Jon Norris is a person mentioned in 1 episode(s).
No facts recorded
Jon Norris created the Finesse Flip secondary flipper mechanic and it first appeared on Merlin's Arcade
Friday the 13th debuted at Texas Pinball Festival last year
Homebrew games take approximately 1.5 years to complete if 'really moving'
Jon Norris was an English major with no prior coding experience before creating his first homebrew
Rules designer for Yukon Yeti; designed Finesse Flip feature that first appeared on Merlin's Arcade
Rules designer for Whitewater 2; described as encyclopedia of game rules knowledge
Creator of Finesse Flip secondary flipper mechanic; ruleset designer for Yukon Yeti; designed Merlin's Arcade for Turner Pinball
Co-designer of Waterworld alongside Ray Tanzer
Gottlieb-era designer hired by Deep Root; Ron Hallett prefers his work to Trudeau's
Former Gottlieb Premier game designer who posted in Strictly Custom Pinball group and continues making games independently
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No linked glossary terms
Mission Pinball Framework was written specifically to enable non-coders to create pinball games
Big Trouble in Little China features approximately 40 different custom skull molds
John Carpenter signed the backglass of Big Trouble in Little China
The rule set for Big Trouble in Little China was fully conceived within 10 seconds of deciding on the theme
Reaching out to collaborators in the pinball industry requires no special approach beyond direct asking
50% of success in homebrew is 'just showing up'
Jon Norris has three additional games already mapped out in development pipeline
Jon Norris implemented game modes in Deadly Weapon (1990) before Larry DeMar is commonly credited with inventing modes for Addams Family (1992)
Jon Norris designed the Merlin's Arcade playfield layout and ruleset
Jon Norris designed the 1993 Gladiators pinball machine
Jon Norris is a well-known pinball designer
Golden Buffalo uses off-the-shelf assemblies and mechanics to enable manufacturability
The MORE LUCK rule set version includes actual 'Free Spins' slot bonuses
Players can stop slot machine reels by pressing the flipper button
The upper target bank design is based on Gottlieb Hot Shots with two additional pop bumpers
Jon Norris designed prolific games for Gottlieb in the 1990s
High Roller Casino was designed by Jon Norris for Stern
Champs Elysees is an unlicensed Tour de France-themed pinball machine
Champs Elysees is designed to be easy to manufacture using off-the-shelf assemblies
Champs Elysees would be a perfect first game for a new pinball start-up
Jon Norris is currently independent and pitching Champs Elysees to potential manufacturers
Merlin's Magic was a Jon Norris design based on 8 Ball Deluxe
Going 'all in' on 'street level' instead of using it as occasional releases was a major strategic mistake
Distributors sold 'street level' games at full-featured prices instead of passing on manufacturer cost savings
'Street level' did not cause Premier's bankruptcy; gambling device venture did
Jon Norris discovered pinball around age 9-10 in Santa Barbara arcade.
Jon Norris graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in art, with photo and design emphasis.
Jon Norris attended the first Pinball Expo in fall 1985 and distributed resumes to pinball manufacturers.
Gil Pollock at Gottlieb initially contacted Jon Norris about a sound programmer role in early 1986, which Jon Norris didn't qualify for, then later invited him for an interview as a junior designer.
Diamond Lady was released in 1988 and sold approximately 2,700 units.
Jon Norris's prototype Tour de France was the first pinball game to incorporate music via a boom box with endless loop cassette.
Jon Norris paid $100 for a Gottlieb Twin Bill from a bar owner in the late 1970s.
Jon Norris designed Diamond Lady to be too difficult for average players, which he later regretted as his design philosophy evolved.
Ten Bad Girls prototype machines were made with System 3 boards instead of System 80B for testing, making System 3 versions rare variants.
Gottlieb management overruled Jon Norris's request to include an up-post ball save on Diamond Lady due to tooling/mold costs, a feature he eventually got to include on Mario and Dreddy.
Jon Norris left Stern Pinball in 2000 due to asthma-related conflict with workplace smoking policy
Deeproot seminar speaker; responsible for 90s Gottlieb games (Dead Silence, Teed Off software); stated Gottlieb only designed for casual players
Gottlieb designer who converted Cueball Wizard from street-level to full-featured; worked on rules for multiple Gottlieb titles including Freddy
Designer/contributor who provided input to Keith Johnson on High Roller Casino rules
Chicago pinball organizer; created Pimgolf handicapped pinball league
Gottlieb game designer; Borg's early mentor who designed Diamond Lady; known for innovative rules design
Pinball game designer and rules specialist; began as collector in 1970s, hired by Gottlieb in 1986 as junior designer, designed Diamond Lady (1988), Bad Girls, Robo War, and others. Specialty in rules programming and playfeel design.
Former Gottlieb employee who worked for Deep Root; received second chance at game design that never materialized
Pinball designer/industry professional; contacted by Deep Root as part of their recruitment of established talent in 2016-2017
Designer of CarHop pinball machine, known for progressive award design philosophy
Designer of Merlin's Arcade's original game concept and inventor of finesse flipper technology.
Designer/industry figure; referenced in context of post-between-flippers design philosophy
Industry veteran who worked with Deep Root; should have caught technical issues if present
Deep Root Pinball employee; mentioned by host as someone who has not publicly discussed company operations
Homebrew pinball designer, creator of Friday the 13th and Big Trouble in Little China pinball machines
Referenced as designer of Tee'd Off, a game used as example for tap-passing demonstration
Designer at Data East who worked on High Roller Casino; Joe Balcer relaid out game after his departure
Pinball designer; Sharpe pushed him to design Congo based on Sharpe's enthusiasm for the IP and personal connection to Amy/Simeons character
Veteran pinball designer from Gottlieb era; recently hired by Deep Root Pinball
Referenced designer of Tee'd Off arcade game; used as context for legacy game design discussion
Designer who worked at Deep Root Pinball; designed Merlin's Arcade (unreleased); proposing Tour de France street-level game design to startup companies
Designer of Bad Girls (1988 Gottlieb)
Game designer/advisor on Turner team; creator of finesse flipper secondary button mechanic; will advise on future Turner games; active in chat during stream
Rules designer at Gottlieb credited on Victory; implemented the first countdown bonus that Borg saw, influencing his interest in game rules
2018 Hall of Fame inductee; game designer/rules creator for 20+ Williams games including Surfing Safari and Operation Thunder. First met Ken Fedesna at the first Pinball Expo (1985) and has returned to design with Deep Root Pinball.
Pinball designer at Deep Root; pinball player since 1970s; designer/rules programmer at Gottlieb (10 years during dot-matrix era); later at Sega/Stern before joining Deep Root
Premier Technology game designer who wrote rules for Victory, designed multiple games, competed in tournaments; Borg worked with him on multiple titles
Pinball enthusiast since 1970s; started at Gottlieb as junior designer (10 years); worked at Sega Pinball/Turn Pinball; now at Deep Root designing playfields and rule sets
Pinball designer; originated Merlin's Arcade layout at Deep Root Pinball; inventor of finesse flipper mechanic; returning to complete Merlin's Arcade at Turner Pinball
Rule set designer; credited by Mueller as 'rule set king'; started the pin golf movement; consulting with Deep Root on rule sets
Pinball designer; worked on Deadly Weapon with John Trudeau at Gottlieb
Pinball designer who designed multiple street-level Gottlieb games; provided comment on Pinball News article detailing Tic Tac Lotto and Q-Ball Wizard origins
Pinball designer contracted by Deep Root Pinball
Gottlieb pinball designer; interviewed by Dennis regarding street-level game design philosophy; articulated servicing and ball hangup avoidance goals
Legendary pinball designer who worked on Eight Ball Deluxe, Sharky's Shootout, and Deep Root's Merlin's Magic
Designer from Premiere; formerly worked on Deep Root's Merlin's Arcade; allegedly offered design services to Balarama
Pinball designer known for street-level layouts; released Champs Elise design with full BOM and CAD files
Deep Root designer; available designer; worked at Premiere with manufacturing experience; potential candidate for Turner Logic projects
Pinball layout designer; designed Merlin's Arcade playfield; has designed approximately 25-30 pinball machines; known for incorporating classic elements
Designer of Merlin's Arcade; respected by Dennis as talented designer; inspiration layout choice criticized for mechanical friction with rule set.
Pinball designer; worked on three 'street level' games and remained with Premier until company closure; provided key insights on failure factors
Co-designer of Ninja Eclipse with Brad Duke
Stern Pinball employee who departed in 2000 due to workplace smoking policy conflict related to asthma condition
Game designer (Deeproot); inducted into Pinball Expo Hall of Fame
Pinball designer who created Merlin's Arcade playfield layout and ruleset; previously worked on designs at Deeproot Pinball
Team member; responsible for CAD work and flyer design on King Of Diamonds
Designer of Gottlieb's 1993 Gladiators pinball machine
Well-known pinball designer sharing concept designs for potential manufacturer development
Legendary pinball designer with history at Gottlieb (1990s) and Stern (High Roller Casino); recently with Deeproot Pinball; now independent
Reportedly designed Merlin's Magic prototype for Deeproot
Pinball designer; designed Vegas, co-designed Deadly Weapon, and designed Car Hop; later worked at Stern on High Roller Casino.
Designer; Deep Root claims to have licensed a game design from him described as 'harder to get than Harry Potter'
Deep Root Pinball designer; previously worked at Gottlieb with quick turnarounds; now has opportunity for more complete code development
Industry insider cited by Dennis as source for Gottlieb company history and reasoning for shutdown
Gottlieb System 3 designer; designed multiple titles including Car Hop, Cactus Jacks, Operation Thunder; previously restricted from podcast appearances; email correspondent providing production/export data
Legendary Gottlieb designer; historical reference for design productivity (one game per month)
Gottlieb designer at Premier Technology; mentor to Borg; known for mechanical innovation (Diamond Lady ball saver); endorsed flipper upgrades in restorations.
Legendary System 3 designer for Gottlieb; career includes System 80B games and System 3 designs; innovative thinker ahead of industry curve; first exposure to pinball via Santa Barbara arcade flea market aged 9-10
Premier designer; designed Hot Shots; implemented countdown bonus mechanic on Victory; influenced Borg's interest in game rules
Legendary pinball designer; designed Merlin's Arcade for Deep Root; known for Surfer Safari, Bad Girls
Gottlieb fame; consulting with Turner Pinball on Ninja Eclipse game
Veteran pinball designer of Merlin's Arcade, lives in Henderson Nevada, previously pitched game to Deep Root Pinball
Appeared on Deep Root panel at Pinball Expo Chicago; industry figure
Homebrew pinball designer; attended early Expos, got hired by Premier Technology after pitch; returning to 2018 Expo after years away
Deep Root Pinball investor affected by Robert Mueller fraud; called 'patron saint of pinball' by hosts
Programmer of Deadly Weapon; credited with implementing game modes (super cop and riot modes) in 1990, predating the commonly credited innovation by Larry DeMar on Addams Family in 1992.
Gottlieb designer from later era; created games referenced in discussion; known for rapid development cycles without code patches
Designer of Lights Camera Action; credited by hosts with creating first game with modes on System 3
Former Gottlieb designer (Diamond Lady, Bad Girls, Lights Camera Action, Cactus Jack, Super Mario Bros, Stargate, Waterworld); designed/co-designed High Roller Casino; briefly worked at Stern before leaving due to smoking policy; later worked at Sega on X-Files and South Park
Designer credited on Surf and Safari, Cactus Jacks, Car Hop; prolific 1991 designer
Designer of Shaq Attack (1995); identified weak flippers as critical flaw in Pinball Compendium commentary; known for pushing design limits on System Three platform
Designer of Shack Attack (1995); work on Deadly Weapon influenced Keith Elwin; credited for in-lane return mechanic adapted in Jaws