Wait! Elton John has a Pinball Machine?!? (JJP 2023)

TL;DR

Manu plays Jersey Jack's Elton John pinball, explaining mechanics and design while discussing JJP's approach.

Summary

Key Claims

• Elton John is one of Steve Richie's best games

  medium confidence · Manu states this directly at ~40 minutes in: 'I'm going to come go out on the Limb and say it right now... Elton John is one of his best games'

• The game is not primarily mode-based but rather collection/accumulation-based

  high confidence · Manu explains: 'this game is not really a mode based game in my opinion... it's like a collect all the stuff based game'

• Pinball Wizard mode is glitchy on this game

  high confidence · Manu states directly: 'Pinball Wizard is glitchy on this game' and the display turned off during gameplay

• Song selection affects note collection patterns, which drives wardrobe acquisition

  high confidence · Multiple explicit explanations: 'the notes are different right every time I flip a song' and 'the songs matter because the notes are how you collect wardrobe'

• It's difficult to find opponent scores on the game's display

  high confidence · Manu criticizes: 'I can't find the other player scores... look real quick yeah it's down there yeah it's a lot of new games are like that man it's annoying'

• Jersey Jack games don't stack multiballs as badly as Godfather

  medium confidence · Manu: 'you got alligator... CU Jersey Jack, yeah yes cuz it's Jersey Jack it's not as bad as Godfather'

• The game's non-musical sound effects don't match the theme well

  medium confidence · Manu: 'I mean they're dumb but they don't match do they' regarding sound effects

• The train shot on the playfield is non-functional decorative

  high confidence · Discussion about upper ramp: 'it's just the switch back there doesn't go anywhere literally the train'

• Multiple players (Outer Orbit) are supposed to be getting Elton John machines

  medium confidence · Manu asks: 'aren't you guys supposed to be getting a Elton' to someone named Outer Orbit

Notable Quotes

• “I'm going to come go out on the Limb and say it right now I'm going say it right now you heard it right here at mystery pinball Theater 3000 Manu said that Elton John is one of his best games man”

  Manu@ 21:30 — Strong endorsement of Steve Richie's design on Elton John, presented as a bold claim for the record

• “this game is not really a mode based game in my opinion you might differ it's not a mode based game it's like a collect all the stuff based game”

  Manu@ 11:53 — Key design philosophy explanation that reframes how the game should be understood and played

• “Pinball Wizard is glitchy on this game is that why the the display turned off yeah okay I don't like that the one song that's the song we won is glitch wow”

  Manu@ 14:13 — Identifies a specific technical issue affecting gameplay experience

• “I can't find the other player scores if you look at this screen where's your score look real quick yeah it's down there yeah it's a lot of new games are like that man it's annoying”

  Manu@ 23:22 — Usability criticism about JJP's LCD display design pattern

• “the songs matter because the notes are how you collect wardrobe wardrobe exactly once you've collected like I think five is... you do make sure that guy's not try and hack in The Matrix”

  Manu and guest@ 6:55 — Explanation of core mechanic linking song selection to progression system

• “you got to smash it up there yeah you spell Elton John there's Rocket Man and then is there anything else there's Rocket Man rocket fuel is all switch hits right”

Entities

Signals

• ?

  product_launch: Multiple venue operators (e.g., Outer Orbit) are receiving Elton John machines, suggesting production rollout to locations is underway

  medium · Manu asks Outer Orbit 'aren't you guys supposed to be getting a Elton', implying known distribution to venues

• ?

  design_philosophy: Elton John prioritizes open-ended collection/accumulation gameplay over structured mode progression, a deliberate design choice by Steve Richie

  high · Manu explicitly states: 'this game is not really a mode based game... it's like a collect all the stuff based game... the object is to light all five of these stars'

• ?

  product_concern: Pinball Wizard mode has a glitch that turns off the display during gameplay, affecting player experience

  high · Manu observes: 'Pinball Wizard is glitchy on this game... the display turned off yeah okay I don't like that'

• ?

  product_concern: Opponent scores are difficult to locate on the LCD display, a recurring issue in JJP designs

  high · Manu criticizes: 'I can't find the other player scores... it's a lot of new games are like that man it's annoying'

• ?

  design_innovation: Song selection dynamically changes note patterns on playfield, directly affecting wardrobe progression strategy

  high · Manu: 'the notes are different right every time I flip a song... the songs matter because the notes are how you collect wardrobe'

• ?

Topics

Sentiment

positive(0.78)— Manu is enthusiastic about the game's design and rule depth, calling it one of Steve Richie's best. Minor complaints about sound design, display UI, glitches, and the non-functional train shot, but these don't override the overall positive assessment. Stream tone is lighthearted and collaborative with guests.