# Blowing up Ghostbusters...literally **Source:** Straight Down the Middle **Type:** video **Published:** 2017-07-23 **Duration:** 10m 35s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwnlQKiqn6w --- ## Analysis Zach Sharpe from Straight Down the Middle plays Ghostbusters pinball, demonstrating several modes including Spook Central, Gozer, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man multiball, Storage Facility multiball, and Mass Hysteria. The gameplay culminates in a literal machine malfunction/shutdown mid-play, which Sharpe treats as a humorous conclusion to the session. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Spook Central mode is activated by hitting the left ramp to open a portal, then players must save four Ghostbusters with four shots — _Zach Sharpe explaining Spook Central mechanics at video start_ - [HIGH] Gozer is described as 'one of the toughest modes in this game' involving the right ramp — _Zach Sharpe during Gozer mode gameplay_ - [HIGH] In Gozer mode, the right orbit builds up jackpot and the right ramp proceeds to the next part where players must hit Gozer stand-up target, then hit multiple shots before hitting Gozer again — _Zach Sharpe explaining Gozer mode mechanics_ - [HIGH] Mass Hysteria is a mode where 'the flippers try to be all cute and they switch' — _Zach Sharpe describing Mass Hysteria mode during gameplay_ - [HIGH] The machine shut down/malfunctioned during Mass Hysteria mode — _Sharpe's exclamation: 'And that ladies and gentlemen Is how the fuck you blow up a machine'_ ### Notable Quotes > "And that ladies and gentlemen Is how the fuck you blow up a machine I was rocking too I was rolling" > — **Zach Sharpe**, end of content > _Reaction to machine malfunction during gameplay; defines the video's central moment_ > "That right there alone was worth the price of admission, ladies and gentlemen, because I don't think I was getting to that The Wizard mode anyway." > — **Zach Sharpe**, post-malfunction > _Sharpe's humorous acceptance of the machine failure; shows player perspective on competitive value vs entertainment_ > "So we're in Mass Hysteria where the flippers try to be all cute and they switch. So we just, this is, this is Mass Hysteria. It's true. Doesn't it look like it?" > — **Zach Sharpe**, near end of gameplay > _Description of Mass Hysteria mode mechanics with player frustration evident_ > "I can't see where the hell I'm shooting for." > — **Zach Sharpe**, during Mass Hysteria > _Criticism of visibility/playfield clarity during specific mode_ > "How am I going to beat Greg When the shit shuts down on me" > — **Zach Sharpe**, post-malfunction > _Reference to competitive context (playing against Greg) and machine reliability as factor_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Zach Sharpe | person | Host of Straight Down the Middle pinball YouTube show; player demonstrating Ghostbusters gameplay | | Ghostbusters | game | Licensed Stern Pinball machine being played and demonstrated; focus of video | | Straight Down the Middle | organization | YouTube pinball show hosted by Zach Sharpe featuring gameplay videos and machine demonstrations | | Greg | person | Competitive opponent mentioned in context of beating scores on Ghostbusters | ### Topics - **Primary:** Ghostbusters pinball gameplay modes, Spook Central mode mechanics, Gozer mode strategy, Mass Hysteria mode, Machine malfunction/reliability - **Secondary:** Stay Puft Marshmallow Man multiball, Competitive pinball play, Game visibility and playfield clarity ### Sentiment **Mixed** (0.35) — Sharpe demonstrates enthusiasm for the game and modes, but expresses frustration with difficulty, visibility issues during Mass Hysteria, and ultimately a machine malfunction. His post-malfunction commentary is humorous and accepting rather than angry, treating the failure as entertainment value. Overall tone is frustrated but entertained. ### Signals - **[design_philosophy]** Visibility/clarity issues during Mass Hysteria mode where player cannot see shooting targets (confidence: high) — Sharpe: 'I can't see where the hell I'm shooting for' during Mass Hysteria gameplay - **[design_philosophy]** Mass Hysteria mode includes flipper-switching mechanic that affects gameplay difficulty and player experience (confidence: high) — Sharpe describes: 'the flippers try to be all cute and they switch' in Mass Hysteria - **[product_concern]** Machine malfunction/shutdown during gameplay suggests potential reliability issue with Ghostbusters (confidence: high) — Machine literally shut down during Mass Hysteria mode; Sharpe comments 'when the shit shuts down on me' --- ## Transcript Strong language ahead, viewer discretion advised. on video so I am hoping that I can get this bad boy on video and I will be forever known as the winner so spook central what do you need to know about this mode you hit the left ramp opens up a portal and then go to Ghostbusters and you have to save them with four shots for Ghostbusters so I've got two of the shots down one more to go that left over let's go Here we go, sweet pea. Wah! Oh, the bread. All right, let's get this now. There you go. All right, so we're heading to gozer. toughest modes in this game because it involves a damn right ramp again. Let's get it going. Here we go. So the right orbit is going to build up your jackpot. The right ramp is going to precede you to the next part of the mode which is hitting Goza right up back there. Stand up target. There's that right ramp. So I'm going to try to hit her. She's on the top of Not that high up. Almost got her. There she is She now looking up a handful of shots Oh boy And it a drain We hit those shots and then we have to hit her again. And then we're in business. Extra ball! Oh shit Ernie, I need as much as I can get buddy. You got a couple more? Alright, so what ball are we even on? Am I doing well? up. For Ghostbusters you have to wait forever just to see whose turn it is, what your score is. I got it. There it is. Okay, so we're using extra balls. We've got Gozer going. We'll go for that multiplier up top there. Since I missed and did not hit a switch, I'm missed and did not hit a switch I'm gonna let this go I'm gonna try it again too hard let's get back in at three shots and then we'll hit her to end this mode. I said let's get back in it Zach. Zach. Zach. No that's not your shot. Oh boy. Here we go. No. It's nice to get this mode or Stay Pumped into multiball and boy oh boy if you can get the looping supers and playfields going to then business so I made that shopping here's my problem I'm gonna in the motor no not no no that was the last shot I've been in the mode wicked little spin move We're going to get back in there. Where am I going? There we go. I have a multiplier. But it will register anyway, so... So she usually causes an amount of heartache and sorrow because this mode always gives me a ball drain, if not two. If not three. She's cold as ice. Now I gotta hit her. So we started to safe up now No Zack make a shot There's a shot. It's a ball lock as well. Ball two. It would be nice if we could get them going right now. Actually. That's what I want to do. He's hitting the little shots right here. It's a pretty long one. I think you have to hit that right ring. There we go. We're getting to a multiball. Well, that's not going to be our saving grace. It's still going to help us out. Storage facility. multiball. Ghosts are everywhere. Ghosts are everywhere. I wish I had a multiplier going. Can a guy get a multiplier? Okay. All right, so I believe I can add a bow there as well. Hopefully. What shots do we need for... We're going to need that right ramp there. That left one. So, third down means we got Luke and Supers coming as well. We still need left orbit. We go through the hole there. There. There. Looks like I got the I can see Alright, so right now I think I've still got the right orbit to finish this mode. Alright, now I can get to lump in the can we saw when we kicked his ass. Alright, so we don't have many balls left, but we'll at least start this up. We'll get some points, maybe some extra balls. Maybe we'll make a shot at this Blizzard mode. So this is a multiball all on itself. So I ended up minificating as well. I need some multipliers, baby. I need some multipliers. Daddy needs some multipliers. Alright, so I'm just trying to make some decent shots here, keep balls alive, it's the name of the game really for this, because I can't see where in the hell I'm shooting for. All right, so we're in mass hysteria where the flippers try to be all cute and they switch. So we just, this is, this is mass hysteria. It's true. Doesn't it look like it? Oh, shit! Damn! And that ladies and gentlemen Is how the fuck you blow up a machine I was rocking too I was rolling Man you guys How am I going to beat Greg When the shit shuts down on me But you know what Life goes on And you play another game and you get to that wizard mode again, you know what? At this point, fuck it. That right there alone was worth the price of admission, ladies and gentlemen, because I don't think I was getting to that wizard mode anyway. So again, this is Zach from Straight Down the Middle blowing up some machines, quite literally. Catch us on another video. Subscribe to our YouTube. Check us out on Facebook. Check our streaming out. All right, guys. Dang, that wizard. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 21304329-8664-4048-aff3-deca72b4bf97*