![]() “ It’s been a hotbed for pinball for at least 10-15 years – very, very hot,” Nikolich says. While this may not be common knowledge just yet, Denver is one of the most active pinball cities in the world. And I think that there’s just a camaraderie there that is available with new folks.”ĭan adds that the online video game streaming platform Twitch has played a large role in the rise of pinball’s popularity, with many popular pinballers live-streaming their practice and competitions. Pinball players tend to be very open, and they’ll teach you how to play and talk with you and tell you what to do. It’s a very low barrier to entry, so you can go learn to play and meet some really great folks in the process. “You don’t have to be great,” Nikolich explains. The Denver pinball community has welcomed droves of newcomers with open arms. “You get to meet all these interesting people, whether they’re doctors, lawyers, mechanics, carpenters, whatever it is, it’s this shared passion. “It’s popular with everyone from 5-year-olds to 85-year-olds,” Nikolich says. With pinball, you can manipulate something inside the real world.”ĭue to this combination of factors, pinball has experienced a major resurgence in recent years, especially in the Denver area. And that’s what makes it interesting because everything else that we’re going to do today is very digital. You get to watch the ball interact with other things. “Pinball is a game that you actually physically interact with. Pinball’s tactile, kinetic nature contributes to its popularity as the world grows ever more virtual. “The physics of a real ball rolling around are very unique. “It’s not the same every time, unlike a video game, which tends to be more linear,” says Dan Nikolich, co-runner of the annual Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown in Denver. To put it simply, pinball is easy to learn, but difficult to master. The result? An addicting combination of reflexes, timing, and a bit of luck. ![]() ![]() ![]() Points are scored by hitting targets while preventing the ball from rolling out of the field of play. Pinball, for the unfamiliar, is an arcade game in which the player controls flippers to hit a metal ball around a playfield - typically themed based on a popular film, TV show, or other creative work. Pictured: Pinball players at the 2022 event. To get involved with the IFPA, click here.The Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown was started by Holly and Dan Nikolich in 2004. To stay up to date with events at Flip A Coin, click here. "Just walk up, put quarters in, push start, and play!" Jordan and his fellow pinballers say the game is for anyone and everyone. We've had no drama, they just want to hangout and they want a place to come in downtown and that's what we're trying to provide for them." However, Baca says the support from the community and surrounding small businesses has been better than he ever imagined. Being a new bar owner, I've never owned a bar before. Owner Nick Baca says when he opened the bar he was "it was scary". The event is a launch party for their newest pinball machine and their first sponsored tournament. Wednesday evening is expected to be the bar's biggest tournament since opening in the summer of 2021. Now, the tournaments they hold in the bar can help get them points to qualify for tournaments statewide, and even the world championship. "We were traveling to Denver every weekend to play tournaments," says Jordan. Many of Jordan's personal collections now live in the arcade for customers to use.įlip A Coin is now registered with the International Flipper Pinball Association, and according to Jordan, is the only IFPA registered pinball league south of Denver. or I go here - And it's always the people you least expect that play." "Everywhere you turn you have somebody - Oh yeah, I have pinball machines at my house! I go here. "It is the biggest little community I have ever seen," said Jordan about his pinball community. ![]() Jordan is a pinball "operator and enthusiast" and is now spearheading the Flip A Coin basement bar and arcade, a branch of the family-owned bakery above it. "I had enough that I could start my own, so why not just start my own," said Adam Jordan, referring to his large pinball machine collection. PUEBLO - When you walk into Bite Me Cake Company in downtown Pueblo, you would never know that just below your feet is a pinball goldmine. ![]()
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