Lyman Sheets is a legendary pinball programmer and designer with a career spanning multiple decades across Data East, Williams, and Stern. He is best known for his exceptional code work on iconic titles including The Walking Dead, Metallica, AC/DC, Batman '66, Cactus Canyon, Spider-Man, and Elvira's House of Horrors. Sheets won PAPA in 1993 as a tournament player and is recognized throughout the pinball community for pioneering design principles around ball visibility and code quality that have defined modern pinball experiences. Passed away (suicide) a few years ago. References in recent episodes discuss his legacy and past contributions.
No aliases
Cactus Canyon code version 1.15 was released and installed today
Lyman Sheets said the ability to see the ball is what makes a great pinball machine
Lyman Sheets designed the original The Walking Dead and his design legacy is still felt through the game
Lyman Sheets stated he did not consider ACDC complete and wanted a mini wizard mode and tighter gameplay
Code designer of The Walking Dead pinball; creator of 'Lineman' code architecture enabling mode stacking.
Monster Bash programmer/developer who worked alongside Gomez on Monster Bash; was skeptical of Gomez's Pinball 2000 prototype idea.
Software/rules designer who collaborated with Steve Ritchie on Spider-Man and AC/DC at Stern Pinball; left Stern at end of 2020.
Former IFPA World Champion; legendary competitive player; featured in qualifying photos
Original rule set designer for 2013 Metallica; enhanced rule set for Remastered version with new modes
Spider-Man pinball co-designer; called Lloyd to offer appreciation
Expert: Lyman Sheets passed away — committed suicide a few years ago. The RIP tribute is accurate. References to him in 2025-2026 episodes are discussing his legacy and past contributions.
No linked glossary terms
Lyman Sheets left Stern Pinball to start an independent consulting software business and made a deal with Chicago Gaming Company to work on upgrades.
Lyman Sheets designed the code and rules for Batman '66
Lyman Sheets designed the code for The Walking Dead pinball machine
Lyman Sheets coded the original Metallica and is referred to as 'the legend'
Lyman Sheets' coded games are the best in pinball history
Lyman Sheets Jr. wrote the code for Monster Bash
Lyman Sheets programmed Batman 66
The Walking Dead has the best rule set Stern ever created
Lyman Sheets died before this podcast episode (referred to as 'rest in peace')
Lyman Sheets led the rules programming for Elvira's House of Horrors
Lyman Sheets has been programming pinball machines for almost 30 years
1990s Williams coin-op games were designed for approximately 3-minute play experiences for average players
Lyman Sheets maintained a philosophy of continuous game improvement through post-release updates and iterations across his 30+ year career
Lyman Sheets pioneered competitive pinball playing techniques including advanced ball control, footwork adjustments, and posture innovations that revolutionized tournament play
Lyman Sheets designed Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, Monster Bash, The Walking Dead, Spider-Man, AC/DC, Batman '66, Revenge from Mars, and multiple other pinball games
Remaster team prioritized preservation of Lyman Sheets' original light choreography and design decisions
Lyman Sheets programmed the code for original Monster Bash
Lyman Sheets designed the software/code for original Metallica
Lyman Sheets was the influential rules/code designer for pinball games from the 1990s until his recent death
Lyman Sheets designed the rule set for Elvira's House of Horrors
Lyman Sheets' Stern Elvira Blood Red Kiss Edition is the best coder's final game
Lyman Sheets is deceased (rest in peace)
Lyman Sheets was working on expanded code for Cactus Canyon Remake before his death
Lyman Sheets' code on Elvira House of Horrors creates integrated light, music, and rule depth
Lyman Sheets was one of the world's greatest pinball players with unique stance and unbelievable accuracy, and moved into pinball coding where he created legendary games.
Lyman Sheets' Batman 66 coding is the greatest LCD-coded pinball machine of all time
Lyman Sheets had 30 years of experience coding pinball machines when he worked on Batman 66
Lyman Sheets' work on Elvira represents his final project with Stern Pinball
Lyman Sheets is the designer of Elvira's House of Horrors
Lyman Sheets has been working from home since 2007 due to the intensive nature of game development
Lyman Sheets officially left Stern Pinball in early November 2020 to become an independent contractor
The appropriate time to leave a game company is during the two-week window between project completion and next project start
Game design should be separated into dedicated game designer and code lead roles for better outcomes and reduced pressure
Lyman Sheets recently passed away and made significant contributions to pinball code design
Lyman Sheets' death has necessitated Josh Sharp completing the Cactus Canyon 2.0 code refinement work.
Modern pinball design emphasizes story and emotional engagement with players
Pinball is considered a legitimate sport by a select group of dedicated players
Lyman Sheets won the PAPA World Championship at age 26
Sheets has been programming pinball machines for almost 30 years
Lyman Sheets passed away more than one month before February 23rd
Each pinball game Sheets worked on consumed at least a year of his life
Lyman Sheets designed code for Elvira's House of Horrors, Medieval Madness Remake, AC/DC, Attack from Mars Remake, Walking Dead, Batman 66, Tron, Metallica, Avatar, Rolling Stone, Spider-Man, and was working on Cactus Canyon Remake
Lyman Sheets met Pete Townshend and had him sign his Tommy instruction card
Lyman Sheets did not begin playing pinball until college
Lyman Sheets barely missed qualifying for top eight at 1991 Pinball Expo in Chicago
High Speed was Steve Ritchie's personal machine that he owned for years before selling to Dwight Sullivan, who then sold to Lyman Sheets
Lyman Sheets won the 1993 PAPA Championship
Lyman Sheets was humble, had no ego, and was easy to talk to with no pretense
The Walking Dead was dramatically improved by Lyman's code revisions after initial player rejection
Lyman Sheets won three PAPA championships and one EPC championship
Lyman Sheets' code update for Cactus Canyon Remake is sold separately as DLC
Lyman Sheets' workflow involved iterating between rules, art storyboarding, and sound design
Work has been remaining on the Lyman code update despite community rumors of completion
Lyman Sheets has passed away
Lyman Sheets has completed code work on Cactus Canyon remake, representing his final game project
Lyman Sheets died on January 19, 2022 at age 55 by suicide
Lyman Sheets' funeral service was held January 28, 2022 at 11am and streamed on maritzofuneralhome.com/obituaries
Cactus Canyon remake code that Lyman was working on with Josh Sharp may be finished
Lyman Sheets died by suicide on January 19, 2022, after a long battle with mental illness
Lyman Sheets designed or co-created software for over 45 pinball machines
Lyman Sheets' impact on pinball was greater for league players and homeowners than commercial operators
Lyman Sheets passed away in 2021
Lyman Sheets programmed Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, Batman 66, and Walking Dead
Lyman Sheets' most important strength was making games accessible to both casual and tournament players through balanced code
Lyman Sheets programmed Walking Dead, Monster Bash, Metallica, Spider-Man, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, Batman 66, and AC/DC
Lyman Sheets programmed games ranked #2, #3, #5, #10, and #12 in top pinball games as of January 23, 2022
Lyman Sheets recently passed away at approximately 55 years old
Lyman Sheets was originally assigned to work on Star Trek but was moved to Metallica instead
Lyman re-recorded portions of his Episode 100 Slam Tilt interview because he felt he came off as too negative
Lyman Sheets passed away at age 55, found unresponsive a couple days before this episode
Lyman Sheets was in a long-term relationship with Penny for approximately 15 years
Lyman Sheets did a very honest interview with Josh Sharp for Super Awesome Pinball Show in spring of last year where he discussed what had been going on with him
Lyman Sheets worked on The Walking Dead at Stern Pinball in 2014
Lyman Sheets recently passed away
Lyman Sheets coded some of the best games of all time
Lyman Sheets worked on Monster Bash at Williams in 1998
Lyman Sheets worked on Metallica at Stern Pinball in 2013
Lyman Sheets worked on Batman 66 at Stern Pinball in 2016
Lyman Sheets worked on AC/DC at Stern Pinball in 2021
Lyman Sheets brought joy to pinball enthusiasts over the years
Lyman Sheets left Stern months before Steve Ritchie
Lyman Sheets designed or significantly contributed to Monster Bash code
Lyman Sheets was the original programmer for all Williams/CGC remakes being remade by CGC
Lyman Sheets left Stern Pinball and is now developing code for Chicago Gaming's Cactus Canyon remake
Lyman Sheets is rumored to be leaving Stern and working with Chicago Gaming Company
Lyman Sheets required 100% effort from George Gomez on Monster Bash programming, causing schedule conflicts with Pinball 2000 development
Lyman Sheets has left Stern Pinball after finishing Elvira's House of Horrors
Lyman Sheets is rumored to be leaving Stern Pinball for another manufacturer
Lyman Sheets designed the rules for Elvira's House of Horrors and Batman 66
Lyman Sheets reduced the number of switch hits required for Gappa Angry mode
The new end-game target in Elvira's House of Horrors (Premium Edition) is very difficult to hit and provides huge payouts, similar to Big Ben mechanic
Lyman Sheets does not implement Midnight Madness modes in his designs
Lyman has created excellent code for Elvira House of Horrors and Batman 66
Lyman is programming Elvira's House of Horrors
Lyman Sheets designed skill shot enhancement and balance tweaks for new Iron Man code update
Lyman Sheets added a Joker lap to Batman 66 specifically to burn players when ball goes down left lane
The game's code is currently at .85 version with still significant development needed
The game design evolved from generic haunted house concept to B-movie themed after acquiring movie licensing
Lyman Sheets has been wanting to design a haunted house themed pinball game for a long time before this project
The game includes three sequential multiballs tied to different movie groupings
Six main B-movies are featured as primary haunt modes in the game
Mode timers reset on successful shot hits, allowing open-ended gameplay where players can continue as long as they hit shots within the timer window
Modes are presented in linear order during the reveal stream for demonstration clarity, but will be randomized/selectable when the game ships
The B-movie theme concept emerged after discovering the public domain film compilation, significantly changing the initial design direction
Lyman Sheets designed the code for Elvira's House of Horrors
Lyman Sheets worked 36-48 hours straight during the initial six-week push to complete Tommy
Lyman Sheets provided improved code versions of Tommy to Lonnie Ropp and another friend Dallas after leaving Data East
Tommy game's mode timing out mechanics were by design to allow concurrent modes rather than forcing sequential completion
Current pinball industry has returned to or is within the golden age that existed in the 1980s-early 1990s
The blind modes feature on Tommy (where players cannot see flippers) was a first-time innovation in pinball at the time
Lyman Sheets originally studied electrical engineering before switching to programming
Batman 66 took the longest of any game Lyman Sheets has worked on
Batman 66 was originally planned as Premium-only, which influenced Sheets' content decisions
AC/DC was developed in a 4-month timeline from whitewood to production shipment in January 2012
Walking Dead featured an intensive 1-2 week design session with John Borg, Sheets, Tino, and Mike Kizavat hammering out the game design before implementation
Sheets intends to preserve old Williams game code updates by distributing free ROMs to friends before company closure
Batman 66 villain select screen design has remained unchanged for approximately two years since initial release
Every Williams game from 1986-1989 featured a progressive jackpot mechanic, creating repetitive design monotony
Sheets is concerned about the possibility of multiple released games feeling too similar to each other
Batman 66's LCD mini-display system was designed to help players track scoring sources during multiball play
Sheets reviewed approximately 55 hours of Batman TV series material for the game, selecting over 80% for inclusion
The major/minor villain system in Batman '66 was designed to serve both casual players (major villains) and advanced players (minor villain stacking strategies).
Batman '66 v1.0 contains essentially all major features Lyman Sheets wanted in the game from the beginning, though more content is still planned for future updates.
Studio games at Stern (like Batman '66) have no fixed production deadline, unlike cornerstone games which follow a scheduled roadmap.
Typical pinball designers get 'one chance' to design a game, with Star Wars being exceptional in allowing multiple design iterations.
AC/DC (Premium) balance issue involving cannon mechanic was discovered in tournament play by Bowen Kerins and required developer adjustments.
Batman '66 features three distinct wizard modes, one for each TV season, selectable after completing villains from each season.
Modern Spike 2 hardware has essentially no storage or memory constraints, eliminating limitations that plagued older pinball code development.
Lyman Sheets scored only 2 points out of 12 possible on EM games at Pinburgh 2018
Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars remakes were valuable because the industry recognized these designs were 'decent games' that didn't need major changes.
I worked at Data East starting as a display programmer, then at Williams as a game programmer, then Midway Games making video games from 2000-2003, and now I work for Stern.
Roger Sharp told me 'if I do it a second time, just make it worth more' which became foundational to my scoring philosophy throughout my career.
I was originally a support programmer on Congo at Williams, but was pulled off to work with Brian Eddy on Attack from Mars because Congo was being redesigned.
Slash from Guns N' Roses came into the Data East engineering facility multiple times during game development and requested Jack Daniels during meetings.
Attack from Mars' billion-point Total Annihilation hurry-up start is the most fulfilling moment in pinball for me.
I had approximately 20 tournament wins across my competitive career, with roughly 5 being major championships.
Working at Midway Games was less creatively fulfilling than pinball because programmers implemented designs rather than contributing creative ideas.
Lyman Sheets is planning to give AC/DC code updates with mini-Wizard mode rewards after songs 3, 6, and 9
Lyman Sheets is revisiting AC/DC code to balance all 12 modes so no single mode dominates competitive play
AC/DC Pro code update addresses song selection imbalance where Hell's Bells is overpowered
Keith Elwin won Illinois state pinball championship, preventing other top players like Joshua Henderson from competing at Nationals
Lyman Sheets designed the code for Tron Legacy
Lyman Sheets and other programmers contributed code improvements to Walking Dead
Batman '66 features Bat-Signal multiball as a secondary multiball mode in addition to the main multiball
Mr. Freeze villain mode allows players to extend timer multiplier up to 5x
Bookworm villain mode doubles scores for other levels when selected
Lyman Sheets' first ruleset at Williams was the home version of Demolition Man
Lyman Sheets programmed Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, Stern AC/DC Premium, Tron, and Walking Dead
Lyman Sheets recoded Star Trek pinball to address a timeout dilemma
Lyman Sheets actively watches high-level player videos (e.g., Keith Elwin) to identify overpowered strategies and nerfs them
Lyman Sheets worked on Spider-Man with Steve Ritchie
Spider-Man is my favorite Stern game in the last 25 years
Spider-Man achieves balance between accessibility for novices and challenges for skilled players
DataEast Tommy prototype had six bumpers, a shaker motor, and chiming effects that were removed in production
DataEast's system architecture was essentially Williams System 11 with added dot matrix display capability running on separate 6809 processor
Dual-CPU architecture with separate display processor created synchronization challenges that would be easier with single unified processor
Early internet/Usenet (1990s) was more helpful and had higher-quality discussions due to smaller, more educated userbase
Lyman did not spend excessive hours practicing to achieve tournament success, contrary to common assumption
Production version of Tommy plays significantly better than prototype version despite prototype having more features
Fun and Games arcade in Framingham, Massachusetts was still operating at time of this interview
Lyman Sheets won PAPA tournament in 1993, which led to Williams hiring him for Vegas show demonstrations
Lyman and friend Mike Teixeira won IFPA doubles tournament in 1992
Tommy was developed in just six weeks to premiere games at Dallas stop of Broadway musical touring production
Legendary pinball code designer who contributed to Cactus Canyon Remake enhanced code before his death; collaborated with Josh Sharp on Bionic Bart callouts
Stern Pinball designer/programmer; working on Batman 66
Renowned programmer credited with bringing Batman '66 to life
Late legendary pinball code designer; posthumously credited with planning Cactus Canyon expansion alongside Josh Sharpe
Co-designer of Medieval Madness pinball machine
Original code/software designer for Monster Bash; well-known pinball programmer
Lead code designer for Elvira's House of Horrors; perfectionist known for extensive post-release updates; had complete vision for game before production
Legendary pinball coder who was working on Cactus Canyon expanded code before his death; this was his final project
Original designer of Cactus Canyon (1998); deceased; was working on expanded code before death
Legendary pinball designer and code creator; designed code update DLC for Cactus Canyon Remake; left work incomplete
Legendary pinball code designer; passed away recently; worked on 26+ iconic pinball games across multiple manufacturers spanning 1994-2021
Legendary pinball coder credited with updating code for Cactus Canyon remake
Pinball designer; Don mentions not knowing who he is; designed Toy Story 4
Legendary pinball designer (deceased); co-signed Batman 66 prints with Franchi and Gomez
Legendary pinball game coder and code designer; recently departed Stern Pinball; subject of upcoming Fireside Chat interview
Legendary pinball code designer; primary subject of final interview; worked at Stern Pinball for many years before becoming independent contractor for CGC Cactus Canyon remake; passed away before episode aired; known for designing/updating Monster Bash, Metallica, The Walking Dead, and other acclaimed titles
Top-tier competitive pinball player; defeated by McCullough in 2011 Pinball Expo tournament
Pinball code designer; credited for Batman 66 rule design including Joker lap mechanic; referenced as exemplar for spinner implementation quality
Legendary rules designer; referenced in context of Cactus Canyon rule set development complications
Legendary pinball code designer; mentored MXV; influenced risk-and-reward design philosophy; exemplified with AC/DC game
Pinball designer; member of Star Wars Episode I design team
Code designer who collaborated with Michael on James Bond 007 rules design
Legendary pinball code designer with ~30 years in pinball programming; lead programmer on Cactus Canyon Remake
Rules designer/programmer known for The Walking Dead code that Greg compares favorably to Joe Catz's approach
Legendary pinball code designer (deceased); final code expected to be released by Chicago Gaming Company
Legendary competitive pinball player; appeared in Cactus Canyon production filming with Zach and Nicole
Stern Pinball code designer; praised for judicious multiball usage; coded Batman 66 and Elvira
Pinball designer/seller; running a Facebook promotion with free giveaways; associated with Flippin' Out Pinball
Legendary rule set designer; hosts reference advanced rule complexity he creates for games like Metallica; associated with high-difficulty tournament-level gameplay
Referenced via Slam Tilt podcast discussion of TMNT Pro vs Premium diverter usability
Legendary designer of Cactus Canyon; contributed design concepts for upgrade kit; deceased (work completed by Sam Zaha and Josh Sharp)
Original rules designer for Metallica (2009); Stern preserved and expanded his rule set in Remastered version with new wizard modes
Original designer/coder of Metallica; Stern emphasizes staying close to his code in recent updates, though significant rules changes have been added
Programmer/code designer at Stern; worked on Batman 66 and Elvira; known for detailed craftsmanship and rule set development
Stern code designer; collector of multiple game titles including Beatles and Batman 66; known for wanting comprehensive sound assets for rule depth.
Championship-level competitive pinball player; known for coding contributions to pinball; met Jeff at PAPA event.
Pinball code designer known for work on Elvira House of Horrors, Batman 66, and other boutique/special edition games
Late pinball code designer and player; PAPA champion; Stern game designer (Tommy, others); passed away a few years before this 2024 episode; PAPA 21 is held in his honor
Legendary competitive pinball player known for deep rule set design; designed Monster Bash rules
Legendary pinball coder; provided updates to Batman 66, Metallica, and AC/DC in 2018; represents 'in Lyman we trust' philosophy among competitive community; transitioned to industry role.
Legendary competitive pinball player known for selective tournament participation strategy (mainly Papa events)
Pinball community member recently passed away; mentioned as one of recent losses in the community alongside Alan and Mark Mendeltort.
Legendary pinball programmer and former tournament player; joined Data East in 1994; known for revolutionary code design on Tommy Pinball Wizard, Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, and Metallica; passed away (referenced as context for episode)
Designer who created Cactus Canyon code update; credited with rule complexity work
Legendary programmer who transitioned from pinball to slot machines/gaming during Williams downturn; one of few who successfully made the crossover
Original code designer for The Walking Dead; deceased; represents design legacy that Walt feels connected to
Code designer (credited as Lyman F. Sheats Jr.) for Monster Bash
Original code designer for The Walking Dead; his codebase being used for Remastered version
Legendary pinball code designer; deceased; collaborated with Josh Sharpe on expanded code for Monster Bash and Cactus Canyon; designed original Monster Bash rules
Code designer for Walking Dead; created intricate rule set; praised for quality
Legendary pinball code designer; Batman 66 and 24 credited to him; subject of Winchester 'LFS' planchet speculation
Rules designer; created rule sets for Walking Dead original and Remastered, and Metallica; known for competitive depth
Legendary pinball designer; left Stern to start consulting business; led Cactus Canyon upgrade design with Sharp; known for perfectionism, comprehensive playtesting, and risk-reward game design philosophy.
Competitive player and code designer; mentioned for past rule set work on Monster Bash and other Stern titles (referenced as 'Lyman' in KB)
Pinball code designer; referenced for Star Trek five-year mission (rarely achieved), Iron Man do-or-die multiball
Original designer of Metallica code; mentioned as having done exceptional work that left little room for improvement
Rule set designer; created rule sets for Metallica and Walking Dead; known for elite/competitive game design
Original code designer for Walking Dead (deceased); legendary pinball programmer known for constant refinement; acknowledged for foundational work that Elizabeth Gieske built upon for remaster
Rules designer mentioned in context of Metallica and other Stern games; created monster bash and updates
Code designer credited as designer of Last Action Hero despite not being the primary designer; Borg used his name to handle complex multi-contributor design.
Legendary pinball coder who designed Batman 66 rule set and code; passed away (rest in peace); described by Franchi and host as master/GOAT
Original designer of Metallica game; Kaneda described LE version as 'masterpiece that has just been made better'
Historical software/rules designer referenced as example of 1990s magical game design innovation; hypothetical upgrade for Theater of Magic
Legendary code designer; credited with Walking Dead code by community; also designed Batman '66 code (cited as superior theme integration)
Original Walking Dead code designer; Kaneda speculates new coder is taking DMD code to LCD format
Legendary pinball code designer; contrasted with unknown Winchester coder as gold standard for software quality
Programmer on Metallica; responsible for rules coding and game logic
Original designer of Metallica (2012); credited for light choreography, rule design, and creative vision that remaster team preserved
Original Walking Dead (2014) code designer; code foundation used for remaster
Legendary pinball code designer and competitive player; reviewed original Deadpool playfield and rejected it as having 'no legs'; influenced redesign decision
Programmer of Elvira's House of Horrors; renowned for code design and rule set creation; described as 'hardest working man in pinball'
Legendary rule set designer; known for Elvira's House of Horrors nuanced gameplay; described as 'king of nuance'; referenced for Lady Justice mode in Metallica
Referenced legendary code designer known for Walking Dead ruleset work; cited as exemplar of 'you're never out of it' design philosophy that Keith Elwin aspires to match
Rules designer for AC/DC; referenced in context of AC/DC's quality
Code designer working on Batman ruleset alongside Dwight; hosts express desire for him to move to other projects
Pinball code designer; discussed at TPF regarding retirement rumors; working on AC/DC code with new mini-Wizard mode rewards; confronted George Gomez in crowd during seminar
Code designer working on AC/DC rebalancing; interviewed by Jeff Teolis
Stern rules designer; credited with AC/DC and Walking Dead updates; apparently focused on Batman but working on other titles
Code designer; created transformative 'Crank It Up' updates for Metallica
Code designer for Elvira's House of Horrors, described as legendary by podcast hosts
Original Metallica code designer; Scott states Ray Day built on Lyman's code base with similar attention to detail
Legendary code designer; created Metallica Remastered code; recognized as best in industry
Legendary pinball designer and competitive player; PAPA 21 memorial tournament named after him
Legendary pinball software engineer (1966-2022); designed/co-created 45+ pinball machines; died by suicide January 19, 2022; worked at Bally, Williams, Data East, Stern, Chicago Gaming; created Medieval Madness, Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, The Walking Dead, Metallica, Tron, Batman 66, Elvira's House of Horrors
Legendary pinball designer; worked with Josh Sharp on Cactus Canyon expanded code update
Created final code and rule set for Cactus Canyon LE; undergoing final testing with improvements to scoring and strategy
Renowned code designer for Cactus Canyon upgrade kit; deceased as of early 2022; final code masterpiece being completed by Josh Sharp
Late designer/engineer who was developing Cactus Canyon expanded code before passing in previous year
Code developer for Cactus Canyon enhanced version; death complicates multi-person development effort into single-person project
Code designer for Metallica Remastered; maintains original rule set from classic Metallica
Legendary pinball code designer; co-designer of Walking Dead with John Borg; advanced Walking Dead ruleset with risk-reward mechanics
Stern Pinball programmer; released robust code update for Elvira's House of Horror during pandemic.
Code designer on original Iron Man (2010)
Legendary pinball coder mentioned in context of rule design; referenced as example of important designer/coder role in industry.
Code designer collaborating with Josh Sharp on Cactus Canyon; potential for future collaborations on other Chicago Gaming titles
Code developer for Cactus Canyon remake; subject of new 'limening' term referring to premium pricing on code updates
Veteran pinball programmer/designer at Stern; rumored to be leaving for contract work with Chicago Gaming Company on Elvira, Cactus Canyon, and potentially Pulp Fiction.
Former Stern designer/programmer who recently left; speculation about joining JJP or other manufacturers
Pinball code designer/rule programmer; identified as 'most popular' among competitive players; known for longer-shooting game design philosophy; done with Elvira; available for new projects
Legendary pinball software engineer contracted by CGC for Cactus Canyon enhanced code; rumored to have joined Raw Thrills; known for 3-decade career, tournament expertise, and modern ruleset design
Stern's celebrated rules/code designer; recently completed Elvira's House of Horrors; designed rules for Batman, Walking Dead, others; reportedly departed Stern; whereabouts/next employer unknown
Legendary pinball programmer who recently passed away at age ~55; created code for multiple Pinside Top 100 games including Metallica, Walking Dead, Monster Bash, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, Spider-Man, Batman 66; known for making games accessible to both casual and tournament players
Designer/programmer supposed to finish Cactus Canyon code with Josh Sharp; passed away, impacting project completion.
Stern Pinball coder who departed; widely regarded as best pinball coder in industry; last major work was Elvira and Batman 66; rumored moved to Chicago Gaming
Legendary pinball player mentioned as one of the greatest players Bowen met early in his career
Late competitive pinball player and community figure; attended IFPA 15 in Toronto; inspired Joe's 'degenerate' community naming through post-tournament celebration; now deceased.
Pinball personality who inspired creation of D-Genies; Degenerate of the Year award is dedicated to him; attended Toronto pinball celebration in 2017 after IFPA tournament
Legendary pinball player/designer memorialized in Papa Doug tournament; known for Monster Bash and rule set work; referenced as prominent community figure
Legendary pinball coder and designer who recently passed away at age ~55. Known for work on Walking Dead, Metallica, Spider-Man, AFM, and Batman pinball machines. Had 15-year relationship with Penny. First podcast appearance in 10+ years was Slam Tilt episode 100.
Individual being memorialized through Slam Tilt's charitable fundraising to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Legendary pinball designer known for Attack from Mars and rule set work on Walking Dead and Metallica; died by suicide; awarded Harry Williams Legacy Award posthumously.
Software/rules programmer; left Stern at end of previous year quietly; worked remotely and in isolation; known for Batman and Elvira games; high-pressure brand name (advertised as 'Lyman game'); departure went relatively unnoticed internally
Mentioned in context of rule design expertise; referenced as designer of rule updates for Stern games (implied by 'solid state guys' discussion methodology)
Legendary pinball programmer at Williams and Stern; died by suicide January 19, 2022, age 55; known for exceptional code work transforming mediocre games into classics; was working on Cactus Canyon remake
Deceased programmer; legendary collaborator with Ritchie on Spider-Man and AC/DC; known for groundbreaking rule design that influenced subsequent programmers; Ritchie expresses significant personal loss
Legendary code designer hired by Chicago Gaming to develop Cactus Canyon remake software alongside Josh Sharp; previously at Stern
Code developer hired by Chicago Gaming to create paid DLC update for Cactus Canyon remake with Josh Sharp
Stern Pinball employee; legendary code designer; former #1 player; employed at Stern alongside other elite competitors
Competitive pinball player and industry figure; first met at Papa 3 tournament organized by Epstein
Pinball game coder. Mitch identifies him as the best coder ever, worked on The Walking Dead.
Legendary pinball programmer; encountered by Justin at Michigan Pinball Expo without initial recognition; featured prominently in 'Lit' documentary
High-level competitive pinball player and code designer; philosophy emphasizes rule balancing, multiplier stacking, and competitive depth; popular among tournament players
Legendary pinball coder and competitive player; deceased as of this episode; tributes mentioned on Final Round podcast episode 50
Legendary pinball code designer/programmer who died approximately one month before this recording (Feb 2022). Collaborated with Josh Sharp on Cactus Canyon Revisited; known for integrated approach to rules, art, sound, and choreography
Legendary competitive pinball player; won 2007 European Championship; impressed young Acciari with playing technique and position
Late legendary pinball player known for low-to-ground playing stance and eye-level positioning with flippers
Legendary competitive pinball player and rules designer; passed away in 2023 (prior year's #1 honoree); memorial fundraising by Slam Tilt Podcast
Late pinball figure featured in Tilt documentary about pinball 2000 era. Referenced as 'Slim and Sheets.'
Legendary pinball code designer; Papa championship tournament held in his honor; passed away or retired from active pinball; had significant influence on competitive scene.
Late legendary pinball code designer; Papa 21 2024 championship organized in his memory by Penny Epstein; known for Metallica code masterpiece
Legendary pinball player and code designer, deceased; placed Werdrick's flipper codes in multiple games; won Papa 21
Legendary pinball player who attended EPC last year and enjoyed the format
Pinball programmer and rules designer who collaborates with Ritchie; known for writing insulting call-outs for Ritchie's games.
Designer of Elvira, House of Horrors; known for 'million a minute' game design philosophy and exponential cash-out mechanics
Competitive pinball player and code designer interviewed at Pinburgh 2018; struggled with EM games
World-class pinball player who collaborated with George Gomez on Batman 66 design
Legendary pinball designer; early career programmer on Data East's Who's Tommy (1994); featured as primary guest on episode; currently at Stern Pinball; known for rules design on Metallica, Guns N' Roses, The Stones, AC/DC
Legendary competitive pinball player and code designer; released AC/DC Pro code update; hosted Illinois state championship; known for balancing tournament play with code philosophy.
Legendary pinball player featured on Batman 66 Dead Flip broadcast alongside George Gomez and Josh Sharp.
Pinball code designer credited with Elvira: House of Horrors, called 'Lyman's last game'
Pinball designer whose death was recently commemorated in Silverball Chronicles episode; David played Attack from Mars as tribute.
Demanding programmer on Monster Bash; required 100% effort from George Gomez, constraining his time for Pinball 2000 development
Code designer who transformed WWE WrestleMania 2-3 years post-launch; made unplayable game 'so good' through rule set redesign; acknowledged as crucial to game's redemption
Programmer on Data East's The Who's Tommy during short stint at Data East
Historical pinball figure connected to Mike Mahaffey; top tournament player; attended Papa (pinball tournament) events
Co-designer and lead software developer on The Sopranos pinball machine with Gomez; legendary pinball code designer; deceased (Gomez: 'rest in peace')
Mentioned as co-creator of deep rule set philosophy along with Keith Johnson; known for complex rule design
Legendary pinball programmer; worked at Williams on Monster Bash, Data East, and later Stern; colleague of Greg at Williams; Papa Pinball World Champion; deceased.
Legendary programmer cited for work on Star Wars games with Steve Ritchie; anecdote about sound ROM incident
Legendary pinball programmer; award category namesake (deceased); noted for creating lasting game code
Legendary pinball designer and competitive player; passed away; honored through Slam Tilt's suicide prevention fundraiser
Legendary pinball player and code designer; passed away in 2021; recognized for contributions to games like Metallica, ACDC, The Walking Dead, Batman 66, Attack from Mars, Monster Bash, Medieval Madness.
Master competitive pinball player mentioned as reference point for tournament-level play expertise
Code designer on original The Walking Dead (2014); legendary programmer known for exceptional rule design and code quality. Walking Dead recognized as one of his best works despite ranking decline
Programmer credited with Walking Dead original code; Walking Dead Remastered will build on his groundwork
Code/rules designer for Walking Dead Remaster; rules appear complete but animations incomplete
Legendary pinball programmer and game designer, 30+ year career spanning Data East, Williams, and Stern; known for iconic titles including The Walking Dead, Metallica, Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, Monster Bash, AC/DC, Batman '66; mentor to Josh and Zach Sharp; long-term partner of Penny Epstein
Original rules designer for Metallica (SAM version); deceased; code preserved and adapted in Remastered version
Stern code designer; co-credited with John Borg on Rush; mentioned as potential contributor to X-Men discussions
Original code designer for Cactus Canyon; his original code has not been released; expected to add depth to game modes
Code designer for Iron Man; known for balanced tournament game design
Code designer credited with resurrecting Batman 66; has worked on multiple iconic games; considered best code writer at Stern
Legendary pinball code designer; praised for code quality on Elvira; expected to provide final refinements ('cherry on top') to starting code
Influential code designer who mentored Keith Elwin on ruleset philosophy, particularly regarding multiball scoring balance; connected Keith with George Gomez at Stern
Pinball programmer mentioned in context of Monster Bash code work.
Legendary pinball code designer; passed away two years prior to 2023 awards; namesake of Best Rules award; rules considered generational influence
Legendary code designer for Attack from Mars; known for generous 'Stroke of Luck' mode design philosophy
Pinball code designer who worked with Borg on original Metallica and contributed to hammer/casket feature concept development
Principal rules designer for Metallica Remastered; experienced veteran whose base ruleset was refined by Ray Day; recognized as high-level competitive player context for code quality
Legendary pinball code designer and industry figure; subject of Ep 159; deceased; created code for Walking Dead, Monster Bash, and other acclaimed titles; community reflects on his legacy and influence
Legacy code designer at Stern; established benchmark for ruleset design; Ray Day positioned as heir apparent to his legacy; Metallica remaster attributed to his influence on code structure
Tournament-level code designer credited with resurrecting Walking Dead through masterful code overhaul; suggested as solution for underperforming titles
Original Walking Dead designer; rules praised by Nick; Remastered version expected to receive minor rule adjustments
Code designer for The Walking Dead Remastered; referenced as contributing to game despite Stern's overall struggle
Williams manager who requested Keith be added to Revenge from Mars team during 1998 restructuring
Data East display programmer; wanted to become a game designer; later left Data East
Legendary pinball programmer and tournament player; worked at Data East and Williams; won PAPA 1993; recently started at Stern
Code developer; created upgrade kits for Cactus Canyon and The Walking Dead Remaster
Associated with the original The Walking Dead game as a 'masterpiece' designer
Pinball designer credited with ball saver grace period mechanic; referenced in tribute by Walt
Code developer for Cactus Canyon upgrade kit; created additional rules and features including expanded mode logic
Edition designation for the upgrade kit being installed, suggesting named variant or personalization
Programmer of Elvira's House of Horrors pinball game
Original code designer for Metallica, Walking Dead, AC/DC; code quality discussed as potentially imperfect (AC/DC incomplete per Head2Head interview)
Code and rules developer for Batman '66, considered to have created some of his best work on this title
Co-creator of Cactus Canyon upgrade kit code and enhancements
Lead programmer on original Walking Dead ruleset; retained for Remastered
Code programmer for 24 (2009); hosts note code quality as critical factor in game success
Original Walking Dead code designer; created heralded code with Last Man Standing and Blood Bath modes; enhancements added to remaster but characterized as polish
Referenced in context of code expertise comparison with Raymond Davidson; rules mastery mentioned
Original designer/coder of Cactus Canyon (1997 Williams game); left incomplete code and design notes later used by CGC team
Mentioned with 'Rest in peace' tribute during Walking Dead Remastered rules discussion; appears to be community member
Pinball code designer, coded The Walking Dead and Walking Dead Remastered; described as having 'maybe the best coded games in the history of pinball'
Design philosophy reference; credited with principle that ball visibility is crucial to great pinball design
Known for animation skipping features and referenced for code polish work on Walking Dead
Original Walking Dead code designer; work being ported by Wyson for Remastered version
Pinball community member who recognized quality in Elwin's Archer layout and recommended him to George Gomez
Tournament competitor whose girlfriend (Penny) Kaneda was cheering for during incident that led to Kaneda's ejection
Stern Pinball developer/employee who worked on Spider-Man
Original coder of The Walking Dead; Kaneda questions how his 'masterpiece' can be improved in remaster
Referenced as exemplary game designer who understood how to tell stories through pinball narrative
Programmer of Elvira's House of Horrors; responsible for code/rules
Stern representative who allegedly praised Kaneda's show content to him personally (historical reference)
Pinball designer/programmer. Credits include The Walking Dead and other titles. Code quality noted as major factor in game reputation and collectibility.
Stern programmer; possibly NOT on Iron Maiden (hosts speculate Tim Sexton may have replaced him on this project)
Stern Pinball designer/creative lead; conceptualized haunted house game for new collaboration project