# Melbourne Pinball Expo 2025 Tour

**Source:** Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2025-11-25  
**Duration:** 32m 12s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90F-WbWljro

---

## Analysis

Gonzo tours the Melbourne Pinball Expo 2025, a 120-game event showcasing recent releases and restored classics. Harry Potter emerges as the standout game, praised for broad appeal and immersive theme integration. Notable highlights include Predator (widebody), Lost in Space (by Vector Pinball), P3 modules, and various restored machines with custom mods. The event demonstrates strong JJP presence and diverse player demographics.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Harry Potter is the outstanding game of the show with extremely captivating gameplay, well-integrated theme, and broad demographic appeal — _Direct experience at event; multiple demographic confirmations (young families, 70+ year old customer inquiry)_
- [HIGH] Predator (widebody) feels well-balanced and not overly floaty, with strong sound design and atmosphere despite needing dial-in — _Hands-on play experience; noted the machine had just been unboxed and required initial setup_
- [HIGH] Lost in Space by Vector Pinball is early code with interesting playfield but slightly slow/floaty feel, priced at $13,000-$14,000 AUD — _Played at expo; Vector Pinball is identified as manufacturer; specific AUD pricing given_
- [HIGH] P3 modular platform has received strong positive feedback at the show, with Portal module fixing front playfield spacing issues of base P3 — _Event observation; noted Portal didn't attend but Final Resistance and Princess Bride were playable_
- [HIGH] Blues Brothers is priced at $7,000 and is theme-immersive musically but not compelling enough as a personal purchase — _Direct pricing and gameplay assessment_

### Notable Quotes

> "man, what a rush. Like, what did I just experience? And yeah, look, it was one of those things where I was, at that point I was like, man, Jersey Jack have got a hit."
> — **Gonzo**, ~8:30
> _Emotional reaction to Harry Potter gameplay; validates JJP's design success and broad market positioning_

> "Harry Potter's for everybody. So we've had young families that were captivated, wanted to buy one. I talked to a lady that was in her late 70s who has never owned a pinball before, said, where do I buy one?"
> — **Gonzo**, ~9:00
> _Demonstrates Harry Potter's universal demographic appeal across age groups; evidence of strong sales potential_

> "I really enjoyed Predator, right? And as a widebody, I didn't feel it was overly floaty. I really enjoyed the gameplay, the sound effects, and the atmosphere it created, especially with the predators clicking."
> — **Gonzo**, ~3:45
> _Positive assessment of Predator widebody balance and audio design; addresses common widebody playfield concerns_

> "Avatar is a sleeper that people slept on. I really enjoyed Guns N' Roses and Godfather and Toy Story. Not for everybody, but Harry Potter's for everybody."
> — **Gonzo**, ~8:45
> _Contextualizes Harry Potter within JJP's recent portfolio; suggests broader appeal than prior releases_

> "Lost in Space is really interesting because it's not a thing for me way before my time... but you know for an Australian company to do something which is a pretty big thing for that demographic, it's pretty impressive"
> — **Gonzo**, ~6:00
> _Recognition of Vector Pinball as emerging Australian manufacturer; validates localized IP/nostalgia appeal_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Melbourne Pinball Expo 2025 | event | Major pinball exhibition in Australia featuring ~120 games, strong JJP presence, tournament activity, and vendor partnerships |
| Harry Potter | game | Jersey Jack Pinball premium release; praised as standout title at expo with universal demographic appeal and strong theme integration |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Premium pinball manufacturer with significant presence at Melbourne Expo; described as having 'a hit' with Harry Potter |
| Predator | game | Recent widebody release; played at expo, praised for balanced playfield and sound design despite early dial-in needs |
| Lost in Space | game | New release by Vector Pinball; Australian-made, priced $13k-14k AUD, features early code with floaty playfield design |
| Vector Pinball | company | Australian pinball manufacturer creating Lost in Space; described as doing 'pretty big thing' for demographic nostalgia |
| Multimorphic P3 | game | Modular pinball platform on display at expo; receiving positive feedback; Portal module absent but Final Resistance and Princess Bride playable |
| Blues Brothers | game | HomePin game priced at $7,000; praised for music/theme but assessed as not personally compelling despite quality |
| Baywatch | game | Classic pinball machine played by Gonzo at expo for the first time |
| Evil Dead | game | Game featured at expo; Gonzo has prior play experience and didn't prioritize additional time |
| Simpson Pinball Party | game | Classic game at expo with custom UV pink rails modification |
| Frankenstein | game | Classic game at expo featuring custom modifications/enhancements |
| Gonzo | person | Content creator from Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama YouTube channel; toured Melbourne Pinball Expo day 2; experienced pinball player and reviewer |
| Paul | person | Vendor/distributor at Melbourne Pinball Expo; assisted customer inquiry for Harry Potter purchase |
| Portal | game | Multimorphic P3 module based on Portal video game; addresses playfield spacing issues of base P3; did not attend Melbourne Expo |
| Final Resistance | game | Multimorphic P3 module on display at Melbourne Expo |
| Princess Bride | game | Multimorphic P3 module on display at Melbourne Expo |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Harry Potter market reception and appeal, Widebody pinball design and playfield balance, Emerging Australian pinball manufacturers, Modular pinball platforms (P3) and community reception
- **Secondary:** Predator game quality and early production issues, Custom pinball modifications and restoration, Pricing and value assessment of recent releases
- **Mentioned:** Regional pinball expo events and community gathering

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Gonzo is enthusiastic about the expo experience and particularly impressed with Harry Potter's broad appeal. Positive assessments of Predator, Lost in Space, and P3 platform despite noting areas for improvement (dial-in, early code, floatiness). Minor reservations about Blues Brothers and Lost in Space design choices don't significantly dampen overall positive tone. Event atmosphere and variety of games celebrated throughout.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Vector Pinball (Australian manufacturer) launching Lost in Space at premium pricing ($13k-14k AUD) with positive community reception despite early code status (confidence: high) — New release details, pricing confirmation, gameplay assessment; Gonzo plans dedicated channel content on Vector Pinball
- **[event_signal]** Melbourne Pinball Expo 2025 successfully drew significant crowd with ~120 games, demonstrating strong regional market activity in Australia (confidence: high) — Event-scale report with specific game count and attendee observations
- **[market_signal]** JJP maintaining strong presence at regional expos with multiple Harry Potter units on display (5-6 units), suggesting sustained production and market confidence (confidence: high) — Specific unit count at expo; described as 'big JJP presence'
- **[community_signal]** Implicit: Gonzo positioning himself as regional Australian pinball content creator covering local manufacturers and expo events with planned deep-dive content on Vector Pinball (confidence: medium) — Planned video on Vector Pinball; coverage of Australian expo events; familiarity with local operator network (Paul, venue)
- **[market_signal]** Premium pinball pricing holding across manufacturers: Blues Brothers $7k, Lost in Space $13-14k AUD, Predator implicit premium positioning (confidence: high) — Explicit pricing mentions; context within recent release ecosystem
- **[product_concern]** Predator widebody achieving positive reception despite just-unboxed status and dial-in needs; sound design and atmosphere particularly praised (confidence: high) — Hands-on assessment noting good balance, strong audio, minimal ball-stick issues for new machine
- **[sentiment_shift]** Harry Potter generating strong positive sentiment across diverse demographic groups (families, seniors) at expo; positioned as breakout JJP title beyond niche appeal (confidence: high) — Multiple anecdotal reports of 70+ year old customer inquiry, young families wanting to purchase; Gonzo's explicit comparison to prior JJP titles noting broader appeal
- **[technology_signal]** P3 modular platform gaining acceptance at regional expos with multiple playable modules (Final Resistance, Princess Bride) receiving positive feedback; Portal module improvements addressing prior design concerns (confidence: high) — Strong expo feedback noted; Portal absence explained as addressing P3 design limitation; multiple modules deployed

---

## Transcript

 Alright guys, we're at the Melbourne Pinball Expo. This is day two. I was going to shoot this yesterday, but got distracted and carried away. Now, what an event. We've got about 120 games here. There's a big JJP presence. There's five or six Harry Potters here. there's a Predator there's an Alice there's a P3 there's a Lost in Space which I'll show later there's Blues Brothers which is an interesting experience but I find captivating just because of the music that theme is just fantastic I really hope that we see another version of it that is a bit more theme immersive Look, it is what it is. It's a great game. It's $7,000 for what it is, but it's not for me personally, but it doesn't mean it's bad. Apart from that, you know, we've got the classic Bally Williams. We've got a tournament going on in the corner. So what we'll do is we'll pan around. We'll take some footage. We'll take some close-ups of some games. There's some fantastic restored games. There's a Simpson pinball party that's been pimped out with UV pink rails. there's Frankenstein that's been pimped out. I got to finally play Baywatch, which I've wanted to play for a long time. And, you know, I think for me, probably the... And there's Evil Dead, obviously, but I've played one, so I don't really need to focus energy on that. I really enjoyed Predator, right? And as a widebody, I didn't feel it was overly floaty. I really enjoyed the gameplay, the sound effects, and the atmosphere it created, especially with the predators clicking. I thought that was great. It needs some dialing in. Unfortunately, this one had just been unboxed, so we've had to dial it in at the show. But to be honest, it's held up okay. A couple of balls have been stuck in certain places. But again, that's all part of the journey, right? It's all about dialing in. But look, I really enjoyed it. If it had Arnie, it would have been an outstanding pinball machine. you never know once the license finishes in december someone will probably crack it open and do their own code for it and all that um i really enjoyed lost in space lost in space is really interesting because it's not a thing for me way before my time i'm 40 years old um but you know for a an australian company to do something um which is a pretty big thing for that demographic It's pretty impressive and very early code. I had a flip of it flips really well up a playfields interesting A little bit slow and floaty But I think it's on purpose because the kind of feels like there's a little bit less gravity and you're kind of floating up there it runs a corporate boards with a rusty pie belly parts like You know for the thirteen thousand dollars Australian or fourteen thousand Australian. I think it's it's gonna be okay We'll have him on the channel soon and do a video about who Vector Pinball is. He's the company that's making it. So, yeah, we'll see and we'll take it from there and jump in and deep dive on that one. But all in all, the P3 has had really good feedback. I think people are really surprised. They've never got to play it. They realize that it is actually pinball. Just because it has the screen doesn't mean it's any less of a pinball. Has it got less stuff at the front? Sure. But we know that Portal's fixed that. Unfortunately, Portal didn't make it to the show. But we've got Final Resistance and Princess Bride. But the outstanding game of the show is Harry Potter. Harry Potter is an extremely captivating game with a lot of ball paths, very well theme integrated, and one hell of an experience. I played my first ball the first time I played it, and I stepped back before my ball too and I was a little bit taken. I was just like, man, what a rush. Like, what did I just experience? And yeah, look, it was one of those things where I was, at that point I was like, man, Jersey Jack have got a hit. And they've made some really good games. Like, Avatar is a sleeper that people slept on. I really enjoyed Guns N' Roses and Godfather and Toy Story. Not for everybody, but Harry Potter's for everybody. So we've had young families that were captivated, wanted to buy one. I talked to a lady that was in her late 70s who has never owned a pinball before, said, where do I buy one? And I sent her over to Paul back here. So it's been great. So what we'll do now is we'll turn around, we'll show you a bit of the tour, we'll show you some close-ups of some of the games that I really liked and some footage and then yeah see you on the next one and on the flip side and peace out Thank you. Thank you sold by local That's what we're doing. Doing some, um, footage. This is, um, a truck. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone loves people related. It's not gonna be a little bit of a lot. That's right. It's so handy. It's a pocket. What is a pocket? It's just a gimbal. And it just turns. It just turns. Handy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The shop is a small shopping mall with a large shopping store and a shopping store in the centre of the shopping store and the shopping store in the centre of the shopping and that's why we have one and two plates, four plates, five plates, right? And so this is what we have. And so I told you, you need a fan to load. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, my God. Thank you. Skill shop. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. People having a look at the types of vous job oh oh Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We left in Vegas. Oh, yeah? That was back home. Yeah, it's not safe now. Might be down by six. Yeah, but... But, yeah, you don't mind the price. I think they're turning up. They're bouncing up. Yeah, they are. But they don't want the water. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Jackpot! Jackpot! Jackpot! Thank you. away. We'll see you next time.

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: ad6171f7-1de7-4318-8b7b-e410eda1bb47*