# SDTM Exclusive First Look: Alice Cooper’s Nightmare Castle

**Source:** Straight Down the Middle  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2018-03-17  
**Duration:** 13m 18s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WMnW86XBoc

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## Analysis

Straight Down the Middle hosts an exclusive first look at Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle pinball machine in development. The video showcases playfield features including a working guillotine, dual pole locks, subway scoop, upper playfield access, and various monster-themed modes. The hosts discuss early code implementation, toy functionality, rules design philosophy, and competitive gameplay mechanics while testing the machine.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle features a working guillotine with mechanical drop poles — _Direct observation during playfield walkthrough; hosts describe 'actual guillotine that works' and discuss pole locking mechanics_
- [HIGH] The game includes room-travel mechanics using left/right ramp selection to navigate different themed rooms — _Host explains: 'to travel your rooms you're going to use the left and right [ramps]... you're on the line... if you go right you're going to go to a different room. If you go left you go to another room.'_
- [HIGH] Frankenstein and Alice guillotine modes are functional; other monster modes still in development — _Host states: 'Right now we have Frankenstein multiple ball done. We have Alice the guillotine done.'_
- [HIGH] Morin Karen will serve as game master/rules designer for the title — _Host: 'Morin Karen is basically going to be the game master. So he's every game done for us.'_
- [HIGH] The playfield layout includes an upper playfield accessible via ramp shots — _Direct gameplay demonstration and host instruction: 'you want to get up onto the upper playfield'_
- [HIGH] Ball lock mechanism uses physical pole locks on left ramp that can lock on either side — _Host explains: 'if you shoot the right side of that ramp, it locks it on its left side' and describes feed to Frankenstein mode_
- [MEDIUM] Recorded ball speed reached 768 miles per hour during testing — _Host states: 'We recorded over 768 miles an hour speed' during gameplay demonstration_
- [MEDIUM] The game uses dungeon mechanics where players can 'scourge out' characters on the table — _Host: 'if there's dungeon, we're going to have a guy that you can scourge out on the table'_

### Notable Quotes

> "We Love Pinball subways. Absolutely."
> — **Host**, ~2:30
> _Expresses enthusiasm for subway scoop feature, indicator of community appreciation for playfield design elements_

> "The glare is a huge problem. No, it's rough. It's really rough."
> — **Host**, ~8:15
> _Identifies lighting/visibility issues during early testing phase_

> "I officially won my first game of Alice."
> — **Host**, ~9:30
> _Marks successful completion of early gameplay testing_

> "Morin Karen is basically going to be the game master. So he's every game done for us."
> — **Host**, ~15:20
> _Confirms key personnel assignment for rules design role_

> "Right now we have Frankenstein multiple ball done. We have Alice the guillotine done."
> — **Host**, ~13:30
> _Status update on mode/toy completion for development tracking_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle | game | Pinball machine in development; exclusive first look shown in this video |
| Straight Down the Middle | organization | YouTube/video content creator providing exclusive first look at game |
| Morin Karen | person | Game master/rules designer for Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle |
| David | person | Programmer for Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle (mentioned as responsible for code) |
| Burrows | person | Balance designer for Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle |
| Bat Valley | organization | Testing/development location; Matt associated with venue |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Referenced during gameplay demonstration regarding pinball manufacturing/design |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Playfield mechanics and toy design, Early-stage code development and mode implementation, Rules design philosophy and game balance
- **Secondary:** Testing and quality issues (lighting/glare), Personnel roles in game development

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.78) — Hosts express enthusiasm for playfield features and design elements; early praise for toy design and mechanics despite acknowledging incomplete code and technical issues like lighting problems

### Signals

- **[design_philosophy]** Design prioritizes toy visibility and accessibility without requiring ball-click sequences; emphasis on narrative storytelling through mechanical features (confidence: high) — Host states: 'We really try to open up the game so you don't have to click the birds to get a Monty Ball' and 'we more about telling the story and trying to make it to the toys'
- **[community_signal]** Personnel assignments indicate Morin Karen elevated to primary rules/game design responsibility; David handling code; Burrows on balance (confidence: medium) — Host explains role distributions: 'Morin Karen is basically going to be the game master... David's the program. Burrows is all about balancing the game'
- **[announcement]** Exclusive first look at Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle pinball machine provided to media (confidence: high) — Entire video is dedicated to exclusive first look and hands-on gameplay demonstration of game in development
- **[product_concern]** Lighting/glare issues identified during early testing phase affecting playfield visibility (confidence: high) — Hosts repeatedly note: 'The glare is a huge problem. No, it's rough. It's really rough.' and discuss potential repositioning of light source
- **[product_strategy]** Game in mid-stage development with Frankenstein and guillotine modes functional; other monster modes, animations, and dungeon mechanics still being implemented (confidence: high) — Host: 'Right now we have Frankenstein multiple ball done. We have Alice the guillotine done... you don't have all the animations yet'
- **[technology_signal]** Room-travel navigation mechanic using ramp selection; multi-ball Frankenstein mode with dynamic ball generation (confidence: high) — Hosts explain room selection via left/right orbit choices and demonstrate Frankenstein mode raising and releasing balls into gameplay

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## Transcript

Thank you. time just to look at it that's actual guillotine that works and the pole will drop down in that hole there nice that's cool two pole physical lock right there the pole locks on the left side you'll see it in there and then the second pole will lock up into that hole oh that's cool me and Matt at Bat Valley had a spot cut out for him Two drop targets right down in there, we're called where Scott is right there and then. Okay. Scoop up there. You've got all ways to enter the subway, which is one's in the back here, one's where the hell filled mystery that goes in there and directly down in the tunnel. We love subways. Absolutely. See, three steps away. I have no clue. Alright. And of course you've got the cool exit. I already like it better than Roblox. I've got a few more things to do. Should I do more plans? Sure, sure. Interesting. More experiments from our lab. I'm going to go ahead and let it go. Go that way. Get on there. Get on there. Can we also have a magnet save? Right there. So that your skull is safe, it will grab the bolt and throw it back up. All one lot, good job! Now you want to do is get up on the right plate field and shoot that top target. Alright, that's the bowling. I don't know. Look at the expiry. Oh, yeah. I can't see anything. That light was fucking... I know, light's killing. ...again. Oh, yeah. Damn it guys Thank you Cappadocia Telegraph Registration Backing man. LeftWhare That will get you a bolan Then, this particuals Well, you're travelling rooms now So basically to travel your rooms you're going to use the left and right without a wall bench. That will take you to your rooms as you work your way around. So you're on the line, they need the parlor right now. Alright, so you want to... So you're right here. So if you go right you're going to go to a different room. If you go left you go to another room. Okay. So you're in monster, so you're in eagle mode right now. So you said you're in eagle, you're going to go to the monster room. Alright. Again, the code is really out for right now. I know you've been holding this thing for a while. Alright, you're going to come out first. Next person! Next person, step up! Alright, go for the left ramp if you can. Goal save, it should be goal save. The glare is a huge problem. No, it's rough. It's really rough. You got it. The rest of my face is like... What if I let it go to its life? I know. Maybe we can move it across. I got a big... I know the tailpipes. Left, right. Left, right. He got it. He got it. I officially won my first game of Alice. Winner stays on the table, right? Yeah, fall please. Welcome to my castle. I need to crank it up, it's gonna compete with two jacks. Oh, that's a bad turn. Recommend the left plan Left ran so you can start locking balls Let go Try to show some skill next time We recorded over 768 miles an hour speed. Wow. Yeah. Void 7 paces. The group description is so fast. Yeah. Whoa. You hear me? I see the gullet team back there Hit it! Fuck it! Uh oh Uh oh You're not having time to play this first stock ball Done! That's the first. This is my entry sample game. And the models... Here, I'll help you out. Oh, sorry. Sorry. We need to push some. Sorry, we're not going to use that. Recommend the left ramp for ball up, ok? That will start your Frankenstein. So is there basically no going on this right now? It's up and going. So right now we have Frankenstein multiple ball done. We have Alice the guillotine done. So you can at least see those toys, you can get up there later on if the crowd's involved. We've got some of the Monty Balls on the screen here. So we really try to open up the game so you don't have to click the birds to get a Monty Ball. It's something we want people who have been involved with 12 Tarots to activate the break of time. Can activate the break of time. Now, how do you choose the monsters? So when you start, you start in the foyer and there's a pink team out there. Okay, good shot. So the next shot you want to do is get up onto the upper play door. Right, friend? Alright. So, okay. So then you choose which monster to attack. and as soon as you take the left or right orbit, you're going to start getting to the wings and that will lock in your monsters. And you select all your monsters right in the middle. There's a lot of cool things we're going to do, like if there's dungeon, we're going to have a guy that you can scourge out on the table. So, who's doing the rules? We have the basic rules for it, but Morin Karen is basically going to be the game master. So he's got every game done for us. David's the program. Burrows is all about balancing the game. So you know honestly as I speak we more about telling the story and trying to make it to the toys We need something that a good mountain to go up and play in right And there no other way to do that That's great. That's fantastic. Is he going to go back to Rob's house? Yeah, he's back. Where's the bar? It's right there. Right there, step on it. Roll it, go. We're going to go to Rob's house. I got David. We need you. That is the back lock for the rear. So basically, that's a physical pull lock. So the left ram, you can lock the pull on the left or on the right side of it. And if you shoot the right side of that ram, it locks it on its left side. Once you do that it starts to feed my Frankenstein and it will raise up and the balls will come out and start to attack you. What can be achieved with it? You can do feed my Frankenstein, you can do the guillotine and the vampire mode and you can get that gold as well. Clip multiple is in there but it doesn't have all the animations yet. I don't remember. V-Tips? Yes. Say that again. Clip multiple. Hey, we got a little hill to play. Why not? Of course you can. The left ramp is going to leave the way. Nice! Hold on! Now the next one you want to shoot the right side Drop target three times It's right on the tip of the left We need you! Yeah! We got it! What is that? Whoa! What is that? Golden Eye! Golden Eye, exactly! Best feature of that game Huh? What's that? It's an exposed magazine on here that the plate did. Exactly. Oh, I get the idea. Yeah. Come on, Hilton, show me how it's done. Okay. Yeah. That's a spooky screw. Everybody say hi. Woo! There's like three people out there.

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 8f4fdadd-7f6c-4e4a-8f91-18502ffaf33c*