NudgeMatch: Headphones Vs No Headphones in Pinball
Rick Brewster (No Headphones) Vs Doc (Headphones)
2024 has already been a contentious year. There’s an election, there’s TWIPY drama, and yes – THE RETURN OF THE NUDGE MATCH. If y’all flip back to page 36 of Issue 2 of Nudge, you’ll find two young kings (Doc and Rick Brewster) representing the eternal yin and yang of pinball: Does Theme Matter? Of course, I was right on that one (Doc) – but a recent development has spurred yet another round of NudgeMatch: my recent adoption of headphones into my tournament playstyle.
I’ve realized early on in my life as a shitty competitive pinball player that little advantages matter. I won’t frontload why listening to music is awesome for me before the match, but suffice to say wearing headphones is a gamechanger for me. On the other hand, Rick thinks they look dumb. So let’s get into it.
Doc: Who cares if you look dumb? We ALL look dumb. It’s pinball.
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve judged people for wearing headphones while playing pinball. Yes, there is just something about that look that makes it feel like you’re going to be separated from the other kids in 2nd grade. I get it. But here’s the thing, EVERYONE looks kinda ridiculous playing pinball. You probably know people who do weirder stuff than wear earbuds to league night. Stork styles, weird kicks, and yelling are the norm in this game. Most league nights seem like a night out from SOME kinda ward. We all look goofy, who gives a fuck?
Rick: Wait, did I say that?
I don’t think I ever said wearing headphones looks dumb playing pinball? Shit, even if you’re rocking the fingerless gloves and headlamp combo, you do you. Doc’s out here trying to throw me under the bus before we even get started! It does look pretty dumb when you’re headbanging with headphones in and proceed to tilt out of a multiball because you couldn’t hear you were taking tilt warnings, though. And then we all get to see that blank stare at the DMD for about 8 seconds too long, wondering what happened, when everyone behind you both heard and saw the unnecessary dangers you were taking. Maybe Norwegian Black Metal gets you going like nothing else and into your pinball ~zone~, but not hearing the game is at least a slight disadvantage you’ll need to account for in tournament play. What other allegations you got for me, Doc?
Doc: Great, so we’re in agreement
If we don’t care about the look, then I literally can’t think of an argument against headphones. Music is awesome, and it fuels me when I play pinball. There’s nothing better than plunging a ball 3 against a local rival in JP and blasting Constant Insult as I absolutely decimate their score. I can’t remember one time even close to tilting out because I couldn’t hear it. If anything, it heightens your senses. Good music is a skill multiplier. I track the ball better, I feel the flippers better, I play better.
We believe in it so much, that I’ve proposed the Nudge Playlist Finals as a possible tournament format. Last round, not only do you get “walk up” music like in baseball, we blast the player’s playlist over the PA as they play their last balls. I wanna see Eric Stone mash a trilly on Jaws while blaring Gangster’s Paradise. Can’t you see the vision? That’s how important music is. That’s what headphones bring you.
Rick: No arguments against headphones? Take your headphones off and listen to ‘em!
Just because you haven’t tilted out of a game with headphones in doesn't mean others don’t. Play more tournaments. It’ll happen to you too! Music may heighten your pinball senses, but it won’t heighten your ability to hear the game. Pinball audio is a key piece of telling you what to do when, and offers an opportunity to not even look up from your flippers during a 4-ball multiball because you can hear what you’re supposed to do, and not have it drowned out with your favorite ABBA track. Doc, you seem like a Dancing Queen guy.
There’s another argument to be made against headphones: the pure, unadulterated disappointment of waiting 15 minutes to play your ball, queuing up your favorite jam, and draining in about 12 seconds is the worst. Having to pull your headphones before the first verse even starts is insult to injury - it sucks all the life out of that song you wanted to hear while hitting jackpots, because an outlane had something to say first. Just let me hear that game audio. It’s less painful. Now, walkup music on ball 3 playing for the bar - I can get behind that!
Doc: Keep your laws off my body
All this sounds like to me is some busybody worrying about how I play pinball, when what they SHOULD be worried about is their own damned selves! You’re worried about me queuing up my fave song and then having the ball instantly power drain? I gotta newsflash: It feels about the same as when you do it without your own music.
Point being: the JOYS of playing with music far outstrip the pain one might experience from the odd tilt or missing a music queue. The good thing about playing moderns? You’re getting those cues in a number of different ways – from the LCD to the light show. I’ve never felt like I missed out on anything because I had my headphones in, which I CAN’T say about the times I forgot my headphones and had to raw dog reality. So what’s the real problem here, Rick? Who hurt you?
Rick: Bruh. Read my first paragraph!
As previously stated: I don’t give a shit what you rock! Headphones, gloves, a headlamp, a VR headset, whatever gets you in your zone. Do what you need to do to find your pinball zen. Just be aware there’s at least a small trade-off to be aware of if you throw headphones on. Geez, Doc. I’m not coming at your life here.
Raw-dogging reality may sound like a fever dream to you Doc, but it’s not the nightmare you think it is. Hearing the people behind you talk about your play can be a weapon, not just a distraction. Embrace it. Drop into the conversation about you bricking the O shot on JP that the drunk guys behind you think you can’t hear. Talk some shit. And then hit it. It’s pinball. You don’t need to be Tiger Woods-intense out here at your local strikes tourney. Have some fun with it!
Doc: I get it. And I apologize to David Thiel
While I understand where you’re coming from, I’ll never agree with it. To me, whatever I’m trading isn’t really that valuable to me in the first place. I don’t wanna hear what these fart breaths have to say during our games. Between games? Sure, riff the hell outta the joint – but during a game I have nothing to say anyway.
The one area that DOES give me pause is the aspect of sound design in pinball. I really do appreciate how well Pulp Fiction integrates music, callouts, and sound effects to create an entirely unique experience. That WOULD suffer if you couldn’t hear it. The problem is, I’m rarely playing these games in a hermetically sealed environment. They’re arcades, and they’re loud AF. So, apologies to David Thiel – I’ll appreciate your genius on any of the games I find in my friends’ basements.
Rick: Sometimes you can barely hear a game, I’ll give you that
Playing pinball in the wild is the way pinball is intended to be played, but the ambience of that wilderness can render hearing a game moot. There’s not much value in trying to hear callouts if all you’re hearing is blaring music and people are shout-talking to each other behind you. You can’t control those variables. Jersey Jack isn’t sponsoring this piece, but this might be a good place for an embedded ad about plugging or connecting your headphones into a game. I’ve never actually done it, but heck, that’s a decent use case. I guess I already know to shoot the bad guy on Godfather, though.
This is the section where I concede some ground to you (but just don’t tell anyone else): sure, there’s a time and a place for headphones at tourneys. After 12 hours of competitive pinball at District 82, yeah, my Memphis rap mix during round 13 of target matchplay sounds better than a cacophony of chimes, beeps, and that annoying cackle from Tales From the Crypt - trade-offs be damned. It’s a tool; but use it as a tool, not as a crutch.
Doc: Winner, No headphones (sometimes). I betrayed myself.
In the end, we came to a consensus, and for that I’ll take the L. I should never have let reason into this discussion, that’s rule one of any debate. All feelings, no facts, whoever yells loudest wins. That’s my bad. That one is on me.
Headphones peeps, you’re my people, and it’ll always be my default – but in the end it’s probably best to get out there every once in a while to meet your fellow pinballers. Sure, you’ll probably hate a good chunk of them right off the bat, but that’s no reason to recede from life. That said, keep the earbuds in the pocket. No one said you have to KEEP talking to them.
