# Top 10 Greatest Pinball Machines Of All Time (SDTM, 2023)

**Source:** Straight Down the Middle  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2023-07-05  
**Duration:** 37m 29s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahOsfa8wx44

---

## Analysis

Greg Bone and Jon Hey from Straight Down the Middle present their subjective top 10 greatest pinball machines of all time, emphasizing well-rounded design across gameplay, theme integration, code depth, and toys. The list heavily features Stern Pinball games (positions 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 2) alongside classic Bally/Williams titles (positions 4, 3, 1), with designers Steve Ritchie, John Borg, George Gomez, Keith Elwin, and Brian Eddy represented multiple times. The hosts acknowledge their selection methodology combines objective assessment criteria with subjective judgment while attempting to identify machines that transcend individual preferences and represent genuine pinball excellence.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] Star Trek (Steve Ritchie) has arguably the best third flipper shot in pinball history — _Direct statement during Star Trek (position 10) discussion; claimed as objective assessment_
- [MEDIUM] Deadpool is the most well-rounded pinball machine of all time — _Stated by Greg Bone during Deadpool (position 7) segment; repeated for emphasis_
- [MEDIUM] Lyman Sheets is 'the greatest pinball coder of all time' — _Jon Hey statement; Sheets appears on multiple games in top 10 (Metallica, Walking Dead, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars)_
- [LOW] The Walking Dead teaches players how to play pinball better than other games — _Greg Bone opinion; notes flipper control and reaction feel superior to newer games_
- [LOW] Jeremy Packer perfected the freestyle illustration art style in pinball that Dirty Donnie introduced — _Greg Bone subjective opinion on Ghostbusters artwork; attributed to Packer's subsequent work_
- [HIGH] No Jersey Jack Pinball games made the top 10 list despite consideration — _Explicit statement; Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and Wizard of Oz discussed as close runners-up but excluded_
- [MEDIUM] Medieval Madness holds itself to even newest standards in 2023 — _Greg Bone assessment; compares 1996-97 game favorably to modern releases_
- [MEDIUM] Lord of the Rings has one of the most difficult Wizard modes to reach — _Jon Hey statement during LOTR (position 2) discussion_

### Notable Quotes

> "Star Trek Greg is arguably the nicest looking pinball machine in existence"
> — **Greg Bone**, Position 10 discussion
> _Aesthetic assessment of Star Trek cabinet design; justifies inclusion in top 10_

> "Sparky was not part of that until the pinball machine that was created for the pinball machine it's now part of that brand"
> — **Jon Hey**, Metallica (Position 9) discussion
> _Illustrates how pinball can elevate/create brand IP; highlights toy design impact_

> "Ghostbusters is a lot of its theme integration... you really feel like you're pulled into that with the lighting with the callouts with the music"
> — **Greg Bone**, Ghostbusters (Position 8) discussion
> _Explains code/design philosophy of Dwight and Jim Sullivan; defines 'moment maker' design_

> "Deadpool might be the most well-rounded pinball machine of all time truth and period"
> — **Jon Hey**, Deadpool (Position 7) discussion
> _Superlative claim about game design balance; repeated for emphasis_

> "there's always something that you're progressing the longer you play the game that you're uncovering that you have to look forward to"
> — **Greg Bone**, Deadpool discussion
> _Defines engagement/progression mechanism in well-designed pinball games_

> "The Walking Dead is a true pinball players game true it is true very much so"
> — **Jon Hey**, Walking Dead (Position 6) discussion
> _Characterizes game as demanding skill/mastery; appeals to experienced players_

> "Medieval Madness holds itself to even the newest standards"
> — **Greg Bone**, Medieval Madness (Position 4) discussion
> _Asserts 1996-97 game design remains competitive with 2023 releases_

> "You are playing the movie. You're playing the movie."
> — **Jon Hey**, Lord of the Rings (Position 2) discussion
> _Articulates ultimate goal of theme integration; defines excellence in licensed games_

> "Brian Eddy two of them in the top four... The Shadow kicked him out"
> — **Greg Bone**, Post-Attack from Mars discussion
> _Recognition of designer quality; acknowledgment of near-misses_

> "it's like The Addams Family without the theme kind of thing everybody knows about it"
> — **Greg Bone**, Medieval Madness discussion
> _Compares Medieval Madness cultural impact to Addams Family as universal pinball reference_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Greg Bone | person | Co-host of Straight Down the Middle; provides design analysis and aesthetic critiques; establishes himself as authority on game mechanics and artwork |
| Jon Hey | person | Co-host of Straight Down the Middle; leads narrative structure of top 10 countdown; provides historical context and designer attribution |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Designer of Star Trek (Position 10); characterized as 'King of flow' with greatest shots in pinball history |
| John Borg | person | Designer of Metallica (Position 9) and Walking Dead (Position 6); appears twice in top 10; noted for demanding/difficult games |
| Lyman Sheets | person | Code designer for Metallica, Walking Dead, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars; called 'greatest pinball coder of all time' by hosts; specializes in risk/reward code |
| Dwight Sullivan | person | Co-coder of Ghostbusters (Position 8); known as 'moment maker' for theme integration and lighting/callout synchronization |
| Jim Sullivan | person | Co-coder of Ghostbusters (Position 8); known as 'moment maker' for theme integration and lighting/callout synchronization |
| George Gomez | person | Designer of Deadpool (Position 7) and Lord of the Rings (Position 2); called legendary; appears twice in top 10; characterized as designer of 'greatest games ever' |
| Jeremy Packer | person | Artist for Ghostbusters (Position 8); credited with perfecting freestyle illustration style in pinball artwork; work described as 'grade A' |
| Keith Elwin | person | Designer of Jurassic Park (Position 5); characterized as 'greatest pinball player of all time'; represents new designer on list |
| Brian Eddy | person | Designer of Medieval Madness (Position 4) and Attack from Mars (Position 1); appears twice in top 4; previously worked at Bally/Williams, now at Stern |
| Dirty Donnie | person | Pinball artist credited with introducing freestyle illustration style; Jeremy Packer credited with refining/perfecting this approach |
| Straight Down the Middle: a pinball show | media | YouTube/podcast series; hosts Greg Bone and Jon Hey; source of this top 10 list content |
| Stern Pinball | company | Dominates top 10 list with 6 of 10 games (positions 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 2); represents 60% of list; hosts acknowledge this concentration |
| Bally/Williams | company | Represents 3 of top 4 games (positions 4, 3, 1); classic/vintage manufacturer; described as having 'charm' and personality |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Remade Medieval Madness (Position 4) and Attack from Mars (Position 1); modern remake manufacturer acknowledged alongside original Bally/Williams versions |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | No games made top 10 despite evaluation; Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and Wizard of Oz discussed as close misses; criticized for 'dead flipper feel' |
| Star Trek | game | Position 10; Stern Pinball; designer Steve Ritchie; praised for smooth shots, theme integration, cabinet aesthetics; recommended for new players |
| Metallica | game | Position 9; Stern Pinball; designer John Borg; known for Sparky toy and deep code; brought new art style (Sparky character) to pinball |
| Ghostbusters | game | Position 8; Stern Pinball; designers Dwight Sullivan, Jim Sullivan; praised for theme integration, Ecto1 car mechanic, Margaret Hudson callouts; good for non-pinball audiences |
| Deadpool | game | Position 7; Stern Pinball; designer George Gomez; called 'most well-rounded pinball machine of all time'; benefited from code updates; recommended for new players |
| Jurassic Park | game | Position 5; Stern Pinball; designer Keith Elwin; features T-Rex toy, Raptor pit; iconic theme; 'shooter's dream' with combo potential |
| Medieval Madness | game | Position 4; Bally/Williams 1996-97; designer Brian Eddy, code Lyman Sheets; castle bash toy, troll animations; holds up to 2023 standards |
| Attack from Mars | game | Position 1; Bally/Williams; designer Brian Eddy, code Lyman Sheets; alien attacking earth theme; superior code/layout vs Medieval Madness; greatest pinball personality |
| Lord of the Rings | game | Position 2; Stern Pinball; designer George Gomez; features ring destruction wizard mode; excellent theme integration described as 'playing the movie' |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Game design philosophy and well-roundedness, Theme integration and IP licensing execution, Code depth and designer attribution, Toy and mechanical feature quality, Playfield layout and shot design
- **Secondary:** Artwork and aesthetic design trends in pinball, Accessibility for new vs experienced players, Stern Pinball market dominance in modern era

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Hosts are enthusiastic and celebratory throughout; criticism is constructive (e.g., Jersey Jack flipper feel, Walking Dead difficulty). Tone is reverent toward classic designers (Gomez, Ritchie, Eddy) and appreciative of design excellence. Minimal negativity; most qualifying games receive detailed praise. Hosts defend controversial inclusions (e.g., Ghostbusters, Walking Dead) rather than criticize them.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Stern Pinball dominance in top 10 (6 of 10 positions); hosts acknowledge concentration and note 'Stern Fanboys' comment incoming (confidence: high) — Jon: 'so far they've all been Stern Pinball machines okay it's hard to argue against it though... number seven... we'll do another Stern Pinball Machine argue with this turn pinball machine'
- **[competitive_signal]** Walking Dead and Jurassic Park are mechanics-heavy games that reward skilled flipper play and shot execution; represent modern tournament design philosophy (confidence: medium) — Greg on Walking Dead: 'this is the game I can do it on... I feel like I'm controlling a really tight race car'; 'Shooter's it's a pinball Shooter's dream' (Jurassic Park)
- **[design_philosophy]** Jersey Jack Pinball's games excluded despite quality; hosts cite 'dead flipper feel' and missing mechanical components as disqualifying factors (confidence: high) — Jon: 'there are no Jersey Jack Pinball games in the top 10 greatest pinball machines'; Greg: 'it still had that that dead flipper feel a little bit within code at times'
- **[market_signal]** Theme integration and 'playing the movie' concept emerges as central evaluation criterion; Lord of the Rings explicitly framed as 'playing the movie' (confidence: medium) — Jon on LOTR: 'You are playing the movie. You're playing the movie.'; similar praise for Ghostbusters, Star Trek theme integration
- **[licensing_signal]** Licensed games (Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, LOTR) dominate top 10; unlicensed Attack from Mars positions as #1; theme execution quality critical to success (confidence: medium) — 8 of top 10 games are licensed properties; unlicensed Attack from Mars ranked highest on list despite license-heavy competition
- **[market_signal]** 1990s Bally/Williams games (Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars from 1996-97) compete successfully against modern Stern releases; hosts note these hold up to 2023 standards (confidence: medium) — Greg: 'Medieval Madness holds itself to even the newest standards I agree in 2023'; Attack from Mars design compared favorably to Star Trek: 'Still not as good though. No, still not as good'
- **[community_signal]** Jeremy Packer credited with perfecting freestyle illustration style pioneered by Dirty Donnie; represents evolution in pinball art direction (confidence: medium) — Greg: 'I think Jeremy Packer perfected it' (freestyle art); 'this is grade A stuff here yes this is what makes them look like pieces of art'
- **[personnel_signal]** Designer specialization patterns: Brian Eddy (layout/shot design), Lyman Sheets (code/risk-reward), George Gomez (comprehensive design), Keith Elwin (competitive play expertise translating to design) (confidence: medium) — Multiple designer appearances with distinct specializations; Keith Elwin: 'created by someone who does you know tons of competitions yeah you know he he's the greatest pinball player of all time'
- **[product_strategy]** Code updates significantly improve game reception (Deadpool example); Lyman Sheets' risk/reward code approach defines multiple top 10 games (confidence: high) — Multiple mentions of code revisions improving games; Lyman Sheets appears on 4 games in top 10 (Metallica, Walking Dead, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars)
- **[sentiment_shift]** Deadpool's reception changed significantly post-code updates (hosts note they were 'kind of down' initially, later elevated to top 7) (confidence: high) — Greg: 'when it first came out the code kind of sucked if people watch our first review we were kind of down on Deadpool... then the code progresses'

---

## Transcript

hey Greg say hi to these people hi people tell them what show they're watching you're watching straight down the middle of pimples and then thank them for clicking on the video thank you for clicking on this video that's marvelous show oh yeah well push comes to shove we'll see how great it is we've been tasked with something very big have we we have the people have asked I don't know how many but uh we're gonna pretend a lot we're gonna do like a lot of people yeah okay that's what I was gonna say we're gonna do like a lot of people in pinball and say 25 people 100 people they're simple at the woodwork do this they're messaging us they're begging can't get over it they're saying you know what please I want to know what the greatest pinball machines ever yes made off the list maybe not our opinion yes maybe not your opinion yes but objectively what are the greatest pinball machines ever made and we are here to give you the top 10 list today [Music] so how the hell do we come up with a list only ten there's been thousands of pinball machines made we love so many pinball machines how do we come up with the top 10 list for the greatest ever made well it took a few hours it did of compiling there's equations over yes the actual algorithms yes you didn't really understand math so we threw that out yes we're more of a gut reaction but we really did look very deep into it yeah and we had we took something that was all encompassing some of these aren't our favorite games no they're definitely not some of them won't be your favorite games but we tried email yeah objectively take a step back subjectively objectively I tried to it's end up it's going to be subjective because it's ours our opinions on what everybody else thinks but we try to but we try to take well-rounded games now not just all well-rounded games but things that that really encompassed a lot of different aspects not just the best shooting or it could be a top 10 best shooting not just the best coder but not the best team but all together what are some of the greatest pinball machines of all time yes I think we jump into it right now Greg with the top 10 greatest pinball machines ever made but first we have some runner-ups we we could not get through this top 10 list without being like yeah but so whenever you guys think of these during our top 10 we can yeah but we had some yacht butts yeah but include The Simpsons pinball Party by starting pinball uh fantastic code yes deep code is awesome it's awesome a lot of really good shots in that game boys yes so why isn't it the couch it just didn't make the cut yes the top 10 is a prestigious group and they're the top 10 level and some of it while it's fun unless you really explore that complexity of it it can be a little grindy it's kind of a long player and there are better long players out there there are as we'll talk about another short short uh of the list was a shadow a valley Williams and it's hard to get the best Williams game in there because of the code depth now uh days people are if people are looking for code they're looking for new or more bodies and that's what honestly sort of kicked that one out because we were both in agreeance like okay it's so unique Brian Eddy did such a good job kind of pulls it down Bean does but it's beautiful it's beautiful but again the complexity of the code there's more icon 1990s games out there yes as we will see yes also short from the top 10 list but a runner-up is Stern Pinball's Iron Maiden Legacy of the Beast that one was really tough how do you not have ever Keith elwin in the top ten he's like the newcomer the great uh but no it didn't make the cut here because they're better Keith Ellen games out there exactly better Stern games out there but it was close oh so that one was very tough Willy won Wonka now the reason we considered this is because we thought what jjp game gets us the closest and spoiler alert there are no jjp games in the top 10 greatest pinball machines of all because Zach was a huge advocate for I liked Willy Wonka Willy wonk Willy Wonka was there for me also you were with with Wizard of Oz not that I like Wizard of Oz but I think iconic wise that technologically why there's shooting wise oh sure a little short gorgeous game like I said Innovative it's really you know it really sounds excited now exactly compared to a lot of things and Willy Wonka though Willy Wonka the thing was was kind of opposite yes where it for a game player it's got everything as close as you can be for Jersey Jack to get into that top 10 list but there's still some missing components there attack mechanisms toys coming out of the pops it still had that that dead flipper feel a little bit within code at times yeah it's just not the top ten and the last runner-up or consideration was uh was Bally Williams theater magic we thought man what are the most collectible iconic nostalgic games you got things like some Twilight Zone uh you've got you've got uh Tails Arabian Nights yes so theater magic is full of toys it's got great code it looks good yeah um but again that code is a little they're they're better Ellie Williams games guys this is reserved to the top 10 of all times comment below as we're going through here let us know if you guys agree why you disagree uh and then we'll hash it out there keep it nice let's jump to number 10. number 10 on the top 10 greatest pinball machines of all time this isn't Greg and honest choice but this is just this is objectively what the pink gods have told us they said number 10 is Stern Pinball Star Trek whoa Star Trek who would have thought that Kobayashi so this was the one this is what took the place of a lot of those games that we had on there that right yeah that considerations and what we kept going back to Steve Ritchie yes the king of flow got his name from a game just like this yes you some of the greatest shots in pinball yes very good shots very smooth can combo the hell out of that game it has a lot of really good moments Kobayashi some of the best some of the best toys yes toys gosh that that ship yeah even though they're simple it's got magnets yes the third flipper shot is arguably the best third flipper shot in all of pinball history behind the flipper a lot it's nice to start a mode that's fun but you know it comes down to the smoothness of the shots theme integration is huge on the game if you watch that film and then you play this game really encompasses this movie and there's not a lot it looks like a spaceship there doesn't look like it is like that but when you listen to the callouts you listen to everything that goes on in the movie it is very much encompasses that film the light show yes the light show is very Spacey yes you got flashes and This Ellie itself on Star Trek Greg is arguably the nicest looking pinball machine and exist oh it's gorgeous it is beautiful the armor everything so I think you know what I'm convincing yeah myself and it's well rounded that was one of the biggest things just well-rounded code is well-rounded yes people can step up to it you can you can have some good balls on there even if you're a set either it's not but you can also your family can step up to it everybody can step up to it it's like kind of one of those universally loved that's why it's it's why it's one of the pins that we recommend for uh people getting into pinball one of the first ones we recommend to get is Star Trek by Stern Pinball how does it get better than that oh that felt good it does made me washer I want to buy another one number nine on the top 10 greatest pinball machines ever produced is another Stern Pinball game it's Metallica oh oh now this is one that I don't own Norway will probably own I don't think I'll buy another one but objectively it's just one of the greatest like you were saying about Star Trek it's just so well-rounded yes the damn thing between the art it brought a new art style to the industry of pinball yeah Sparky was amazing Sparky was one of the best toys ever a character that was created and a character that like if you're in the pinball that you will never forget because he has literally he he's he's his own entity and he makes that game so much that's when pinball transcend transcends a brand because if you think about it now Sparky is part of the Metallica brand yeah did you know Sparky was not part of that until the pinball machine that was created for the pinball machine it's now part of that brand you've got the snake snake is it's such a good game it's a little grindy um flow's good but it flows good it is fun to run through a music pin that just sounds I mean it's metallic Metallica might be the best matched music for a pinball machine maybe even better than this amazing unique clothes it does but so cool man it still fits it still fits um you know and the code is really deep for those it is and it's a lot of risk rewards that's lime and sheets at its finest there into the line it's hard to get to that's the ultimate wizard mode but there are things in between there are task based things in there metallic it's hard to argue against Metallica being one of the greatest pinball machines yes ever made it's true it's a John Borg I don't know what was the first one there Star Trek Steve Ritchie then John Boyd look at that that's where he got all them real tough shots number eight is going to make people scratch their heads but some people scream F yeah and that Stern pinballs Ghostbusters yes who are you gonna call Greg it's still a flip again yes like listen that game that game will teach you to to nudge that game will teach you to slap save that game will teach you a lot about playing teaching new curse words it will but it's also one of the smoothest playing games the shots that look almost most unmakeable challenging in a good way are absolutely makeable like that layout like it's it's it's a genius design in a sense just because of that like you should not be able to make that right ramp like you just feel on the pro yeah there's no way I can make that right yeah and even the Ecto shot over to that orbit that's so freaking tight and small but you make it it's smooth it's all buttered I think what Ghostbusters and why it makes the top 10 list of best pinball machines of all time Greg is because it's a lot of its theme yeah a lot of it's integration it's coded by Dwight Sullivan he's one of the Geniuses the genius coders that can integrate like no other so you really feel like you're pulled into that with the lighting with the call outs with the music even oh the the moments Dwight Sullivan code wise is a moment maker he is Pinball's moment maker and he does not let up when it comes to Ghostbusters well you take something even when you're when you're steering the Ecto and you're shooting the difference between the sounds mixed with the light show and everything else in the hall all that's like you literally feel like you're playing like a handheld video game or something you're that you're moving that car and you're not starting multiball when you get it in storage yes storage facility multiball they got Ernie Hudson to do the custom call-outs jackpot and all of that it's awesome and then on the premium Le they integrated so much that even I know for better Works whether people like it or not but technologically speaking buy the slings instead of them being coil fired magnet holding the ball swirly and throwing it like a ghost would you got stay puffed in the back you got a 3D shape for the Ecto goggles like there is a ton going on injecting a 3D image onto the play field it's just so well done it is a pinball machine that if you had 50 newer pinball machines and you brought non-pinball people in they're gonna flock though they're gonna gravitate even if it's hard they're gonna keep playing it because it's so much fun agree it's Ghostbusters and we can't I I've got to give a little chef's kiss to zombie Yeti oh in my opinion yep that some people say Metallica and artwork by Dirty Donnie is what is what uh turned this new freestyle uh illustrations into pinball I think zombie Yeti perfected it yes that's when he said that's when we said okay we can get cute like dirty Donnie did but this is grade A stuff here yes this is what makes them look like pieces of art with zombie of these artwork for Ghostbusters and you know title upon title after that agreed I'm I'm loving this it's a lot of fun until we get those comments yeah they're coming they're coming number seven so far they've all been Stern pinball machines okay it's hard to argue against it though hey which is why we'll do another Stern Pinball Machine argue with this turn pinball machine the Stern Pinball makes some of the greatest pinball machines ever made objectively remember Penguins told us this way this isn't our choices number seven so we had uh three different designers thus far in the list number seven or fourth different designers George Gomez the iconic legendary George Gomez if you did a Pinball Hall of Fame or a pinball uh Mount Rushmore George Gomez and this may be his greatest game ever it's Deadpool oh Deadpool I do you know what I think that that comment is where it gets people because I think that some people will go you're it's ridiculous because there are some other games that are just phenomenal that George has done Deadpool might be the most well-rounded pinball machine of all time truth and period as we spoke about Star Trek this is our second game that we will recommend to any new pinball person say hey you know what you want something that you know mechanically it's very sound something that uh plays very well something is fun yeah something that everybody can kind of sink their teeth into that just is exhilarating you know that's not too difficult but that's that can like it once you get better and better a pinball It's Gonna Last edgy it's beautiful this is the one thing that's the that Star Trek the reason why Deadpool maybe is a little higher it sprinkles in beautiful artwork yes beautiful artwork you need an LCD screen and the call outs are all very unique they're very fun they're very you know cheeky kind of it's called 16-bit animation that makes so much sense to the comic stylings of Deadpool yeah when it first came out the code kind of sucked if people watch our first review we were kind of down on Deadpool yeah not a lot of code but then yeah then the code progresses when you're adding the crack in the T-Rex around that the Tanyo Klyce really just brought it brought it to this code can you get into Mexico that's the thing I always try to explain about this game it's really hard to put your finger on really is that this game is always finger pressing like when you're playing this game it's not just trying to run through those modes there's always something else you're achieving like okay I can go over here and I can hit one of the sub modes or I can still just do a a fight a battle um then okay I got this multiball dazzlers now running still getting closer look if I want to Stack my points I'm going to get team-ups I need to set up these team ups now so the more that you learn about the game yes it just it's at the ramp mode what's the ramp mode dude the Panorama yes so there's always something that you're progressing the longer you play the game that you're uncovering that you have to look forward to that keeps the game exhilarating there is nothing in that game where you ever feel like oh I'm grinding or man I just kind of wish this game was over or what am I doing next like it's always going and that's what's so phenomenal about this game and it's a layout that is very unique That You Don't See in pinball geometrically one of the coolest shots ever made it's a indirect Loop shot that goes up a ramp the katana shots just amazing so I I I like it sounds so stupid out of all of George Gomez collections but I kind of made if we agree with you that might be one of his best games it's the most well-rounded pinball machine ever made I mean it truly is I love that game I love the game number six number six on the top 10 greatest pinball machines ever made I don't know we are gonna get grilled oh it's another Stern Pinball game that's okay this time we're gonna get a designer that has already been on this list we're bringing back John board oh another boy we're bringing back the board meister and rest in peace the greatest pinball coder of all time is of right now is alignment sheets yes we're bringing in alignment sheets we've seen him on Metallica he was already he was already in this list uh but this time this is in my opinion Lyman sheets Opus uh code it's mine currently my favorite game of all time but this isn't about me the pin gods told us that number seven is let's see one two three four five six God's told us that number six on this list is The Walking Dead yes German pinball is The Walking Dead now some of you may disagree because it might be a little too hard for him oh too hard for you but the pops it comes out oh yeah you just got to control it yeah nudge better but dude issues so smooth especially the pro now there you can get some rejections and stuff on the ramp on the premium Pros juicy but the pro is how close that right ramp is to you oh it's got magnets it's got physical bash toys uh it has all kinds of stuff it has a swinging arm that shoots out the crossbow yes the crossbow shot uh it's got that tight shot what's that that one tight shot right to the left of this person Mary as some of the greatest wizard mods of all time including horde a reachable mode very cool like four or five different wizard modes maybe one of the hardest wizard modes of all time last man standing and it's one of those games that you can take and you can go okay I'm going for horde okay I'm going for these modes I'm going for Walker kills yeah like you you actually you know it's not it's not just a linear game like there's multiple ways that depending on what you're feeling that day that you can approach that game and go a couple different Avenues of however you want to play and how whatever you're wanting to a code makes me care about drop targets yes that is because they matter they play a giant Factor they so do oh they so do and then get those weapons this is one of the most tense anxiety provoking machines ever yeah because it is zombies and it's the apocalypse you feel like you're gonna get bit yes if you drain and boy oh boy this is not uh this is a Relentless game if it opened up drains I mean it will it'll kick in the ass yeah it's another one of those games like what I was explaining with Ghostbusters this game will teach you how to play Pinball I still think really how to play for some reason I don't know if it's the flipper system they used with Sam I I don't know what it is it feels like the most controllable pinball machine to agree with little Taps just little nuances in the field some of the newer games don't feel like they have that reaction a little bit of detail and reaction feel slapping yep because I didn't feel that way about even something as brutal as what Iron Man is like you you do you feel I say that but I have that control with a particular L win game oh so we might see later when I see you later on yeah that one that one has I feel like I have a lot of flippers I just if I feel like I'm controlling a really tight race card this is the one that I I want to showcase my flipper skills the most yes because I can tap pass I can I can freaking post pass I can do yeah drop catch this is the game I can do it on Walking Dead is a a true pinball players game true it is true very much so what's going to break the top five here top five number five greatest pinball machine ever produced is it's a new designer oh new designer that we haven't seen yet in this list still Stern okay oh boy Stern you need to comment at this point because this is ridiculous comment about how much Stern Fanboys we are this is this is set number five is a Keith Owen game oh but which one because he's so darn good it's one that uh you probably have tattooed somewhere on your body it's Jurassic Park welcome to the world of Jurassic Park the visitor center yeah this game has maybe the best toy and then but one of the best toys and the premium Ellie of the T-Rex yeah grabbing the ball chewing it throwing it yep and arguably the Raptor pit is pretty big do you like the Raptor pit the the toy truck that's Yeah the code white going through the path yeah it's just very much well-rounded it's iconic theme wise yes uh music wise they got the sound the original score to it yes um shots Wise It's a comp you can shoot combos all day on this uh so it's got some inverted ramps but you pay for those shots like well I say that it's not it's not a drain monster to kickback but you get a lot of bricks like if you you have it's a Shooter's it's a pinball Shooter's dream it is like you have to shoot but like you said like if you can shoot you're gonna have a lot of flow with this game it's not something like Star Trek but you can get a lot of really good easy game no it's not a tough game but it's again it's one of those things you know created by someone who does you know tons of competitions yeah you know he he's the greatest pinball player of all time yes he's they proved it here he also is not just a one-hit wondering Iron Maiden yes he follows up and says no I know what I'm doing but the modes are going through the dinosaurs are fun but all the sub stuff is very fun and there's a layer of complexity when you get into the DNA you get into the Amber you get into yeah how many dinosaurs you collected that stuff out fossils like there's so much that goes into this game that most of us don't even really look at that nor do you have to enjoy it no you do not that's that's the magic of it chaos yes you spell your chaos oh yes I love all the stuff that is a unique way to qualify multiball yeah chaos letters and it's a very rewarding multiball and even hitting that multiball shot to start it once yes I love that too oh a helicopter spinning blade again you'll find in the top 10 greatest pinball machines of all time a lot of well-roundedness and this is another game that's just iconic it's it's Jurassic world and it is well-rounded definitely worth the time and the money for that pinball Keith I want number four number four it's not a star it's not a Stern but they do it is uh designed by somebody that now works at Stern yes Brian Eddy yes it's finally a Bally Williams game uh we'll even give you the whole cgc remake because it is a remake as well number four is on the top of a lot of top pinball lists whether it's a internet pinball database whether it's a pin side whether it's the really stupid YouTube videos that know nothing about pinball that still know how to rank top Medieval Madness yes number four Medieval Madness Brian Eddy Lyman sheets again yes on code this is a 1997 game yeah 1996-97 game um but everybody knows the castle Yeah you bash the castle it's it's comedic comes down yeah drop it and then you've got to defeat the castle you're locking balls through the through the wall uh and it's got a lot of humor in this yes Tina Fey is in this doing call out but it's fun it's fun it's like all of your sub stuff that you're stacking and you're trying to get together for your big multiball like all of that is fun it's like you said the call outs are fun it's encompassing you feel you know I won't say it's something like the theme integration is very well in this this original theme too yes which is hard but this doesn't know Medieval Times a night exactly oh yes but it's a classic it's a classic for a reason like it's it's honestly one of the best shooting games oh it's beautiful the castle it's tough yeah but yeah but it's not hard to shoot no it's not hard to shoot at all it won't confuse you it's fair it lays it right out in front of you it is quintessential modern pinball the ramps are smooth I love the the split ramps oh yeah yeah yeah so weird you don't think that it should work and what it should do but when you get a return yeah I love that the trolls the trolls popping up that was like a first yes but it's just so well integrated that it has become a theme in itself in the Zeitgeist of a pinball uh so everybody that's into pimple knows medieval man it's just kind of like The Adams Family without the theme kind of thing everybody knows about it but this one unlike Adam's Family in a lot of ways this one Medieval Madness holds itself to even the newest standards I agree in 2023 or whenever recorded but does that change for top three though I can't believe medieval managed to make a top three a lot of you I guess number one there's number one that it wasn't top three but what is then well we'll keep Bally Williams we'll keep it going for us and this is a back and forth for a lot of people great it was some back and forth for us it was but for us there are two Valley Williams that you just screamed uh that's kind of the greatest of all time yes Medieval Madness is one of them but the one in our opinion takes just a little bit of step ahead and better is Attack From Mars attack from Mars was remade by Chicago gaming as well the Le package is undeniably greatness with the top and everything but just if we're talking about the Bally Williams game it is a Brian Eddy again yes we see Brian Eddy twice in the top four here rightfully so uh and we see the lime in sheeps again yes that's a trend here lemon sheets uh doing code on this but the layout's just a hair better than medieval code is just the hair I think the code's in here better I agree a task based thing it's still comedic it's still iconic it's aliens attacking earth and you're fighting aliens so again if you you don't know anything about pinball shoot the saucer shoot this off shoot the saucer you still have something yes it gives you great feedback it's wonderful it reminds me of Star Trek they kind of replicated that later still not as good though no still not as good I agree attack from ours is the way uh the way to do it with the LEDs around the saucer it's just funny it is fun the aliens yeah and everything when you're attacking them the call outs on it are just phenomenal it's got a lot of heart to it the universe it's not easy to rule the universe yeah you can get to some the first wisdom the the big wizard Mode's not easy to get to so that's why it holds up today well and I think that you know again like back to the the personality of this game trumps almost anything I think it's something you can't explain until you play the hell out of it yeah there's too many people call the belly Williams charm yeah it's just one of the most endearing Charming games Medieval Madness that have ever been created that's why it's in the top three pinball machines of all time Brian Eddy two of them in the top four Diamond what else did Brian Eddy do do you think his uh Shadow he kicked him out of the Shadow yeah stranger things [Music] I like stranger things a lot yeah sorry I'm gonna make it here number two is another stern oh another Stern and we're bringing back the designer George Gomez a lot of Gomez is in here and this is the first time that I think we might have seen the the the king coder Keith P. Johnson yes in my opinion this is George chagomez's greatest game and rightfully so one of my favorite games of all time theme knocks it out of the part two uh as well as maybe the most difficult to reach wizard mode yes um it's the Lord of the Rings yes such an iconic iconic mini wizard mode oh yes oh man destroy the Rings that's my favorite one it's great that and horde yes on the Walking Dead Man but when you're destroying that ring but the shots on this are phenomenal is it's not as flowy as something you take like Deadpool it's not as um inviting as what did you can see the you can see the Lord of the Rings flavors in Deadpool though yes you can see that George Gomez the ramps uh the very fast whipping shots uh I I do like that the code's kind of where it's at on this game yes code is what makes it it's still a good shooter it's got some neat little toys to it it's got a lot going on a lot of shots a lot of shots but again you're exactly right the code understandable like I want to see come back to this and do a little bit more of this I would love to see him yeah replicate this in the jjp yes he's over a jersey yes because this thing is an absolute mess and it doesn't confuse you no and it's it's like here's your multi balls yes easy way to get them yeah here's remotes here's an easy way to get them yeah but for those of you who want to get further here's how you get to destroy the ring for those of you want to get further pay attention to the gifts of the elves because you're gonna have to complete the modes or other things to be able to enable those gifts at the end it's just a true Journey it's very much like the film The integration is off the charts you are playing the movie you're playing the movie I want one now Chrome it brass it black Nicollet candy chromate powder coated the possibilities are endless at pinballplating.com [Music] your pinball machine deserves the best at Comet pinball you'll find the best variety of LED products with the best quality LEDs and most importantly at the best price your collection is begging for an upgrade order yours now at cometpinball.com check out pin graphics for the latest and greatest in pinball enhancements Power blades blade skins pin blades and even more visit pingraphics.com now to see what's available for your pinball machine [Music] it's it is a longer player yes yeah you have to dedicate some time to this and that's okay um it's not in my collection currently but that doesn't mean that I can't say it's the greatest of all time or one of them just because I've played it so many times and we've owned it you have to have a lot of time to really sit and I don't always watch three hour movies either I don't have time truth but man I love this game I really still doesn't take away from it so for me I think the theme is where it's at I just love this theme it's like one of my favorite films of all time I like it but it's still just the game the game itself is what does it ah what's the greatest uh-oh wait a minute oh so we don't have no it's not Twilight Zone no uh spoiler alert not Adam's Family not Adam's Family another Stern uh-oh another Stern and it's a it is a designer that we've seen already here Hmm this is a newer game too how did a new game come out in a new game it's too early knock out all these Classics well it's one that is classic in its theme it is and the layout may be the greatest of all time it is it's designed by uh what many Herald is the greatest pinball player of all time the goat coded Thomas Perfection Rick Nagel and the team over with Keith Ellen this is Godzilla by Stern Pinball I think objectively this is the greatest pinball I've seen of all time at this point and you know why that you can comfortably come in and say that I feel is because you take a theme that nobody really cared about you've got some Godzilla fans that you got some people that are cool with it didn't hate guys nobody cared and another theme guy yeah and you take that and it can still become one of the or the greatest it'll never leave my pinball machine of all time that's insane that speaks volumes to what was created within that game and this again is one of those things what we talked about about it has everything it does have the art package is gorgeous yes shoots phenomenally Keith elwin is a master code and well-balanced nature is how does Rick Nagel yes which was fantastic the call outs the music the sound but it perfect everything is perfection with it understand the rules yeah really easy to understand yes but to get deep into that game it's really tough it is it is really tough but to start a multiball is very easy for the non-pinball or the Casual pinball player uh and when it comes to the here's here's my big point on Godzilla here's why Keith elwin is one of already in his young career one of the greatest designers if not the greatest of all time it's because whenever you could create flow in a fun shooting game that's one thing yes but then when you create unique ways almost like Godly did back in the days weird angles yes he does that but he does so with it still feeling great and then the cherry on the top great is when you throw in toys and mechs in a game yes oftentimes that disrupts the flow of again not for you though in games it integrates into it you have a building that lowers into the Playfield and destructs like Godzilla was tearing it down and dumps balls into the Playfield to play it's phenomenal Mecha Godzilla that's cool fantastic Tommy Graham yes that's the thing too is like it's like you said you take a casual person that steps up don't really know a lot about pinball um it's easy for them to understand and the toys are just so much fun once they're shooting they get enjoyment out if they're going to enjoy that but the complexity again is there for people that are better players or you really want to dive into that game this game truly encompasses everything you want you look at that layout from top down and you think yeah I've not seen that before I haven't seen that in a long time I wonder how that feels it all feels looks sounds fantastic because that's the key and that's that's what is special about Keith is is you you hit the nail on the head when you sit there and said you take something and uh normally that wouldn't work or somebody tried something starkly different it's probably going to mess up not feel that great yeah yeah exactly that toy like you said yeah it disrupts the flow it doesn't it feels good but they don't have any toys in it exactly this he takes everything he makes all of it work to near Perfection and then design makes me hear about the visuals of what Godzilla looks like 100 beauty of that yep yep because if he would have went a little more raw not as beautiful not as colorful when a little more dark yeah I think it would have hit us because a lot of people like oh the colors pop awfully loud for this being a retro nostalgic theme you know the the colors were muted back in the day of a Toho Godzilla no I don't care no he made it matter in 2023 yes uh but this game came out last year 2022 and I think it's gonna be hard to bump bump it off yep I really do because look how many years decades even it took for there to be a game uh in the hobbyist community to bump off Medieval Madness and the thing is too is this game has been out long enough now there's been enough people play it there's enough of them in circulation people have owned it long enough that again that's why we feel comfortable enough to come in and say this is the best machine of all time congratulations Stern Pinball you kind of cleaned house there I have a couple Bally Williams there what do you think will bring us in the next 10 years do you think we're going to have I think in the next 10 years we're gonna have another handful that may I think pinball keeps getting great it keeps getting better and better we've already seen that like there's no bad there's no bad games coming out of a lot of these companies now there's nothing bad like is there's gonna be something that's a little better but you're still basically all great sports cars that are beautiful or luxury cars like you're not you're not even roll is in here there's no Corollas or Honda Civics no no we're all Bentleys Porsches oh I kicked the camera got outside so there you have it it wasn't our personal opinions uh it was the pain gods they told us unequivocally objectively this is the top 10 greatest pinball machines ever made as to this point they also miraculously put a new pinball machine in my belly oh my God a little Godzilla no Godzilla in there come on maybe a little Jaws oh where we're going we're not gonna need roads just need a bigger boat I'm hoping that some of the most iconic things that we still haven't seen in a pinball machine or we've seen but they weren't done well dead East to back to the future hopefully they're done Harry Potter hopefully we get some of the greatest themes integrated so well that we're going to see them jump into the top ten but we'll have to wait and see on that I'm just not sure for now uh we're stuck with the greatness of Godzilla and mythical Madness and Star Trek and Deadpool and Lord of the Rings thanks for watching hit like subscribe straight down the middle we do more than just pinball we do candles we do weird stuff ultimately at the end of the day I think the reason you click on the straight down the middle is not for the the toys and gimmicks I don't think it's for the artwork or the looks of it I think it's because we're more well-rounded we're the Greg and Zach we're well-rounded the best well-rounded YouTube channel uh out there in pinball right definitely [Music] well this shirt is badass isn't it look at this some people Pulp Fiction it says bad mother I know it's okay I'm super jealous of it you know I got this at tpf because we did that to featurette for them when I was there they were like Hey we're we're only only the team gets to wear these but uh we have a couple extra and you were part of the team so oh that's funny yeah I was like swimming yeah let's go [Music] if you don't yeah what's wrong it looks like it's laying okay to me okay see just okay I wish I had thick hair like it yeah something out there that part's so nice yeah that's a decent part my thick ass hair you want trade no [Music] thank you

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: f3b38d6b-c783-43fb-9de9-fb8b205febea*