![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Luckily, that's about the worst thing that can be said about The Williams Collection. Whatever video codec the developers decided to use, it's like they used a SEGA Saturn development kit to compress their introduction. Initially I was extremely nervous about this compilation when the title screen launched with some of the most horrendous, low resolution full-motion video seen this side of the third millennia. Back in the day Williams was responsible for many of the pinball machines that wound up in pizza parlors, 7-Elevens, bowling alleys, bars, and any of the umpteen other places these quarter-suckers ended up. These changes while both aesthetic and somewhat modify the feel of the gameplay, help to reduce the maintenance and free up resources to bring more games to life and keep them playing.Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection gets it: if you're going to create a compilation of pinball for the home consoles, you go to the classics by the people who made those classics. An additional piece of information Tim shared with me is that they chose to use urethane bands and LEDs in most of the games for longevity. No doubt I saw a good number of people there working on games, each carefully cleaning and polishing. I asked Tim what the secret to the speed was and he said frequent cleaning and waxing of the playfields. They all played fast and responsive, not always the experience you get for a location game. I have to say, the games that were on and playable played very well! Sure there was the occasional table with a finicky switch or other minor issue, but overall I would say the games are in fantastic shape. He indicated that getting the help needed to not only get the facility up and running since their recent move-in back in April, and the ongoing maintenance was a bit of a challenge. According to the owner Tim Arnold, who I had the fortune to chat with briefly, “so many games, so much to do”. ![]() While there were a large number of games in the facility, upwards of 400 I would say, a modest number of them were not turned on or assembled. Without a doubt, there is something for everyone there. There were also some new and vintage redemption-like machines to choose from, containing some unique prizes like original vintage Disney trading cards, patches, and keychains. A modest selection of arcade classics are available as well, along with some cool electro-mechanical attractions. The selection of over 300 machines (current estimate) range from wood rail era all the way through to many of the more common, new Stern pins, and everything in between. Once inside, you are greeted with a wide expanse of row after row of pinball and amusement machines, all in a nice new, clean setting. Prominent during the day, at night the outlines of the letters are well lit with bright LEDs and draws you in like a moth to a candle (well it did for me at least). The outside of the building has a massive sign on the front that clearly lets you know what lies within. The new sign at the road, while unfortunately not lit up yet, is absolutely gorgeous! Styled in very cool vintage Vegas flair, it really attracts your attention. In typical Vegas fashion, nothing is done without fanfare. ![]()
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