If you have ever spent a Saturday traipsing through a stranger's home, you know it's quite possibly the finest way to spend a weekend. Here in Austin, we are given ample opportunities to do just that thanks to architecture and interior design tours like the Austin Modern Home Tour.
On February 24, the tour returns for its 10th year. Showcasing a dozen homes in different neighborhoods across the city, Austin Modern Home Tour offers a unique opportunity to see work from some of Austin's finest architects, designers, and builders. Notable names on this year's lineup include Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, Tornbjerg Design, Barley | Pfeiffer Architecture, Cornerstone Architects, and Winn Wittman Architecture.
Among this year's special highlights is a "tree house in the city” in Travis Heights, a dramatic steel-roof contemporary with spectacular Hill Country views, and a Hyde Park stunner with prominent water features.
The tour is the capstone of a week's worth of events around the city including panels on Austin modernism with Dick Clark + Associates and a discussion with sought-after interior designer Laura Britt. A full schedule of Architecture + Design Week events can be found here.
Advance tickets for this year's tour are on sale now for $35. For the noncommittal among us, tickets are available for $40 on the day of the tour at any of the stops.
New this year are $99 VIP tickets which include an invitation to the tour's opening reception on February 23 at Treehouse, as well as discounts to Architecture + Design Week events and a signed copy of Marfa Modern: Artistic Interiors of the West Texas High Desert by Austin-based writer Helen Thompson.
Forsite Studio designed this South Austin contemporary.
Courtesy photo
Forsite Studio designed this South Austin contemporary.
This Round Rock-made game does a lot more than slap themed artwork on its sides.
Anyone can have fun storming the castle with Multimorphic, Inc.'s new pinball game. A leading innovator in the pinball industry, Multimorphic has partnered with The Princess Bride Ltd. to bring the beloved classic film to life through pinball.
Multimorphic, Inc., based in Round Rock, TX, makes a unique machine: a modular pinball game that can swap out art and obstacles to fit a variety of collectible themes. The company now boasts 21 available games, with multiple licensed titles in development, offering a diverse range of experiences for pinball enthusiasts of all skill levels.
The classic '80s satirical film The Princess Bride lends inspiration to Multimorphic's latest release, which came out in February. Much more than a few key art features, the references are all over the game.
It features more than 200 video clips and quotes from the film, guiding players through iconic scenes while rewarding them for executing the right combination of shots. The playfield boasts interactive elements modeled after key locations from the movie, such as Humperdinck's Castle, Miracle Max's Hut, and the Cliffs of Insanity, where the pinball physically climbs the cliffs.
"The core of the pinball community grew up in the '80s and '90s, enjoy this classic, physical form of gaming, and have a lot of nostalgia for films and music from their childhoods," wrote Multimorphic founder Gerry Stellenberg in an email to CultureMap. "The Princess Bride ... has scenes that translate perfectly to pinball modes, has fantastic music from Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, and is loved by just about everybody. It's truly a perfect fit for pinball."
This playfield rests atop a video screen, enabling a versatile display of media right in the gameplay. Rather than just admiring an ideological theme, Stellenberg explains users can experience "playing within the story of the film." Some moving targets will take the shape of Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S.), and instructions will pop up underneath the ball.
Photo courtesy of Multimorphic, Inc.
"As Grandpa says in the film, 'Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...', all of which translate perfectly into playable pinball modes," says Stellenberg.
One of those modes, a favorite of the creators, is the Battle of Steel Mode, which allows players to step into the boots of Dread Pirate Roberts and Inigo Montoya in their legendary left-handed battle.
"Because we have multiple buttons on each side of the pinball machine, we actually force you to use only your left hand at the start of the mode by disabling the right-side buttons and mapping the left side buttons to both lower flippers," says Stellenberg. "Then if you hit the correct shots to progress to phase two, you see the clip where both characters switch hands. [The game plays the clip saying,] 'There is something I ought to tell you. I'm not left-handed either,' and then we disable the left side buttons and force you to switch to the buttons on the right side. It's a great moment in the film that we translated directly into gameplay."
Photo courtesy of Multimorphic, Inc.
The Princess Bride pinball game is available in a range of configurations and price points to suit both existing P3 owners and new buyers, with prices ranging from $3,750 for the Standard Game Kit to $13,750 for the ultimate Collector's Edition.
The Collector's Edition, designed for the most dedicated fans of the film, boasts an array of exclusive features, including replica Inigo Montoya swords mounted on the cabinet, bronze powder-coated hardware, a custom backbox display glass, a numbered plaque, and a signed certificate of authenticity.
Pre-orders for The Princess Bride pinball game are now open at multimorphic.com, with production set to begin this summer.
Photo courtesy of Multimorphic, Inc.
This Round Rock-made game does a lot more than slap themed artwork on its sides.