# LATEST RETRO ATOMIC ZOMBIE ADVENTURELAND SHOWN

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2020-11-23  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2020/11/23/latest-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-shown

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## Analysis

Deeproot Pinball showcased prototype models of Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (RAZA) at a San Antonio coffee shop on November 21, 2020, demonstrating design refinements including rounded corners on the innovative Pinbar touchscreen lockbar. The event, streamed by Fliptronic, revealed two variants (Arcade and Extra models) still in active development with no confirmed release date or manufacturing partners announced. Archived website data suggests a $4,999 base price with subscription-based content model, representing a departure from traditional pinball pricing.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] RAZA prototypes demonstrated design changes since aborted September 2020 launch attempt — _Article explicitly states this was 'the first public showing of the game since the Houston Arcade Expo one year earlier, and it demonstrated some of the changes made since the abortive public launch of RAZA in September 2020'_
- [HIGH] Pinbar lockbar corners were modified from sharp to rounded for ergonomic comfort — _Article includes photo evidence and explicit statement: 'The original design had sharp corners where the player rested their hands, but this has now been rounded to make it more comfortable.'_
- [HIGH] Robert Mueller stated production of all planned RAZA games could take approximately 3.5 months once manufacturing begins — _Direct quote from company head: 'Robert Mueller did say he though they would be able to produce all the planned RAZA games in around three-and-a-half months once they started building.'_
- [MEDIUM] Archived website data indicates $4,999 base price for Arcade model with $50/month subscription option — _Article notes pricing 'remains speculation until Deeproot Pinball published confirmed details' but archives show '$4,999 for the Arcade model, together with a list of upgrade options including a $50-a-month (one year minimum term) rootAccess subscription plan'_
- [HIGH] No manufacturing facilities or partners have been revealed for RAZA production — _Explicit statement: 'No release date has been announced and no manufacturing facilities or partners revealed.'_

### Notable Quotes

> "The original design had sharp corners where the player rested their hands, but this has now been rounded to make it more comfortable."
> — **Article/Deeproot Pinball**, Section describing Pinbar updates
> _Demonstrates iterative design refinement based on ergonomic feedback from prototype testing_

> "Robert Mueller did say he though they would be able to produce all the planned RAZA games in around three-and-a-half months once they started building."
> — **Robert Mueller (Deeproot Pinball head)**, Near article conclusion
> _First quantifiable production timeline estimate from company leadership_

> "A lower entry price – which would heavily undercut Stern Pinball's Pro model price point – together with upgrade options for additional in-game content would be a new pricing model in the pinball industry"
> — **Article author**, Pricing analysis section
> _Highlights disruptive potential of RAZA's proposed subscription model relative to established manufacturers_

> "It was clear that these prototype games are still very much work-in-progress."
> — **Article author**, Pre-conclusion assessment
> _Establishes that RAZA remains in active development with uncertain timeline_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Deeproot Pinball | company | Developer of Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland; company head is Robert Mueller |
| Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (RAZA) | game | Upcoming pinball machine featuring innovative Pinbar touchscreen lockbar and subscription-based content model; prototype shown November 21, 2020 |
| Robert Mueller | person | Head of Deeproot Pinball; participated in November 2020 presentation; stated 3.5-month production timeline estimate |
| Steven Bowden | person | Deeproot Pinball team member; demonstrated Pinbar features and service menus during Fliptronic stream |
| Jordan and Becca | person | Fliptronic streamers who arranged and conducted live stream of RAZA prototype demonstration |
| Fliptronic | organization | Content creators who streamed RAZA prototype demonstration from What's Brewing coffee shop on November 21, 2020 |
| What's Brewing | organization | Coffee shop in San Antonio that hosted RAZA prototype demonstration event on November 21, 2020 |
| Stern Pinball | company | Established manufacturer referenced for Pro model pricing comparison; RAZA base price would undercut this tier |
| Houston Arcade Expo | event | Previous public showing of RAZA approximately one year before November 2020 demonstration (roughly November 2019) |
| Pinbar | product | Innovative touchscreen display panel built into RAZA's lockbar; features ergonomic design updates including rounded corners |

### Topics

- **Primary:** RAZA prototype refinement and design iteration, Innovative Pinbar touchscreen lockbar technology, Subscription-based pricing and content model for pinball
- **Secondary:** Market positioning relative to Stern Pinball pricing tiers, Production timeline and manufacturing partnerships, Public demonstration and community engagement strategy, Arcade vs Extra model tier differentiation

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0.5) — Article maintains objective news reporting tone. Demonstrates cautious optimism about RAZA's progress while noting significant unknowns (no release date, no manufacturing partners). Acknowledges innovative elements (Pinbar, subscription model) alongside concerns (prototype status, pricing speculation). No strongly positive or negative editorial commentary.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** RAZA remains in active prototype phase with no confirmed release date, manufacturing partners, or finalized pricing despite November 2020 public demonstration (confidence: high) — Article explicitly states: 'It was clear that these prototype games are still very much work-in-progress. No release date has been announced and no manufacturing facilities or partners revealed.'
- **[market_signal]** Disruptive pricing model with $4,999 base price undercutting Stern Pro tier and subscription content monetization (confidence: medium) — Archived website data showing $4,999 Arcade model and $50/month rootAccess subscription; article notes this 'would heavily undercut Stern Pinball's Pro model price point' and represents 'a new pricing model in the pinball industry'
- **[announcement]** Public prototype demonstration of RAZA with showcased design refinements and feature demonstrations (confidence: high) — First public showing since Houston Arcade Expo one year prior; official Deeproot Pinball participation with company head and team members
- **[product_strategy]** RAZA experienced 'abortive public launch' in September 2020 followed by design iterations and November 2020 prototype refinement demonstration (confidence: high) — Article notes November event 'demonstrated some of the changes made since the abortive public launch of RAZA in September 2020' indicating previous launch attempt failure
- **[product_strategy]** Ergonomic improvement to Pinbar lockbar through corner rounding addressing player comfort feedback (confidence: high) — Photo documentation and explicit narrative of design change: 'The original design had sharp corners where the player rested their hands, but this has now been rounded to make it more comfortable.'
- **[technology_signal]** Integration of touchscreen display (Pinbar) into lockbar as innovative interface for game control and service diagnostics (confidence: high) — Multiple photo documentation; stream demonstration of in-game choices, service menus, diagnostics, Wi-Fi connectivity, and high score entry via Pinbar interface

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## Transcript

**Date:**
22nd November, 2020


**Pictures:** Fliptronic

On Saturday 21st November, [Deeproot Pinball](https://deeprootpinball.com/) placed two prototype models of their upcoming *Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland* (RAZA) game in the [What’s Brewing coffee shop](https://www.sacoffeeroasters.com/) in San Antonio for guests to play.

[![The promotional poster for the event](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/014-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-877x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/014-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

The promotional poster for the event

Vecennia Jordan and Becca from [Fliptronic](https://www.twitch.tv/fliptronic/videos) asked Deeproot if it would be OK to stream the game and they agreed, with Robert Mueller and Steven Bowden from the company taking part in [the presentation](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/811329223).

[![Setting up the live stream](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/017-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/017-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

Setting up the live stream

This was the first public showing of the game since the Houston Arcade Expo one year earlier, and it demonstrated some of the changes made since the abortive public launch of *RAZA* in September 2020. It wasn’t any kind of official launch event, just an opportunity for Deeproot Pinball to show their progress to date and demonstrate some of the gameplay.

There were two games set up at What’s Brewing; one base ‘Arcade’ model and one top-of-the-range ‘Extra’ variant.

[![The Extra RAZA game on the left, the Arcade model on the right](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/009-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-1024x653.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/009-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

The Extra RAZA game on the left, the Arcade model on the right

The Arcade model features a more traditional hinged backbox design but includes the novel wrap-around translite artwork we saw previously. The artwork design is different from the higher-end models, lacking the game credits found on the Extra version.

[![The Arcade edition of RAZA](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/012-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-714x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/012-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

The Arcade edition of RAZA

One of the most innovative and discussed features of the RAZA design is the Pinbar – the touchscreen display panel built into the lockbar. The original design had sharp corners where the player rested their hands, but this has now been rounded to make it more comfortable.

[![The rounded corners on the new Pinbar lockbar](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/011-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-1024x768.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/011-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

The rounded corners on the new Pinbar lockbar

The stream from Fliptronic included Steven Bowden demonstrating some of the Pinbar’s features – both the in-game choices and the service menus. The latter includes the diagnostics and set-up options to fault-find and adjust the game’s settings including connecting it to a Wi-Fi router to upload scores and download updates. The in-game options included starting the game, seeing the features currently available or coming up, activating the magnasave, purchasing items or starting modes from the Atomic Shop, and entering your details for high score tables.

[![The basic instructions are shown on the Pinbar](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/016-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-768x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/016-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

The basic instructions are shown on the Pinbar

The second game was the ‘Extra’ model, the top-end variant which includes the stacking backbox design, a retro-styled illuminated topper and backlit side-panels.

[![The RAZA Extra model](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/010-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-623x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/010-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

The RAZA Extra model

It was clear that these prototype games are still very much work-in-progress. No release date has been announced and no manufacturing facilities or partners revealed. However, company head Robert Mueller did say he though they would be able to produce all the planned RAZA games in around three-and-a-half months once they started building.

[![Arthur the cat makes an appearance in the playfield artwork](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/013-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-1024x824.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/013-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

Arthur the cat makes an appearance in the playfield artwork

Perhaps one unintended reveal was shown on the main display. This was a URL to a website to find out more about the game: pinapi.turnerlogic.com. This appears to have been a testing website used by Deeproot Pinball to access their API for in-game internet connectivity, along with drpb.turnerlogic.com which was a full website for the company. Although the content on this latter website no longer exists at that URL, Google did manage to archive it.

The website was last modified towards the end of September and so it may well be outdated by now due to design and manufacturing delays together with increased costs, but the archived site describes a price of $4,999 for the Arcade model, together with a list of upgrade options including a $50-a-month (one year minimum term) ‘*rootAccess*‘ subscription plan to buy insider access, branded merchandise, preferential shipping rates and additional downloadable digital content such as software upgrades, exclusive modes and assorted power-ups.

[![Part of the archived website's pricing details](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/018-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland-1024x369.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland/018-retro-atomic-zombie-adventureland.jpg)

Part of the archived website’s pricing details

A lower entry price – which would heavily undercut Stern Pinball’s Pro model price point – together with upgrade options for additional in-game content would be a new pricing model in the pinball industry, even though it is the norm in computer, mobile and console gaming. Even there though, bug fixes and updates to the core game code are generally published free-of-charge in order to make sure everyone is running the latest version, which makes support easier for everyone.

The pricing and any subscription models remain speculation until Deeproot Pinball published confirmed details and pricing, but it’s clear the company has addressed several of the concerns raised about *RAZA* just before their aborted launch and have many more ideas planned for this game and their new platform.

You can watch the Fliptronic stream on their Twitch.tv channel here: <https://www.twitch.tv/videos/811329223>

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: f34b3c3e-8f16-44d6-9864-1dd076a6972e*