Are there any pinball machines in Taipei?
I used to live in Kaohsiung 15 years ago for a couple of years are there were loads. Nowadays I come to Taipei most years with my Taiwanese wife. I’m looking for some pinball, can anyone help? I don’t want pachinko or kids’ toys, but the real full sized machines that used to be everywhere. I’m a collector and have loads in my garage back home in London UK.
Anyone?
I take it that’s a no then?
Am I in the wrong part of the forum? Should I have put this in a room with more people to read it perhaps?
The pinball machines may have been a victim of the anti-gambling purges of the 1990s, which also did away with coin-operated video games. (Even though they had nothing to do with gambling.)
Thanks Chris for the reply. When I left in 98 there were still loads, so I’m thinking it may have been more recently, when PM Chen collected voters by closing down all the arcades (so I read on t’interwebs).
What a tragedy 
[quote=“PinballDan”]Thanks Chris for the reply. When I left in 98 there were still loads, so I’m thinking it may have been more recently, when PM Chen collected voters by closing down all the arcades (so I read on t’interwebs).
What a tragedy [/quote]
Purely to do with the high maintenance costs required for pinball machines. I played pinball a lot here in the 90’s but the machines gradually fell into disrepair. Its cheaper for arcades to run machines with no mechanical parts.
Now I play virtual machines on my Mac…Twilight Zone is still the best game out there.
Most of them ended up in Central America, heard they had quite a racket there…
Aw Yiss, I found one. 
Edit:[strike]https://maps.google.com/[/strike]
Edit: plus.google.com/103839473927623 … bout?hl=en
Its called Chef Jason’s My Place or something like that.
I initially wanted to go to THE DINER which is the opposite restaurant but I had to wait for an hour or so.
Go in towards the back, beside the toilets theres a nice pinballs machine. Full of horror screams and all that. 20NT a pop.
The game’s called Tales from the Crypt.
Picture here: postimg.org/image/ob1ye84n7/
Terrible flash, I know :aiyo:
You sir are a legend. I know the game and I know how to get there by MRT.
That’s my plan for this afternoon sorted I think
Well I went there, pockets bulging with 10NT pieces. Sadly the owner said its been broken for about a month, and he didn’t want to let me try to help fix it
He said he’s lived in Taipei for years and years and has never seen another one.
Never mind, it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Or something along those lines.
I admit that i am a pinballaholic. I have now been ‘dry’ for 39 days but fully intend to fall completely off the wagon in 4 days when I get home to my collection … then in a week I’m off to the UK pinball party in Daventry where there will be over 100 pinball machines (and some old arcade cabs as well) to play on for three solid days.
[quote=“PinballDan”]Well I went there, pockets bulging with 10NT pieces. Sadly the owner said its been broken for about a month, and he didn’t want to let me try to help fix it 
He said he’s lived in Taipei for years and years and has never seen another one.
Never mind, it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Or something along those lines.
I admit that I am a pinballaholic. I have now been ‘dry’ for 39 days but fully intend to fall completely off the wagon in 4 days when I get home to my collection … then in a week I’m off to the UK pinball party in Daventry where there will be over 100 pinball machines (and some old arcade cabs as well) to play on for three solid days.[/quote]
Are you serious? That sucks!
Did he say anything about repairing it? I usually go in to play after my weekly ‘The Diner’ meeting
I’ll pop by and ask if/when/will he repair it
He reckons some time in August it’ll get fixed. He said if you like his Facebook page, he’ll update it when it gets repaired.
I’ve recently been getting very much into pinball videogames, which could be a stop gap for you? I’d love to play some real pinball too (as I recall I’ve only ever played on one real table - Star Wars in an arcade in Tokyo). Have you tried K mall underneath Taipei Main Station? There is a small arcade area down there which might have a table… Please post here if you find out about any!
The owner of My Place Jason’s is selling his establishment. No more pinballs
Ah, yess! I just found a machine in the wild in Taipei and free to play no less! At the Miramar Mall on the ground level, there is a Bally Game Show (1990) in the Steve Madden women’s shoe department. Its in rough shape and isn’t working 100% but it is playable. Take a lady friend and play pinball while she tries on shoes to her hearts content.
I actually just moved to Taipei and I brought my Pirates of the Caribbean (2006) over with me. I’m away for some work but when I get back I would be happy to host a pinball night. Does anyone know of any other machines that have appeared since this topic was started?
I guess too many people went there, they don’t allow you to play it anymore!
Never fear though, I found another one.
On the top floor of the Showtime movie complex in ximen. There’s a baseball batting practise place. They have an ironman machine, 10nt a play 
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
I confirm, the Ironman in Ximending is still there:
Here’s the address:
If anyone knows of other spots, pls post! 
Good to read there are other pinheads in Taipei. I will be checking this forum again the next time I am in town.
For now I’m just grateful for the machines I have at home in London. The collection is ever growing [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]
By the way, the post above mine is not showing that location for IM just a broken picture icon. Can someone please type in the address in a format that I could just show to a cabby?
FFS. Seriously?
The new venue Park Life drinking room got a decent three:
