# New Details on American Pinball Game: No Corners Cut, Unique & Different Dennis Nordman Layout **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2023-02-20 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/new-details-on-american-pinball-game-no-corners-cut-unique-different-dennis-nordman-layout --- ## Analysis Josh Kugler, former American Pinball employee, revealed new details about AP's upcoming Galactic Tank Force game, confirming a unique layout by Dennis Nordman, satirical tone refinement, and complete prototype status. The game is scheduled for Midwest Gaming Classic and Texas Pinball Festival (March 24). Kugler also disclosed AP's planned pipeline and his departure circumstances after significant contribution to rules, code, and design. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Galactic Tank Force prototype is complete and ready for show demonstrations — _Josh Kugler, former American Pinball developer directly involved in early GTF development, stated one full prototype is now complete_ - [HIGH] Dennis Nordman's layout for Galactic Tank Force is unique and different from most recent games — _Kugler's direct quote: 'it's an interesting layout, that is unique and different from most recent games'_ - [HIGH] Galactic Tank Force will be unveiled at Texas Pinball Festival on Friday March 24th at 5:00 PM Central — _Knapp Arcade article citing Kugler's disclosure of planned TPF unveiling date and time_ - [HIGH] Josh Kugler was replaced/departed American Pinball in late March due to 'change in direction' — _Kugler's direct statement: 'End of last March, we parted ways, the only thing I was told was that due to a change in direction I was no longer needed'_ - [MEDIUM] American Pinball's planned game pipeline includes GTF, Dennis Nordman's second game, then Barry Ousler's last design — _Kugler stated this was the plan as of last March, but acknowledged 'Whether that is still the plan, your guess is as good as mine'_ - [MEDIUM] Galactic Tank Force will feature redesigned light boards — _Article mentions discovery that 'the next AP game will have redesigned light boards' but does not provide additional context on source_ - [HIGH] Kugler created GTF rules, developed story, wrote more than half the script, co-directed actors, designed light boards, and had rules/mechs coded before departure — _Kugler's detailed account of his contributions: 'on GTF I created the rules with ferret, developed the story with Dennis and Jack, wrote more than half the script, co-directed the actors, designed new light boards and had the rules and mechs coded'_ - [HIGH] GTF was completely playable at time of Kugler's departure, awaiting asset replacement of placeholder images — _Kugler: 'The game was totally playable at that point and we were waiting on assets to replace all the placeholders we had put in'_ ### Notable Quotes > "No corners were cut on this game, and it's an interesting layout, that is unique and different from most recent games." > — **Josh Kugler**, Pinside forum post (date not specified) > _Key reassurance about GTF production quality and design differentiation; directly addresses potential concern about American Pinball cutting corners post-Galactic Tank Force development challenges_ > "I suspect most are pleased with how it all came together. Regardless, sounds like you will see it soon and can decide for yourselves, as I said, it is going to give y'all A LOT to talk about." > — **Josh Kugler**, Pinside forum post > _Suggests GTF will be controversial or discussion-generating; indicates community will have strong reactions to the game's design direction_ > "Been gone from AP for almost a year, but when I was there, the plan was GTF, Dennis game 2, and then Barry O's last design." > — **Josh Kugler**, Pinside forum post > _Confirms American Pinball's three-game pipeline, adds Barry Ousler as upcoming designer, establishes timeline uncertainty_ > "End of last March, we parted ways, the only thing I was told was that due to a change in direction I was no longer needed." > — **Josh Kugler**, Pinside forum post > _Indicates significant personnel/strategic shift at American Pinball; vague reasoning suggests internal conflict or pivot in game direction_ > "Not sure why I was not needed, considering on GTF I created the rules with ferret, developed the story with Dennis and Jack, wrote more than half the script, co-directed the actors, designed new light boards and had the rules and mechs coded." > — **Josh Kugler**, Pinside forum post > _Kugler's frustration/confusion at replacement despite extensive documented contributions; raises questions about creative control and production dynamics at AP_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Josh Kugler | person | Former American Pinball employee; heavily involved in early GTF development; created rules, story, script, and designed light boards for Galactic Tank Force; departed AP in late March due to 'change in direction' | | Galactic Tank Force | game | Upcoming American Pinball game with Dennis Nordman layout; prototype complete; scheduled for Midwest Gaming Classic and Texas Pinball Festival reveal March 24; satirical tank-themed game with unique playfield layout | | American Pinball | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer; upcoming pipeline includes GTF, Dennis Nordman's second game, and Barry Ousler's last design; implementing redesigned light boards for next machine | | Dennis Nordman | person | Pinball designer; co-creator of GTF concept with Paul Reno; designing second game in AP pipeline after GTF; known for unique, distinctive layout philosophy | | Paul Reno | person | Co-creator of Galactic Tank Force concept with Dennis Nordman | | Jack Hager | person | Developer at American Pinball; refined GTF concept with Josh Kugler, adding satirical tone and expanded game direction | | Barry Ousler | person | Pinball designer; upcoming last game design on American Pinball pipeline after Dennis Nordman's second game | | Texas Pinball Festival | event | Major pinball community event; scheduled venue for GTF public unveiling on Friday March 24th at 5:00 PM Central | | Midwest Gaming Classic | event | Gaming event; also scheduled to feature GTF before or around TPF reveal | | Knapp Arcade | organization | Source of article; pinball community publication covering GTF details and Kugler interview | | Pinside | organization | Major pinball community forum; hosted Josh Kugler's detailed Galactic Tank Force discussion | | ferret | person | Co-designer of GTF rules with Josh Kugler; identity not fully specified in article | | Bader | company | Manufacturing/supplier company; previously worked with Jersey Jack Pinball, now working with Spooky and American Pinball; pronunciation: 'bod-er' | | Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Competitor manufacturer; previously used Bader for manufacturing before 'burning that bridge' | | Spooky Pinball | company | Competitor manufacturer; currently using Bader's manufacturing capacity | ### Topics - **Primary:** Galactic Tank Force development and unveiling, American Pinball game pipeline and roadmap, Josh Kugler departure from American Pinball - **Secondary:** Dennis Nordman playfield design philosophy, Manufacturing partnerships and supplier relationships (Bader), Pinball game design iteration and rule development process - **Mentioned:** Texas Pinball Festival community events ### Sentiment **Mixed** (0.45) — Kugler expresses confidence and optimism about GTF's quality and unique design, but underlying frustration about his departure and the vague reasoning ('change in direction') suggests internal discord at American Pinball. The disclosure itself is positive for the community but tinged with professional disappointment from Kugler's perspective. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** American Pinball's strategic pivot or management change triggered Kugler's replacement despite significant documented contributions; vague reasoning suggests internal friction (confidence: medium) — Kugler's statement: 'due to a change in direction I was no longer needed' combined with detailed accounting of his GTF work raises questions about decision-making - **[business_signal]** Jersey Jack Pinball's fractured relationship with Bader manufacturing supplier; Spooky and American Pinball now using Bader capacity instead (confidence: medium) — Kugler: 'jJP used Bader at one time, but then burned that bridge. I think spooky and AP are now using all of Bader's capacity' - **[design_philosophy]** Galactic Tank Force emphasizes unique, non-standard playfield layout differing from recent game trends; satirical/humorous tone vs. traditional approach (confidence: high) — Kugler: 'unique and different from most recent games' and 'direction that was...a bit more satirical' - **[personnel_signal]** Josh Kugler departed American Pinball in late March following 'change in direction'; significant contributor to GTF rules, story, and design (confidence: high) — Kugler's direct statement about departure and detailed account of his GTF contributions before exit - **[announcement]** Galactic Tank Force officially scheduled for public reveal at Texas Pinball Festival March 24; prototype complete and ready for demonstration (confidence: high) — Kugler confirmation: 'sounds like you will see it soon' and explicit TPF date/time disclosure; article states 'one full prototype machine is now complete' - **[product_strategy]** American Pinball's planned pipeline: Galactic Tank Force, Dennis Nordman's second game, then Barry Ousler's last design (as of March); uncertain if current plan (confidence: medium) — Kugler: 'plan was GTF, Dennis game 2, and then Barry O's last design' with caveat 'Whether that is still the plan, your guess is as good as mine' - **[technology_signal]** American Pinball implementing redesigned light boards on next machine, suggesting hardware innovation or cost/reliability improvements (confidence: medium) — Article note: 'the next AP game will have redesigned light boards' but limited supporting detail provided --- ## Transcript Yesterday, the former American Pinball employee Josh Kugler, shared some details on American Pinball's (AP) upcoming game...likely called Galactic Tank Force. Kugler was heavily involved in the early development of the pin. According to him, the game's layout is different from most recent games, which will be very refreshing. Furthermore, he said that no corners were cut on it. The game's initial concept was formulated by its designer, Dennis Nordman, and Paul Reno. It was then refined by Josh and Jack Haeger, making it more "satirical," which I take to mean adding more humor. As I mentioned in my previous post, one full prototype machine is now complete. The game will be definitely shown off at the upcoming Midwest Gaming Classic and probably will be unveiled on Friday March 24th at 5:00 PM Central at the upcoming Texas Pinball Festival. Later on we discovered that as of last March, the scheduled lineup of upcoming games from American Pinball was Galactic Tank Force, the Dennis Nordman's second game then Barry Oursler's last game. Another interesting tidbit from the thread is that the next AP game will have redesigned light boards. Here's a link to the full conversation on the subject from over on Pinside: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-next-american-pinball/page/40#post-7414350 "No corners were cut on this game, and it’s an interesting layout, that is unique and different from most recent games. I do think Dennis’ layout following this one is one of his best ever, and bummed I won’t get to do rules and code on it. The games concept was Dennis and Paul Reno, but Jack Haeger and I expanded it quite a bit and in a direction that was, well, a bit more satirical, and while not every one loved it at first, I suspect most are pleased with how it all came together. Regardless, sounds like you will see it soon and can decide for yourselves, as I said, it is going to give y’all A LOT to talk about. jJP used Bader at one time, but then burned that bridge. I think spooky and AP are now using all of Bader’s capacity. Btw I hear the name pronounced wrong all the time, it is bod-er." He went on to add the following: "Been gone from AP for almost a year, but when I was there, the plan was GTF, Dennis game 2, and then Barry O's last design. Whether that is still the plan, your guess is as good as mine." and "End of last March, we parted ways, the only thing I was told was that due to a change in direction I was no longer needed. Not sure why I was not needed, considering on GTF I created the rules with ferret, developed the story with Dennis and Jack, wrote more than half the script, co-directed the actors, designed new light boards and had the rules and mechs coded. The game was totally playable at that point and we were waiting on assets to replace all the placeholders we had put in, most of which were storyboard images created by either Jack or myself during story/rules development." _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 40b07531-5376-4f7a-9280-c6d39950c283*