In the coming weeks, just down the road from Netherworld, we’ll see the biggest gathering of pinball and arcade enthusiasts the county has ever seen!
This year has seen the formation of the Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective (BPAC for short) – a not for profit group dedicated to spreading the good word of arcades. It’s led by Jimmy Nails, one of the brains behind Netherworld along with local gaming enthusiasts and representatives from Pincadia, Pinball Haus and 1-Up Freeplay Arcade. Not wasting any time, the team have organised to host a variety of amazing events in a dedicated 400 square metre space during this year’s Ekka Royal Queensland Show down the road.
It’ll be host to the 2019 Brisbane Pinball Masters, the Australian Kong Off 3, the inaugural Australian Arcade Championships, the QUEENS-land Womens Pinball Competition and more! Many of the more than 50 pinball machines and 20 arcade machines will be available to the public for play over this time.
Thanks to the support provided by Hutchinsons Builders, AMD, Game The System, NAMOA, Noodeshirt and the involved venues, BPAC will host some extremely special guests – stars of the classic documentary ‘The King of Kong’ Billy Mitchell and Walter Day, star of ‘The King Of Arcades’ and Kong Off founder Richie Knucklez, as well as dead set pinball legends Bowen Kerins, Steve Richie & Jessica Lea DeNardo.
The events will be held between the 9th and 18th of August next to the Stockmen’s Bar throughout Ekka. The general public can pop by anytime to play available machines or follow along with the action, though if you’re interested in getting involved in any of the events – hit up bnepac.org. All event tickets get you free entry into Ekka and can be found by searching ‘BPAC’ over at eventbrite.com.au.
Australian Kong Off 3 – Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th
Previously in the Netherworld, the Aussie Kong Off will move to the Ekka for it’s 3rd round! Like previous years, we’ll be joined by Kong fanatic and founder Richie Knucklez, along with the stars of The King of Kong Billy Mitchell and Walter Day (And yes, Billy will be bringing along some hot sauce to sell)! Absolutely everyone is welcome to get involved and put down a score on the 10th, with the top 16 players going through to the finals on the Sunday. If competing isn’t your thing and you’d just like to come meet any of these legends of Donkey Kong, just grab a ticket to the Ekka and come spend some time in the BPAC arcade during this time!
Brisbane Pinball Masters – Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th – Sold Out
A gathering of 150+ of Australia’s best pinball players, the 5th Brisbane Pinball Masters is getting bigger and better – now officially part of the Stern Pro Pinball Circuit! Played over two days, players will play 7 rounds of the match play to qualify, with the top 72 heading into the finals on the Sunday. Special guests Bowen Kerins and Steve Richie.
Mortal Kombat 2 Tournament – Saturday 17th
We welcome special guest Steve Richie, the voice of Shao Kahn himself to oversee the ultimate FIGHT! Entry is $30 and includes a limited Shao Kahn MK2 patch.
Australian Arcade Championships – Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th
The first AAC will happen simultaneously with the Brisbane Pinball Masters, focusing on classic arcade gaming of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. A wide variety of games will be available to compete on, with a player’s best 5 scores contributing to their final rank.
QUEENS-land Women’s Pinball Championship – Friday 16th
Hosted by Jessica Lea DeNardo and Pincadia’s Tanya Lowe, this pinball comp invites self identified women and non-binary persons to get involved for an afternoon tournament.
Classics Pinball Comp – Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th
What it says on the box. This tournament will focus on vintage machines of the 70’s and 80’s. They were meaner, leaner and simpler!
What else is happening?
There’s a slew of other events happening, including family friendly comps, kids training sessions, casual comps and more! You can check out the full lineup over at bnepac.org.
Whether you take part in an event or not, come say hi to us and the rest of the BPAC massive any day of the Ekka in between checking out the giant pumpkins and dog shows!