Steve Ritchie is a legendary pinball designer with a 47+ year career spanning Atari, Williams, Stern, and currently Jersey Jack Pinball. Known as the 'King of Flow,' he is credited with pioneering innovative design principles including modern ball saves, interactive toppers, and flow-focused gameplay across 40+ iconic games (High Speed, Terminator 2, Black Knight series, Star Wars, Elton John, and Sonic the Hedgehog). He joined Jersey Jack Pinball in August 2024 after 16 years at Stern, where he negotiated to design original-theme games as a condition of continued employment.
The upper playfield with nine shots will probably become everyone's favorite part of the game once they experience it
Steve Ritchie designed Sonic the Hedgehog with a four-flipper layout instead of his typical three-flipper approach
High Speed (1986) was Steve Ritchie first game that clearly demonstrated 'flow' design with the repeatable upper loop
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog; Kaneda expected higher quality execution; game did not meet anticipation threshold
Legendary pinball designer Don introduced to Ryan at expo
Legendary pinball designer, nearly 50-year career, lead designer on Sonic the Hedgehog, describes it as 'the fastest game I've ever made'
Legendary pinball designer; credited for ACDC pinball design; referenced in context of superior layout designers
Legendary pinball designer; designed Sonic the Hedgehog layout at JJP; known for 'smoothness' in shot design and flow-based gameplay; previously at Stern.
Legendary designer at Jersey Jack; Kaneda suggests even respected designers lack candid feedback on design direction (referencing Sonic design choices).
No linked glossary terms
Sonic Pinball is one of the most boring machines Steve Ritchie has designed
Steve Ritchie had design elements he wanted to use at his former company that are now appearing in Sonic and Elton John.
Sonic was released on Sonic's 35th anniversary, coinciding with Steve Ritchie 35th game.
Steve Ritchie is the 'King of Flow' known for designing fast-paced pinball games
Steve Ritchie is the designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball and it is his second game for Jersey Jack after Elton John
Sonic pinball is based primarily on Sonic Generations for 3D artwork quality
Taylor Snyder is a Sonic enthusiast who educated the Jersey Jack Pinball design team on Sonic franchise lore
Sonic the Hedgehog pinball announced on June 23, 2026, marking Sonic's 35th anniversary in Western markets
Sonic is the fastest pinball game Steve Ritchie has ever designed
The Sonic electromagnet loop uses pancake magnets sequenced with optos for precision timing
Polycarbonate playfields have 40+ year durability history dating to 1980s Zarakias
Sonic the Hedgehog pinball is based primarily on Sonic Generations video game for visual assets
Early AC/DC games had polycarbonate fogging issues caused by improper manufacturing (sanding and heating)
Sonic is a perfect vehicle for a pinball machine because players can instantly understand the dynamic and gameplay goals
Taylor Snyder (JJP programmer) had no pinball experience when hired but became proficient and contributed strong code
All three tiers of Sonic the Hedgehog (Arcade, Special, Collector's) have identical playfield features, rules, and software
Sonic the Hedgehog features an innovative pancake magnet design for the loop shot, smaller than traditional square magnets but highly powerful
Sonic the Hedgehog is the fastest pinball game Steve Ritchie has ever designed
Polycarbonate playfields are extremely durable and have a long historical track record going back to 1980s Zaratoga games
Steve Ritchie provided voice acting for Sonic game
The custom stand-up targets on Sonic's upper playfield use opto switches instead of micro switches for improved durability and adjustability
Sega is one of the best licensors Steve has ever worked with and was very flexible on the Sonic Generations choice
Steve initially rejected the idea of making a cute-themed game but was convinced by the fast gameplay and Sonic theme
The polycarbonate upper playfield can be buffed and polished to look like new and is durable when properly maintained with AR coating intact
Bill Grupp spent significant effort with code iterations and high-speed camera analysis to make the magnet loop mechanism work consistently
Sonic the Hedgehog upper playfield has nine total possible shots, one of which features a wire form gate removable for tournament play
Sega rejected inclusion of the Sega logo and associated sound 18 months prior to this interview despite Steve wanting to include it
Steve played Sonic with his son roughly 26 years ago (when the son was around 50, Steve is 76)
Taylor Snyder came to Jersey Jack Pinball without prior pinball knowledge but brought strong programming skills and lifelong Sega/Sonic fandom
Steve Ritchie invented the upper playfield
Steve Ritchie personally interacted with Don during the Sonic the Hedgehog gameplay session at Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Sonic the Hedgehog pinball as his 35th machine
Steve Ritchie is known as the 'King of Flow' and invented half of what is in modern pinball today
Steve Ritchie applied a clear coat of plastic or polyurethane to maintain visibility through the upper playfield
Sonic is Ritchie's second design for Jersey Jack, after the 2023 Elton John machine
The machine is designed by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie was the voice of Shao Kahn and the announcer in 1990s Mortal Kombat games
Steve Ritchie is 76 years old
Sonic might just be the perfect pinball theme
Sonic the Hedgehog is the fastest game Steve Ritchie has ever made
Steve Ritchie designed Sonic the Hedgehog pinball
The game has the best upper-to-lower playfield flow Ritchie has ever designed
The game features magnetized ramps that accelerate the ball at Sonic speeds
Steve Ritchie was publicly stating at pinball shows over the past year that he was working on Sonic
Steve Ritchie previous game Elton John was highly successful and set a benchmark for quality flow gameplay
Steve Ritchie believes the Sonic IP will attract new players who have never considered buying a pinball machine before.
Steve Ritchie is more excited about game development now than in the past because modern electronics enable design ideas he previously dreamed about.
The game took three whitewoods (playfield prototypes) to reach the final design.
The magnetic accelerator loop went through several design iterations before reaching its final form.
The game emphasizes continuous fast-paced gameplay ('always going and going and going') rather than the start-and-stop mechanics of games like Mortal Kombat.
Sonic the Hedgehog pinball is designed by Steve Ritchie for Jersey Jack Pinball.
The game is designed by Steve Ritchie
Sonic the Hedgehog pinball will have seven distinct levels (called ACTS) that players can choose to start from any difficulty.
Slash performed lead guitar work on multiple songs for the Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack.
All three tiers (Arcade, Premium, Collector's Edition) have identical playfield, rules, and video artwork with no modifications between versions.
Sega did not permit the use of the classic Sega startup sound in the pinball machine.
Dr. Eggman bash toy swings approximately two-thirds the width of the playfield and can move vertically to dodge shots.
The game contains 6,000 original voice recordings from Sonic actors recorded in a single session without possibility of re-recording.
Steve Ritchie has been designing pinball games for over 50 years and has created 60+ games.
The flow between upper and lower playfields in Sonic is the best flow Ritchie has achieved in his entire career.
Jersey Jack Pinball will not artificially limit Collector's Edition quantities beyond a time window, matching the Harry Potter strategy.
Sonic is the best (or one of the best) pinball themes ever created.
Steve Ritchie has long voiced his desire to make a Top Gun pinball
Steve Ritchie joined Atari in 1974 and designed Airborne Avenger in 1977, marking his entry into the pinball industry
Steve Ritchie playfield design creates superior smooth flow compared to other designers due to 40-50 years of mastery
Steve Ritchie designed Sonic the Hedgehog for Stern
Steve Ritchie is a legendary designer who migrated from Stern to Jersey Jack approximately five years ago
Steve Ritchie may not be heavily involved in rules design or score balancing like Keith Elwin is, though the speaker invites correction
Steve Ritchie designed Sonic the Hedgehog
Steve Ritchie is deaf and reads lips for communication
Steve Ritchie designed the 2007 Spider-Man pinball machine
Steve Ritchie is designing Sonic the Hedgehog for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Sonic the Hedgehog for Jersey Jack Pinball.
Steve Ritchie is designing Sonic for Jersey Jack and is known as a 'master of flow'
Steve Ritchie is the master of flow and best suited for high-speed games
Steve Ritchie is designing Sonic for Jersey Jack
Steve Ritchie has historically had difficulty working with collaborators, including reported conflicts with Dwight Sullivan and Jerry Thompson
The Sonic game is the fastest game Steve Ritchie has ever created
Steve Ritchie left Williams after 15 years of employment following the release of No Fear
Steve Ritchie design philosophy includes backhand left orbit mechanics as a signature pattern.
The Sonic machine will be designed by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie's upcoming Jersey Jack game might be the fastest game he has ever designed
Steve Ritchie's upcoming game had over 6,000 voice calls recorded in a single session with no opportunity for second recording
6,000+ voice calls were recorded for Steve Ritchie upcoming game in a single, one-time recording session
Steve Ritchie's upcoming Jersey Jack game might be the fastest one he has ever designed
Steve Ritchie upcoming Jersey Jack game may be the fastest game he has ever designed
6,000+ voice calls were recorded for Steve Ritchie's upcoming Jersey Jack game in a one-time recording session
The side ramp on Star Trek: TNG is characteristic of Steve Ritchie's design signature
Steve Ritchie designed both Transformers and Sonic the Hedgehog
Steve Ritchie stated at Pintastic that Sonic the Hedgehog is the fastest game he's ever designed
Steve Ritchie at Jersey Jack said his next game (Sonic) is one of his fastest games ever
Steve Ritchie has recently moved to Jersey Jack Pinball and is helping Mark Seiden with design
Steve Ritchie has stated Sonic is his fastest game ever made
Sonic the Hedgehog has over 6,000 recorded speech calls
Sonic is 'maybe the fastest game I've ever made'
Game Time 2000 is possibly the worst pinball machine ever made.
Steve Ritchie was hired at Atari in 1974 as an electromechanical technician at $4.50/hour
Atari conducted a focus group with operators circa 1976 where operators explicitly requested standard playfield slope, flipper buttons, and positioning to avoid Allied Leisure-style innovations
Of the first 100 Atarians shipped to CA Robinson in Los Angeles, only 25 could be opened and inspected; only 12 could be made operational in 24 hours
Jeff Herup ordered Ritchie and Corona not to share the defect documentation; they escalated to Nolan Bushnell instead, resulting in Herup's termination four days later
Flash sold approximately 19,000 units, just short of 20,000
Stellar Wars sold 7,000 units despite Ritchie's personal hatred of the game
Paramount Studios' licensing executives prohibited violence, phasers, and photon torpedoes in the Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball game
Atari's rotary solenoids, repurposed from ship radio channel changers, were inadequate and unreliable for pinball applications
Steve Ritchie attended an Atari focus group in 1976 where operators urged Atari not to make unconventional design choices.
Nolan Bushnell designed Atari pinball machines to be ergonomically uncomfortable to justify California manufacturing costs.
Of 100 Atarians machines sent to a distributor show, only 12 could be made operational within 24 hours.
Ritchie hates Stellar Wars more than any other game he designed.
Flash sold 19,000 units and Williams deliberately capped production to avoid reaching 20,000 units.
Jeff Herup was terminated at Atari within four days after Ritchie and Corona reported quality issues directly to Nolan Bushnell.
Stellar Wars sold 7,000 machines despite poor design.
Steve Ritchie's Sonic pinball represents a return to form drawing on all his accumulated knowledge and experience
Sonic pinball gameplay is reminiscent of F14 Tomcat in terms of fast flow and ramp design
Steve Ritchie is at the end of his career peak with maximum experience brought to Sonic the Hedgehog design
Firepower sold approximately 17,000 units during a pinball industry downturn.
Ritchie designed pinball games for 54 years (career span referenced at expo).
Terminator pinball machines were placed in U.S. theaters on the same day (July 4) that Terminator 2 was released.
Ritchie and colleagues spent three hours with James Cameron at Lightstorm Studios discussing the Terminator film.
Black Knight 2000 was the first pinball game to make $1,000 per week at Broadway Arcade in New York on 50-cent play.
Williams Electronics lost $17 million on the Star Rider video disc game.
Ritchie invented the word 'multiball' and obtained a trademark on it during Firepower development.
Flash sold almost 20,000 machines (19,755 final count) and was Ritchie's best-selling game.
Firepower was the first solid-state multiball game
Flash was Ritchie's best-selling game, selling approximately 19,000-20,000 machines
Ritchie invented the word 'multiball' and obtained a trademark on it
Jersey Jack Pinball fixed flipper quality issues at Ritchie's request in 2021
IGT stole Ritchie's Vault slot machine concept with no legal recourse
Ritchie was unemployed for 28 months following the 2008 financial crisis
Williams lost approximately $18 million when a disc-based video game failed
Elton John pinball costs $15,000 in America and $18,000 in the Netherlands
A degree in industrial design is not necessary to be a pinball designer
Lyman Sheets was probably the best pinball programmer that ever lived
Gary Stern asked Steve Ritchie if the Dutch could be 'number two' in pinball manufacturing
Pinball games credited to a single designer are actually collaborative efforts involving many contributors
Steve Ritchie was the first person to play Pac-Man in North America
Williams acquired Atari, and when Ritchie returned to Williams after visiting Atari, Ken Fedzynna told him 'we bought them yesterday'
Steve Ritchie left Williams in 1997 because he believed the company was declining
Larry DeMar told Steve Ritchie that Williams was 'stealing' the game name Banzai Run that Ritchie had planned to use
The Dutch Pinball Museum is the best pinball museum Steve Ritchie has ever seen
A pinball game about science fiction inspired Steve Ritchie to create multiball mechanics
Steve Ritchie designed Rush and influenced Jersey Jack's play style direction
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars (2016-18, Spike 2) has convoluted rules and geometry issues with plunge reliability
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars is Steve's worst game
Steve Ritchie composed the main melody for F-14 Tomcat, which Chris Granner transcribed for the synthesizer
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars pinball game lacked iconic mechanical representations like lightsabers, AT-AT walkers, X-Wings, Millennium Falcon, or Force powers
Steve Ritchie is making Sonic the Hedgehog pinball for Stern
Steve Ritchie's Sonic the Hedgehog is his greatest game ever designed (GOAT)
Steve Ritchie's next game for Jersey Jack is Sonic the Hedgehog
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars pinball uses poor scene-stacking methodology that undermines narrative coherence and Star Wars thematic integrity
Steve Ritchie designed the previous Stern Star Wars pinball game approximately 7-8 years ago (circa 2017)
Steve Ritchie was limited to $3,000 bill of materials for Led Zeppelin design at Stern and became angry about the constraint
Steve Ritchie has an upcoming game that will be a hit
The Harry Potter playfield is inspired by Steve Ritchie's shot geometry design philosophy
Steve Ritchie consulted on the shot geometry and layout design of Harry Potter.
Steve Ritchie's next game will not release in 2026
Steve Ritchie wanted magnetic 'Force' save mechanic on original Star Wars but Stern cost concerns prevented it
Steve Ritchie's next game is neither a nostalgic 1980s-90s theme nor a music pin.
Steve Ritchie's Halo pinball game will underperform because the theme is culturally outdated
Steve Ritchie is likely designing either Sonic the Hedgehog or Beastie Boys for Jersey Jack.
Steve Ritchie was a late hire at Jersey Jack Pinball rather than present from founding
Terminator 2 (1991) is the first universally acknowledged fan layout game that established the template
Steve Ritchie invented the fan layout design archetype
Steve Ritchie invented the upper playfield but is not good at designing them
AC/DC was the game that brought Stern back and was the game where Steve Ritchie returned to Stern
World Poker Tour is one of the last fun drop-heavy Steve Ritchie games
Steve Ritchie provided the male voice for Earthshaker
Steve Ritchie performed guitar at the VIP party
Steve Ritchie departed Williams in 1995 primarily due to his parents' health and financial opportunities in video game home rights at Atari, not due to foreseeing the pinball industry collapse
Steve Ritchie fundamentally redefined pinball by introducing fluidity and smooth flow to shot sequences, creating a design paradigm that became the foundation for all modern pinball
Steve Ritchie left pinball in the early 1980s during the video game competition crisis
Steve Ritchie left the pinball industry in 1995, with No Fear likely being his final game
Steve Ritchie left the pinball business in 1995; his last game was No View
Steve Ritchie contributed voice work to Mortal Kombat, including the 'Finish Him' scene
Steve Ritchie provided voice work for Mortal Kombat, specifically the 'Finish Him' phrase
Steve Ritchie's brainstorming approach involves immediate rejection of ideas until one finally resonates enough to earn 'I can't hate that' response
Steve Ritchie designed the Elton John pinball machine
Steve Ritchie produced Lord of the Rings (2003)
Steve Ritchie went to Williams in 1978 and created the game Flash with programmer Randy Pfeiffer, which defined the future of pinball through advanced sound synthesis
Steve Ritchie designed Airborne Avenger, which was Atari's first game
Steve Ritchie's first game at Williams was Flash
Steve Ritchie left Atari before Superman entered full production to join Williams
Steve Ritchie designed both Airborne Avenger and Atari Superman
Steve Ritchie left Atari before full production of Superman to join Williams
The Tiny Dancer sculpture prototype was repeatedly damaged during development when 3D printed versions were broken by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie stated Mark Seiden has more talent than Elwin and is running circles around him
Steve Ritchie's name is not big enough to sell 4,000 Elton John games
Steve Ritchie reputation alone is not enough to sell 4,000 Elton John games and the game undersold due to poor marketing
Steve Ritchie's new game will include speech elements but not the phrase 'play better'
Ritchie designed significant portions of his new JJP game in 3D CAD before physical whitewood build
Steve Ritchie is Mark Ritchie's brother and currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball.
Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Steve Ritchie worked at Atari before joining Williams, releasing Airborne Avengers and developing Superman
Dynamic background sound where music speeds up during play was an innovation Ritchie developed at Atari
Flash (1978) was Steve Ritchie's first game with Williams
Led Zeppelin does not crack Steve Ritchie top 15 design works but still sells 'like hotcakes'
Steve Ritchie makes some of the flowiest flow games of all time
Steve Ritchie has designed some of the greatest pinball machines in all of pinball history
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John and is iconic and legendary throughout the pinball industry, having created some of the greatest pinball machines in history
Steve Ritchie is iconic and legendary throughout the pinball industry and has designed some of the greatest pinball machines in pinball history
Steve Ritchie is an iconic and legendary pinball designer who has created some of the greatest pinball machines in all of pinball history
No Fear is Steve Ritchie's last Williams design after ~20 years with the company
No Fear is one of Steve Ritchie's top 5 games
Steve Ritchie didn't design another pinball game for 8 years after No Fear until Terminator 3 (2003)
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John to showcase his creative vision without manufacturer budget constraints
F-14 Tomcat was the very first game with a ball save feature
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John and the game represents quality design work
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight and performed the voice work for the game
Steve Ritchie voiced Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat arcade game
Elton John pinball machine was designed by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie wanted to make a race car/spaceship game but was assigned Elton John instead
Steve Ritchie achieved improved flipper feel and power in Elton John that represents JJP's first success in this area
Steve Ritchie's design philosophy emphasizes constant player engagement and avoiding passive play
Steve Ritchie is credited with introducing locks to pinball machines, enabling multi-ball gameplay
Steve Ritchie's first game was Superman (1978-1979) for Atari
Steve Ritchie was brought in as designer primarily to address perception that Jersey Jack games are floaty, slow, and not Williams-like
Steve Ritchie is designing his first title for Jersey Jack Pinball based on Elton John
Jersey Jack's Steve Ritchie joined the company with explicit stipulation that he needed to fix flipper feel
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball with improved flipper feel as design priority
Steve Ritchie successfully fixed flipper feel at Jersey Jack Pinball per his stipulation joining the company
Steve Ritchie personally approached Don at Pinball Expo and asked how he was liking the Elton John game
Steve Ritchie should retire from pinball design; Elton John is his final game.
The Elton John machine features an innovative upper-right flipper design
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball to join Jersey Jack Pinball
The Elton John team experienced unusually harmonious collaboration compared to industry norm
Olaf Grimmie's animations exceed quality of any game Ritchie has previously seen
Elton John Pinball represents a new standard for pinball machines in terms of artist collaboration
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball because he was unhappy with company decisions and cost-cutting
Steve Ritchie joined Jersey Jack Pinball two years ago
Steve Ritchie's games are characterized by satisfying ramp shots and 'flow'
Terminator 2 made 10,000+ units but are difficult to find in good condition and are expensive
Steve Ritchie prioritizes designing games that generate strong operator revenue over minimizing production costs
Jersey Jack's mechanical engineering department recently became much stronger
Two World Poker Tour sold only 1,700 units
Jersey Jack recently strengthened its mechanical engineering department
Jersey Jack's software team (three people including Keith Johnson and Joe Katz) is the best Ritchie has ever worked with
Stairway to Heaven was removed from the Led Zeppelin pinball game
Toy Story is the number one game on location
Jersey Jack Pinball recruited Steve Ritchie after failing to attract Keith Elwin, not the reverse
Steve Ritchie is rumored to be developing a Matrix pinball game.
Barry Oursler was the game designer; Python created the theme but is not a game designer
Williams cancelled the distributor minimum purchase clause in contracts as a result of Popeye backlash
Distributors made threats of lawsuits and dropping Williams as a manufacturer over Popeye minimum requirements
The standard 20.25-inch x 46-inch playfield is Ritchie's favorite size to design for
Leadership knew Popeye was a failure before release but proceeded due to political and business pressure
Wide-body pinball formats are harder to design than standard-width due to longer ball transit times to targets
Popeye's theme had no appeal in European markets, which were Williams' second through fourth largest markets
Popeye Saves the Earth lost money for Williams—something that hadn't happened for many years prior
Steve Ritchie has a string of hit titles from his five decades in the industry
Steve Ritchie has a game in development for Jersey Jack Pinball that will release before Harry Potter
Licensing approval required removal of Butch and Mia characters from the original five-character roster
Steve Ritchie had not worked on pinball since Capcom's Kingpin and Indiana Jones Pinball Adventure
Pulp Fiction development took approximately 5 years from initial concept to launch
Quentin Tarantino rejected the initial wide-body design and specifically requested no ramps or displays
Chicago Gaming Company partnership originated when Doug discovered Raw Thrills' activities and volunteered involvement
Steve Ritchie has public stance that designers jack up their games too much and make them easier
Steve Ritchie is currently working at Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is now working at Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie recently signed a Terminator 2 pinball machine available for $5,500 through Eau Claire Games
Steve Ritchie's next game is a music-themed pinball machine
Steve Ritchie had completed the Bond playfield before leaving Stern, but George Gomez scrapped it and created his own version
Steve Ritchie's next music game is Elton John, not Billy Joel
Steve Ritchie created an initial design for James Bond that was scrapped after he joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Led Zeppelin is Steve Ritchie's final design for Stern Pinball before joining Jersey Jack
Steve Ritchie contributed code to Riverboat Gambler and performs a Louis Armstrong impression in the sound design
Steve Ritchie purchased a restored Williams F-14 Tomcat at Pintastic New England and shipped it to Chicago
Steve Ritchie's first Jersey Jack Pinball game will be announced around late 2023
Steve Ritchie designed F-14 Tomcat for Williams Pinball in 1987
Steve Ritchie has joined Jersey Jack Pinball and is designing his first game for the company
John Youssi is working on artwork for Steve Ritchie's JJP game
The three toys in Ritchie's game are 'new things to pinball'
Steve Ritchie hates widebody pinball machines
Jersey Jack Pinball provides superior creative autonomy compared to previous manufacturers; designers can 'make the game you want to make'
Steve Ritchie may be working on music-themed pinball machine, possibly Elton John
Steve Ritchie's work on an upcoming Stern Pinball machine was scrapped when he left for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie explicitly asked Andrew not to read a roast poem about him publicly at a pinball event
Steve Ritchie influenced the design by advocating that skill shots should be actual skill-based challenges
The book covers how Steve Ritchie came up with the idea of high speed pinball
Ritchie was fired from Stern in October 2008 and remained unemployed for 28 months
Jersey Jack Pinball is the best company Ritchie has ever worked for
Jersey Jack obtains 'incredibly complete' licenses unlike Stern's later approach
Modern pinball games require strong IP licenses to achieve commercial success
Jersey Jack Pinball offers greater creative freedom and larger bill of materials than Stern
Ritchie typically achieves 85% yield on first playfield drawings
Lyman Sheets was the most influential programmer in modern pinball, with his rule sets adopted by other designers
Led Zeppelin licensing prevented Ritchie from including 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Heartbreaker'
AC/DC, Star Trek, and Metallica were three games critical to Stern's business expansion
Ritchie left two whitewoods (Pro and Premium LE) at Stern before departing
Steve Ritchie has cut the first whitewood for his new Jersey Jack Pinball game (as of TPF seminar)
Steve Ritchie (Master Flow) was hired by Jersey Jack Pinball as a designer
Steve Ritchie publicly criticized Stern's creative constraints during TPF seminar
Steve Ritchie just cut his first whitewood for Jersey Jack Pinball
Ritchie's first JJP game will be fast-paced
Steve Ritchie has just cut his first whitewood for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed the Black Knight series, including Black Knight 2000 and Black Knight Sword of Rage
Steve Ritchie left Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball
Led Zeppelin licensing was restrictive and the band was difficult to work with, limiting features the developers wanted to include
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie and Keith P. Johnson last worked together on a game in 2008
Steve Ritchie wanted 'Stairway to Heaven' implemented in Led Zeppelin but Stern refused to pay licensing costs
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball after 11 years (16 total) to join Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie operated under a verbal contract with Gary Stern rather than written documentation
Steve Ritchie had previously designed Terminator 2, Star Trek, Star Wars, and other major licensed titles for pinball
Steve Ritchie joined Jersey Jack Pinball after leaving Stern
Steve Ritchie's typical Stern game takes 15 months to develop
Led Zeppelin is Steve Ritchie's last game at Stern
Steve Ritchie decided he wasn't having fun at Stern in March, then negotiated with Jersey Jack for approximately four months before resigning July 26th
Steve Ritchie started working at Jersey Jack Pinball approximately two weeks before this episode was recorded
Steve Ritchie's recent designs have been constrained by Stern's budget limitations
Steve Ritchie is leaving Stern Pinball for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is actively recruiting a new design team at Jersey Jack Pinball but keeping it low-key
Steve Ritchie has left Stern Pinball
Ritchie and Jack Abbas have known each other for close to 40 years
Jack Abbas contacted Ritchie offering a job without prior agreement
Ritchie's next game at Jersey Jack will include drop targets
Steve Ritchie worked at Stern Pinball for 16 years before departing
Ritchie left Stern due to unhappiness with his working situation in March 2021
Ritchie's typical game development turnaround from start to finish is 15 months
Jack Abbas has known Steve Ritchie for more than 30 years
Steve Ritchie is now employed at Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie was attracted to JJP by the ability to work with larger toy budgets and bill of materials
Steve Ritchie's recent games have not been as universally popular as AC/DC and Star Trek
Steve Ritchie has left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball
AC/DC and Star Trek were Steve Ritchie last two universally popular games at Stern
Steve Ritchie has moved from Stern Pinball to Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is 71 years old
Steve Ritchie's contract with Stern had no non-compete clause
Steve Ritchie would prefer to work at a company that 'would enable him to make really great games'
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball on July 26, 2021 without severance notice required
Steve Ritchie first game at JJP will likely release in 2025
Steve Ritchie has officially left Stern Pinball and is employed by Jersey Jack Pinball effective immediately
Steve Ritchie's recent games at Stern have not sold as well compared to other designers' games
Steve Ritchie has left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball effective immediately
Steve Ritchie games haven't sold as well compared to other Stern designers lately
Steve Ritchie was with Stern for nearly 20 years
Steve Ritchie's move to JJP may not result in faster game output given JJP's slower release cycle than Stern
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball on August 2, 2021.
Steve Ritchie has a 47-year career in the gaming industry starting in 1974 with Atari Inc.
Flash revitalized Williams' fortunes and sold more than the preceding three titles combined.
Steve Ritchie's first design at JJP could take up to two years to reach production due to Guns N' Roses backlog and Toy Story being next.
Jack Guarnieri has known Steve Ritchie for more than 30 years.
Steve Ritchie is rumored to be joining Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is moving to Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is not leaving Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball
The two previous licensors before Black Knight Sword of Rage were very hard to work with
Steve Ritchie was relieved doing Black Knight Sword of Rage because previous two licensors were very hard to work with
Led Zeppelin was Steve Ritchie dream theme
Led Zeppelin was Steve Ritchie's dream theme for a pinball machine
Flash Games (Steve Ritchie's first Williams game) sold 19,250 units in one year
Steve Ritchie has designed approximately 30-40 games across pinball and other game types
Black Knight Sword of Rage is the most intense pinball machine ever made
Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight Sword of Rage partly to escape frustrating licensing negotiations
Led Zeppelin Premium/LE features expression lights that sync with music and affect scoring
Steve Ritchie named Mortal Kombat with a 'K' and performed voice acting for Shao Kahn
Steve Ritchie worked at Williams for 20 years
Steve Ritchie has been at Stern for 16-17 years
High Speed sold close to 16,000 units
Steve Ritchie helped Jeremy load a malfunctioning Getaway into his vehicle at MGC around 2016-2017
Steve Ritchie personally assisted Jeremy Schmitz in loading a broken Getaway machine into his vehicle at MGC
Steve Ritchie designed Star Trek Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Game of Thrones pinball
Black Knight Sword of Rage is designed by Steve Ritchie
High Speed (designed by Steve Ritchie) was influential to multiple people entering pinball in the mid-to-late 1980s
Steve Ritchie had no creative flexibility on Led Zeppelin due to licensing constraints requiring use of album artwork
Steve Ritchie started his pinball career at Atari in 1979 with Superman
The Pro model's loop shot removal represents compromise from designer Steve Ritchie's intended flow-focused design
Steve Ritchie designed Led Zeppelin and is known as the 'King of Flow'
Steve Ritchie is the speculated designer of Led Zeppelin Pinball
Steve Ritchie's last major design release was Black Knight (March 2019), representing ~21 months of development time before Led Zeppelin
Steve Ritchie last pinball design was Black Knight in March 2019
Steve Ritchie designed the game with an unusual upper flipper layout that doesn't shoot directly at a side ramp on the Pro model
Steve Ritchie is the designer for Led Zeppelin pinball
Steve Ritchie is the designer for Led Zeppelin
Steve Ritchie is the designer of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie rumored to be in development at Stern
Steve Ritchie insisted on jeweled inserts for the first time on a pinball game with Black Knight
Steve Ritchie's own voice is featured in Black Knight with software effects
Steve Ritchie started his pinball career at Atari
Steve Ritchie had nothing to do with the Heavy Metal game design
High Speed brought pinball back from the dead during the 1980s video game crisis.
High Speed was the first pinball machine to play a complete song.
Steve Ritchie and Larry DeMar had a contentious creative relationship on High Speed and Black Knight, with 'knock down drag-out fights,' but remained good friends afterward.
Pinball machines should be masculine-themed, challenging, and antagonistic because players enjoy games they 'love to hate'
The game features ramp mechanics that achieve extreme ball speeds and pass by flippers quickly to punish inattention
The backglass includes artwork of Jeremy McGrath on Honda CR250, NASCAR, motorcycles, skydiving, and rock climber imagery
The jump shot video mode features ball catch-and-feed mechanics allowing repeated flipper shots in sequence
Clear shot marking on playfields is a desirable design attribute that enhances gameplay
Steve Ritchie was a 'Williams purist' who refused to design games under the Bally brand after Williams' 1988 acquisition of Bally.
Clear visual marking of every shot and strong graphics packages are essential design elements
Pinball machines should be masculine-themed, challenging, and antagonistic to appeal to players who enjoy competitive 'love to hate' gameplay
Steve Ritchie took a three-year break from pinball (circa 1982–1985) to run his own video game company called King Video Designs.
High Speed theme was inspired by Steve Ritchie real-life police chase incident in a 1979 Porsche 928 on Interstate 5 near Lodi, California, where he was clocked at 146 mph.
Ramp acceleration mechanics that move the ball at extreme speeds create challenge by requiring player attention to avoid overshooting flippers
The jump shot feature with ball caught by catcher ramp and fed back to flipper is unforgettable and addictive
F-14 Tomcat is designed by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie's favorite Gottlieb game is Hollywood Heat
Steve Ritchie was told by a service technician at age 10 in a bowling alley that Gottlieb was 'the Cadillac of the industry'
Steve Ritchie approached Nolan Bushnell in a hallway with his Airborne Avenger design and was immediately approved to build it and given a cubicle next to Gary Slater
Steve Ritchie's hearing aids were already worn by 2004 due to Meniere's disease
Steve Ritchie's first pinball experience was at age 7 at Seabowl bowling alley in Pacifica, California, playing 10-cent games with a dollar his parents gave him
Steve Ritchie is the best-selling pinball designer of all time
Steve Ritchie was employee number 50 at Atari in 1974
Airborne Avenger sold approximately 3,420 units, correcting the original estimate of 350
Steve Ritchie has Menière's disease, which causes hearing loss and balance issues, and was wearing hearing aids by 2004
Steve Ritchie was the first employee in Atari's pinball division and employee number 50 overall at the company
Steve Ritchie pioneered the 'flow' style of pinball design and has maintained a standard Italian bottom flipper layout throughout his entire career
Star Trek is a flow machine designed by Steve Ritchie rather than a trap-up focused machine
Steve Ritchie insisted all his post-Bally acquisition games be branded Williams, never Bally
Steve Ritchie insisted all his games be branded Williams, not Bally, and refuses to make Bally games
Steve Ritchie was the top seed and picked Iron Maiden
Playfield dimpling will even out over time and is not a quality concern
Dimpling on Stern playfields is normal and will even out over time.
Steve Ritchie was interviewed at Stern Pinball offices on Episode 11
Steve Ritchie intentionally maintains consistent Italian bottom designs across games to provide player familiarity
Steve Ritchie attended Pintastic 2020 and played attendee-designed games
Black Knight Sword of Rage was Stern Pinball's first quasi-unlicensed game since 2001's High Roller Casino.
A chest X-ray showed no lung damage despite decades of smoking and vaping, attributed by Ritchie to 'lucky genes.'
Steve Ritchie contributes approximately 20% of programming input to Black Knight: Sword of Rage.
Steve Ritchie deliberately maintains uniform flipper placement across all his games to ensure players can transfer skills between titles.
Steve Ritchie's next game after Black Knight will feature a licensed IP that is 'very important' and 'special' to him.
Steve Ritchie decided to design Black Knight: Sword of Rage approximately 1.5 years prior to this interview due to burnout from working with licensors on consecutive licensed games.
Steve Ritchie can no longer direct audio production due to hearing loss and inability to perceive pitch.
Black Knight: Sword of Rage features unprecedented LCD animation and character design in pinball created by Stern's art and animation team.
Steve Ritchie has not retired and intends to continue designing pinball games; he may be fired but will not voluntarily quit.
The Pro version of Black Knight could not include an upper right flipper due to cost constraints and price point objectives.
Steve Ritchie experienced bronchitis for 3.5 weeks after returning from Australia in 2019, exacerbated by vaping/smoking history.
Steve Ritchie designed AC/DC and Star Trek pinball machines
Steve Ritchie is confirmed to appear on the Black Knight Sword of Rage farewell stream next Monday
Steve Ritchie designed High Speed based on being chased by police on Pacific Coast Highway
Steve Ritchie attended Brisbane Masters and expressed interest in appearing on Head2Head A Pinball Podcast
Steve Ritchie has designed 42-43 pinball games (42 confirmed plus Black Knight for 43 total)
Black Knight: Sword of Rage is the third iteration of Black Knight and the best one
Anthrax members Matt Scott Ian and Brendon Small produced music for Black Knight: Sword of Rage
George Gomez mentored Steve Ritchie in the fundamentals of pinball machine design when Gomez first joined Williams
Production issues with shield/target assembly screws loosening led to implementation of mandatory Loctite training for all new Stern employees
The flail mechanism went through three complete iterations and four material changes before achieving final design
Black Knight: Sword of Rage development team consisted of approximately 20 people at peak
Stern Pinball factory is currently very busy and experiencing strong demand driven by enthusiasts wanting to own pinball machines
Licensed games like Star Wars and Game of Thrones involve stressful approval processes compared to unlicensed games
Planetary Pinball (Matt Cristiano and Rick Bartlett) gave Stern minimal creative restrictions on Black Knight: Sword of Rage compared to other IP holders
Stern Pinball implements iterative playfield design requiring typically 2-3 or more drawing iterations to achieve proper shot connectivity and flow
Steve Ritchie's hearing problems prevented him from continuing to compose pinball game music due to inability to hear pitch
No new post holes need to be drilled to install the physical enhancement
No new post-hole drilling required for enhancement installation; plastic replaces existing upper playfield component
The physical enhancement plastic is completely free to owners
Plastic breakage was reported by community members but not observed during internal development testing
The enhancement will not significantly help good players but improves accessibility for casual players
The enhancement plastic design adds a post that allows customizable rubber lift height via post diameter selection
Steve Ritchie cancelled guest appearance due to illness (on antibiotics, absent 8 days from work)
Steve Ritchie is 69 years old and still actively designing pinball machines
Stern will not produce another sports-themed pinball game because sports themes have never commercially succeeded
Steve Ritchie attends approximately six pinball shows per year without Stern compensation
The left playfield design on Black Knight was stolen through industrial espionage and is based on Flash Gordon
Stern has 17 million parts in inventory at 26 cents per part, totaling approximately 4.2 million dollars
Steve Ritchie's design methodology starts with the Licensed Edition (LE) version and scales features back for Pro models
Steve Ritchie was the easiest guest to secure and agreed immediately when contacted
Steve Ritchie recommends Black Knight: Sword of Rage be set at 6.5-7% incline; steeper angles reduce side-to-side action and paradoxically make the game easier
Steve Ritchie is actively providing technical support to Black Knight: Sword of Rage players on Facebook
Black Knight Sword of Rage plays fundamentally differently from Steve Ritchie's typical games, with no repeatable flow shots
Steve Ritchie committed to signing memorabilia including prototype machines at Brisbane Royal Show event
Steve Ritchie is approachable and cool, embodying an ideal of a legendary designer
Steve Ritchie describes the BKSOR project as offering 'total freedom of creativity' and being 'a labor of love'
Black Knight: Sword of Rage features a motorized knight toy in the middle with a motorized flail that guards the left ramp
Steve Ritchie composed the original Black Knight 2000 theme before passing it to another composer
Steve Ritchie composed the initial Black Knight 2000 theme before handing it off to someone else
Steve Ritchie said the Black Knight: Sword of Rage topper will be the best topper ever in pinball history, featuring full animatronic head with side-to-side movement and laughing motion
Black Knight: Sword of Rage is Steve Ritchie design
Steve Ritchie will provide voice acting as the Black Knight character
Black Knight Sword of Rage teaser video was released and shows CGI of knight's armor with flames and heavy metal music
Steve Ritchie's signature laughter is unmistakable and iconic
Steve Ritchie design reputation gives him significant influence and credibility with educated pinball collectors
Black Knight Sword of Rage is Steve Ritchie's next game after his move to Jersey Jack Pinball
Black Knight: Sword of Rage is Steve Ritchie next game after his transition from Stern
Steve Ritchie is not retiring immediately after his next game
The upcoming Stern game will have at least two flippers and six balls, with significantly higher percentage of plastics suggesting possible multiple playfields
Steve Ritchie has no intention of retiring and changed his mind from prior retirement planning.
Steve Ritchie denied retirement rumors and stated he has no intention of retiring
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars was originally supposed to be his final game before retirement
Steve Ritchie is a legendary Stern Pinball designer
Steve Ritchie is unlikely to announce his next Stern game at the TPF seminar
Star Wars has a flow layout with stop-start rules that is more complex than other Steve Ritchie designs
Steve Ritchie's next game is next in line for Stern after Star Wars
Steve Ritchie will announce a new Stern game at Texas Pinball Festival seminar
Spider-Man Vault's combo system with multiple lit shots creates superior flow compared to typical Steve Ritchie designs despite more mechanical stops
Steve Ritchie and Dwight Sullivan have made approximately 50,000 games together
Steve Ritchie worked with Howie Rubin at Atari from 1974 to 1978
Ken Fedesna's leadership enabled creative freedom for designers while maintaining company direction
Elliot Eisman is a Purdue graduate and mechanical engineer at Stern Pinball
Steve Ritchie and Dwight Sullivan collaborated on approximately 50,000 games together
Tim Sexton is a new programmer at Stern working on Steve Ritchie's projects
Greg Fraris designed Star Trek The Next Generation and worked extensively with Steve Ritchie
Core design philosophy: shots should be 'sequentially fun' rather than scattered across the playfield, emphasizing flow over difficulty
Firepower sold approximately 17,000 units
Williams operated as a fully integrated manufacturer with in-house stamping, welding, and forming capabilities in the 1970s-80s
Terminator 2 sold 15,252 units and was completed within exactly one year to match the film's theatrical release date
Wide body pinball machines have worse ball flow and make outside shots hit-or-miss rather than skillful compared to 20.25-inch narrow machines
Steve Ritchie was speeding at 146 mph in a Porsche 928 on I-5 and received a $250 fine and reckless driving charge
Legendary pinball designer known as 'King of Flow.' Pioneered long shot chains, repeatable loops, and smooth ball flow. Discussed as one pole of the design spectrum.
Designer of Sonic The Hedgehog pinball machine; credited for flipper improvements and shot quality on recent JJP games
Legendary pinball designer; games explored by Emoto during Museum of Pinball deep-dive; mentioned as influential figure in pinball design lineage
Legendary pinball designer, recently released Sonic Pinball
Game designer referenced in context of Sonic Pinball not moving units on Stern platform
Legendary pinball designer; Manu compares Wuthering Waves' design philosophy to Ritchie's style; designer of Sonic (JJP)
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball, designed Sonic and Elton John, known as 'King of Flow,' former designer at another company.
Stern Pinball designer; Sonic designer; criticized for lacking passion equivalent to Eric Minor's Harry Potter involvement; licensing constraints blamed for Sonic CE design decisions
Pinball designer; Robert is fan of his work, particularly No Fear and Black Knight games
Stern Pinball designer, designer of Sonic (recently released) and Out and John, subject of critical analysis on recent work
Game designer for Sonic at JJP; legendary long-career designer; second game at JJP; known for fast game layouts
Pinball designer known for high-flow game designs, referenced as Dennis's design influence
Pinball designer at Stern; nearly worked with Jeremy Packer but Keith Elwin was scheduled for Iron Maiden design
Legendary pinball designer; recruited Tanio Klyce to Stern after seeing his custom Metallica machine at Pacific Pinball Expo 2009; helped rebuild Stern after 2008 recession
Legendary pinball designer; first speaker at Northwest Pinball Show in 2008; met Jerry Thompson in 2002 at Texas show; signed Star Trek Next Generation translite for Thompson
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; attended Brisbane Masters, met by Martin, potential future podcast guest
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designed Black Knight Sword of Rage; will provide voice acting as Black Knight character; designed Star Wars (previous Stern machine)
Designer for Jersey Jack Pinball games; designed Elton John; referenced as popular designer generating excitement for JJP releases
Williams designer, designed Flash game, Python Anghelo reportedly liked his playfield designs, approximately 20-month design cycle typical
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack, known as 'King of Flow', designer of Sonic and Elton John machines, recognized for fast-paced gameplay
Legendary pinball designer; claimed to have provided voice acting for Sonic game (though uncertainty expressed by hosts about specific voice role)
Legendary pinball designer who created Black Knight (1980), designed all three games in the Black Knight trilogy (1980, 1989, 2019), voiced the Black Knight character in both the original 1980 release and Sword of Rage (2019), and patented the MagnaSave player-controlled electromagnet mechanic
Provided voice acting for mission control in Space Shuttle; legendary pinball designer
Designer/architect on Sonic; responsible for upper playfield and ramp design decisions; prioritized flow/speed over ball control mechanics
Legendary pinball designer with 50+ year career; designed the 2007 Spider-Man machine; previously covered in The Skill Shot Black Knight episode
Legendary pinball designer; Punk Rock Pinball HQ features 8 Steve Ritchie machines including Metallica and Black Knight titles in their 'Richie Row' collection
Designer of all three Black Knight games (1980, 1989, 2019); also provided voice of the Black Knight in Sword of Rage; legendary designer known for flow-focused gameplay
Legendary pinball designer; designed Sonic the Hedgehog for Jersey Jack; known for signature three-flipper designs but broke pattern with Sonic's four-flipper layout
Legendary pinball designer, Hall of Famer; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog at Jersey Jack Pinball; previously at Stern for 16 years
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog; discusses design philosophy, mechanical innovations, and industry experience in interview.
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball at Jersey Jack Pinball; legendary pinball designer
Legendary pinball designer; created classic 1980s machines (Firepower, Black Knight, High Speed); designed Sonic for Jersey Jack; voice of Shao Kahn in 1990s Mortal Kombat games; second design for JJP after Elton John (2023)
Legendary pinball designer, age 76, known as 'King of Flow'; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball and previous titles like Star Wars (2019), Black Knight 2000, Star Trek: The Next Generation, No Fear
Hall of Fame game designer at Jersey Jack Pinball, lead designer of Elton John Pinball; known as 'King of Pinball' and 'Master of Flow'; designed Star Wars, Elvis, AC/DC
Designer of Elton John Pinball; veteran pinball designer at JJP
Designer of Elton John pinball machine
Pinball designer, appears in Jack in New Jersey event with Sonic the Hedgehog gameplay
Pinball design legend; sold 147,000 units at Williams, more than any other designer; compared to Ousler as the standard for prolific success
Legendary pinball designer; designed Getaway (played at Throwback Arcade)
Legendary pinball designer and 'King of Flow'; designer of Sonic machine; greeted Don during facility visit and provided real-time design feedback.
Legendary designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball; appeared at Under the Glass Launch Party event
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball, discussing Sonic the Hedgehog game design and mechanics
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball; gave Don real-time gameplay tips during play sessions at JJP
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog at Jersey Jack; credited with ambitious upper playfield design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer known as 'The King of Flow'; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball for Jersey Jack; previously designed Black Knight trilogy and Elton John
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball, featured in Sonic Pinball promotional video, played game with Retro Ralph
Legendary designer mentioned in licensing discussion context; discussed as potential future designer for remakes
Prominent pinball designer; commented at Pinball Expo that his next game would be original rather than licensed
Stern pinball designer/employee; interviewed by Jeff Teolis for Pinball Profile launch in 2016
Legendary pinball designer known for recurring playfield layouts; worked with Keith Johnson on unconventional design
Legendary pinball designer attending Chicago Pinball Expo factory tours as Jersey Jack Pinball staff member
Legendary pinball designer known for 'flow' philosophy and ensuring ball movement; used as design fingerprint example contrasting with Trudeau's unpredictable approach
Legendary pinball designer; works with Jersey Jack Pinball; met Don during his visit to play Sonic the Hedgehog
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball; 35th machine; known as 'King of Flow'
Legendary pinball designer; designed Sonic the Hedgehog for JJP; nicknamed 'The King of Flow' and 'The King of Speed'
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine; Kaneda credits him with creating 'an interesting new layout' and praised the game's theme integration execution
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball who designed Sonic; demonstrated the game during Hardy's playtest
Game designer for Sonic by Jersey Jack; known for flowing gameplay and previous success with Elton John; publicly announced working on Sonic at pinball shows
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball for Jersey Jack Pinball; legendary designer known for flow-based designs; his involvement touted in marketing
Lead designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball at Jersey Jack Pinball. Known for fast-paced, flow-oriented game design (Terminator 2, etc.). Enthusiastic about the Sonic project and modern electronics enabling new design possibilities.
Legendary pinball designer with 50+ years in the industry and 60+ game designs; primary designer of Sonic the Hedgehog. Known for fast-paced flow and iconic games like High Speed, Black Knight, Getaway, and Spider-Man.
Legendary pinball designer; created first pinball design (Airborne Avenger) in 1977; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog for JJP; marketing centerpiece of launch ('The King Returns')
Legendary pinball designer who designed Sonic the Hedgehog Pinball for Jersey Jack
Lead designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball, legendary pinball designer with 40-50 year career known for smooth flow and geometry
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball; legendary pinball designer known for Top Gun aspirations
Legendary pinball designer at Stern, designed Sonic the Hedgehog machine, described as 'King of Flow' and master game designer
Legendary pinball designer who moved from Stern to Jersey Jack ~5 years ago; designing Sonic; Kaneda calls him 'the king' and expects this to be a masterpiece
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog topper for JJP
Legendary pinball designer; created Airborne Avenger (1977), first pinball game; worked with Jarvis at Williams on Firepower, High Speed, and F-14 Tomcat
Legendary pinball designer; designed Sonic the Hedgehog for JJP; known for smooth, flowy machine designs
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designed Sonic the Hedgehog pinball; played with Cary Hardy on the game while explaining the code
Legendary pinball designer; deaf and reads lips; appearing at Arcade Under the Glass event in Red Bank, New Jersey with Jersey Jack team
Legendary designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine; attending launch party June 27-28
Head of Atari's Proto shop who recruited Eugene to Williams in 1979; created Airborne Avenger; worked with Eugene on Firepower
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog; previous notable works include Elton John
Jersey Jack designer; praised for Elton John marketing and launch campaign; noted as 'Richie's last release'
Pinball designer; referenced for LED and fire animation work
Referenced design philosophy style ('Steve Ritchie-lite') in context of Predator's middle-right third flipper targeting a warp ramp
Legendary pinball designer. Rumored (low confidence) to be developing Matrix game. Hosts reference expectations of his fall release.
Legendary designer credited as voice of Space Shuttle; mentioned in context of game design comparisons
Legendary designer; designer of Led Zeppelin; mentioned in context of game difficulty and rule accessibility
Designer of Elton John Pinball; Kaneda notes his excellent mechanical design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; expected to be speaking about Jersey Jack's Avatar game announcement at year-end 2022
JJP designer; one of three known designers working on current games
Designer of Star Trek and Elton John for Jersey Jack; Don compared Elton John's ramp design to Star Trek's layout
Pinball designer; designed Game of Thrones for Spike 3
Legendary pinball designer; evaluated Mark Seiden's homebrew Metroid game in 2019 at Pintastic; referenced as still active in pinball industry
Legendary pinball designer, brother of Mark Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; host claims he did Mortal Kombat 'Finish him' voice and designed High Speed and Getaway
Legendary pinball designer; Star Trek STTNG Easter egg reveals all his Williams/Atari games via button combo
Mentioned as potential voice for custom 'Let's Battle' sound clip in Mortal Kombat style
Pinball designer, brother of Mark Ritchie; referenced for his design work
Referenced as capable of delivering 'Finish Him' voiceover for hypothetical Mortal Kombat pinball
Famous pinball designer; Mark Ritchie's brother
Legendary pinball designer; designed Star Wars; known for flow-focused games; Star Wars described as among fastest Ritchie games
Legendary designer; participating in Williams nostalgic panel Friday 5 p.m.; presenting Star Wars saga talk Friday 7 p.m.
Legendary pinball designer; referenced humorously regarding disappointed player commentary in Venom
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned in context of Star Trek Next Generation playfield engineering and mechanical design philosophy.
Designer whose games feature plastic ramps that are preferred over metal ramps by Ron
Legendary pinball designer referenced in discussion about Black Knight and license restrictions at Stern
Legendary pinball designer; referenced as having departed Stern for Jersey Jack; implicit comparison point for engineering resource criticism
Designer of Game of Thrones Pro; layout compared to Venom's fan layout
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned in relation to World Cup Soccer and J-Pop's design lineage
Legendary pinball designer mentioned for reportedly calling Hollywood Heat 'really good,' which Alan and others find suspicious given the game's poor reputation
Legendary pinball designer; referenced for 'buttery flow' design philosophy; Kaneda credits Stern machines with Ritchie influence as more playable than JJP titles
Rumored to have original theme game in Stern's pipeline; mentioned in worst rumored titles category
Co-designer with Dwight Sullivan on Terminator 3; legendary designer referenced for design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; Munsters playflow compared to Ritchie's design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; previously at Stern; publicly criticized Stern's organizational structure and decision-making in past industry disputes
Jersey Jack Pinball designer/figure; Don mentions loving his work and Eric Seiden's work
Legendary designer; joked reference as potential spy, recently joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer creating Star Wars Trilogy pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer; explicitly noted as NOT involved with Heavy Metal game
AC/DC designer; now working with competitor (Spooky implied); Stern avoiding promotional emphasis
Designer of 2017 Star Wars pinball machine that Neal recently acquired
Mentioned as having left Stern; context suggests Jersey Jack connection
Designer known for perfecting side shots; Orbital Lelbert suggests his influence might be more present in Transformers design than Borg's
Jersey Jack designer; teased next game (believed to be Sonic) at The Pinball Expo (TPF)
Legendary Stern designer; referenced as example of designer-driven fan loyalty ('Steve Ritchie fans')
Lead designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; working on Sonic the Hedgehog game (seen in Sonic shoes two years ago)
Legendary designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing Van Halen after Sonic
Legendary pinball designer; subject of correction by Ken Cromwell regarding misquoted story about Jerry Thompson; associated with Jersey Jack Pinball.
Legendary pinball designer now at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing Sonic the Hedgehog; known for flow-focused design and interactive toppers
Pinball designer at Stern; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog per Kaneda's reference; noted for straightforward code design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designed Mortal Kombat, Star Wars (2017), and upcoming Sonic
Designer of original AC/DC pinball game; currently at Jersey Jack Pinball; mentioned as unlikely to have a Stern game while employed at competitor
Legendary pinball designer credited as designer of JJP Sonic the Hedgehog game; known for multi-flipper layouts and fast gameplay design
Legendary pinball designer, teased in Jersey Jack's Sonic announcement photo
Featured in Jersey Jack's Sonic teaser photo; legendary Stern designer; hair visible in backlit promotional image
Pinball designer for Jersey Jack Pinball; designed Sonic the Hedgehog; characterized by Kaneda as 'flow guy' who avoids loaded playfields
Legendary pinball designer known for flow-based playfield design; designing Sonic for Jersey Jack; described as 'the master of flow'
Legendary pinball designer; designing Sonic for Jersey Jack; previously designed Star Trek for Stern
Game designer; upcoming game rumored to be Sonic following Elton John Collector's Edition success
Designer associated with Sonic the Hedgehog pinball; mentioned regarding loop-de-loop design
JJP designer; leading Sonic the Hedgehog; credited with capability to elaborate on blank playfield fan layout
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designed Sonic the Hedgehog and Elton John; known for strong shot layouts and game design
Legendary pinball designer; T3 is identified as a Steve Ritchie game, noted for backhand left orbit mechanic signature.
Legendary pinball designer; designing upcoming Jersey Jack Pinball title; teaser released late May 2026
Mechanical engineer-turned-designer at Stern; collaborated with Eismin on Star Wars (2017)
Legendary pinball designer; three-flipper layout on Transformers references his traditional positioning style
Pinball designer; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog per Kaneda; noted history of upper playfields in designs (Game of Thrones, Black Knight Sword of Rage) that Kaneda suggests slow gameplay
Legendary pinball designer; designing upcoming Sonic game for Stern
Designer associated with Jersey Jack's Sonic the Hedgehog; classic designer of High Speed (40th anniversary)
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer ('The King of Flow') confirmed as designer of JJP's next game; stated it is the fastest game he has ever created
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog at Jersey Jack Pinball; known for fan-layout design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer who left Williams after 15 years. Designed No Fear (1995) and invented the fan layout. Award category named after him.
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing Sonic the Hedgehog
Designer of Star Trek pinball machine that Ken owns (Pro version) and has owned multiple times despite rotation habits
Designer; Sonic pinball attributed to him; predicted as potentially 'greatest game of all time.'
Jersey Jack Pinball designer, reacted negatively to Pinforge booth at Texas Pinball Festival 2026, viewing it as competitive threat
Designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball at Jersey Jack Pinball
Pinball designer; credited with Elton John design at JJP; speculated to be designer of upcoming Sonic machine
Pinball designer; designing Sonic the Hedgehog for JJP
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; upcoming game described as potentially his fastest-designed game with 6,000+ recorded voice calls; using standard body design
Jersey Jack Pinball game designer; upcoming title rumored to be Sonic the Hedgehog themed; claims his new game 'might be the fastest one he has ever designed'
Referenced as designer known for signature side ramp design approaches
Legendary pinball designer; Mike references Getaway as potentially a 'complete ripoff of Highspeed' and compares plunger mechanics to Ritchie's design philosophy
Referenced as comparison designer for ramp-focused game design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designed Transformers and Sonic the Hedgehog
Pinball designer; designer of Getaway High Speed II
Pinball designer; designing Sonic the Hedgehog for Jersey Jack; stated at Pintastic it's his fastest game ever
Legendary pinball designer; joined Jersey Jack Pinball; rumored to be designing Sonic the Hedgehog for JJP
Original AC/DC pinball game designer (Stern); now works at Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; rumored to be designing Sonic machine described as 'one of his fastest games ever'
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing rumored Sonic the Hedgehog; history with Stern designer (unspecified)
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball (recently departed Stern); working on Sonic the Hedgehog; credited by Kaneda with helping Mark Seiden resolve underplayfield design challenges
Designer of 2012 AC/DC pinball machine by Stern
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack, designing Sonic; known for fast-paced games
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog for Jersey Jack; designed High Speed and F-14 Tomcat at Stern/Williams
Designer of upcoming Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog; known for excellent shot layout design
Designer credited with legendary pinball legacy; Kaneda believes Sonic will be his greatest game ever
Designer at Stern, recent work on Elton John, upcoming Stern title rumored to be Sonic
Jersey Jack designer, known for High Speed and Star Wars work, designing Sonic
Legendary pinball designer who played Tiki Tapu and provided design feedback about lighting
Legendary pinball designer whose game design philosophy influenced Nick Moran; played early whitewood version of Turbo Time at Expo
Legendary Williams pinball designer cited as inspiration for The 3 Musketeers' cannon mechanic
Co-designer of Black Knight and High Speed with Larry DeMar
Classic pinball designer whose The Next Generation (TNG) game inspired the Pokemon Pinball design, particularly the three-flipper layout and Picard maneuver shot
Legendary pinball designer; played Turbo Time at Expo years ago in whitewood form; influenced Nick's game design philosophy
Designer; hosts express fandom for his work on Black Knight
Legendary pinball designer at Williams/Bally/Midway; left pinball in 1995; contributed voice work to Mortal Kombat ('Finish Him' scene); final game likely No Fear
Pinball designer, characterized George as 'barking' (assertive/opinionated), referenced in conversation about designer personalities.
Classic Stern designer; designed original Star Wars pinball machine, which hosts compared favorably to new Star Wars Empire.
Pinball designer; observed at TPF with Jack Guarnieri; no mention of new JJP design announcements
Legendary pinball designer, designing Sonic for JJP; known for fast, well-designed games
Legendary pinball designer; upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda predicts his game will dominate 2026
Designer of the 2017 Stern Star Wars pinball game that Fall of the Empire is compared against
Pinball designer credited with No Fear: Dangerous Sports; known for creating games with unmistakable flow and repeatable shots
Provided design support on Elvira and the Party Monsters
Legendary Stern designer; designed Led Zeppelin pinball; mentioned as upcoming guest speaker; known for fast-moving shot designs
Legendary pinball designer; primary speaker. Career spans Atari (1974-1978), Williams (1978+). Designed Superman, Flash, Stellar Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and other classics. Central figure in transition from widebody to narrow body pinball design.
Legendary pinball designer; speaker at this event. Career spans Atari (mid-1970s) and Williams (1978+). Designer of Superman, Flash, Stellar Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and other seminal titles. Known for advocating narrowbody designs over widebody machines.
Legendary Stern designer; designed Led Zeppelin pinball game; mentioned as having upcoming appearance at event
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing upcoming Sonic title
Legendary pinball designer reportedly involved with Elton John to improve Jersey Jack's flipper engineering
Pinball industry figure, present at Pintastic 2025 seminar, joking/ribbing with Jack Guarneri at podium
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be working on Sonic the Hedgehog with Jersey Jack
Designer of rumored Sonic the Hedgehog game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; referenced for Flash design and previous podcast interview (episode 127); known as 'King of Flow'
Legendary pinball designer; Orbital Albert compares Elton John shot layout to his design philosophy
Pinball designer/industry figure encountered at Pinball at the Beach; referenced in Don's anecdote about casual atmosphere
Legendary pinball designer; designing Sonic for JJP; known for 'flow' design philosophy (Star Trek: The Next Generation, No Fear, etc.)
Legendary Stern designer; Sonic reported to borrow gameplay elements from his past games including F-14 Tomcat and Star Trek
Pinball designer, designed Led Zeppelin, Black Knight, Star Trek, known for flow-based gameplay; historically Jeff's favorite designer
Stern Pinball designer; audio clip played where he expressed lukewarm reaction to Toy Story; Kaneda criticizes him for designing games for home collectors, not operators; references past hype before Toy Story 4 and Godfather releases
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda suggests his upcoming music pin will launch before Pinball Brothers completes 1,000 Queen units
Designer associated with Jersey Jack Pinball's Elton John game; featured in promotional material; plays guitar
Pinball designer at Stern; will be speaking at Pintastic about new game releases.
Williams designer known for high royalty earnings; example of designer compensation disparity; referenced driving Porsche 944 not 911
Pinball designer who worked on Star Wars game and felt constrained by licensing restrictions; also created American Gladiators game that Roger Sharpe passed on.
Departed from Stern Pinball; previously head engineer or senior designer; his office became available at Stern after departure
Legendary pinball designer who designed Superman at Atari (1979), worked approximately one year on the game, then left to join Williams where he designed Flash. Noted for insisting on proper engineering standards and fighting Atari management over design decisions.
Legendary pinball designer; designed the original Star Wars Pro version being reviewed
Designer now at Jersey Jack Pinball; moved from Stern with promise of increased budget; Kaneda frames Elton John as his critical moment
Pinball designer (historical context: Williams designer); George is restoring Superman game for him to be delivered by Thanksgiving
Legendary pinball designer; Alan compares Dennis Nordman's flow understanding favorably to Ritchie's; Ritchie did Mortal Kombat fatality voiceovers
Renowned pinball designer; had seminar at Texas Pinball Festival scheduled after Coin-Op Carnival presentation
Pinball designer, designed Star Trek LE (praised by Martin as best design), designed American Gladiators, described as disappointed with AG's cancelled show license
Stern Pinball designer scheduled to announce new game at Texas Pinball Festival
Legendary pinball designer, insisted all his post-Bally acquisition designs be branded Williams, never Bally
Legendary Stern designer; flipper design incorporated into Avatar by JJP; Don and Enzo speculate he should be consulted on new JJP games
Voice actor for Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 2 and 3; voiced Black Knight in Black Knight Sword of Rage pinball; Don has met him multiple times
Legendary pinball designer; recently launched Elton John with Jersey Jack Pinball in 2023; continuing to develop additional games for JJP beyond Elton John
Pinball designer known for ramp-focused games; designing Rocketman for JJP at larger budget than Stern equivalents
Classic pinball designer, created Star Trek which Orbital Albert references as exemplar of flow design
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed previous Star Wars pinball (vaulted); Neil McRae critical of that design despite its commercial success
Legendary pinball designer whose next game for Jersey Jack is subject of Kaneda's investigation
Designer of original Star Wars pinball (Stern); his version sold ~8,000 units; referenced as precedent for next Star Wars release
Legendary pinball designer, referenced as influencing Eric Minier's shot geometry design; known for prioritizing gameplay over aesthetics
Designer of original Star Wars Pro; host praises his 'flow' design philosophy
Designer of previous (2017) Stern Star Wars pinball machine; compared to new John Borg version
Legendary pinball designer known from Bally Williams era (1990s); designer of Spider-Man machine that introduced Ian to pinball
Legendary pinball designer; designed Black Knight 2000 for Williams
Pinball designer, created High Speed based on his personal driving experience
Legendary pinball designer of Black Knight Sword of Rage
Pinball designer; designed Elton John for Jersey Jack; reportedly on call with Jersey Jack ownership to thank location operators
Williams designer; panelist on multiple Expo seminars including Star Wars and Williams legacy discussion
Legendary pinball designer; first game was Airborne Avenger at Atari (1977); later designed Flash at Williams; collaborated with Eugene Jarvis
Pinball designer/industry figure mentioned by Franchi as 'rock star'
Pinball designer credited with Black Knight 2000 and other titles, referenced for design quality
Notable pinball designer; Don cited meeting him as example of accessibility in pinball industry vs other hobbies
Designer of upcoming Elton John pinball; Kaneda expects Godfather to dominate market for 6-8 months before Elton John launch
Pinball designer at Stern; credited with likely arranging Star Wars Episode VIII for Stern
Game designer at Jersey Jack; mandated flipper improvements to eliminate 'jelly flippers'; designed Elton John; Stern game designer (Led Zeppelin, Star Trek, Spider-Man); personal friend of Neil McRae
Designer known for minimal scoop usage and strong flow; design philosophy contrasted with Beetlejuice
Pinball designer; scheduled speaker at Pintastic 2022; George playfully references bringing a megaphone
Designer of both Firepower (1980) and Flash (1978), two landmark Williams pinball machines discussed throughout the episode
Designer of Elton John pinball (Jersey Jack)
Legendary Stern designer expected to return as seminar speaker; mentioned as 1970s designer; games being collected for potential Best in Show category
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing Elton John; given 'blank check' budget by JJP owner Jack Winaur to produce loaded game
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage for Stern Pinball
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Black Knight: Sword of Rage, Aerosmith, Star Wars
Designer of Elton John, Star Trek, and other games; host notes design similarity across his titles
Stern designer; designed Elton John; worked with Anthrax guitarist on Black Knight Sword of Rage
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda speculates on his next game announcement
Renowned pinball designer known for faster games; designed Elton John for JJP; speculated as designer for potential Sonic the Hedgehog title
Legendary Williams pinball designer; DeMar's mentor and collaborator on Black Knight and High Speed; perfectionist; guitar player
Designer of Led Zeppelin, known for clear shot flow philosophy, referenced for design consistency across his games
Legacy designer; Kaneda explicitly states he would prefer Jack Danger over Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John for JJP; personal connection mentioned with Craft Brew Sally
Legendary designer; game announcements typically known a year in advance by community
Legendary pinball designer; designed Black Knight 2000, Roller Games, and co-contributed to Elvira. Associated with Williams/Bally merger era
Legendary Stern designer known for flow and speed; Kaneda speculates he is designing either Sonic the Hedgehog or Beastie Boys for Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer; scheduled for interview with Special When Lit podcast on Thursday (from episode air date); will autograph playfields for Bill's Getaway restoration
Next JJP game designer; release delayed due to Potter's production demands, likely pushed to late 2026
Pinball designer; known for 'hot dog insert' design preference across multiple games including Firepower, High Speed, Star Trek
Legendary pinball designer ('King of Flow'); Stern designer; subject of upcoming Special When Lit interview
Classic pinball designer; claims Claude Fernandez borrowed design ideas when transitioning from Williams to Bally
Legendary pinball designer at Williams; designer of High Speed; worked on game across hallway from Dwight Sullivan; collaborated with him on Getaway
Legendary pinball designer; described by hosts as 'arguably the best pinball designer of all time'; known for game flow design
Legendary pinball designer with 47+ year career; currently at Stern; designer of Flash, Black Knight, High Speed, Terminator 2, and other iconic games
Stern Pinball designer, recently interviewed by Special When Lit, will autograph Batman 66 Translite sweepstakes prize
Legendary pinball designer cited by Bill Webb as example of creator impacted by negative pre-release public sentiment
Stern pinball designer, expected to release a game in 2025 (possibly Getaway 3 or Black Knight 3000)
Renowned pinball designer; known for flowy game design style; provided feedback on TNA scoop speed during MGC event.
Stern designer who signed AC/DC trans light for Ken Cromwell
Legendary pinball designer whose design style is referenced as distinct from Keith Elwin's approach
Legendary Williams pinball designer; major influence on Brian Eddy's design philosophy; known as 'master of flow'; designed F-14, Black Knight, Black Knight 2000, The Getaway
Designer at Stern Pinball (Episode 11 guest); known as 'master of flow' and 'king of pinball'; interviewed at Stern offices
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage for Stern, competing against Pat Lawler's JJP release
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; actively answering player questions on Facebook about machine issues and tweaks
Pinball designer creating Black Knight Sword of Rage; signature laughter featured in teaser video
Legendary Stern designer; reportedly working on new game for 2024; speculation about High-Speed 3 or Black Knight 3000 sequels
Stern Pinball designer; was scheduled to appear on Flippin' Out stream but cancelled due to illness; out of work for a week
Legendary pinball designer who released Black Knight Sword of Rage at Midwest Gaming Classic
Legendary pinball designer; designed Black Knight: Sword of Rage for Stern Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball; guest on Special When Lit; known for classic games T2, Getaway
Pinball designer, hypothetical designer of Getaway 3 in quality vs quantity discussion
Legendary pinball designer ('King of Flow'), formerly at Stern Pinball, now working at Jersey Jack Pinball; designed High Speed and Terminator 2
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; discussed Black Knight Sword of Rage development and upcoming unannounced game for 2020
Legendary pinball designer, subject of episode; born Feb 13, 1950 in San Francisco; known as 'King of Flow'; best-selling pinball designer of all time; designed Airborne Avenger at Atari; has Meniere's disease
Legendary pinball designer; designed new Black Knight Sword of Rage premium machine; attended Pintastic
Originally assigned James Bond designer; no longer at Stern; moved to Jersey Jack; community fatigue over his 'sameness' in Star Wars, Star Trek, Black Knight, Led Zeppelin
Legendary pinball designer, designer of Black Knight Sword of Rage, known for flow-based gameplay and repeatable shots
Designer of Elton John (Jersey Jack); legendary designer whose pedigree helped Jersey Jack establish manufacturing credibility
Classic pinball designer; designed Getaway and other games
Pinball designer; Minney speculates his next game for JJP will release before Harry Potter
Jersey Jack designer; appeared at TPF seminar discussing timelines; no new game announcements; declined to discuss Merco playfield issues
Legendary pinball designer; present at TPF 2024, approached Dennis for conversations; designer of Elton John (JJP).
Williams designer who complained about Johnny Mnemonic's lane change lag issue
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John Pinball for Jersey Jack Pinball; praised for shot design and flipper mechanics
Participated in interview regarding Godfather and other topics (interview referenced but not aired on main show)
Designer referenced regarding Black Knight Sword of Rage game philosophy ('just get better')
Designer; Star Trek is referenced as his design with 'flow' emphasis rather than trap-up gameplay
Designer of Elton John at Jersey Jack Pinball; formerly at Stern; host argues he's the superior geometric layout designer versus Pat Lawler
Designer of Elton John at Jersey Jack; Craig credits him with executing well on the theme and putting concerns to bed with game quality
Pinball designer; designed Stern Star Trek with acclaimed flow layout
Pinball designer known for fast, action-oriented games like Star Trek Premium and Black Knight
Game designer at Williams; described as 'pretty demanding'; designed Black Knight 2000; wrote multiball riff for that game
Pinball designer at Williams; co-designer of High Speed with Larry DeMar; part of management group that reviewed Wrecking Ball prototype
Designer at Williams known for reputation and quality games; designed Terminator which competed with Ward's Riverboat Gambler
Mark's older brother; legendary Williams pinball designer; worked in pinball engineering at Atari before moving to Williams; designed games including High Speed and Terminator; currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball according to KB. Close relationship with Mark; Mark views Steve as superior designer.
Game designer at Williams who wrote music for Road Kings on guitar
Designer Python considers one of his two heroes (alongside Eugene Jarvis); praised as a true innovator, though Python notes he doesn't discuss his work publicly
Game designer who started as prototype lab technician at Atari; collaborated with Jarvis on multiple games; later became renowned designer for Williams pinball
Williams designer; created macho-themed games like Black Knight and High Speed; contrasted with Barry's inclusive design philosophy
Chicago Gaming founder/designer; predicted to design his last game in 2026; rumored interested in Top Gun as swan song.
Designer of Elton John; described as having had 'bill of materials handcuffs' removed, allowed more mechanics than before
Designer potentially working on Jersey Jack's Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer recently acquired by Jersey Jack Pinball.
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing Jersey Jack's Elton John machine
Legendary pinball designer at JJP, designer of Elton John, Star Trek, AC/DC, Getaway; met by Colin at TPF
Legendary pinball designer; Don speculates on involvement in Fast and Furious for ramp and magnetic launch design
Legendary pinball designer; designed upcoming JJP game; appeared on Pinball Profile interview with Jack Guarnieri; known for designing games balancing operator ROI, casual accessibility, and competitive depth
Pinball designer mentioned as frequently collaborating with Dwight Sullivan on monster-seller games.
Designer/lead at Jersey Jack Pinball; hosted Elton John introduction seminar
Legendary pinball designer; joined Jersey Jack Pinball to design Elton John and fix flipper feel; designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage, Star Wars, Star Trek, High Speed
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be next JJP title after Elton John (possibly confirmed for future project)
Legendary pinball designer (Black Knight, Shao Kahn); rumored designer of Elton John pinball
Pinball designer; rumored designer of Elton John (JJP #9); designed Mortal Kombat and Black Knight titles
Legendary pinball designer; signed Terminator 3 translite that Chris Bucci received as thank you from Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer observed playing Cactus Canyon at the expo; tilted and jokingly blamed streamer
Legendary pinball designer being documented for a Mark Helms documentary part 2; will attend Pintastic 2023; designed Firepower
Legendary pinball designer, encountered by George at the bar during Tentastic
Legendary pinball designer, encountered by George at Pintastic 22 lobby
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned as potentially ill during stream, referenced for design philosophy ('play better')
Pinball designer; Kaneda reports having 'more confirmation' on his upcoming game theme, withheld pending Club membership goal
Designer of Game of Thrones pinball
Legendary pinball designer; hired by Jersey Jack Pinball in 2021; previously at Stern where recent games underperformed relative to Keith Elwin's titles
Legendary pinball designer; known for F-14 game and Black Knight series; mentioned as ideal designer for potential Top Gun license or other high-flow games
Former long-time Stern designer; rumored to be designing The Matrix pinball for JJP
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Led Zeppelin LE; known for flow and speed in game design; regarded as 'king of flow'
Designer of Stern Star Wars; legendary pinball designer known for System 11 games like Star Trek
Pinball designer; originally worked on James Bond before Gomez; designed Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Led Zeppelin
Designer who left Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball; his unreleased Stern title was scrapped and will be redesigned by George Gomez as a three-flipper machine
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; designer of Game of Thrones; mentioned as unlikely candidate for Harry Potter
Pinball designer featured on Silver Ball Chronicles; designed The Getaway, T2: Terminator 2
Pinball designer; encountered at MGC floor, described as 'cool uncle' type, approachable to fans
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; mentioned as potential Harry Potter designer candidate
Designer/audio contributor to Elton John and Pulp Fiction; mentioned for design approach
Senior Stern Pinball designer; his design position reportedly being transitioned to newer designers
Former Stern Pinball designer who left for Jersey Jack Pinball; was working on James Bond game that Gomez has now taken over
Legendary pinball designer; subject of Andrew Moskos' roast poem; rejected public reading of the poem; designer at Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary Williams pinball designer; designed T2, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and other classic games; known for conceptual depth and humor in game design
Pinball designer; Kaneda speculates he is designing Matrix for Jersey Jack
Jersey Jack designer; cited alongside Keith Elwin and Pat Lawler as exemplar of mechanical and shooting design; host questions why modern designers struggle to replicate proven approach
Legendary Stern designer; expected by hosts to release next Stern game following recent releases from Keith L. and John Borg; known for original designs including Spider-Man and Star Trek
Legendary pinball designer; next game reportedly delayed or progressing slowly; his Star Wars LE criticized as inferior
Legendary pinball designer; created High Speed, Getaway, Black Knight series, known for signature right flipper loop shots
Mentioned in chat as upcoming designer at Jersey Jack Pinball
Game designer referenced for design philosophy on Wizard and other games
Designer of Elton John; Manu calls it one of his best games; noted as possibly not having choice in theme selection
Designer of Black Knight pinball; referenced as creator of punishing gameplay mechanics
Quoted as saying 'never pick floaty as a mascot name doesn't sound good at all'
Designer of Game of Thrones pinball machine; participated in gameplay and tournament at launch party
Legendary pinball designer credited with Black Knight Sword of Rage topper design; referenced for design excellence
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage (referenced in KB)
Pinball designer; designed Spider-Man original run and Black Knight Sword of Rage; respected despite not being Tommy's preferred designer
Designer of Led Zeppelin Pro; Stern veteran designer with more hits than misses in career
Legendary pinball designer known as 'king of flow'; joined Jersey Jack Pinball, improved ball shooting mechanics
Pinball designer whose work at Jersey Jack community is watching closely to assess design direction
Legendary pinball designer; designed AC/DC and Metallica; referenced as industry veteran alongside Lawler and Mark Ritchie
Referenced as 'King of Flow' in pinball design; George Gomez's design idol
Designer of original Star Wars pinball game; criticized for poor game design and code decisions; subject of potential competitive burn if remake happens
Referenced humorously as potential future confrontation figure with Papa Duke if he joins JJP
Legendary Stern game designer, rumored to be designing next Stern release (Black Knight 3000), performs voice work for games, co-designed original Elvira games
Legendary Stern designer; designed Led Zeppelin; known for fast, flow-based gameplay
Pinball industry legend; played Mark Seiden's Metroid custom game at Pintastic; provided feedback on game darkness
Legendary pinball designer of Black Knight (1980) and many other classics; known as 'King of Flow'; his voice is featured in the game
Pinball designer who designed Elton John. Reportedly wanted to make a race car/spaceship game but was assigned Elton John theme instead.
Jersey Jack designer who brought Stern-style game design to Elton John
Legendary pinball designer; subject of discussion regarding Flash vs Star Wars game quality
Former Stern lead designer; no longer with Stern (implied departure)
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda expects upcoming Jersey Jack game from him
Original designer on James Bond project who transferred to Stern; has made critical public statements about Stern
Jersey Jack Pinball leadership; brother of Mark Ritchie; described as angry at Stern; wants to prove capabilities beyond Star Wars/Led Zeppelin
Legendary Stern designer; Kaneda mentions upcoming Elton John pinball from him as possible 2023 release
Pinball designer; rumored to be working on Elton John music game for Jersey Jack Pinball (not Billy Joel)
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing Billy Joel game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern, known for machines like Star Trek and Spider-Man
Stern pinball designer; designed the Star Wars machine that Kaneda criticizes as 'a huge miss'
Pinball designer; Kaneda notes he reskinned Star Trek into Elton John at late stage
Jersey Jack designer; created Elton John (praised for safety/execution); next Mark Seiden game seen as new chapter post-Ritchie
Designer; spoke at TPF seminar about Elton John production (mentioned using leftover Toy Story 4 screens); Kaneda suggests he needs media training
Jersey Jack designer; Kaneda waiting for his next game instead of buying Elton John; speculates it could be Top Gun or Harry Potter
Legendary pinball designer; allegedly made comparative comment about Mark Seiden vs. Elwin
Designer at JJP; worked with Joe Cat on Elton John; credited with creating game chemistry; X Factor with Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designed Elton John game; discussed as example of designer reputation insufficient to drive sales
Legendary pinball designer; creator of Spider-Man, referenced as benchmark for quality design
Legendary pinball designer; associated with fanbase following; Avatar noted as lacking comparable designer prestige/fanbase
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designed Star Wars pinball game; heavily criticized by Kaneda for poor scene-stacking code and lack of understanding of Star Wars universe
Pinball designer credited for Elton John; Kaneda notes fans of his work will love the shooting mechanics
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; confirmed to design The Matrix releasing end of year
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; next game rumored to be Beastie Boys or The Matrix; recently completed Elton John
Pinball designer with impact on Avatar's playfield layout
Designer of both Spider-Man and Star Trek; subject of debate over game quality comparison
Legendary pinball designer; appears to have provided guidance to Mark Seiden on Avatar design
Jersey Jack designer; Kaneda criticizes Elton John design as 'playing it safe' and calls for more ambitious future games
Designer at Stern; created Black Knight: Sword of Rage; featured in head-to-head comparison with Pat Lawler; appeared on Jack Danger's stream to discuss Black Knight enhancements
Stern Pinball designer, led factory tour at Expo, shared Lucasfilm licensing insights
Legendary pinball designer credited in AC/DC Pinball Arcade promotional materials as 'king of the designers'
Designer; The Matrix game in development at Jersey Jack, expected spring 2025, wide body with slingshot guns
Legendary Stern designer; Kaneda asserts he is NOT working on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball despite Jersey Jack licensing it
Stern designer whose recent licensed game artwork is criticized by Ron and Bruce (Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Star Trek, etc.)
Stern designer; featured in Stern's Kickstarter video campaign
Pinball designer; Ron previously owned 99% Steve Ritchie games; had 'Growing Up Ritchie' seminar with Mark Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John for Jersey Jack; Kaneda praises his work on this game
Classic pinball designer, associated with Stern ACDC design criticized for playfield aesthetics
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; voice of the Black Knight character; classic designer credits include Black Knight (1980), Black Knight 2000 (1989), and others
Legendary modern pinball designer; mentioned in comparative analysis of great designers' first three releases
Legendary pinball designer credited with concept and design of High Speed; known as the 'Steven Spielberg of Pinball.' Currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball.
Legendary Williams designer; designer of Black Knight 2000, original Black Knight, High Speed; provided voice for Black Knight character
Referenced as 'King of Flow' and previous podcast guest who discussed game design evolution
Legendary pinball designer; sighted at TPF interacting with Luke from Spooky, representing generational bridge between established and emerging designers.
Spooky Pinball designer; criticized for Led Zeppelin (no interesting play with blimp) and Star Wars reskin; expected to produce new game by end of year
Designer of Jersey Jack's rumored Elton John pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer; recently joined Jersey Jack Pinball; interviewed discussing his game design philosophy and current project at JJP
Legendary pinball designer speaking at Pinball Expo
Pinball designer; alluded in recent interview to challenges of Disney/Star Wars artwork constraints
Legendary designer; Elton John game designer at Jersey Jack; Chicago Gaming designer of upcoming sci-fi themed game
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda questions whether Ritchie can deliver on his 'trash talking' about former Stern colleagues with Elton John game
Designer allegedly in budget negotiations with Jersey Jack over his upcoming game
Pinball designer; created Stern's Star Wars game, which Kaneda calls 'an abomination' given source material
Lead designer of Led Zeppelin; legendary Stern designer; known for flow-focused game mechanics
Designer who moved from Stern to Jersey Jack Pinball; has publicly criticized Stern's constraints and now has opportunity to design for JJP
Legacy designer; created Elton John for Stern; Kaneda cites poor sales as proof legacy names don't equal modern sales
Legendary pinball designer with 47+ year career; currently at Stern Pinball/Jersey Jack; designer of High Speed, Black Knight series, Star Wars, Terminator 2, and recent music-themed games
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda expresses hope he will deliver successful game
Stern Pinball designer/leadership; expected to present at TPF alongside Jack Guarnari
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; mentioned as potential competitor to Lawlor's design legacy at JJP.
Legendary pinball designer; Elton John credited to him; referenced for shot design excellence
Jersey Jack designer rumored to design either Beastie Boys or Top Gun; praised for Elton John game mechanics
Designer of Elton John for Jersey Jack; Kaneda sympathizes that he was forced to make undesirable theme after legendary Stern work (Black Knight, AC/DC, Star Wars, Led Zeppelin).
Legendary pinball designer; departed from Stern to Jersey Jack; at 'crossroads' with Elton John reveal; labeled 'king of pinball'
Legendary pinball designer; recently left Stern Pinball; joined JJP to design Elton John; Kaneda expects this game to demonstrate his capabilities after Stern cost-cutting constraints
Stern designer; criticized for fumbling major themes like Game of Thrones and Star Wars; Kaneda suggests he should not be assigned Back to the Future Arcade
Designer of Stern Star Trek with strong gameplay but criticized artwork; John Borg updated design for Metallica remaster
Legendary pinball designer; coded AC/DC Let There Be Rock
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; subject of speculation about his next game (Elton John or Top Gun)
Legendary pinball designer who designed High Speed and F-14 Tomcat during the System 11 era; hosts reference him as 'Steven Spielberg of Pinball.'
Legendary designer; 'king of flow' but criticized for weak artistic direction and lack of soul; joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; mentioned speculatively regarding potential Elton John or Matrix themes and personal taste alignment
Williams designer known for fast-paced, speed-focused themes; primarily designed Williams-branded games
Industry figure speaking at Texas Pinball Festival with Jack Rennery; known for outspoken commentary
Noted as 'the same team on the field' at Jersey Jack; Kaneda skeptical of his ability to bring spark back to company
Legendary designer; Black Knight is his game being re-released by Stern while he promotes new Jersey Jack game—potential conflict noted by Kaneda
Legendary pinball designer; subject of extensive criticism in this episode for Elton John design philosophy
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda credits him with designing Elton John as a 'juggernaut'
Legendary Stern designer; rumored to be designing Matrix pinball; historical reference to Star Wars LE (800 units)
Pinball designer; reportedly arrived at Jersey Jack after JJP #7 (Godfather) was already complete
Legendary designer; JJP's next game designer; Kaneda positions his next title as critical to determining JJP's future direction
Legendary pinball designer; currently at Jersey Jack Pinball; criticized Stern publicly at TPF seminar; has next game in JJP pipeline after Eric Minier
Designer credited on Star Trek TNG backglass; signed the autographed backglass on Don's road game
Appearing with Jersey Jack Pinball at Texas Pinball Festival Friday 8 PM; will discuss future of JJP
Legendary Stern Pinball designer who has confirmed move to Jersey Jack Pinball; age 71; known for pioneering game design principles and 40+ iconic games; had whitewood in progress at Stern.
Legendary pinball designer, speculated as potential designer as he is 'due' for a new release
Legendary pinball designer; credited as game design and software lead on Star Trek (2013)
Classic pinball designer; designed Star Wars game that host prefers over X-Men
Legendary pinball designer; Star Trek mentioned as example of excellent warp ramp shot feel in comparison to other games
Designer of original Costco Star Wars game; credited with better design than Stern's Fall of the Empire
Pinball designer; Kaneda states he will buy his next game (unspecified title)
Stern designer; expected to release 'Music Pin' (title TBD) after Godfather from JJP
Legendary pinball designer; reportedly tasked by Gary Stern to create AC/DC (Premium) with 'everything and the kitchen sink'
Veteran Stern designer; was working on his own original theme game during The Beatles development
Renowned pinball designer, created Spider-Man and Star Trek pinball games discussed favorably by hosts
Legendary pinball designer; designing upcoming Foo Fighters game for Jersey Jack Pinball; mentioned as preferred designer by Kaneda
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; confirmed to be mentoring Eric Minier and Mark Seiden; expected to continue contributing to JJP's future designs
Designer with strong imprint on sound and programming; collaborated with Thiel on Star Trek; communicated clear design intent regarding music licensing
Legendary pinball designer known for flow-focused game design; currently designing for Jersey Jack Pinball
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; legendary pinball designer known as 'King of Flow'
Pinball designer, rumored to be working on Jersey Jack Pinball's Avatar game layout
Legendary pinball designer; first speaker at Thompson's Seattle pinball show in 2008; met Thompson in Texas in 2002 and Chicago in 2004
Original designer of Bond machine concept before George Gomez took over
Legendary pinball designer with 30+ year career at Williams/Capcom, returning to pinball after decades to design Pulp Fiction for Raw Thrills/Play Mechanics partnership
Legendary pinball designer ('King of Flow'); joined Jersey Jack Pinball August 2023; designed Elton John machine; previously at Stern; known for high-speed, flow-focused games
Pinball designer rumored by Kaneda to be designing The Matrix as Jersey Jack Pinball's next title
Designer; rumored to be designing single-level Pulp Fiction for Chicago Gaming Company
Pinball designer, noted for F-14 Tomcat, potential designer for Top Gun at JJP
Legendary pinball designer, featured in recent interview on Straight Down the Middle
Established pinball designer known for flow-focused gameplay; designed multiple titles including Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Led Zeppelin, Black Knight; example of designer with consistent stylistic signature
Jersey Jack Pinball designer with unreleased next game featuring praised layout; subject of confidentiality agreement regarding game details
Produced Lord of the Rings (2003); worked as independent contractor for Stern during this period
Attended Texas Pinball Festival drinking event with Geoff Teolas and others