# How to CHOKE in pinball: Indiana Jones

**Source:** Straight Down the Middle  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2017-08-01  
**Duration:** 28m 17s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2uoOmM_bQI

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## Analysis

Zach Sharpe from Straight Down the Middle plays Indiana Jones pinball, attempting to progress through all 12 modes and reach wizard mode. He completes 11 of 12 modes but ultimately drains on the final wizard mode attempt (Eternal Life multiball), missing the winning shot by one. The video showcases Indiana Jones' complex mode structure, color DMD quality, playfield mechanics (drop targets, ramps, orbits), and the high skill ceiling required for competitive play.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Indiana Jones has 12 modes built into the bonus structure, making tilting especially costly — _Zach Sharpe (player) explaining gameplay mechanics during live play_
- [HIGH] Indiana Jones has one of the best color DMDs in Zach's opinion — _Zach Sharpe commentary during minecart video mode discussion_
- [HIGH] Drop targets on Indiana Jones produce air balls similar to Ghostbusters but have kickback protection coating — _Zach Sharpe explaining playfield behavior during gameplay_
- [MEDIUM] Indiana Jones has a diverter that may not be working optimally, causing Path of Adventure to appear too frequently — _Zach Sharpe speculation during endgame play_
- [HIGH] Zach Sharpe had never beaten the minecart video mode reaction-time challenge before this stream — _Zach Sharpe directly stating 'That's the first time I've ever beat that. I promise you.'_

### Notable Quotes

> "Color DMD on this is a must. It's one of the best color DMDs in my opinion."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, early gameplay
> _Positive assessment of Indiana Jones' display technology_

> "You do not want to tilt on Indiana Jones because all the modes are built into the bonus."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, late gameplay
> _Explains Indiana Jones' unique penalty structure and design philosophy_

> "I was one shot literally, one effing shot away from eternal life multi-ball."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, wizard mode attempt
> _Expresses frustration at near-miss on final objective_

> "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, post-game conclusion
> _Emotional reaction to brutal final drain_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Zach Sharpe | person | Host/player for Straight Down the Middle, playing Indiana Jones pinball in this video |
| Straight Down the Middle | organization | Pinball-focused YouTube channel and podcast where this video was produced |
| Indiana Jones | game | Stern pinball machine being played; theme: adventure/archaeology; features 12 modes, color DMD, multiple ramps and orbits |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Indiana Jones pinball machine |
| Ghostbusters | game | Pinball game referenced for comparison of air ball behavior from drop targets |
| Jason | person | Chat participant or co-host making commentary during stream |
| Schmitty | person | Viewer/chat participant making jokes during stream |
| Waspinator | person | Stream moderator |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Indiana Jones pinball gameplay and mechanics, Wizard mode progression and completion attempts, Playfield design and shot difficulty
- **Secondary:** Display technology (color DMD quality), Video mode mechanics and reaction time challenges, Streaming and community engagement
- **Mentioned:** Game bonus structure design philosophy

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.45) — Positive sentiment toward Indiana Jones machine design and features (color DMD, mode variety, mechanics); negative sentiment about the brutal final drain and failure to complete wizard mode. Frustration dominates the ending despite acknowledgment of game quality.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Straight Down the Middle producing extended gameplay content showcasing complex Indiana Jones mechanics (confidence: high) — Full video documenting 11/12 mode completion and wizard mode attempt with detailed commentary
- **[design_philosophy]** Indiana Jones intentionally designed with all 12 modes built into bonus structure, creating high penalty for tilting (confidence: high) — Zach Sharpe explaining bonus mechanics: 'You do not want to tilt on Indiana Jones because all the modes are built into the bonus.'
- **[product_strategy]** Indiana Jones features color DMD implementation noted as one of the best in the market (confidence: high) — Zach Sharpe: 'Color DMD on this is a must. It's one of the best color DMDs in my opinion.'
- **[product_concern]** Possible diverter malfunction on Indiana Jones causing Path of Adventure mode to trigger too frequently (confidence: low) — Zach Sharpe: 'I feel like that diverter's not working or something. Because I'm getting Path of Adventure a little too much.'

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## Transcript

 Just one more. One more game, guys. How many boxes do I gotta deliver? You gotta deliver a lot of boxes? Well, you don't have to stick around. All I know is the man looks like he can throw a sick-ass roundhouse. Oh my god! We got gangs in this neighborhood. Pop, pop! Pop, pop! this would be the weakest game ever in the subdivision yeah they'd have polo shirts on shooting us you could throw a sick round out so that he could be a brain in her chick maybe alright last game one more game you want to go first I told everybody last night that I'm going to stream that EM. Yeah. Hell yeah. I can whoop your ass on that one, though. Yeah, you can kick my ass on that one. You should come back here and we'll stream that EM sometime. Yeah, we'll do that. Man, we'd be putting fools to sleep streaming an EM. I think you'd like it. You think so? Would you guys anybody in the chat would you guys like an EM stream? It'd be different wouldn't it I? Don't know if I could play so oh my goodness if I Well not only that but if I have like three or four buddies over here and some beer I can play EM's all night long all right Zach let's get your head out of the ass into the game here man let's give these people something to see probably like 20 probably 20 hey but that EM man that thing is awesome I really enjoy it all right oh my thank God all right steal the stones path of adventure on this one why can't I post pass for the love of everything sacred. I tried to use my ramp there. Don't drain on me now. I'll walk a ball instead. to hell with it. Path of Adventure. Oh, get up there. Oh. In and out, Jason. There it is. So I got all those rollovers to go over. That pit always gets me, though. There we go, let's go back over there We got still four more Shit, missed them all And the mode is over Alright So we got I still have that lock shot I'd like to I'd like to lock another ball if I could Start another mode, I'll take it Alright, this is the minecart video mode where I suck at because my reaction time is not quick enough. You guys seeing that on the DMD up there? Color DMD on this is a must. It's one of the best color DMDs in my opinion. Oh, shit. It's getting for real now. Here's where I blow it. Look at that. You know what? That's no bullshit. That's the first time I've ever beat that. I promise you. At least I did that on the video. Alright, so let's see if we can't get another mode going here. Get out. Get out! Alright, still got a couple more for Path of Adventure. There's one. There's two. Now my extra ball is lit up there. If I can get it back up there and put it in its home. Boom! Let's go back up there. If we're feeling lucky, let's do it. Shit, missed it. Try to start another mode here. There we go. A lot of yellow on this machine. Yeah, that's true. Oh, how did I save that one? What's that, ball two? Or ball one? Ball two? Alright, three challenges on this one. Try to use my ramp to get it back over. It looks a lot more yellow in the picture. Yeah, in the picture it does. There's a lot of oranges, some blues. A lot of greens. A lot of greens. Very natural looking. Very natural looking, Jason says. Yes, I concur. Now I'm hitting that path of adventure. There we go. There's the pit. Oh, almost got the back door there. Okay, so what do we got? Still got a path lit, so I'm going to try to go back up there. Alright, now the pit's actually lit to complete it. Oh, and I blew it. Still got an extra ball. I take it back. looks like a what the hell is that this thong the stone Oh Deshaunty Deshaunty or Jamal okay okay Jamal it is I still want to be a hobby here but I have so many damn kids I'd name my next one Javier Isaac, we're going to get control of this ball, aren't we? Yep. Nope. Nope. Nope. What the hell? Olive! Olive! Save Olive! She needs some help. Help! It my game case and I feeling it You definitely blowing me out Yeah going to be at your job Hopefully some day you come walking back through my door It only takes me two hours to get warmed up. Damn it. I hate the water! And I hate you! Oh. That one just bitch slapped you. Did you wrong, didn't it? What do you think about that, Popeye? Now what about you, Shadow? Start a mode. Start a mode. Start a mode. And I still have that pit lit up top there. need to pay attention to that quick multiball up there lot options here i didn't clean off the steam glass before a stream that's not very cool There's that mode start Alright so we're in our fourth mode Get the idol I'll take that 10 million too Alright hit the center drop targets They are super dangerous Oh damn I thought I had that multiball there the ball will fly like it will on Ghostbusters here on Indiana Jones a lot of air balls when you hit those drop targets but it's coated that way so if it does fly it'll sometimes give you an extra kickback all right so we got the uh multiball going as well here with my favorite elephant call out So I'm still trying to hit those center drop targets I believe. I think I still got that mode going. Oh. Wasn't cool. And then once you get done with those. I think the mode's over. I say once you get done you have to hit it right in the center. Actually I don't know what. Did I lose that ball? It's dragging that ball. What the hell? Jackpot shot is what I need so bad. And that's that path of adventure. You light it during your multiball by hitting the left ramp. There it is. Boom! How awesome is that? Then you light it again by hitting the left ramp again. There it is. now that's eligible if I can hit that path of adventure. Ah, sack. Give me a jackpot there, buddy. Good separation there, Zach. Alright, left flipper. I gotta get to that left flipper. Gotta hit that path of adventure shot there. Game over there. I still got my millions in the pop bumper, so those are beneficial. Why can't I hit that? Here it is. Oh, up and down. Well, I ran out of time on that jackpot. See, I'm not having a bad game here, guys. I can't get that shot down there. Uh-oh. All right. Start another mode and get an extra ball. Look at that. Rope Ridge. I love this move. Oh. There it is. I'm going to try to hit that pit as well because it is lit. I've got the... There it is. Boom, baby. That's what I'm talking about. Lock another ball. We might be here for a while. Get to this damn wizard mode. Is this the game that I beat that video mode on? Yeah. Yeah, see? That was good luck for me. Alright. Is there still anyone in the stream? Let's see who's in here. Waspinator's moderating. I don't know if he's still here. Mixer tuna, what's happening, man? Push is still here. What's happening? What's his toes? What's his toes? Is that how you pronounce it? Thanks for stopping by. Root me on. Wish me some luck here. All right, so we've got 450. Again, if you don't... Yeah, there you go. I'll let you know when I'm done. Get up there. I needed you. I needed that mode. If you don't know what to do on Indiana Jones at any point, damn it. Just shoot for modes. So that was a shit waste of a ball right there. I got another one now. Got two times bonus. The rollovers up top. I'll keep going on those and I'll get an extra ball from that as well. Mode shot. Come on, Zach. Damn. I think all indies are like that too. They're tough. Tough to get that mode. See? It's in and out. There it is. Alright, tank chase. Shoot the loops to destroy this ramp So in modes like this you can kind of go for your Lock your balls as well Boom I like that All right, so I still have one more. There's that extra ball. I missed it. I missed it. Let's go back up there There it is I'll go right back up there. I don't care. I don't care Alright, so we're still trying to get orbits for this mode. Alright. Or the ramps, I guess. That right orbit's not too nice either. Alright, slow it down now, Zach. Get your mode started. Stay up Come on, Zach, get those rollovers, man Okay Let's calm it down So my lock is eligible right there I could go for that I could try to get it to the right flipper to go for a mode start Try to lock a ball there What do we got there? Ball two? Ball to left. Where are we at now? Four times. Where's that mode? Where is that mode shot? There it is. Alright, choose wisely. Follow on the DMD, guys. Watch the flashing one, now watch it. Follow it. Don't let it... Don't let it... Oh, where'd it go? I think it's the center one. Got it. That's a cool 20 million, I think. I'm still going strong, Schmitty. Is it still growing? Alright. Let's start another mode. Let's get through all these modes. I knew I was going to have at least an 8-mode game. So right now we've got 5, 6 modes, 7 modes completed. Stay out. There it is. Mode number eight. Streets of Cairo. Find Marion by hitting one of the four shots. She's somewhere to be found. Let's hit a ramp. Is she there? Nope. Ten million. It's that chump shot, you guys. Almost paid for it. can you know what it's been here so once you beat the path of adventure next time you go through those they're gonna rose so you gotta hit them as they're moving which is not Did I find her? I'll get that combo orbit going. Ah, Drano. What are you typing in there? Dunno. Dunno. Alright, I think this is my... Is this my last extra ball? I got him capped at three. Alright. So we've got six, seven, eight modes complete. We need 9, 10, 11, 12 We need 4 more modes Everyone's sleeping We got jokes from Schmitty I hope I get another extra ball I think I've got all 3 of them already Gotta start a mode Good save Zach Thank you buddy Appreciate it Let's see if we can't Control this ball Get a mode start Oh that is not how you start a mode There's a mode start Oh this is the well of souls Jason Six ball multiball for my ninth mode here And I'll take it all day long Did you guys see that shit on the fly So you're trying to hit I think alternating shots in that center shot. Oh, my God. Drain city. There we go. So we're raising the jackpot. Oh, Zach, it was too fast for you, bud. Alright. Try to get our 10th mode started here. Oh, that wasn't cool. There it is. Raven bar. So this is a video mode as well where you just try to shoot the hell out of some people. And you can get an extra ball out of this, but I don't think I'm eligible for an extra ball anymore. But I'm going to try to get it. Oh, I almost got it. Almost. Stay up. Oh, that would have been sweet if it went in there. Oh, my. You guys seeing this shit? I know you guys are tense for me. So, I've got 3, 6, 9, 10 of the 12 modes. Is anybody even watching this shit? There's a couple people in here. Thanks for hanging out. You guys want to see me blow the wizard mode on Indiana Jones? Gotta start a mode. Monkey Brains is next. That's not Monkey Brains. Neither is that. Alright, gotta get that mode shot. Alright, let's get the ball under control here, shall we? I wouldn't mind hitting those rollovers too to spell out Indy one more time. Alright. So we can lock a ball as well right here if I can get that shot down Missed it Schminney when you up next man I apologize This thing is sweaty as shit. Mode. FNA, baby. We don't want to drain right now Why? Oh, because I got the playfield cam Hold on, hold on Uh-oh So that's good, we got a multiball going during this Oh, I didn't even see that damn thing. Oh my god, did I really already drain all three of them? No ball saves? Monkey bedanes. I feel like that diverter's not working or something. Because I'm getting Path of Adventure a little too much. Alright, so again, the targets are moving now up there. You guys, 11 of the 12 modes done. Start that last mode. What the hell are you doing? Now I gotta get through this mode. I think I got another ball. Oh, drop target's going crazy. That was a good ball, guys. You do not want to tilt on Indiana Jones because all the modes are built into the bonus. So you don't want to do that. I think it's a GC, buddy. It's not as close. It's really close. I still get a start at the end. Wizard mode, I think. So I got like what 800 and more like monkey dreams Not sleeping just drunk. How sweaty is that lock bar buddy pretty sweaty toasty? We got about 800,000 Yeah Let's do it I'm starting my first mode here. You got this. Full mode. 12-0. What's his toes? What are you playing with? He has four right now. Thank you. There it is. Balloon ball, come on. Junior, it is here, Junior. Holy smoke, my head hurts like so many... Make some noise, Liv. Nice. Damn it comes around so quick. Yeah. It's nice and warmed up for you. It's playing good, isn't it? It is. It's raining. It's like a drain. Alright, so I admit, I've never been to the wizard mode on this game. So, I have no clue how to start it. So they're all flashing, Jason. They're all flashing. I guess I have to start that mode. Shoot mode start for eternal life multiball. You guys, I'm going to fucking blow this. Alright, get control of the ball, Zach, and get it into a mode start. I got this shit. I hear it. There's a shot. It's wide open. Three point shot to win the game. Three, two, one. Brick. I lost the game. Oh no, don't go down like that. Goodness. Goodness. Well, that was fun while it lasted. All I had to do was shoot the fucking... See, now I could do a Super Bowl and see what it looks like. I'm not going to. That is brutal. Brutal. All right, so I was one shot literally, one effing shot away from eternal life multiball. We'll get it another day, though. Three pops. Oh! Alright guys, thanks for watching Straight Down the Middle. This is Zach. Check out our YouTube videos. Rewatch this video and make fun of me for missing that Eternal Life multiball. I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. Thanks for hanging out guys. See ya. That blows!

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 5c94bf43-705e-4c2c-b05f-d76ba1691a5c*