Whirlwind is a classic pinball game designed by Pat Lawlor and manufactured by Williams, featuring distinctive fan mechanics and an approaching storm theme. Released in the 1980s, it has become a benchmark design in pinball history, frequently referenced as a standard of excellence for playfield layout, rules complexity, audio design, and overall gameplay feel. The game is notable for its aggressive development schedule under sound designer Chris Granner and has served as both a direct inspiration for designers and a comparison point for evaluating modern games and homebrew projects.
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Whirlwind's digital implementation lacks stage flipping capability present on real machine, making multiball harder
The side ramp shot on Whirlwind provides one of the most thrilling pinball experiences in machine history
Whirlwind is ranked #1 as the best System 11 game overall with 7,300 units sold
Whirlwind is widely considered one of the best System 11 games by enthusiasts
Pinball machine on Leebo's upcoming restoration queue; described as totally trashed inside and out; will include major board rebuilds and cosmetic work
Vintage machine in Spencer's collection, received LED strips for dark spot remediation and backbox lighting
Classic pinball machine featured in Epstein Cup and later tournament rounds; emphasizes right ramp looping for Skyway Tolls and pop bumper awards
Solid state machine owned by Claytor with cosmetic restoration including top repainting and pop bumper cap customization
System 11 game; round eight; host won with 2.9 million; described as very honest and punishing setup; host's favorite System 11 game
Williams solid-state pinball machine; Gabe purchased for $3,300 in North Newton, Kansas at age 19; one of his favorites
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Whirlwind secondary market prices jumped from ~$4,000 to ~$6,000 following the Pendretti upgrade kit announcement.
Whirlwind is the third Pat Lawler game and the first without Larry DeMar's input
Whirlwind sold 7,304 units according to IPDB
Whirlwind's music is consistently cited as some of the best pinball music ever made across all discussions on the topic
Whirlwind skill shot awards 600,000+ points for three drop targets, 200,000 for two
Whirlwind is host's favorite first game that started his pinball journey
Whirlwind is superior to Funhouse among System 11 games
System 11 games like Whirlwind provide lasting appeal because they avoid relying on wizard modes, long ball times, and complex mode sequences
Williams pinball machine selected by Raymond for Main finals with upper flipper and cellar awards
Williams pinball machine; Drew acquired five units from warehouse
Classic Williams game; has 2.0 kit available; secondary market prices dropped; could be future remake candidate
1990 Pat Lawlor design with 7,304 units produced; subject of detailed restoration comparison between Bill Webb and Zach Manning
January 1990 Williams System 11 game by Pat Lawler; ranked #1 System 11 game; features three rotary sanders; 7,300 units sold; designed by Pat Lawler, Foot and Reuter
Game Bill is restoring/working on alongside Transformers project; referenced as Project 401
Classic pinball machine; Bill Webb recently acquired rough used cabinet for restoration project
Classic pinball machine being restored by Bill Webb; ordering playfield, stickers, and parts for restoration project
Vintage pinball machine being restored by Bill Webb; restoration project featured on podcast and social media; target completion date New Year's Eve
Classic pinball machine being restored by Bill Webb; light board and speaker panel work in progress
Classic pin being fully restored by Bill Webb; estimated post-restoration value $5,500-$6,000+; hosts discussing whether it will 'pull him in' enough to keep
Classic pinball machine being restored by multiple enthusiasts; three restorations occurring simultaneously; focus of podcast segment
Vintage pinball machine Bill Webb owns; used in joking inflation scenario to illustrate pricing absurdity
Classic pinball machine that Bill Webb is currently working on (restoration/customization project)
Williams System 11 pinball machine; features storm/shelter theme; widely owned and rebuilt by hosts; translite featured Cubs logo that was later covered/replaced due to legal threat
Classic System 11 pinball game (1990) by Williams; storm-chasing/tornado theme; being converted by Pedretti
Machine Andre wanted to play for tiebreaker (rejected in favor of random selection)
System 11 elite game, fully restored examples at ~$6,000, unlikely to receive remake, recommended buy-low
Williams electromechanical game being restored by Tom Palmer with new decals and cabinet work
Classic pinball referenced humorously; host compares GTF's alien toy with visible print filaments to 'poop monster from Whirlwind.'
Solid state machine in tournament bank; noted as interesting bank setup; Phil Galdi playing in opening round
Pinball machine at 7-Eleven that Todd McCulloch played regularly
Classic Bally/Williams pinball machine; Pendretti Gaming released upgrade kit; secondary market price jumped from ~$4,000 to ~$6,000 post-announcement
Vintage pinball machine restored in hotel room during Pintastic 22 using improvised tools and parts; played by Eric Stone who achieved 65 million point high score
Williams System 11 game (1990); ~7,300 units produced; features three-way combo shot (outer orbit, inner orbit, left ramp); famous for three-spinner mechanic and fan topper; owned by both hosts at different times
1990 Williams pinball machine designed by Pat Lawlor; Joe Abate's first personally-owned pinball machine
Classic game with spinning discs; referenced as frustrating but popular
System 11 Williams pinball (1990s); subject of 2.0 kit by Pedretti; host considers it best System 11
Pat Lawler design (1990); 8.1 Pinside rating; classic 90s pinball; defeated Steve Ritchie's Roller Games in designer head-to-head comparison
System 11 game, reference point for spinner design on Pirates replacement, favorite of Crystal for extended play
Pinball machine in qualifying; challenging scoop access; no lights at player camera position
1990 Williams pinball machine used for instruction. Features drop targets, ramps, skill shots, multiball modes, and various shot sequences. Classic game used to teach fundamental mechanics.
Pinball game designed by Pat Lawlor and Larry DeMar, mentioned as representative of their work
Classic pinball with fan topper; Walt cites as example of superior topper design compared to modern Stern toppers
Referenced as a Pat Lawlor design pattern that influenced Monopoly's gameplay style
Classic pinball machine purchased by D'Angelo for $680 around 2000; sparked collecting hobby that expanded to 13-14 machines
Classic Williams pinball machine from 1990, designed by Pat Lawlor, featuring dual flippers, spinner mechanics, and storm/weather theme. Subject of this stream.
Acquired post-tornado; Rick keeps it due to sentimental 'bad mojo' belief if sold; wife convinced him not to sell it
Pat Lawlor design mentioned as having design elements that influenced Roadshow
Classic pinball game referenced for spinning wheel mechanics and shot density
Classic pin; compared against The Shadow; described as one of hosts' favorites in remake discussion context
Ranked #1 topper despite 'hokey looking' aesthetic; features pioneering fan mechanism that activates during specific modes; one of the first factory-made toppers
System 11 (1990) pinball machine; Greg planning restoration; chosen over four-machine bundle with Radical
Classic pinball title referenced as design precedent; Jurassic Park described as having similar two-scoop layout and overall feel
#4 ranked shot: super jackpot side ramp in multiball; trickles back to spinning disc
Williams System 11 pinball machine ranked #4 by Greg; praised for non-wizard-mode focused gameplay
System 11 pinball game; ranked #1 by both hosts; praised for cabinet art and topper design
Pinball machine in Jack's collection; mentioned as being played in Michigan; Jack and Nick discuss nearly reaching high score on it (within 100k points)
Classic pinball machine owned by Nick in Michigan
Pinball machine mentioned as arriving
Pinball machine discussed during stream; chat member's friend is seeking to play one
Classic pinball machine; Jack played it naked for student film project; mentioned as spinner-based game.
Classic Williams pinball machine being upgraded with Total Chaos kit
Original Williams pinball machine that serves as the base platform for the Whirlwind 2.0 conversion kit
1990 Williams System 11 pinball machine; classic game receiving the 2.0 upgrade kit
Mentioned as having auxiliary power board issue at diner location
Referenced as a classic game with standard flipper layout, contrasted with the Gottlieb Premier's off-center design.
Classic pinball game referenced as example where learning rules dramatically improved player score
Harry Williams System 11 machine that uses same boards as Comet
Williams game playfield reproduction nearly complete at time of Expo; shipping shortly after event
Williams pinball machine from early 1990s; Bob's first owned machine (purchased 2001 for $1,200 from local seller); featured at Show Me Lanes arcade; Bob played it at California Extreme 2016 qualifying
Classic pinball machine whose layout was repurposed for Saw homebrew; original machine required nearly complete component replacement during modernization
System 11 pinball game receiving the Total Chaos 2.0 upgrade kit
System 11 tournament winner with 66.5% of votes; over 7,000 units produced; Williams machine
Williams System 11 game; #1 seed; beat Space Station (65.4%); facing Taxi in finals; Pat Lawler design; some shots feel poor compared to Taxi
Solid state machine in Wizards tournament, tuned hard, Dennis's second-best solid state game, had long qualifying lines
1990 Williams pinball machine designed by Pat Lawler; tornado/Kansas disaster theme; 7,304 units sold; widely regarded as classic with acclaimed music and art
Machine Jeffrey restored for himself and wife; later sold for 'crazy money'; wife demanded replacement; Jeffrey purchased another and did high-end restoration with chrome and mirrored Radcals mods
Pinball machine being packed up and returned to its owner to make room for Batman '89 work
Classic System 11 pinball machine, Hadi's favorite machine from teenage years
Classic pinball game Tony credits with 'winning' the topper wars; benchmark for topper quality
Pinball game with fan-equipped topper; praised by Tony as greatest topper of all time
Original classic Williams pinball game from 1990 using System 11B platform that is being upgraded
Late-'70s/early-'80s pinball machine at The Raygun Lounge
1990 Williams pinball classic being digitally recreated for Pinball FX; also receiving 2.0 physical expansion kit
Classic pinball game by Williams (designed by Pat Lawlor) that is being upgraded with the Total Chaos 2.0 kit
Classic Williams pinball game being modernized by Pedretti
Classic 1990 Williams pinball game; subject of apparent upcoming 2.0 remake announcement
Classic Williams pinball game (7,304 units produced); author's prediction for next 2.0 kit; already has unsanctioned modification efforts underway
Classic Williams pinball game; 7,304 units produced; author notes someone is already working on a 2.0 kit
Classic pinball machine; receiving code updates due to security threats
Classic Bally/Williams pinball game; subject of seven-year homebrew code modernization project; now rebranded as 'Storm Blasters The Pinball Adventure'
Williams classic pinball game being remade as 2.0 version
Classic Williams pinball machine from 1990; pre-DMD era game being upgraded
Classic Williams pinball game speculated as potential candidate for future 2.0 remake
Pinball machine in Jeff Kinder's collection
Classic pinball machine at Gamecraft Arcade
Pinball machine fully restored by Tim; paired with Wizard of Oz in his collection; immaculate condition
Classic pinball table whose bumper placement and mirror design influenced modern Zen layouts
Classic pinball table; tested on Arcooda; Kinect head-tracking worked exceptionally well due to large ramp elements
Classic Williams alphanumeric pinball table discussed as potential future Zen candidate; illustrates remake vs. enhancement boundaries
1990 Pat Lawlor-designed Williams pinball machine; highest-rated game in this volume
Classic pinball machine being upgraded with Pedretti Gaming's 2.0 Total Chaos kit
Classic pinball machine (Williams/Data East, 1990) being modified with Total Chaos kit
Classic pinball machine being upgraded; original version still playable via selection screen in 2.0 kit
Williams System 11 game; compatible with System 9 boards from shuffle alleys, making it useful for board swaps
Classic pinball machine used in previous year's Pintastic Expo tutorial with player Sierra
Pinball machine mentioned in diner customer's collection; auxiliary power board issues in comparative example.
Classic 1990s pinball reference; Bond 60th incorporates 'Whirlwind restart' multiball mechanic
Classic Williams game; Zach's museum-quality fully-restored version with custom hardware and mods sold for $16,000
Vintage Williams game with disc spinners; on Ralph's wish list; Ralph recently increased play time; describes it as frustrating due to ball trajectory unpredictability
System 11 era classic game; Joe's favorite era example; Joe owns a personal copy purchased 10-15 years ago; represents challenging, strategic gameplay.
Pat Lawlor-designed pinball game; Mike's favorite Lawlor game, recently acquired by Wedgehead
Bally Williams game designed by Pat Lawler; features three spinning discs, fan gimmick, and iconic art by John Yowsey; wins best theme integration and is competitive in multiple categories.
1990 Pat Lawlor original theme; sold 7,300 units; unofficial sequel to Earthshaker; demonstrates theme longevity and designer signature style
Pat Lawlor design; pioneering mechanical toy game; influenced entire era of large feature integration
System 11 Williams game frequently cited as superior to Bad Cats in community reviews
Mentioned as example of difficult upper flipper shots; used by Rodsey to demonstrate that difficult shots are achievable with practice, not machine malfunction.
Pat Lawler game; features Granner's high score tune channeling Eddie Van Halen; first example of Granner's 'twisted imaginary character' composition approach
Pinball game designed by Pat Lawler; featured spinning disc mechanics revived from earlier Fireball design
Classic unlicensed Williams pinball game by Pat Lawlor; alternative speculation candidate based on back wall imagery
Jared's favorite machine that taught him pinball; subject of high-end restoration videos (standard and Total Chaos mod versions)
First ramp manufactured by Pinball Inc.; simple single-piece design; sold out quickly; required rerun
Classic pinball game used as base platform for The Greatest Showman homebrew; only the playfield geometry was retained
Referenced as comparable game with different flipper mechanics than Gottlieb Premier; used for comparison of flipper control difficulty
Pinball game designed by Pat Lawlor; listed among his famous works
Classic pinball game previously used as comparison point for Predator; streamer initially thought Predator copied it but revised that assessment
Pinball machine at venue in extensive pinball catalog
Arcade cabinet mentioned as being in queue at Grazley Garage with 'total chaos' status
Pinball machine played by Julie during tournament
Referenced as comparison for shot difficulty and Pat Lawlor design characteristics
Arcade game with Total Chaos cabinet modification at Grazley Garage; Sean has played it
Pinball machine at Grasley Garage undergoing rebuild with rotisserie; referenced for height/dimension comparison with Shack Attack
Pinball game; Mike received topper for this game from person named KG
Classic Pat Lawlor design; basis for comparison with modern European remake designs
Classic pinball game used as comparison standard. Has superior rules, audio, light show, and game music compared to Saw. Possesses better overall design and gameplay feel.
Referenced as a high-quality game layout used as donor for Saw retheme; Walt notes difficulty of competing with its design
Classic pinball game with playfield layout similar to Predator; used as design reference comparison
At Milo's Yard, described as nicest condition with all-incandescent GI
Machine at Milo's Yard noted by user wingnut707 for excellent sound quality
Classic pinball game that inspired Brian Eddy as a teenager; designed by Pat Lawler; featured fan mechanism
Williams game about an approaching storm; thematic direction emphasizing suspense and tension; developed on most aggressive schedule Granner experienced
Referenced as comparable game with similar loop mechanics to Iron Maiden's plunger