CLEPin 2024: The Premiere Pinball Convention in Cleveland

I've had the pleasure of visiting numerous pinball events throughout this year, and whether it's a case of hometown pride or a testament to the strength of the convention, the 2024 Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show was easily one of my favorites. Founded and organized by Don Johnson, the convention is held at the tail end of every summer, and now in its ninth year of operation, the show continues to improve and impress. Offering an outstanding variety of pinball and arcade games, vendors, tournaments, and panels, CLEPin 2024 was bursting at the seams with blissful entertainment.

Eager to engage with the long list of new and returning activities, I recently took a trip to Independence, Ohio, (just outside of downtown Cleveland) to check out the show. As is common with the pinball community, I was welcomed by friendly faces, hearty competition, and no shortage of gleeful gameplay. Simply put, the Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show is one of the best places to celebrate retro gaming, whether you're an arcade fiend, a pinball fanatic, or are just looking for a dose of childhood nostalgia.

So Many Games, So Little Time

As always, the main freeplay room of CLEPin 2024 was overflowing with machines; around 120 different titles, for anyone counting. In the proverbial sea of games, you could indulge in a classic Williams like Fish Tales, scoot over to play a lesser-seen pin like Hook by Data East, and finish up on a beautiful, limited-edition modern Stern. A sampling of the newest games was provided by Compulsive Pinball, including James Bond 60th Anniversary Pinball, Elvira's House of Horrors Blood Red Kiss Edition, and the brand-new, black-and-white, Godzilla 70th Anniversary Pinball. In a booth nearby, Mad Pinball also came to play with a collection of rare and unique pins, such as Barry O's Barbecue Challenge and the infamous Punny Factory.

Arcade games were also abundant, including all-time classics like Donkey Kong, Galaga, and Ms. Pac-Man, as well as multiplayer masterpieces like Smash TV and Track & Field. Embracing an attitude of arcade dominance, I had an especially fun time chasing high scores with friends on games like Centipede, but was humbled in due time as far better players surpassed my best efforts. Adding even more arcade enjoyment, a special side room housed several fighting game cabs, ranging from Ultimate Mortal Kombat III to Marvel vs. Capcom. Modern console setups were also available, courtesy of Top Level Gaming, offering titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Street Fighter 6, and more.

I couldn't spend the weekend at CLEPin 2024 without hunting down the rarest and most expensive games in the building, and after doing a bit of digging, I was pleased as punch by what I found. In terms of arcade offerings, vendor Brian Johnson brought two incredibly rare Williams machines: Direct Hit and Still Crazy.

A one-of-a-kind prototype that was never brought to production, Direct Hit tasks players with precisely controlling a pneumatic system to keep a ball afloat. It's much more fun than it sounds. Still Crazy is a vertical, four-flipper pinball game that's remarkably fun to play and beautifully illustrated, but out of the 12 machines that were made, only a handful remain. Being able to play these ultra-rare games while Brian explained the history behind them was an absolute highlight of the show, and wouldn't be possible anywhere else.

I was also wowed by a handful of pinball machines, specifically a few stunning restorations. It was a pleasure to play the extremely rare 1984 conversion, Dark Rider, provided by Stephen Prusa of Prusa Pinball LLC, as well as his gorgeous copy of Bally's Voltan Escapes Cosmic Doom.

Yet another highlight was a particularly pretty and purple copy of Cirqus Voltaire, which was appropriately crowned Game of the Show, and was a dream to play. Between these hidden gems and the overwhelming selection of other machines, I was simply spoiled for choice during my four days at CLEPin 2024.

A Competitive Player's Dream

The Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show has always been a major destination for serious competitive players, but this year, things were really taken up a notch. In total, there were six unique tournaments, including four IFPA-backed Opens and one IFPA Women's circuit event, along with a casual Junior's tournament. The biggest tournament of the weekend was the Stern Pro Circuit CLEPin Main tournament, which saw over 100 players compete in an unlimited Best Card qualifying round before the PAPA-stylel play-offs. The CLEPin Classics tournament returned as well, offering Herb-style qualifying on EMs and solid-state machines. Both tournaments were run by Tommy Beezie and Jeffrey Dickson, and together with a squad of helpful volunteers, made for a smooth and enjoyable competitive experience. Better still, all of the action was streamed live to Twitch, thanks to NEOPinball, which I enjoyed keeping up with the entire weekend.

Although I managed to squeak my way into the top 40 players for the Stern Pro Circuit tournament, I was eliminated in the first round of play-offs, after being saddled against a group of seasoned masters including Carlos DeLaSerda, Zak Bowers, and Nick Greenen. Fighting their way through finals, four players nabbed podium positions in the main event, with Aleksander Kaczmarczyk earning first place, while Raymond Davidson, Gregory Kennedy, and John Inman finished in second, third, and fourth respectively. In the Classics winner's circle, Gregory Kennedy clutched up a big first-place finish, with David Riel, Nick Kennedy, and Greg DeFeo bringing home second, third, and fourth.

For the first time, CLEPin also had a standalone VIP lounge, which housed a great collection of pins and several additional competitive events over the weekend. Removed from the hustle and bustle of the main floor, I spent a significant chunk of time competing in the VIP lounge tournaments, organized by Kim Martinez of Marco Pinball. There were three extra tournaments in total, including the casual “Back to CLEPin” Thursday night Target Match Play, a sociable “Friday Night Open Mixer” progressive strikes tourney, and the late-night, mini high-stakes “Witching Hour” tournament at 12 AM on Saturday night. This series of tournaments was a refreshing change of pace in comparison to the main room, where players could compete in a less intense environment, all while kicking back with friends in a friendly, pinball party atmosphere.

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It wouldn't be the Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show without the Annual Women's Royal Rumble Tournament, which was also hosted in the VIP lounge and organized by Kim Martinez. This excellent showcase of top-tier Women's pinball competition was streamed live on Twitch by SDTMPinball, who also provided streaming for all of the other VIP lounge events. Now in its fourth year, the Royal Rumble continues to see increased turnout, with 50 women competing in a 5-hour Match Play qualifying round before an intense, top 16 ladders match finals. After a full day of competition, Samantha Bacon emerged as the Royal Rumble Champion, with Nicole Turk, Desiree Lewis, and Amy Virostko earning second, third, and fourth respectively.

CLEPin is Better Every Year

The 2024 Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show was absolutely awesome and I'm already excited to return next year. It's a show that feels bustling and excitable, but simultaneously wholesome and cozy. Between the Stern Pro Circuit event and the immensely well-received tournaments in the VIP lounge, there was an ample amount of competition, while the freeplay room offered a bounty of gaming entertainment. Some of my favorite memories came not just from competitive play, but also casual fun with friends throughout the weekend. Whether it was prior Ohio pinball champion Rod Lawrence teaching me how to play the classic arcade game, Mr. Do!, Carlos DeLaSerda beating me to a pulp on Ultimate Mortal Kombat III, or spending time on pinball commentary with my booth buds, CLEPin 2024 made for some unforgettable moments.

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Every year, the Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show gets better and better, and with the tenth anniversary coming up, CLEPin 2025 is sure to be spectacular. If you haven't attended this crazy good convention yet, consider making some space in your calendar next September to come and check it out. It's a guaranteed good time for gamers and pinballers of any age or skill level, so wrangle up some friends and don't miss next year's festivities!