Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective Showcase: Australian Kong Off VI and Brisbane Pinball Masters

Overview

Sinking beers, mashing buttons: now that's a winning combo. It's the whole reason that pubs have long had pinball machines and arcade games. It's why bars wholly dedicated to boozy pinball and arcade gaming exist, and seem to keep popping up. And it's why BrewDog's riverside Brisbane brewery will play host to more than 70 pinball machines and 40 classic arcade games — and Nintendo 64 competitions as well — for the third year running this July.

The occasion: the Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective Showcase: Australian Kong Off VI and Brisbane Pinball Masters. That's what on at BrewDog DogTap at Murarrie from Friday, July 14–Sunday, July 23. There are multiple parts to it, but whether you're keen to play or to watch others attempt impressive feats — or you're just a fan of the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters — you'll want to head on down.

Watching is an option every day — and so is entering the competitions, as long as there are tickets available. Across Saturday, July 15–Sunday, July 16, the Australian Kong Off VI will take place. No, there's no prizes for guessing which game is being played.

Keen to press buttons yourself, but just casually? From Monday, July 17–Wednesday, July 19, you can score unlimited gaming at over 100 machines for $10.

Then, on Friday, July 21, the Australian Women's Pinball Championship will be held — followed by the Australian Arcade Champs IV from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23, as well as the Brisbane Pinball Masters from Saturday, July 22–Sunday, July 23.

The Brisbane Pinball and Arcade Collective is running the fun, Netherworld and 1UP Arcade are also behind the action, and BrewDog is doing a special beer for the event, naturally: an Italian-style pilsner.