# Sonic The Hedgehog Pinball First Reaction

**Source:** Pinball Pursuit  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2026-06-27  
**Duration:** 12m 39s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1EwDydejhU

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## Analysis

Dr. C and Mrs. J from Pinball Pursuit react to Jersey Jack Pinball's Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine based on video footage, since they haven't played it yet. They praise designer Steve Ritchie pedigree and express excitement about the game's bright, colorful aesthetic and fast gameplay, though they have reservations about the large upper playfield's visibility and practical usability. They note similarities to Pokémon's diamond-shaped battle zone and highlight cool mechanical features like inline drop targets and the inverted loop, but remain uncertain how the game will play until they experience it firsthand.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] Steve Ritchie invented the upper playfield — _Dr. C stated this while discussing Ritchie's design legacy and his influence on Sonic's large upper playfield_
- [HIGH] Jersey Jack's last Steve Ritchie game before Sonic was Elton John — _Dr. C directly stated 'Jersey Jack's last Steve Ritchie game was Elton John'_
- [HIGH] Black Knight Sword of Rage has a clear upper playfield that clouds over time — _Mrs. J described personal experience with BKSOR's upper playfield cloudiness and stated she prefers Black Panther to Rage Pro because of this issue_
- [HIGH] Sonic appears to have a loop-de-loop that comes back toward the player instead of going into the back of the playfield — _Mrs. J observed from videos: 'the fact that it comes at you. That's cool. I think that's fun.'_
- [HIGH] Pokémon pinball also has a diamond-shaped battle zone — _Mrs. J compared Sonic's battle zone to Pokémon's: 'Pokemon has the diamond-shaped battle zone' and noted both games have similar designs_
- [HIGH] Sonic's upper playfield flippers are very close together with a center post — _Mrs. J described the upper flipper spacing and mentioned 'there's a post in the middle' that she worried about hitting_
- [MEDIUM] Nickelmania in West Jordan has an Elton John machine — _Mrs. J mentioned this location when discussing where to find Jersey Jack games locally_

### Notable Quotes

> "Steve Ritchie is an incredible designer. He's made some iconic games."
> — **Dr. C**
> _Establishes credibility and excitement about the Sonic designer's track record_

> "It's huge! It's like half the game. And I usually don't like upper playfields because then it blocks my view."
> — **Mrs. J**
> _Core concern about the machine's most prominent mechanical feature_

> "I hate nudging. So, even less points for an upper playfield."
> — **Mrs. J**
> _Personal play style concern about the upper playfield's nudge-heavy gameplay_

> "It looks bright. It looks colorful. It's going to bring in new audiences, which I think is great."
> — **Mrs. J**
> _Positive assessment of the machine's market appeal and aesthetic_

> "I love that there's inline drop targets that you hit and then you lock a ball for multiball behind it. That super cool."
> — **Mrs. J**
> _Highlights specific mechanical feature appreciation_

> "I love that there's that one, like, rules designer coder that's in the videos. He's got longer hair. He looks so excited to be working on Sonic."
> — **Mrs. J**
> _Recognition of passion and energy from the development team_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Steve Ritchie | person | Legendary pinball designer known as 'The King of Flow'; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball for Jersey Jack; previously designed Black Knight trilogy and Elton John |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer producing Sonic the Hedgehog and Elton John machines |
| Dr. C | person | Co-host of Pinball Pursuit podcast; enthusiast discussing Sonic reactions |
| Mrs. J | person | Co-host of Pinball Pursuit podcast; casual player providing gameplay concerns and observations about Sonic |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Pinball | game | Upcoming Jersey Jack pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie; features large upper playfield, loop-de-loop, battle zone, and inline drop targets |
| Elton John | game | Jersey Jack pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie; previous major release; located at Nickelmania in West Jordan, Utah |
| Black Knight Sword of Rage | game | Stern pinball machine with clear upper playfield that clouds over time; part of Black Knight trilogy designed by Steve Ritchie |
| Black Panther | game | Stern pinball machine; preferred by Mrs. J over Black Knight Sword of Rage because it lacks an upper playfield |
| Pokémon Pinball | game | Jersey Jack pinball machine with diamond-shaped battle zone; compared to Sonic's similar battle zone feature |
| Foo Fighters (Pro) | game | Pinball machine with small upper playfield; Mrs. J found it superfluous |
| Harry Potter | game | Jersey Jack pinball machine; discussed as potential collector purchase alongside Elton John |
| Pinball Pursuit | organization | Podcast/YouTube channel hosted by Dr. C and Mrs. J covering pinball industry and games |
| Sega | company | Video game company that owns Sonic the Hedgehog franchise; licensing partner for the pinball machine |
| Nickel Mania (West Jordan) | venue | Arcade venue in West Jordan, Utah with Elton John pinball machine |

### Signals

- **[product_concern]** Mrs. J expresses concern about the Sonic upper playfield blocking view, close flipper spacing, center post placement requiring nudge skills, and uncertainty about whether the clear material will cloud over time like Black Knight Sword of Rage (confidence: high) — Multiple statements: 'it blocks my view', 'flippers are this far apart', 'I don't have confidence in that post', 'I hate nudging', comparing to BKSOR cloudiness issues
- **[design_innovation]** Sonic features several notable mechanical innovations including inline drop targets with behind-the-target ball lock for multiball, inverted loop-de-loop that returns toward player, and diamond-shaped battle zone with multiple slingshots (confidence: high) — Detailed discussion: 'inline drop targets that you hit and then you lock a ball for multiball behind it', 'loop-de-loop...comes out to you', 'two slingshots' on battle zone
- **[gameplay_signal]** Sonic appears to be a fast-paced game that may appeal to experienced players but could be challenging for casual players; upper playfield requires precise nudging skills (confidence: high) — Mrs. J: 'this just seems like a very fast game. Which could be either really fun and exciting or it could be death for me' as a casual player; nudging skills needed for upper playfield
- **[market_signal]** Video game IP licensing (Sonic, Pokémon) is driving significant interest in new pinball machines; both recent major video game properties have similar design choices (diamond battle zones) (confidence: high) — Discussion of both Sonic and Pokémon having diamond-shaped battle zones; recognition that Sonic will 'bring in new audiences' due to theme popularity
- **[design_philosophy]** Jersey Jack chose video game Sonic aesthetic over movie Sonic for the pinball machine, prioritizing faithful franchise representation and appeal to classic Sonic fans (confidence: high) — Mrs. J: 'I'm glad they went with video game Sonic and not movie Sonic'
- **[content_signal]** Substantial video content from Jersey Jack and media creators showing Sonic footage exists; hosts watched multiple videos to form impressions despite not having hands-on experience (confidence: high) — Dr. C: 'we've watched nearly every video that's out there' and 'kudos to all the creators that have done that'
- **[personnel_signal]** Jersey Jack's development team (specifically a rules designer/coder) visible in promotional videos showing high enthusiasm and passion for Sonic project (confidence: medium) — Mrs. J: 'there's that one...rules designer coder...He looks so excited to be working on Sonic. I love that...it's clear that that passion is there'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Steve Ritchie's reputation and track record (Black Knight trilogy, Elton John) is generating significant confidence in Sonic's quality and appeal despite concerns about specific features (confidence: high) — Dr. C: 'The thing that I'm most excited about...people who aren't Sonic fans...are excited because they're [Steve Ritchie]...Steve Ritchie is an incredible designer'

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## Transcript

Welcome to Pinball Pursuit, your place for all things pinball. We have a bit of news to discuss today. Yes, we do. I'm Dr. C. I'm Mrs. J. And we're excited to talk about the new video release of Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog Pinball by Jersey Jack. Check. We've not played the game. No. Very few people have. If we had gone to the Transformers release, I think we would have been invited to go play. Dang it. Couldn't make it out there for that. But it's okay. We're going to get to one of these someday. Someday. But we've watched nearly every video that's out there. At least I have. You've watched a lot of them as well. You've sent a lot of them to me. So there's more out there than kudos to everyone else because I've watched a few. Right. Great. So kudos to all the creators that have done that and helped us out a little bit. We wanted to give you just kind of our impressions of what we're seeing and what we're talking about. First thoughts. First things first. Your family. Sega family, Nintendo family. Oh, Nintendo 100%. In fact, to this day, on Sunday evenings, my family still gets together. We are all across the country. Yep. And we play on the internet. What is it? Internet style Switch? I almost said we. The Switch. She calls the Switch the Wii all the time. All the time. And so we all get on at the same time and we all play. Mario Kart 8. Mario Kart, thank you. Yes, Mario Kart 8, we play it all the time. Yep, it's so fun. My nieces play, my sisters play, my brothers play, my parents play. It's a blast. Yeah, it's quite a party. And we're not, one of us usually podiums. You, one of us usually podiums. Usually it's me. Yeah, it's usually you. Long story short, Nintendo family. Don't know much about Sega at all. I also am in a Nintendo family. We didn't have a Sega. I have friends that had Segas. All of them had Sonic. Oh, okay. So have I played through the first three or four levels of Sonic? One, two, and three? Like a million times? Yes, because I played them at friends' house. We never had a Sega. We never owned a Sega console in my home. So then how much do you know about Sonic? I know a decent amount. I know Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Robotnik. I've played a lot of Sonic 1, 2, and 3. I don't know that I've played a game after that. Well, I was surprised to see Dr. Eggman on this machine because I had seen him on Super Smash Bros. and had no idea where he was from. And I was like, oh, there's a link between him and Sonic somehow. So this is how much I know about Sonic. He's only the villain of all Sonic games. Yep, yep. I know Sonic's blue. He's blue. I know he's got friends. He's got lots of friends, actually. Yep. I can name some of them. Tails, being the primary one. Knuckles, who's a frenemy. Okay. Frenemy. I don't, I couldn't name you. I know Amy is a friend. I could not pick her out in a crowd until this game. I know that Kristen Bell's going to play Amy in the new Sonic 4. They have that many Sonic movies Maybe Sonic 5 Oh stop I thought they only had one No they made a bunch Okay I have seen the first two Okay I surprised you seen them I have friends with kids. So I went with them. Long story short, we don't know much about Sonic, but we're excited to take a shot at the pinball machine. The thing that I'm most excited about, and I think people who aren't Sonic fans, who are excited about this game, are excited because they're Steam Champions. Oh, what do we call him? The King of Flow. A Flow, that's right. Steve Ritchie is an incredible designer. He's made some iconic games. He did the Black Knight Trilogy. Black Knight Sword of Rage. Oh, yes, yes. I don't know if you've played the original. I didn't know that there were three of them. I knew that there were two. Did not know there were three. There's three. He invented the upper playfield. Oh! They don't make them. And so, like, yeah, especially with this game, right? Yes, yes, it does. That huge upper playfield makes a lot of sense. So, we're gonna do that. I think people are just excited because of Steve Ritchie. Jersey Jack's last Steve Ritchie game was Elton John. Okay. And... I've never seen an Elton in the wild. Yeah, I... There's one I know of that I've played quite a lot, actually. At least 15 or so games on it. Okay. And... I love Elton John. Yeah. I love that game. It flows. I mean, to his nickname. And I'm an Elton John musical fan. Does it have an upper playfield? No. Well, it has an upper lock. Okay. Where it locks the ball. But you don't really like, there's no flippers up there. There's an upper flipper, but not an upper flipper. Deal. So, let's get into that upper playfield. What do you think of that upper playfield? It's huge! It's like half the game. And I usually don't like upper playfields because then it blocks my view. And I understand that it has a clear floor, but there's still things up there. Like, not everything is clear. Also, the flippers are, like, this far apart. The mile apart on the other places. They're this far apart. But there's a post in the middle. Okay! So the post is way smaller than my head. Like, I just, I don't have confidence in myself or that post. Well, they were talking, one of the videos I watched was like, oh, it's going to test your nudging skills. You're going to have to nudge off that center post. I hate nudging. So, even less points for an upper... I mean... I shouldn't judge an upper playfield by its cover, but... There's an upper playfield that is clear on Black Knight Sword of Rage. Yes, there is. On the premium. A, it clouds over over time because it gets a little scuffed. And I hate how it looks after a little bit. Every one that I've seen looks terrible. I'm afraid this one's... Maybe it doesn't. Maybe there's a clear coating they can put on there. I'm afraid it won't cloud up. I'm afraid it's going to cloud up. And I prefer Black Panther to Rage Pro. Because it doesn't have the upper playfield? Because it doesn't have the upper playfield. And yes the one with the upper playfield does have the clear bottom that does cloud over time But you still can see stuff at the top There are still things on the playfield that is clear You can get the war hurry up very easily because you can tell what you like Unless everything is clear And I mean everything. And it doesn't cloud up. So I don't know. Like I... We'll have to play it. Prove me wrong. Yeah, there's a lot with that upper playfield. I mean, it looks cool. In terms of like upper playfields, some of them I feel like are gimmicks. I was just going to say that. They're a little gimmicky to me. Like, we had a Foo Fighters Pro, and it has a little upper playfield. Yeah. I didn't love it. I don't. It's kind of superfluous. That and, like, the flippers don't always work the way that I want them to. These, I mean, they're just forever apart. Like, I feel like... It feels like there's a whole separate game on top of this game. Yeah, and it's not necessary. I mean, maybe this game is. Maybe it is. On others, it's not necessary. I do love the Robotnik battle. Dr. Eggman? Sorry. Dr. Eggman. Yes. Thank you. He's also known as Robotnik. I always grew up with him being called Robotnik. Oh, really? Yeah. Did you grow up in Japan? No, but Japan is where they call him Eggman. Well, they called him Eggman in the video. Well, it's because Sega told them to. Oh, well, there we go. That's a cool new name. No, it's his old name. Well, they called him that in Super Smash Brothers. After Eggman? Yeah. Yes, because Sega likes that. But in the movie, they call him Robotnik and Eggman. Oh, my goodness. Eggman is like Sonic's nickname for him to make fun of him, and Robotnik's his actual name. Oh, I didn't know. See, you know more Sonic lore than I do. Yeah, I know. I know about him. I was a proponent for Eggman slash Robotnik being added as a full-on character in Smash Bros. Isn't he? He is. You can't play as him. I thought you could. No, he's a trophy. He's like a character you summon into battle later. Well, I thought he was a person. No, I mean, he is a person, but he's not a playable character. Well, that's too bad. I know. Anywho, speaking of upper playfields and other crazy things that go on in there, What do you think about that battle zone? I think it looks a lot like the Pokemon one. Does the Pokemon one have one? Pokemon, oh yeah, Pokemon has the diamond-shaped battle zone. I've only played Pokemon once. At TPF, yeah. At TPF. There was a huge line behind me, so I had to go fast. Nobody was watching me. Yeah, better than I did, I don't know. But it looks like the battle zone. I mean, obviously they didn't steal from one another. They were developed independently. It's just funny to me that video game properties, both of them, diamond-shaped battles on. That's hilarious. That bounce around. This one bounces around more than the Pokemon one was. Because the Pokemon only has, it has a magnet to throw things around. And it has one pop bumper that you can get on. This one has like two slingshots. Yeah. It looks like, which is fast. Which looks crazy. Looks cool. Yeah. We'll have to see what the code is for how they're using it. But it's funny to me that both video game property games from major both have a diamond shaped background. They're both, yeah, very interesting. What I think is way cooler, I mean, every play field is every play field. I love that there inline drop targets that you hit and then you lock a ball for multiball behind it That super cool I love inline drops Yeah There not enough games that use inline drops I love inline drops Interesting And then I love on the left Thank you for watching What do they call it? Inverted Loop? Inverted Loop. And I love a loop-de-loop, whatever you want to call it. And I like that it comes out to you. Yes, instead of going south. Instead of back the other way. Yeah. I think that's fun. When they said they were going to make a Sonic Pinball machine, it was the rumor for a long time. I assumed there was going to be a loop-de-loop for him. And I thought you would hit it and it would go and then go somewhere else. Yeah, go into the back somewhere. Yeah, but no, the fact that it comes at you. That's cool. I think that's fun. And overall, this just seems like a very fast game. Which could be either really fun and exciting or it could be death for me. Exactly, because, you know, I'm more of a casual player, and so I can't decide. I mean, definitely we won't know until we play it. But, I mean, it looks fun. It looks fun. Here's the thing. It looks bright. It looks colorful. It's going to bring in new audiences, which I think is great. People who love Sonic. I'm glad they went with video game Sonic and not movie Sonic. I don't see any downsides other than I don't know about the ever play field. Yeah. It'll be fun to try. I mean, I'm excited. We'll have to go find one. We also need to go to the arcade that has Elton John. I need you to play Elton John. Do we have an arcade around here that does? Yes. Which one? Elton Salt Lake. Quarters? Nickelmania? Nickelmania Salt Lake has one. You mean West Valley? Yes. West Jordan. West Jordan? Yeah. Oh, wow. I didn't know. Is it new? I think it's one they had at a different place and they put it into there. Yeah. We'll have to go find it. It's so much fun. Yeah. I love Elton John. I mean, also I love his music, but The Machine is incredible. Well, there we go. Like, it's like Harry Potter and Elton John. Like, sometimes I don't know which one I want more if I were to get a Jers Jack. Really? Yeah, I know. Oh, Harry Potter, please. Harry Potter is so good. A, the theme is great, and B, it plays amazing. Yes, it's clear. But Elton John's really good, J.M. Well, really good. Anyway, that's our, I mean, this is a quick video. Yeah, just tip our initial reactions. That's it. We're excited to play it. Excited to try it out. Yeah. Good job, Steve Ritchie. I do want to say one thing. The love that, there's that one, like, rules designer coder that's in the videos. He's got longer hair. Yes, he has longer hair. Yeah. He looks so excited to be working on Sonic. I love that. And I think that it's clear that that passion is there. Yeah. So I don't remember his name. I'll put it here. Good job, dude. Thank you for watching.

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v5)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-03 | Item ID: 6de014be-1c00-45e0-9263-ea4005425b84*