John Borg is a legendary mechanical engineer and pinball designer with a 37+ year career spanning from 1987 to present, beginning as a draftsman at Gottlieb before becoming lead designer at Data East and eventually returning to Stern Pinball in 2007. He is renowned for pioneering ramp innovations, System 3 flippers, difficult fast-paced shot layouts, and securing major 1990s licenses including Star Wars (1992). At Stern, Borg has designed or co-designed over 20 acclaimed machines including Metallica, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and The Walking Dead, establishing himself as a cornerstone of modern pinball design through his signature mechanical elements and collaborative approach.
John Borg designed Aerosmith and characteristically uses two left inlanes and one right inlane
John Borg designed Rush, Metallica, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the recent Fall Empire Star Wars game
John Borg designs feature fast gameplay times and easy-to-understand rules
John Borg has designed or worked on approximately 75 pinball games total, with about 50 since 1991
Pinball designer who designed Rush, Metallica, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Fall Empire Star Wars
Game designer of Aerosmith for Stern Pinball, known for signature design elements like two left inlanes and one right inlane
Legendary Stern designer credited for concept and mechanical engineering on Austin Powers
Designer of original Metallica; Aerosmith playfield artwork references 'same artist that did original Metallica' (likely referencing Borg's design era)
Legendary pinball designer at Stern, creator of the Fall of the Empire playfield; known for ramp innovations and signature house style
Pinball designer credited with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; noted for eclectic design and deep but accessible rules
No linked glossary terms
Star Wars pinball (1991) was John Borg's first major game
John Borg chose a pinball design position at Premier Technology over a higher-paying hydraulics engineer role because pinball would be more fun
The original Star Wars pinball machine is currently on display at the Stern factory showroom
John Borg's education in plastics engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical drafting, and CAD provided ideal preparation for pinball design work
Stern Pinball has experienced significant growth and is hiring many young designers
John Borg is currently building one pinball machine and planning to start another within a few weeks
KISS Limited Edition was designed by John Borg
John Borg made the tunnel shot easier in the Remaster by moving the pops and possibly the ramp.
John Borg designed both Star Wars and Walking Dead Remastered simultaneously
John Borg designed Jurassic Park (Data East, 1993)
John Borg admitted to rushing Star Wars in an eight-month design cycle
John Borg has designed 50-60 games across his career
Borg's first game was Data East Star Wars (1992)
Disney did not have a Death Star II model available, so Borg used Death Star I with added damage
The AT-AT toy required complex engineering including cast iron model modification with jointed legs and motorized crank arm
John Borg was disappointed with The Lost World movie compared to his expectations from the early script
The snagger truck mechanic was described as more prominent in early script than in final movie
The Walking Dead Premium pinball machine was designed by John Borg
John Borg also designed the original 1992 Star Wars Data East pinball machine
John Borg designed The Munsters
John Borg has been on a three-game production sprint over 18 months (Metallica Remastered, Star Wars FoTE, Walking Dead Remastered)
John Borg designed three major pinball games simultaneously over approximately 18 months (Metallica Remastered, Star Wars: Fall of the Empire, Walking Dead Remastered)
John Borg is the designer of The Walking Dead Remastered
John Borg only had 8-9 months to design Star Wars versus standard 18-month production schedule
Crossbow now has a special encoder for smart fire auto-targeting functionality
Michael Rooker recorded new voice acting material that was never used in the original 2014 Walking Dead
The remaster includes custom voice acting from Michonne and 8-9 other characters beyond Michael Rooker
A legacy 2014 mode is available as a selectable option from the gameplay menu
Team play and co-op modes are coming to Walking Dead Remastered
Bicycle Girl zombie sound effects are currently missing but scheduled to return in the next code update
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire was originally licensed for a single movie, then expanded to full trilogy during development
John Borg designed Metallica (released October 2024), Star Wars: Fall of the Empire, and The Walking Dead Remastered simultaneously starting December 2024/January 2025
Death Star ball lock rejection issues on Fall of the Empire are being addressed with a bracket kit featuring a larger opening, tested successfully on recent production runs
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire is designed such that every shot is reachable within 30 seconds of plunge, prioritizing accessibility and reward for casual players
Disney mandated that the AT-AT on Fall of the Empire include guns on the front, affecting mechanical design feasibility
The Walking Dead Remastered will add mini-wizard modes at 30 and 60+ kill milestones to reduce difficulty of Last Man Standing challenge
Walking Dead Remaster will include new voice work from cast members (Michonne, Daryl, Maggie, Carol, T-Dog) integrated over multiple post-launch updates
Fall of the Empire Jedi magnet save operates asymmetrically with different mechanics depending on which outlane the ball drains from, requiring specific timing
John Borg designed Star Wars: Fall of the Empire as the first game where a player can plunge and hit nearly every shot within 30 seconds
Metallica Remastered released in October 2024
Star Wars development began in December 2024 after Metallica Remastered Expo showing
Walking Dead Remastered project was added in early January 2025, overlapping with Star Wars development
Death Star ball lock rejection issue has been fixed with a bracket featuring larger opening, tested on recent production runs
Star Wars LE model features four speakers in speaker panel vs two speakers in standard configuration
Walking Dead Remastered will receive months of additional code development post-launch including wizard mode enhancements and difficulty balancing
Spike 3 platform required back panel to move half-inch to function as playfield stiffener, necessitating comprehensive ramp redesign work
Robert Lassi is a new illustrator who created cabinet art for Walking Dead Remastered
Borg did not take vacation last summer due to compressed game development timeline
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire features a 'fan' layout design pattern consistent with John Borg's earlier work
The original Metallica debuted in 2013 and was designed by John Borg
John Borg designed both Star Wars and Walking Dead Remastered in 2025
The left ramp on Walking Dead Remastered has been modified to be more shootable/wider than the original, addressing a notorious tournament difficulty
The Well Walker zombie now moves via solenoid instead of only responding to ball strikes
The crossbow was updated with an encoder for improved functionality
Custom audio callouts feature Merle and Michonne from the original series
Robert Lassi is a fantasy and horror illustrator who created artwork for the remaster
John Borg designed the original Walking Dead (2014) and leads the remaster development team
Star Wars was Data East's biggest-selling game of all time with over 10,000 units sold in a three-month period
Data East manufactured 200 games per day in a 30,000 square-foot building during Star Wars production
Joe Kaminkow redirected Borg's dinosaur-game design into Star Wars after learning Stephen Spielberg was making Jurassic Park
Axel Rose recorded only 4-5 usable speech lines during a 3-hour Guns N' Roses recording session
Jim Lovell sent Borg a Polaroid message years after Apollo 13 delivery stating 'I love this game. I play it all the time'
Lyman Sheets was credited as Last Action Hero designer despite not being the primary designer, to handle multi-contributor complexity
Mini Viper prototype sold for approximately $20,000 and 'bounced around' in overseas markets
Borg was offered a job as hydraulics engineer but took a $1,500/year pay cut to work in pinball because it would be more fun
John Borg's design pattern across his catalog emphasizes fast, challenging gameplay (Metallica, Guardians, Walking Dead, Star Wars)
John Borg typically develops a single game over 18 months
John Borg is currently working on Metallica Remastered, Star Wars, Walking Dead Remastered, and Indiana Jones simultaneously
John Borg's first game, Star Wars, sold gangbusters for Data East in part because of its theme but also because of the new design skills he brought to them
John Borg designed Rush pinball
The shooter lane rattle issues observed on Star Wars are similar to problems seen on other John Borg-designed games like Rush
Death Star toy accepts three ball locks via motorized target before releasing all three balls back to right flipper
Pro model lacks motorized AT-AT, moving center ramp, magnetic save, Stormtrooper/Vader/Tie Fighter/Jabba toys, and expression lighting
Spike 3 platform provides faster processor, larger higher-resolution display, and improved audio system with tweeter speaker compared to previous Spike generations
Magnetic Jedi save is comparable to Twilight Zone Magna-flip mechanic, functioning as a 'third flipper'
Star Wars was John Borg's first design
John Borg's right ramp design is a recurring signature across Rush, Metallica, and Guardians
John Borg has designed three games (Metallica, Fall of the Empire, Walking Dead) in approximately 12 months
John Borg had a nightmare during Star Wars Fall of the Empire development where six balls got stuck in the Sarlacc pit
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire development timeline was approximately one year from post-Metallica start (November/December 2023) through summer 2025 release
Death Star toy was undersized; designer would have made it bigger and pushed it back farther with additional design pass
Game playfield completely allocates real estate; no space for top lanes or traditional pop bumper cluster
Pop bumper placement in opposite playfield positions was experimental test that performed well and was retained despite deviation from Borg's typical cluster design
The playfield features 9 core shots spread in a fan layout, marking a departure from John Borg's typical house style
John Borg is known for consistently difficult layouts, but Fall of the Empire is notably more approachable
Star Wars Pinball was designed in a short time frame; the game feels rushed
John Borg's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had a difficult shooter, unlike most of his other games
AT-AT mechanic involves shooting spiral ramp to send it crashing down, mirroring The Empire Strikes Back scene
Death Star Multiball requires lowering shields and dismantling battle stations to save the galaxy
Jedi ball phase feature saves ball during gameplay to defeat the Empire
John Borg makes consistent, safe layouts similar to each other across games like Guardians, Metallica, and Kiss
John Borg is the designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire
John Borg is designing Star Wars
John Borg is one of the top pinball designers ever
John Borg designed Star Wars pinball in 1992 and is designing this 2025 Star Wars game as his second Star Wars design
John Borg designed Fall of the Empire
John Borg designed both the original Data East Star Wars (1992) and the new Fall of the Empire
John Borg is the designer on Star Wars Pinball
John Borg designed Kiss, Aerosmith, Rush, and Metallica pinball machines
Star Wars is designed by John Borg
John Borg is the designer of the upcoming Star Wars pinball machine
The new Star Wars game is designed by John Borg and covers Episodes IV, V, and VI
John Borg is the expected designer for Star Wars pinball
John Borg contributed the instrument cove capture-and-build-jackpot mechanic to Rush
John Borg designed Tales from the Crypt
The layout is a fan layout design by John Borg that is similar to Metallica in structure and approachability
John Borg designed the pointy-boy System 3 flippers while working briefly at Gottlieb before joining Data East
John Borg is designing Pokemon for Stern Pinball as compensation for failed Indiana Jones project
John Borg started his pinball career at Premier/Gottlieb in 1987, working on Victory as his first game
Borg received his first patent at age 23 for the inverted playfield mechanism on Lights Camera Action
Data East transitioned from manual vellum drafting to CAD during Tales from the Crypt, reducing playfield spotting costs to approximately $100
Star Wars pinball game was rapidly adapted from dinosaur mechanics after Joe Kamikow learned Steven Spielberg was developing a dinosaur-themed project
Borg and team worked 100-hour weeks during Hook development, sitting behind in-field machines to debug DMD display crashes
George Lucas's staff reported he was more excited about the Star Wars pinball presentation than he had been in months
Demi Moore declined to appear on Tales from the Crypt backglass due to concerns about operating game environments
Slash requested G and R shaped ramps for Guns N' Roses and was satisfied when Borg added the snake pit rose plunger
John Norris's countdown bonus mechanic on Victory was the first time Borg had seen that game rule concept implemented
Data East operated with a much smaller design team than Williams, with Joe Kamikow and Joe Baler as leads and Borg handling all mechanical engineering solo
John Borg obtained his first patent at age 23 for a mechanism on the Gottlieb game 'Lights, Camera, Action' featuring an upside-down turning playfield section
Joe Kaminkow directed Borg to convert a dinosaur-themed pinball game design into Star Wars after learning that Steven Spielberg was making a dinosaur film
Borg missed his 10-year high school reunion to fly to Skywalker Ranch to present the Star Wars pinball game to George Lucas
George Lucas' team reported that they hadn't seen him that excited in months after the Star Wars pinball presentation at Skywalker Ranch
Gottlieb's Vitrograph four-color process playfield failed due to moisture from the cabinet's transformer heat seeping under the mylar adhesive, causing bubbles and requiring expensive rebuilds
Data East operated from a 30,000-square-foot building at the time, significantly smaller than later manufacturing facilities
Demi Moore refused to appear on the Tales from the Crypt pinball backglass, requiring replacement with a Joe Pesci scene
Dwight Sullivan told Borg that he has designed more games than anyone except Wayne Nines
Data East designers worked 100-hour weeks during development, including all-nighters building games like Star Wars
Marcus Rothkrans airbrushed the Star Wars backglass in three days based on Borg's stick figure sketches
John Borg is designing a new Star Wars pinball entry for 2025
John Borg was designing a Raiders of the Lost Ark pinball game for Stern.
John Borg will design the next two Stern cornerstone games after King Kong.
John Borg's games (Metallica, Munsters, Iron Man) play substantially differently despite visual/structural similarities
John Borg desires a vintage pterodile machine with chain still in place
John Borg designed the original Metallica with a fan layout
Metallica Remastered development took approximately the same time as a brand new game from scratch
John Borg spent 5-6 months designing a game for which Stern did not ultimately procure the license
John Borg is working on a new Tron remaster that will be on Spike 3 with modern lighting, Daft Punk music, and possibly new mechs.
John Borg is developing a Tron remake modernizing the original 1982 Tron game
James Hetfield was recruited to record speech for Metallica with only 3 days' notice (learned Monday, recorded Thursday).
All four members of Metallica re-recorded dialogue after learning James had participated, resulting in approximately 400-500 additional dialogue lines for the Remaster.
The Roadcase edition of original Metallica was produced in approximately 150 units, making it rarer than the LE versions.
Metallica Remastered required approximately the same development time as a full new game despite being a remaster, due to playfield relayout, new lighting, and new artwork.
The disappearing ball magnet in original Metallica failed after 300,000 cycles; the redesigned version in Remaster passed 500,000 cycles in testing before shutdown.
John Borg worked at Gottlieb (Premier Gottlieb) for three years before being hired by Data East in 1990.
Slash requested that John Borg create custom G and R-shaped ramps for the Guns N' Roses pinball machine.
John Borg spent 5-6 months designing a pinball game after Rush that did not receive a license due to a failed package deal, and the custom toys designed for it will be repurposed in future projects.
The pinball industry makes significant technological and manufacturing leaps approximately every 10 years.
Metallica Remastered features cannot be retrofitted to original Metallica machines because they require playfield inserts that do not exist on the original.
John Borg proposed Beavis and Butthead to Stern and it was rejected
Production of Metallica Remastered begins next week
The new Spooky Pinball facility improved workflow efficiency by 15-20 minutes per department per day
Spooky Pinball manufactures most components in-house rather than outsourcing
The new facility took 12 months to design before implementation
The old facility required playfields to be transported between multiple buildings during assembly
The new facility layout improves workflow efficiency by 15-20 minutes per department per day
Metallica remaster features millimeter-level playfield adjustments to improve shot flow and gameplay
John Borg designed the original Metallica pinball machine
John Borg invested more hours in Metallica Remastered than original and added 1,000 new call-outs
Metallica Vault Edition is John Borg's best game
I took the job in pinball for fifteen hundred dollars less a year because I knew it would be more fun
Star Wars was my first game and it sold over 10,000 copies in a three-month period
Star Wars did probably about 500 units more than Lethal Weapon 3
We were making 200 games a day in a 30,000-square-foot building during Star Wars production
I received my first patent on a mechanical feature for Lights, Camera, Action
Joe Balser had started working for Stern before I joined Data East
Hook did 6,000-7,000 units compared to prior baseline of 3,000-4,000 units per game
Guns and Roses was my third game design
I was cougar Curtis's best buddy for a while and petted him before he swatted me with his paw
Jim Lovell sent me a signed Polaroid message 5-6 years after we delivered Apollo 13, saying 'John I love this game I play it all the time'
Sparky has been enhanced with UV lighting effects on the torso
The Expression Lighting system synchronizes with the music as you play
A John Borg-designed Indiana Jones game exists in some form within Stern Pinball but will never be released.
John Borg designed an Indiana Jones pinball game that was shelved after license loss
John Borg designed the original Metallica machine
John Borg's reputation for brutal, difficult game designs makes him a good match for the mature John Wick franchise
John Borg's next game is second in Stern's release queue, not immediately next
John Borg is designing a new Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure game for Stern Pinball
John Borg may design the new Metallica machine
John Borg co-designed Rush with Randy and Tim (Sexton)
John Borg's Metallica features left-right ramps and Sparky multiball
John Borg was laid off from Stern after Austin Powers in 2000 and spent seven years designing kitchen equipment for H&K (some installed in McDonald's and hospitals) before returning to Stern in 2007
Indiana Jones licensing was extremely restrictive: Borg saw only a 35-second PowerPoint presentation, no script access, and was forbidden from keeping notes
Borg's Data East era games were significantly more 'clunky' than his later Stern designs, showing stylistic development over 10-15 years
John Borg championed illustrated artwork in pinball by convincing Gary Stern to allow Dirty Donnie's art on Metallica against initial opposition
John Borg is the second-best pinball designer in the world currently, held back only by B-tier theme assignments
John Borg has been designing John Wick for almost two years since finishing Rush
John Borg is expected to be the designer of John Wick pinball
John Borg is designing a confirmed Stern Pinball title that will release after Jaws
John Borg will not be designing a He-Man pinball game
John Borg also designed Guardians, Indiana Jones, and Metallica
Rush pinball was designed by John Borg and released in 2022
John Borg is the likely designer for He-Man, not Jack Danger
John Borg has been designing increasingly tight and difficult shot layouts in recent games, moving away from more open play
John Borg is not designing Indiana Jones pinball
John Borg was chosen as the lead designer because of his status as the speaker's favorite game designer
Godzilla toppers and Rush toppers are complete and waiting for production window at the factory per John Borg
John Borg is working on two games simultaneously
Original Rush design featured left scoop with subway entrance that was cut
John Borg is currently working on his next game
John Borg likely was initially assigned to design Iron Maiden before reassignment
John Borg is a huge Rush fan and designed Rush Pinball with fast gameplay requiring precise shot accuracy
John Borg has worked in pinball for 37+ years starting from 1987
Borg received his first patent in 1988 while at Gottlieb, his second year
Borg's R2-D2 on Data East Star Wars was constructed from a whiffle ball and broke from play
James Hetfield recorded 400-500 lines of speech for Metallica pinball before other band members knew
The double/single inline lane design is Borg's solution to prevent 'boards' and provide player recovery options
Borg chose pinball job over hydraulics company position for less money because he thought it would be more fun
Metallica pinball is widely considered one of the greatest/favorite pinball machines by the community
Rush playfield layout is nearly identical to X-Men with Wolverine character removed
The diverter ball-slowing issue on the stream machine is a manufacturing defect, not design intent, and would be fixed immediately by John Borg if he had been present.
Stern has recently added new sounds to Rush and is evaluating them accordingly.
Rush Pinball has a packed layout similar to 90s John Borg designs with reused mechanical elements.
Rush lacks sufficient crossover appeal compared to Keith Elwin-designed games like Iron Maiden because Elwin has broader design philosophy appeal
Rush is similar in layout to a combination of Austin Powers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, and Lord of the Rings games
John Borg is the likely designer of the upcoming winter Rush pinball machine
John Borg strategically avoids podcast appearances due to fear of irritating Stern management
John Borg entered the pinball industry in 1987 through Premier Technology by accidentally responding to a job posting while looking for work in hydraulics.
Borg designed the distinctive end-of-stroke Gottlieb System 3 flippers as a way to improve flipper power without infringing on Data East and Williams patent designs.
Borg was surprised that the Jurassic Park game turned out as well as it did, given the design constraints.
John Borg entered the pinball industry by accident in 1987 after seeing a newspaper job posting for Premier Technology, discovering it was a pinball factory during his interview.
Borg worked as a draftsman under Ray Tanzer and John Norris at Gottlieb's Premier Technology division.
Borg patented a playfield mechanism at Premier that flipped and delivered a ball to another side of the playfield, which Williams later used in Bride of Pinbot.
Borg designed Gottlieb's end-of-stroke flippers to achieve 50-volt power output while avoiding patent infringement on competitor flipper designs.
After three years at Gottlieb, Borg left for Data East because Data East had a more daring and innovative design philosophy.
Borg designed a dinosaur mech with a magnet in its mouth and grabbing arms for an unreleased Data East dinosaur game, and these arms were later adapted for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Borg's work at Premier/Gottlieb focused on mechanical engineering support, ramp design, and plastics engineering—areas where he had formal training.
John Borg designed many games for Data East, Sega, and Stern Pinball
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has a layout by John Borg that may be his best work
John Borg began his career as a mechanical engineer working to realize designers' concepts before transitioning to design
Mechanical durability and toy functionality under ball impact stress is underestimated in difficulty by non-engineers
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball team achieved exceptional effort ('110%') on the project
Borg's design priority is creating games that are easily serviceable and repairable by operators and technicians
John Borg has dialed in his shot design over 20-30 years in pinball, and TMNT Pro is one of the smoothest shooting pins available
John Borg completed TMNT game design approximately six months prior to May 2020 launch
The game has been in development for over a year
The spinning pizza mechanic uses a DC gear motor that is reversible
John Borg is the designer of the rumored TMNT pinball game
John Borg has not made a bad game in years and his games 'shoot well'
John Borg designed Tron (Pro 2011)
John Borg's Guardians of the Galaxy design was less unique and resembled Metallica too closely
The Munsters has a good layout by John Borg but weak rules that hold it back
John Borg is designing TMNT pinball
X-Men was designed by John Borg
John Borg has wanted to design a Munsters pinball game for approximately 20 years
Borg spent two months reviewing all 70 episodes of The Munsters TV show to extract dialogue and content for the game
The Herman shot is designed as an open, easy-to-make ramp that players will shoot frequently
The 180-degree ramp is a feature Borg had implemented in a previous game 125 years ago (unclear reference)
Grandpa's Laboratory mini-playfield is exclusive to LE and Premium tiers of The Munsters
The game's music was intentionally designed to sound retro and fit the 1960s sitcom aesthetic
The game emphasizes pressure-luck gameplay mechanics enabling stacking of super jackpots and strategic collection decisions
The Munsters game was designed to be accessible to novice, expert, and tournament-level players simultaneously
Team members were humorously assigned Munsters character archetypes (John=Grandpa, Dwight=Herman, Chuck=Lily, Elliot=Marilyn)
John Borg believes Monsters has his best playfield layout
John Borg included Easter eggs in Munsters artwork, including the expiration date on a can of food matching the final Munsters TV episode air date
The 180-degree ramp in Munsters uses a wire form cupping mechanism to prevent balls with insufficient momentum from falling out
John Borg learned from ramp design problems on Walking Dead and applied improvements to Munsters' 180-degree ramp
John Borg pitched the Munsters as a pinball theme for 25 years before securing the license.
Dwight Sullivan and John Borg last worked together on Sharky Shootout in 1999.
John Borg designed the game mechanics for Avatar pinball
John Borg confirmed Munsters is the next Stern Pinball title
John Borg has been in the pinball industry for almost 30 years
John Borg rejected two complete art packages for Guardians because they included trading card designs
John Borg designed Guardians of the Galaxy expecting to work on Iron Maiden license
Guardians of the Galaxy has eight character-specific modes, each with unique rules and shots tied to story progression.
The Groot toy uses a motorized jaw to grab balls, affect their direction, and shoot them back into play.
John Borg designed two games for Stern in 2017 (Aerosmith and Guardians of the Galaxy)
Star Wars pinball features 16 selectable missions covering Episodes IV, V, and VI
The game includes over 400 scenes from the three movies that play during gameplay
The Hyperspace Accelerator uses four magnet coils with software-controlled delay to accelerate balls progressively
This is approximately the designer's 30th pinball game
Destroying the Death Star leads to a victory multiball mode
The designer is more emotionally connected to Star Wars than any other project they've worked on
The game design prioritizes smooth, fluid ball movement and 'combo' shots for continuous gameplay
Groot multiball is John Borg's favorite feature in the game
No future coding will include content from the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie
Groot will not feature animated mouth movement like Vin Diesel voice acting
John Borg designed the Tron Legacy playfield layout
John Borg designed the Guardians of the Galaxy layout
The game features magnets on the playfield that will give it a different gameplay feel than Metallica despite similar layout
John Borg has two main layout design types: fun/shot-based (Metallica, Iron Man, Guardians) and third-flipper/X-Men/Tron style layouts
John Borg designed the game layout for Guardians of the Galaxy pinball
John Borg is the art director for the next Stern game
John Borg has designed approximately 25-30 games over his career
Aerosmith pinball features 30 minutes of lip-synced animation of Steven Tyler
John Borg designed Guns N' Roses pinball in the 1990s
The toy box toy was inspired by the Aerosmith song 'Toys in the Attic'
The elevator toy was inspired by the Aerosmith song 'Love in an Elevator'
X-Men (2012) was designed by John Borg
Gene Simmons' head is the most awesome feature of the game.
John Borg designed The Walking Dead pinball machine
This may be the first zombie-themed pinball machine ever made
The Walking Dead pinball will be 'the goriest pinball machine in existence'
Layout design was a significant challenge for this project
The Walking Dead has enormous fandom potential to bring new players into pinball
John Borg designed Walking Dead
The hammer mechanism is the most complicated feature on the game and requires careful solenoid and spring balancing
The cross toy will erupt 4.5-5 inches out of the playfield when actuated by a motor with magnet-throw mechanics
Metallica is my favorite game and my favorite band of all time
Snake multiball is activated by spelling SNAKE through sequential icon shots after feeding the snake
Electric chair toy is triggered by shooting the target between Sparky's legs
Grave marker multiball requires three drop target knockdowns followed by shooting the grave marker itself
Casket multiball is started by locking three balls via pick-shaped targets with Metallica M logo
X-Men LE will have more mechanisms than any other LE game Stern has made
Comic book style guide has 10 times more material than movie style guide for X-Men
Wolverine mechanism went through 5-6 iterations during development
Metal truck modification on Iceman ramp has never been done in pinball before
Comic book-based pinball machines haven't been done in a long time, if ever
X-Men comic books provide 50-60 years of content material compared to three movies
The game shoots fantastically well and will appeal to both hardcore and novice players
X-Men LE features a motorized Iceman ramp that pivots across the playfield during play to change shot routes
Wolverine toy uses an electromagnet that energizes when struck and throws the ball back toward the player
Magneto multiball is triggered by locking four balls into the Magneto lock area
Nightcrawler pop-up targets teleport between left and right sides of the playfield during timed modes
Game features seven villain features and two wizard modes (Dark Phoenix and Danger Room)
John Borg designed Avatar for Stern Pinball
NBA will be the next Stern Pinball game after Game 24
A rock and roll game licensed to a major rock band was cancelled due to licensing failure
John Borg's Data East Star Wars was his first pinball game design
John Borg returned to Stern in 2007 and Indiana Jones was his first game since returning
Slash had design input on the Guns N' Roses pinball game and contributed an unreleased GnR song
Steve Ritchie was designing a game to follow Game 24 but its license status is uncertain
John Borg is actively pushing for The Munsters as a future Stern pinball theme
Game 24 is described as 'a very nice game' and 'being well received'
BMX riding influenced John Borg's approach to ramp design in pinball
John Borg entered the pinball industry in 1987 by applying for a draftsman job at Premier Technology after seeing a Chicago Tribune ad.
Borg was hooked on the Stern game Flight 2000 before entering the industry and saw a lot of pinball in early 1980s arcades.
Borg designed the updated Gottlieb flipper unit that transitioned from 24-volt to 50-volt operation and resembled Data East/Williams flippers.
Star Wars was originally designed as a Jurassic Park game; when Data East lost the Jurassic Park license after 3-4 months, Borg converted the layout to Star Wars.
Star Wars sold over 10,000 units and was Marcus Rothkran's first art package with Data East.
Borg met George Lucas at Skywalker Ranch to present the Star Wars pinball game; Lucas gave a positive but understated reaction.
Tales from the Crypt used an actual QuickSet door handle as the ball launcher; if it broke, players could replace it at a hardware store.
Data East cost-cut Apollo 13 late in production by removing counter-rotating moon and earth platters (~$50 savings); five or six prototype playfields were patched and re-screened.
Legendary Stern pinball designer, creator of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire
Designer of original Walking Dead (2014) and lead developer of Remastered version
Designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire, known for iterative design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer involved in Metallica Remastered, Star Wars FoTE, and Walking Dead Remastered; on an intense production schedule
Designer of original Walking Dead (2014); contributed geometry tweaks and improvements to Walking Dead Remastered
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; collaborated with Davidson on Metallica Remastered and Rush; known for easygoing demeanor and enthusiastic rule ideas
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; created Metallica and worked with Raymond Davidson; described as easygoing, enthusiastic, full of ideas, and prone to suggesting rule concepts that developers refine
Pinball game designer credited with designing The Walking Dead and the original 1992 Data East Star Wars pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer credited with making changes to the Walking Dead Remastered, specifically the tunnel shot and ramp modifications
Legendary pinball designer; Don mentions hypothetically asking him about his design choices at casual events like Pinball at the Beach
Referenced in messaging about potential Star Wars themed mods; appears to be community member or industry contact
Pinball designer, designer of Walking Dead, Tron Legacy, Jurassic Park, and Avengers Premium; credited as innovative designer with unique shot layouts
Designer of upcoming Metallica game on Spike 3 for Stern Pinball (all-new design).
Stern designer responsible for the more recent Star Wars pinball machine not available in UK/Europe
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball, confirmed to be designing the next title after Jaws
Legendary pinball designer assigned to design the new Star Wars machine
Data East designer; worked on Guns N' Roses and Apollo 13; credited with proposing the 13-ball multiball concept
Pinball designer; described as 'one of the most humble people' in community; recipient of thank you note from host
Pinball designer; created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (called his best game by Ian), Guardians of the Galaxy, Munsters, and prior works
Creator of original Centaur machine; artwork by Christopher Franchi used in Centaur 2.0
Mechanic who worked with Balcer on multiple games including Aaron Spelling custom and Apollo 13
Pinball designer; designed Star Wars: Fall of the Empire for Stern; also designed Data East Star Wars (1990s)
Pinball machine designer known for music-themed games including Metallica, Rush, and Kiss; possibly an arena rock enthusiast
Pinball machine designer; Stephanie identifies as having skill on Borg-designed machines
Stern designer; designed new Star Wars; host considers him one of Stern's best designers
Pinball designer; reportedly wanted to design Munsters theme; noted as example of designer intent vs. community wishlist influence
Designer of new Stern Star Wars: Fall of the Empire machine
Pinball designer/industry figure mentioned by Franchi as example of 'rock star' in pinball
Pinball game designer; designed Turtles, Metallica, Kiss, Aerosmith; likely designer of rumored upcoming Rush machine
Pinball designer known for high-quality games; praised consistently by both hosts
Pinball designer; standing in front of Rush at Pintastic; George and Dave discuss whether to meet him
Pinball designer; Kaneda reports his game is second in queue after next Stern release, not immediately next
Designer of upcoming Metallica pinball game on Spike 3 platform
Involved with Data East's magnetized ball testing process for Tales from the Crypt and Last Action Hero; historical figure in pinball engineering
Designer working on Tron remaster. Host cites him as planning to add content to classic game.
Designer at Stern Pinball; Kaneda wonders what his next game will be post-Spike 3
Stern designer; designing new Metallica game on Spike 3 platform; upcoming Expo reveal
Legendary Stern game designer rumored to be designing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Zombie Yeti; previously designed Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness
Designer at Stern; potentially working on Pokemon pinball (speculation by Kaneda)
Designer mentioned as having unreleased game in 2025 pipeline (referenced generically, possibly not Stern-affiliated)
Designer of TMNT; brought fast, challenging layout with three ramps, orbits, and spinning pizza disc
Stern designer reportedly working on Star Wars Episode I-III game
Designer on Sharky Shootout; Dwight Sullivan worked with him as software engineer
Stern Pinball representative; invited to Munsters unboxing event
Lead game designer for Munsters Pinball at Stern; pitched the theme for 25 years; mechanically-focused CAD-first designer; known for games like Metallica, Walking Dead, and Iron Man.
Stern Pinball leader; manages large team including programmers, mechanical engineers, video/sound production staff
Stern Pinball designer; designed Guardians of the Galaxy, Kiss, and Aerosmith; may have been originally assigned Iron Maiden but was burned out on music pins
Designer of Munsters; appearing on the panel discussion same-day with creation team
Guest on Episode 33 roundtable discussion about Munsters game release
Pinball machine designer observed by Chuck Ernst doing hands-on spot welding and mechanical tweaking during design process
Lead game designer; guest on Special When Lit; participated in Munsters and Willy Wonka panel discussions
Stern designer; worked on Metallica remaster; Kaneda wondering when next new game from Borg will appear; speculation about workload and pipeline
Stern Pinball designer; expected to design next Stern release (Star Wars rumored)
Game designer of Rush layout; Jeff calls him 'your boy John Borg' and 'Borgie'; praised as legendarily skilled
Pinball designer; Nap Arcade speculated he might design Indiana Jones, but hosts' sources indicate he is not
Veteran pinball designer whose aesthetic is evoked by ABBA machine design; identified as Jeff Rivera's favorite designer
Legacy Stern designer; hosts speculate he had a game scrapped and may be working on Metallica remake
Stern Pinball designer working on Metallica Remastered for 18 months, initially had creative concerns about humor in Rush
Pinball designer; present at TPF 2024 but Dennis did not interact with him.
Stern pinball designer; leading design team for John Wick game
Stern game designer; designed John Wick, Kiss (newer version), Uncanny X-Men, Walking Dead, Tron, and other games; known for skilled plunger work
Original KISS designer; potential lead on KISS remaster for Stern; noted for John Borg-centric design approach.
Stern Pinball designer who pitched Beavis and Butthead to Stern leadership; received 'too risque' rejection
Pinball designer; mentioned as potential designer for Mike's F1 dream theme; brought Stern promotional banners to event
Pinball designer being considered for Kill Bill theme; described as 'fast and furious' designer
Stern Pinball designer; has upcoming game scheduled for 2025
Pinball designer credited with creating the brutal playfield layout for The Walking Dead
Pinball designer/figure met by Colin MacAlpine at Texas Pinball Festival
Stern pinball designer; anticipated designer of Rush band-themed pinball game
Galactic Tank Force 2 designer; reportedly also worked on Rush and Star Trek; featured prominently at Pintastic 2023
Stern Pinball game designer; expected to appear in upcoming Chicago stream (Thursday)
Stern Pinball designer confirmed for Star Wars; extensive prior game portfolio including Metallica, Rush, TMNT, Guardians, Walking Dead, Iron Man, Tron
Designer of Rush Pinball (Stern)
Designer of Spider-Man Vault machine; unlikely to attend the February 10th official showcase
Stern pinball designer; Kaneda suggests has 'work cut out for him' and people not eager for his next games compared to Elwin/Danger
Designer of original Metallica; anniversary edition expected to maintain 'John Borg like classic' design layout
Designer of Aerosmith pinball at Stern; was sick and unable to attend the stream
Designer of Stern Ninja Turtles; praised for consistent quality game design
Pinball designer at Stern Pinball who was developing Indiana Jones game before it was cancelled mid-project due to licensing disputes
Legendary pinball designer featured on Silver Ball Chronicles; designed Metallica
Rumored to have worked on Jaws pinball design initially before Keith Elwin took over
Stern designer; Indiana Jones shelved, rumored cause of John Wick accelerated design
Original designer of Metallica (the 2008 game being remastered)
Stern designer; host critiques for formulaic design approach and compares The Munsters unfavorably to other recent releases
Pinball designer who created Kiss Pinball (2015) for Stern; known for fast, easy-to-understand layouts
Stern designer; rumored to be designing next two cornerstone games after King Kong, including Tron
Lead game designer for Guardians of the Galaxy; speaks to design philosophy, character modes, Groot toy concept, and signs all LE units
Star Wars pinball designer; responsible for playfield design, rules, video, sounds, scoring, and lamp effects; claims ~30+ game design portfolio
Game designer at Stern Pinball, lead designer on Aerosmith, designer of approximately 25-30 games including Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Kiss
Legendary Stern Pinball game designer leading the KISS project; known for Metallica, Aerosmith, and other iconic titles.
Pinball designer; next game release anticipated as significant industry event
Designer of Rush pinball machine
Legendary Stern Pinball designer, expected to design Star Wars Episode 4-6 remake on Spike 3 platform
Designer of Pokemon Next (upcoming Stern title) mentioned as part of Stern's upcoming 'juggernaut' releases.
Led Zeppelin fan who would have appreciated Led Zeppelin pinball; may have been competing with Steve Ritchie for design rights
Core design team member on TMNT at Stern Pinball; involved in whiteboarding initial concepts
Works for Stern; prominent industry figure mentioned as networked community member
Stern pinball designer, referenced in context of game design direction
Scheduled to do seminar at Pintastic
Stern pinball designer; identified as Stern's lead designer post-Richie; designer of Rush, Guardians, Munsters, Ninja Turtles
Stern designer; allegedly worked on Raiders of the Lost Ark pinball game that was abandoned and possibly replaced by Star Wars prequels theme
Legendary pinball designer; designed Metallica, Antiquity, Rush, Kiss; appearing at Metallica launch party event
Spoke about Twippies award show quality expectations for upcoming year
Stern designer; Kaneda speculates he may design Indiana Jones based on designer rotation/availability
Stern Pinball designer; referenced in context of speculation about upcoming game design assignments
Designer of fully redesigned Metallica game on Spike 3 for Stern; release expected fall
Pinball designer; rumored to be working on Tron remake
Legendary Stern pinball designer who designed an Indiana Jones pinball game that was shelved after license loss
Pinball designer; had a game titled 'Indiana Hilton Jones' that was allegedly shelved, leading Kaneda to believe John Wick was a quick replacement design.
Stern Pinball designer; implied to lack recent hit games; host questions when his next success will come
Original Metallica game designer; same playfield layout expected for Spike3 Metallica remake with potential additions
Designer of Star Wars pinball; legendary Stern designer with 37+ year career; also designing The Walking Dead remastered next; frustrated about Indiana Jones being shelved
Stern designer of upcoming game (implied to be Star Wars). Criticized for not hyping or promoting his own game pre-launch, maintaining silence despite knowing release is imminent.
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy pinball machine
Designer at Stern; associated with Metallica 40th anniversary remake project
Stern Pinball designer; reported to have begun work on next game
Stern designer; rumored next game is Pokemon; Kaneda questions if Pokemon theme fits demographic
Associated with Metallica remaster design; criticized for Sparky head hot-glue design and oversized hammer mechanic decisions
Stern's lead designer; responsible for recent King Kong and upcoming Star Wars and other titles; subject of comparison with Spooky's improving reputation
Rumored designer of next Stern pinball machine (alleged Star Wars Episodes 1-3)
Legendary Stern Pinball designer with 37+ year career, worked on approximately 75 games including Star Wars, Metallica, Aerosmith, and Guardians of the Galaxy; joined Stern's predecessor (Premier Technology) in 1991
Stern designer; next upcoming title is Star Wars Episode 1-3
Modern pinball designer; known for layouts hosts enjoy; designed TMNT; mentioned in comparative designer analysis
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designed original Metallica; Kaneda speculates he may design the new version
Designer rumored to be making He-Man pinball for Stern Pinball
Stern pinball designer; confirmed as designer of John Wick; previously finished Rush; reported to be working on John Wick for nearly two years
Stern Pinball designer; reaffirmed by Kaneda as second-best designer despite accusations of cookie-cutter design and theme recycling; Rush won game of the year but perception is mixed
Designer at Stern; part of design team cited for excellence
Pinball designer; originally rumored for John Wick but may be replaced by Keith Elwin
Pinball designer potentially working on Indiana Jones; mentioned in context of upcoming Stern titles
Playfield designer for Rush at Stern; provides design direction and insists on specific feature implementation (e.g., lock targets, multiball triggers) while allowing programmer creative control on rules.
Designer of Rush Pinball for Stern
Stern Pinball designer; Kaneda criticizes him for not pushing the envelope; designs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rush, and Munsters but doesn't generate gushing from community.
Stern designer rumored to be designing John Wick; credited with SAM system work
Stern designer; Kaneda suggests potential collaboration with George Gomez on Back to the Future Arcade
Stern designer mentioned for potential layout work on dream Karate Kid game; updated Metallica remaster design
Stern designer; mentioned as talent that could potentially move to other manufacturers in hypothetical scenario
Designer/coder for Stern Pinball; part of Stern's elite design talent roster
Stern designer; Kaneda's pick for #2 overall designer; championed illustrated artwork revolution (Metallica); recent titles include Rush, Guardians of the Galaxy, Aerosmith, Kiss
Predicted designer of John Wick pinball at Stern; subject of betting between Kaneda and Jason Knapp
Cited designer potentially responsible for Rush pinball machine at Stern
Stern Pinball designer reported to have completed a game that lost its license and never released; widely respected designer
Pinball designer who created Rush for Stern; implied to have moved on to next project
Veteran Stern Pinball designer with 37+ years experience; originally from Data East; one of the two remaining most senior designers at Stern alongside Gomez.
Designer of Rush Pinball; legendary Stern designer mentioned as being present in chat during the Rush stream; pioneering ramp and layout innovator
Mentioned in chat as designer; compared to Tron in context of TMNT gameplay smoothness
Mentioned in passing ('What's up, Borg?') during gameplay; legendary designer status implied by context
Legendary Stern designer; possibly overseeing Metallica remake; rumored to be working on another title
Lead designer of The Walking Dead and recognized as prolific Stern game designer
Designer of original Metallica pinball machine (2013)
Lead designer for Rush pinball machine layout, close collaborator with Ed Robertson, described as having time luxury due to COVID shutdowns
Stern designer credited with Rush; praised by Kaneda for exceptional playfield design and shot flow
Designer of The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Sega)
Stern designer; was working on Monsters during The Beatles development
Stern Pinball designer, creator of Rush game, known for fun playfield design
Pinball designer referenced in connection with Stern games
Stern Pinball designer; collaborated with Thiel on multiple games including Iron Man; actively involved in sound direction and licensing negotiations
Legendary Stern designer; referenced regarding upcoming title rumors (Star Wars Skeleton Crew, etc.)
Rumored designer for upcoming John Wick pinball game from Stern; known designer in the industry
Legendary Stern designer; Scott consulted him regarding Rush side scoop troubleshooting, Borg provided step-by-step documentation
Stern designer; Kaneda argues would love to make Back to the Future given 1980s aesthetic preferences
Designer at Stern Pinball; one of three cornerstone designers producing annual releases
Stern designer of Rush pinball
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing Rush, known for ramps and elevated plastic elements
Historical pinball designer; cited as example of legacy designer Kaneda was unfamiliar with early in his hobby career
Stern Pinball designer working on Star Wars game expected in ~6 weeks
Attended Texas Pinball Festival drinking event with Geoff Teolas and others
Stern designer present at TPF 2023; designed game that won award but machine not displayed at festival
Stern designer; noted as Rush fanatic who will deliver quality design; track record of non-divisive games praised
Legendary Stern designer; mentioned as key figure securing Rush license; example of internal design leadership at Stern
Stern Pinball designer rumored to be working on Pokemon; previously screwed on Indiana Jones licensing
Lead designer of The Walking Dead Remastered and original Walking Dead; legendary mechanical engineer
Lead game designer of Walking Dead Remastered; appears in official Stern features video discussing mechanical updates
Veteran Stern pinball designer; present at Stern Pinball facility during author's game reveal visit
Mentioned as potential collaborator for live music/jam session panel idea
Designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire; legendary Stern designer known for Metallica, Aerosmith, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars
Legendary Stern designer; position as top Pro designer now challenged by Keith Elwin per stream commentary
Stern Pinball designer, mentioned in context of legendary designers
Designer referenced for Steve Richie-style shot banks used in Beetlejuice playfield layout
Stern Pinball designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire
Lead designer/programmer for Metallica Remastered 1.0; primary speaker discussing rule changes, mechanics, and design decisions throughout stream
Stern Pinball designer, mentioned as having 'work cut out for them' by Kaneda
Designer/layout creator for Munsters, good shooting design praised by hosts
Referenced in comparison story about awkward meeting; legendary Stern designer
Pinball designer; rumored to be designing TMNT; credited with Metallica, Aerosmith, Guardians, and fan layouts
Recently released Rush pinball; considered for Foo Fighters but unlikely given recent designer release pattern
Pinball designer; hosts critique his TMNT layout as too hard for kid-friendly theme, contrasting with Pokémon approach.
Pinball designer mentioned as favorite by hosts; designed The Munsters with great shots
Pinball designer; designed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Guardians of the Galaxy
Stern designer; rumored to have next major title in development pipeline; mentioned as upcoming cornerstones title
Designer at Stern Pinball; mentioned as person listening to podcast
Pinball designer credited with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles layout; hosts praise it as potentially his best work
Pinball designer, met Rachel at Houston Expo, noted as 'fancy pants people in the pinball world'
Pinball designer credited with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; Brian defends this design against community criticism
Designer of Rush pinball machine (with Randy and Tim); machine setup at event
Legendary pinball designer and mechanical engineer at Stern Pinball; subject of interview; designing current and future Stern games
Designer credited with Avatar Limited Edition game; signed Beast 2025 commemorative poster/translite
Good friend and designer at Stern; appears in factory tour photos
Legendary pinball designer with nearly 30 years in the industry; served on Project Pinball panel discussion; expressed impact of the charity's work
Stern Pinball designer who carried company during 2008-2010 financial crisis with games like Buck Rogers, NBA, Iron Man
Designer/team member at Stern Pinball; George Gomez mentioned as coordinating his work on Insider Connected features
Designer involved in Metallica Remake; worked with Oscar H. Ray
Pinball designer; rumored designer of new Stern Star Wars machine based on original trilogy
Pinball designer whose layouts are discussed as having flaws masked by strong code; The Walking Dead and other designs referenced
Designer of Dungeons & Dragons; Walt theorizes the game is an incomplete prototype that will eventually evolve into Rush
Designer referenced for Aerosmith's sling design characteristics (small, powerful, poor ball blocking)
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy (referenced implicitly through game discussion)
Mentioned multiple times as a pinball enthusiast/designer who owns various EM machines, solid states, and a Multimorphic P3
Designer/mechanical engineer referenced in stream context; noted for Metallica Remastered design.
Streamer on Multimorphic's 'good streamers list'; received Princess Bride early (approximately 6 years prior to release per joke)
Legendary Stern designer referenced for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead, and Metallica; hosts discuss his left-side playfield design philosophy
Implied designer of Jurassic Park Pro (referenced as 'Elwynn' when George mentions 'evil genius' game design)
Pinball designer credited with Tales from the Crypt; also designed Guardians, Indiana Jones, Metallica; known for challenging game designs
Appears in stream chat; identified as making game design suggestions and observations about Dungeon Door Defender mechanics
Pinball designer known for signature inlane metal piece design element; named phenomenon 'getting John Borg'
Pinball designer; mentioned as designer of Tron (Pro) and Metallica; host previously owned Metallica and Tron games
Mentioned in passing during stream, appears to be community member or designer
Stern designer, designed Metallica, likely initially assigned Iron Maiden before reassignment
Pinball designer who worked on Guardians of the Galaxy and The Munsters; compared unfavorably to Keith Elwin
Designer of Stern X-Men pinball machine; mentioned as source of game's quality and depth
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy layout; referenced for potential behind-the-scenes interview to explain design philosophy
Designer of Tron pinball rules (or co-designer); mentioned for exponential combo rule design
Pinball game designer; credited as designer of TMNT Pro; known for smooth-shooting playfield layouts with repeatable shots
Designer of Metallica pinball machine; known for excellent ramp design and mechanical integration; hosts praise his work on metal ramps and overall shot layout.
Referenced as designer of Jurassic Park pinball; mentioned in context of Houdini Master of Mystery design philosophy discussion
Pinball designer known for fun-factor gameplay and traditionalist approach; designed The Munsters with 180-degree ramps
Legendary pinball designer; comparison point for Charlie Emery's improved design credentials
Designer of Rush playfield layout; praised for smoother, more forgiving design compared to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Mentioned briefly in comparison to Keith Elwin as a pinball game designer; goat does not indicate preference
Legendary pinball designer referenced as comparison point for smooth playfield geometry and flow; represents different design philosophy than Elwin
Legendary pinball designer, creator of The Munsters layout; known for excellent shooter design but less flow than Richie designs
Pinball designer of The Munsters; referenced as designer not seen since early 2019 release
Pinball designer referenced for inverted ramp work; design element cited as foundation for Jurassic Park right ramp layout
Pinball designer credited with World Cup Soccer and other titles; referenced for magnet implementations
Designer mentioned in connection with middle gate on Guardians of the Galaxy; hosts discuss his design philosophy in context of unfair mechanics
Designer/developer of original Metallica and Metallica Remastered LE; stated he invested more hours into remaster than original, added 1,000 new call-outs
Stern designer; rumored for He-Man; designed Indiana Jones (criticized); designed TMNT (too difficult); has many games in portfolio
Legendary pinball designer working with Christopher Franchi on next Stern game as art director
Pinball designer; designer of original Metallica game; identified as designer of new Metallica Remastered; Kaneda speculates he created entirely new design rather than remake.
Legendary pinball designer; present at TPF 2018; host was jealous of opportunity to hang out with him
Pinball designer; alleged to have had meltdown during The Munsters production when budget cuts forced feature removals
Expected designer of Stern's next music pin game in April/May timeframe
Prominent pinball designer; Kaneda predicts will design Indiana Jones; referenced in context of design quality expectations
Stern designer of Metallica remaster, explained millimeter-level playfield adjustments to hosts at Expo
Stern Pinball designer; Kaneda speculates he designed shelved Indiana Jones pinball and current John Wick title
Stern designer; rumored to have Indiana Jones project shelved; potentially reassigned to other titles
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing new Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure for Stern
Stern Pinball designer referenced as someone who should seek Keith Elwin's input on game development
Stern Pinball designer; Walking Dead remake rumor attributed to him (DENIED); Kaneda speculates he may work on next Stern game post-Kong, possibly music-themed.
Stern Pinball designer; rumored Metallica re-release possible involvement
Stern Pinball designer; expected to design Indiana Jones (Dial of Destiny) based on new film; designed original Indiana Jones game previously
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned as one of five active designers working on machines
Stern designer; referenced as hiring by American Pinball for Galactic Tank Force and Magic Girl projects
Pinball designer; Kaneda references upcoming game by Borg following King Kong, predicting high cost and unknown title
Designer of Rush; Kaneda analyzes his design style and layout consistency across multiple games
Stern Pinball designer mentioned as having discussed Star Wars playfield smoothness improvements and new bracket fix components with hosts
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy layout; known for signature design style with multiple layout types
Legendary Stern Pinball mechanical designer credited as designer of Guardians of the Galaxy
Original designer of Walking Dead pinball machine playfield
Pinball designer credited with designing Tron Legacy playfield layout, known for creating challenging interior shots
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned for ramp work on modern games; hosts note desire for more innovation
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy layout; praised for shooting pin design vs. Batman 66
Designer of Munsters playfield layout; known for mechanical innovations including magnet saves and ramp design
Designer of The Munsters Pro pinball machine playfield layout
Game designer; created TMNT layout; known for brutal left outlanes and fast-paced shot design
Legendary Stern Pinball designer credited with designing multiple games on the anger-inducing list (Walking Dead, Iron Man, TMNT)
Stern designer; Kaneda speculates about future games after current projects; no specific rumors provided
Designer of Rush playfield and mechanics; noted for increasingly tight shot layouts in recent games; legendary mechanical engineer at Stern
Designer of Metallica (Position 9) and Walking Dead (Position 6); appears twice in top 10; noted for demanding/difficult games
Designer of Walking Dead; collaborated extensively with Sheets in intensive 1-2 week design session along with Tino and Mike Kizavat
Stern Pinball designer; designed Monsters playfield; claims it's his best layout; spoke with Martin at festival
Pinball game designer credited with layout design for Guardians of the Galaxy pinball
Stern Pinball designer; present at festival; scheduled to battle Dead Flip on new code
Game designer for Avatar pinball; known for flat touch target ramp design implementation
Pinball designer at Stern; designed Dark Knight; attended recent tournament event; spoke with Jack Danger at event
Stern pinball designer; briefly encountered by Jack Danger at Stern factory
Stern Pinball designer; Jack hopes he may appear during Ghostbusters stream at factory
Pinball designer interviewed by Dead Flip at Walking Dead release party during Pinball Expo
Designer of Rush (Premium); mentioned as 'Rush to Play 2112' in chat, participates in discussion
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy pinball machine, present at factory reveal stream
Designer of Aerosmith game (mentioned in context of Stern design team)
Designer of The Munsters pinball machine; present at reveal but primarily in background; receives credit/blame joke for game quality
Designer of Data East Star Wars (1992), mentioned in KB as original designer
Pinball designer referenced by Dead Flip; mentioned in context of Tales from the Crypt and other games
Pinball designer who attended and signed the playfield at children's hospital Iron Man machine dedication
Referenced as 'getting John Borg'd' - possible designer callback or game mechanic reference in TMNT; unclear if positive or negative connotation.
Referenced multiple times as designer/creator (of Guardians of the Galaxy rules or mechanics); appears in game callouts
Pinball designer referenced multiple times during gameplay; host mentions 'John Borg save' mechanics
Referenced multiple times during stream; appears to be co-host or frequent collaborator; mentioned in context of game design critique and playfield expertise
Designer of Metallica (referenced in tournament commentary as 'Damn you, John Borg')
Designer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball; participated in gameplay reveal via Zoom
Stern designer; Jack references Joe bringing bug/issue to John Borg's attention regarding KISS ball save mechanic
Legendary Stern designer who designed Metallica. Known for iconic game designs across his career.
Iron Man pinball designer; attended children's hospital dedication event
Established pinball designer; referenced as example of designer whose name/pedigree drives sales even with poor theme choices
Pinball designer; attended Flippin' Out stream party
Pinball designer; rumored designer of TMNT; previous credits include Monsters, Tron, The Walking Dead, Kiss, Apollo 13, Metallica, Aerosmith
Lead game mechanical designer for Rush pinball at Stern
Designer of Rush; responds to Hardy's questions about diverter behavior and sound effects. Also designed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Designer at Stern Pinball; Game Rush won Game of the Year at Twippy Awards
Alleged designer of upcoming Star Wars game; previously designed Data East Star Wars (1990s) and original Walking Dead
Stern Pinball designer; interviewed by Carrie Hardy at factory tour (audio quality issues reported)
Stern Pinball designer credited with both Metallica and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; also designed Rush pinball (implied)
Stern Pinball designer; designer of Ninja Turtles; host credits his design work despite mechanical issues
Stern Pinball designer discussing Rush on Marco Specialties livestream
Pinball designer (designer of Star Wars); confirmed celebrity guest at Pinball at the Beach. Will participate in karaoke event with Hanger Pinball at the show.
Designer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball game
Stern designer; expected to appear in TMNT gameplay stream
Legendary mechanical designer at Stern Pinball with 37+ years in the industry; started at Gottlieb in 1987, moved to Data East in 1990, now senior designer at Stern mentoring younger designers
Colleague pinball designer at Stern Pinball; Walshert collaborated with him on game mechanics
Legendary Stern Pinball designer and mechanical engineer with 37+ year career; primary speaker recounting his design history from Premier Technology through Data East, Sega Pinball, and Stern
Head of Spooky Pinball (described as 'Barnyard Head Honcho'); oversees QC, personally approves every game before shipping
Designer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball; speaker argues manufacturing defects disrespect his design work.
Head of Spooky Pinball; interviewed during factory tour; discusses workflow improvements and production capacity
Designer of Fall of the Empire; Mrs. J notes he designed TMNT, Metallica, and is prolific
Designer of the original Metallica game (2013)
Designer of original The Walking Dead pinball machine (2014) for Stern Pinball
Original designer of Metallica pinball (2012-2013)
Designer at Stern rumored to be leading Star Wars Episodes IV-VI remaster; designed original Data East Star Wars in 1992
Pinball designer at Stern; designed Guardians of the Galaxy; described as having designed Kiss and Metallica
Pinball designer credited with contributing rules ideas to Rush, specifically the instrument cove capture-and-build-jackpot mechanic
Pinball designer whose Walking Dead is cited as example of game improved through code development
Pinball designer; lost to Mark Ritchie in round one; in Tony's top five designers
Pinball designer; created Metallica (potential best game ever made), Iron Man, Walking Dead, Jurassic Park; known for fluid, varied design approach; Dennis's #5 designer
Designer of The Walking Dead pinball playfield layout; credited with creating a 'brutal layout' that Lyman's code helped improve
Lead designer of Rush Pinball; known for fast gameplay; Rush fan; works with designers Tim Sexton and Ray Day on rules
Pinball designer; known for 'middle wire of death' signature design element; praised by Keith; recently designed Rush (winner of recent PIA award alongside Godzilla)
Stern designer, appears to work with Tim Sexton on code implementation
Designer of Sharky's Shootout
Pinball designer who did mechanics work on Apollo 13; previous Silver Ball Chronicles episode guest
Seasoned pinball designer; Jeff Teolis identifies him as favorite designer based on game preferences; ABBA machine layout resembles his design style
Pinball designer credited with TMNT layout; known for flow-heavy, non-bash-away game designs
Pinball designer; designed Stern's Kiss; praised by Dennis for good geometry and modern rules development
Pinball designer known for fan-layout games; Dennis thinks Elvira layout resembles Borg's style rather than Nordman's
Stern Pinball designer working on more aggressive production pace than Steve Ritchie.
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designed original The Walking Dead pinball game 11 years ago on SAM system; known for iconic game designs
Designer referenced in context of Munsters layout design patterns and game design repertoire
Playfield designer for Munsters at Stern Pinball
Primary designer at Stern Pinball
Modified John Norris' design into Sharky's Shootout
Original Metallica (2013) designer; also designer of Metallica Remastered; legendary Stern game designer
Stern Pinball designer; rumored to be designing Rush pinball machine for December announcement
Pinball designer; allegedly proposed Beavis and Butthead to Stern per Kaneda/Chris of Canada's Pinball Podcast rumor
Legendary Stern designer; used as flow/design benchmark for comparison
Designer of original Metallica pinball machine; Stern Pinball designer
Lead designer of Metallica Remastered; legendary Stern Pinball designer
Designer of KISS Limited Edition pinball machine (2015)
Game designer of The Walking Dead pinball; referenced as creating 'brutal' designs.
Referenced as legendary Stern designer; mentioned in context of playfield mechanical design philosophy
Pinball designer at Stern; referenced in discussion of game design decisions (removal of lane on right side, shot multiplier placement on center ramp)
Pinball designer at Stern. Co-designer of Munsters with Dwight Sullivan. Referenced as 'can't get away from the Borg' indicating prolific design output.
Stern pinball designer; referenced humorously as prolific designer who 'just delivers machines'
Pinball designer; hypothetically referenced as alternative designer credit for King Kong to explore brand power; referenced for Walking Dead design.
Legendary Stern designer; confirmed as Tales from the Crypt designer; created Demolition Man
Legendary designer of many games for Data East, Sega, and Stern; scheduled for rare personal appearance Saturday
Designer of The Munsters, legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball
Game designer of TMNT; signature appears on LE model bottom arch
In-house game designer at Stern; laid off October 2008; credited with Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones
Lead designer for The Walking Dead Remastered; legendary pinball designer with 37+ year career
Game Designer credited with Star Wars: Fall of the Empire playfield and mechanical design
Stern pinball designer mentioned as collaborator with Steve Ritchie in modern era
Designer of Rush pinball; legendary Stern designer
Designer of original Data East TMNT and Stern TMNT (2020), with artwork by Zombie Yeti
Legendary Stern Pinball designer who created Kiss game featuring throwbacks to 1979 classic
Pinball designer; attended Pintastic as special guest at autograph session
Pinball designer working for Stern; cited as experiencing design constraints from Gary Stern's cost-cutting directives
Legendary pinball designer; original designer of 2013 Metallica; lead designer for Metallica Remastered playfield
Pinball designer; designed X-Men (2012)
Pinball designer at Stern Pinball
Designer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Elwin contrasts his difficulty philosophy with accessibility approaches
Game designer for Avatar at Stern Pinball
Legendary designer at Stern Pinball; designed The Munsters
Stern pinball designer; designed Guardians of the Galaxy and The Munsters (leaked)
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designed Aerosmith and Guardians of the Galaxy in 2017
Legendary Stern designer; rumored to be the actual designer of Masters of the Universe despite Jack Danger's conventional association
Stern designer; confirmed NOT designing Indiana Jones pinball
Original designer of Metallica, known for fan-layout design philosophy
Designer of Rush Pinball; legendary Stern mechanical designer
Designer of Rush pinball, shared accessory prototype pictures on Facebook
Designer of Guardians of the Galaxy layout
Stern Pinball designer in attendance
Stern Pinball designer (legendary); referenced as example of well-known designer
Stern Pinball designer appearing at the September 24 tailgate event
Designer credited with work on Metallica Remastered; specific playfield modifications attributed to him but not visible in code
Stern Pinball designer; attended Pintastic 2021 and spent considerable time interacting with attendees
Designer who posted preliminary Rush topper mock-ups on Facebook showing 3D printed interlocking gear design
Pinball designer, first celebrity visited, desires vintage pterodile machine with chain intact
Pinball designer; drove 14 hours with Franchi to party; known for turtle conservation efforts; attended VIP party with Steve Ritchie
Stern designer; attended Expo; participated in House of Blues concert outing
Stern designer of Rush pinball; co-designer with Michael Bernard; expected Twippy nominee
Stern Pinball designer; road trip companion to Franchi; known for laid-back personality, turtle conservation hobby
Pinball designer; visited during holiday segment; working on next game; appears to be located in home with fireplace/cabin access
Pinball designer; friend of show; known for posting on Facebook; strategically avoids podcast appearances due to Stern employment concerns
Pinball designer referenced as more hands-on collaborator with Lyman; discussed in context of game design styles
Stern designer; driving with Franchi and Eric Minyard to Tailgate Party; relationship with Franchi appears positive
Pinball designer; featured in sketch segment; working on next game; described as guitar player and cool personality
Designer of original Walking Dead (2014) and lead designer of Remastered version; legendary Stern designer
Designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire
Stern pinball designer; follow-up to Rush reportedly designed but license window lapsed; may have been re-themed to another IP.
Lead designer of 1999 Harley-Davidson pinball machine alongside Lonnie R
Pinball designer; rumored to be designing new Star Wars pinball entry for 2025
Referenced as Borg save option joke; apparently has save/design association in pinball community
Designer credited with Metallica Remastered full code implementation
Legendary pinball designer; credited with designing Tales from the Crypt
Legendary Stern designer; rumored to be working on Indiana Jones pinball; game license reportedly lapsed mid-development
Pinball designer; designed Rush; known for X-Men and other Stern titles; hosts note his design cycle patterns
Referenced via hat merchandise with phrase 'The Borg giveth and the Borg taketh'; legendary designer known for high-variance slingshot mechanics
Legendary Stern designer; Don notes he has game in works but uncertain if involved with Metallica or D&D projects
Designer of original X-Men game; potential reference for X-Men redesign speculation
Pinball designer rumored to be developing prequel Star Wars game (Episodes 1-3)
Pinball designer; rumored to be designing Star Wars for Stern; community speculating on Episode I focus given pod racing/Jar Jar references mentioned.
Stern designer; designed original Walking Dead; rumored to design Star Wars if it's classic trilogy; Don speculates on his design approach
Stern legendary designer; rumored to be designing Star Wars; historically worked on Data East Star Wars
Stern Pinball designer; designed original Data East Star Wars and recent remasters; rumored for new Star Wars pinball
Metallica redesign lead designer; interviewed by Loser Kid Pinball; treated game as new 18-month cornerstone build process
Stern designer rumored for Star Wars prequel trilogy; designed Rush, Kiss, Walking Dead; Don respects most work except Turtles
Stern designer rumored for prequel Star Wars pinball (November 2025); designer of original Walking Dead
Designer of cancelled Indiana Jones pinball; rumored reason for X-Men schedule acceleration; Don seeking explanation from George Gomez
Original designer of Walking Dead pinball; game features interesting ball zoom mechanic around rollover switches
Pinball designer; rumored to be doing TMNT layout design.
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; recently interviewed on Free Play Pinball Podcast; currently working on two games simultaneously; designer of Rush Pinball
Stern designer of Rush pinball; criticized for scoop design defect despite typical quality standards
Stern designer of Rush (2024); positioned as GOTY competitor to Bond by Craig Bobby
Legendary Stern designer; Munsters 180-degree ramp cited as exemplary mechanic execution
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be designing Star Wars pinball for Jersey Jack Pinball (Cornerstone, September)
Pinball designer; designer of Stern's Godzilla; identified as 'world's best pinball designer' by Craig Bobby
Stern pinball designer; speculated to be collaborating with Dwight Sullivan on next Cornerstone release
Stern designer; reportedly designing both Star Wars and Walking Dead simultaneously; legendary status; comparison to Spielberg of pinball
Stern designer; referenced as comparison for maintaining designer consistency across game sequels (Black Knight series example)
Pinball designer mentioned as comparison for punishing entry-level play vs Elwin's accessible approach
Stern Pinball designer; created Rush; scoop design reused across multiple games
Pinball designer of original X-Men game (older version before Stern remake)
Legendary Williams/Stern designer; now assembled at Deep Root Pinball with Thiel.
Designer of Metallica at Stern Pinball
Pinball designer; designed Monster Bash which Oursler praises for lower playfield execution.
Implied designer of Fall of the Empire (based on KB context); also designed original Walking Dead pinball referenced in KB
Legendary Stern designer; designing Fall of the Empire; featured in Jack Danger's stream discussing Data East Star Wars and new Jabba the Hutt sculpt
Pinball designer; Walt contrasts his body language during game reveals to assess manufacturer enthusiasm levels
Designer of Rush pinball machine; known for signature mechanical elements like double inlane
Designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire; specified center orbit shot should be 'easy repeatable' per Ron/Bruce discussion
Designer of original Walking Dead and multiple other Stern games; mentioned as potential tweaker of remaster designs
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire; also designed 1992 Data East Star Wars
Stern Pinball designer known for difficult, Gottlieb-inspired layouts; designer of TMNT
Designer of Star Wars pinball; told host that Death Star can be backhanded from left flipper (though more accessible from right)
Designers referenced as creator of fast, punishing two-flipper fan layout games; mentioned in context of Monsters comparison
Williams/Bally-era designer, relatively young member of designer generation in early 2010s despite 30+ years experience
Designer of Walking Dead Remastered; appeared in video discussing playfield geometry improvements; referenced in comparison to Jack Danger's design leadership role
Designer of Star Wars FOTE; mentioned to Jeff that mini wizard mode and additional features needed to be added to game
Designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire; known for liking magnets
Pinball game designer at Stern; designer of Star Wars; referenced for streaming classic Star Wars gameplay
Star Wars Pinball lead designer; Kaneda notes his conspicuous absence from promotional efforts despite designing the game
Legendary Stern designer; admitted to rushing Star Wars in 8-month cycle versus typical 14-16 months; represents quality/timeline concern
Lead designer of Venom (inferred from design commentary and role as Stern's legendary mechanical engineer)
Lead designer of Metallica pinball; responsible for playfield layout, toy design, and overall mechanical design
Referenced as mentor to Jack Danger; contributed feedback on Jack's game design at Stern.
Stern designer who contributed UV lighting ideas and worked on remaster; added UV light underneath hammer mechanism
Lead designer of The Munsters pinball; mechanical engineer background; discusses playfield layout, toy mechanics, and game philosophy
Stern Pinball designer; reported Star Wars Premium Fall of the Empire rail manufacturing issues requiring Dremel adjustment
Designer of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire, referenced during gameplay
Legendary Stern designer; participates in stream gameplay as 'Borg' or 'Borgi'; appears to be observing and commenting on game balance
Initial lead designer at Stern when Gomez joined in 2008
Stern designer who created the original Tron pinball machine
Designer of Metallica playfield; credited with incredible design
Legendary pinball designer (1987-present); mechanical engineer who rose from Gottlieb draftsman to Data East lead designer; known for securing major 1990s licenses including Jurassic Park; designed System 3 flippers and pioneered ramp innovations.
Designer mentioned for Red Hot Chili Peppers; associated with expression-focused game design
Legendary Stern Pinball designer with 37+ year career; mechanical engineer; designed Hook, Star Wars, Tales from the Crypt, Guns and Roses, and other Data East/Gottlieb/Premier titles
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed Rush with characteristic fast, challenging flow; also designed X-Men and TMNT
Stern designer; designed Rush Pinball with X-Men layout basis; hosts note absence of bash toy as unusual for his style
Rush lead game designer; created tutorial video for scoop/servo fix installation; appeared in official Stern content
Mentioned as potential Stern designer for next game; previously designed Walking Dead
Legendary Stern designer; John Wick design noted as showing influences from Borg's bouncy room mechanics and 180-degree ramps
Designer of Metallica Remastered (original layout, same designer); legendary Stern mechanical engineer; attended dealer Q&A
Stern Pinball designer; discussed Metallica Remastered development and licensing challenges on Loser Kid Pinball; spent 5-6 months on unlicensed project.
Pinball designer; co-designer of Walking Dead; noted as bringing playfield expertise
TMNT lead designer; rumored to be helming new Rush-themed music pinball game for Stern
Stern designer who took Guardians of the Galaxy after Elwin originally planned it; wanted to switch away from music pins.
Legendary pinball designer; rumored TMNT designer working with Zombie Yeti at Stern
Stern Pinball designer; part of current designer rotation mentioned alongside Elwin, Gomez, Ritchie, Eddy
Designer of original Iron Man pinball (2010)
Legendary pinball designer credited with Black Hole; rumored as designer of next Star Wars Cornerstone (Episodes 1-3).
Stern designer; hints topper production status on Freeplay Pinball Podcast
Designer of Stern's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (with Dwight Sullivan); known for game design work.
Stern Pinball designer; designed Rush Pinball (described as 'highly acclaimed')
Lead designer on Rush pinball machine; previously designed other major Stern titles
Expected designer of Rush pinball based on social media activity; known for difficult shooter layouts and bash toys
Legendary pinball designer; rumored designer of upcoming Rush title
Legendary pinball designer referenced as standard example of classic fan layout design
Legendary pinball designer rumored for Rush title; hosts expect high quality based on his track record
Stern Pinball designer; innovator of dual-color GI lighting effects
Pinball designer; designed Demolition Man (cited as one of his best works); TMNT praised for flow comparable to Demolition Man.
Pinball designer at Stern; designed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Referenced as designer of 'Toy Story 4' and potential 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' game; used in hypothetical discussion
Pinball designer; rumored (allegedly) to follow Keith Elwin in Stern's design rotation; previously paired with Dwight on coding
Legendary Stern designer now designing Star Wars Pinball featuring original trilogy IP; rumor confirms design of next major Stern release