Rick is a multi-faceted figure in the pinball industry with primary roles as a software engineer and code programmer at Stern Pinball (hired June/July 2023) and as owner/representative of Planetary Pinball. He has worked on major Stern titles including Iron Maiden, Avengers: Infinity Quest, and Godzilla, specializing in code implementation, difficulty balancing, and game mechanics. Rick is also an active competitive pinball player who participates in tournament play and provides commentary, while maintaining involvement in pinball product licensing and arcade game community activities.
No aliases
Shadow loop combos start at 10 million points and increase by 3 million with each hit, with no upper cap, reaching 50+ million in home play scenarios
Loop combo values exceed jackpot values during multiball on Shadow, making them the superior scoring strategy
Rick borrowed Shadow from a friend specifically to learn/practice the game because it comes up frequently in tournaments
Participant in team competition format during stream
Code designer working on Godzilla with Keith Elwin, collaborator on video tributes and power-up system refinement
Stern code programmer; working with Keith on his second game project (Iron Maiden successor); part of core design team
Stern team member who implemented permanent top-3 score display in Escape Nublar Challenge
Owner/representative of Planetary Pinball; granted licensing for Electric Playground's Attack from Mars topper
Commentary partner; qualified for tournament but eliminated in first round; explains Shadow strategy and mechanics extensively
No linked glossary terms
Soul gem mode was one of the hardest features to program in Avengers: Infinity Quest
Pro Edition uses virtual locks on center ramp instead of physical locks on train
Multiball is lit on right orbit after collecting three locks in Pro Edition
King Kong Multiball requires hitting drop targets to light jackpots
Rick conducted testing on Gilligan's Island Pup Pack
Rick from southern Indiana is a former video game world record holder who recently transferred to competitive pinball
Competitive player who uses supplemental lighting on the playfield during tournament play
Stream guest; thanks given at end of broadcast
Participant present during unboxing; assists with drum roll and inspection
The Walking Dead character; featured in cabinet artwork by Robert Lassi
Contact person at Planetary Pinball for blueprint sales (rick@planetarypinball.com)
Stern representative explaining code update and game mechanics
Software engineer at Stern hired June/July 2023; primary coder for Iron Maiden; started with no code base
Friend who owns a Shadow machine; known as 'Romulus X'; has custom backboard with Rick and Brick
Team member working on Iron Maiden programming and mechanics
Referenced as involved in Avengers development, worked on difficulty balancing (soul jump mode)