review.

[@tarstarkusz]

How big is it relative to Atomic Arcade?

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

I believe it's a couple of inches bigger diagonally....

[@shivorath]

Interesting product, but weird that an almost 20 minute review makes no mention of gameplay rules?! I suppose I can infer that there basically are none… just a flat X points awarded each time a bumper is hit or something. Shame, just even some very basic rules (hit X to light multiplier… like you see in 70’s era pinball machines) would have made this awesome and a must buy for me… as it is I’ll probably pass. Weird that a make or break piece of info like that isn’t even referenced in the video though.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Honestly, that's just not my use scenario - I like for the flick a button and start banging away aspect of it. To be sure, this is not a "deep" pinball game, but it is nice to be able to earn up to 5 extra balls. Reminds me more of an EM or older solid state pin in that regard....

[@DowntheRabbitHole0]

I'm not complaining but I'm suspicious. Why is the Pacman one so much cheaper than the generic arcade version?

[@DowntheRabbitHole0]

Nevermind now I see. The Pacman one is not the Pro table, it's like the generic other tables that came out last year as far as layout is concerned.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

I almost made the same mistake! The technical MSRP for Pro version of Pac-Man is $40 more, for what that's worth.

[@DowntheRabbitHole0]

@evilgeniusentertainment no worries man, awesome review!

[@lacrossed55]

You can run it off 5 C batteries like its 1983.😂

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

I live in the stick, so I lose power on the reg (just last week as a matter of fact), so having the ability to jam on some pinball even with the power out is actually pretty sweet! But yeah, you don't see "C" batteries used in too many things anymore do you?

[@lacrossed55]

@evilgeniusentertainment Man I got a Harbor Freight generator and got a transfer switch installed. $1700 ish for all. Recommend

[@jacksonwallace6211]

My fancy AA rechargeable batteries have C adapters that work great.

[@Dinosaurprince]

Not available outside of the States.

[@evilgeniusentertainment]

Good to know! If that changes, I'll put up another video....