# Rush Pinball Review (SDTM, 2023)

**Source:** Straight Down the Middle  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2023-07-02  
**Duration:** 32m 24s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1R88PEWoFA

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## Analysis

Greg Bone and Zach Sharpe review the Stern Pinball Rush machine in this 2023 episode. They break down artwork (mixed reviews of the central band animation), layout/shots (praised as one of John Borg's best), rules/code (B+/A- with some confusion on casual play), toys/innovation (time machine magnet, clock, ramps), music/callouts (A-/A minus with actual band members), and theme integration. Overall grades: Greg gives it A minus, Zach gives it B. Both agree the code quality drives the game's sales despite moderate theme appeal.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Rush was designed by John Borg with code by Tim Sexton and Raymond Davidson — _Hosts state credits directly; confirmed designer/programmer attribution_
- [MEDIUM] Rush won an award (implied Game of the Year or similar) in 2022 — _Host states 'we just did it won the award so yeah' in reference to timing discussion_
- [HIGH] The central playfield artwork of the three Rush band members was poorly executed/controversial — _Both hosts critique this as 'a killer,' with Greg calling it 'not very visually pleasing.' Speculation that band approval forced this direction._
- [HIGH] John Borg has been designing increasingly tight/difficult shot layouts in recent games (TMNT, Guardians, Walking Dead) — _Host directly compares Rush favorably to TMNT as 'better shooting' with less brutal tightness_
- [HIGH] The code/rules were confusing for casual players at launch and required updates to improve clarity — _Greg states 'convoluted' mode progression and progress tracking; mentions 'they recommended it and they implemented' fixes. Admits even after learning it, casual players struggled._
- [HIGH] Rush's sales success is driven primarily by code quality and rules depth, not theme or layout — _Zach states explicitly: 'the code is what... I think the code is what [drives sales]... I do agree with that'_
- [HIGH] Band members (Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Ed Robertson) provided live callouts and directed production — _Hosts confirm actual band involvement in voice direction and Ed Robertson contracted to direct_
- [MEDIUM] Expression Lighting on Rush Premium has had minimal reliability issues (only ~2 service calls across production) — _Host reports 'maybe only had two sets... node board issue... very rare,' suggesting robust implementation_

### Notable Quotes

> "I was always an advocate for this game I always said this game is great this game is amazing"
> — **Greg Bone**, early
> _Establishes Greg's long-standing support for Rush despite initial community skepticism_

> "John Borg started to get really tight the last few games... you like a little open sometimes you just needed a little easier"
> — **Zach Sharpe**, mid
> _Critique of John Borg's recent design philosophy trending toward punishing difficulty_

> "I think the reason this game sells and has sold as well as it is... it's the code. I think the code is what makes this game popular"
> — **Zach Sharpe**, mid-late
> _Key insight into Rush's market success being rules/code-driven rather than theme-driven_

> "the modes are just unique they're all different from each other... I love every mode in that game"
> — **Greg Bone**, mid
> _Praise for Raymond Davidson's rules design complexity and originality_

> "I think Iron Maiden made a lot of fans through the pinball machine and I think honestly this... elevated them... now I'm gonna actually listen to Rush"
> — **Zach Sharpe**, late
> _Argues pinball machines drive IP fandom and have marketing value beyond typical merchandise_

> "the band's probably approved of it and said this is the direction we want... but in my opinion there's some times where Stern Pinball's the experts"
> — **Greg Bone**, early-mid
> _Suggests band creative control overrode Stern's art direction expertise, implying licensing authority dynamic_

> "I wish I had it so that you could... just play that game straight for four hours... because you hadn't given it that chance"
> — **Greg Bone**, mid
> _Acknowledges Zach needs extended gameplay time to appreciate complex ruleset_

> "Expression Lighting... maybe a board issue okay but no nothing bad for as many kits like it's not... horrible"
> — **Host**, mid
> _Reliability assessment of advanced LED system across production units_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Rush pinball machine; employer of code designers Raymond Davidson and Tim Sexton |
| John Borg | person | Designer of Rush playfield and mechanics; noted for increasingly tight shot layouts in recent games; legendary mechanical engineer at Stern |
| Raymond Davidson | person | Lead code designer on Rush; creates complex, tournament-friendly rulesets with deep mode design |
| Tim Sexton | person | Co-programmer on Rush code alongside Raymond Davidson; known for technical depth in Stern games |
| Michael Barnard | person | Newcomer pinball artist who created Rush artwork; received mixed reviews for band member animation quality |
| Rush (band) | organization | Canadian rock band that provided voice callouts, band member animation approval, and thematic direction for the game |
| Ed Robertson | person | Director/producer contracted to work with Rush band on game production; huge Rush fan; also worked on Black Knight Sword of Rage |
| Geddy Lee | person | Rush band member who provided voice callouts for the pinball game |
| Alex Lifeson | person | Rush band member who provided voice callouts for the pinball game |
| Greg Bone | person | Co-host of Straight Down the Middle; gave Rush an A minus overall rating; longtime advocate for the game |
| Zach Sharpe | person | Co-host of Straight Down the Middle; gave Rush a B overall rating; critiques theme appeal but appreciates code depth |
| Rush (pinball game) | game | 2022 Stern Pinball machine featuring Canadian rock band theme; praised for shot layout and code complexity; mixed artwork reviews |
| Walking Dead | game | Stern Pinball game used as comparison point for shot layout design; mentioned as favorite despite aesthetic issues |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | game | Stern Pinball game with tight/brutal shot layout; Rush compared favorably as 'better shooting TMNT' |
| Black Knight Sword of Rage | game | Stern Pinball game with display/animation quality referenced as standard of comparison; Ed Robertson worked on it |
| Iron Maiden | game | Stern Pinball music game used as analogy for how pinball can convert casual listeners into dedicated band fans |
| Lord of the Rings | game | Stern Pinball game referenced for toy/mechanical quality comparison (washing machine ramp) |
| Straight Down the Middle: a pinball show | media | YouTube/podcast video series hosted by Greg Bone and Zach Sharpe; this is a game review episode |
| Expression Lighting | product | Premium LED system available on Rush Premium Edition; praised for reliability with minimal service issues |
| Oscar H. Ray | person | Mentioned as overthinking code designer who works with Raymond Davidson and Tim Sexton on Stern games |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Playfield layout and shot design, Code complexity and ruleset depth, Artwork and visual design execution, Mechanical toys and innovation, Music and brand licensing in pinball
- **Secondary:** Casual vs. tournament player design balance, Band approval influence on creative decisions, Pinball's role in IP marketing and fandom building

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.62) — Greg is enthusiastic about Rush (A minus), praising its rules, layout, and code depth. Zach is more measured (B), appreciating technical execution but unmoved by theme and less engaged by ruleset complexity. Both agree code quality is the standout feature. Mild criticism of artwork and playfield direction, but overall positive assessment of the game as solid and well-made, just not universally appealing.

### Signals

- **[sentiment_shift]** Code/ruleset complexity initially created barrier for casual players; updates were needed to improve clarity and accessibility, though depth remains after learning curve (confidence: high) — Greg: 'the progress about everything was just so convoluted... couldn't really step up to this on location and really grasp it... took me a minute... until you learned the modes... it clicks really quick'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Rush had lower-than-expected adoption/play time from casual pinball audience despite strong code; complex ruleset created barrier to entry (confidence: high) — Zach: 'I think that's why it's taken so long... because like when I first stepped up to it I was like I have really no idea what's going on... even getting through some of the modes... it was still just confusing the hell out of people'
- **[design_philosophy]** Rush playfield lacks standout mechanical innovation compared to recent Stern titles; toys are functional but not distinctive (time machine magnet, clock, ramps are solid but not revolutionary) (confidence: medium) — Zach on toys: 'it's cool... I'm just not like blown away by the toys... it's just not... super interactive... the magnet while it's cool it's really not that much different than just a magnet on the Playfield'
- **[design_innovation]** Raymond Davidson's ruleset features unique, non-repetitive modes with strong thematic integration to song content and storyline, representing high technical depth in rules design (confidence: high) — Greg: 'every mode in that game is unique and it's for the home player too not just a tournament player... dynamic storylines within these modes that match what the song is kind of talking about'
- **[design_philosophy]** John Borg trending toward increasingly tight, difficult shot layouts in recent games (TMNT, Guardians, Walking Dead, Rush), with hosts suggesting this is becoming overkill and limiting casual appeal (confidence: high) — Greg: 'John Borg went into this weird face thing... he's just making incredibly tough shooting games... he started to get really tight the last few games... you just need a little easier'
- **[market_signal]** Pinball machines function as IP marketing tools that can convert casual audiences into dedicated fans/customers, with tangible ROI in ticket sales and merchandise for bands (confidence: medium) — Zach: 'I think that it elevated them... I think honestly that pinball machine made a lot of Iron Maiden fans... I think that pinball really does help in that you know... you haven't made it until you have your own pinball'
- **[licensing_signal]** Rush band members had approval authority over artwork direction, potentially overriding Stern's standard art direction expertise, particularly on central band member animation (confidence: high) — Greg: 'I know that the band's probably approved of it and said this is the direction we want... I still think it was the band choosing this because I don't think that would have passed the art director over at Stern Pinball'
- **[market_signal]** Rush sales were driven by code quality and rules depth rather than theme appeal or layout, suggesting strong competitive positioning in tournament/enthusiast segment (confidence: high) — Zach: 'I think the reason this game sells and has sold as well as it is... it's the code. I think the code is what makes this game popular... continues to make this game popular'
- **[market_signal]** Actual band member involvement (voice callouts, production direction) elevates perceived authenticity and fan engagement vs. traditional actor voice-overs (confidence: high) — Both hosts praise band member callouts as more enthusiastic and fitting than typical actor reads; Greg: 'they do a better job than what some actors do... they're getting into it, they're into it and it fits very well'
- **[personnel_signal]** Ed Robertson contracted as production director for Rush band collaboration; also worked on Black Knight Sword of Rage, indicating pattern of music/sound expertise at Stern (confidence: medium) — Hosts confirm Ed Robertson directed Rush production and helped on BKSR; described as 'big gun' and huge Rush/pinball fan
- **[product_concern]** Expression Lighting system on Rush Premium shows excellent reliability with minimal service issues across production (only ~2 repairs out of large volume) (confidence: high) — Host: 'maybe only had two sets... one of them was just a node board issue... very rare... nothing bad for as many kits like it's not... horrible'
- **[product_concern]** Central playfield artwork of three Rush band members was poorly executed and remains a notable aesthetic weakness despite overall game quality (confidence: high) — Both hosts critique the band member animation as visually poor; Zach: 'it was bad okay'; Greg: 'these guys are just... it's just a little um... I still think it was a slight miss'

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## Transcript

let's kick this [ __ ] [Music] hey what's going on everybody straight down the middle with Greg and Zach today we get to do something fun like review pinball machine we haven't done that in quite some time oh this is a game that uh you you probably have more gameplay time on this than I do guess more likely yes it's a Stern pinballs Rush yes [Music] I feel like I was always an advocate for this game I always said this game is going to come back this game is great this game is amazing this game exists people said you were full of [ __ ] you know not know what you're talking about I don't even think you're making them anymore and I was right we'll see we shall see were you big rush music comes to her did you love rush I always liked the rush you know but I wasn't like I'm gonna go buy a rush record never bought a rush record no the CD no a mini disc no okay did you download MP3 illegally no no nothing no but I always liked to rush it's iconic great band we appreciate it slopping the bass spaghetti yeah I like the movie but Rush no did nothing for me I thought things yeah you remember who designed this game John board John Borg did uh this game came out it was that early 2021 yeah right 2022 mm-hmm well I think it's 2022. yeah and the 2021 yeah because we just did it won the award so yeah designed it uh let's see uh code by Tim Sexton and Ray day our buddy Raymond Davidson fantastic and then the art was a newcomer in pinball Michael Michael Barnard I believe Michael Barnard uh it could be Rome uh I wonder if Jerry did the sound Jerry well uh Ed worked on yeah that's right uh he did he helped do some of the call outs or directed them yes uh the band members of rush to do to do some of that which is kind of cool that was really cool I always like it when hobbyists like that put their job Marc Silk oh yeah the sort of thing when they kind of intertwine into some of the stuff it's kind of nice whenever I got into pinball I could have guessed a hundred different themes that sternum pinball would make Rush wasn't one that I would have agreed agreed but I think maybe all of Canada bought it yeah because they love that I don't know overseas if they know Rush very well um so it was a it was a moderate seller I don't know if they're making them anymore um it brought with it we're going to review kind of the premium Le version um we've got time on both you have more time on a pro but you've played premium melee mixed for me but that's probably what I would buy oh really maybe if I went back yeah I kind of want o'clock you kind of want the ramp I don't want the dead end we'll talk about that but expression Lighting on the Le yeah premium yeah I got you and Greg before we jump into review this game first I wanted to say a thank you very special thank you to our special producer oh yes Melvin thank you Melvin or Marvin Melvin what was it Melvin wasn't that like when you pulled the that was a wedgie it was a Melvin that was the wrecked the sack split it yeah so thank you Melvin for all the support being a producer and uh also if you if there's a lot of supporters thank you all for the support please because I always imagine like an orange and a sock it's just still in my head I couldn't shake it ah I'm just thinking um if you want to help support us many of you have through PayPal uh shooting us over a donation yeah you can do so PayPal at sdtm pinball gmail.com we don't have a patreon yet maybe in the future who knows did people really dug our uh candle smelling videos how nice our PSA grading sports card grading I think this one you get a lot of you should buy those that go to some of these shows I'm just saying I need to take you to Disney no I don't know a lot about your Universal yeah whatever yeah let's jump into it bony we got the art art uh through our grading scale goes for those of you nothing this goes just like you got in school I'm at a plus all the way down to an FF nothing's worth enough I'm a supporter some some things might be now this is a newcomer Michael Barnard art wise it got some mixed reviews when it came out because there's some good stuff about it like the Le package yeah we were doing the premium Ellie package was nice I like the back glasses but then then we got to the side art on the pro yeah it was kind of weird yeah because the characters didn't look the same as the Playfield and then the big issue for people yeah the middle of that Playfield the artwork of animation of the three main members and I I will say it was bad okay great you gave it a B minus but here's what I have to say okay I always like throwing a little positivity is the cohesiveness of it the whole steampunk feel ever the direction of the art I really liked okay it fit like I thought it lended itself well to the display and animations which we'll get into the owl on the back I thought the Outlook I think that it was really good again I thought the translites were all the back glasses were all really good a lot of art that was uh integrated from the album covers yes so there was there was very good theme integration for that like everything felt really good and cohesive so that's why like I wasn't too harsh on it and wasn't too mad about it because the guy did a really good job of piecing too loud no exactly it felt good time a period appropriate exactly yeah so I you gave it a B minus so that's that's kind of low it's kind of low but still still decent I'm in a c plus even a little bit lower than that is the killer like the animation right in the middle Greg for me yeah it's just a killer I played it that's where you look at it you look at those and I just and I know the the band's probably approved of it and said this is the direction we want to go but in my opinion there's some times where Stern Pinball's the experts uh and the artist is an expert in artwork so if that was their decision I'd say with all due respect I know that's you on there but we know pinball and what people want and that's not what yeah yeah you have to be careful because you still want something that's very inviting you know like dirty Donnie did a really good interpretation of some things you know even even yeah like even when uh Jeremy did Ghostbusters they were a little play-dohie and funny looking but yeah they were still rendered very very well like there was something that was still very visually pleasing about it these guys are just it's just a little um and I think I still think it was a slight Miss I still think it was the band choosing this because I don't think that would have got past the art director over at Stern I don't think it would have got that high up the chain without the band but it's not terrible it's just not it's just like the court going in the little hole so weird the quirky so weird all right so artwork we're not high on let's see if this review is any better shots and layouts yeah oh you loved it hey Renee yeah I honestly think it's one of Borg's uh-oh best shooting games really yeah because more Borg so Borg got into this Morgan board got into this weird face thing I think a little bit it to where he's just making he's making some incredibly tough shooting games you take out Guardians very closed off shots very tight shots Turtles very tight shots very fast this is better shooting Turtles better shooting turtles because Turtles was a good layout but Turtles was broken brutal and I there's a few people that's going to disagree with that in the entire world but this is a better shooting Turtle so it's still got that good layout some tricky shots damn Walking Dead was not an easy shoe no but Walking Dead was still it was just fast walking dead was still good clean shots they weren't too closed off too tight but that's what I'm saying like it was rough in that aspect but he started to get really tight the last few games nothing you told me you like it tight you don't like the tight you like a little open sometimes you just needed a little easier just a little easier just a little a little easier yeah not so much work it's a little easier sliding a lot yeah and that's what you can do on Rush yes it is a better shooting Turtles yes yes it's a good layout there's not even really do the pops is you can shoot that pretty almost convince me yeah I'm gonna be plus well I think the reason I I love it I do think it is somewhat Superior to turtles in the way it shoots I agree I love the ramps uh I love the the where the shots are at yes the reason it fell out of an A minus to a B plus for me was that DM scoops I really organ is Scoops I don't mind those Scoops I like that I like to be able to hit that side scoop and then you get that up I like it or hold the flipper up and it rolls in yes enough no scoops I don't think it's bad I it wasn't like the most Innovative thing but it's not bad like it works and I love when that selling shot I need or I need to spot a shot and that's the shot like I just like being able to just it's ease and the other thing is I like that Borg has a style he's got to stop he does if you look at his games some argue a little too similar of a style between games right yeah this scoop is right the same theme spot as it is everyone abort like Aerosmith Indiana Jones how does that dance scoop the same spot no so I've got to knock it off a little bit there a B plus you're lucky maybe a b a b but it is maybe one of the smoothest shooting games we're lucky we're not rating the pro because that dead end shot instead of the [ __ ] that is a travesty oh you know it's not terrible but kill it something just doesn't feel right about you wouldn't think that it would feel as bad as it does but it it really kind of feels bad so one of John bork's best shooting games I think we both agree on that yes rules and code rules and code I'll start yes a B plus okay a B plus now for me that's pretty good yeah it's not bad pretty good it's not as high as your grade yeah uh you're smarter when it comes to rules than I am so you may have been able to uncover more than me um I appreciate the depth of this I appreciate the technicality of this code this is a competitive pinball player's dream type of game because the details are there in this game you're at an a well and that that's why I liked it so it's one of those things you know like with Ray day doing it it's one of those things that like I love the modes the modes were very unique and that's what kind of took me about surprises like you said so it's got the depth it's got the complexity that someone that likes tournament Players are yeah but he also took the time instead of doing something that was just for tournament Players the codes are like the modes are fantastic man yeah like working man working through the clock and you're doing the clock and they're long modes like there's a lot of shots in those modes and and it's not the easiest shooter like I said it's not as hard as Turtles it's not anything like that but it's still not a super easy shooter but you do have some flow so you start comboing those shots and you knock out eight ten shots that you need you know it's not Elvira amount of shots but there's still a lot of shots and the modes are just unique they're all different from each other oh my God they're fun they're amazing to work through like I love every mode in that game is unique and it's for the home player too not just a tournament player and I assume that getting a band game we're gonna get flat modes and and when I first all the music it's just about music just I thought that's what we're gonna get and you kept pushing me like no pay attention a little bit more to the modes because there is some Dynamic uh Dynamic storylines Within These modes they match what the song is kind of talking about red barchetta and the different things uh so I do appreciate that and giving it a B plus I bumped it up towards that because of things like that yes I also appreciated that left drop Bank left drop Bank reminds me of Walking Dead yeah where you're it's roving through and you're trying to collect the different instruments for things I think is a bit more convoluted than walking dead in that respect but Walking Dead was very clear on what it what you were doing with that yes but that uh it's still there so Ray day Ray thinks he overthinks about these things sometimes for better and worse uh so we get such deep code when it comes to Tim section raid a games but for me the reason it's not an a is because it's I'm confused well you're not alone pull me in you're not alone and a lot of just rushed and I think that that's why that it took so long we've discussed this before I think that's why it's taken so long for this game to uh Elevate to where it is oh yeah is because like when I first stepped up to it I was like I have really no idea what's going on I don't really get this um you know and it's literally you shoot get your three collect your three records your time machines let you shoot the damn thing but for some reason it was still just confusing the hell out of people and even getting through some of the modes and stuff and the modes were a little confusing because you know I discussed this one time before and I believe they fixed it the progress about everything was just so small that I couldn't keep I didn't even really know what I needed to do recommended it and they Implement yeah I was like you just need something a little more to get me excited and so until you learned the modes like I feel like you couldn't really step up to this if you were a casual very casual pinball player you can step up to this on location and really grasp it very well because it took me a minute and then like I said you haven't even like thrown yourself into it but it still didn't grab you because of that I've heard other people say they were lost in it but once you do know it and it it clicks really quick you're just like oh my God this is phenomenal okay now I see what these modes are but they just weren't prevalent at first in your face so much differently yes if you combo combo combo then build it up to hit your last shot yeah well it depend on what mode too some of the modes were you needed to combo like to cash it out those sort of modes like oh man I just I love the code I love the code here's the thing feeling wise I'd give this code like a c oh yeah I would man but the reason I've given it a beep is because the technicality behind it it is objectively a great a great coded game great rules game and I'm gonna tell you this I'm gonna give the coding department and the team over at Stern Pinball working on Rush a lot of credit here I think the reason this game sells and has selled as well as it is not because the theme now because they are not because layout it's the code I think the code is what I do agree with that I agree with that and continues to make this game popular I wish I still had it so that you could say because you still haven't given it that that chance to get to know like I'm trying to explain like I wish I had it and you come over here for about four hours and we just play that game straight for four hours and then like get into some of the most yeah because you had to do that I know I couldn't get that way for some reason Hobbit just didn't click with me until you explained to me The Hobbit and I was like okay they're like yeah and I think that really dance yes oh okay there it is maybe Russia be like that but man I just don't care about that thing we'll talk about that here so toys and Innovation one of our favorite categories I love it that's pinball for you it's physicality baby toys and Innovation I I'm higher than you are this one I don't get it I'm an A Minor sure to be plus yeah well I that's not far I think sometimes you know starting pinball games yeah you don't get as much in there as you want to no but with the premium early version of Rush on you get the time machine I love that magnet that's nice the bubbly and it can Bobble back and Bobble up it can bottle trickle out okay the ramps going up and down I like the clock you got the diverter I love that diverter yeah yeah I like the physical ball lock uh behind the three bank that steam cool too three Bank drop targets and on the Alley you get expression lights I'm gonna throw those out oh see I wouldn't take it okay that's part of it see so for me I'm like okay it's cool like I said like the time machine it's a nice piece yeah it is fun when it catches the ball but I'm like God lord of the Rings uh the ramp okay the ramp they called The Washing Machine it doesn't like a washing machine and then like I do like the clock the clock is stupid enough I do want I want the clock 12th time yes I want the clock yeah but again it wasn't anything that like wild me and it was super interactive I mean again you're sure toy that really to me that magnet while it's cool it's really not that much different to me than just a magnet on the Playfield that's going to grab the ball like Austin Powers Yeah so like ah yeah I'm just wasn't I'm just not like Blown Away by the toys they're good they're fun like it fits like I wouldn't want anything really any more complex in there but again it just I still think expression lighting that helps make this game oh yeah I mean it makes all those [ __ ] music pins so you can't talk about toys and Integrations without talking about this yeah but it's only on there well no because I mean you can put it you can put them on yeah but I mean that's still I'm gonna say that that's doing Tech stuff Have You Ever Had to mess with fixing expression lights yes really yes okay is it a bad thing or a Freak no there's been a lot of kits on games very infrequent like I've maybe only had two sets um one of them was uh just a node board issue oh which was very rare and I think the other one is going to be still working it out but I'm pretty sure that it's uh maybe a board issue okay but no nothing bad for as many kits like it's not uh throughout everything else and that was on one of those was on maybe a Led Zeppelin okay um so no nothing no nothing crazy not horrible music and call outs this is a very special game for certain pinball in that they were able to get the actual band members to offer call outs yes for this game I love the collapse that that's huge yes they're personable they're fun they're fun they're fun they're they're tongue-in-cheeky Canadian style yeah so the and plus the music of Rush it's a music game so it's hard to rank low music games uh just because it's rocket it's great music yeah it's really good music but um Bare Naked Ladies yeah and Ed Robertson Ed Ed Robertson was kind enough they contracted him out to direct and help the band of rush it was a dream of his because he's a huge Rush fan um dream of his to work with rush to do this because Ed loves pinball yes Andy loves a rush yes boob music that's helped on Black Knight sort of Rage so she jumped on a couple of games so uh he's he's a big gun it's just like you said these comments are fun and honestly they do a better job than what some actors do when they go and they're asked to do call out no you're right experience because they're enthusiastic they fit they they fit the call it's not just saying it it's not just saying it for a phrase like multiball already they're getting into it they're into it and it fits very well like they were acting in a particular scene you're ready yeah a minus I'm not mad I still like their music a lot so I'm like you like it's hard to get away I mean I'm not like you you get it low but I'm like you in the controllers it's hard to give it anything bad because what about Rush display an animation though because I think we're both we're both pretty high on it you're an A minus I'm a B plus yeah uh it's for what it is that's where I give it credit for a rush what are you gonna do for Rush yes but they found a way to animate original animation for the modes yes that are very well done very clean looking very clean uh the UI the display has all the information that you want now with the product and some of their better 3D renderings of things there are some things that they've done a lot I think about the albums flying through the space yeah so it looks starting yes it looks really good it's it's hands down like you know A Step Above like when they were doing Black Knight and some stuff like that some of their cleanest work it really is plus you get some of the band members in there too in the concerts and different things so but it's not overdone it's not just the concert you know it's it's again it's telling that story and they did very well telling the stories within those modes and everything in between like man I don't know Stern's gonna start giving JP to win a run for his money just because they're integrating a lot of their uh leather UE or gooey or whatever you want to call them so we're both at uh display and animation you're at a minus and I'm at a B plus yes B plus so for me uh the reason it wasn't an a is because again lack of character I'm getting lack of character stuff like yeah Deadpool you got him popping up right you got more of a storyline and a cohesive storyline on some of the other games uh with that animation so that's kind of where I'm hmm that's kind of where I'm at it's clean it's a big plus I see what you mean but that's a little harsh maybe I just don't like Rush yeah that's just that that's grasping his straw is on that one well let's talk about it then theme Chrome it brass it black Nicollet candy chromate powder coated the possibilities are endless at pinballplating.com [Music] your pinball machine deserves the best at Comet pinball you'll find the best variety of LED products with the best quality LEDs and most importantly at the best price your collection is begging for an upgrade order yours now at cometpinball.com check out pin graphics for the latest and greatest in pinball enhancements Power blades blade skins pin blades and even more visit pingraphics.com now to see what's available for your pinball machine they're so iconic their music's iconic like it's it's just this [Laughter] they're all modes so listen I think it's one of those things you will disagree with this but and you'll disagree with every bit of this but it's like Iron Maiden like I don't think a lot of people I mean I think Iron Maiden was despised more than this for the most part like not despised but just didn't care about it but I think that that pinball machine made a lot of Iron Maiden fans and I think honestly this took a lot of Rush fans or a lot of people that just casually listened to rush and I think that it elevated them to like hey you know what now I'm gonna actually listen to rush I'm just gonna listen to it and enjoy it when it's on the radio I'm I'm gonna put on some rush I agree with you to a really big extent because um Iron Maiden I hated that theme more than I did Rush walking into the pinball games yes but leaving them I'm more of a fan of Iron Maiden now yes than I was yeah then I am a rush fan after because I liked Rush um I appreciate it more now but Iron Maiden I came in hating it but I really actually don't mind Iron Maiden which honestly I think it's one of those things that that intellectual property wise yes I think that a lot of people really need to listen to that and consider that no I know they don't care because it's just it's not it's just not very many people I understand that but but from a perspective if you're trying to get followers whether it be for a film it be for a band or anything else I do think pinball really does help in that you know as long as they say you haven't made it and you haven't made it until you have your own pinball yes yes and I think it really does help I mean I think their album sales tickets I mean you say okay let's take you sell how many how many iron maidens do you think that they sold oh geez uh eight thousand at least five thousand I'd guess okay so around five thousand let's say five or six thousand maybe at least five thousand five thousand five to ten five to ten so you let's just let's cut it and say seven okay so you got seven thousand a lot of them that they sold and those are Iron Maiden fans whether they were before they're after that's true and now you go by tickets will not only buy their costs are seven thousand playing it on location yes you don't have to become a fan just uh no like you're like and now you want to go to a concert and you sell let's just say you sell a thousand tickets more that year that's good that's pretty solid in ticket sales like 2015. it's a tangible product that is for brand recognition that you can have in place yes yeah tangible yeah and it tells a story more so than a lunch box more so than a poster or anything like that I would have never thought about going to an Iron Maiden concert I I loved them but I didn't like I was like ah whatever and I about went to Columbus the day after vacation last year and drove three hours to Columbus to go see their show I'd go to a maiden concert with them oh well I should ask this thing about that you're hitting them some [ __ ] but I don't hate them but oh yeah all right theme you're an A minus I am at a c cool wow man we're not going to a rush concert I mean I will just get [ __ ] up no rush you would have to like that's a different kind of fun yeah Iron Maiden I feel like you're getting drunk you're really yeah like you're partying Rush you're tripping yeah find some shrooms is different uh I I don't want to do shrooms at the restaurants no uh let's see I'm sorry I'm gonna have the same Iron Maiden angry people that come after me like just no no there's so much better music out there give me if I can listen man Tupac enjoyability you really enjoyed this game A minus dude this is a solid game I had that I had it for a little over a year you loved it I did you did love it enjoyability I enjoyed it so much it's a solid beat ah salty I can see you I like shooting it I like I like playing through the modes um I I don't care enough about the theme or the code didn't pull me in enough to care about more strategy than that okay Baseline B it's a great shooter um it looks pretty and it's hard for me not to enjoy playing Band games because if they rock yeah they're fun yeah even if you're not super into the music it's still it's great it's easy as it goes for me that's not bad cumulatively speaking we put it all together and Greg Bone got him and a game it's a minus for you oh yeah plus yes yes that's right all the b-plus haters out there the Greg Bone B plus this one's skip through yeah for me it's it's a not a B plus or a name it's a b that's solid that's still not bad like I mean it's just weird I think that's fair it's a now pay attention to things like uh like for you if you go to some of our highest cat weighted categories uh shots and layout rules and code or each 20 of our grid as well as enjoyability when you look at a game like rush for you shots in layout a rules and code a enjoyability a minus that tells you a lot about how you like playing this game yes maybe not I mean maybe not just how much you like playing this game when you go to me shots in layout B plus rules and code B plus technically it's good enjoyability B and it comes out to be a b well because for people who who are new to the show or honestly it's for a lot of you who watch Regular and don't want to complain yeah and and cry some of them just like that dude yeah like look at what matters because you know you take something like a theme that might not just be real wild and that might again might not matter to somebody else and you give it a c well that drags that great down so you don't want to look at that overall great you want to look at what's important to you in that game or it might just have well Walking Dead's like one of my favorite games ever it's just so ugly it's so knocked it down that should be like one of my highest it should be one of the best games in the world but objectively it just kind of yes so you have to look at what's important to you and how you like you know if you don't really care about call outs or anything else or you don't really care about the LCD the animations things like that can really drag that score down depending on how bad they are because because me I think more objectively it is a b that's what my grade can came out to be but I talked about things like the weight of not pulling me in it feels like a c it doesn't theme see I don't really care about it much so that tells you a lot as well yeah that's Rush pinball you think uh you think they're gonna make Rush again I don't think they're going I don't know there's no plans no no plans to make Russia I mean I think I think it really went on that upswing and it sold and went really well but then it played though like I said I just don't think there was still enough people giving it a chance I think a lot did didn't play spinball but yeah I don't know if they will yeah we'll see so here's what you do go out play Rush for yourself or purchase Rush pinball by stirring pinball you can purchase through flipping out pinball if we still I think we we might have used ones here and there they float in uh but purchase through us at flippingoutpinball.com it's definitely worth owning and comment down below to let us know your thoughts not only on our reviews uh and your takes on that but what you think about Rush pinball or even Rush is the band are you big rush fan yeah or do you like uh tell us why they're iconic yes are you Canadian hey are you really that nice I've got some [ __ ] Canadians lately there are some but you know what they they uh they're fake they're fake in a good way a lot of those [ __ ] Canadians but uh uncover the layers and you're like oh you're an [ __ ] just like me it's a Canadian onion Legions what's up man not bad don't move because it probably won't know that all right boom got it look at that boom so so nice to meet with a friend pulling eyelashes dude her and her little friends are like [ __ ] Gremlins dude like they just like did you hear that [ __ ] like that's not even humans why what are they doing under here I'm like what is going on I hear that oh yeah is it like one of just their things no no because I mean like they even talk like Gremlins when they're a couple years back my daughter would do uh like a baby talk with her friends and I oh I would just make fun of him all the time it was it was like borderline like cringe I would make fun of I have an adult friend that does that um worst thing that could ever come out of her mouth well at least it's a woman though I almost swallowed or I don't [Laughter] I almost choked the other right here when's the last time you nearly choked I almost choked I don't know like I I got a lot of saliva like so I [ __ ] aspirate all the time because I get all excited no I almost told it wasn't like a dry it was a meat curtains no they always remind me of Meeker it was Luca it was roast beef yeah but it was like a sandwich and it was grilled um with cheese and stuff and the bread and it like it went partially down and I was like oh yeah it's the thing like when you immediately think [ __ ] who's around because I'm about to I don't know which way this is gonna go here I always feel like a lizard you like when you watch the national graphic it's like or alligator and it's just like yeah she swallish when it gets in there you don't know what to do so you're just like if it hit along is it gonna go to my stomach those things look so stoic but you can still tell in their eye like they're starting to freak out a little bit and you know that my jumpsuit is they're like we're gonna wait till this [ __ ] fully chokes foreign [Music]

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 2440d2fd-4b94-4c47-a5ce-eb3caa318856*