# Sunshine Laundromat - Brooklyn, NY (February 2020)

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2020-02-01  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/sunshine-laundromat-brooklyn-ny-february-2020

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## Analysis

A detailed visit report to Sunshine Laundromat in Brooklyn, NY documenting the venue's extensive pinball collection (40+ machines) as of February 2020, including newly arrived Stern Stranger Things and Elvira machines. The author praises the venue's condition, variety, and atmosphere while noting a few non-functional games and providing initial impressions of recent releases.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Stranger Things code was shallow and lacked call-outs at the time of visit (Feb 2020), but the layout was promising — _Author played it and provided direct feedback: 'the code was a little shallow and the call outs were lacking BUT I like the layout'_
- [HIGH] Elvira LE is already fun and will likely improve with code updates from Lyman (Williams codewriter) — _Direct author observation: 'We also loved the new Elvira. It's already fun and I'm sure that Lyman will make the code killer.'_
- [MEDIUM] Sunshine Laundromat has the most Limited Edition pins in one location the author has seen — _Author's subjective assessment based on visible inventory of 8+ LE games listed_
- [HIGH] The Big Lebowski at Sunshine Laundromat is non-functional ('The Broken Lebowski') — _Author states: 'All of the pins were in great shape and working well, other than The Broken Lebowski (which never works)'_
- [HIGH] Stranger Things had ball lock disabled and Demigorgon shot had accuracy issues at time of visit — _Author notes: 'Yes the ball lock was turned off, yes the Demigorgon shot was impossible to hit the center of'_

### Notable Quotes

> "No sleep 'til BROOKLYN!"
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, Opening
> _Casual opener referencing Beastie Boys song, setting tone for the venue visit_

> "through a door that's disguised as a laundry machine in the back there's a speakeasy-like pinball bar"
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, Early content
> _Key description of Sunshine's unique hidden bar concept_

> "It's already fun and I'm sure that Lyman will make the code killer."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, Mid-content
> _Confidence in upcoming code improvements; references codewriter Lyman_

> "the code was a little shallow and the call outs were lacking BUT I like the layout and I expect it to eventually become a pretty good game"
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, Mid-content
> _Balanced initial assessment of Stranger Things; cautiously optimistic about potential_

> "It has the most LEs in one location that I've seen."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, Late content
> _Highlights Sunshine's LE collection as exceptional among venues_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Sunshine Laundromat | venue | A laundromat and speakeasy-style pinball bar in Brooklyn, NY featuring 40+ pinball machines with emphasis on Limited Edition and newer releases |
| Stern Stranger Things | game | New Stern pinball machine (as of Feb 2020) with Demigorgon-themed shots and ball lock mechanics; initially shallow code but promising layout |
| Stern Elvira's House of Horrors LE | game | Limited Edition Stern release with positive early reception; code expected to improve with Lyman's updates |
| Lyman | person | Stern codewriter responsible for code development and updates; author expresses confidence in his work on Elvira |
| Knapp Arcade | person | Content creator/author visiting venues and reviewing pinball machines |
| Stern Pinball | company | Primary manufacturer represented at Sunshine with majority of games listed (AC/DC, Batman 66, Beatles, Deadpool, Elvira, Game of Thrones, Ghostbusters, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Metallica, Stranger Things, Supreme, TRON: Legacy) |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Boutique manufacturer with two games at Sunshine (Dialed In!, Pirates of the Caribbean, Willy Wonka) |
| Dutch Pinball | company | Manufacturer of The Big Lebowski (2016) at Sunshine; noted as non-functional |
| The Big Lebowski | game | Dutch Pinball game (2016) at Sunshine; chronically non-functional per author |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | game | Jersey Jack Limited Edition (2018) machine at Sunshine; noted as non-functional during visit |
| Supreme | game | Stern machine (2018) at Sunshine; noted as non-functional during visit |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Venue quality and collection curation, New game impressions (Stranger Things, Elvira 2019)
- **Secondary:** Limited Edition game concentration at commercial venue, Code maturity and expectations for updates, Game condition and maintenance issues
- **Mentioned:** Brooklyn pinball community/venues, Classic and vintage game availability

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Author is highly enthusiastic about Sunshine Laundromat as a venue and location. Optimistic about newer games despite noting current limitations. Minor complaints about non-functional machines are presented matter-of-factly and don't diminish overall positive assessment.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Sunshine Laundromat established as a significant pinball destination in Brooklyn with extensive LE collection and well-maintained machines (confidence: high) — Author calls it 'a must visit pinball location' with 'the most LEs in one location that I've seen' and notes 'all of the pins were in great shape and working well'
- **[gameplay_signal]** Three games non-functional at Sunshine during February 2020 visit: The Big Lebowski, Supreme, and Pirates of the Caribbean (confidence: high) — Author explicitly lists: 'All of the pins were in great shape and working well, other than The Broken Lebowski (which never works), Supreme and a Jersey Jack Pirates'
- **[announcement]** Stern Stranger Things and Elvira's House of Horrors confirmed as recent releases available at locations as of February 2020 (confidence: high) — Author states 'I got to play the new Stern Stranger Things for the first time' and 'They have the new Stern Elvira'
- **[product_concern]** Stranger Things exhibited design issues on location hardware including ball lock disabled and Demigorgon shot difficulty (confidence: high) — Author documents: 'Yes the ball lock was turned off, yes the Demigorgon shot was impossible to hit the center of'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Stranger Things initial reception cautiously optimistic despite shallow early code, suggesting developer confidence in improvement potential (confidence: medium) — Author notes 'Stranger Things was better than I expected' despite acknowledging code limitations, and expresses expectation for improvement

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## Transcript

“No sleep ‘til BROOKLYN!” This afternoon my boys and I ventured into Brooklyn, NY to meet up with my brother and his girlfriend at the famous Sunshine Laundromat. Not only is it a legit laundromat, but through a door that’s disguised as a laundry machine in the back there’s a speakeasy-like pinball bar. This place is so cool. Sunshine always has the newest and rarest games. Today I got to play the new Stern Stranger Things for the first time. You know that a game is new if I put in my initials on my first try lol. They have the new Stern Elvira, heck here’s the awesome list of games, courtesy of Pinball Map:

AC/DC (LE) (Stern, 2012)

The Addams Family Gold (Bally, 1994)

Attack From Mars (Bally, 1995)

Batman 66 (LE) (Stern, 2016)

Beatles (Diamond LE) (Stern, 2018)

The Big Lebowski (Dutch, 2016)

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Williams, 1993)

Cactus Canyon (Bally, 1998)

Congo (Williams, 1995)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (Bally, 1992)

Deadpool (LE) (Stern, 2018)

Dialed In! (Jersey Jack, 2017)

Elvira's House of Horrors (LE) (Stern, 2019)

Funhouse (Williams, 1990)

Game of Thrones (Pro) (Stern, 2015)

Ghostbusters (LE) (Stern, 2016)

Guardians of the Galaxy (Pro) (Stern, 2017)

Judge Dredd (Bally, 1993)

Jurassic Park (LE) (Stern, 2019)

Lord of the Rings (LE) (Stern, 2009)

Medieval Madness (Williams, 1997)

Metallica (Master of Puppets - LE) (Stern, 2013)

Monster Bash (Williams, 1998)

NBA Fastbreak (Bally, 1997)

No Fear: Dangerous Sports (Williams, 1995)

Pirates of the Caribbean (LE) (Jersey Jack, 2018)

Scared Stiff (Bally, 1996)

SlugFest (Williams, 1991)

Stranger Things (Pro) (Stern, 2019)

Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World (Gottlieb, 1992)

Supreme (Stern, 2018)

TRON: Legacy (LE) (Stern, 2011)

Tales of the Arabian Nights (Williams, 1996)

Theatre of Magic (Bally, 1995)

Twilight Zone (Bally, 1993)

White Water (Williams, 1993)

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (LE) (Jersey Jack, 2019)

World Cup Soccer (Bally, 1994)

All of the pins were in great shape and working well, other than The Broken Lebowski (which never works), Supreme and a Jersey Jack Pirates. Three pretty cool games, but there was so much else to play that it didn’t matter. I got to play Super Mario Mushroom World for the first time. We played a ton of No Fear and Congo. Two super underrated games. We also loved the new Elvira. It’s already fun and I’m sure that Lyman will make the code killer. Stranger Things was better than I expected. Yes the ball lock was turned off, yes the Demigorgon shot was impossible to hit the center of and yes the code was a little shallow and the call outs were lacking BUT I like the layout and I expect it to eventually become a pretty good game. How awesome does that Tron LE look? The 3D translite and lit ramps are fire 🔥. In face, Sunshine has lots of Limited Edition pins, including Deadpool, Jurassic Park, Beatles Diamond, Lord of the Rings, Batman 66, Metallica, AC/DC, and in and on. It has the most LEs in one location that I’ve seen. Add beer on tap and a cool vibe to the great pins and Sunshine is a must visit pinball location.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: b5248231-0178-4b4f-bc0a-234e5f9a49a7*