Journalist Tool

Kineticist

  • HDashboard
  • IItems
  • ↓Ingest
  • SSources
  • KBeats
  • BBriefs
  • RIntel
  • QSearch
  • NName Review
  • +Health

v0.1.0

← Back to items

Pinball Mod Talk: Episode 31 (Part 2)

In Before the Lock Live Streams·video·33m 41s·analyzed·Feb 17, 2026
View original
Export .md

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.035

TL;DR

Pinball mod makers showcase innovative designs; Stella Pinball enters market with motorized King Kong and Star Wars mods.

Summary

In this episode of Pinball Mod Talk, hosts Dave and Rob discuss notable pinball modifications released in 2024-2025, featuring emerging mod makers like Stella Pinball (King Kong biplane, Star Wars Jabba, Star Wars Falcon mods), established creators like Hot Mods (Evil Dead cabin, Jaws lighting, Pulp Fiction bumpers), and newer entrants like Kyle/Serokal (Tiny's Tavern dragon). Key themes include engineering quality, design innovation, market demand for specific games (Godzilla, King Kong, D&D), power distribution challenges in newer Spooky games, and the shift from hobbyist to professional mod makers.

Key Claims

  • Stella Pinball is a new entrant to the modding scene with two guys named Richie and Alex who have released multiple high-quality mods including King Kong biplane movement and Star Wars upgrades

    high confidence · Dave discussing Stella Pinball mods at beginning of segment

  • Hot Mods' Evil Dead cabin mod has approximately 300 units on the pre-order list

    medium confidence · Dave states 'he was telling me today that he's got about 300 on the list' but then corrects to 104 visible, noting discrepancy

  • Spooky games like Evil Dead and Beetlejuice have exhausted all power distribution outputs, limiting mod powering options

    high confidence · Dave discussing conversation with Hot Mods' John and Bug about power solutions for Spooky games

  • The Evil Dead car mod by Magic Chi (or similar name) has unexpectedly high demand and required list reopening

    high confidence · Dave states 'he's closed the list and opened the list up again' regarding Evil Dead car mod popularity

  • Kyle (Serokal) is transitioning from Pinside enthusiast to full-time mod maker as a retirement venture and has massive waiting lists for his D&D mods

    high confidence · Dave notes 'he's got designs on sort of leaving his regular job and going into modding full-time' and has significant demand

  • Lior's previous Hobbit popup head mods experienced paint chipping and durability issues due to manufacturing process, but new vinyl production methods eliminate this risk

    high confidence · Dave explaining differences in Lior's current D&D dragon mod manufacturing versus past issues

  • Stella Pinball uses M2 screws and extremely precise engineering tolerances in their mods

    high confidence · Dave examining King Kong biplane mod and describing 'M2 screws or something, you know, and they're just everything's tiny but just perfectly formed'

  • Godzilla mods continue to receive new releases despite apparent market saturation, with Tom Diddy releasing a new Godzilla mod in the covered period

Notable Quotes

  • “if you get one of these things in your hand and you know, you take a look at sort of what they've been able to achieve, it's just really impressive stuff”

    Dave@ 1:56 — High praise for Stella Pinball's engineering quality and entry into market

  • “He's just like, I'm a hobbyist and I I made these. Um, and it's almost like the fact that the list is so big is almost like he's a bit annoyed about it”

    Rob@ 30:42 — Observation about Magic Chi's persona as hobbyist mod maker uncomfortable with unexpected popularity

  • “There's not a lot of powering options in these in these new games like Evil Dead and Beetlejuice. you know, we've literally used every output on the distribution board that there is”

    Bug (referenced by Dave)@ 9:11 — Key technical challenge for modders on newer Spooky games

  • “Kyle's come right out of the blocks with like circuit board work and sculpting work and painting work. He's using water slide decals here. I mean, he's just gone from zero to 100 like overnight”

    Dave@ 19:17 — Highlights rapid skill development of new modder Kyle/Serokal

  • “it's just so simple. It's just like... driving off into the edge like I I don't know... This one to me looks like it could have come with it”

    Rob@ 14:25 — Explanation of why the Evil Dead car mod achieved unexpected market success

  • “the biplane mod... from an engineering point of view and uh Tiny's Teeny Tavern... for someone like Kyle to just sort of come from nowhere and produce something like that is just really really surprising”

Entities

Stella PinballcompanyDavepersonRobpersonHot ModscompanyJohnpersonKyle (Serokal)personTom DiddypersonPaul Boucherperson

Signals

  • ?

    product_strategy: Established games like Godzilla, King Kong, and Evil Dead show continued mod innovation despite apparent market saturation, with new creators finding untapped opportunities

    high · Tom Diddy finding new Godzilla mod opportunities; Magic Chi's Evil Dead car mod success; multiple creators working on same games

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Multiple new pinball mod makers entering the market in 2024-2025, including Stella Pinball (Richie and Alex), Kyle/Serokal, and others moving from hobbyist to commercial production

    high · Stella Pinball described as 'new entrance' with high-quality mods; Kyle transitioning to full-time modding; Magic Chi gaining unexpected commercial traction

  • ?

    design_innovation: Advanced motorized and servo-driven mods becoming more common, including King Kong biplane movement, Star Wars Falcon directional servo control, and Evil Dead cabin effects

    high · Stella Pinball's biplane rotation mechanism; dual servo Falcon mod; Evil Dead cabin lighting triggered by game events

  • ?

    manufacturing_signal: Emerging mod makers achieving high precision manufacturing standards (M2 screws, custom aluminum parts, high-quality 3D printing) comparable to established brands

    high · Dave's assessment of Stella Pinball engineering: 'this level of quality in such a short time'; Lior's vinyl production solving durability issues; Kyle's circuit board and painting quality

  • ?

    product_concern: Newer Spooky games (Evil Dead, Beetlejuice) have exhausted all power distribution outputs, creating technical barrier for modders and prompting workaround solutions

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:02
Hm. We're live. >> We're live.
0:03
We're live.
0:03
We're live. >> Oh, man.
0:05
Oh, man.
0:06
Oh, man. I don't know. Are we cursed on this? What's going on? >> Well, I don't know. I don't know where
0:12
Well, I don't know. I don't know where
0:12

high confidence · Dave discussing Tom Diddy's newest Godzilla mod: 'You thought that all of the spots were taking Godzilla. Well, think again.'

  • Stella Pinball's Falcon mod uses dual servo motors for bidirectional movement mimicking Empire Strikes Back asteroid dodging

    high confidence · Dave describing servo mechanism: 'very cool double servo um two directional movement'

  • A Harry Potter mod recently released blocks playfield shots, which has been negatively received in the modding community

    medium confidence · Dave noting 'There was a Harry Potter mod that's been released recently that does exactly that. And a lot of people are like, Yeah, I'm not keen on hiding the playfield'

    • Dave@ 29:29 — Dave's favorite mods highlighting engineering and newcomer emergence as key trends

  • “it's not painted on afterwards and then clear coated or whatever. So there's no chance of it flaking off because it's actually part of the mold itself”

    Dave@ 24:57 — Technical explanation of vinyl manufacturing solving durability issues

  • “I think it's going to be one of those games that like pops up later on and, you know, turns out to be everyone's favorite”

    Rob@ 25:52 — Opinion on King Kong's delayed appreciation despite early criticism

    • Andyperson
    Magic Chiperson
    Liorperson
    Back Alleycompany
    Lionel (Pino Pinball Mods)person
    Chrisperson
    Bugperson
    Richieperson
    Alexperson
    John Borgperson
    Joe Caseyperson
    Dirty Pool (Jeff)person
    King Konggame
    Evil Deadgame
    Godzillagame
    Dungeons & Dragonsgame

    high · Dave discussing conversation with Bug: 'we've literally used every output on the distribution board'; proposal to use Splitter Plus 48V solution

  • ?

    community_signal: Community shows strong preference for mods that do not block playfield shots or game mechanics; mods obscuring widgets considered significant negative

    high · Dave noting Harry Potter mod reception; community concern about Evil Dead car mod blocking shots; D&D noted as 'blockingest of blocking' but modders accepting this

  • $

    market_signal: Unexpected commercial success of certain mods (Evil Dead car, Tiny's Tavern dragon) outpacing creator expectations; some mods gaining cult followings while similar offerings underperform

    high · Magic Chi's list reopening due to demand; Kyle's massive waiting list; Rob's observation that Evil Dead car mod outperformed expectations despite being 'typical'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Mod makers balancing movie/game accuracy with original creative vision; emphasis on sculpting quality, lighting effects, and attention to detail as differentiators

    high · John's Evil Dead cabin designed for movie accuracy and 'hand of god' lighting effect; Paul's Kong mod emphasis on game-accurate face and fur; Lior's vinyl dragon achieving hand-painted appearance

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: King Kong initially criticized for purple playfield and cartoonish style, but gradually gaining appreciation as 'sleeper' game with potential for long-term collector appeal

    medium · Rob noting game received early criticism but will 'pop up later on and turns out to be everyone's favorite'; Dave describing game as 'bit of a sleeper'

  • ?

    technology_signal: Shift from traditional painted sculpts to vinyl production for durability; adoption of water slide decals, custom aluminum milling, and 3D printing technology by emerging makers

    high · Lior's D&D dragon using vinyl production with integrated paint; Kyle using water slide decals; Stella Pinball using custom aluminum pieces alongside 3D printed components

  • ?

    community_signal: Tension between hobbyist mod makers maintaining casual persona and those positioning as professional businesses; Magic Chi's hobbyist approach contrasted with others building formal operations

    medium · Rob's observation: 'he's just like, I'm a hobbyist and I made these... it's almost like he's a bit annoyed' about demand; contrast with Kyle's clear business transition planning

  • ?

    business_signal: Experienced Pinside community members transitioning to full-time professional mod making careers; Kyle planning retirement transition to modding as main venture

    medium · Dave noting Kyle 'designs on sort of leaving his regular job and going into modding full-time as his sort of retirement thing'

    • Well, I don't know. I don't know where we cut off, but we are going to hit some mods. Um, >> so we're live. Okay. Hi, everybody.
    0:19
    so we're live. Okay. Hi, everybody.
    0:19
    so we're live. Okay. Hi, everybody. [laughter] Hopefully hopefully most of the show went out, but we're never going to know until the end of the show. >> No, no, no. Maybe, maybe we should
    0:27
    No, no, no. Maybe, maybe we should
    0:28
    No, no, no. Maybe, maybe we should record this, Davey. Maybe we should. Just to give you guys a summary, we were incredibly funny, interesting, and we told a lot of like industry secrets that will never be repeated. >> So, yeah.
    0:40
    So, yeah.
    0:40
    So, yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Uh let's let's go ahead and
    0:42
    Okay. Okay. Uh let's let's go ahead and
    0:42
    Okay. Okay. Uh let's let's go ahead and dive in. Dave, what's up first? >> Do you want to do Okay. Yeah. So, we're
    0:45
    Do you want to do Okay. Yeah. So, we're
    0:45
    Do you want to do Okay. Yeah. So, we're going to Okay. So, mods. So, I I mentioned uh a little bit about Stella Pinball. Uh so, these are two uh two guys, uh Richie and Alex. uh new entrance to the pinball modding uh scene in 2025. Um maybe they entered a little bit before then. They sort of released a Star Trek mod that I think I've shown on the show before, but um they uh came out with a bunch of bunch of mods this year. We saw them at Expo last year and they um very kindly gave us this one uh which is a mod for King Kong uh to uh enable uh movement uh on the biplane uh in King Kong. So uh it makes it spin around which is um you know just I guess what I mean it's just you know what everybody wanted to see really uh rather than seeing that static biplane. uh and they've tied it to the game, so it gets triggered uh when the when um the ramp shot gets hit, I think uh and does a couple of spins before uh ending. Now, I mean, obviously it's a cool mod, but what is really really impressive with this is the engineering. Like, if you get one of these things in your hand and you know, you take a look at sort of what they've been able to achieve, it's just really impressive stuff. So, um, really surprising and, uh, you know, just amazing that these guys have been able to achieve this level of quality in such a short time. So, you know, they're really going places. Um, and I, you know, I just can't wait to see what, uh, they do next. >> Yeah, I got a I got my hands on one of
    2:18
    Yeah, I got a I got my hands on one of
    2:18
    Yeah, I got a I got my hands on one of these. Uh, it was like really straightforward to install considering what it is. Um, it uses the existing plane, so uh you're you're still getting the quality of what's a pretty quality sculpt uh out of it, but what it does in terms of like >> just making that or an already really
    2:35
    just making that or an already really
    2:35
    just making that or an already really fun tough to hit shot even more fun. >> Yeah.
    2:39
    Yeah.
    2:39
    Yeah. >> Uh it's it's great. And it's got
    2:40
    Uh it's it's great. And it's got
    2:40
    Uh it's it's great. And it's got actually got a couple options uh in terms of like how often it goes. Uh so yeah, so like definitely knocked it out of the park. It includes a couple shims, so like you can basically make adjustments based on kind of your setup. Uh I had a had a really really was really impressed with it in terms of packaging and the installation process. >> Yeah, it's this it's this unit here
    3:02
    Yeah, it's this it's this unit here
    3:02
    Yeah, it's this it's this unit here that's just like mind-blowingly good. >> Um yeah, just very intricate, you know,
    3:08
    Um yeah, just very intricate, you know,
    3:08
    Um yeah, just very intricate, you know, it's things like M2 screws or something, you know, and they're just everything's tiny but just perfectly formed. Just very impressively uh engineered stuff. So yeah, great great stuff from those guys. They've also been working on Star Wars. Um, and my favorite sculpt in Star Wars, the uh Jaba uh Christmas tree ornament um has been has received an upgrade by these guys and they've taken I think a Hallmark uh toy. Uh >> I was about to say not wasted any time
    3:39
    I was about to say not wasted any time
    3:39
    I was about to say not wasted any time on this one. >> Yeah, boy. So, uh, yeah, it is a it is a
    3:44
    Yeah, boy. So, uh, yeah, it is a it is a
    3:44
    Yeah, boy. So, uh, yeah, it is a it is a it's a it's a hallmark, but, uh, so it's a jabber with a moving mouth, right? And they've like hacked it and tied it. Oh god, I can't actually get to the bits where he's where his mouth's moving. Where's his mouth? Come on. Come on, Jaba. Show us your mouth. [laughter] I can't actually make it do it. Anyway, um, yeah. So, he's got a moving mouth and they've tied it to the game. So his so his mouth like opens and closes when you hit sort of certain shots or whatever. Um and again, you know, just very clever engineering from these guys. Uh >> I've never heard you so negative in my
    4:22
    I've never heard you so negative in my
    4:22
    I've never heard you so negative in my life when you saw that that job of [laughter]
    4:31
    Yeah. John messaged me earlier today and
    4:31
    Yeah. John messaged me earlier today and he's like, "You're not going to go all in on Star Wars again, are you?" [laughter] I'm like, "I don't know, man. I don't know. Could do. could do. Yeah. Uh >> John Bore. Were you getting personal
    4:41
    John Bore. Were you getting personal
    4:41
    John Bore. Were you getting personal messages from [laughter] John Bore? >> Yeah. John Borg, you know. Yeah. Yeah.
    4:46
    Yeah. John Borg, you know. Yeah. Yeah.
    4:46
    Yeah. John Borg, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um >> right. So, okay. Still on Stella Pimble
    4:51
    right. So, okay. Still on Stella Pimble
    4:51
    right. So, okay. Still on Stella Pimble because obviously these guys, you know, can't just do one amazing mod a year. Um they've also done uh a Falcon upgrade. Uh I now I'm not 100% sure, but I believe this is the same Falcon that's in the game. And they've done Oh, yeah. Hello, snowball. Um, so I did the uh the LED strips for these guys um for this for this particular mod. So, so that LED strip is one that I designed. But the cool bit about this is this like servo driven movement that they do uh which makes the Falcon like you know dodge the asteroids like in Empire Strikes Back. Um very very cool double servo um two directional movement. Um, again, just very nicely designed stuff. I mean, look at this thing, you know. Um, it's got like holes for USB input and like, you know, JS JST, uh, connection outputs. All of the cables are all, uh, you know, uh, wrapped and with shrink. Um, and you know, this is all PLA, but it's the nicest printed PLA I've ever seen. You would never know that it was that it was PLA printed. Um, plus they've got all these custom uh I think it's I think it's aluminium or aluminum as you would say over in the states. Um, pieces that uh that are all custom designed and and uh and milled I guess. Uh, you know, and they so their bomb is huge. Uh, it must be incredibly difficult for them to manage these things, but you know, they're doing admirably considering they've only just entered the market. Um, I mean, look at the look at the engineering, man. It's very very cool. So yeah, that's uh that's Stella Pinball. Check the check those guys out. Um they're going places. >> Very cool. All right. You want me to
    6:39
    Very cool. All right. You want me to
    6:39
    Very cool. All right. You want me to take the next next one? >> Yeah. You want? Yep. So,
    6:41
    Yeah. You want? Yep. So,
    6:41
    Yeah. You want? Yep. So, >> okay. Should we should we move on to hot
    6:43
    okay. Should we should we move on to hot
    6:43
    okay. Should we should we move on to hot mods or what's what's next? >> Yeah, let's let's do hot mods. So, have
    6:47
    Yeah, let's let's do hot mods. So, have
    6:47
    Yeah, let's let's do hot mods. So, have you have you seen this one? The Nobi can uh Noi cabin mod. It's a it's an upgrade for the cabin in Evil Dead. >> Yeah, I I've seen a little bit of it.
    6:54
    Yeah, I I've seen a little bit of it.
    6:54
    Yeah, I I've seen a little bit of it. You've been telling me about it. Uh pitch me on it, Davey. What makes this one so Well, wait. I think I think you're actually a little little torn on this one, but I think it's done really well, right? >> It has. Yeah.
    7:06
    It has. Yeah.
    7:06
    It has. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah.
    7:06
    Yeah. Yeah.
    7:06
    Yeah. Yeah. >> I think he's got 300 on the list. He was
    7:08
    I think he's got 300 on the list. He was
    7:08
    I think he's got 300 on the list. He was telling me today. Let's look. >> Okay. So, there's only 104 there. He was
    7:12
    Okay. So, there's only 104 there. He was
    7:12
    Okay. So, there's only 104 there. He was He was telling me today that he's got about 300 on the list. >> I mean, I know this was something that
    7:16
    I mean, I know this was something that
    7:16
    I mean, I know this was something that people were talking about pretty early on as like an obvious opportunity. Uh has it delivered? >> Uh yeah. Well, yeah. I think I think
    7:24
    Uh yeah. Well, yeah. I think I think
    7:24
    Uh yeah. Well, yeah. I think I think it's amazing, man. He's put heaps of effort into the sculpt work and, you know, making I mean, John's a a crazy Evil Dead fan, you know, way more, you know, I mean, I [clears throat] couldn't even call myself a even slightly knowledgeable on Evil Dead, but he's like it's his favorite movie of all time. So, he's gone to great lengths to try and make the cabin as movie accurate as possible. um he really wanted to get the lighting right so that it kind of created this uh you know like hand of god sort of effect with the light going through uh all of the um broken windows and door frames and stuff. Um and I think he's I think he's done a really good job of it. Um >> can you play the video on it or
    8:08
    can you play the video on it or
    8:08
    can you play the video on it or >> Yeah. Yeah, I'll play I'll play the
    8:09
    Yeah. Yeah, I'll play I'll play the
    8:09
    Yeah. Yeah, I'll play I'll play the video again. Um so you can see sort of the light sort of coming through and reflecting um through all the the gaps in the door. >> It's not that one's not coming through.
    8:18
    It's not that one's not coming through.
    8:18
    It's not that one's not coming through. It's like all >> Oh, that's really annoying. Um, let me
    8:23
    Oh, that's really annoying. Um, let me
    8:23
    Oh, that's really annoying. Um, let me see if there's any still shots of it. >> No, sorry. Not going to be able to show
    8:29
    No, sorry. Not going to be able to show
    8:29
    No, sorry. Not going to be able to show that. Sorry everybody. Um, there we go. Is that better? >> That's better. That's working.
    8:35
    That's better. That's working.
    8:36
    That's better. That's working. >> Yeah. Okay.
    8:37
    Yeah. Okay.
    8:37
    Yeah. Okay. >> So, uh, the idea was is that, um,
    8:39
    So, uh, the idea was is that, um,
    8:39
    So, uh, the idea was is that, um, there's an LED strip inside, but he wanted the light to be coming through the doors and the windows so that it was creating that kind of that stream effect. um through those through those. You can see, you know, he's put he's created these sort of these buckles in the roof tiles and the leaves on the roof and stuff. It's a beautiful looking thing. So, yeah, you know, he deserves to do really well out of these. And we were chatting today about powering options because uh I think John was talking to Bug over um email or something and and Bug was saying, you know, look, there's not a lot of powering options in these in these new games like Evil Dead and Beetlejuice. you know, we've literally used every output on the distribution board that there is. Um, so John wanted me to take a look today to see sort of what the powering options were for mods in these games. And um, yeah, the the the main 48 volt um, PSU in the games has a has a spare slot and the splitter plus takes 48 volt. So, what that actually means is we'll be able to install splitter pluses um in all of these uh spooky games and then just have like loads of uh outputs for mods um for spooky games going forward. So, it's like a really really simple solution um for for powering mods in these games, which is great news. >> Cool. All right, start throwing them at
    9:57
    Cool. All right, start throwing them at
    9:57
    Cool. All right, start throwing them at us. We got a lot to go through. >> Okay, cool. Cool. Cool. Okay. Uh more
    10:01
    Okay, cool. Cool. Cool. Okay. Uh more
    10:01
    Okay, cool. Cool. Cool. Okay. Uh more hot mods. So, uh, John did the, uh, uh, Jaws, uh, lighting, uh, that has these these torches that change color depending on sort of what mode you're in on the in the game. We talked a little bit about that one last year. Um, and then he's also done these um, bad mother bumper uh, pop caps for Pulp Fiction. You remember seeing those last year? >> Oh, yeah. These were these were popular
    10:28
    Oh, yeah. These were these were popular
    10:28
    Oh, yeah. These were these were popular and they're really well done. big fan of this. >> Yeah. Yeah, totally. And then uh Tom uh
    10:34
    Yeah. Yeah, totally. And then uh Tom uh
    10:34
    Yeah. Yeah, totally. And then uh Tom uh T Diddy uh this week, just this week, released a brand new mod for Godzilla. You You thought that all of the spots were taking Godzilla. Well, think again. There was He found one. He found a >> I just I just love that somebody who
    10:50
    I just I just love that somebody who
    10:50
    I just I just love that somebody who clearly knows his market is al still finding an opportunity to do more Godzilla mods. I mean, like, what is going on? Have they sold a hundred thousand of these games? I mean, they have to have. >> Okay. [laughter] No, I mean, we've
    11:02
    Okay. [laughter] No, I mean, we've
    11:02
    Okay. [laughter] No, I mean, we've conjectured long and hard about how many >> Yeah. So, so you got you got options.
    11:07
    Yeah. So, so you got you got options.
    11:07
    Yeah. So, so you got you got options. You got options. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um and you know,
    11:10
    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um and you know,
    11:10
    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um and you know, Godzilla mods still getting keep getting released, you know, and look, I think to be honest, this is my favorite one of Tom's yet uh for Godzilla. I mean, he's he did a great um job of the Drake building and obviously he did his Nagel building as well on the left. Um, so this is sort of completing his area, I suppose. You know, I did the back buildings and the Tokyo Neon sign. He's sort of done that middle area with the Drake building. Um, and you know, they they very much, you know, in keeping with all the Tokyo Neon style, the destroyed buildings and stuff. And yeah, man, I'm on the list one of these. Um, and everyone should be because they're awesome. Uh, Tom's also been working on King Kong and Meta as well. We've talked about this one before in the past. Uh so uh he's done this um concave and then Tom also did uh the hillside crypt for Meta um uh which is this one uh which is very cool as well. Uh really great rock effects um with some like algae sort of wash over them. Um, I got one of these in hand and they're they're great as well and really great detailing in the um, stained glass windows there. Um, yeah. And then now Rob, have you seen So, let's quickly Okay, so I'll quickly just show you the Jazz Jazz Buché what he's been working on. >> You know, I I have seen this one. I
    12:37
    You know, I I have seen this one. I
    12:37
    You know, I I have seen this one. I mean, is it is it getting to the point where it's getting done yet or? >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I've
    12:43
    Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I've
    12:43
    Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I've got one in my Kong back there. Cool. >> So, we're essentially doing fit tests
    12:47
    So, we're essentially doing fit tests
    12:47
    So, we're essentially doing fit tests now and just working out the final >> nuances, I suppose. Um, lighting and
    12:52
    nuances, I suppose. Um, lighting and
    12:52
    nuances, I suppose. Um, lighting and those kind of things. He's going to have some uplighting on his chest. Um, just with an LED, which which, you know, is a very simple thing that we added, but adds a a whole bunch of uh atmosphere, I think, to Kong in that in that area. Um, just to have like that bit of sort of that red pulsing fire uplighting that gets triggered when you do that Kong shot uh is really fantastic. Um, and you know, it was a bit hard with Kong because he doesn't, unlike Atomic Godzilla, he doesn't have like a natural place to light, you know, like Godzilla has the spines and his mouth and his eyes and stuff. Kong, you know, he's he's a gorilla essentially, just a big one. So, there's not really a natural place to light him up, you know. Um, so it was quite difficult to sort of think of ways that we could sort of add um LED lighting effects to him. But, I think, um, you know, what Paul's chosen with this has been good. you know, he's he's fantastic in terms of him just looking really really game accurate, you know, like the the uh look of his face and, you know, his fur and stuff, you know, really matches the Ellie artwork and I think it's, you know, a really fantastic addition. >> Looks great. Looks great.
    14:02
    Looks great. Looks great.
    14:02
    Looks great. Looks great. >> Yeah. So, have you se Have you seen this
    14:04
    Yeah. So, have you se Have you seen this
    14:04
    Yeah. So, have you se Have you seen this one? So, this is another Evil Dead mod, Rob. Have you seen or heard about the evil car mod? >> Yeah, this one this one is pretty
    14:10
    Yeah, this one this one is pretty
    14:10
    Yeah, this one this one is pretty popular. I don't know if it's popular as the shooter ride, but I mean this everyone's picking this up. I I think I think it's the red lights. I think the red lights do it, man. It just >> Yeah. Yeah, it does. Maybe. I think
    14:22
    Yeah. Yeah, it does. Maybe. I think
    14:22
    Yeah. Yeah, it does. Maybe. I think you're right. >> It's just so simple. It's just like And
    14:25
    It's just so simple. It's just like And
    14:25
    It's just so simple. It's just like And I driving off into the edge like I I don't know. You were you were kind of wondering why it was doing so well. I think it's just because it looks like I don't know. This one to me looks like it could have come with it. Um >> Yeah. Yeah. Like
    14:38
    Yeah. Yeah. Like
    14:38
    Yeah. Yeah. Like >> probably, you know,
    14:39
    probably, you know,
    14:39
    probably, you know, >> I think one thing about some of these
    14:41
    I think one thing about some of these
    14:41
    I think one thing about some of these mods is like, you know, the detail isn't what you would ever see from Stern, for example. And I think some people just don't can't necessarily see it as much because and they they don't want to. This one to me just kind of like it just fits. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think um you
    14:59
    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think um you
    14:59
    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think um you know it's it's a funny one because uh you know you're in this game for a while and you know you think you uh can pick you know what will do well and what won't do well and stuff and for me I was like oh yeah it's really good but I wasn't sort of like blown away by it you know it's sort of um in a lot of ways was sort of just like you know and I don't want to I sound really when I say this but it's sort of like a typical mod. you know, you put a car in, you light it up, you light up the headlights, and it's like, yeah, it's cool, but >> you know, it's uh, you know, it's not
    15:29
    you know, it's uh, you know, it's not
    15:29
    you know, it's uh, you know, it's not sort of breaking down barriers or whatever, but people have gone absolutely bananas over it. Um, it's done so well. Uh, you know, I think he's closed the list and opened the list up again. And, um, you know, I think it sort of ties in really nicely with the bridge mod as well. There's a there's a bridge mod for Evil Dead that sort of uh extends the tree branches that are that are over the bridge. I think there's a shot of it here actually that you can see. Maybe that one um with the the tree branches in the background there. Um and so yeah, or maybe it's the maybe it's the bridge itself. Um but yeah, look and you know really stoked for him and just you know this is this is one of the biggest mod like this and the um the biplane mod for Kong have been sort of two of the biggest mods of the of last year. So yeah, you know he's done really well and and really pleased for him. And we will have we will have links on all these in the description, uh, guys, so you can check this one out. I'm looking at does this one is it go over the top of an existing plastic, it's not blocking a ball path? I mean, I think that's that's probably a big thing for a lot of people because, you know, I hear that more and more again. It's like if if a if a mod covers any ball path, I think a lot of people just immediately are out. Yeah, there was a Harry Potter mod that's been released recently that does exactly that. And a lot of people are like, "Yeah, I'm not keen on hiding the playfield." And that's, you know, one of the tricks, isn't it, with modding is to not >> make the game you know? That's
    16:59
    make the game you know? That's
    17:00
    make the game you know? That's not what we It's not what we want to be doing. Um, all right. We're going to have to go a little bit quicker. So, uh, lovely Andy from Rocket City Pinball, um, had a hit this year with, uh, the Snowy Forest campsite, um, for Dungeons and Dragons. Um, we were talking before the show about whether this was Andy's first ever sort of true mod. I suppose he's done a lot of um, start buttons and a lot of coin rejects and stuff. Um, does really well with those. Um, but sort of hasn't really done sort of playfield mods uh, much in the past. Um, I remembered one that he did for Uncanny X-Men, which was the X-Men jet. I don't know what the real name for it is. Um, and he I think uh I think that did okay. But I think I think this has been he was telling us earlier this one of his biggest sellers of the year. Um so really really great job with that. Uh Andy um looks really fantastic. It's got you know really great lighting on the campfire there and um yeah super stoked for you man. Hope to see more Playfield mods from you uh in the future. Um, another big news was, uh, Kyle, uh, otherwise known as Serokal, uh, who's been a pinside regular for for quite a while, has sort of properly entered the modding sphere, and he did it with like an absolute dynamite mod uh, in Tiny's Tiny Tavern. Seen this one? >> Yeah, this one is uh, this was like an
    18:24
    Yeah, this one is uh, this was like an
    18:24
    Yeah, this one is uh, this was like an early 2025 thing, so it's been around a bit, but I I don't know. I I think it's funny like the D and D fans just love their mods. It's very clear. Um and this one is just really fun because I think there was a kind of a little bit of a wall there in the first place, right? I don't know that it's like blocking. >> Well, it is blocking, but look, I mean,
    18:47
    Well, it is blocking, but look, I mean,
    18:47
    Well, it is blocking, but look, I mean, Dn D is the most blockingest of blocking. >> Yeah, maybe maybe that's what it was.
    18:51
    Yeah, maybe maybe that's what it was.
    18:51
    Yeah, maybe maybe that's what it was. It's already all blocked out. >> Like that dragon, man. It just takes up
    18:55
    Like that dragon, man. It just takes up
    18:55
    Like that dragon, man. It just takes up half the playfield, doesn't it? So, if you're worried about blocking shots, D. [laughter] >> Uh, but the the lighting is great. I
    19:03
    Uh, but the the lighting is great. I
    19:03
    Uh, but the the lighting is great. I mean, the paint is great. Um, and it's just it's just a fun scene. Um, >> yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Really great.
    19:09
    yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Really great.
    19:09
    yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Really great. Uh, really great pose from Tiny there. Um, Kyle's like come right out of the blocks with like circuit board work and sculpting work and painting work. >> He's using water slide decals here. I
    19:22
    He's using water slide decals here. I
    19:22
    He's using water slide decals here. I mean, he's just gone from zero to 100 like overnight basically. and um you know and it sold accordingly. You know, he had I think he's still got a massive waiting list for people who still want it. Um and he can't go quick enough basically. But Kyle's got uh designs on sort of leaving his regular job and going into modding full-time as his sort of retirement thing. So, you know, we'll be seeing a lot more of him. Um I'm sure um because he's very talented, very talented boy. Uh, so yeah, he also did another mod for Dungeons and Dragons, which was the another mimic mod. We've had a lot of mimic mods, myself included. Uh, this was Kyle's uh this was Kyle's uh entry into the into the mim mimic cannon. Um, uh, and it's great, man. It's really good. So, all of the gold sort of around the mimic lights up, his eyes light up, his mouth lights up. He's got some really great sculpts. Kyle's really big on like hiding uh uh screw heads and things like that. So the the skull that you can see here hides the fixing point on that side with a magnet. So just very sort of little clever um attention to detail and nuances um in his work. Um yeah, very very cool. Uh Pino uh Pino Pinball Mods. Lionel um has done uh lots and lots of mods this year. you know, uh, Lionel tends to, uh, go for, uh, smaller mods and and lots of them rather than sort of big sort of set pieces, I suppose. Um, so this is one of the mods that he did, which was his Augusta mod for Jurassic Park that's now powered using one of my lolly boards. Uh, the big hit that he had last year was for King Kong. Um, and that was the monkey heads mod. And look at the list for this one, man. It's monstrous. So, this is his monkey heads mod and they go on the slingshots on King Kong and we talked about those last year as well. Very, very cool. >> Yeah.
    21:24
    Yeah.
    21:24
    Yeah. >> Have you seen that one in person?
    21:26
    Have you seen that one in person?
    21:26
    Have you seen that one in person? >> Yeah, I've I've got them here actually.
    21:27
    Yeah, I've I've got them here actually.
    21:27
    Yeah, I've I've got them here actually. I just haven't I haven't had the chance to install them yet, but yeah, they they look great in person. >> Yeah, I was on the fence. I I ended up
    21:34
    Yeah, I was on the fence. I I ended up
    21:34
    Yeah, I was on the fence. I I ended up going with the other one from from Joe Casey. But >> these ones are really cool. And then I
    21:39
    these ones are really cool. And then I
    21:40
    these ones are really cool. And then I think he had did he have like something on the on the gong that that complemented these as well? >> Yes, he did. You're right. Yeah, I
    21:46
    Yes, he did. You're right. Yeah, I
    21:46
    Yes, he did. You're right. Yeah, I didn't I didn't list those, but yeah, he did have some uh little flame torches there. And he's [clears throat] got a bunch of other sort of little standalone pieces as well around the place of Kong. And I remember halfway through this list, I remember I didn't put any of Back Alley's stuff on this list. So, humble apologies to Back Alley. I know that they've done a huge amount of amazing mods this year, both uh or last year for Met R um and also for King Kong. Um, there was a whole bunch of really great ones, including like a skull mountain one at the back and a concave. Um, Back Alley always do incredible work. They're usually very busy with Spooky doing a lot of their mod uh, sorry, a lot of their sculpt work for all of their new titles. So, how he finds the time to then also do the DTOC stuff as well, um, I have no idea, but they do manage it and they do a very good job of it. So, humble apologies that I haven't included any of their stuff on this list. Um, quickly before we run out of time, uh, Chris, uh, this strictly speaking was earlier than 2025, but, uh, Chris has kind of sort of been a little bit, uh, like he's been around, but he's not been around around this, uh, for the last year. Um, he's been producing these slingshot and return lane guides, um, for Godzilla, um, which as always are very beautifully sculpted and painted. Um, and he's been fulfilling these lists, but I think he's been moving house as well. So, I think while he gets his workshop set up, he's probably been less productive than usual. Um, and then more recently, he also produced this Mecha Godzilla turret uh for Godzilla, which I believe mimics the light show uh down here um and is and is very cool as well. Uh, and then finally, uh, Leor, uh, who we don't, as I sort of explained earlier in the podcast, I don't know whe the people caught it because that was right at the time when our feed, uh, didn't go live or went unlive. Um, but we haven't seen much of the old because we've been focusing a lot on manufacturer stuff or industry stuff. But this was the the DND dragon sculpt that he did, which as expected is, you know, absolutely mind-blowing. >> Have you heard any Have you heard
    24:01
    Have you heard any Have you heard
    24:01
    Have you heard any Have you heard anybody that's had this? Is it like creating any complications with the Mac or anything or >> not that I'm aware of? No. So, look, so
    24:09
    not that I'm aware of? No. So, look, so
    24:09
    not that I'm aware of? No. So, look, so Leor [sighs] had the best. So, okay. So, probably the Leor's mod that had the biggest issues was the Hobbit popup heads. He did these beautiful sculpted pop-up heads um to replace the existing ones in the Hobbit and they got chipped and the paint came off and stuff and you know it was it was a big deal. Now that supplier that he was using at that time um is now no longer being used. They were all doing it internally. I believe that the process is vastly different for this dragon as well. This is >> um this looks incredible. It does look
    24:45
    um this looks incredible. It does look
    24:45
    um this looks incredible. It does look Yeah, it does. And it's a but it's a it's a vinyl uh dragon as well. So it's it's you know it's an actual how they produce legit toys. So the paint is actually part of the vinyl. So it's not painted on afterwards and then clear coated or whatever. So there's no chance of it flaking off because it's actually part of the mold itself. Um but you wouldn't know it. I mean it looks hand painted. Um possibly parts of it still are. Um or they might do a final finish over the top. But you know as always the work is just mind-blowingly good. >> Very cool. I I'll pull up back alley
    25:16
    Very cool. I I'll pull up back alley
    25:16
    Very cool. I I'll pull up back alley real quick. I I love this guy right here. Um [laughter] very >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, Back Al Back
    25:24
    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, Back Al Back
    25:24
    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, Back Al Back Alley is like one of those guys is just like if you've got a game, you've got to go to their website and like browse what they have because it's a lot of stuff. I think the one that we covered earlier this year definitely deserves a shout out is this Kong Skull here on the right. Again, great great detail on this one. I mean, I don't know. Have you been putting much time in on Kong? It's it's it's a fun one for sure. >> Yeah, I love it.
    25:46
    Yeah, I love it.
    25:46
    Yeah, I love it. >> It's a bit of a sleeper. Bit of a
    25:48
    It's a bit of a sleeper. Bit of a
    25:48
    It's a bit of a sleeper. Bit of a sleeper. >> I I 100% agree. I think it's going to be
    25:50
    I I 100% agree. I think it's going to be
    25:50
    I I 100% agree. I think it's going to be one of those games that like pops up later on and, you know, it turns out to be everyone's favorite. >> Um, you know, like a lot of titles these
    25:58
    Um, you know, like a lot of titles these
    25:58
    Um, you know, like a lot of titles these days, it was getting early for like having purple on the playfield or too much of this or too much of that or too cartoony or whatever it was. >> Um,
    26:07
    Um,
    26:07
    Um, >> and people, you know, I suppose it's a
    26:10
    and people, you know, I suppose it's a
    26:10
    and people, you know, I suppose it's a bit of a Marmite game. You know, I know a couple people over in the UK sold theirs quite early. I love the feel of the game, like the humor and the >> um like that 1920s news reel thing I
    26:23
    um like that 1920s news reel thing I
    26:23
    um like that 1920s news reel thing I think is really [clears throat] really unique and fun. Um yeah, I'm I'm a big fan, man. I think it's a great game. >> Yeah, I mean I'm I'm hopeful that we
    26:34
    Yeah, I mean I'm I'm hopeful that we
    26:34
    Yeah, I mean I'm I'm hopeful that we continue to see, you know, some amazing mods for that one. I don't know if it's going to be King Kong level or I'm sorry, Godzilla level, but it's certainly um got a lot of stuff going on for sure. >> Yeah.
    26:46
    Yeah.
    26:46
    Yeah. >> Getting some uh getting some shout outs
    26:48
    Getting some uh getting some shout outs
    26:48
    Getting some uh getting some shout outs on the monkey head from Dirty Pool. Dirty Pool. >> Yeah. Yeah.
    26:53
    Yeah. Yeah.
    26:53
    Yeah. Yeah. >> Good to [clears throat] see you, Jeff.
    26:54
    Good to [clears throat] see you, Jeff.
    26:54
    Good to [clears throat] see you, Jeff. How you going, man? >> Um so, yeah, one last one last thing
    26:59
    Um so, yeah, one last one last thing
    26:59
    Um so, yeah, one last one last thing that I wanted to show now. Let me see if I can pull it up on the right tab. Um okay, here we go. So this is So we mentioned earlier in the show that the >> Okay, here we go. Here we
    27:12
    Okay, here we go. Here we
    27:12
    Okay, here we go. Here we [clears throat] go. >> Yeah. [laughter]
    27:14
    Yeah. [laughter]
    27:14
    Yeah. [laughter] So, okay, look at this. All right. >> So, is this an add-on?
    27:19
    So, is this an add-on?
    27:19
    So, is this an add-on? >> This is an add-on.
    27:20
    This is an add-on.
    27:20
    This is an add-on. >> Or is there Okay. I mean,
    27:21
    Or is there Okay. I mean,
    27:21
    Or is there Okay. I mean, >> well, I don't actually know. I don't
    27:22
    well, I don't actually know. I don't
    27:22
    well, I don't actually know. I don't actually know. >> I've seen this topper in detail and I
    27:25
    I've seen this topper in detail and I
    27:25
    I've seen this topper in detail and I don't know. >> Okay, hang on. I mean, I'm looking I'm
    27:28
    Okay, hang on. I mean, I'm looking I'm
    27:28
    Okay, hang on. I mean, I'm looking I'm looking a bit closer at it now. This looks like an unfinished. Like, if you look at those sort of areas down the bottom and stuff, that's a bit unfinished. It looks more just sort of diaramy, but this section up here is pretty pretty good. So, you think this is actually like an entire >> I don't know. It's just like there's
    27:44
    I don't know. It's just like there's
    27:44
    I don't know. It's just like there's there's actually three motors on that topper and I'm curious kind of how those continue to operate. But, I mean, I don't know. They're not that One thing I've heard is that they actually play into the game play. So like obscuring the widget >> um would be I think a downside, but it
    28:03
    um would be I think a downside, but it
    28:03
    um would be I think a downside, but it looks it looks really cool. [laughter] >> It does. It does. I think um on closer
    28:07
    It does. It does. I think um on closer
    28:07
    It does. It does. I think um on closer inspection, I think they need to sort out that area down there cuz that kind of looks very like high school diaramy. But the buildings themselves look mind-blowingly good. I don't know whether that's been taken from a Harry Potter set >> or whether they've done that themselves.
    28:24
    or whether they've done that themselves.
    28:24
    or whether they've done that themselves. Be worth sort of investigating that. But um anyway, very interesting I thought just in terms of the fact that you know more people are starting to look at it and um you know it was just an obvious it was an obvious place to to improve, wasn't it? Because the the original was pretty crap. >> Yep. Yep.
    28:44
    Yep. Yep.
    28:44
    Yep. Yep. Did you have one more? >> I don't. That's it for me, man.
    28:48
    I don't. That's it for me, man.
    28:48
    I don't. That's it for me, man. >> That's it.
    28:49
    That's it.
    28:49
    That's it. >> Okay.
    28:49
    Okay.
    28:49
    Okay. >> Yeah.
    28:50
    Yeah.
    28:50
    Yeah. >> Well, um any uh any of these that are
    28:54
    Well, um any uh any of these that are
    28:54
    Well, um any uh any of these that are particularly standing out to you? We're not giving out awards here, but [clears throat] any any favorites for you? [snorts] >> Um,
    29:01
    Um,
    29:02
    Um, let me have a quick look. I mean, for me, for me, it's the it's the newcomers that have been the most surprising. So, for me, it's the the ones that have blown my mind the most have been the biplane mod. um from the from an engineering point of view and uh Tiny's Teeny Tavern I'd say as well just because for someone like Kyle to just sort of come from nowhere and produce something like that is just really really surprising. Um uh yeah, so those are those are my two. What are your two? >> Yeah, I mean I definitely love the
    29:40
    Yeah, I mean I definitely love the
    29:40
    Yeah, I mean I definitely love the Biplane mod. I'm a little, you know, um, biased because I have it and I I love the game and and I really like the process. I I'm excited that that Leor's got something new. I mean, I, you know, I kind of got into mods on buying stuff from him. I'm I feel like his prices are getting to be a lot more uh a lot more workable. >> So, yeah, I'm kind of curious to see
    30:03
    So, yeah, I'm kind of curious to see
    30:03
    So, yeah, I'm kind of curious to see what he comes up with. But overall, like >> I mean, seeing So, is this Magic Chis
    30:08
    I mean, seeing So, is this Magic Chis
    30:08
    I mean, seeing So, is this Magic Chis guy with the evil dead car? Is he new to the hobby as well? >> I think so. But to be honest, the way he
    30:14
    I think so. But to be honest, the way he
    30:14
    I think so. But to be honest, the way he sort of the way he carries himself in the thread >> is very much a hobbyist
    30:20
    is very much a hobbyist
    30:20
    is very much a hobbyist >> sort of, you know, like I think that I
    30:23
    sort of, you know, like I think that I
    30:23
    sort of, you know, like I think that I think that with with modding, I mean, we're all kind of hobbyists in a way, I suppose, but there's people who are like, "No, this is a business and I'm running a business and I'm trying to be as business-like as possible and, you know, I'm building that business or whatever." He's just like, I'm a hobbyist and I I made these. Um, and it's almost like the fact that the list is so big is almost like he's a bit annoyed [laughter] about it. >> That's the way it's sort of come across
    30:50
    That's the way it's sort of come across
    30:50
    That's the way it's sort of come across at times. >> Um,
    30:52
    Um,
    30:52
    Um, >> and now he's being now how he now how he
    30:55
    and now he's being now how he now how he
    30:55
    and now he's being now how he now how he carries himself is being analyzed on on YouTube. I'm sure he's very [laughter] annoyed by >> I know. He's like he's like,
    31:03
    I know. He's like he's like,
    31:03
    I know. He's like he's like, "Why?" Yeah. So, why did I even bother doing these in the first place? No, I mean, it's not it's I just think it's it's kind of interesting, isn't it, that um you know that that that they that um a hobbyist can just like blow up like that and whether they like it or not, you know, they I guess they have to make a decision. And like like Kyle did, like Soral did with Teeny's Tiny Tavern, like his blew up and he was like, "Do I destroy my life trying to make as many of these as possible or do I just sort of chill out and and take it easy?" And I think he I think Kyle sort of took like a medium chill out and take it easy point of view and magic ch whatever his name is, I'm not sure, but um you know I think he initially bailed and then he was like oh I'll do another sort of 50 or whatever >> um and get them done. I think he's
    31:50
    um and get them done. I think he's
    31:50
    um and get them done. I think he's actually getting them made overseas by someone and then getting them sent to him and then he's then doing a bit more work and then sending them out or something like that. So, um, yeah, I I don't know whether he'll do anything else after this or whether he's had enough, you know, of the, uh, the mod grind, as they say. >> Yeah. Well, kudos to to all the mods we
    32:10
    Yeah. Well, kudos to to all the mods we
    32:10
    Yeah. Well, kudos to to all the mods we featured and everybody out there that's picking these up, supporting these guys. They continue to push the boundaries on the quality and the installation process. I mean, we're tapping into these machines the best we can. So, really, really impressive to see what everyone's come up with. Um, if you guys have any mods you want to check out from the list, we're going to have all the links uh in the video, which would be the part two. Uh, thank you for uh kind of deal with our technical difficulties. Um, but Davey, good to be back, man. I think uh minus the the the flub of of the stream. I think we got to keep keep going. So, let's >> Yeah, man. Got to push through. Got to
    32:46
    Yeah, man. Got to push through. Got to
    32:46
    Yeah, man. Got to push through. Got to push through, man. We'll we'll we'll aim to do another one >> hopefully in two weeks time. That was
    32:51
    hopefully in two weeks time. That was
    32:51
    hopefully in two weeks time. That was always our plan, wasn't it? To do like a two week cycle. Um I don't know if we've ever kept a twoe [laughter] maybe in the early days but we'll try and we'll try and I mean that's the whole idea between behind um uh trying to streamline the process a bit you know you know I mean as an outside observer you would think that we couldn't put possibly less preparation into our shows but that's what we're that's what we're aiming for >> well yeah the slight coordination well
    33:21
    well yeah the slight coordination well
    33:21
    well yeah the slight coordination well thank you everybody so much episode 31 uh signing off and uh Dave, I'll miss you TPF, but I'm sure we'll talk soon. So, all right, man. Take care. >> All right. Take care, Rob. See you soon.
    33:31
    All right. Take care, Rob. See you soon.
    33:32
    All right. Take care, Rob. See you soon. Thank you, everyone.