Pinball and video games. We're a mixed gaming podcast, but pinball and video games are our bread and butter, and our two permanent segments. Pinball generally receives the most attention of the two. We also, on occasion, cover other types of gaming (namely tabletop games such as RPGs and card games). We aren't known as eclectic for nothing!

radio broadcaster since 1994 in Southwestern Ontario.  Pinball fanatic.  Baseball nut.  Host of "Big Red's Retro Rock".  Father of 3, husband of 1.  
Sometimes funny, just not right now.

Favorite Quote:
"Ride that beast! Ride that Perfectly Normal Beast, Sandwich Maker!"
-H2G2

My primary gaming passion is arcade pinball. I am currently ranked among the top 50 pinball players in the world. 

I've played video games since I was about 2 years old. My first game was "Intellivision Las Vegas Poker &amp; Blackjack," which helped me to learn math. Although, I remember that my 2-year old self initially found it difficult to understand these things while playing blackjack:

1. Why 'J', 'Q' and 'K' were the same as the number 10.
2. Why, when I chose double down, that sometimes I would have a whole lot of money, and other times I would lose a crapload.

As far as video gaming goes, I can pretty much have fun with anything except simulation sports games (sorry Madden, NBA, NHL, and MLB insert number here). I'll find the fun in most games, even some 3D Sonic games, like Sonic Unleashed... for the Wii... umm, yeah. I'm always behind the current trends because I will not pay full price just so I can say I had the game "day one". I'll get most of of my games as cheaply as I can, and usually in bunches that end up unplayed for a long time.

Speaking of the video game stack of shame, my embarrassing backlog is embarrassing. Mainly because some of the time I would devote to videogames is taken up by arcade pinball competitions and tournaments.

For those who may be wondering (all 2 of you) "fun with bonus" is what happens when you lose your ball and the pinball game gives you whatever bonus you have earned. However, most pinball games don't just give you the bonus. some games will give you some base points, then put a multiplier to it, then add some more points from bonus modes, and then count up the bonus for you with quirky sound effects like it's some sort of telethon. The game is having fun with your bonus. This is where the pinball jargon "fun with bonus" comes from.

Fun with bonus moments happen in video games as well. Shmups go through a fun with bonus mode usually at the end of stages to tell how well you did. Players receive mountainous amounts of bonus points after the game calculates the number of medals, combos, and other skillful things they did during the stage. Maybe that is part of the reason why I like shmups even though I am not very good at them.


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