# Captain Nemo

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2012-10-01  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/nemo.html

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## Analysis

Quetzal Pinball, a Spanish collector group based in Murcia, has unveiled plans for Captain Nemo, a custom pinball machine featuring a 9.7-inch LCD display embedded in the playfield center. The machine will include multiball, LED lighting, Wi-Fi connectivity, and open-source rules running on a custom QPC controller board. With an anticipated price of €4,000-€4,500 and planned production of ~30 units, pre-orders are open with delivery expected 10 months after October 2012 production start.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Captain Nemo will feature a 9.7-inch LCD panel positioned in the center of the playfield to show animations and game feedback — _Official prototype specifications from Quetzal Pinball_
- [HIGH] Quetzal Pinball plans to manufacture approximately 30 machines in a short production run — _Stated manufacturing intention from the company_
- [HIGH] The machine will have open-source rules code available to developers for extension and modification — _Feature description of Captain Nemo's software architecture_
- [HIGH] Production is expected to begin in October 2012 with delivery taking up to 10 months — _Production timeline stated in article_
- [HIGH] The anticipated retail price is €4,000-€4,500 plus 18% tax — _Pricing information provided by Quetzal Pinball_

### Notable Quotes

> "Quetzal Pinball is not a coin-op manufacturing company, but is more a group of collectors and enthusiasts who have come together to create the Captain Nemo pinball"
> — **Pinball News article**, N/A
> _Establishes that Quetzal is a boutique/hobbyist operation rather than commercial manufacturer, contextualizing their limited production run approach_

> "the source code for the game will be made publicly available to allow developers to extend or modify the rules"
> — **Pinball News article**, N/A
> _Highlights open-source philosophy, distinguishing Captain Nemo from commercial manufacturers and appealing to homebrew/modding community_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Quetzal Pinball | company | Spanish boutique pinball manufacturer/collector group based in Murcia, Southeast Spain; planning short-run production of ~30 machines |
| Captain Nemo | game | Upcoming pinball machine by Quetzal Pinball featuring embedded LCD display, open-source rules, and planned production of ~30 units; price €4,000-€4,500 |
| Antonio Ortuño | person | Project leader for Captain Nemo at Quetzal Pinball |
| Gustavo Díaz | person | Artist for Captain Nemo, active in Visual Pinball community under alias 'Lord Hiryu' |
| Quetzal Pinball Controller (QPC) | product | Custom embedded PC-based controller board developed by Quetzal Pinball to drive Captain Nemo's rules |
| Torneo Madrileño de Pinballs | event | Madrid-based pinball tournament scheduled for May where Captain Nemo prototype was planned to debut |
| Visual Pinball | product | Virtual pinball platform where Gustavo Díaz recreates pinball machines |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Embedded LCD/Digital Display Technology, Open-Source Pinball Development, Custom/Boutique Pinball Manufacturing
- **Secondary:** Prototype Development and Playfield Engineering, Pricing and Production Economics of Custom Machines, European Pinball Scene

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.75) — Article presents Captain Nemo as an innovative technical achievement with novel LCD integration and open-source philosophy. Tone is enthusiastic but measured, focusing on technical specifications and production logistics without hyperbole. No critical concerns or negative sentiment expressed.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Boutique collector group entering pinball manufacturing with limited production run of ~30 units and open-source development philosophy (confidence: high) — Quetzal Pinball described as collector/enthusiast group rather than commercial manufacturer; planned 30-unit production; €4,000-€4,500 price point; open-source code availability
- **[announcement]** Official reveal of Captain Nemo prototype with detailed specifications and production timeline (confidence: high) — Quetzal Pinball publicly released prototype details, backbox image, playfield diagram, flyer; announced May 2012 public debut at Madrid tournament
- **[technology_signal]** Embedded LCD display technology in pinball playfield center represents novel approach to digital integration in physical pinball machines (confidence: high) — 9.7-inch LCD panel positioned in playfield center to show animations and game feedback; custom QPC controller board running embedded PC operating system

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## Transcript

26th March, 2012

Following our exclusive report on the P3 machine from PinballControllers.com, another team working on a pinball machine with an embedded LCD display have come forward and revealed details of their game.

Quetzal Pinball are based in Murcia in Southeast Spain and have produced a prototype of their Captain Nemo machine which they are planning to reveal shortly.

The backbox image for Captain Nemo

So far they have only released computer-generated versions of the game, but many of the prototype's parts have now been made and they are progressing towards having an actual machine available to play at the Torneo Madrileño de Pinballs in Madrid in May.

The main talking point is the 9.7 inch LCD panel positioned in the centre of the playfield which will show animations and reveals during the game, as well as providing scores and other  feedback to the player.

The Captain Nemo playfield with the LCD in grey

Quetzal Pinball is not a coin-op manufacturing company, but is more a group of collectors and enthusiasts who have come together to create the Captain Nemo pinball with the intention of manufacturing a short run of around 30 machines.

Apart from the LCD screen, the game also features multiball with up to 5 balls, LED lighting, a headphone jack on the front of the cabinet,  a five-bank of drop targets, a captive ball, and steel ramps and wireforms.

Wi-fi connectivity is included to allow scores to be uploaded or software downloaded, while the source code for the game will be made publicly available to allow developers to extend or modify the rules. Those rules run on an embedded PC operating system which drives a custom controller board, called the Quetzal Pinball Controller or QPC.

The  Bally-style backbox contains two speakers, and the cabinet houses a 6.5 inch sub-woofer through which the game's heavy metal soundtrack plays.

The anticipated price for the game is €4,000-€4,500 ($5,300-$6,000) plus tax of 18%, and it will be available with or without a coin mechanism.

The flyer for the game

The project leader for Captain Nemo is Antonio Antonio Ortuño, while artwork for the game comes from Gustavo Díaz, a.k.a. Lord Hiryu, who is very active in the Visual Pinball community recreating   machines for the VP platform.

Pre-order reservations are being taken now through the Quetzal Pinball website, with production expected to begin in October 2012. Delivery could take up to 10 months, although machines will be shipped as soon as they are completed rather than all together. Deposits of one third of the final price will be due in September, with the balance due when the machine is ready to ship.

We'll have more information about Quetzal Pinball's Captain Nemo machine as it emerges, right here at Pinball News.

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_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: c906a41f-50ee-430e-9e7d-eebfd752acbf*