# ARCADE REPORT: Helicon Brewing - Oakdale, PA (July 2021) **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2021-08-21 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/arcade-report-helicon-brewing-oakdale-pa-july-2021 --- ## Analysis A location report from Helicon Brewing in Oakdale, PA documenting a strong pinball lineup featuring rare machines like Spooky's The Jetsons, Heighway's Full Throttle, two Mandalorian variants, and Jersey Jack's Guns N Roses. The venue combines a brewery, bar, and arcade with a festive atmosphere and impressive mix of classic to modern pinball games. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Pittsburgh is the East Coast capital of pinball with many amazing locations — _Author's assertion based on location scouting; aligns with known Pittsburgh pinball community presence_ - [HIGH] Helicon Brewing had both Pro and Limited Edition versions of Stern's Mandalorian for side-by-side comparison — _Direct observation; specific machine models documented_ - [HIGH] Helicon was the first location where the author played Jersey Jack's Guns N Roses — _Personal gameplay experience; establishes Guns N Roses in active circulation at this venue_ - [MEDIUM] Helicon features games 'you'll only see at a handful of locations in the world' including The Jetsons and Full Throttle — _Author's assessment of rarity; subjective but indicates limited distribution of these titles_ ### Notable Quotes > "Pittsburgh is the East Coast capital of pinball. There's so many amazing locations there." > — **Author (Knapp Arcade)**, Opening > _Establishes Pittsburgh as a major pinball hub; validates regional reputation_ > "They had several games that you'll only see at a handful of locations in the world, such as the Spooky Pinball-manufactured The Jetsons and Heighway Pinball's Full Throttle." > — **Author**, Mid-report > _Highlights rarity and collector value of machines at this location_ > "This would be a good place for someone who was considering buying a Mando to compare the two models." > — **Author**, Mandalorian section > _Positions Helicon as a valuable pre-purchase evaluation venue for collectors_ > "Helicon was also the first place that I was able to play Jersey Jack's newest game Guns N Roses." > — **Author**, Mid-report > _Confirms JJP Guns N Roses in active location play; signals early distribution_ > "Helicon is a true gem of the Pittsburgh pinball scene." > — **Author**, Closing > _Strong endorsement; establishes Helicon as a destination venue_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Helicon Brewing | organization | Brewery and arcade venue in Oakdale, PA (Pittsburgh area) featuring strong pinball lineup, craft beverages, and brewery tours | | Pittsburgh | location | East Coast pinball hub with multiple strong arcade venues; subject of author's road trip | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer; Mandalorian game featured in dual Pro/LE versions at Helicon | | Spooky Pinball | company | Manufacturer; The Jetsons game noted as rare (only handful of locations worldwide) | | Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Manufacturer; Guns N Roses game recently released, played by author at Helicon for first time | | Heighway Pinball | company | Manufacturer; Full Throttle machine noted as rare, located at Helicon | | The Jetsons | game | Spooky Pinball licensed game; noted as rare (only handful of worldwide locations) | | Full Throttle | game | Heighway Pinball game; noted as rare (only handful of worldwide locations) | | Mandalorian | game | Stern Pinball licensed game; Helicon features both Pro and Limited Edition variants with Beskar Armor cosmetics and tilting upper playfield on LE | | Guns N Roses | game | Jersey Jack Pinball licensed game; described as newest JJP title; author's first location play at Helicon | | Champion Pub | game | DMD-era game in Helicon's collection | | Mustang | game | DMD-era game in Helicon's collection | | Knapp Arcade | organization | Author/content creator conducting arcade location reports | ### Topics - **Primary:** Location scouting and venue quality, Rare and limited-distribution pinball machines, Pittsburgh pinball community and infrastructure - **Secondary:** Mandalorian game variants and collector comparison, Jersey Jack Guns N Roses distribution and availability - **Mentioned:** Brewery and arcade venue integration ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.92) — Author expresses strong enthusiasm for Helicon Brewing's pinball lineup, atmosphere, and overall experience. Uses complimentary language ('legendary', 'true gem', 'pleasantly surprised'). No criticisms noted. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Pittsburgh established as significant competitive/enthusiast pinball hub with multiple strong venues (confidence: high) — Author describes Pittsburgh as 'East Coast capital of pinball' with 'so many amazing locations' - **[competitive_signal]** Helicon positioned as comparison venue for pre-purchase evaluation of Mandalorian variants (confidence: medium) — Author notes: 'This would be a good place for someone who was considering buying a Mando to compare the two models' - **[event_signal]** Helicon Brewing documented as a major pinball destination venue in Pittsburgh with rare machine lineup (confidence: high) — Multiple rare games confirmed in location including Spooky's Jetsons, Heighway's Full Throttle, dual Mandalorians, and JJP Guns N Roses - **[market_signal]** Jersey Jack Guns N Roses distributed to location play venues; early-stage circulation documented (confidence: high) — Game present and playable at Helicon; author notes first location play experience there - **[product_strategy]** Mandalorian Limited Edition features Beskar Armor cosmetics, mirrored backglass, and tilting upper playfield as LE-exclusive features vs. Pro model (confidence: high) — Direct observation: 'Limited Edition with its fancy Beskar Armor, mirrored backglass and tilting upper playfield' --- ## Transcript As I mentioned in my last report, Pittsburgh is the East Coast capital of pinball. There’s so many amazing locations there. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to hit them all. Our second and last stop in Pittsburgh was the legendary Helicon Brewing. The boys were taking a rest that night, so we headed to Helicon after dinner with one of my wife’s college friends. We pulled up, not knowing what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised to see a big building with garage doors open to let in the pleasant night air. We were there mid-week yet the bar area was hoppin’ with people having fun playing a big trivia game. The atmosphere was very festive. Beyond the bar there was huge brewing tanks and TONS of pinball machines. The lineup at Helicon is super strong. They had several games that you’ll only see at a handful of locations in the world, such as the Spooky Pinball-manufactured The Jetsons and Heighway Pinball’s Full Throttle. They also not only had one of the newest pinball machines out there, Stern Pinball’s Mandalorian, but TWO! Both the Pro version AND the Limited Edition with its fancy Beskar Armor, mirrored backglass and tilting upper playfield. This would be a good place for someone who was considering buying a Mando to compare the two models. Helicon was also the first place that I was able to play Jersey Jack’s newest game Guns N Roses. Beyond that, it had a fantastic mix of new and old games, from EMs to solid states to DMD games like Champion Pub and Mustang to newer Sterns and JJPs. My wife and I enjoyed the beverages there. I had a great beer on tap and she tried the mead. The ability to see the inner workings of a brewery like this was a real treat. Helicon is a true gem of the Pittsburgh pinball scene. Thus concluded the Pittsburgh portion of the road trip. Great city. I hope to head back there in the fall. After Pitt, we headed South…with a strategically placed pit stop at another heavy hitter arcade. Talk to you soon. Thanks for reading! _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 12b5414f-9005-4a13-abc9-f317327ded57*