# Straight Down The Middle: a pinball show Episode 9: Johnny Mnemonic machine review

**Source:** Straight Down the Middle  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2017-03-31  
**Duration:** 36m 20s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s87PjwdKKKs

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## Analysis

Zach Sharpe and Greg review the 1995 Williams pinball machine Johnny Mnemonic in detail, covering art, shots/layout, rules, toys, music/callouts, and theme. They praise the machine's challenging shot layout, innovative matrix memory game mechanic, and engaging ruleset requiring strategic decision-making, but criticize the generic art package and repetitive audio. Both hosts agree the game is underrated and excellent for its price point, with Greg noting it significantly improved his pinball skills.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] Johnny Mnemonic was released in 1995 — _Zach and Greg discuss release year; Greg says '95, Zach initially uncertain but agrees_
- [HIGH] Greg has played Johnny Mnemonic approximately 300+ times in a couple of months — _Greg estimates 300 games, Zach says 'More, probably' suggesting higher count; Greg confirms ownership for a couple months_
- [HIGH] Johnny Mnemonic is a George Gomez design — _Greg explicitly discusses 'George Gomez stuff going on here with these ramps' and later 'George Gomez designed a fantastic game'_
- [HIGH] The orbits on Johnny Mnemonic are extremely fast — faster than typical pinball orbits — _Greg states: 'there's not a faster orbit in pinball... It's like you're playing baseball... when people come over, their ball is drained. They didn't even hit the flipper'_
- [HIGH] Owning Johnny Mnemonic doubled Greg's pinball skills — _Greg states directly: 'My ability with pinball and my skills have doubled since I owned Johnny Mnemonic'_
- [HIGH] Johnny Mnemonic's power down mode is one of the coolest wizard modes in pinball — _Zach states: 'Power down mode is one of the coolest wizard modes in pinball. And for me, that's the reason why it gets the B plus'_
- [HIGH] The machine requires 300 gigabytes to unlock power down (wizard) mode after all regular modes are lit — _Greg explains: 'you have to have like 300 gigabytes to be able to start that power down mode'_
- [HIGH] You need two shots to start a mode on Johnny Mnemonic: one to light it via Crazy Bobs, then another to start it — _Greg: 'to relight the start mode you have to hit it in a Crazy Bobs... It's almost a double thing to be able to start a mode'_

### Notable Quotes

> "My ability with pinball and my skills have doubled since I owned Johnny Mnemonic."
> — **Greg**, ~26:00
> _Highlights the machine's value as a skill-builder due to its punishing design and fast gameplay_

> "George Gomez designed a fantastic game that is brutal on missed shots with that game. Those slings want to throw you."
> — **Greg**, ~28:30
> _Praises Gomez's design philosophy while acknowledging the harsh penalty for errors_

> "There's not a faster orbit in pinball... It's like you're playing baseball. You literally cannot see it."
> — **Greg**, ~18:00
> _Emphasizes the extreme speed of the orbit combos as a standout mechanical feature_

> "The memory component on the metrics... the best part about the game is part of the rules, and it's power down mode. Power down mode is one of the coolest wizard modes in pinball."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, ~39:00
> _Identifies the wizard mode and memory game mechanic as the game's strongest design elements_

> "It's like walking dead. Oh no. It trickles out of the left rim... That's a lame guy."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, ~32:00
> _Criticizes the ball feed mechanism as inconsistent and frustrating, comparing it unfavorably to The Walking Dead_

> "The orbits are by far the best shot in the game... If you hit that thing immediately and you can hit one of those orbits again, there's not a faster orbit in pinball."
> — **Greg**, ~17:30
> _Identifies orbits as the mechanical centerpiece and most satisfying shot on the machine_

> "I gave it a C just for the reason that it's an average game art package... The play field art isn't really much better. It's kind of plain, too."
> — **Greg**, ~23:00
> _Justifies the below-average art rating based on generic, plain artwork and a poor Keanu Reeves likeness_

> "It's a neat rule. The matrix grid... it's kind of a memory game because every time you hit the crazy bobs there's a cell phone that pops up... You got to remember that one."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, ~36:30
> _Highlights the innovative memory mechanics that add mental challenge and strategic depth to the rules_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Johnny Mnemonic | game | 1995 Williams pinball machine based on the Johnny Mnemonic film; subject of full review covering art, shots, rules, toys, music, and theme |
| Zach Sharpe | person | Co-host of Straight Down the Middle pinball show; provides gameplay experience and ratings perspective on Johnny Mnemonic |
| Greg | person | Co-host of Straight Down the Middle; owns Johnny Mnemonic and played 300+ games in a couple months; provides detailed technical walkthrough and layout analysis |
| George Gomez | person | Designer of Johnny Mnemonic; known for ramp design with 90-degree bends; hosts discuss his design philosophy regarding punishing layouts |
| Williams | company | Manufacturer of Johnny Mnemonic (1995) |
| Straight Down the Middle: a pinball show | organization | Podcast featuring detailed pinball machine reviews with standardized rubric covering art, shots/layout, rules, toys, music, and theme |
| Keanu Reeves | person | Actor featured on Johnny Mnemonic artwork; image appears on side cabinet art and playfield but is poorly rendered |
| Johnny Mnemonic | product | 1995 film that inspired the Williams pinball machine; cyberpunk thriller |
| Star Trek | game | Referenced as comparison point for mode-start mechanics; mentioned in context of combo potential |
| The Shadow | game | Referenced as comparison for two-shot mode-start mechanics similar to Johnny Mnemonic |
| The Walking Dead | game | Referenced multiple times for comparison with Johnny Mnemonic regarding ball feed mechanisms and gameplay feel |
| Ghostbusters | game | Referenced as example of mode-based, extravagant coding compared to Johnny Mnemonic's simpler approach |
| Lord of the Rings | game | Referenced as example of George Gomez design; mentioned in context of hard-hitting ramp mechanics |
| AC/DC | game | Mentioned briefly in context; appears to be an example pinball title in discussion |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Machine gameplay mechanics and layout, Artwork and visual design quality, Rules complexity and strategic depth, Designer philosophy (George Gomez)
- **Secondary:** Skill development through challenging gameplay, Audio design and callouts, Toys and innovative mechanical features (glove, matrix), Price-to-value assessment

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.78) — Despite some criticism of art and audio design, the hosts are clearly enthusiastic about Johnny Mnemonic. They praise the challenging layout, innovative ruleset, and value proposition. Positive sentiment driven by appreciation for gameplay depth and skill-building potential. Some friction in tone when discussing specific design choices (Zach's B- vs Greg's A rating), but overall both hosts defend the machine as underrated and worth playing.

### Signals

- **[sentiment_shift]** Johnny Mnemonic positioned as underrated gem in pinball community; hosts emphasize game is better than general perception (confidence: high) — Zach: 'It's a very underrated pin... most people who played it and put some time on it, I think, fully agree that it is a very underrated pin'
- **[competitive_signal]** Fast orbit mechanics on Johnny Mnemonic represent pinnacle of pinball speed and combo potential; used as benchmark for orbit performance (confidence: high) — Greg: 'there's not a faster orbit in pinball... when you hit either one of these and come around that left flipper... it's like you're playing baseball. You literally cannot see it.'
- **[design_innovation]** Matrix memory game mechanic combined with three-in-a-row tic-tac-toe, ball stealing, and multiball multiplier is innovative and unique in pinball industry (confidence: high) — Zach: 'They could have just went up there and you put three in a row, play tic-tac-toe... But not only that what they did is three in a row plus a memory component, plus you can steal the balls...'
- **[design_philosophy]** George Gomez's design approach creates challenging, punishing gameplay that forces player skill development through harsh penalties on missed shots (confidence: high) — Greg: 'George Gomez designed a fantastic game that is brutal on missed shots... It really forced me and upped my skills tremendously'
- **[product_concern]** Art package criticized as generic and plain; Keanu Reeves likeness poorly rendered; playfield artwork lacks creativity (confidence: high) — Greg: 'It's an average game art package... It doesn't really look like Keanu. It's like a Gilbert Gottfried-looking guy... The play field isn't really much better. It's kind of plain'

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## Transcript

 You hit it off with a bumper, now you're straight down the middle again, middle again. You had a fling with a slingshot, you're rolling out the island again. I tried to cradle you with my flipper, it was all in vain, it was all in vain. Baby, baby, baby, why are you doing me wrong? Doing me wrong. Don't you remember the good days when we used to get along? When Mags are for real, spend all night, then we be singing. Welcome, welcome, welcome. It's Zach and Greg with Straight Down the Middle Pinball. How the hell are you, buddy? I'm doing good. How are you, man? Are you? Yeah, I'm almost there. This guy's always good. You don't even have a couple of beers in you, do you? No, no. I've got to drive home, so that sucks. So today, what are we doing, Greg? What are we doing today? We are going to review... Johnny New Monk. Oh, man. You guys are thrilled, aren't you? Johnny New Monk. We had to... This is your game. It's in your basement. Because it's very underrated, and most people who've played it and put some time on it, I think, fully agree that it is a very underrated pin. We'll see. We will see. We will see for sure. We will see. So you've played the hell out of some Johnny. Yes. How many games have you put on Johnny Mimani, do you think? I don't know. Give it a guess. Maybe 300. More, probably. More than that. I bet you have. 300 is very concerned. And you've only had it for? A couple months. A couple months? Yeah. Cool. I've probably, throughout the shows, his house, I've put at least 100 on it. But I'm kind of OCD. I'm not OCD, but I'm compulsive. Oh, you are. I get a game and I play that game until I'm comfortable with that game. That's right. That's what you're supposed to do. Yeah. And then I'm on to the next one. So what do we know about Johnny Mnemonic? We know that it has Keanu Reeves in it. Yes. Right? It's kind of bad art. Not a real good rendition of Keanu Reeves. It's a Williams game. But it's still Keanu Reeves. Came out and let's do your pinball trivia. When did it come out? Did it? I think it was 95. I could be wrong. I don't know what it is. I think it was 95. It's 90s. It's a solid built machine, man. I think a lot of those Williams back then was solid. Really solid. So we're going to talk about Johnny Mnemonic. We're going to talk about the art, the shots, layout, if you guys haven't seen any of the shows. We're going to go to the game. Greg's going to show us the layout, the machine itself. And then we'll come back here. We'll talk about each category. We'll rate it on a grading rubric. and then we'll stack it in our list of reviewed games and see kind of where it lines up. So an overview. We've got arts. Or arts. The arts. We have art. We have shots and layout. We have rules. We've got toys and innovation. We have music and call-outs as a category and overall theme. And then we'll actually talk about the pros and cons of the machine, the price, what you can get it at, if it's worth a buy, if it's not. Then we'll go for that. So for right now, anything else you want to add? Before we go to the machine, let's head to the machine and watch Greg's overview on Johnny Mnemonic. So here we are with Johnny Mnemonic. You know, basic kind of Gomez stuff going on here with these ramps and everything. You've got your left ramp here. You've got your right ramp over here. Crazy 90 degree Gomez bends in those things, man. Look at that. I mean, that is just nuts on that bend. Hits crazy hard, but still has some really good flow to it. I have to admit, it doesn't kill it. It stalls the ball a little bit, but still some really good stuff. Then over here, you've got your orbits. You've got your far right orbit here. Then you've got your inner orbit with the spinner on it. And both of those orbits is where the speed of this game comes from. I mean, they are just nuts, man, when you start looping those orbits and coming out over here to the left orbit. The left orbit's still pretty fast coming around to that right flipper, but it's harder to hit a good solid combo off of that orbit whereas when you hit either one of these and come around that left flipper you've got kind of the double the chance there on a good combo in both like I said inner orbit or the outer orbit it still contains a ton of freaking speed so then next to each of your your orbits you've got the straight down the middle shot right here man and that's how you start your different modes is with that straight down the middle and when you go down the middle you'll loop around here and go into this ball pit back here. It's not even really a scoop, man. It's literally just this ball pit. And the ball will eject up straight into the palm of the glove. And if you've got ball lock lit, then you'll go over here to the matrix and it'll drop it into the ball lock, which is a physical lock and your ball stays there. If you don't have a ball lock lit, then you drop it down in here into your pops. And this game's got a pretty cool little exit here. It's nothing special, but it's just different. Your ball actually squeezes through this tight little spot right here and then it'll roll down the side of the ramp and then come down to your right sling or your right flipper there. So it's kind of unique on that tight little place that it comes out of. Now next to that you've got this crazy bob shot right here and crazy bobs is the most deprimental shot of the entire game. For one it will tell you what's on the matrix. So if you hit crazy bobs it'll come up with a thing that says making a long distance phone call and i'll pop up there on the dmd and it will show you each of those matrix spots as one through nine and then it will light up that spot say it's spot three and it will tell you what is in spot three when you land a ball on it maybe an extra ball hold bonus video mode something something of that sort but until you hit crazy bobs you literally do not know what any of those spots on that matrix is Crazy Bobs is important for another reason because to start a mode you actually have to hit two shots. When you first start off your start mode is lit. So you'll finish that mode, you will let that mode time out, whatever it may be. But to relight the start mode you have to hit it in a Crazy Bobs. So it's almost a double thing to be able to start a mode. You almost have to hit two shots because you have to hit Crazy Bobs to light a start mode. Then you have to hit the start mode to start a mode. So pretty cool stuff there adds a little nice little degree of difficulty to it And other than that, that's all your basic shots of the game still some pretty cool stuff Uh some difficult shots man. Oh, let me show you this. Let me show you this back here So we've got um, another thing that's really neat is you've got two ball diverters back here, too And that's what will open it up for your other two locks is that diverter back there will open up And allow access to the ball lock and the glove or it will stay closed and that's what makes you sling around for the orbits. Also, there's another ball lock down in here that, again, it will open up and allow access to the pop bumpers when you hit the access pop bumpers light, or it will just continue to fly around the orbit. So those two diverters are pretty cool, man. It adds a whole new feel to the game than what's already there. So again, man, just a neat layout. It's kind of different than a lot of games, especially a lot of the newer stuff you see. It's not as complex or anything as like Twilight Zone with shots, But it's still it's a faster game and it's built built for speed For sure. So let's go a little bit into the modes Let's talk about the modes a little bit here real quick. Give you a little brief tutorial So down here, you've got your five modes You've got upload mode access code one access code to download mode and nas cure mode Now NSA cure mode differs a little bit from the others because it is a sector four shot which is the same thing as your start mode right there. So it is literally just five shots straight down the middle. The other four are based on your white sector lights over here. You've got sector one, you've got sector two, sector three, sector five, sector six, and sector seven. And it's literally it's completely simple. You know anybody can play it as in you just shoot the flashing white lights and it can be any combination of just a repetitive sector one shots around that that left orbit there or maybe a combination of say you know your right ramp with the left orbit shot or the right ramp then your your right orbit shot so it's a combination of multiple things depending on what sector you've obviously got lit now once you have lit or all of those modes of time doubt you don't actually have to complete a mode to get it lit but once you complete all those modes or they've timed out and you've got all five of those lit, you can go into power down mode. Now, power down mode is not a given. That's the crazy cool thing about this game too, is it's not just, well, I lit everything and now I've got access to power down mode. No, you actually have to have what's called enough gigabytes in the game to be able to unlock power down mode. And you get those gigabytes by hitting multiple combos, whether it be the ramps, combinations of the orbits, or just hitting a bunch of real good flow shots within the modes themselves while they lit And that will gain you gigabytes And there a couple other ways of getting gigabytes Like your throwing star here You know you got light spinner big points different stuff on there Gigabytes you gain a few gigabytes off of that And you light that spinner by dropping over here into your throwing spike light on this in lane here. So there's a couple other ways to get the gigabytes. But you have to have like 300 gigabytes to be able to start that power down mode. And if you've lit all of your modes down here and you do not have that 300 gigabytes, power down mode, it just won't light. You've got to keep playing until you get all those. Then you'll have to hit it in a crazy bobs and hit it down the middle to start power down mode. And you go into that wizard mode, which I've got some video of that wizard mode up. It's not the greatest video, but you can still get a gist of what power down mode is. It's still one of the coolest wizard modes in pinball, I think, for sure. So there you have it, guys. It's a basic rundown of Johnny Mnemonic, and we're going to go back to me and Zach. We'll obviously give it our grades on our report cards, and we'll talk a little bit more in depth about it. You know, some of the pros, cons, prices, speed of the game, all that good stuff. So let's go ahead and take it back to Zach and I. Okay, so that was just titillating, wasn't it, seeing Greg go over that machine? You did a good job, bud. It was okay. It was my first machine review like that. I think it was really good. Well done. It's a hell of a day in the morning. Well, there's a lot going on, and I want to be thorough with it. I want you to get a good feeling for the game. Yeah, that way they don't have to buy it. That's so wrong. That's so wrong. But that's a great game. It's a good game. Especially for the price, which we'll get into. That's right. Let's get into our first category, which is art. Shoes off, Greg. This is your game. What do you think about the art? Art? I gave it a C. Oh, well, we're starting off kind of rough there, buddy. And I gave it a C just for the reason that it's an average game art package. There's nothing. The Translight, I actually think, is pretty cool. It's kind of ugly. It doesn't really look like Keanu. It's got like a Gilbert Gottfried-looking guy over in the corner, even though it's not him. But it's actually a pretty cool Translight. But the play field, I mean, it's kind of plain. They use the exact same like Keanu picture that's on the side of the cabinet. He's shooting a gun. Yeah, and the side cabinet art is just kind of plain. The side cabinet is kind of plain. It's always faded. And the play field isn't really much better. It's kind of plain, too. It's not bad looking. I mean, it looks good lit up. It's fine. Yeah, it's just fine. It's always average to me. That's why I gave it a C. What did you give it? I gave it a C+. Oh, a little better, man. We're starting off it up. That's so weird. Yeah, a C+. And I'll tell you why it gets a C+. is freaking Keanu Reeves. Make a pinball machine from Keanu Reeves. I do love Keanu Reeves. All of his movies and stuff? Oh, yeah. I've got a couple of Keanu autographs. I was a huge Keanu fan. Oh, my God. They could have done without that. Yeah, you know. Hey, there's special things about Keanu Reeves. He was. Speed's awesome. Speed's awesome. Pop quiz hot shot. Yeah. So I gave it a C-plus because the only reason I gave it a C-plus is because of Keanu Reeves and that damn dolphin. I love that dolphin. The dolphin is actually real bad. That's the best look. He's got lasers in his face. Your eyes draw more to the dolphin than anything on that play field. Every time I play it, I'm like. I'm looking at the dolphin. The dolphin's actually beautiful. I don't even know if I've seen the movie. Have I seen that movie? It's probably a good one. It's a decent movie. I mean, it's not great, but it's decent. Okay. Okay, so on to our next question. Hold up. Does the dolphin have like a, what does he got? Does he got like a laser beam? Yeah, he's got some kind of, no, it's like telepathy, that thing. I think it's like some kind of communication with thoughts and stuff. I could be wrong. So the art package, you've got a C, I've got a C+. Yes. That's pretty cool. Yeah, it's okay. It's good enough. Shots and layout. Okay, so shots and layout, man. I give it an A. Oh, okay. Because I think it is a tough shooting game. I think the shots are satisfying when you hit them. The trajectory of that right ramp is a little different, so I think it's a little tough to hit sometimes. They both come right back, right? Yes, yes. It's almost 90 degree turns, which you saw in the walkthrough that I gave. What other shots do you like? You like the ramps. I like the ramps. The orbits are by far the best shot in the game. I agree with that. I am telling you, I've got to get it on video sometime, of when you hit either that spinner orbit or that far right orbit, and you hit that around, and it comes to that left flipper. It's hard to hit. If you hit that thing immediately and you can hit one of those orbits again, there's not a faster orbit in pinball. It's like you're playing baseball. Yeah, it is. You literally cannot see it. It's like I said, when people come over, their ball is drained. They didn't even hit the flipper. It's literally like running into a guardrail or a tree in your car and you never hit the brakes. That is how fast that game is. Those orbits are probably the most satisfying shot in there. But I'll give it to you too. Like Star Trek, the combos. Oh, I love it. Now, with those 90-degree bends, it's not as smooth of combos that you can perform because if you hit that, it crams into those corners and it comes back. But the combos are still very satisfying because you can be ramp, ramp, orbit, ramp, orbit, orbit, ramp, orbit. I'd love to see you make that series. Those shots were gorgeous. Hey, hey. Bullshit. I haven't showed you yet. Bullshit. I haven't showed you yet. Well, not that many, but I haven't showed Zach yet, but I filmed a little bit of a combo action before I left. So I'm going to have to show it to him so he can put it in the video. How many was it? It was a four. It was four or five. It wasn't great. It wasn't ramp, ramp, ramp. It wasn't all that. That was bullshit. It would be fantastic. Four or five is good on that fast ass game. It is fast. So yeah, you'll get to kind of see some of the combos. It's nice. All right, so you gave it an A. I gave it an A. That's sweet of you. Okay. Oh, let me throw this in here. I'm going to tell you this about this game, and this is one of the reasons I love this game. You've got to tell them. Get off my lawn. My ability with pinball and my skills have doubled since I owned Johnny. That's a very good point. I'm glad you brought that up. It is a tough game. You can't trap the ball. No, you are forced to do a dead bounce. You're forced into a lot of techniques to be able to control that ball and to keep it out of those slings because those slings want to throw you. Oh, they're murderers. Yeah, Gomez. A lot of people don't like Gomez, but, man, I'm telling you what, he designed a fantastic game. Oh, yeah, I've been hearing his games. But, man, he designed a fantastic game that is brutal on missed shots with that game. So if you get into those slings at all. Elm is a fun, though. They're not monsters. No, they're not monsters, but it will throw it directly into it. It's not a little bounce. Sam. Yeah. So it really forced me and upped my skills tremendously. Yeah, you said that. I think it's a really, really good point. It is. It is. But as difficult as it is, it is a fantastically fun game. And I love it. So go on to your shots. Tell me about your shots. Shots and layout for me is a B-. Lucky it's not a C. Turd. Are you going turd? So it's a B- because I feel bad and I don't want to make it a C. But it's George. He feels bad. Yeah. He feels bad. He's just a dick. Well, that's true. There's no refuting that. But it's George Gomez rants. I'm a broken record here. It is this 90-degree clink, clank, clonk. It is clunky. It makes a hard hit. It does. It does. So it's like when it kicks off to the Path of the Dead and Lord of the Rings. Yeah. You feel like you're going to put a halter in the damn game. Bam! So, Emeril. Bam! I give you that. Okay, so it's got these clunky-ass rants. The orbit's really cool. I really like the Orbitz. Oh, Zach, find something else you like about this. I'll tell you something else I hate is where the ball is fed. It feels so nasty. Like it trickles out of the left rim. It just trickles to the right of that and just falls off. Oh, I think it's neat. Like what else is good? It's honestly just like walking dead. Oh, no. No, it's not. It trickles out from the well walker. That's got a lame guy. Down the right ramp. That's got a lame guy. It's the same thing? It's almost the same thing. No, it trickles out. It's different every time. That's different every time too, but it's bad. It is bad. And then. What do you mean? Thank you, George. What do you mean? Thank you, George. George. George, George. Your Lord of the Rings is cool. George. See? It's a compliment. Yeah. Your Lord of the Rings is cool. All right. So shots and layout for me, it does nothing. I don't have fun flipping it. it's fast every once in a while but then you have the gloves slowing it down it B minus and that being quite kind so let go to the rules yeah rules okay you hurting my feelings I down now You going to kill the whole show because you hurt my feelings You tried to compare for the Walking Dead. Get the shit out of here. That's just the way it is. Okay, so I gave it a B in rules. And the reason I did that Hold on. How is it a B plus for you? How is it a B plus? It's B plus, not B. You said B. Yeah, how is it a B plus for me? Yeah. Well, I had to take a few things to account. I honestly did not want to give it that high of a rating. And the reason that I didn't was because you don't have to finish the modes. Okay. Like I said in that video. You don't have to finish the modes. Can you time them out? You can time them out. So, yes, so that's sort of what kills me. But, like I said, you've got to have the gigabytes. So you have had to, you just can't light the mode, let it be. Gigabytes. Yeah, I know, like whatever you're now. Nothing's compared to gigabytes. Gigabytes, yeah. Yeah. So, but even though you let those modes time out and everything, which is wah, wah, wah, you, even though you light all of them, you still got to have the gigabytes. Yeah. You got to have 300 gigabytes to be able to get to your wizard mode. So you might have stalled all of those, but you still, you've got to keep shooting to get to power down or you don't get it. So that's a neat rule. And I like the fact, like I said before, that you have two shots to start a mode. It's not just one shot like Star Trek or something. It's kind of like Shadow. You've got two shots to do it. Yeah, and you've got to hit the crazy bob scoop, which will then light your start of mode, and then you've got to hit that shot to start of mode. Oh, it's not like that. No. Shadow's either way. Yeah, yeah. This is actually a two-shot to start of mode. So that's kind of a neat rule set that makes it a little more difficult. And the thing with the throwing stars, I think that that is... It's kind of a side game. Yeah, it's a little side thing for bonuses. And, man, of all things for rules, I want to talk it up is you go back to that matrix I do love that it's kind of a memory game it is a memory game because every time you hit the crazy bobs there's a cell phone it wouldn't be a cell phone back then I don't guess but a phone pops up and it's not even a phone it's a keypad and it says making a long distance phone call oh long distance now everything was a long distance phone call and so then you've got the matrix grid on there 1 through 9 and it'll do do do do do do You're freaking sound effects this episode. Say like five. It'll tell you like that one will light up and it'll say light extra ball. So you've got to remember that one. Because otherwise if you haven't hit that and you go to drop a ball in a matrix, you don't know what the hell you're going to get. You have no idea. So that's a neat thing of coding. Plus you're still going on. I'm still going. I'm still going because I've got to explain this a little. Oh my God. I think it's cool coding because it's not coded like Ghostbusters. It's not coded in this mode-based really extravagant thing. but there's a lot of neat little things that go for it. And so in your ball lock, anytime that you get three balls in a row, you get three times your multiball. So when you're playing multiball, you'll get three times everything by just lining your balls up. But the thing is, say I need an extra ball, and I've got one ball in the number one spot, and I've got a ball in the number two spot, but my extra ball is down here in the number nine spot. Well, now I've broke my series. So I've got to say, is that an extra ball worth more to me, or is the getting three times more multiple? Well, we call it strategy. It is. So the rules of it force you into some thinking, and it's a mental game too, which fits the theme of the game. But it's a little deeper than what people think. There's a lot more complexity. There's a lot to go on. I'm with Greg. I have it at a B+. That's pretty much the best part about the game. Actually, the best part about the game is part of the rules, and it's power down mode. Power down lizard mode. is one of the coolest wizard modes in pinball. And for me, that's the reason why it gets the B plus that and the memory component on the metrics. Everything else, like, you know, it's a watch. Well, to me, it's what saves that glove from being a downside. Because otherwise, the glove honestly would, like some people say, oh, it slows the game down. And it would if it wasn't for the memory component and trying to choose what you need. Don't some people turn that thing off? Yeah, you can. And I think it's random. You can turn the glove off, and then I think that it's just random. I'm not a big fan of turning stuff off. Like, that's how it was designed. It was. It was. It kills the flow. Yeah. But that's the game. It is. It's a flow monster, and then you stop, you take a break, you get your memory on. Yeah, but you've got to think about this. You know, if you do need an extra ball, you can drop it there. Or you can get an extra ball in video mode. What's the video mode like? I don't even remember. It's like a Pac-Man. It's like Paul with Pac-Man. Oh, that's right. Oh, my God. is my dude. It screws with your brain. It's too much work though. Oh, it is. People just can't grasp it because it doesn't hurt your head. It's like a damn calculus quiz in school. I like the shadow. You just go back and forth to get your extra step. No, not this. So there's a lot of complexity to it and I think that that's what kind of gave me the rules a little bit higher. As weak as they are, they're actually really good. Hells yeah, man. We're a B plus for both of it. Let's move on to toys and innovation. What are the toys on this game? The glove. The glove. Yeah, the glove. And the flippy. The flips, the balls. Yeah, the matrix that flips it. It goes down three different ramps, three different paths. Okay. And that's about it. That's it, yeah. And that's okay. Yeah. It's not a big deal. No, and I gave it a B. Where was it? Oh, dude, I was on a B, too. And it may be a little high. But the glove is so neat and the matrix is so neat, I end up at a little bit above average. Yeah. Because it's better than a bash toy. And it's innovation. Yeah. They could have just went up there and you put three in a row, play tic-tac-toe, and that's it. But not only that, what they did is three in a row plus a memory component, plus you can steal the balls from somebody else. Yeah, if you're playing two games. Yeah, you steal the ball. Plus it flips the balls up during multiple. There's a lot of cool stuff. It's cool. It's different. There's no other game that does anything like it. I think it's really cool. So that's why we're at B's on that. All right, music and call-outs. I gave that A. B as well. Oh, so nice of you. Yeah, because it's kind of, they're not great, but I'll tell you the music. It's not A. No, the music is adrenaline pumping. It fits with the flow of the game, so I enjoy the music. It's nothing revolutionary. But for $95, that is pretty cool. What about the call outs? Call outs are kind of terrible. They're very repetitive. They don't get Keanu Reeves. No, it's not real Keanu Reeves. I don't think any of the real actors did any voice work on it. They might ring it an A if it was. But it's got neat little things. There's a lot of little things that you'll discover that's not common call outs. You'll get random little things. That's nice. and I haven't owned a lot of pins to play the crap out of them to know how many games do that but just randomly I'll hear a new call out still playing as many games as I put on it I'll randomly do something that will trigger a random call out from nowhere that I've never heard so it kind of grabs you I'm at a C when I play it I've played that thing a crap load of times and I can't even recall what the music or any of the call outs are I think there was one call out that was really annoying to me I forget what it was and I just made it maybe the longest this phone call yeah I just played it like a week or two ago at your house and it does nothing I won't blame you for this now I could do a D or an F if something annoyed me yeah or if something was just repetitive like some of those 80's ballet no this is a sound effects episode I wouldn't blame you for averaging it see I agree it's nothing to write home about and you're when you play it you're not going to be like oh man that freaking sound man it's cool no you're not going to do though. All right, let's move on to our last category, which is theme. Boy, oh boy, this is our favorite movie. Johnny Mnemonic is an A plus for both, right? I gave it a D. Wow. Yeah, I, that was worse than me. I gave it a, and, and, I don't, what, what beef you got with Keanu Reeves? I have no beef with Keanu Reeves. That's, that's the only thing that, that is really good for it. The movie wasn't bad again, but the theme is what keeps people from buying this game. literally no it's the George Gomez ramps I'm sorry he makes great games I'm not going to be mean I still love you George just put a bend on them ramps for God's sake yeah but you fit a lot more in hey he did fix it on Batman 66 oh I heard that there was a fix well no I'm saying that actually instead of 90 degree square it actually flows it flies off the ramp but it's still not I mean it's I like the six-tooth style. I like it, George, still. But yeah, man, the theme, it just wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't anything great. And again, the theme is what killed it. Keanu, I will agree, did save it to a point because if it would have been any other actor in there, it probably wouldn have done it Another Arnold Schwarzenegger Yeah it wouldn have done it I gave it a C So we close yeah That generous Because I do No I just like Keanu Reeves I couldn't give my man Keanu a D. Yeah, I mean, I had R-. But the theme isn't nothing really. And I'm not big into computer kind of stuff either. Keanu Reeves would get the C- for me. Otherwise, it would be a D-. Yeah, the theme is what kills it. It honestly is. Okay, so let's go over. I'll count us down here. So here's my scores. Johnny Numano for art, C+. Shots and layout, B-. Rules, B+. Toys and innovation, B. Music and call-out, C. And theme, C-. Greg's? Yeah, my art was a C. My shots and call-outs were, or shots and layouts. My shots and layouts was an A. I enjoy it. Rules a B+, toys and innovation a B, music call-outs a B, and my theme is a D. A diesel. D. Give him a diesel. And this damn thing's in his basement. Yeah. Oh, it's for sale. Yeah, I'm selling it. Oh. I don't want to really at all, but my pinball piggy bank does not allow me to get anything else. Until you get rid of something. Until you get rid of something else, yeah. Lord knows you're getting rid of the lost world. It ain't happening. No, it's never going. And it's not that Lost World. It's the Jurassic Park Lost World. It's fantastic. I do like it. Who's keeping a sack over a Williams? It's like the pinball mascot that we had. It was the Lost World. But I love it. All right. So those are your rundown. That's my rundown. Yours ended up, overall score being a B-. B-. Mine was a C+. Yeah. So it's still not bad. Not bad. I think it's a C game. If you want to buy it, cool. You're getting a C game. No, you're not. You're not much better. You're getting a better game than this. But stupid games like Thiem kill it. Thiem kills it. Like, if you like a fast game, what's some other fast games that you enjoy? Star Trek. Star Trek? Fantastic. Dracula? Dracula? Yeah. Oh, I think it's a lot better. Well, no, I won't say it's better. No, it's not. I won't say it's better. You guys heard it. It has more last ability than Dracula. No, it doesn't. No, it doesn't. No, it doesn't. It has more room in a small lineup than Dracula. Fair. I'll give it that. Because I do like Dracula. And I love Star Trek. So you were at a B-, mine is a C+, overall. I think it's a C game, you think it's a B game. Let's talk about the pros and cons. What stands out on this game? You're telling people to buy this game for what reason? Because it's fast. It's fast. It's difficult. Okay. But in a very fun way, like I said, it teaches you to play pinball. The glove, it's fun. It's neat. It brings a different element to the game. It's pretty, as bad as the art is. I don't mind the back glass. It's kind of pretty. I don't mind that at all. No, I don't mind the back glass either. I actually think it's kind of nice once you own it. So you buy it because it's fast, it's challenging. Yeah, it's just a fun game. It's satisfying in power down mode. Power down mode, man. it sells me on that game that's the reason I don't want to get rid of it are we talking that up though? are we talking up that wizard mode? no not enough I don't think that's what I'm trying to figure out you're saying are we talking too much about are we bringing too much to it and it's not that great I don't think so it is so unique tell them a little bit about what happens when you go into power down mode when you go into power down mode you start power down mode all the sectors light up. The machine is lit up. It's talking to you at that point. It's talking to you. You've got, you get a multiple and you can't drain in it. You just, you've got your reboot down there, which is your save. So it just keeps speeding you balls. But sectors start to power down. But sectors start to power down when you don't hit them. And the lights go off. And the lights go off. So you say sector one over here on the left. Got to hit it. You've got to hit it. If not, then it goes black. That sector powers down and it goes out. Then this sector back here might power down. So things start going black. You can be left with one sector man and that sector it's just got a few bulbs back there that sector to hit and then when that sector goes dead your flippers go dead and it don't matter if you've got every ball out there those flippers go dead i love the controlled flippers in the middle of a game yes and it's just it's gone and then it comes up this beacon thing it says you are the master oh look how we're down oh yeah so it's pretty damn cool and then you go into your but here's the problem with it can you beat it? I do not think that you can beat it. I actually asked a question not long ago on Pennside because I wasn't sure whether it was just everything was on a certain time and you got so many points for hitting those sector shots. Or whether every time you actually hit a shot it kept it alive longer. Which I would assume is what would happen. And somebody said that yes that they believe that it kept it alive for like 10 more seconds or something. every time that you hit one of those shots. I haven't been in the mode long enough. Yeah, but I think you just literally just keep hitting it. And if you were that good to just continuously hit those shots, I think you'd just continuously rack up points. And you would keep Power Down alive. There is no actual beating. I don't think there's an end to it. You would just fail. For me, pros and cons, there's a list of cons we've kind of talked about. The pros, I think you buy this game if you want to spend. We'll talk about price here. The price is on point. Price is great. And Power Down mode. That's in Keanu Reeves. That's it. That's the only reason you buy this game. I don't care about the speed. I'll find a better game with speed. You can. But I think at the price. It's like you said. I think the price point is what is a very valuable game. You guys can get this game anywhere from $24,000 to $3,000. Yeah, $3,000 would be really good shit. It's been a little too much. It's been a little too much. $2,500 is where this game probably needs to be. Yeah, I think so. Comparable to Demolition Man, different things like that. Yeah. Another downfall to it is the fade. I mean, it's like Dracula. Those reds and everything back there. It's just yellow. Yeah. Squeeze it into machine collection. Well, it's like I've said before, I'm super picky on games, but I don't mind the fade. I honestly don't pay attention to it. You don't see a lot of the cabinet or anything. No, no, yeah. I mean, the play field and everything stands out so much lit up in the back glass. So, overall, to me, Johnny Mnemonic is a C-plus game. It's a B- game for him. If you like George Gomez, you like quick, fast games with some innovation and a damn, damn cool wizard mode, $2,500 gets you Johnny Mnemonic. And go pick yourself up one. Or go try to play it sometime. Yeah, go play it. Well, I'll tell you. Let's throw this in here before we wrap up. I think that because you've got to get used to it, something like Walking Dead. You've got to get used to your flipper action on Walking Dead. That's right. Johnny is no different, and I think that when people come in and they throw three or four games on it. That's hard. They're like, I don't know. You've got to get into it. Because when I first brought it home. You were the same way? Yeah, I played it at a guy's house. I've never played it before. I played it at a guy's house. I went and looked at it at, and I was like, this is nice. I kind of like it. It kind of looks good to me. So I bought the thing and brought it home, and I played it, went to bed, woke up the next morning, and had my coffee, watched news, did that sort of thing. Sat around that evening, I went down, put some games on it. A little bit. Unlike when I bought Star Trek or Lost World. Dude, I was up 5.30 in the morning since I woke up. I had my coffee, and I was playing the hell out of the game. Johnny didn't do that for me. Okay. But after about three days of putting some games on it, and not a lot of games. I mean, just playing a few games over that three days. It started flicking, didn't it? Yeah. Then I was like, okay. Now I understand it. I know what's going on. Yeah. This feels good. Crazy Bob. Yeah, so, and I think that's with a lot of people. Very good. So, to wrap up, I think that's about it. Check out our other videos. This is Straight Down the Middle with Zach and Greg. And don't forget to subscribe. Subscribe. Check us out on Instagram, Facebook. What other social media? That's it. That's the three we run. We need to, what's some off quirky one we need to do? Tinder? That's out of time. FarmersOnly.com Beautiful pinball machines on there Swipe left or right on this beauty Hey that's the way we can do our radio Goodbye See you later Goodbye You had a fling with a fling shot You're rolling out the alley again I tried to cradle you with my flipper It was all in vain It was all in vain Baby, baby, baby Why are you doing me wrong? Do it.

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 99def1bd-24d8-403c-bc6f-265f951a604c*