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Topic starts at 10:03

Episode Summary:

A Brief History of Pinball is a great place to begin! Let’s wind the clock back WAYYY back. We’re going to visit the beginning of many ‘games’ in the early days of fancy pants Europe, the importation of table games to America, New Jersey’s part in all this, Harry Williams, Wayne Neyens, and all those innovations that make pinball, pinball!

  Games:

Baffle Ball, Ballyhoo, Contact, Skyscraper, World’s Series, Rockelite, Humpty Dumpty, Triple Action, Saratoga, Army Navy, SuperJumbo, Balls-a-Poppin’, Vegabond, Swing-Along, The Spirit of ’76, Flash, Gorgar, Checkpoint, Revenge from Mars, and Wizard of Oz.  

Sources:

Bagatelle. Here

Pinball. Here

ThoughtCo. The History of Pinball. Here

Baldridge, Nick. This Week In Pinball. A Beginner’s Guide to Bingo Pinball. Here

Pinball News. Illuminating. Here

Remembering Harry Williams. Here

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

Kocurek, Carly A. “Coin-Operated Americans: Rebooting Boyhood at the Video

Game Arcade.” Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2015. 

Sharpe, Roger. “Pinball!” New York: E.P. Dutton, 1977. 

Sullivan, Barbara. “Ballyhoo Over Goldberg Hardly Whole Bally Saga.” Chicago Tribune, June 17, 1996. 

Sweeney, Melodie. “The bagatelle wizard instead of the pinball wizard.” National Museum of American History, October 31, 2012. 

Terry, Clifford. “How the Pinball Machine Got Those Flippers.” Chicago Tribune, August 8, 1993. 

Wolf, Mark J. P. “The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to Playstation and Beyond.” Westport CT: Greenwood Press, 2008.

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Episode Summary: 

George Gomez is the Creative Architect of pinball as we know it today. Without our Homie Gomie (trademark Zach Meny), Stern Pinball would not be the creative studio it is today. When Stern began to be rebuilt in the 2010s, it was the creative curiosity of George Gomez that enabled the company to build a modern pinball design studio and forever change the hobby. 

Join Ron and Dave as they talk about what George did after the death of Williams, his masterpiece Lord Of The Rings, the Photoshop art era, the near death of Stern Pinball, the rebirth of Stern Pinball, ugly ramps, grindy code, Batman ’66, the modern all time classic Deadpool and Stern’s new 007 James Bond Dave squeals in excitement.

Sources:

Pinside at Pinside.com

Internet Pinball Database

Super Awesome Pinball Show – George Gomez – Ep 30, 32 and Fireside Chat 1

Head2Head Pinball Podcast Ep.69: Christopher Franchi on Beatles Pinball Art.

Head2Head Pinball Podcast Ep.96: Gary Stern

Pinball Chick Article. Here

John Trudeau Pleads Guilty. Pinball News. Here. Here.

DeadFlip Streaming. Lyman, Jack Danger and MKV Playing Batman 66. Here

Straight Down the Middle: A Pinball Show. Deadpool Pro Review. Here

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd

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Episode Summary:

The late '70s were a boom for pinball manufacturing. Bally and Williams had transitioned to Solid State early and evolved their platform, but Gottlieb struggled to keep up. However, by early 1980, Gottlieb knew they needed a new solution and were preparing their System 80 platform. System 80 was a big leap forward, and it was much more flexible and modular. Was Gottlieb back?!

Join us this month as we talk about one of their most requested topics, Spider-Man’s art, early code issues, Dave makes a Rotor Target sound, Ed Krynski’s designs, Flipper-Counting all episode long, Gordon Morrison’s Art, Dave’s love for all things James Bond (even bad pinball machines), Black Hole, amazing patents, Haunted House, System 80a, the spiral of the industry in 1983-84.

Sources:

Pinside at Pinside.com

Wikipedia. Gottlieb. Here

Kriesel, Dennis. This Week in Pinball. The Dawn of the Solid-State Era. Here

Kriesel, Dennis. This Week In Pinball. Mylstar Electronics: Gottlieb’s Forgotten Year. Here

Gottlieb Developments. Here

IPDB: System 80 Pins. Here, System 80A Pins. Here

PinWiki – System 80 Repair Guide. Here

TOPCast: #10 John Trudeau., #34 John Osborne, #55 Jon Norris.

Gordon Morison. Here. Here.

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Episode Summary: 

It is often through failure that we learn, and after the collapse of Stern Electronics, Gary Stern did not give up. He collected himself over a year and then would work with Joe Kaminkow and Shelley Sax on building Data East Pinball. Often the butt of jokes on quality, code depth, and artwork, Data East would become the only survivor of the 1990s pinball collapse and is now known as Stern Pinball Inc. 

This month we take some time to look at early Data East Pinball where Dave and Ron dive into the collapse of Stern Electronics and who owns their Intellectual Property (IP), PinStar Inc., Joe Kaminkow becoming Dave’s best friend, the unsung hero of Data East Pinball Ed Cebela, Navy-issued uniforms, Robocop’s awesomeness, how time travel works, the rise of The Simpsons, and the legacy of Data East.  

Big Thanks to Mike Winne for helping with this episode! 

Sources: 

Pinside at Pinside.com

Internet Pinball Database: PinStar Game List. Here, Data East Game List. Here, Ed

Cebula’s Game List. Here

Wikipedia. Gottlieb. Here

RiYL Podcast Ep 161: Stern Pinball CEO Gary Stern.

Head 2 Head Pinball Podcast.

     Gary Stern, Ep 96

     Joe Kaminkow Ep 68 and EP 50

Super Awesome Pinball Show, S1-E4 – Joe Kaminkow

Loser Kid Pinball Podcast Ep 68

Pinball News-Pinball Magazine PinCAST, June 2020: Gary Stern 75th Birthday Interview Part 1

Total Recall Video. Here

TV Tropes. Joe Kaminkow Bio. Here

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here

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Episode Summary: 

John Popadiuk, also known as J-Pop, created some of the most interesting and whimsical playfield designs of the 1990s. He went from a god tier Bally-Williams designer to a start-up pinball company owner and finally to a pinball pariah.  John once described his journey as “a long tale of woe in some cases, but also tales of glory in others.”

His name was once included with other Pinball Legends, but in 2022, J-Pop had been reduced to a pinball leper. People would often say, ‘What could J-Pop have done with Bally-Williams had never closed’? Now, the question most likely heard is ‘Where did it all go wrong?’ Does J-Pop deserve all the criticism and abuse that has sullied his legacy?

This month, we go Down the Rabbit Hole With John Popadiuk.

Sources: 

Wikipedia: John Popadiuk. Here, Zizzle. Here.

YouTube. NWPAS 2012 Seminar #08 – John Popadiuk. Here.

Pinball Mag, Nick _O. John Popadiuk – Pinball Designer. Here.

Pinball Shenaigans. Alice in Wonderland Prototype. Here.

Pinball Profile. Episode 326: Michael Hanley and Shane Jackson. Here.

Coast 2 Coast Pinball. An Evening with John Popadiuk. Wayback Machine. Here.

Dan Cowles and Kristi Highum. Zombies, Yetis & Pinball. Dec 2014. Here.

Greet, Kayla. Skill Shot – Zombie Yeti Artist Profile. Here.

Pinball Super Nova. John Popadiuk: Another One Bites the Dust. Here.

Pinball News. American Pinball Goes Public. Sept 2016 Here.

Horacze, Stan. Popular Science. The curious story of Magic Girl. Apr 2017. Here

The Pinside Stuff: Here. Here. Here.

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here

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Topic starts at 8:38

Episode Summary:

Ramps are mesmerizing and hypnotic and create excitement deep inside when you shoot them. You can almost feel the ball rolling around a bend in a ramp. Too many people Pinball IS Ramps. In fact, when one of my non-pinball friends saw my Tron for the first time, he said ‘Woah, I wanna shoot that ramp’. The only goal he had the first time he played pinball in 25 years was ‘shot that ramp!’ The undisputed king of the ramps is, without a doubt, Dennis Nordman. This month Dennis Nordman, Let Talk About Your Ramps…

Sources:

Pinside at Pinside.com

IPDB. Dennis Nordman’s Game List. Here.

Special Force Girls. Here.

Blackwater 100 – 1988. Here.

Peterson, Cassandra. Elvira Wikipedia. Here.

Demo Man Promo Video. Here

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here

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Episode Summary: 

There are many stars inside the pinball industry, but few create such an emotional ripple in the hobby when they pass.  Lyman Sheats gave so much for pinball and always wanted to give more. A perfectionist who was often too hard on himself, Lyman was always looking for ways to improve his games.

This month Ron and Dave talk all about the beginnings of Lyman’s tournament dominance, his Data East codes, his first days at Bally-Williams, coding Attack from Mars, teaming up with George Gomez, Lyman’s drive for perfection, “In Lyman We Trust”, the Masterpiece that is Batman ’66 by KaPow Pinball, and his untimely death which rocked the pinball community. 

Source: 

Pinside at Pinside.com

IPDB. Lyman’s Games List. Here

Past Podcast Appearances:

   TOPcast Episode #50

   Slam Tilt Podcast #100, #180, #181

   Head-to-Head Pinball Podcast #73

   Pinball Profile #199

   Pinball Wizard Turns 50

   LoserKid Pinball #78

   Final Round Pinball Podcast #50

The Today Show, Lyman Sheats. Here

DeadFlip Streaming. Lyman, Jack Danger and MKV Playing Batman 66. Here

Replay FX Seminar with Greg Dunlop. Here

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here

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Episode Summary:

The '90s saw the biggest leap in pinball mechanics and technology that the hobby had ever seen. The Dot Matrix Display and how Bally/Williams leveraged it made the pins from the previous decade look like a horse and buggy. The purchase of Bally by Williams created a competitive shark tank, forcing designers and engineers to continuously one-up each other.

But as the 90s marched on, the industry contracted. Designers exited or moved on to other areas, and junior designers took their place and built some of the best machines Bally/Williams had produced, but sadly, the sales numbers didn’t reflect that.

Ron and Dave chat all about the final years of Bally/Williams including Adam Rhine’s Dot Animation, Congo’s amazing shot layout, J-Pop, Attack From Mars, Dave saying ‘spider’ correctly after listening while editing, George Gomez giving a poetic definition of ‘Flow’, Chicago Gaming Company Remakes, and can the magic of Bally/Williams be replicated?

Source: 

Pinside at Pinside.com

WMS- IGT Settlement Agreement. Here. 

This Week in Pinball – George Gomez, Armed and Dangerous. Here.

TOPCast Pinball Show: #10 John Trudeau, #63 Keith Johnson, #40 George Gomez, #28 Adam Rhine  

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here

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Episode Summary: 

The early 1980s were a boon for pinball manufacturing. Bally and Williams had transitioned to Solid State early and evolved their platform. Gottlieb struggled with System 1, and as soon as they found their stride with the new System 80 board set, pinball was dying in the early 80s.  By the mid-80s pinball was clawing its way back, but Gottlieb never regained it’s industry dominance, however it did give them more creative freedom. 

Join Ron and the better co-host Dave as they talk photo translites, horrible synth music, Jon Norris’ 8-Ball Deluxe, releasing games at warp-speed, shallow code, ripping off established licenses, Don Johnson jackets, and which System 80b games are the most underrated.    

Sources:

Pinside at Pinside.com

Wikipedia. Gottlieb. Here

Kriesel, Dennis. This Week in Pinball. The Dawn of the Solid-State Era. Here

Kriesel, Dennis. This Week In Pinball. Mylstar Electronics: Gottlieb’s Forgotten Year. Here

Gottlieb Developments. Here

IPDB. System 80b Game List. Here

PinWiki – System 80 Repair Guide. Here

TOPCast Pinball Show: #10 John Trudeau, #34 John, #55 Jon Norris.

Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here

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Episode Summary:

The Bally-Williams Era has often been considered on of the most mechanically exciting times in the Pinball Hobby. In fact, many of the games of this era still carry a hefty resale price on the secondary market. The magic of pinball and the world under glass was brought to life by Bally-Williams.

Many pinball personalities who purchased assets from the major manufacturers spent years trying to finish incomplete games or bring back a ‘new Bally-Williams’. They all failed because Bally-Williams was unique, it was an industry powerhouse where creativity, competition and magic were created.

This month we cover, our favourite 90’s mechs, Dr. Who’s Meat Slicer, Pat Lawlor’s Magnum Opus, Rod Serling (or Ron Sterling), Code going too far, Gofers, Jpop and Williams dying again.  

Sources: 

Pinside at Pinside.com

Podcasts: George Gomez. Here, Pat Lawlor 1. 2. 3, Barry Oursler. Here,

The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here