# Rock Fantasy - Middletown, NY (June 2021)

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2021-08-24  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/rock-fantasy-middletown-ny-june-2021

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## Analysis

Knapp Arcade visit to Rock Fantasy in Middletown, NY documents the resurgence of location pinball play post-pandemic. The author and his son played recent Stern releases (Mandalorian, TMNT, Led Zeppelin, Heavy Metal) and classic machines across multiple eras. The venue features a robust 40+ game lineup and benefits from proximity to a newly opened brewery, positioning it as a destination location.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Mandalorian (Pro) plays great and is not a disappointment, with tons of shots and great show footage and music — _Knapp Arcade author, firsthand gameplay experience at Rock Fantasy_
- [HIGH] Heavy Metal was fun to play but not worth the $8,000 purchase price — _Knapp Arcade author, firsthand gameplay and pricing knowledge_
- [MEDIUM] TMNT Pro at Rock Fantasy played extremely fast, possibly faster than other units — _Knapp Arcade author observation; notes uncertainty about whether this is machine-specific or universal_
- [MEDIUM] The Mandalorian (Pro) upper playfield has similar ball hop issues to Black Knight Sword of Rage (Premium) before the kit was released — _Knapp Arcade author, technical observation based on gameplay_
- [HIGH] Rock Fantasy new location is better than its iconic first location, with more room for games — _Knapp Arcade author, venue comparison_
- [HIGH] IFPA tournaments are starting back up soon post-pandemic — _Knapp Arcade author statement about industry recovery_

### Notable Quotes

> "Man how I missed playing pins on location."
> — **Knapp Arcade**
> _Reflects pandemic's impact on location pinball play and community engagement_

> "And for those who are saying that The Mandalorian is a disappointment, Fooey. That's a bunch of nonsense. The game plays great!"
> — **Knapp Arcade**
> _Counters negative sentiment about Mandalorian Pro; identifies this as an emerging controversy in community_

> "Is the latter worth the eight grand that it sold for? No…but it was still fun."
> — **Knapp Arcade**
> _Candid assessment of Heavy Metal's value proposition at premium price point_

> "I can see how co-op mode would be a blast to play it with four people. Stern has done a great job at adding other game types to its new pins, like Jurassic's Escape Nublar Challenge."
> — **Knapp Arcade**
> _Notes Stern's strategy of adding diversified game modes beyond traditional pinball to recent releases_

> "This trip to play location pinball again has completely energized me."
> — **Knapp Arcade**
> _Signals broader community sentiment about pandemic recovery and return to location play_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Rock Fantasy | venue | Pinball arcade and music/smoke shop in Middletown, NY with 40+ game lineup; described as 'World Famous' venue |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of multiple machines discussed: Mandalorian, TMNT, Led Zeppelin, Heavy Metal, and classic titles |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Manufacturer of remakes at the venue: Attack From Mars (2017), Medieval Madness (2016), Monster Bash (2018) |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Rob Zombie's Spookshow International (2016) at Rock Fantasy |
| Knapp Arcade | media | Content creator and news publication analyzing location pinball venues and industry trends |
| IFPA | organization | International Flipper Pinball Association; hosts tournaments resuming post-pandemic |
| Equilibrium Brewery | venue | Newly opened brewery and tasting room adjacent to Rock Fantasy, creating destination experience |
| Pinball Map | organization | Resource site documenting machine lineups at pinball venues |
| Carl Weathers | person | Actor providing voice/call-outs in Mandalorian pinball machine |
| Williams | company | Historic manufacturer of classic machines at Rock Fantasy (Cyclone, Gorgar, Tales of Arabian Nights, Swords of Fury, The Machine) |
| Bally | company | Historic manufacturer of machines at Rock Fantasy (Addams Family, Creature from Black Lagoon, Fireball Classic, etc.) |
| Gottlieb | company | Historic manufacturer of machines at Rock Fantasy (Devil's Dare, Genie, Rock) |

### Signals

- **[venue_signal]** Rock Fantasy reopened post-pandemic with expanded capacity (new location) and curated 40+ game lineup. Author documents renewed enthusiasm for location play and plans increased venue coverage. (confidence: high) — Author states 'Location Pinball is Back!' and 'This trip to play location pinball again has completely energized me. I was getting tired of posting old retread pictures and news stories about locations struggling.'
- **[community_signal]** Return to location pinball play represents broader industry recovery. IFPA tournaments resuming, operator networks reactivating, community engagement increasing. (confidence: high) — Author notes 'IFPA tournaments are even starting back up soon' and plans 'many more arcade reports here this summer' as industry normalizes
- **[sentiment_shift]** Contrarian positive take on Mandalorian Pro counters visible negative sentiment in community. Author explicitly defends game against 'those who are saying that The Mandalorian is a disappointment.' (confidence: medium) — Author states 'And for those who are saying that The Mandalorian is a disappointment, Fooey. That's a bunch of nonsense. The game plays great!' indicating active community criticism being addressed
- **[product_concern]** Mandalorian Pro exhibits ball hop deficiency on upper playfield, similar to known issue on Black Knight Premium pre-fix kit. This impacts playability and flipper accessibility. (confidence: medium) — Author notes 'the upper playfield seemed to suffer from the same lack of necessary ball hop to reach the flipper that Black Knight Premiums did before the kit was released'
- **[gameplay_signal]** Mandalorian praised for extensive shot count, show integration, music, voice calls, and design variety. Tight center shot adds difficulty variance. Game mechanics support multiple play styles. (confidence: high) — Author notes 'The game plays great! Would it be nice if Baby Yoda was more interactive... But overall Mando was the highlight... It has tons of shots, tremendous footage from the show, great music and cool call outs from Carl Weathers.'
- **[market_signal]** Heavy Metal sold at $8,000 price point but author questions value proposition despite acknowledging gameplay fun. Signals premium pricing ceiling concerns. (confidence: medium) — Author asks 'Is the latter worth the eight grand that it sold for? No…but it was still fun.'
- **[design_innovation]** Stern adding diversified game modes beyond traditional pinball: TMNT features co-op mode (4-player capable), Jurassic Park has Escape Nublar Challenge mode. Strategy to broaden casual appeal. (confidence: high) — Author observes 'I can see how co-op mode would be a blast to play on it with four people. Stern has done a great job at adding other game types to its new pins, like Jurassic's Escape Nublar Challenge.'
- **[operational_signal]** TMNT Pro at Rock Fantasy plays notably faster than author's prior experience, suggesting possible setup/tuning variance or playfield wear differences across units. (confidence: medium) — Author states 'The TNMT that was at Rock Fantasy seemed to play SUPER fast to us. I'm not sure if they're all like that or of it was just this one.'
- **[venue_signal]** Rock Fantasy's new location benefits from partnership ecosystem (adjacent Equilibrium Brewery with food/drink), positioning as all-day entertainment destination vs. standalone venue. (confidence: high) — Author notes 'Equilibrium Brewery just opened a new tasting room / brewery with food next door. Playing some pins then grabbing a few beers next door would make for one heck of a great day.'
- **[content_signal]** Knapp Arcade planning expanded venue coverage and location reporting post-pandemic. Generating Instagram content from venue visits to feed growing audience. (confidence: high) — Author states 'And now I have tons of cool pictures for the Knapp Arcade Instagram account... Look for many more arcade reports here this summer.'

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## Transcript

Sound the trumpets and ring the alarm because…Location Pinball is Back! My youngest son and I made the hour trip to Middletown, NY to visit the World Famous Rock Fantasy music store, smoke shop and most importantly pinball venue. 

Man how I missed playing pins on location. The silver lining of not having done so for so long is there’s lots of new (to us) games to play when you finally do. This afternoon we put our first ever games on Stern Pinball’s Mandalorian Pro, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pro, Led Zeppelin Pro and Heavy Metal pinball machines. Not bad for one day! 

I’m probably not the right person to ask for an opinion on those games because I love almost all pinball (besides Rob Zombie). I was very pleasantly surprised by how much fun Led Zeppelin and Heavy Metal were. Is the latter worth the eight grand that it sold for? No…but it was still fun. 

And for those who are saying that The Mandalorian is a disappointment, Fooey. That’s a bunch of nonsense. The game plays great! Would it be nice if Baby Yoda was more interactive and more integrated, obviously. Also, the upper playfield seemed to suffer from the same lack of necessary ball hop to reach the flipper that Black Knight Premiums did before the kit was released. But overall Mando was the highlight of the new pins for us. It has tons of shots, tremendous footage from the show, great music and cool call outs from Carl Carl Weathers. The center shot to bring the ball up top is a little tight and steep, but some shots on a game should be. Great game. I’d definitely buy one if I didn’t already have something else on order. 

The TNMT that was at Rock Fantasy seemed to play SUPER fast to us. I’m not sure if they’re all like that or of it was just this one. Again I really liked it (no I’m not being paid by Stern, if anything it’s the opposite, so I can’t be called a shill). I can see how co-op mode would be a blast to play on it with four people. Stern has done a great job at adding other game types to its new pins, like Jurassic’s Escape Nublar Challenge. 

Beyond the new games, Rock Fantasy had its usual awesome lineup. My sons and I put several games on X-Men because we haven’t played it much in the past. We also played quite a bit of Black Knight because for some reason I can never get enough of it. Here’s the whole lineup (according to the fantastic Pinball Map site):

AC/DC (Premium) (Stern, 2012)

The Addams Family (Bally, 1992)

Aerosmith (Pro) (Stern, 2017)

Attack From Mars (Remake LE) (Chicago Gaming, 2017)

Batman 66 (Premium) (Stern, 2016)

Beatles (Stern, 2018)

Black Knight: Sword of Rage (Premium) (Stern, 2019)

Cheetah (Stern, 1980)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (Bally, 1992)

Cyclone (Williams, 1988)

Devil's Dare (Gottlieb, 1982)

Dolly Parton (Bally, 1978)

Elvira and the Party Monsters (Bally, 1989)

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

Evel Knievel (Bally, 1977)

Fireball Classic (Bally, 1984)

Game of Thrones (Premium) (Stern, 2015)

Genie (Gottlieb, 1979)

Gorgar (Williams, 1979)

Heavy Metal (Stern, 2020)

Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (Premium) (Stern, 2018)

Jurassic Park (Premium) (Stern, 2019)

Kiss (Stern, 2015)

Kiss (Bally, 1978)

Led Zeppelin (Pro) (Stern, 2020)

The Machine: Bride of Pin-Bot (Williams, 1991)

Medieval Madness (Remake) (Chicago Gaming, 2016)

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

Monster Bash (Remake LE) (Chicago Gaming, 2018)

The Munsters (Pro) (Stern, 2019)

Rob Zombie's Spookshow International (Spooky Pinball, 2016)

Rock (Gottlieb, 1985)

The Rolling Stones (Stern, 2011)

Rolling Stones (Bally, 1979)

Star Trek (Premium) (Stern, 2013)

Swords Of Fury (Williams, 1988)

Tales of the Arabian Nights (Williams, 1996)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Pro) (Stern, 2020)

The Walking Dead (Premium) (Stern, 2015)

World Cup Soccer (Bally, 1994)

X-Men (Pro) (Stern, 2012)

Man, what a list! I eliminated the game’s that weren’t there today or were off. 

As much as I liked Rock Fantasy’s iconic first location, I honestly think that it’s new place is better. It seems like there’s room for more games now. Equilibrium Brewery just opened a new tasting room / brewery with food next door. Playing some pins then grabbing a few beers next door would make for one heck of a great day. 

This trip to play location pinball again has completely energized me. I was getting tired of posting old retread pictures and news stories about locations struggling. I’m so happy that things are slowly getting back to normal. IFPA tournaments are even starting back up soon. Look for many more arcade reports here this summer. And now I have tons of cool pictures for the Knapp Arcade Instagram account (link below). If you haven’t checked it out already, stop by. That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

https://www.instagram.com/knapparcade/?hl=en

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: c0aa3edf-1f9e-4c1d-8aed-784711f23bd5*