# Don’s Pinball Podcast is live! **Source:** Don's Pinball Podcast Live Streams (YouTube) **Type:** video **Published:** 2026-03-15 **Duration:** 5m 15s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLAiOrOS9sQ --- ## Analysis Don from Don's Pinball Podcast provides enthusiastic first-impression gameplay commentary on Pokémon pinball at Chicagoland Entertainment Museum. He praises the game's theme execution and mechanical feel, comparing it favorably to Bond, and notes that hands-on play feels more complete than leaked/media coverage suggested. He recommends the Premium tier with a shaker motor and emphasizes that the LE edition's exclusive features (locking flap, shaking Pokéball, Pikachu head-turn, Psyduck shootout, Squirtle toilet bowl) are more impactful in person. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Pokémon pinball feels as loaded as Bond and Deadpool despite pre-release concerns about being cheaped out — _Don (video host), live gameplay experience at Chicagoland Entertainment Museum_ - [HIGH] Pro model lacks the locking flap beneath the ramp that Premium/LE models have — _Don, direct observation during gameplay_ - [HIGH] Premium tier with shaker motor is the recommended home setup; LE features are better experienced in person — _Don's recommendation after gameplay_ - [MEDIUM] Pokémon is one of the four horsemen of 2026 — _Don, opinion/assessment_ - [MEDIUM] LE secondary market prices reached $25,000 — _Don, casual reference to secondary market_ ### Notable Quotes > "This has a lot of Bond in it. It's got a sneak in scoop shootout thing. It's got my favorite shot of Bond, the left orbit to wire form. It feels just like Bond does, but like this theme is a 10 for me." > — **Don**, early in video > _Core gameplay comparison establishing Pokémon's mechanical similarity to Bond despite different theme_ > "Playing it, I don't feel like it's lacking anything. It feels as loaded as Bond does. It feels as loaded as Deadpool does." > — **Don**, mid-video > _Direct rebuttal to pre-release criticism that game was stripped down; compares content depth to major recent releases_ > "Did I giggle like a schoolchild every time Pikachu talked to me? Absolutely I did." > — **Don**, mid-video > _Emotional/experiential endorsement of theme execution; highlights that theme resonates in person_ > "All of those things I think are better in person than they seem online, for instance." > — **Don**, later in video > _Key insight that LE-specific features (Pokéball shaker, Pikachu head-turn, Squirtle toilet bowl, Psyduck shootout) have greater impact experienced live vs. in photos/videos_ > "If you got your LE, don't sell it at this. You know, you missed out on 25,000, that's fine. Just keep it because the game the game's super fun, man." > — **Don**, end section > _Investment/collector advice; implies LE secondary market peaked and holder should retain for gameplay value_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Don | person | Host of Don's Pinball Podcast; experienced player and media figure providing live first-impression commentary | | Pokémon | game | Stern Pinball title under analysis; Pro, Premium, and LE tiers discussed | | Chicagoland Entertainment Museum | venue | Location where Don played Pokémon; described as busy with birthday parties and bar mitzvahs on Saturday night | | Bond | game | Classic Stern title used as gameplay comparison point; Don notes Pokémon shares mechanical structure (scoop shootout, left orbit shot) | | Deadpool | game | Recent Stern release used as benchmark for content/feature depth comparison | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Pokémon pinball | | Harry Potter | game | Tier-1 premium Stern license; mentioned as comparison point (Pokémon is not at this level) | | Avatar | game | Premium Stern license; mentioned as comparison point | | Beetlejuice | game | Stern release; mentioned as tier comparison (Pokémon not at this level) | | Aronoff | venue | Location where Don played Dune earlier in the day (in Maine) | | Dune | game | Stern Pinball title; Don played it earlier in the day at Aronoff | | TPF | event | Upcoming pinball event mentioned where Pokémon and other games will be available | ### Topics - **Primary:** Pokémon gameplay and mechanical design, Pro vs Premium vs LE tier differentiation and value, Pre-release skepticism vs hands-on reality, Theme execution and immersion - **Secondary:** Secondary market LE pricing, In-person vs online perception of machines - **Mentioned:** Venue operations and foot traffic ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0) ### Signals - **[product_concern]** Pre-release leaks and media coverage suggested Pokémon was stripped down; Don's hands-on play contradicts this perception, indicating content depth matches comparable titles (Bond, Deadpool) (confidence: high) — Playing it, I don't feel like it's lacking anything. It feels as loaded as Bond does. - **[gameplay_signal]** Pokémon shares core mechanical structure with Bond (scoop shootout, left orbit wire form), creating familiar feel for experienced players (confidence: high) — This has a lot of Bond in it... left orbit to wire form. It feels just like Bond does - **[design_philosophy]** Theme immersion is a primary design strength; Pikachu voice lines and interactive moments create emotional resonance that's amplified in person (confidence: high) — Did I giggle like a schoolchild every time Pikachu talked to me? Absolutely I did. - **[product_strategy]** LE-specific features (Pokéball shaker, Pikachu head-turn, Psyduck shootout, Squirtle toilet bowl, locking flap) create meaningful gameplay and perception differences; Premium tier recommended as home sweet spot with shaker motor addition (confidence: high) — All of those things I think are better in person than they seem online... get yourself a premium, some inside cabinet expression lights, and this game needs a shaker motor - **[collector_signal]** LE secondary market prices reached $25,000; Don advises holders to retain machines for gameplay value rather than liquidate at market peak (confidence: medium) — If you got your LE, don't sell it at this. You missed out on 25,000 - **[sentiment_shift]** Narrative shift from pre-release skepticism (leaked images suggesting content gaps) to positive hands-on validation; indicates media/social coverage may have been unfairly negative (confidence: high) — we had the leaks, we had the release, we had the media day, and it was like, man, they cheaped out... Playing it, I don't feel like it's lacking anything - **[venue_signal]** Chicagoland Entertainment Museum showing Pokémon in commercial venue context; Saturday night packed with birthday parties and bar mitzvahs but Pokemon machine sees minimal play during high-traffic periods (confidence: high) — It's Saturday night at the museum. It's absolutely packed with birthday parties and bar mitzvahs and quinceañeras and nobody's over here playing Pokemon - **[content_signal]** Don capturing and streaming first-impression gameplay live provides authentic, unscripted content that contradicts curated pre-release media messaging (confidence: high) — I got my first impressions captured live for everybody - **[event_signal]** Pokémon machines in circulation at commercial venues (Chicagoland Entertainment Museum); TPF event mentioned as upcoming venue with multiple machines available for play (confidence: high) — I'm here at Chicagoland Entertainment Museum... TPF with a bunch of these - **[competitive_signal]** Don achieved 200+ million points on first game and earned replay on Pro model; early scoring and difficulty baseline established (confidence: medium) — I got a replay on my first game. 200 million points plus. --- ## Transcript Well, I didn't quite catch all of them, but I did get myself a vile plume. I'm here in Imperium in Chicago. It's the same day I was over there in Maine. I just figured I'd stop by and and look at this lonely Pokémon machine here on the floor. It's Saturday night at Interium. It's absolutely packed with birthday parties and Bob mitzvah and kinsigneras and nobody's over here playing Pokémon. So, I came, I played a game, I got a replay on my first game. 200 million points plus. It was pretty good. I caught a Pokemon my first try. Holy garbage. This game's really good. Now, I think, of course, it's early, right? I've just played it twice now, but I can say like I I think I'm going to end up feeling about this game like people feel about Bond, right? cuz this has a lot of Bond in it. It's got uh it's got a sneak in scoop shootout thing. It's got the my favorite shot of Bond, the left orbit to wire form. It feels just like Bond does, but like this theme is a 10 for me. Like it's silly. Swear to God. You should have seen my face when I was playing it. The first time I heard Pikachu talk to me. It's freaking magical, man. And this is a pro. I can say veheminently I want to play the premium LE because when I caught my Pokemon, you know, it's like a hurry up, right? And so I shot the ramp, I got it before the time ran out, but then like it didn't lock underneath and I'm like, "Oh, I don't think I got it in time." No, I did. It's just a Pro doesn't have that area that locks under there. Right. But dude, there's the game, man. There's Pikachu right there. He don't move. He don't move. Poke ball. It would have felt more magical if my Pokeball would have shook. My ball would have locked in there and then kicked out would have been an even better moment. But this like looking at it, you know, we had the leaks, we had the release, we had the media day, and it was like, man, they cheaped out on this game. There's like nothing in it. Playing it, I don't feel like it's lacking anything. It feels as loaded as Bond does. It feels as loaded as Deadpool does. Is it Harry Potter? Is it Avatar? Is it Beetlejuice? No. Is it a fun pinball machine? And is this a hell of a theme? And did I giggle like a school child every time Pikachu talked to me? Absolutely I did. Absolutely I did. So yeah, game is super dope, man. We're going to let some other people let some other people get on it, but the uh Well, yeah. Yeah, it's Pokemon. It's Pokemon. I like it. I got to get the LE. Well, I got get an Ellie, but like I'd have to have the Pro for home. If you're on the fence, get yourself a premium, some inside cabinet expression lights, and this game needs a shaker motor like nobody's business. Um, but then I think you'll be set. Would you be sad with a pro? No. It's just those those things that are in the premium, the locking little flap, the shaking Pokeball, Pikachu turning his head, the Psyduck shootout, the Squirtle toilet bowl. All of those things I think are better in person than they seem online, for instance. But I played Pokemon. There's my first impressions. The game's really good. I should get an LE. I had that much fun on it. So, I think what we'll do, I'm going to play some more games in Interium and then I got to get my butt to Benton and then probably bed. And hopefully there's a pizza between now and home. We'll see. We'll make it happen. All right. So, from the interior, from playing Pokemon the first time, man, this is Don. This is Don. What's up? What's up? See you next week. Oh, yeah. Of Brad. Of course, we'll be a TPF with a bunch of these. All right, people are joining now. Maybe I'll hang out a little bit longer. All right, a hot take. First impressions. Game's awesome, man. Game's awesome. I'm going to leave some uh some podcast stickers around Interium. I'm going to see if anybody else is here tonight. This was like the first stop. You know, you walk through past all the birthday parties, you cross the ball, and then Ed Boon, there she is. What a cool day, man. I was on a beach in Maine. I was playing some Dune at Arono, and then now I'm in Chicago. I just played Pokémon for the first time. It's great, guys. If you got your Ellie, don't sell it at this. You know, you missed out on 25,000, that's fine. Just keep it cuz the game the game's super fun, man. One of the four horsemen of 2026 right here. Here, dude. It's good. It's good, man. Watch this back. I got my I got my first impressions captured live for everybody. I'm going to go play some pinballs. It worked out this outlet and then it bounced back up. Pokemon. That's pretty cool though. _(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v4)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: bf73a274-88b1-4d70-a63c-cc5c26001450*