Competitive pinball grows in Las Cruces

The crack of pinballs ricocheting off bumpers mixed with cheers and laughter as players gathered around glowing machines inside Rad Retrocade on a recent afternoon. What looks like a nostalgic arcade game to some has become a monthly tradition for a growing group of competitors bringing pinball to life in Las Cruces. 

“I try to make my tournaments more fun,” organizer Steve Howard said. “In between every round, we give away prizes, we spin a wheel and everybody gets involved.” 

That philosophy has helped Howard build more than a tournament. Over the past five years, he’s helped create a community where experienced players, first-time competitors and even families gather to play, learn from one another, and keep a decades-old game thriving. 

Howard’s passion for pinball dates back to his teenage years in Las Cruces during the 1980s. He remembers spending hours playing at a local truck stop, stretching a few dollars into as many free games as possible while learning there was far more to pinball than simply keeping the ball alive. 

Years later, after attending a tournament in Phoenix, Howard realized there wasn’t anything like it back home. Other organizers encouraged him to sanction events through the International Flipper Pinball Association, giving players an opportunity to earn international rankings while competing close to home. 

He returned to Las Cruces, partnered with Rad Retrocade and started hosting monthly tournaments that have gradually attracted players from throughout the region. Today, the Southern New Mexico Pinball Club hosts monthly competitions, recently completed a 12-week league and maintains an email list of about 130 players and supporters. Attendance ranges from about 18 competitors to as many as 36, with players regularly making the trip from El Paso, Albuquerque and Farmington. 

Howard said he intentionally keeps the tournaments welcoming. Between rounds, players gather to talk strategy, celebrate big shots and wait for the next matchup while random prizes, custom trophies and even a wrestling-style championship belt keep the atmosphere lighthearted. 

“It’s trying to control the chaos,” Howard said while explaining what makes pinball so appealing. “Every game is different.” 

That sense of community is one of the reasons Rad Retrocade has continued supporting the tournaments. Scott Johnson, owner of Rad Retrocade, said the arcade has hosted Howard’s monthly events for about two years and has watched participation steadily increase. 

“The local pinball community has definitely grown,” Johnson said. “We see familiar faces returning every month, along with new players discovering competitive pinball for the first time.” 

Johnson said the tournaments fit Rad Retrocade’s goal of giving people a place to gather while introducing more visitors to classic arcade games. 

“We’re proud to partner with passionate organizers like Steve Howard and longtime supporters like Butch Peel,” Johnson said. “These events bring people together from across the region and showcase Las Cruces as a destination for pinball enthusiasts.” 

Howard isn’t stopping with monthly tournaments. Earlier this year, he submitted a proposal asking the New Mexico Senior Olympics to consider adding competitive pinball as a future sport. He and several local players also demonstrated the game during a Senior Olympics health fair in Las Cruces, where they introduced visitors to pinball and gathered signatures supporting the effort. 

He’s also spoken with Visit Las Cruces about the possibility of creating a large-scale pinball festival in the city, an idea he hopes could eventually draw players and vendors from across the Southwest. For now, Howard is focused on continuing to grow the local scene in one tournament at a time. 

The next competition is scheduled for July 25 at Rad Retrocade. Registration begins at noon, with tournament play starting at 1 p.m. Whether players are chasing an international ranking or simply looking for a fun afternoon around the machines, Howard hopes they’ll find the same thing that first hooked him decades ago — a game that keeps bringing people back for one more round.