New shop levels up London's pinball scene

With a new parlour set to open this weekend, London, Ont.'s pinball businesses are on a roll. 

On Saturday, Jeff Evans will open Mana Pinball on Hyde Park Road. The store will focus on letting customers play and purchase the latest pinball machines.

"It's a bit of a hybrid, a shop and arcade," said Evans of his new store. "You can talk to us about whatever pinball machine needs you want for your home, or you can pay a flat fee and play all the pinball you want, all day." 

Pinball isn't Evans's only gaming passion. He's also a video game developer who owns the Mana Lounge on Dundas Street in downtown London where he sells supplies for games such as Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons.

He used to run the pinball machine sales out of Mana Lounge, but the business grew to the point where he needed his own storefront.

Despite his other gaming endeavours, pinball remains a lifelong interest for Evans.

"It's really the analogue feeling," he said. "Pressing a button, seeing a flipper whack a ball, you get to experience the physics of the ball, the sounds, the light shows. It's nothing you can replace with a screen — and this is coming from a guy who makes video games."

Evans will sell new machines through a distribution deal with Chicago-based Stern Pinball. Stern is one of a few niche companies that continue to make new pinball titles each year, which are often themed after recent shows and movies such as Deadpool, Stranger Things and Game of Thrones. 

Many of the new pinball machines feature upgraded electronics and LCD screens, starting at around $10,000.

London a destination for pinball 

Mana Pinball will add to a growing list of places offering pinball in London.

A handful of London pinball enthusiasts have set up machines at Forked River Brewing, where they compete in friendly tournaments about twice a month. There is also pinball to be played at Tilt Arcade Bar, which also has traditional arcade games among some classic pinball titles.

Corey Cooke is a Londoner whose hobby of repairing and restoring older pinball machines has grown into a full-time business. Through his website, LondonPinball.ca, Cooke makes "house calls" to fix or buy older machines anywhere between Windsor and Toronto. 

Cooke said while nostalgia is part of pinball's allure, the new releases are immersive enough to draw in new fans, even kids raised on video games. 

"The newer games are just so much fun," he said. "It takes people away from screens, which we're so inundated with these days." 

As a business and hobby, Cooke said pinball has different elements that appeal to different people. Some focus on their playing, others are enamoured with the art, while some develop an obsession with the electronics and restoration. While the new games are expensive, Cooke said some are drawn into the hobby when they come into ownership of an older machine and want to learn more. 

And while they each own a pinball business, Cooke and Evans both said they don't compete. They would rather work together to develop what has become a vibrant pinball community in London. 

"The social aspect of it is very appealing to a lot of people," he said. "We love talking to people about pinball and showing them the rules. There's so much more to pinball than keeping the ball in play."

The grand opening of Mana Pinball is on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. ET. You can learn more about it here on their website.