New Wave and Goth Pinball Games from Argentina
|If you thought Roman Polanski and Woody Allen were odd bedfellows for pinball game toys, things are about to get even stranger. (And by “stranger,” I mean “more awesome”.)
Once again, we refer to the spectacular and confounding collection of pinball games from Argentina offered on eBay by morethantazos:
This kind of toy has been made in our country for a long time. They were used in several ways: Gumball and cereal premiums. Gifts for birthday parties. Funfair prizes, and gifts at small circuses.
Nothing says “good morning” like opening your cereal box to find a spinning top emblazoned with Joy Division’s Ian Curtis (who had epilepsy and later hung himself).
Looking through these games, many questions are left unanswered:
- What’s the Age of Consent to play the Bronski Beat pinball game?
- Who precisely comprises the target audience for a Cocteau Twins pinball game?
- Does anyone else remember The Bolshoi or Sigue Sigue Sputnik?
- When the Argentinians made the Dead or Alive spinning top, did they pat themselves on the back because of Dead or Alive’s biggest hit (“You Spin Me Round”)? Do Argentinians like puns?
- Were Alien Sex Fiend and Xmal Deutschland big in Argentina?
- Is any of this stuff really licensed, vintage product? And does it even matter?
It doesn’t matter to me. I’m just glad someone out there can play pinball with The Smiths.
Rings go for $5.99, spinning tops go for $14.99, pinball toy games go for $19.99 and “special” premium toys like Trouble, Tic-Tac-Toe and Dominoes are $39.99 here. Please click through for a colossal curated gallery of my favorites.
- Joy Division pinball
- Joy Division ring
- Joy Division top
- Kraftwerk pinball
- Kraftwerk ring
- Kraftwerk top
- Alien Sex Fiend
- Alien Sex Fiend
- Alien Sex Fiend
- Smiths pinball
- Smiths ring
- Smiths top
- The Cure pinball
- The Cure ring
- The Cure top
- Stone Roses pinball
- Stone Roses ring
- Stone Roses ring
- The Bolshoi pinball
- The Bolshoi ring
- The Bolshoi top
- Bronski Beat
- Bronski Beat
- Bronski Beat
- Frankie Goes 2 Hollywood
- Frankie Goes 2 Hollywood
- Frankie Goes 2 Hollywood
- Echo and the Bunnymen
- Echo and the Bunnymen
- Echo and the Bunnymen
- DEVO pinball
- DEVO ring
- DEVO Dominos
- Jane’s Addiction pinball
- Jane’s Addiction ring
- Jane’s Addiction top
- Pixies pinball
- Pixies ring
- Pixies top
- Soft Cell pinball
- Soft Cell ring
- Soft Cell top
- Alphaville
- The B-52s
- Cocteau Twins
- Dead Can Dance
- Dead or Alive
- Gary Numan
- Jesus and Mary Chain
- Lords of the New Church
- Pet Shop Boys
- Psychedelic Furs
- Sigue Sigue Sputnik
- Siouxsie
- Sisters of Mercy
- Spandau Ballet