PICTURES OF BROOKLYN'S ORIGINAL PINBALL SPEAKEASY... SUNSHINE LAUNDROMAT

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Feb 14, 2022

Analysis

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TL;DR

Retrospective on Sunshine Laundromat, Brooklyn's iconic pinball speakeasy, with 40+ games and extensive LE collection.

Summary

A retrospective article about Sunshine Laundromat, a hidden speakeasy-style pinball bar in Brooklyn featuring a curated collection of classic and modern pinball machines. The author visited in February 2020 pre-pandemic with family and documented the venue's extensive game library (40+ machines including many Limited Editions) and casual, beer-friendly atmosphere. The venue has since closed but rumors suggest plans for reopening.

Key Claims

Sunshine Laundromat has the most Limited Edition pinball machines in one location the author has seen
high confidence · Author's direct observation during February 2020 visit, noting 8+ specific LE titles present
Stranger Things code was shallow and callouts lacking at time of visit (February 2019)
high confidence · Author's direct gameplay assessment of Stern Stranger Things (Pro model)
Sunshine Laundromat is rumored to be working on reopening
medium confidence · Author states 'Rumor has it that they're working on getting the location back open' but venue remains closed as of article publication date (unspecified but recent)
No Fear and Congo are underrated games
medium confidence · Author's subjective assessment based on personal gameplay experience
Elvira's House of Horrors code was expected to improve significantly with designer Lyman's work
medium confidence · Author predicts 'Lyman will make the code killer' based on early impressions

Notable Quotes

“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.”
Author (Knapp Arcade) @ February 2020 — Describes the iconic hidden entrance design that makes Sunshine Laundromat unique and speakeasy-like
“Sunshine always has the newest and rarest games.”
Author @ February 2020 — Establishes Sunshine's reputation as a curator of premium and hard-to-find machines
“It has the most LEs in one location that I've seen.”
Author @ February 2020 — Quantifies Sunshine's status as an LE collector's destination venue
“Add beer on tap and a cool vibe to the great pins and Sunshine is a must visit pinball location.”
Author @ February 2020 — Final assessment positioning Sunshine as essential destination for pinball enthusiasts
“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.”
Author @ February 2020 — Detailed gameplay critique showing early Stranger Things had mechanical/design issues but layout potential

Entities

Sunshine Laundromatorganization Knapp ArcadepersonStern Stranger ThingsgameStern Elvira's House of HorrorsgameTron: LegacygameBrooklynorganizationLymanperson No Fear: Dangerous Sportsgame

Signals

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collector_signal: Sunshine Laundromat specifically functions as LE pinball collector showcase with 8+ documented LE machines including Batman 66, Beatles Diamond, Deadpool, Jurassic Park, Metallica, AC/DC, LOTR, and others
high · Comprehensive enumeration of LE titles and explicit statement about being highest LE concentration venue author has visited
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event_signal: Sunshine Laundromat operating as significant social/community gathering space for pinball enthusiasts combining beer service, casual play, and rare game access
high · Description of speakeasy atmosphere, family visit, beer on tap, and positioning as must-visit destination
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design_philosophy: Stern Stranger Things criticized for shallow code, weak callouts, and difficult Demigorgon shot mechanic at launch despite positive layout assessment
high · Detailed gameplay critique noting disabled ball lock, impossible center shot, shallow code, and lacking callouts but expressing hope layout will improve
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product_concern: Multiple machines at Sunshine reported as non-functional or broken (The Big Lebowski, Supreme, Pirates of the Caribbean), suggesting maintenance challenges at busy location
medium · Author notes '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'
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venue_signal: Sunshine Laundromat identified as iconic Brooklyn pinball destination with highest concentration of LE machines author has encountered; serves as flagship casual play location for enthusiasts

Topics

Venue operations and closuresprimaryLimited Edition pinball machines as collector itemsprimaryEarly Stern Stranger Things impressions and design criticismsecondaryGame code quality and designer impactsecondaryBrooklyn pinball venue culture and speakeasy conceptprimaryUnderrated games in collector venuesmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— Nostalgia-driven appreciation for pre-pandemic venue experiences and game collection quality; minor criticisms of specific machines (broken games, shallow code) are outweighed by enthusiasm for the venue's overall experience and curated selection

Transcript

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Think back to a world in which no one had to worry about mysterious diseases...exactly two years ago today, February 2020. At the time, no one realized that the crappy virus that would disrupt our lives for the next two years was already secretly running wild in New York City. My two sons and I drove into Brooklyn, NY to meet up with my brother and his girlfriend. We had a glorious day of drinking beer (not my boys lol) and playing pinball in a hidden speakeasy in the back of a laundromat and following it up with eating Mexican food with our hands. Could you imagine doing that now? Hopefully we're slowly getting back to those days. Here's what I had to say about the iconic Sunshine Laundromat at the time. Rumor has it that they're working on getting the location back open, but as I type this the Sunshine speakeasy is still closed... FEBRUARY 2020: “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.