Phil Grimmaldi is a person mentioned in 1 episode(s).
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The sandworm mechanism can rise out of the playfield, grab the ball with a magnet, eat the ball at various stages, drop onto wireform, and function as a bash toy
Phil Grimaldi gets credit for the one-handed ball-save mechanic concept, though he noted it came from group brainstorm
Phil Grimaldi is retiring from tournament directing and Space City board after founding and organizing Space City Pinball League
Lead Rules Designer at Barrels of Fun; interviewed by PinPals video podcast about Bon Jovi pinball
Rules designer for Bon Jovi pinball at Barrels of Fun
Rules designer credited for Bon Jovi Pinball
Rules designer for Bon Jovi Pinball
Rules designer for Bon Jovi pinball
Code and rule structure designer for Bon Jovi pinball. Guest on Loser Kid Pinball Podcast discussing game design, ruleset philosophy, and mechanical innovations. Previously worked on other Barrels of Fun titles.
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The Houston pinball community kept the Barrels of Fun project secret for the entire 2.5-year development period
Phil Grimaldi began work on the Labyrinth rules document approximately 2 years before the Expo reveal, starting from just concept drawings and playfield layouts.
Phil Grimaldi wrote the initial rules document approximately 2 years ago
Phil Grimaldi is the rules designer responsible for the six modes and difficulty balance
Houston had essentially no competitive pinball scene when Phil moved there, forcing travel to Dallas and Austin for tournaments
Phil discovered pinball in 2011-2012 at a newly opened arcade across from his Purdue apartment while a graduate student
Space City Pinball deliberately maintains a 'no-asshole policy' and actively removes disruptive members to prevent community toxicity
Modern pinball games have become too complex to learn, particularly citing Avengers as an example during the pandemic era
Phil burned out on tournament preparation and competition and realized this during the pandemic when tournaments were cancelled
Phil created custom rethemed machine Felina inspired by Wes Anderson-themed machines he saw at Bar Luca in Milan during 2019 IFBA World Championships
Mental discipline and ego-management are critical to competitive pinball performance, citing The Inner Game of Tennis
Phil is currently ranked 118th in world WPPR rankings but no longer regularly tracks rankings
This will be Phil's final year running Space City Open as tournament director before transitioning to advisory role
Phil Grimaldi from Houston designed the streaming contraption for Free Play Florida
Houston Arcade Expo in October 2017 will serve as fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey victims
Houston's street system is intentionally designed as part of flood management infrastructure
Water levels in Midtown Houston reached highest levels since Hurricane Allison in 2001
Houston city officials did not issue an evacuation order for Hurricane Harvey
Mass evacuation of Houston is 'incredibly challenging, if not impossible' due to population size and infrastructure constraints
Phil Grimaldi finished close to winning Bat City Open main tournament, placing second in Classics division
Phil has experienced flooding every year during his three years living in Houston
Lead game rule designer on Bon Jovi; came from Dune; designed progressive difficulty system (Gold/Platinum/Diamond records) balancing approachability with competitive depth
Rules lead on Bon Jovi (following Dune); developing scoring and mode structure; designing cheer meter for apron sliders
Featured guest on Dude Where's My Code episode nine, described as godfather of Houston pinball, holds doctorate in cognitive psychology, works on pinball rules design
Rules designer for Labyrinth; known in Houston pinball community; nickname 'Grim Reaper'
Wormhole staff member, participated in planning TV monitor placement for Space City Open streaming coverage
Pinball player who finished second at Intergalactic 2019, losing to Ryan Wanger in finals; also tournament director for Houston Arcade Expo
Tournament director for Houston Arcade Expo; praised as 'top-notch guy' and tournament organizer
Designer of mobile streaming rig used for tournaments, inspiration for Tommy's portable streaming setup
Lead rules designer at Barrels of Fun; competitive pinball player from Houston; involved since 2021, wrote initial rules document; known for 'pogo dance' playstyle; playtest coordinator and booth presence at Expo.
Barrels of Fun team member; long-time tournament player and rules designer; worked with Spooky and Multimorphic
Described as 'godfather of Space City pinball.' Gave Jamie streaming blueprints. Subject of story about Colin MacAlpine match on Monster Bash. Competitor and tournament player.
Head rules designer at Barrels of Fun; credited with spinner jackpot value mechanics and multiball music implementation
Rules programmer for Dune Pinball; worked with Bowen and Eric Pripke on the project
Recently acquired Iron Maiden machine and reportedly completed 'Run to the Hills' mode
Visiting pinball player from Texas; competed in Jack Bar final match against Dante Oliva on December 4; scored 914,000 on Pulp Fiction.
Running Houston pinball show; part of Robert's local pinball group; tournament organizer
Space City Pinball streaming/rig builder, tournament director for Houston Arcade Expo
Tournament Director for Space City Pinball Tournament
Ranked pinball player featured as focus subject in Dwight's first Houston Chronicle article about Texas Pinball Festival
Competitive pinball player; nicknamed 'Dr. Phil' (holds doctorate); longtime friend of Cromwell; met via soccer connection and Main Street Amusements; finished tied 9th at Pinburgh 2018; now residing in Texas contributing to pinball scene
Collaborated with Colin McAlpine and Dick Curtis on TPF hygiene protocols during COVID-19 planning
Pinball professional involved with Dune; described by Ian as grounded, sweet, and admirable figure in industry
Pinball expert from Houston, Texas, designed the streaming contraption/gate mechanism used at Free Play Florida
Rules designer at Barrels of Fun, responsible for Dune rules design and gameplay philosophy
Involved in Labyrinth game production; hosts express happiness for his involvement
Rules designer/collaborator on Labyrinth; noted for science background and learning principles applied to rule design
Tournament director who assists Colin McAlpine in selecting games for TPF
Rules designer for Labyrinth; described as fairly well-known competitive player
Lead rules designer on Dune; collaborated with Kerins on visual design elements