Retro game pinging, popping and buzzing as new generation has a ball

The once-fading allure of pinball is experiencing a vibrant resurgence across Australia, driven by a new generation of enthusiasts and a burgeoning social scene. Tash Anderson, a top competitor, found her passion for the game after moving to Townsville, quickly rising through the ranks to win the Women's Masters, Australia's largest women's pinball competition.

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I participated in the Women's Masters, which is the biggest women's pinball competition in Australia and ended up coming first, which was super surreal.

"If you don't like it, you're not going to come back to it but once you like it, you're in, you're set. You're probably not going to be able to live without it," Anderson said, describing the addictive nature of the game. The high cost of pinball machines, often running into thousands of dollars, means that social events and competitions are crucial for players to hone their skills. Anderson describes the experience of playing well as entering a "flow state," a feeling unlike any other when reading the machines and the ball correctly.

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If you don't like it, you're not going to come back to it but once you like it, you're in, you're set. You're probably not going to be able to live without it.

Alexander Henrickson, Queensland representative for the International Flipper Pinball Association, notes a boom in new participants, particularly in Townsville and Brisbane. He highlights the social aspect, with events like "pizza and pinball nights" drawing a diverse crowd. While pleased with the growth, Henrickson hopes to see more women join the competitive scene. Anderson estimates women currently make up 25% of competitors and aims for this to reach 50%.

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Once you get into a flow state, is what we call it, once you start doing really well and you're reading the machines and the ball correctly, it's a feeling unlike any other.

Natalie Dahl, another enthusiast, was introduced to pinball by a friend and quickly became hooked, finding a "really nice group of friends to play games with." She enjoys the mental and fine motor skill challenge, constantly striving to improve her own performance. The growing pinball community in Townsville, with its variety of machines, offers ample opportunities for players like Dahl to engage with the game they love.

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It's become a really nice social event for people to come into and see each other, people make an event of it.