The Off Broadway Hotel

Update - As of May 2016 machines available are ACDC and Star Trek (1991)

The Off Broadway Hotel is located underneath the Broadway shopping Centre On Bay St next to Blockbuster.  They currently have a Tron: Legacy (Limited Edition) and a Batman Forever pinball machine. However the Batman Forever machine was switched off on my visit.  Tron is $2 a credit and Batman is $1 a credit or $3 for 2.  Both are 5 ball machines.

The Off Broadway is a bit of an odd pub.  Its location under a mall makes it feel like a bit of a dive.  That said it has all you would want from a pub, big screen projector, occasional live music, pool tables, a large TAB a Buck Hunter Safari machine and a great history of housing pinball machines.  In fact I had expected to see the Rolling Stones pinball machine here but it must of been switched out for Tron within the last month or two.

This is the first Tron Machine I've seen at a location.  It is the Limited Edition version but from what I can gather that just means it has s different back glass and a little plaque displaying its number out of the 400 run.

This one is number 27.  Pretty cool, but I don't believe it changes the game at all.

The game itself, though pretty and nice and shiny, left me a little disappointed.  There seemed to me to be a high degree of luck and randomness involved in the way the ball would be returned after certain shots.  The left loop sends the ball around and into a set of pop bumpers that can spit the ball out in any direction.  The centre shot is dangerous as is but when you open the spinning disc shot, and you are required to hit it onto the disc 5 times for a multi-ball, we again have an instance of the ball being thrown out off the disc in a random direction (A similar spinning disc appears on the CSI machine, also a danger shot).

I may be overstating things, and one good go might have coloured my opinion of the machine differently.  It's certainly worth a look, it is a nice shiny machine.  Im just hoping that Batman Forever is up and running next time to give a bit of variety.

The Botany View

Update: As at May 2016 there was no pinball machine at this venue

The Botany View is located at 597 King st Newtown.

They have a Batman (2008) machine.

Located a short stroll from St Peters train station the Botany View makes a great local but has made a name for itself outside of the usual regulars thanks to the food.  Check out the Darley St Bistro menu here and plan a feed before you play the pinny.

The Botany view also has bands playing every Sunday.  Theres a trivia night and a raffle night.  Check out whats on and when here.

If you haven't played the latest Batman pinny I can recommend it.  Although I haven't played it extensively, after a quick go at this location, plus a good go at the one at the Bald Faced Stag (stay tuned for a blog entry), this machine definitely has some great elements that make me want to go back for more.

Theres plenty going on, a few different multiballs and the crane toy is pretty fun.  And hey, if you don't like the pinball machine, right next to it is a game where you can throw virtual mini bean bags.

So next time you're trying to figure out where you can get a good feed, a beer, a band and a pinny, check out the Botany View.

The White Cockatoo

The White Cockatoo is no more.  It is now called "West Village" and is too cool for pinball machines. If you do end up there for some non-pinball related reason, I can recommend the Kimchi Poutine.  Of course no pinnies and Kimchi Poutine on the menu should tell you all you need to know about what has happened to the old White Cock

The White Cockatoo is located at 30 Terminus st Petersham, just across from the station.

After you've finished eating one of their giant schnitzels have a go on Tales of the Arabian Nights.  Despite what the pricing info on the machine says it is $2 a credit, $4 for 3, and is 5 ball.

This is a fantastic machine with plenty going on.  The right mix of elements to easily get into but a hard one to master.  The machine is in pretty good condition although the magnet in front of the Genie didnt seem to work.  I dont think this had too great an impact on the game-play though and if I hadn't previously played one where the magnet did work I might not of noticed.

The White Cockatoo previously had a new Batman machine and this Arabian Nights has been here for a few months now so hopefully this will stay up to date for a little while before they switch it out again.  In the meantime if you haven't already played Arabian Nights I recommend coming down and checking it out.

The White Cockatoo has a Pool table and a TAB and its bistro serves famously large portions.  There are a variety of Schnitzels on offer.  I have only ever shared one and even between 2 people never finished. 

Weeknights offer a range of reasons to visit; trivia, raffles, toss the boss and free pool.  Check the website here to see whats on and when.

So hop on the train and stop at Petersham and give Arabian Nights a go.  Just be careful the Genie doesn't try and steal your beer like he did mine...

The Townie

Current machines downstairs are POTC and The Wizard of Oz.  I hope to post a new blog entry regarding WOO once I get a chance to play it.  The couple of times I've been to the Townie since it's been installed it has been in constant use and I have been unable to give it a go.

The Town Hall Hotel - or The Townie - is located at 326 King st Newtown, right next door to Newtown Train Station.

They currently have four machines available.  The three down stairs are Family Guy, Addams Family and Revenge From Mars.  Upstairs, near the pool table, is a Simpsons Pinball Party machine.

The machines are all 5 ball and are $2 a credit except for Family Guy which is $3 a credit or $5 for 2 credits.  They are all in very good nick and The Addams Family machine seems to have had some extra toys installed including a Polar Bear and a lightbulb-biting Uncle Fester on the Electric Chair.  I dont believe there is any change in game play but as I've played Addams Family plenty of times before I didnt give it a go this time.

In fact, despite the price bump, I only played the Family Guy machine on this occassion.  It seems like a pretty good machine with plenty of interesting shots and features to complete,  I'm just not sure why the price hike. 

Previously I have seen this pricing around town on Medieval Madness machine at the Lansdowne and Monster Bash at the Warrenview  (All three sites are Player one sites).  I have justified the extra expense on these machines in my write up of the venues, both are very rare and desirable and are hard to find in good condition, let alone the pristine condition these are in.  However the Family Guy machine is new and yet to stand the test of time as far as desirability.  I can only assume that being a new machine has set the price.

Actually maybe its to help pay off the fantastic beer holders affixed to the legs of each machine.  Every pinball should have one.

At any rate the other machines available are also well worth a play.  The Addams Family is a classic and, once you get used to the Pinball 2000 features, Revenge From Mars is also a great machine (though no match for its predecessor Attack From Mars).  If you're interested in the story of this machine, and it's only counterpart Star Wars Episode 1 I recommend checking out the documentary Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball.

 Anyway, the fact that there are four pinball machines here is just one of the reasons that the Townie is a great pub.  With Live music, a good bistro, a TAB, Trivia nights and a genuine pub feel this is the best pub in Newtown.  Check out whats on, and when, here. Or head there on the last Sunday of the month for Electric Sundays.