Pat Lawlor is a legendary pinball designer and industry pioneer who designed some of the most acclaimed and best-selling pinball machines of all time, including The Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Whirlwind, and Banzai Run during his tenure at Williams/Bally. Known for design philosophies emphasizing 'stop and go' mechanics, surprise over repeatability, and efficient use of playfield space, he popularized clear-coated playfields in the late 1980s and established design standards that influenced generations of pinball creators. In recent years, he has served as Head of Design at Jersey Jack Pinball, designing games like Dialed In and Toy Story 4, and continues to be celebrated at industry events despite semi-retirement status.
Pat Lawlor was able to convince Williams to release such a unique dual-playfield design as his first game, which was impressive
Pat Lawlor was planning to retire from attending Expo but was convinced to return for 2025
NASCAR is Pat Lawlor's only two-flipper game
NASCAR is Pat Lawlor's only fan layout design
Legendary pinball designer who co-designed multiple games with Larry DeMar including Banzai Run, Fun House, Twilight Zone, and Addams Family
Williams/Bally/Midway pinball designer; colleague of LJ Greene; created landmark pinball titles
Williams pinball designer. Designed Twilight Zone. Ritchie and colleagues joked about calling Lawlor's games 'Toilet Zone.' Reference to designer rivalry/camaraderie culture.
Contemporary designer at Williams. Designed Twilight Zone (jokingly called 'Toilet Zone' by Ritchie) and other games. Collaborated with Ritchie on game design philosophy discussions.
Pinball designer of Toy Story 4 and other classic titles; Gonzo expresses general dissatisfaction with his design philosophy
Pinball designer; created No Good Gophers (35 years prior); designed Duke Kaboom jump ramp for Toy Story 4
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Pat Lawlor officially retired from Jersey Jack Pinball as a designer after Toy Story 4
Pat Lawlor told Mark Seiden during recruitment that he reminded him of himself as a software person who built a game in a garage
Pat Lawlor's direction to Chris Granner was mostly focused on choreography and transitions rather than music composition
Pat Lawlor championed a design philosophy shift where Williams would 'throw the kitchen sink' at ambitious games rather than cutting costs
Pat Lawlor released both Whirlwind and Funhouse in 1990, and both are still considered among his best games 35 years later
Original 2005 Stern NASCAR was designed by Pat Lawlor
Whirlwind is one of Pat Lawlor's top three designs across his entire career
Pat Lawlor designed Whirlwind less than a year after designing Earthshaker!
Pat Lawlor stated in a documentary that game designers are always trying their best to make the most fun game possible and don't always hit the mark.
Pat Lawlor's design signature includes placing two in-lanes on one side of the playfield
Pat Lawlor was the lead designer of Earthshaker
Pat Lawlor built Banzai Run in his garage with encouragement from Larry DeMar to earn a job at Williams.
Pat Lawlor's primary design innovation was building surprise 'moments' into the physical game mechanics rather than relying on software, creating immediate carnival-like wonder that engages players across generations
Pat Lawlor designed Funhouse, not Brian Eddy
Addams Family (1992) was designed by Pat Lawlor
Pat Lawlor is a phenomenal stop-and-go designer
Pat Lawlor's departure from Jersey Jack Pinball has improved company culture and operational efficiency
Pat Lawlor is the only Williams designer to make two Super Pins
Pat Lawlor stated that Twilight Zone was recognized to be a commercial failure during test phase, but production could not be halted due to manufacturing pipeline constraints
Pat Lawlor designed Addams Family
Pat Lawlor took 3 years to complete Dialed In, when he was supposed to finish it in 1 year
Pat Lawlor's production delays caused Jersey Jack Pinball to run out of money and require investor bailout from the Abbotts family
Butch Peel's departure from JJP was caused by Pat Lawlor
Pat Lawlor's tenure at Jersey Jack Pinball was a 'total whiff' creatively
Pat Lawlor deliberately sandbagged (underperformed on) The Hobbit completion after Joe Balcer left Jersey Jack on bad terms
Pat Lawlor constrained the mechanical complexity of Jersey Jack Pinball's Godfather design.
Pat Lawlor designed both Adams Family and Twilight Zone
Pat Lawlor designed Toy Story 4
Pat Lawlor has created some of the greatest pinball layouts including Whirlwind, Funhouse, Adams Family, Twilight Zone, and Monopoly
Pat Lawlor may no longer be working at Jersey Jack Pinball
Pat Lawlor is known for designing hurry-up modes in pinball games
Pat Lawlor is no longer officially with Jersey Jack Pinball; Toy Story delays caused management frustration but didn't affect sales expectations due to market conditions
Pat Lawlor's Stern-era games (Monopoly, Shrek, NASCAR, Family Guy, CSI, Roller Coaster Tycoon) are not celebrated or considered standout achievements in his legacy
Pat Lawlor has been working on Toy Story for approximately three years, timing from Willy Wonka release
This is believed to be Pat Lawlor's final design for Jersey Jack Pinball before his retirement
Pat Lawlor designed The Addams Family, described as the best-selling pinball machine of all time
Pat Lawlor designed this as his 24th coin-op machine and may be considering retirement
Pat Lawlor is the designer of The Addams Family, the best-selling pinball machine of all time
Pat Lawlor designed Toy Story 4 specifically to be accessible to both children and hardcore tournament players
The wizard mode 'Meet Me at the Carousel' is the first pinball wizard mode to use challenge-based completion rather than traditional ball draining
Pat Lawlor made the Toy Story 4 wizard mode substantially easier than previous games to ensure average players experience it
Pat Lawlor designed the Toy Story pinball machine
Toy Story is designed by Pat Lawlor and represents his final game
Pat Lawlor's collector's editions are historically underwhelming compared to Eric Meunier's designs
Pat Lawlor released Earthshaker in 1989, one year after Swords of Fury
Pat Lawlor is designing Toy Story and it will be his final pinball game
Toy Story is Pat Lawlor's final pinball game
Pat Lawlor designed Addams Family, which sold over 22,000 machines, making it the most successful pinball machine of all time.
Toy Story is Pat Lawlor's final pinball machine and his retirement project.
Pat Lawlor 'basically robbed' Jersey Jack Pinball, but the experience will be bittersweet for the Guarnard family.
Pat Lawlor is designing Jersey Jack Pinball's upcoming premium title and is the designer most capable of delivering physical toys and memorable experiences
Pat Lawlor's strategy at JJP prioritizes broad market appeal over premium positioning, which is flawed
Pat Lawlor came out of retirement to design Dialed In after Jersey Jack pitched a game with no IP constraints
Pat Lawlor came out of retirement to design Dialed In after Jersey Jack offered him complete creative freedom (any theme, no IP)
Pat Lawlor will announce his retirement from pinball in the coming months and Toy Story will be his last game
Pat Lawlor is designing Toy Story as his final game for Jersey Jack Pinball.
Pat Lawlor will retire after Toy Story ships
Pinball design typically takes 12-18 months per title.
Williams won the Dave Nutting Associates microprocessor patent challenge in 1983 court.
Pat Lawlor may retire from Jersey Jack after Toy Story release, reducing design roster to three
Pat Lawlor's tables have consistently high quality even when perceived as lesser designs
Pat Lawlor and Steve Ritchie previously collaborated at Bally Williams on major pinball titles
Pat Lawlor is 70 years old, making him one year older than Steve Ritchie
Pat Lawlor is Head of Game Design at Jersey Jack Pinball.
Pat Lawlor designed Whirlwind, NASCAR, and Duncans
Larry DeMar could develop games outside of Williams and resell them back because his ideas made money for the company
Pat Lawlor had to learn game design mechanics through iteration and mentorship from Larry DeMar rather than possessing instinctive design talent
Banzai Run was Pat Lawlor's first design for Williams
Banzai Run lacks magnets underneath the playfield
Pat Lawlor designed Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Funhouse, and Earthshaker
Pat Lawlor starts game design with magnets as the foundational element
Pat Lawlor spent a fortune on an Apple II computer in 1978 to learn programming
The video game industry collapsed in 1983 with money disappearing overnight
Pat Lawlor is somewhat introverted and uncomfortable with public self-promotion
Pat Lawlor quit his radio DJ job after 8 months due to poor pay
Monopoly Platinum Edition represents early Stern use of scarcity marketing similar to Addams Family Gold
Pat Lawlor's first pinball game at Stern was Monopoly, released September 2001, selling 3,640 units
Pat Lawlor spent a fortune (thousands of dollars) on an Apple II computer in 1978 to learn programming
Pat Lawlor pitched the idea of a vertical playfield pinball machine to Larry DeMar at Brunswick Systems, which became Banzai Run
Pat Lawlor is characterized as introverted and somewhat uncomfortable discussing himself or the industry publicly
Jersey Jack Pinball received a five-page handwritten letter from Leo with suggestions for game improvements
Pat Lawlor has been designing games in the coin-operated game industry for 40 years
Pat Lawlor is currently the head of game design and engineering at Jersey Jack Pinball
Receiving Leo's letter made Jersey Jack Pinball staff realize their core mission was to design games that people loved and thought were creative
Pat Lawlor purchased a 1962 Flipper Cowboy in 1973 during his senior year in college for approximately $100
Lawlor traded the machine to an electronics business contact for a mixer and money because he didn't have space after moving in with his future wife
The Gottlieb Flipper Cowboy's rotospinner was mechanically innovative for varying target values before electronic systems existed
Lawlor's design philosophy during the Williams era centered on bringing mechanical 'toys' back into games, contrasting with Steve Ritchie's kinetic flow approach
Steve Ritchie shifted pinball design toward kinetic, flowing gameplay in the 1980s, which was a positive innovation
Jersey Jack Pinball will restore, clean, and display the Flipper Cowboy in their game room for staff education purposes
Pat Lawlor has one of every game he ever designed in a pole building at his residence
Ripley's Believe It or Not was designed by Pat Lawlor
Pat Lawlor also designed Twilight Zone, Addams Family, and Funhouse
The Illinois operation lacked effective management for some time before Pat Lawlor's appointment
Pat Lawlor is known for designing asymmetrical Italian bottoms with variable in-lane configurations
Pat Lawlor is the head of game design at Jersey Jack Pinball
Twilight Zone was Pat Lawlor's most mechanically difficult game to design
Banzai Run is Pat Lawlor's first pinball design
Willy Wonka has strong playfield flow characteristic of Pat Lawlor's design methodology
Pat Lawlor's pinball games are generally at least good in quality and worth playing
Pat Lawlor designed CSI
Pat Lawlor also designed The Addams Family and Twilight Zone
Pat Lawlor designed Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka has extensive shot diversity making it deeper than its initial visual simplicity suggests
Dialed In is no longer Pat Lawlor's worst-selling JJP game
Pat Lawlor has been in the coin-operated game business for over 30 years
The Gobble Hole trap door mechanism is unprecedented in pinball to Lawlor's knowledge
Wonkavator features game-to-game carry-over similar to 1960s electromechanical machines
Addams Family required approximately 6 people over one year to design and produce
Modern Jersey Jack Pinball games employ 6-7 programmers and 3-4 mechanical engineers working simultaneously on single titles
Software engineers play a critical, often underappreciated role in game reliability alongside mechanical engineers
The talent level and resources required for modern pinball design is exponentially higher than past eras
Audience expectations and entertainment industry standards have evolved significantly over 25-27 years
Pat Lawlor based Willy Wonka design on collaborative work with Ted Estes, Joe Katz, JT Harkey, and Keith Johnson
Willy Wonka is probably right now the pinnacle of what you can create in the 21st century as a pinball machine
The Most Secret Machine rotating floor mechanism has never been done before in a pinball machine
Pat Lawlor introduced the five-lane bottom design first in Banzai Run and considers it his signature
Narrow body machines play naturally with better flow than wide body machines due to space constraints
Pat Lawlor is designing Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory for Jersey Jack
Pat Lawlor has been a game designer since 1980 and doing pinball since 1988
Jersey Jack Pinball creates 20-30 physical models of each game during development
Almost all modern pinball games for the past 18 years have been licensed products
Dialed In's original design included a side ramp wrapping completely around the game
Each whitewood model iteration typically requires a full day of construction
Dialed In's drone components use custom-designed circuit boards integrated with commercially-sourced drone units from China
Pat Lawlor initially advised Jack Danger against creating an original-themed pinball game
Tricolored LED ramps were an innovative engineering challenge requiring vendor collaboration on plastic routing
Pinball machines play significantly differently when dirty versus clean due to ball friction differences
Pat Lawlor will have a new game to show next year (2019 Pinball Expo)
Pat Lawlor is designing Toy Story pinball for Jersey Jack
Pat Lawlor designed Banzai Run as his first or earliest game for Williams
Pat Lawlor was recruited to JJP in 2013 and given complete creative freedom for his designs
Pat Lawlor designed The Addams Family with three seance magnet cores under the playfield
Roadshow is designed by Pat Lawlor
Roadshow incorporates design elements from Whirlwind, Twilight Zone, and Addams Family
Pat Lawlor designed 18 games throughout his career
Pat Lawlor's last Stern game was CSI in 2008 before returning with Dialed In!
Pat Lawlor began designing pinball machines in 1987
Monopoly (2001) was designed by Pat Lawlor
Pat Lawlor is designing an original theme game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Jersey Jack Pinball has redefined the limits of pinball through technology and design
Pat Lawlor was in retirement prior to this Jersey Jack Pinball project
Pat Lawlor designed The Addams Family, the best-selling pinball machine
Pat Lawlor is coming out of pinball retirement to design the new JJP game
Pat Lawlor said after designing The Twilight Zone he'd never be allowed to create anything as complex again
Pat Lawlor has not designed a professional pinball game since CSI in 2008
Pat Lawlor designed a new Pro Pinball game
Pat Lawlor designed Banzai Run (1988) and The Addams Family (1992), with Addams Family outselling all other pinball machines
Pat grew up in northwest Chicago suburbs and rode on his father's Schlitz beer truck on Saturdays, playing pinball in bars
Pat worked as a service manager at a 24-bay auto center for seven years before leaving due to burnout
Pat joined Dave Nutting Associates in 1980 and programmed Demons and Dragons and Tenpin Alley before the company collapsed in 1983
Dave Nutting Associates used a proprietary Forth-based language called 'Veeja' to allow non-expert programmers to develop games on Z80 processors
Larry DeMar immediately agreed to Pat's pinball concept pitch ('Let's go build it') and they built the Wrecking Ball prototype in Pat's home shop, then relocated to DeMar's studio apartment
Williams management (Ken Fedesna, Steve Ritchie) viewed the Wrecking Ball prototype and negotiations took approximately 4-6 months before Pat was hired as internal designer
Pat hand-cut all playfield inserts for Wrecking Ball using pencil marks and glue, with inserts provided by Steve Kloodak at Williams
Pat learned drafting in high school, theatrical design in college, and woodworking from his father—skills that later proved essential for pinball design
Larry DeMar had a reputation at Williams that allowed him to develop games independently and negotiate with management, which gave credibility to the Wrecking Ball concept
Pat Lawlor designed the playfield layout used in Family Guy
Roller Coaster Tycoon was developed over approximately 10 months
Licensing for Roller Coaster Tycoon was agreed 'rather quickly' after contact with licensing group
Amusement park themed games typically perform well in pinball
Current Stern game quality is equal to Williams-era machines Lawlor designed
Monopoly was Lawlor's first machine for Stern and sold as well as Williams-era titles
Pinball's future is bright and a new generation of players is discovering the game
Gary Stern deserves credit for keeping pinball alive in the modern marketplace
High Speed by Steve Ritchie is Lawlor's favorite machine not designed by himself
Pat Lawlor designed Monopoly for Stern Pinball and is known for Addams Family, Fun House, and Twilight Zone
Pat Lawlor was hired by a Bally-affiliated group to develop video games in 1980
The video game industry collapsed in 1984
Pat Lawlor met Larry DeMar in 1986 and they built the Banzai Run prototype together
The challenge in Monopoly pinball design was balancing simplicity for casual players with depth for dedicated players
Pinball has been in its current form for over 50 years as of 2001
Monopoly pinball is designed by Pat Lawlor and his team
Pat Lawlor Design has agreed to make another pinball game for Stern expected around October 2002
Designer of Jersey Jack Pinball's Toy Story; expected to load game with toys and animations
Chief engineer and senior designer at Jersey Jack. Historic pinball designer quoted on machine design philosophy.
Legendary pinball designer; former Stern employee; conducted seminar in mid-2000s discussing playfield manufacturing changes
Pinball designer known to a senior engineer at Ian's office; mentioned as one of only two designers known to him before acquiring Spider-Man
Designer of Adams Family and Twilight Zone pinball machines
Legendary pinball designer; first game was originally titled Wrecking Ball, became Banzai Run
Designer of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and many JJP classics (Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Legendary pinball designer; formerly at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda speculates he constrained Godfather's mechanical complexity
Game designer for Toy Story 4 CE; Kaneda directly challenges him on where the $15,000 value is in the machine
Pinball designer mentioned as having been influenced by High Speed; played High Speed a lot and loved it
Designer of Toy Story Pinball (JJP); Kaneda describes the game as a major 'whiff' and criticizes promotional videos featuring Lawler
Legendary pinball designer; Chris suggests Jersey Jack's removal of toys/loading from recent games was driven by Pat's design philosophy
Legendary designer at Jersey Jack; criticized by Kaneda for lack of innovation in recent Jersey Jack games
Game designer credited with Dialed In!, demonstrated gameplay at Expo, advocated for operator support, showed enthusiasm for new game
Legacy designer from 1990s generation; Kaneda characterizes as recycling old ideas and 'nerfing' Toy Story
Designer of Whirlwind (1990)
Spooky Pinball staff member interviewed for Evil Dead materials; described as being 'in his own world' and not joking easily
Designer on Toy Story 4; Kaneda sarcastically references game as 'greatest misses' contradicting earlier hype that called it Lawler's 'greatest hits'
Prolific System 11 designer; designed Earthshaker, Whirlwind; associated with Pat Lawler-era innovations
Legendary pinball designer; autographed Dialed In whitewood prototype mentioned as collectible
Legendary pinball designer; co-created Banzai Run in garage with Larry; later brought to Williams; example of homebrew-to-commercial transition
Williams designer; pioneered diamond plate clear coating on Banzai Run (early 1990s); currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball; advocates for standing behind product quality; featured in 2010 TopCast interview
Pinball designer/builder, created Wrecking Ball proto based on Road Kings/Banzai Run concepts, has homebrew pinball background
Classic pinball designer, designer of Ripley's Believe It or Not cited during vault speculation
Legendary Williams/Stern pinball designer; mentioned as having preferential budget/schedule treatment alongside Steve Ritchie
Lead game designer at Jersey Jack Pinball, designer of unreleased game, gave facility tour
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; designed Dialed In and reportedly working on Toy Story; speculation about musical taste and design motivations
Respected pinball designer cited as calling Willy Wonka 'the pinnacle of what pinball can be right now in the 21st century'
Legendary pinball designer, head of game design at Jersey Jack Pinball, lead designer on Willy Wonka
Lead designer for Jersey Jack Pinball's Willy Wonka; guest on Special When Lit panel discussion
Designer/industry figure; gave presentation at Pinball Expo on history of pinball and his work on Willy Wonka
Designer of Theater of Magic and World Cup Soccer
Legendary pinball designer of Twilight Zone. Ken Cromwell is a self-described big fan.
Legendary pinball designer who worked on Earthshaker; met at recent expo walking with Larry DeMar
Legendary pinball designer; designed factory layout for JJP's Illinois facility
Legendary pinball designer; one of Shalhoub's key interviews for Compendium series. Referenced as a personal highlight of the research process.
1990s pinball designer; designer of Dialed In (JJP); name recognition does not drive sales despite game quality.
Legendary pinball designer; worked with George Gomez on Pinball 2000 hollow pin concept
Designer of Safecracker (1996); signature design element is red button that appears across his game library (Road Show, Twilight Zone, Addams Family, No Good Gophers).
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; created Toy Story 4, Willy Wonka, and Dialed In; compared unfavorably to Steve Ritchie on layout design
Legendary pinball designer cited as Keith Elwin's favorite, known for fast, flowy games
Legendary pinball designer; designed Twilight Zone, Adams Family, and other classics; Greg worked under his direction at Stern
Legendary pinball designer; referenced humorously by host as competing with Borg for major licenses
Designer at Williams; designed Fun House which competed with Ward's Riverboat Gambler; sold approximately 10,000 units
Williams designer; met Lyman at Las Vegas show in 1993; discussed industry work with him
Designer mentioned in context of Pinball 2000; Python dismisses him as incapable of executing the video-ball integration concept Python conceived
Legendary pinball designer; got his first job in game business at Dave Nottingens Associates designing video games before transitioning to pinball
Legendary Williams pinball designer mentioned in context of design influence and market trends
Legendary pinball designer; Adam did freelance dot work for his design (Ripley's, Grand Prix, NASCAR)
Williams pinball designer referenced in context of Twilight Zone and Addams Family development
Pinball designer; Mike's favorite designer; designed Stern Shrek (circa 2012-2014)
Legendary pinball designer referenced in discussion of game design methodology; context suggests he develops games in garage.
Designer of Bonzai Run (1988 Williams); created first vertical playfield game; prototype built in garage; got Williams job through Larry D'Amara connection
Legendary pinball designer; Banzai Run was his first published game
Legendary pinball designer; referenced humorously as 'Severus Snape' in speculation about who might design Harry Potter machine
Legendary pinball designer who released both Whirlwind and Funhouse in 1990; won Designer of the Year and Best Original Themed Game awards at Pinball Hindsight Awards
Legendary pinball designer known for 'stop and go' gameplay philosophy (contrast to Steve Ritchie's 'flow'); designers like Twilight Zone; frequently compared to Steve Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; designed Addams Family (1992) and prior Williams hits (Funhouse, Whirlwind, Earth Shaker)
Designer of Toy Story 4 (Jersey Jack); Kaneda mocks the game's disappointing execution
Former Jersey Jack designer; allegedly removed mechanical complexity from games to enable location placement; designed/drove Dialed In (which flopped); vision prioritized operator/location appeal over collector appeal, contrasting with Jack Guarneri's original vision
Pinball designer; Jersey Jack Pinball's designer for their third game (unannounced)
Mentioned as legendary Williams pinball designer in knowledge base; not directly discussed in this episode
Legendary pinball designer cited in design philosophy debate; designed Twilight Zone and The Addams Family
Pinball designer featured on Silver Ball Chronicles; designed Whirlwind, Road Show, Fun House/Rudy
Game designer; present at Wonka reveal event; hosts did not feel he was ideal public speaker for reveal
Pinball designer; mentioned as fourth designer option at JJP who is coming out of retirement
Veteran pinball designer; rumored to be designing Jersey Jack Pinball's next title (Toy Story)
Legendary designer of original Funhouse; referenced as example of superior mechanical design vs. modern Stern machines
Pinball designer; came out of retirement to design Jersey Jack's Dialed In after pitch about free theme choice
Designer cited as exemplar of mechanical and shooting design; host references as reference point for modern design difficulty
Legendary pinball designer whose past comments about Diamond coating and industry decisions are referenced as prescient regarding current market issues
Designer of Jersey Jack Pinball's third title, mentioned as upcoming game at Expo
Implied as designer of Willy Wonka (Bruce notes 'It's Pat Lawler all the way' regarding four-flipper design)
Legendary pinball designer; designed Whirlwind; Joe Abate is a fan of his work
Pinball designer, created multiple games in solid state era including Fun House and High Speed series
Legendary pinball designer; cited as benchmark for designers with higher bill-of-materials budgets
Former JJP designer; no longer involved; removal mentioned as potential factor enabling different Richie design approach
Legendary pinball designer; creator of Dialed In, Willy Wonka, Toy Story at Jersey Jack; explicitly stated as NOT designing Harry Potter by Kaneda
Designer of Roller Coaster Tycoon pinball machine (Stern, 2002)
Designer of original Funhouse; discussed game's audio design philosophy in TopCast interview 15 years prior
Legendary designer; referenced in comparison to James Bond's use of LCD screens (Pat put LCD in Toy Story, Bond uses physical missile instead)
Jersey Jack leadership (now departed); removed design elements from games; forced Menear to remove subway system from Guns and Roses; controversial workplace culture
Designer associated with Jersey Jack Pinball; referenced as benchmark for superior playfield design
Designer of Toy Story pinball machine; mentioned as major draw for purchase intent
Former Jersey Jack designer/developer; departing influence on Jersey Jack releases; associated with past Achilles' heels (engineering, playfield durability)
Legendary pinball designer known for great flow and geometry; mentioned as someone who should have collaborated on Guns N' Roses design
Legendary pinball designer; designer of both No Good Gophers (1998) and Toy Story 4 (2022); subject of comparison for mechanical depth and creative spareness
Legendary designer; worked at Jersey Jack; Kaneda speculates about timing of his departure and residual influence on game design
Designer criticized for introducing Toy Story with iPad-based gameplay and no physical toys; cited as example of industry shift away from mechanical innovation
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; signature on Dialed In Collector's Edition; sold his Family Guy machine; valued designer whose games command premium prices
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; signs collector plaques; hosts lunch with winners at Chicago design office
Game designer of Red and Ted's Roadshow at Rulo's
Legendary pinball designer; formerly at Jersey Jack; Pat Lawler's two biggest hits were licensed theme games; Dialed In (original IP) was less successful despite being a good game.
Classic pinball designer; created Whirlwind (1990), Funhouse (1990), and Addams Family (1992); featured in head-to-head designer comparison with Steve Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; called into Buffalo Pinball Podcast episode about Jersey Jack game
Legendary designer, removed triple spinning discs from a game (referenced in Pirates context)
Former JJP designer/leader; credited with three underwhelming games; criticized for poor company culture and delays; recently departed JJP
Designer of Legends of Valhalla and Toy Story, respected designer in modern pinball
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned in comparative analysis of designer legacy and first three releases
Legendary Stern designer; created Toy Story 4 for Jersey Jack; Kaneda criticizes game as unoriginal and charges $12k-$15k premium pricing unjustified
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned in context of Star Trek Next Gen easter egg showing his Williams/Atari games
Designer of the Dale Jr. machine (and original NASCAR 2005)
Referenced as previous creative leader at Jersey Jack; Godfather described as final game developed under his tenure
Game designer at JJP; criticized for flawed strategic vision and preference for mid-market positioning
Legendary pinball designer; reportedly designing Jersey Jack's upcoming premium title; known for difficult personality but exceptional design capability
Legacy designer; Jersey Jack era; Kaneda cites his poor sales performance as evidence that designer names no longer drive purchases
Legendary pinball designer; contemporary of Steve Ritchie who understands technical hardware evolution
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be designing Jersey Jack's upcoming Toy Story as his 'swan song' machine
Legendary pinball designer hired by JJP; designed Addams Family (best-selling pinball machine); Toy Story positioned as career-defining game
Legendary pinball designer; designed Addams Family (22,000+ units sold); currently at Jersey Jack Pinball; upcoming Toy Story is claimed to be his final game and retirement project.
Legendary designer working for Jersey Jack Pinball; designing Toy Story; concern raised about mechanical toy implementation
Designer credited with Toy Story 4. Kaneda compares this game unfavorably to Lawlor's prior works (Dialed In, Wizard of Oz) and speculates this is his swan song.
Legendary pinball designer; took over JJP from Jack Guarneri; designed Dialed In and other JJP titles; Kaneda claims he caused production delays, budget overruns, and company near-collapse; now retired
Designer of Toy Story 4; criticized for running out of creative ideas; historically missed schedules at Jersey Jack; associated with other premium games
Emerging designer who built Banzai Run in his garage to earn a job at Williams; would become one of the most iconic pinball designers of all time.
Legendary designer; Kaneda calls his Jersey Jack tenure 'a total whiff'; allegedly sandbagged The Hobbit completion
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; example cited of designer potentially aligned with theme passion (Toy Story 4, Willy Wonka)
Designer who proved Bally-branded games could sell strongly with Addams Family; created Earthshaker and Banzai Run
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack; known for games that 'shoot great' according to Kaneda
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda speculates he may have had supervisory influence limiting content in Godfather
Jersey Jack Pinball designer criticized for lack of originality; accused of forcing Jack out of company and delivering three mediocre games; legacy questioned as dependent on legacy Bally/Williams engineer support
Pinball designer; originally designed Jersey Jack Toy Story game for launch with Toy Story 4 movie; Kaneda speculates he prioritizes simplicity over mechanical features
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; Kaneda expects new game in 2022 to provide competition for Stern
Lead designer on Jersey Jack's Toy Story, legendary pinball designer
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; designing Toy Story, first in upcoming JJP pipeline
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; cited as elite talent tier alongside Minier, Johnson, Katz
Legendary pinball designer associated with Jersey Jack Pinball; reportedly not attending TPF despite potential Toy Story reveal; subject of speculation about imminent retirement
Co-founder/lead designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; age 70; legendary designer; speculated to have driven decision to hire Steve Ritchie; long-time industry colleague and potential rival of Ritchie.
Designer; removed triple spinning disc from Pirates of the Caribbean; now designing games for Stern that have 'underwhelmed'
Legendary pinball designer; his games (like Lord of the Rings) referenced as benchmark for mechanical wow-factor and toy design
Designer of The Addams Family (referenced in match commentary)
Pinball designer; Kaneda references him in context of Toy Story game disappointment
Legendary designer; recently departed from Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda believes his departure will improve company culture
Designer of Dialed In for Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda praises game but criticizes CE topper design quality
Designer of Toy Story pinball machine, described as making his final game
Legendary pinball designer; estimated Rapid Fire Arcade gun fire rate at 14 balls per second; advocated for spare gun inclusion in shipped games
Legendary pinball designer; cited by Kaneda as example of designer capable of unexpected quality returns; Kaneda planning to play James Bond
Historical designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; noted as creative director during development of games like Toy Story that were criticized for being sparse
Designer of Toy Story 4; known for excellent playability; Kaneda acknowledges the game 'shoots well'
Worked with Thiel on redesigning Jersey Jack Pinball audio system; contributed to technical improvements in speaker/audio design
Classic pinball designer; quoted as commenting on The Twilight Zone original: 'this is what happens when they give you a blank check'
Jersey Jack Pinball designer, referenced for Toy Story 4 design
Historical pinball designer; cited as example of legacy designer Kaneda was unfamiliar with early in his hobby career
Legendary pinball designer mentioned in context of early 2000s Stern games like Monopoly, NFL, Rollercoaster Tycoon Arcade
Legendary pinball designer; created Earthshaker (1989) with 'Nevada/California split' design element; established design tropes referenced in later games like Road Show
Designer of Toy Story 4 playfield layout; praised for shooting mechanics but criticized for storytelling execution
Designer of Toy Story pinball; first two titles (by inference Ultraman and Halloween) considered incomplete; expected to deliver strong third title
Legendary pinball designer; reportedly designing Toy Story as his final game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; criticized for resting on laurels; associated with Louis Toy Story
Designer now running operations at Jersey Jack Pinball; criticized for lack of manufacturing/operations expertise; formerly at Williams
Classic designer referenced as potential creator for Transformers pinball
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designer of recent JJP Collector's Editions criticized for poor design choices
Legendary pinball designer working on Jersey Jack Pinball's Toy Story 4; Kaneda criticizes this as his final game in the pinball space, claiming he 'mailed it in' despite 2-3 years of development
Legendary pinball designer; CSI is from his late era; mentioned as designer of innovative games from Williams era
Legendary pinball designer; No Good Gofer referenced as 'Pat Lawlor classic'
Legendary pinball designer; Dialed In (Jersey Jack) attributed to him; known for mechanical toy design
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Toy Story described as his final game; previously designed Addams Family, Twilight Zone
Designer referenced as example of poor output when given uninspiring theme (Toy Story)
Designer; rumored to no longer be officially with Jersey Jack Pinball; cited in context of Toy Story delays and management frustration
Classic pinball designer; cited as reference for good playfield design that modern Spooky designers should study
Legendary pinball designer; designing the unreleased Toy Story game for JJP; Kaneda attributes superior gameplay feel to his design philosophy vs. other JJP designers
Legendary pinball designer confirmed as designer of upcoming Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory for Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned in context of Safe Cracker game that Drew plans to play at Expo
Designer of Banzai Run (1988), first Williams game design, pioneering pinball designer
Designer of Ripley's Believe It or Not (2004), Twilight Zone, Addams Family, and Funhouse
Pinball designer referenced as creator/designer; known for hurry-up modes in designs
Pinball designer; Ripley's Believe It or Not mentioned as one of his games from Dark Ages era
Pinball designer mentioned as creator of Wrecking Ball
Legendary pinball designer referenced as a standard of quality; described as 'no slouch'
Legendary pinball designer credited with designing Addams Family
Pinball designer identified as one of the two best current designers alongside Keith Elwin.
Legendary pinball designer; designed No Good Gophers (last design before Harry Williams shut down pinball division); host expresses strong affinity for his games
Legendary pinball designer referenced as influential figure
Jersey Jack Pinball team member; credited for work on Guns N' Roses
Pinball designer; Scott Ian enjoys his games including Dialed In and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Legendary pinball designer credited as lead on Toy Story game at Jersey Jack Pinball
Designer of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory pinball machine
Former JJP/pinball designer; Don expresses affection for his work despite general community sentiment; likely retirement status questioned
Legendary pinball designer referenced as part of JJP design team; known for intentional nostalgic design choices
Designer of Toy Story; legendary pinball designer known for playfield design and shot mechanics
Legendary pinball designer who encountered Mr. 68 at Pinball Expo while he was wearing Lloyd Olson name tag as prank
Former/longstanding Stern colleague; Borg expresses missing him
Legendary Williams pinball designer working on The Wizard Blocks during shutdown period
Legendary pinball designer; returning to active design after retirement; working on new game for Jersey Jack Pinball launching next year
Designer who Ritchie respects; stole Kordek's production record with Addams Family as Ritchie had done with Flash
Legendary pinball designer (Addams Family, etc.); came out of retirement to design Jersey Jack Pinball's third game
Legendary pinball designer; Larry DeMar Godzilla referenced as collaboration
Legendary pinball designer; designed Dialed In; referenced as iconic figure in pinball design history whom Thiel worked with
Designer of Toy Story; previously worked on Dialed In; legendary pinball designer
Pinball designer; made decision to invest heavily ('kitchen sink') in Funhouse production, reversing cost-cutting trend
Legendary pinball designer; Sharpe convinced him to design The Addams Family; participated in Batman premiere event with Sharpe
Legendary pinball designer credited as creator of Dialed In!
Legendary pinball designer, head of game design and engineering at Jersey Jack Pinball, designer of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Legendary pinball designer, formerly at Williams, coming out of retirement to design original theme game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Pinball designer who called Youssi about Addams Family project; known for enthusiasm and innovative game design
Legendary pinball designer at Williams; conducted factory tour for Schelberg's family during Addams Family production
Legendary pinball designer, co-designer of Addams Family (1992) along with Larry DeMar
Legendary pinball designer; lead designer of Monopoly pinball machine; represented designer return to pinball after Bally Williams period
Legendary pinball designer credited with Monopoly and other early 2000s Stern titles
Legendary pinball designer credited with original NASCAR (2005) design
Legendary pinball designer of Addams Family and Twilight Zone
Designer of original Funhouse (1990); referenced for mechanical design legacy
Implied pinball designer referenced in context of classic games (not explicitly named but contextually present)
Noted as designer of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory pinball game (from KB context)
Designer of Ripley's Believe It or Not and multiple classic pinball games referenced in discussion
Legendary pinball designer credited with designing Whirlwind, NASCAR, and other games. Mentioned as designer of multiple games discussed.
Pinball designer; credited as designer of Willy Wonka; recognized for playfield flow philosophy and lower flipper positioning
Legendary pinball designer; Manu praises his design philosophy using No Good Gophers as example
Designer of Dialed In (mentioned via 'Papa Duke' reference, likely nickname used in stream)
Legendary pinball designer who designed Dialed In for Jersey Jack Pinball; also designed Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Funhouse, and Earthshaker
Legendary physical pinball designer used as benchmark for comparison; created Jersey Jack Pinball's Dialed In; Jon Hey and chat use him as standard for design excellence
Designer of Banzai Run; host notes it is Lawlor's first game design
Designer of Dialed In for Jersey Jack Pinball; known for creating great shooting games; actively involved in tweaking and testing Dialed In
Game designer credited with Dialed In!; created original story/universe and playfield design
Designer of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; intentionally designed the game to be tough/drain-prone by omitting left post
Legendary pinball designer associated with Jersey Jack Pinball; hosts mentioned his design philosophy for Toy Story potential
Legendary pinball designer credited with designing Roadshow and referenced as designer of Whirlwind, Twilight Zone, and Addams Family
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Toy Story 4; on his 24th coin-op machine; discussing possible retirement
Legendary pinball designer credited with Toy Story 4; designed Whirlwind, Funhouse, Adams Family, Twilight Zone, Monopoly; possibly no longer at Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; co-designer of Toy Story 4 with Joe Balcer; known for minimalist mechanical approach
Legendary pinball designer; stated to be head of game design at Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; hosts prefer his focus on rules depth and thematic magic over pure flow
Legendary pinball designer of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; created Dialed In! for Jersey Jack; interviewed by SDTM
Legendary pinball designer; winner giveaway item (signed Dialed In! translite)
Legendary pinball designer; subject of 'designer this or that' comparison; unanimously preferred over Steve Richie
Legendary pinball designer and game designer for Toy Story 4; emphasized inclusive design philosophy and fun as primary goal
Designer of Dialed In and Shrek; both are Jersey Jack Pinball titles in Schmitty's collection
Legendary pinball designer known for innovative magnet implementations in games like The Addams Family and Houdini Master of Mystery
Legendary pinball designer credited with Addams Family design excellence
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned in relation to potential Jersey Jack Pinball designs
Mentioned as potential interviewee on Toy Story; Kaneda dismisses need for his perspective
Former figure at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda indicates he is no longer with the company and expresses optimism about organizational culture post-departure
Legendary pinball designer, pitched five game ideas to JJP but Jack Guarneri stopped him at idea one
JJP designer; designed Toy Story and Willy Wonka; noted for superior shooting game layout among JJP designers
Former leadership at Jersey Jack Pinball; reportedly had conflict with Butch Peel over accepting criticism; no longer at JJP
Designer of Jersey Jack Pinball's Dialed In; referenced for original unlicensed theme design
Legendary pinball designer mentioned as possibly appearing in Special When Lit, recently designed Toy Story 4
Former Jersey Jack Pinball designer; accused of slow delivery, cantankerous culture, and blocking company growth; recently departed
Legendary pinball designer; forced design changes to Pirates of the Caribbean, resulting in delayed release and overexposure via streaming.
Designer of Dialed In; described as potentially viewing it as his masterpiece; work praised for depth and quality despite lack of personality.
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; unfavorably compared to Barry Osler's design work by Kaneda
Legendary pinball designer; designed Willy Wonka; noted for lack of aggressive marketing campaigns unlike Guns N' Roses launch
Jersey Jack designer; blamed for complex, soulless game code that lacked personality compared to Stern's offerings
Designer of Toy Story 4; Kaneda believes this will be his final game; accused of recycling design concepts from previous titles like Whirlwind and No Good Gophers
Legendary pinball designer at helm of Jersey Jack Pinball, motivated by legacy volume mindset (22,000 Addams Family units as success metric)
Designer of Scared Stiff (pinball machine title mentioned)
Legendary pinball designer; Jurassic Park's layout is compared to his design philosophy, with hosts noting it feels 'Pat Lawlor-esque'
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned for contributions to top 10 shot designs
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing Jersey Jack's Toy Story machine
Legendary pinball designer credited with creating Addams Family; hosts discuss his design philosophy and signature elements
Legendary pinball designer credited with Dialed In design and third flipper ramp mechanics
Head of Game Design at Jersey Jack Pinball; legendary designer known for Twilight Zone and Addams Family; designed Willy Wonka
Legendary pinball designer, currently Head of Game Design at Jersey Jack Pinball; designed Addams Family (1992)
Legendary pinball designer who designed Willy Wonka at Jersey Jack Pinball; also designed Dialed In and other games
Legendary pinball designer credited with Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory layout; known for smooth, challenging shot design
Designer of multiple games on overrated list: Safe Cracker, Waterworks, Family Guy, Shrek; hosts apologize to him multiple times despite criticism
Designer of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, discussed for its pop drain frustration
Legendary pinball designer; designed Funhouse and High Speed layouts discussed by hosts
Legendary pinball designer; designed Dialed In (original-theme game) and was source of discussion regarding designer reputation as implicit licensing
Legendary pinball designer credited for Twilight Zone design
Presumed designer of Toy Story 4; rumored to be making his final game
Designer of Toy Story 4 for Jersey Jack Pinball; shown in Hardy's satirical meme footage as holding meeting about game/marketing
Legendary pinball designer; recruited Grupp into Jersey Jack Pinball in 2019; head of engineering at JJP; car enthusiast who worked with Grupp on automotive projects
Legendary pinball designer referenced indirectly through game examples (Addams Family design principles); mentioned as benchmark for thematic integration
JJP team member mentioned as mentor; legendary designer; working with Seiden
Legendary pinball designer; joined Williams in mid-1980s and created Banzai Run as his first game, followed by multiple major titles including Addams Family (reportedly 22,000 units sold). Known for envelope-pushing thematic integration.
Pinball designer cited as Dwight Sullivan's favorite; humorously treated as competitor to Steve Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer known for hiding red buttons in machine artwork; Scott Danesi unknowingly included red button Easter egg in TNA back glass
Legendary pinball designer, Head of Game Design at Jersey Jack Pinball, designer of Dialed In and dozens of classic games (Funhouse, Twilight Zone, Addams Family, etc.)
Designer of Dialed In; referenced for his philosophy about primary colors and family-friendly design
Legendary pinball designer; returned to design Dialed In for JJP; working on next game for JJP to be revealed next year
Legendary pinball designer; acknowledged at Elton John launch event
Legendary pinball designer; joined Jersey Jack Pinball September 16, 2013; designed Dialed In, Willy Wonka, Toy Story 4; retired after Pinball Expo
Legendary pinball designer hosting Fireside Chat at Expo Friday 8 p.m.
Classic pinball designer referenced for offset flipper designs; hosts note Uncanny X-Men has even more pronounced offset than Lawlor's games like Funhouse
Pinball designer; hosts note Jersey Jack has relied heavily on his layout designs for multiple games
Pinball game designer; designed No Good Gophers (1997) and other games in WPC era
Legendary pinball designer; designed Monopoly, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and Funhouse; known for circus/carnival game expertise and high fun factor; worked at Williams then Stern
Legendary pinball designer; designed Ripley's Believe It or Not; speakers discuss his games as design benchmark
Mentioned in context of JJP's design direction; referenced as potential advocate for standard-body designs
Pinball designer who won Eclectic Gamers' 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament with 62.5% of vote
Modern era pinball designer, finalist in 2016 designer tournament, known for game design style
Pinball designer; won Round 2 decisively over Brian Eddy 79.4%-20.6%; predicted finalist by both hosts
Pinball designer; upcoming round two matchup against Brian Eddy; known for games like Twilight Zone, Roadshow, Roller Coaster Tycoon; hosts identify some controversial designs
Pinball designer; created Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, Whirlwind, Bonsai Run, Funhouse, Roadshow, Dialed In; defined as 'toys guy' with mechanical innovation focus; Dennis's #2 designer
Established pinball designer currently with Jersey Jack Pinball; mentioned as unavailable option compared to J-Pop
Legendary designer; Star Trek mentioned as example of successful modern Stern design
Legendary Williams pinball designer; one of the senior designers Papaduke cited as mentor/inspiration (quoted via J-Pop)
Formerly associated with Jersey Jack Pinball; recently retired (scope unclear)
Legendary pinball designer; recently retired after 34 years; designed Whirlwind, Addams Family, Earthshaker, Twilight Zone, Dialed In, Toy Story 4, and other classics
Legendary pinball designer, referenced as possibly having designed Funhouse (though Ron disputes this ranking)
Legendary pinball designer; worked at Action Graphics in 1980s; later joined Stern/Dy for Family Guy project; connected Thiel back to industry in 2006
Modern pinball designer; frequently name-dropped by hosts as contemporary legend
Legendary pinball designer; created multiple games discussed on list; Dialed In identified as his best work by guest and hosts
Legendary pinball designer known for asymmetrical Italian bottom designs
Legendary pinball designer. Designed Wonka for JJP; rumored to be designing Toy Story for JJP (after Guns N' Roses).
Legendary pinball designer at Williams during golden era; worked alongside Ritchie and other top designers
Legendary designer; Dennis uses him as example of not attacking designer personally but criticizing game design (Roadshow)
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; speculated to be designing spring 2019 release (possibly Willy Wonka); prefers standard-width machines
Rumored designer of Jersey Jack's Willy Wonka pinball game (standard-width format).
Leads design teams at Jersey Jack Pinball
Jersey Jack designer; rumored to retire after Toys Story ships; legendary pinball designer
Legendary pinball designer; referenced for influence on Laser War layout design (ramp mechanics)
Designer of Toy Story 4 Pinball
Jersey Jack Pinball designer known to dislike wide-body games; designed Wonka and reportedly Toy Story; traditionally preceded Eric Mernier in design rotation
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; next game potentially coming 2022 after GNR release
Designer of Toy Story for Jersey Jack; rumored to be retiring from game design or transitioning to oversight role
Legendary pinball designer referenced in context of pinball history discussion
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Twilight Zone wide body; has critiqued wide body design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; Predator's shot layout philosophy compared to his style (stop-and-go design vs. continuous flow)
Legendary pinball designer; Orbital Albert notes he would not state design rankings in front of Lawlor, suggesting respect for legacy
Legendary pinball designer; referenced as fan favorite; noted for recent games being 'best of'
Legendary pinball designer; Albert invokes name when pleading with Jersey Jack for marketing transparency on CE production
Legendary pinball designer; came aboard Jersey Jack Pinball for Dialed In; mentioned in context of JJP's design pedigree
Legendary Williams designer; mostly retired; mentioned as possibly recruitable for hypothetical Williams resurrection
Legendary pinball designer; designed Willy Wonka for Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer who collaborated with Gomez on Pinball 2000 prototype; had garage workshop in Marengo; familiar with 1970s mirror-trick arcade cabinet design.
Legendary pinball designer who designed Willy Wonka playfield and game mechanics
Legendary pinball designer; primary collaborator with Youssi; described as never giving up during industry crisis
Legendary pinball designer; collaborated with Ted Estes on Roadshow and Twilight Zone at Williams
Legendary pinball designer; designed Toy Story 4; believed to be his final JJP design before retirement
Legendary pinball designer who collaborated with Jersey Jack Pinball on Dialed In!
Legendary pinball designer; credited with designing Monopoly for Stern and prior classics (Addams Family, Fun House, Twilight Zone)
Legendary pinball designer; provided encouragement to Greatwich's project when contacted
Legendary pinball designer; Head of Game Design at Jersey Jack Pinball; worked with Steve Ritchie at Williams and Stern; known for Addams Family and other acclaimed designs; designed Toy Story for JJP (next in pipeline).
Legendary pinball designer; designed NASCAR/Grand Prix for Stern in 2005
Legendary pinball designer; co-founder of Pat Lawlor Design; described as 'ubiquitous game designer'
Designer/owner of Pat Lawlor Design; partnering with Stern for Monopoly and subsequent games
Legendary pinball designer whose third game is in development for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; Jim Jansen notes him as commercially most successful; cited Seven Up as his all-time favorite
Legendary pinball designer; designer of new Pro Pinball game
Legendary pinball designer coming out of retirement to design original-theme game for JJP; known for The Addams Family
Designer of Dialed In! for Jersey Jack Pinball; featured at Pintastic 2017
Legendary pinball designer; presented 'Then & Now' panel with Larry DeMar discussing Williams era; appeared at autograph session
Legendary pinball designer; moderated '40 Years of Pinball Expo' panel with industry pioneers
Legendary pinball designer; gave Fireside Chat at Expo; discussed 12-18 month design cycles, home vs. location design philosophy, and patent history.
Legendary pinball designer; presented Dialed-In! seminar with development team (Ted Estes, Joe Katz, David Thiel, Keith Johnson)
Legendary pinball designer; designed unreleased Wizard Blocks for Pinball 2000 platform
Legendary pinball designer; designed Dialed In! for Jersey Jack; collaborated with John Youssi since Whirlwind (1990)
Legendary pinball designer; created Grand Prix (2005 Stern production)
Legendary pinball designer, designer of Roller Coaster Tycoon and Monopoly for Stern; reflects on career and industry future
Legendary pinball designer; designed Monopoly (2001)
Famed pinball designer collaborating with JJP on a new original-game to launch spring 2016
Legendary designer; Chris Granner collaborated with him on multiple games
Legendary pinball designer appointed to manage the Illinois operation (Streamwood/Bensonville) to regain control after period of ineffective management
Legendary pinball designer; through Pat Lawlor Design, provided website domain hosting services for Illinois Pinball
Legendary pinball designer who created the playfield layout used for Family Guy and now being re-themed for Shrek
Legendary pinball designer; designing Family Guy for Stern, scheduled for January 2007 test and ATEI show appearance
Legendary pinball designer; collaborated with Gary Stern on Monopoly; involved in Pat Lawlor Design merchandise venture
Legendary pinball designer; designed Addams Family and Twilight Zone; leading Monopoly pinball project for Stern
Legendary pinball designer; designing new Pro Pinball game after 4-year hiatus since CSI (2008)
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Monopoly, Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Funhouse, Whirlwind, Earthshaker
Legendary pinball designer who returned from retirement to design Dialed In! for JJP; designed 18 games including The Addams Family and CSI
Legendary pinball designer of original 1990 Williams Funhouse
Game designer credited with Willy Wonka design intent regarding optional left out lane post
Legendary designer; designed Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; designed Dialed In! for Jersey Jack Pinball
Original designer of Funhouse; known for two-in-lanes-on-one-side design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer, creator of 1992 Addams Family pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer; designed Toy Story and Willy Wonka for JJP; reportedly on hiatus
Legendary pinball designer leading design team for Toy Story 4; designer of The Addams Family, best-selling pinball machine of all time
Legendary pinball designer credited as designer of Toy Story pinball
Legendary pinball designer; officially confirmed as designer of Jersey Jack Pinball's next upcoming game
Referenced in context of past feuds with Steve Ritchie; not directly discussed
Legendary pinball designer credited with designing Stern's Monopoly pinball machine
Leadership at JJP; provided closing remarks about 2021 gratitude and 2022 outlook
Legendary pinball designer at Williams, designer of Earthshaker, Whirlwind, Funhouse, Addams Family; original owner of the 1962 Flipper Cowboy from 1973
Legendary pinball designer; designed Dialed In
Legendary pinball designer; designed Banzai Run, reportedly his first or earliest game for Williams
Legendary pinball designer; Thomas Crofts cites Twilight Zone (Lawlor design) as design inspiration for catch-and-shoot layouts
Legendary pinball designer of No Good Gophers
Legendary pinball designer; Chris indicates he could fill the entire demo list with Lawlor tables only
Designer of Banzai Run; pioneering early designer whose iterative approach set tone for machine design in the era
Pinball designer referenced for Earthshaker (1989) as example of distinctive design era; contrasted with earlier designers
Legendary pinball designer; designer of both Dialed In! and new Willy Wonka table for Jersey Jack
Legendary Williams pinball designer; designed Whirlwind and Earthshaker!
Legendary pinball designer; designed FunHouse (1990)
Lead designer of Earthshaker (1989)
Legendary pinball designer; member of Star Wars Episode I design team
Williams pinball designer who created Addams Family and Twilight Zone with extensive toys and features
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed NASCAR (#2) and Ripley's (#1); associated with deep, feature-rich games
Pinball designer known for smooth playfield design; designed Willy Wonka for JJP
Legendary pinball designer; Joe's stated favorite designer; created vertical playfield prototype 'Wrecking Ball' in his garage during 1980s-90s competitive design era
Legendary pinball designer; designed Funhouse; correction of earlier podcast misinformation
Designer of Dialed In; legendary pinball designer
Legendary pinball designer; recruited Grupp to Jersey Jack in 2019; served as engineering director at JJP; car enthusiast who worked with Grupp on racing projects
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Toy Story 4
Jersey Jack designer; rumors he may retire after Toy Story release, which would reduce JJP design roster to three
Legendary pinball designer; referenced in context of Deep Root's design ambitions and licensing strategy
Legendary pinball designer; designed Dialed In (mentioned as underrated); Jersey Jack considering vault rerelease
Designer of Toy Story 4 pinball; positioned as prior GOTY frontrunner competing with Bond
Pinball designer known for variant inlane configurations while maintaining Italian bottom philosophy
Referenced as legendary designer; hosts question his design of Monopoly pinball's motor-driven saucer mechanism
Legendary pinball designer; reportedly taking time off from JJP with uncertain retirement status; may work with different manufacturer if continuing
Legendary pinball designer; designed Willy Wonka for Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer; keynote speaker at Expo 40th with panel including Larry DeMar, Greg Ferris, Roger Sharp, Chris Graner, Bill Krupp, Jack Wensley, Steve Ritchie; known for giving away parts and prototypes
Legendary pinball designer referenced as design inspiration for Looney Tunes artwork (Whirlwind aesthetic)
Legendary pinball designer; recently retired from Jersey Jack Pinball; designed Dialed In and Wonka for JJP
Designer of Toy Story pinball; has been working on game for ~3 years; legendary designer known for strong playfield design
Head of game design at Jersey Jack Pinball; senior designer on multiple JJP titles
Legendary Williams designer; Cliff claims Twilight Zone is only truly great game he made; System 11 era designs criticized
Legendary pinball designer; involved with Jersey Jack Pinball poster design for Willie Wonka meet-and-greet package
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; designed Willy Wonka, Wizard of Oz, Twilight Zone; discussed design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer brought back to JJP in 2013; designed Dialed In
Legendary pinball designer; collaborated with George Gomez on Pinball 2000 using Commodore Amiga 2000
Legendary pinball designer; credited with statement that WMS Gaming 'saved gaming, but it certainly killed pinball'
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Abyss (discussed in pricing segment)
Legendary pinball designer; quoted in documentary saying designers always try their best; referenced by Alan as authority on game design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; created LLR Designs as contractor to Stern; designed Safecracker, Monopoly, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Ripley's, and NASCAR
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned as peer to Ritchie and Christian in terms of design prestige and sales success
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Roadshow and other games discussed in episode
Legendary pinball designer (Twilight Zone, Addams Family, Medieval Madness); seminar speaker at Expo 41
Jersey Jack Pinball designer known for dialed-in design approach with mechs and stop-and-go mixed with flow
Legendary pinball designer; created NASCAR; first game Banzai Run (1988); final credited game Toy Story 4 (Jersey Jack); known for multi-flipper designs and interactive mechs; respected by industry peers like Steve Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; frequently collaborated with Granner on games including Addams Family, Roadshow, Whirlwind, and others
Legendary Williams designer who championed Funhouse's ambitious scope and overrode cost constraints to deliver premium Rudy head mechanism
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; interviewed Mark during recruitment; drew parallels between Mark's garage-built approach and his own career
Referenced for Wonka design; licensing pivot from Toy Story 1 to Willy Wonka created production challenges for Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer; creator of Whirlwind; major influence on Brian Eddy's early interest in pinball and design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; credited as designer of CSI, The Addams Family, and Twilight Zone
Designer credited on Willy Wonka pinball machine; presented during official reveal at Midwest Gaming Classic; described as proud of the machine
Legendary pinball designer; referenced as creator of 'Lawler license' design philosophy; mentioned regarding Black Knight comparisons
Legendary designer; referenced in context of excellent layouts but occasionally flawed ball routing decisions
Legendary pinball designer; quoted by Rhodes on design philosophy of Addams Family ('easy to understand, hard to beat')
Legendary pinball designer; designed one of the two primary playfield platforms used for private-label games
Legendary pinball designer; created Willy Wonka for Jersey Jack, described as 'Pat Lawlor-esque' in style
Legendary pinball designer; Pat Lawlor was locked in to design JJP's game number three; has his own Safe Cracker collection
Legendary pinball designer confirmed to design first Jersey Jack machine of 2019; rumored to prefer standard body machines
Legendary pinball designer at Williams with electrical engineering degree; worked with Granner on Whirlwind
Legendary pinball designer; subject of this episode covering his early career at Bally, Williams, and Stern; known for detailed design philosophy and somewhat introverted personality
Legendary pinball designer; referenced in context of Addams Family and as benchmark designer; implicitly criticized by hosts for Addams Family being credited with modes
Legendary pinball designer mentioned by Jack as collaborator/mentor figure at Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; came out of retirement to design Dialed In for Jersey Jack with creative freedom on theme selection
Veteran pinball designer rumored to be designing next Jersey Jack Pinball game (Toy Story)
Designer of original 1990 Williams Funhouse game being remade by Pedretti Gaming
Legendary pinball designer; referenced in discussion of diamond-coat durability problem creating market saturation; quoted perspective on industry design mistakes.
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; previously worked with Steve Ritchie at Bally Williams; addressed rumors of interpersonal conflict.
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be designing next Jersey Jack Pinball title (possibly Toy Story)
Legendary pinball designer; rumored next Jersey Jack project is Toy Story; expected 2021 or later
Jersey Jack designer; speculation that his game is next in queue following Guns N' Roses; known for stop-and-go design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; mentoring Eric (likely Eric Meunier); providing precedent for designer succession planning
Legendary pinball designer; frequently cited as well-known playfield design creative; example of recognized designer vs. overlooked code contributors.
Legendary pinball designer; referenced as enduring figure whose legacy will eventually be recognized as 'past' like earlier designers
Legendary pinball designer; designed Toy Story, Wonka, Dalvin; episode critique suggests Toy Story playfield represents quality step-down from prior Lawlor work
Legendary pinball designer; credited with working on flipper improvements for Toy Story
Legendary designer; referenced as Ritchie's 'mortal enemy'; shown standing with Ritchie in Jersey Jack announcement photos
Legend designer still at Jersey Jack Pinball during Avatar development; provided advice to Mark Seiden
Legendary pinball designer; designed Toy Story 4; praised for delivery of fully-coded, market-ready game at launch; appears at Pintastic show seminar discussing game creation.
Lead designer of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; legendary pinball designer known for primary color palettes, cute toy-like mechanics, and thematic integration; described as great leader and visionary
Legendary pinball designer; now at Jersey Jack Pinball; greeted Ritchie upon arrival; peer relationship spanning decades
Legendary designer referenced as example of someone who entered industry through homebrew design (wrecking ball reference)
Designer of original Williams Funhouse (1990)
Legendary pinball designer; presented seminar at Pinball Expo 2019 on geometry and design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer who designed original No Good Gophers
Legendary pinball designer; appearing at 2024 Expo for his final time as a speaker; will participate in 40-year retrospective panel with Larry DeMar, Roger Sharp, and others.
Referenced jokingly by Trudeau as designer of Gopher games (likely Caddyshack-related comment).
Legendary pinball designer; Nightmare Before Christmas gameplay compared to Lawlor's style
Legendary pinball designer; Massenkoff expressed appreciation for his game designs
Legendary pinball designer; games are favored by Jack White; referenced as industry benchmark
Legendary Williams game designer; created Earthshaker; Bruce defends design but Ron criticizes rule exploitation
Legendary pinball designer; returned to industry with Jersey Jack; designed Dialed In; presented at Pinball Expo alongside Joe.
Legendary pinball designer known for Whirlwind, Roadshow, and Funhouse
Legendary Williams designer; Papaduke cites him as key mentor during his early Williams career
Legendary pinball designer; early Williams career focus; created Wrecking Ball/Banzai Run prototype; protagonist of episode
Legendary pinball designer; hosts plan future episode discussing his origin story
Legendary pinball designer known for 'stop and start' gameplay mechanics and carnival-inspired design philosophy; games include Earthshaker, Ripley's, Monopoly, No Good Gophers
Legendary pinball designer; Mike is a fan of his work, particularly Whirlwind and Earthshaker
Designer of Red and Ted's Roadshow (1994); unofficial Funhouse sequel
Legendary pinball designer; created The Addams Family (40,233 units sold, surpassing 8-Ball's 20,233 as best-selling after special gold edition release in 1992)
Legendary pinball designer; discussed shaker motor history and Joe Kamikow's innovations in TopCast interview referenced by Sean
Legendary modern pinball designer; referenced as having rediscovered and refined Harry Williams' innovations (e.g., power magnets in Addams Family, four flippers in Silver Skates concept); owns collection of his own games
Legendary pinball designer; designed Addams Family (21,270 units, all-time best-seller) and Twilight Zone; only Super Pins designer to design two games in the series
Legendary pinball designer; designed Addams Family, best-selling pinball machine of all time; popularized hidden magnets mechanic.
Legendary pinball designer; consultant designer at Stern alongside Gomez and Steve Ritchie in mid-2000s; known for family-friendly themes; partnered with Gomez on Pinball 2000 platform
Williams designer specializing in original family-friendly themes with natural disaster elements (Whirlwind, Earthshaker); expressed design pride in original works
Legendary pinball designer; referenced in discussion regarding Monopoly and other games; mentioned as counterpoint to Ritchie's design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer credited as pioneer of mechanical toys/mechs in pinball; designed games like Banzai Run, Earthshaker, Whirlwind, Addams Family
Legendary pinball designer; designed Twilight Zone; referenced anecdote about realizing design mistakes too late in production
Legendary 1990s pinball designer known for extra ball-driven game design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; Mandalorian table design inspiration
Classic pinball designer; Chris expressed love for his table designs
Legendary pinball designer referenced as comparison for innovative design approach; Jack Danger's design style compared favorably to Lawlor's legacy.
Legendary pinball designer, creator of Toy Story 4 for JJP, also designed Dialed In; his recent Stern-era games discussed as lacking innovation
Runs Jersey Jack Pinball; historical tensions with Steve Ritchie dating to Williams era; unlikely to collaborate
Pinball designer; Steve Ritchie cited Roadshow as favorite Lawlor design
Classic pinball designer; Dialed In designed by him; used as example of design prestige not correlating with location play performance
Designer of Twilight Zone (1993); creator of Attack from Mars; exemplifies 'used every inch perfectly' design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer known for stop-and-go shooting gallery approach; contrasted with Eric's flowing game design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer whose stop-and-go design philosophy is compared to John Borg's approach on this game
Pinball designer who attended Rick Chevy's pre-Expo parties; referenced as respected industry figure.
Legendary pinball designer (Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Whirlwind); returning to Expo for seminar; indicated previous year would be final appearance
Pinball designer; associated with mysterious 'red button' that interviews are prohibited from asking about
Pinball designer who created Family Guy playfield; credited with excellent design work on the game