Beachwood Inn Review: The Pinball Machine

By Mike Luce

One in a series.

Title: Dr. Dude

Year: 1990

Manufacturer: Appropriately enough, the defunct Midway Manufacturing Company, formerly of Chicago (1988-1999), produced Dr. Dude.

Theme: According to the Internet Pinball Database, Dr. Dude falls under "Celebrities - Fictional." I would classify the good doctor as "Relic - Charming" or possibly "Machinery - Possessed."

Appearance: Given his years, Dr. Dude looks to be in excellent shape. Then again, he is probably a plastic surgeon. Even if you never play a game, the "cabinet" (industry term) makes for good reading.

Special Effects: According to IPDB, Dr. Dude boasts a variety of lights, songs, sounds, and moving parts. Experienced in the field (so to speak), only "The Gift of Gab" is noticeable. Firing the ball into the Dude's leering mouth produces some flashing lights and squawking noises - lengthy enough for a few swigs of your beverage.

Cost: One quarter.

Difficulty: Apparently I suck at pinball. While I don't have much pride attached to my pinball skills, I am still embarrassed to admit that I couldn't coax a bonus ball out of the game. I didn't even sniff the high scores. The game doesn't seem unnecessarily tough; I probably just stink at it as badly as every other pinball game I've played. Then again, I could easily blame the conditions (low light, late hours, Miller High Life) for my poor play.

Flipper Responsiveness: The flippers work. Left, flip. Right, flip. Both, flip-flip. Check.

Commentary: Dr. Dude and his "eXcellent Ray" harkens back to a simpler time. A time when doctors wore leopard print jackets, "rat tail" haircuts were acceptable, and all anybody wanted to do was rock the cradle of love and then go down in a blaze of glory. For a mere 25 cents, you can soak in the nostalgia of an era that valued cash, good looks, and big hair over everything else.

Overall Rating: 3 flippers

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