# Dune Pinball Impressions with Erin Winick Anthony - Episode 59 **Source:** JBS Show **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2025-04-16 **Duration:** 28m 11s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** Buzzsprout-16990508 --- ## Analysis Jamie and Erin Winick-Anthony provide first impressions of Barrels of Fun's Dune pinball machine following a content creator event. They discuss the game's design, mechanics, atmosphere, and artwork, praising its thematic integration, day/night visual transitions, and innovative features like the sandworm toy and one-handed ball-save mode inspired by the source material. After initial difficulty learning the shots, both speakers grew to appreciate the machine's depth and unique feel compared to Barrels' previous release, Labyrinth. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Dune features adjustable outlanes learned from Labyrinth feedback — _Erin explicitly states Barrels made outlanes adjustable on Dune as a design lesson from Labyrinth_ - [HIGH] Game includes day/night mode transitions that affect which modes start — _Both speakers discuss how shooting the scoop in day vs. night triggers different modes_ - [HIGH] Dune includes a Ball 3 one-handed play feature inspired by the Gom Jabbar ordeal from the books/films — _Detailed explanation of the action button mechanic and its thematic connection to the source material_ - [HIGH] A topper is included with the machine; more accessories are planned — _Erin notes the ornithopter topper comes with the game and mentions additional accessories in development_ - [HIGH] Carrie Hardy stated preference for Dune over Labyrinth upon first impression — _Jamie reports Carrie Hardy's comment that she likes Dune better than Labyrinth_ - [HIGH] Playfield artwork includes semi-buried insert details to simulate items buried in sand — _David Vaness and Johnny Crap pointed out that inserts are semi-buried rather than standard triangles_ - [HIGH] Early play revealed a minor code error resulting in a two-ball game on first attempt — _Erin mentions a code error resulted in only two balls during their first play session_ - [HIGH] Dune is now shipping and taking orders at distributors — _Jamie states Dune is 'available now at all your distributors' and 'now shipping'_ ### Notable Quotes > "Dune felt really atmospheric... I feel like I hadn't played a pinball machine that looked like this before... felt very unique and really enveloped in the world." > — **Erin Winick-Anthony**, ~42:00 > _Core assessment of Dune's artistic and thematic differentiation from other modern machines_ > "The worm coming up is like a moment, getting the thumper activated as a moment... it's a really neat little quirk if you will." > — **Jamie**, ~55:00 > _Recognition of Dune's design philosophy prioritizing thematic moments alongside mechanical depth_ > "Carrie Hardy said the first thing he said to me was, well, I like it better than Labyrinth. And I don't think he meant it as a slight." > — **Jamie**, ~40:00 > _Third-party validation from respected community figure suggesting strong reception compared to Barrels' previous release_ > "It's not just the look of the machine. It's the feel of playing it and that whole atmosphere." > — **Erin Winick-Anthony**, ~73:00 > _Emphasis on the holistic sensory experience (haptics, sound, lighting) as distinguishing factor_ > "I feel like Barrels makes games that are enjoyable whether you are playing well or not." > — **Erin Winick-Anthony**, ~18:00 > _Assessment of design philosophy balancing accessibility with depth_ > "It feels appropriate... shouldn't there be sand colors on a desert game? But they balanced it really well with those blues." > — **Erin Winick-Anthony**, ~59:00 > _Addresses and refutes criticism about brown/muted playfield palette through color-balance analysis_ > "I think there's a little nod to Labyrinth on the playfield too... very small. Maybe people should try to see if they could see it." > — **Jamie**, ~61:00 > _Reveals hidden Easter egg; encourages community engagement in discovery_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Barrels of Fun | company | Houston-based pinball manufacturer; released Dune as second game following Labyrinth; hosted content creator event | | Dune | game | Barrels of Fun's second pinball machine, based on Denis Villeneuve's Dune franchise; now shipping; features sandworm toy, day/night modes, one-handed ball-save mechanic | | Jamie | person | JBS Show co-host; content creator; attended Barrels content creator event; previously worked with Barrels on social media for Labyrinth | | Erin Winick-Anthony | person | Guest on JBS Show; content creator and YouTuber; attended content creator event; first time at a creator day event; provided four plays of Dune | | David Vaness | person | Barrels of Fun founder/CEO; led factory tour; explained playfield design details including semi-buried inserts | | Johnny Crap | person | Playfield artist on Dune; discussed favorite artwork details with hosts during event | | Bowen Cairns | person | Code/rules designer on Dune; prominent competitive player; provided guidance to hosts during playtest; stood with hosts to explain shots | | Phil Grimaldi | person | Code/rules designer on Dune; demonstrated advanced gameplay to content creators; credited with one-handed ball-save mechanic concept | | Travis Moseman | person | Designer and engineer (mechanics) on Dune; Barrels team member | | Brian Savage | person | Toys designer on Dune; Barrels of Fun team member | | Carrie Hardy | person | Pinball content creator; attended content creator event; reportedly stated preference for Dune over Labyrinth | | Carl D'Angelo | person | IE Pinball content creator; top competitive player; had custom streaming rig set up at event; demonstrated advanced play | | Don | person | Don's Pinball Podcast host; attended breakfast with Jamie on event day; present for early trailer viewing | | Labyrinth | game | Barrels of Fun's first pinball machine; comparative reference for Dune design; some units still being completed during content creator event | | Eric Priebke | person | Code/rules designer credited on Dune | | Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer; King Kong machine to be shown to Jamie and collaborators after Dune event | | King Kong | game | Stern Pinball's upcoming/recent release; Jamie scheduled to visit Stern facilities to see game | | Cale Hernandez | person | Pin Pals podcast co-host; Electric Bat associate; rooming with Jamie to visit Stern | | Retro Ralph | person | Content creator; scheduled to transport Jamie and Cale to Stern facilities | ### Topics - **Primary:** Game mechanics and design, Playfield artwork and aesthetics, Dune IP integration and theming, Day/night mode transitions, One-handed ball-save feature (Gom Jabbar), Sandworm toy mechanic - **Secondary:** Comparison to Labyrinth, Content creator events and access ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.82) — Both speakers express strong appreciation for Dune's design, atmosphere, and thematic integration. Initial difficulty learning shots gave way to enthusiasm after additional plays and seeing skilled players. Praise for Barrels team's attention to detail and design philosophy. Minor criticism of shot difficulty/tightness framed constructively. No significant negative sentiment; speakers congratulate the team and express excitement for location deployment. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Hidden Easter egg (Labyrinth reference) embedded in playfield art intentionally to encourage community discovery and engagement (confidence: medium) — Jamie reveals hidden Easter egg and explicitly encourages audience to search for it; suggests looking on left side of playfield - **[competitive_signal]** Dune positioning as more atmospheric and thematically cohesive than Labyrinth; third-party validation from Carrie Hardy suggesting stronger reception (confidence: high) — Carrie Hardy's reported comment preferring Dune to Labyrinth; Erin's assessment of Dune feeling more 'enveloped in the world' with superior sound/feel integration - **[product_concern]** Early playfield color palette concern (brown/beige) was addressed by balanced integration of blue lighting and intentional color grading; speakers refute criticism proactively (confidence: high) — Erin explicitly discusses this concern and explains Barrels' color balancing approach with blues against sand tones - **[design_philosophy]** Dune employs thematic game moments (sandworm, thumper activation, one-handed ball-save) as core design pillars alongside mechanical depth; semi-buried insert details simulate sand burial (confidence: high) — Multiple discussions of thematic integration; David Vaness and Johnny Crap explanations of playfield detail philosophy; Phil Grimaldi credited with one-handed mechanic concept - **[event_signal]** Content creator day event held at Barrels facility; multiple major pinball media figures (Carrie Hardy, Don, Carl D'Angelo, Colin Alshimer) attended; early hands-on access provided (confidence: high) — Detailed description of event schedule, attendees, and Barrels team members present; breakfast meeting, factory tour, gameplay access documented - **[announcement]** Dune now shipping; available at distributors; taking orders; topper included with machine; additional accessories planned for future release (confidence: high) — Jamie states Dune 'available now at all distributors' and 'now shipping'; Erin mentions ornithopter topper comes with game and more accessories in development - **[product_strategy]** Dune distinguishes itself through sensory immersion (haptics, audio, lighting, atmosphere) rather than shot complexity alone; holistic design approach emphasized (confidence: high) — Erin statement: 'It's not just the look of the machine. It's the feel of playing it and that whole atmosphere.' - **[product_strategy]** Dune features adjustable outlanes as direct design lesson learned from Labyrinth reception; code error on first play was minor and quickly resolved (confidence: high) — Erin states outlanes are adjustable and explains this as lesson from Labyrinth; minor code error mentioned and corrected before lunch break - **[sentiment_shift]** Speakers' opinion shifted from initial skepticism ('oh no, this is too hard') to strong appreciation after additional plays and learning curve, accelerated by watching skilled players (confidence: high) — Jamie explicitly describes initial negative impression transforming after watching Phil/Bowen/Carl play; both note difficulty finding shots initially but appreciation growing with understanding - **[technology_signal]** Dune employs shaker motor in subtle, integrated fashion rather than extreme applications; dual-monitor day/night display system creates immersive visual experience (confidence: high) — Multiple mentions of shaker motor subtlety enhancing thumper sequence; emphasis on day/night transitions requiring darkened room to fully appreciate --- ## Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 59 of the JBS show and I have Aaron Winnick Anthony with me. We're fresh off seeing Dune so we thought you know what let's hurry up let's get a podcast out and let's give our first impressions of Barrels of Fun's new game, Dune. Welcome to the podcast again for like the 20th time, Erin Winnick-Anthony. No, excited to be here. Thanks for the invite. Yeah, so it's weird, right, going to content creator days? Yeah, this is my first one. Okay, this is, I think, my fourth one. And what's weird is like staying in your lane and not knowing what you're supposed to be doing and what you're supposed to be recording because I've done so much, you know, short-form content and then the podcast. But this is really my lane, Erin. So last night I coerced this young lady once again to be on the podcast so that we can talk about what we saw yesterday and our first impressions and go from there. My day started with a breakfast with Colin Alshimer, Don from Don's Pinball Podcast, and Doug from Cool Toys. Nice. And we just hung out and they were all staying in that area. So I was like, let me grab these guys and do some breakfast. But then we got there and we were all in a conference room and we were watching the teaser and their trailer. Yeah. And we're waiting on Carrie Hardy, right? Yes. And we got to see the trailer before it got put out later that day. That's true. Yeah. And then we watched somebody else's trailer in there. Yes. Yeah. I mean, Kong had dropped while we were there. So they were like, hey, we want to see it, too. Let's why not watch it? You all want to see it. That was really pretty cool. That was really neat of Barrels to just put that on there and such. I think they knew what everyone was kind of like. Everyone's thinking about it. Why not? Just like it's the elephant in the room. Let's watch it. You know, it was funny. It was fun. So then we did the tour when Cary Hardy finally showed up. Yes. And I'm just giving you crap, Cary. And then we did the tour and we got to see, well, we got to see Dune on the line. Yeah, it was really cool. So I've seen, you know, full disclosure, I have like previously done some work with Barrels. You know, I was in the Labyrinth trailer and helped them with their social media. I'm no longer doing that, but still, you know, good friends with the Barrels team. So I've been to the factory a lot. It was really cool to see just kind of the shift of everything. Obviously, it's still the same setup, but like all I've ever seen is the Labyrinth look of it. It was very fun to kind of see new stuff on the line, new playfields. Labyrinths were still in there, too, as they were, you know, waiting to get the final batch finished up. So it was very interesting to kind of see that shift. Yeah, I've done that tour, I think, three times. This is my fourth. And it was just, it was really neat to see it different. Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, they still have the same, like, you know, testing stations and things like that. It's the same flow through the factory. But it's like, okay, we're on to game two. It's like we're all grown up. Labyrinths are sitting over there waiting for their final touches. But we're on to Dune. And you brought your cameraman, Alex Anthony. Yes, I brought my husband with me. Yes. Yeah. And he was a great help. He was helping you take some video and, you know, when we went to the tour. Yes. And then we went into the room to see Dune. Yes. It was funny. They kept being like, okay, does anyone have any questions? And we were like, I mean, maybe later, but kind of want to see the game. So I don't want to play right now. Let's just go play. Like, OK, understood. When we went into their the room, they had to do and set up for us. One had Carl D'Python Anghelo's rig all over it. Yeah. And if you don't know Carl D'Python Anghelo, you're making a mistake. You need to follow him on Twitch and YouTube. And it's IE pinball. And he's just wow. He's one of the best players in the world. but he also is one of the best producers of pinball content that we have out there. Yes. And they had his rig set up on the machine to our right when we walked in, and Bo and Karen started us off showing us the machine. And he's very good at pinball, Bowen. Yes, he is. So it was weird. We just wanted to play, and I kept busting Aaron. I was like, hey, let's start. Press that button. Press up and press that button. Because you could get away with it more than I could get away with it. I'm not going to flex myself to go do that. No. We're all watching Bowen. We've got to know how to play it, Jamie. So then I moved on to your husband, and I tried to get him to press the button, and he wouldn't do it. Because we didn't – look, no offense to Bowen Kerins, right? He's a great player. But I want to flip this thing. It's right in front of me. And I want to get going. So finally Bowen looked at all of us, and he's like, does anyone have any questions? were like, can we play? He was like, okay, understood. And everyone got to play, yes. And so then we all got to play. So I was on the first game on the left with you, I think Don and Doug from Cool Toys. Oh, yes. Or Colin, maybe. I don't know. But we got to play it. And let's go through who designed the machine first. Yeah, yeah. And go through all the credits. And then let's do our first impressions. Is that okay? Sounds good. So design, David Van Esch, Travis Travis Moseman. We know these people very, very well. Absolutely. Code Rules, Phil Grimaldi, Bowen Kerins, and Eric Priepke were there as well. Engineering Mechanics, Travis Travis Moseman, Paul Solis. I don't know Paul. He does a lot more of some of the CAD work and stuff for the company, some more of the behind-the-scenes stuff. Okay. And then Art Jonathan Bergeson was there. Bergeron. Jonathan Bergeron, as people might know him. Yes. And so he was there, and then animation Trent Armstrong and Joshua Joshua Clay, music Adrian Disch, and toys Brian Savage. So there is everyone that was involved in the machine itself. And as you said, a lot of them were there to answer questions and kind of like walk people through the machine. Yeah, and they did a great job with that, right? Because what was your first impression walking up, Aaron? Well, A, I have to say it was interesting the way they had these set up. We were kind of in a room that typically has a lot of light, but they had all the windows covered. And I feel like they were going for kind of like a big impression of walking in of like the way the machines are like lit up in there. Maybe the way you may expect more like a darker arcade. And I feel like the machine makes a really great visual impression and audio impression. It very dramatic surprisingly beautiful for being a desert themed machine and I feel like the look in there they just glow you know it it was a very very good first impression of just kind of seeing the thing in its full form I think we'll talk about it later but the night time to day time modes are just amazing and you really can't do that with the lights on so there was a point where they turned the lights off so that we can really see that transition from day to night on the machine. Totally. Also, I have to say, are you a fan of, like, Dune, the franchise? I am. You know, I've watched – I remember watching David Finch's version. Okay. But I do like the new versions with Timothy Chamelet, and I dig them. I dig – and I watched the Dune series on HBO. Okay. Very nice. Which I really dug. So, yeah, I'm a Dune fanboy. I really like it. Nice. Yeah, because I feel like it was interesting. The day-to-night thing is something that's often referenced in the movies and things like that. There's different things that happen in the desert at different times. And I think they really played into that aspect of it with the art and with the lighting setup and in the gameplay and modes. All right. So let's talk about it. We got on. How many times did you get to play it? I think four, I think, in total. How about you? I got three. So, ladies and gentlemen, give us a little bit of slack. We got three plays and we have seven plays between us. Yes. But we did watch a lot of other people play while we were hanging around too. Yeah, we sure did. And then they took us to lunch and bought us a delicious Mexican food. It was really pretty good and we got to hang out together again. And then we came back and got the extra plays, which was really great, which we really needed. Yes. Because my first impression was, oh, no, this is too hard for me. Sure. Yeah. I think also Barrels makes a little tougher games. And I think Labyrinth is kind of a harder game, especially if you're just walking up to it for the first time. The outlanes on that one can be hungry. I will say one thing for this one is the outlanes seem a little less hungry. and I learned that they are adjustable on this one, which I think is like they learned from Labyrinth of like, okay, we need to have this be adjustable. But I will say I think that they make games that are enjoyable whether you are playing well or not. But it was definitely challenging right off the bat. I think we had some quick drains. We had two balls, and there was a small code error that resulted in our game only being two balls the first time we played. So we definitely needed those board games. And they fixed, and then when we came back from lunch, we played in this group again together. Yep. And we started getting the flow a little better. Yes. Right? And then Bowen, God bless him, stood next to us and was really helping us and showing us where to go. And that's so important. Yeah, we didn't have the rules to study before we came. We were kind of trying to learn them on the fly. But I also think that's like a good experience that a lot of people have walking up to a pinball machine in an arcade. And most people aren't going to have read the PDF rule sheet online before going and playing it. Right, unless you're a tech writer. Right, exactly. You're not going to read that stuff. So let's talk about the mechs. Yeah. Pretty cool. Immediately, if you're staring at the play field, ladies and gentlemen, to the right of the play field, correct me if I'm wrong, is kind of a reverse radical. Yes. So they put, if you know radical on the left side where you hit the skate or die inner loop where it kind of comes around, They moved that and flipped it to be on the right side, and that's its own multiball. Yep. The Fremen multiball, I believe. The idea is the balls are kind of hiding in the sand, just like the Fremen are, and jump out. Yeah, which was pretty cool. Thematically appropriate. We weren't really finding that shot. No. I hit it a couple times, but I never in the course of one of my games hit it enough to actually get that multiball. It comes out of there pretty fast also because if you have one locked in there already, you'll hit one, and it'll bounce straight back out. Yeah. So I think people are used to a ball lock being like, oh, I have a second to pause. No, you've got to be ready. It like jumps right back out at you, which again, appropriate, but I wasn't ready and I drained straight off of one of those. And I did as well. And, you know, I'm sure they'll put some ball save there or something like that, right? Totally. Absolutely. I think it's, again, thematically appropriate, very cool and excited to try to learn. I think it's just a really late shot on the flipper. And you just, again, in those couple of games, we didn't get it dialed in. If we're going right to left, then next to that is a kind of an orbit shot, if you will, through the mountainous range, which once you found that shot, that was fun. 100%. And yeah, it's also very cool because a lot of the shots that are kind of like hidden under this, I think one of the few plastic pieces on the machine, this kind of like mountainous piece, there's diverters under there. So depending on what's happening in the game, like shots that you might have like known where they were going to feed are going to then feed differently later in the game, which was cool. To the left of that is a captive ball potential, what you could steal very similar to the Foo Fighters guy in the middle, right? Yeah, I think it's also, yeah, if we're talking to like barrels language, I think it's similar to if you've been in the fireys mode, like the little force that pops up to pop off their heads, similar to that as well. Yeah, and Brick Keeper Multiball. Yes. During Brick Keeper Multiball. Exactly, for the cheaper jackpot. Yeah, they used that. To the left of that was a tough shot through the middle, right? The spinner shot? The spinner shot. Very satisfying. I actually found that one pretty solidly. I was pretty happy with that one. They have, was it three spinners on the game? Is that correct? There's a fair number of good, satisfying spinner shots. and right like to the side of it is like this bank of drop targets as well. So you can kind of like either go for kind of those drops on the side or straight up that center. And then you move over to the worm. Iconic. It is really amazing. That shot kind of reminds me of Iron Maiden, but not through three pop bumpers, just one pop bumper, if you will. And on top of that pop bumper is the summoner for the, what do they call that? The thumper. The thumper, which is a really cool feature. Yeah. This was one of my favorite things about the machine. I think it's probably not, the worm is going to be, to overshadow it a little bit because it's so dynamic and it's the worm from Dune. But the thumper, honestly, the thing that was so cool, we will talk about more later, but there's a shaker motor in this one. And I feel like most shaker motors are used to a pretty extreme amount. and they really subtly used it for this of every time it thumps, especially when you're in this like mode, you activate it, feeling that shaker motor in your hands Yeah As well as seeing the light show with it I know I thought that was brilliant I was a big fan Yeah I thought that was brilliant If you know the movie, just a little bit to summon the sandworm with the thumper and the anticipation of it coming. Now that shot is hard though. Let's talk about that. That left ramp through that one pop and then through, there's another flipper over there and almost a double scoop, if you will. There's a scoop in front and then a scoop in back. Yes. It's like I think I've seen people compare it to Attack from Mars, the scoop where it can kind of go into the back of it and then pop out the front. So, yeah. Yeah. Medieval Madness, too. Yes. Medieval Madness as well. But there's a flipper up there. Yes. Which, you know, which hits a loop, which is very, very satisfying. And then there's drop targets there as well. I really dug it. I had a tough time finding the shots. I think by the third time I was finding it. And then we started to understand, Aaron, let's start some modes. Let's and the modes were fantastic. The first mode, I think you're killing Harkin soldiers was it's a harvester battle. It's called. Yes. And so that's one thing, too. So to start a mode, you have to shoot it into the primary scoop that you're going to see. You can skill plunge that as well. There's some skill shots on the machine. I didn't see any of us hitting that skill. I hit it once. Did you? I hit it once. That's why I can say it starts a mode because it did happen. But what's interesting is the modes are different day and night. So you progress the game by hitting shots and like you kind of fill up this meter that progresses to night. And so if you hit this mode start in day, you'll start a different mode than if you are starting it at night, which was very interesting. I got to start two different modes. The second mode, I think it was called Savage or… Survive? survive not yes survive you're trying to survive through the night basically um i had a lot of fun with that the light show on that is pretty incredible yeah they lean into a lot of these blue colors for these night modes rather than going for like more of a dark sort of look and it's yes the the lights in there are very bright and very dynamic um then uh ball three if you're familiar with labyrinth you do get what they would call the consolation multiball right where if you hadn't locked all your brickkeeper, you only need to lock one shot, and then you'll get a brickkeeper multiball on ball three for labyrinth. A lot of people turn that off for tournament settings and such, right? But they did have that here, and I thought that was really great just to learn the machine. If you're going to put a dollar in it on location, you want that multiball, and you want to feel the worm come up, drop it nicely into the wire form, because it's really Circus Voltaire without going crazy. Yeah, and I was really impressed because sometimes Circus Voltaire, sometimes you'll have your light bulb kind of get shot somewhere crazy when it comes off of the Ringmaster. It like perfectly fit onto the wire form every time that I saw someone on this machine. Yeah, it did. No, it did. It absolutely did. It was a really nice feature. Colin Alshimer took a beautiful shot of that and put that on the Kinetisys. So if you want to see that shot, it's beautiful. It's beautiful. I think he let me put that on my reel that I just put out. Cool. So you can check that out on our YouTube as well. So what did you think? After four plays, after three plays? Yeah, I think to me the thing that really stood out was this game felt really atmospheric. I think, yes, the shots were cool. I think some of them were tight. As you were saying, I think that's kind of what made it a little harder to hit some of them. But the layout was really interesting. I feel like I hadn't played a pinball machine that looked like this before. You know, like, yes, there's similarities to Whitewater. There's similarities to Congo. I've seen some references, but it felt very unique. And it felt really like enveloped in the world. Like Labyrinth was world under glass. There is some of that in this, but I felt like they really brought in the sound and the feel, like the shaking, which really brought it to a different level. And it felt very different than Labyrinth, but in a good way. In a really good way. You know, Kerry Hardy said the first thing he said to me was, well, I like it better than Labyrinth. And I don't think he meant it as a slight, to be honest. I think he was like, Labyrinth takes a minute to find those shots, especially the two ramps, the left and right ramp, and that left orbit. That's a tough one. But once you dial that in, it is a very fun game. It's very fun to progress. It's very fun to try to get to Goblin City and all these cool things, whatever the end of Labyrinth is. Battle Jareth. I never sniffed, by the way. I think Carl D'Python Anghelo there was one of the only people that I've seen, at least on stream, get there. So, yeah. So I really liked it. I really did. I think my first impression was, oh, no, I don't know if I like it. Because I hadn't found the shots and I wasn't hitting that sandworm at all. And I wasn't hitting anything in game one. But when we came back from lunch, there was a point where I was sitting there watching Phil Grimaldi, Bowen Kerins, and Carl D'Python Anghelo play. I forget who their fourth was, but I feel sorry for that individual. It was a long game, yeah. Because they were playing and playing, and they put up 30, 40, 50 million. And I really got to see someone who knows what they're doing, who knows the shots. Obviously, they helped design them, but it really helped us when we then went and then Bowen stood next to us. One of the coolest features is the Ball 3 paint box. Yes. Can you talk about that a little bit? Because you got it. I did. I messed it up, but I did get it. Yeah. So I'm not sure if there's another way you can earn this, too, or it happens in the game. but I drained out the left out lane on my ball three. And so there's this little area where the ball can get locked into on the bottom left side of the machine. Kind of like fun house, Aaron, where it has a extra plunger, but there's no plunger there. It's a, it's a, it's a coil. It captures it. And then you can kick the ball out again if it wants to. And so if you're familiar with Dune, there's like a part of it where the main character is trying to like have to keep their hand in this box and like go through this like initiation ordeal basically and so there's a action button on this game that you have to keep pushed down and the second you push it down the ball will come back out and you have to play with one hand so think about which hand you put on that button first of all and then you have to try to play with one hand and hit one very specific shot if you do It just like what is it the detonator on Godzilla Yeah the oxygen The oxygen detonator The oxygen detonator yeah And so if you get it It exactly that But it not timed I don think I think this mode is like on I could be wrong on Dune, however long it takes, but you have to be playing with one hand and if you drain, you lose it. That's right. I accidentally was like, oh, surprised, and like lifted my hand slightly and my flippers died instantly. Yeah, you lifted your hand off the action button. Don did as well. But I did see Phil Grimaldi get through it. Yeah, and I could see how you could do it. I feel like some people were talking about how it was very difficult. But what's also funny is in the Houston community here recently, Jess DiNardo, who works in quality at Barrels, has started a tradition at Little Dipper and at Game Preserve NASA that we all get to play one extra ball if you earn it, but you have to play it with one hand. And I was joking with her. I was like, did you start this tradition in Houston to be training us to all be really good at playing Dune now? So I feel like all the people that have been playing there got the leg up because they've been playing a bunch of one-handed pinball for the past six months. It's a really neat little quirk, if you will. I thought it was really cool. Phil Grimaldi gets a lot of credit for that. Yes. When I talked to him about it, he said, well, I think it came up in a group brainstorm in the conference room. But I think, yeah, well, we'll give him some credit for that one. It's very cool. I'm very thematic and I think it's cool to give like, just like, I feel like a pinball moment, you know, like the worm coming up is like a moment getting the thumper activated as a moment and like playing through this one handed mode, especially cause it's not to feel like if you lose the ball, you already had lost the ball and drained anyway. Like, you know, it was, you are, you, you're only gaining a positive potentially. Right. It, it, I, I got it and, um, didn't hit any shots and I bricked. Yeah. I mean, it was a good shot i tried it's you know i i used my left hand on the action button and tried to do the right hand both sides yeah and i saw you were doing the same but i'm a righty so i thought that that would help me but it didn't and i'm gonna be curious if like you know the really good players like pop their knee up on it or something because i've i've seen like the like some of the top players in the world with planes like use their forehead to hit the button that's not possible on this i don't think because you have to be looking in maybe a chin but i'm like I wonder if people are going to come up with a strategy to try to circumvent it, but I appreciate the theme. So I hope people stick with trying to keep it one handed. Speak about the art again. I think he did a phenomenal job. There are the little nuances on the play field that if you really look, I know there were some complaints that it's brown. It's not brown. It looks, it's a very pretty color play field. It feels appropriate. Yeah. And like, yes there is a lot of sand colors on it but like okay shouldn't shouldn't there be yeah but they balanced it really well with i think those blues to be able to make it interesting and i um asked johnny crap about like oh so what's your favorite thing uh of like little details that you put into here and i think David Van Es pointed this out too some of like the inserts it's not like a full little triangle they're like semi buried in the sand so you'll notice if you look really close a lot of the stuff looks like the little different lights in the field look like they got buried into the desert, which I thought was a cool detail. Yeah. I was standing there when David was showing us that. It's just those little things on the play field that shows that these guys, they care. And they made a really, really great machine. So congratulations to them. Yeah. Oh, and they mentioned there's a little nod to Labyrinth on the play field, too. Were you there for that? I did. You can see... It's very small, but... It's very small. Maybe people should try to see if they could see it. Okay. we can leave it at that. Let us know. Hit us up at virtual at Mac. If you find the little hidden Easter egg to the labyrinth in the playfield art on the playfield art, I'd look on the left side because it's hard. All right. What are we missing? I thought that, you know, only thing I wanted to point out, cause I keep seeing people miss this is if you'll know, we didn't have them on our machines, but there is a topper that's included with the game. um it's a like an ornithopter topper on there and if you look at the like the flyer you'll see it there it likes it it wasn't on our games that we played but i've seen people being like i don't know if that topper is as good as you know labyrinth with the goblins and stuff you know but this one's actually comes with it and they've also said that there's more accessories coming so i'll be interested to see if there's another additional pay for it topper too but um i i thought it was very cool art i think Robert Blakeman our friend uh worked on um this topper that comes with it so definitely keep it out for that i think that's a very cool look well nice you get a topper with the machine like it is pretty rare uh i i had a great time i had a great time and uh thank you barrels of fun thank you David Van Es brian savage travis Travis Moseman and everyone that was there you know from phil grimaldi to bowen uh we really really appreciate you that was it was such a nice event uh i had to go back and work uh so we had work to do i mean this is not our full-time job and uh i'm actually flying out tonight can you believe this i know i was like you're the the pinball media guy now so yeah where are you headed i am headed to chicago i am rooming with kehl hernandez from uh the electric bat and uh we are getting picked up tomorrow morning by retro Ralph and he is taking us to Stern to go see King Kong. That's a pinball packed week. It is. I'm doing so and then we had to record this and so now we have to edit it and I need to get this out so I'm not really going to edit it. I'm just going to throw it up. No video ladies and gentlemen. Just me and Aaron talking about what we thought about a great game from Barrels of Fun, Dune. available now at all your distributors, I think. Yeah, now shipping. I think they're taking orders. Absolutely. And yeah, take a look. There will be some other videos that are popping up from all the people who are there if you want to see a little bit more. And I'm sure we're going to get some more gameplay stuff soon, especially from Bowen, I'm guessing. Yeah, definitely. I think if you're not subscribed, again, to IE Pinball, I'm sure that Carl was editing that and probably on the plane now editing it to get it up because it really does a great job showing you a phenomenal player. walk you through the game. Yeah. And I know we're local to the Houston community, so we're cheering on all of our friends who work on this machine, but genuinely really cool experience, and I'm excited for this to be able to start getting out of location so people can really feel. It's not just the look of the machine. It's the feel of playing it and, like, that whole atmosphere. So excited for people to have that. Yeah. Congratulations to Barrels of Fun. Thank you so much. And thank you so much, Aaron, for taking 30 minutes of your day to put out a quick podcast on our thoughts on this great machine. Absolutely. Well, happy to be here. And yeah, have fun looking at the next new pinball machine in a couple of days. It'll be fun. It'll be fun. Very cool. All right. Thanks, everyone. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: aabc6d84-4aad-4334-9b37-e14762a3ccae*