Captain Fantastic is a classic 1976 pinball machine themed around Elton John's album 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy,' manufactured by either Bally or Valley (sources conflict). It was a major licensed success, selling approximately 16,000 units and featuring an iconic backglass with cultural figures and audience imagery. The game introduced notable mechanical innovations including a mirroring technique and gameplay elements like gate mechanisms, bonus multipliers, and extra ball features with a 15-point maximum bonus.
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Captain Fantastic (1976) was the best-selling EM pinball game of all time with almost 17,000 units sold
Captain Fantastic was produced in over 16,000 units
Valley pinball machine from 1970s; acquired by host during Rich Grant workshop visit; features mirrored back glass
Gottlieb pinball game mentioned as played in Ohio
1976 pinball machine; the machine Eric Stone's parents purchased for him at age 4 to develop hand-eye coordination
Williams pinball machine, primary subject of deep gameplay and design discussion, produced in 16,000+ units
Pinball machine owned by Tom's company owner; held in warehouse for years; owner recently retired
Elton John-themed EM pinball machine; scoring reel design homaged in Beatles machine animations; Christopher Franchi fan of this machine
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Bally pinball machine from the 1970s inspired by Elton John's Tommy and his autobiography; Jeff Miller's first pinball machine purchased in 2005
1970s EM game; focus on bonus building and safe play strategy
Classic 1976 Bally pinball based on Elton John IP, mentioned as example of Bally's successful licensed IP strategy in late 1970s.
Non-functional classic game being trucked to Dave for restoration from Nantucket estate
1976 pinball machine; Jack opened a new Captain Fantastic and was impressed; Elton John bought multiple units post-release and distributed to friends
Pinball machine owned by Christopher Franchi; described as frustrating with constant side drains; plans to replace it with The Beatles
2016 film starring Viggo Mortensen about a family living off-grid in the Pacific Northwest
Pinball game featured in a Hamptons mansion swimming pool according to Bob Thurman anecdote
1976 Bally electromechanical pinball machine themed around Elton John's album 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy'; record-breaking production of 16,000+ units
Pinball game with artwork by Dave Christensen; Youssi admires the work
Described as 'nailed it'; archetypal classic pinball; excellent dollar game; hosts agree completely
Machine in party room at museum; described enthusiastically by host
Pinball machine inspired by Elton John segment in Tommy film
Vintage pinball game with tight flipper gap and challenging difficulty; owned by Dr. Pin who actively dislikes it; praised by Mrs. Pin for skill-checking players with tight flipper spacing.
EM machine owned by Franchi; plagued with sticky star rollovers and LED installation issues; scheduled for removal to make room for new acquisitions
Electromechanical machine being restored by Christian Lyne, match feature non-functional, modified to 5-ball play
Data East machine; brutal difficulty; Christian initially disliked; Joe appreciates for balance in collection; subject of extended on-air joke about difficulty
Electromechanical pinball owned by Christopher Franchi; experiencing flipper issues requiring professional repair from Clay Harrell; previously had star rollover problem
Franchi's personal machine; experiencing faulty star rollover; playfield recently re-cleared but causing debris clogging issues
Classic pinball machine in Pins and Pints lineup
Elton John-themed pinball machine purchased by Stone's parents when he was 4 years old to help develop motor skills.
Classic tournament game; broken gate mechanic (saved ball when gate should close); behavior changed throughout tournament; gate stayed closed by finals; tightest tilt of all classic games
EM pinball machine with upper flipper that Dave is currently restoring; operator asked him to repair broken flipper and service the machine
1976 Bally EM pinball featuring Elton John; best-selling EM game with ~17,000 units; based on Tommy movie
Vintage pinball machine mentioned by Costco customer as nostalgia reference point
1976 Valley EM game; subject of Trent Augustine's rules/strategy discussion; features gate mechanism, bonus multipliers, extra ball
1976 Elton John-themed pinball (Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy); sold 16,000 units; second major licensed success
Iconic Bally game with Elton John-themed backglass featuring cultural figures and audience scene; introduced mirroring technique
Referenced Bally machine from the same era with identical maximum bonus of 15 points
Electromechanical arcade original; selling for $20 in Palm City Beach, Florida; $2,200 average
Pinball machine referenced in host dialogue
EM-era Williams game, Electric Playground created topper (~$700-800), sold ~16,000 units all-time, demonstrated market interest in classic game toppers
Electromechanical at Pinball's Arcade with non-functional bonus count