Much credit to the artist NeonPanther95 for this amazing illustration of a dream come true. Go give her a watch and commission something from her!

Now I give to you, a mini story...a true story

Curious boy picked up a game from Amazon a few years ago titled "Stern's Pinball Arcade" for the PlayStation 4. After searching for new games to play, this one seemed to pique his interest unlike anything else did. Upon tearing into the package and installing the game upon it's arrival a few days later, the pup could feel something almost sinister inside him awaken...something that felt truly awe inspiring, yet powerful. His eyes could see movement...bright lights...his paws moved swiftly like leaves in a brisk wind.

At days' end, the game might have been over, but the hunger was certainly not satisfied. Looking online again, he later stumbled upon the official Pinball Arcade for the same console. Free table and game to boot for a start...but for an even bigger experience, the full experience, he had to invest over $100 in DLC for table packs. That same night, he was playing more tables than he had ever seen before - 38 pinball tables. And even more after buying up Seasons 1 and 2 on hard disc form...for a total of over 60 tables to choose from. Tables from the famous Williams, Bally, Stern's and Gottlieb, even Alvin G!

But what struck his fancy more...was online. Tournaments could be played and he was just a mere bronze medal entering into a new realm where certainly only the best could play against one another and compete for bragging rights and their own spots on the overall leaderboards. He had to do it. Never would he had thought doing something like an e-sports tournament would be in his life, but at tournament's end...he finished 5th place and earned the right to advance to silver medal competition.

A month later, the silver medal competition was held, and while this field of players was smaller, this field of players was also tougher, and the window to advance to the top of the food chain being the Gold Medal field...was drastically smaller. 10% of players advance, meaning, would their only be 50 players, only 5 would advance. He simply smirked and cracked his knuckles, pulled back the plunger and off he was...when suddenly at days' end...he finished...2nd. He had earned a coveted, hard earned spot...in Gold Medal territory.

It's now two years after that move from Bronze to Gold, and the pup, has turned...into a wizard, seemingly making balls appear as though they float in his glory...moving around him at eye's glance...no target too impossible or no multiball too wild or crazy for him to control. Has he ascended to the top of the mountain in The Pinball Arcade...not yet. In fact, it could be a while longer before he could have a chance to wear that coveted crown.

But for this one moment, Shadow Wolf can feel as though he's ascended a rigorous mountain climb...game to game, table to table, night after night of drinking and button mashing later...he's now threatening the top 100 players in the world, online...from over 3,000 positions down. Today, he feels like he's become the wizard, and every table is his chance to show the lit beauty and sounds of pinball machines all around the world.

This black and red wolf...sure plays a mean pinball