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Kaneda's Pinball Podcast Saturday Morning Spectacular VALENTINE'S DAY

Kaneda Pinball Podcasts YouTube Lives·video·1h 21m·analyzed·Feb 15, 2026
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.036

TL;DR

Kaneda celebrates Pokémon Pinball's approachable design and immediate success while questioning Project Pinball's raffle profits.

Summary

Kaneda hosts a Valentine's Day livestream devoted entirely to Pokémon Pinball, celebrating its release and immediate LE sell-out while defending the game's simple design as intentionally approachable for new players. He praises the theme execution and asset quality but criticizes the mechanical simplicity, lack of drop targets, and missed engineering opportunities. He also raises concerns about Project Pinball's raffle revenue model, questioning where the substantial profits are directed given the charity's stated mission.

Key Claims

  • Pokémon Pinball LE sold out in 1 hour 22 minutes, with Stern making approximately $39,000 in that timeframe from direct sales

    high confidence · Kaneda directly references the sales timing and profit figure multiple times in the broadcast

  • Pokémon Pinball has only 5-6 total shots on the playfield, making it mechanically simpler than games like Godfather (28 shots) and AC/DC (5 shots)

    high confidence · Kaneda detailed playfield analysis comparing shot counts across multiple games

  • The game features no drop targets, only permanent targets, which Kaneda views as a cost-cutting measure to reduce breakage on high-volume production

    medium confidence · Kaneda speculates that Stern designed the game to be extremely durable and low-maintenance for estimated 10,000+ unit production

  • Pokémon Pinball uses original Pokémon Company artwork, not custom Stern art, preserving the IP's aesthetic integrity

    high confidence · Kaneda explicitly contrasts this with Star Wars and Walking Dead, noting the license holder's strict control over visual presentation

  • The game lacks a physical ball lock visible to players; balls are held internally in a subway mechanism

    medium confidence · Kaneda expresses uncertainty while discussing the lock mechanism: 'I really do think that that is a really cool feature... I might be wrong'

  • Project Pinball generated $39,000 from Pokémon LE raffle sales in one hour with minimal operational effort, raising questions about nonprofit financial transparency

    high confidence · Kaneda repeatedly references this figure and questions where the revenue is allocated relative to stated mission goals

  • Pokémon Pinball features approximately 800+ individual Pikachu callouts

    high confidence · Kaneda states: 'I think uh his 800-something individual callouts are adorable'

  • The game is designed as a two-flipper machine, the first from a major manufacturer in several years (Walking Dead is 12 years old)

Notable Quotes

  • “I love what this game has done to the pinball community... there's been a bunch of mediocre games over the last few years... the rest of us are in this hobby to have a good time.”

    Kaneda @ ~0:05:00 — Frames Pokémon Pinball's arrival as a redemptive moment for Stern after perceived quality issues, setting the show's positive tone

  • “This is like a near-perfect translation of Pokémon into a pinball cabinet from an asset standpoint... this is almost what gets me excited about this game.”

    Kaneda @ ~0:45:00 — Highlights that Pokémon's success is driven by IP integration and theme execution rather than mechanical innovation

  • “I wish this game would have had a more dramatic way to enter the arena... Something like that. I think there could have there's just a real missed opportunity here.”

    Kaneda @ ~0:40:00 — Articulates design criticism about the multiball entry mechanic being overly simplistic

  • “When you play Star Wars, it doesn't feel like that. They they've chopped it all up. It's all over the place... The theme song just keeps playing.”

    Kaneda @ ~0:48:00 — Uses Star Wars as negative counterexample, suggesting Pokémon's superior screen asset integration

  • “They made $39,000 in like literally one hour of work. And I'm just really curious where all that money goes.”

    Kaneda @ ~1:15:00 — Core criticism of Project Pinball's financial model and nonprofit accountability

  • “Simple to learn, difficult to master... Potty training for Kaneda.”

    Kaneda @ ~0:35:00 — Humorous self-deprecating moment while describing the game's difficulty curve promise

  • “This is what Pokémon for everybody in the world... They didn't let anybody touch it. They didn't let anyone put it in their vision.”

    Kaneda @ ~0:52:00 — Explains why strict IP licensing control actually benefits the game by preserving authentic brand recognition

Entities

KanedapersonPokémon PinballgameStern PinballcompanyProject PinballorganizationJack DangerpersonGeorge GomezpersonTanyapersonZombie Yetiperson

Signals

  • ?

    business_signal: Project Pinball's nonprofit raffle model generating $39,000+ profit in single hour of Pokémon LE sales with minimal operational overhead raises accountability questions about fund allocation vs. stated charitable mission

    high · Kaneda: 'they made $39,000 in like literally one hour of work' and 'I just want to see more games going to kids... their mission is to put a pinball machine in every children's hospital across America. Okay, you're making so much money. Do it.'

  • ?

    community_signal: Debate over Pokémon Pinball's simplicity: critics view it as dumbed-down/barren design; supporters position it as intentionally approachable; Kaneda criticizes both extremes and defends thoughtful design philosophy

    high · Kaneda addresses Loser Kid podcast criticism ('Two flippers, six shots, kitty artwork. Not for me in the least') and Sean's 'Hot garbage' comment, defending game's intentional accessibility

  • ?

    community_signal: Pokémon Pinball's immediate success and community embrace signals Stern's redemptive alignment with player expectations after recent perceived mediocre releases

    high · Kaneda: 'I love what this game has done to the pinball community... there's been a bunch of mediocre games over the last few years' and 'Stern nailed this title for new blood in the hobby'

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Pokémon Pinball's two-flipper design positions it as accessible entry-level game; Kaneda notes Walking Dead (2010) was last major manufacturer two-flipper release, indicating rare design choice

    medium · Kaneda: 'it's been a while since we've seen a two-flipper game from anybody from any of the big manufacturers... I think it's just going to be a nice change of pace for people'

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:12
All right, we're going to do this. I miss the old days. Man, you can't rotate it. I don't know how long this is going to last on. We'll see. We'll juice it a little more while I get started.
0:48
You stupid Facebook. You can't mirror. You can't switch the camera around. I can't do much. I am telling you right now, today's show, let him come in.
1:14
Let them witness. Got more people on Facebook than YouTube right now. A man. Oh man. and we're going to do this today.
1:30
How's everybody doing, man? It is Valentine's Day. We've waited like two years for this Pokemon game. We finally got it. It's out. It is like available to not be able to get yourselves in LE. We're going to talk all about this game, the responses from people. I've been reading everything everything that people have been saying and I have to say I love it. I love what this game has done to the pinball community. You know, there's some baby still holding on holding on for dear baby life. But you know what? That's not how the rest of us roll. The rest of us are in this hobby to have a good time. There's been a bunch of, you know, look, there's there's no secret that there's been a bunch of mediocre games over the last few years. What's up everybody? Canada in the house. Venerable pinball podcaster Canada. Let's move this over here. Let's see if we can do this. You can see my montage of amazing themes over there. Um, that's much better. That is much better. All right. So, look, we're going to get started in just a little bit, but first and foremost, we just want to say thoughts and prayers to our friend Tux out there in a in a battle. He's going to kick ass. We know he is. Want to say thoughts and prayers to everybody out there who's got anybody anybody who's dealing with anything serious. Thoughts and prayers to all my friends that have lost their jobs recently, forced into early retirement, people struggling, man, out there. We're very privileged uh to even be in a position to buy pinball machines. And so I think, you know, sometimes people lose that context and they just run in to a debate about something that's pretty innocuous, pretty meaningless in the larger scheme of things. But it is um it is important that we all sometimes reflect on how how much we have and how appreciative we should be of the community we found. And I mean that like we found such a good community of people. And it was so fun this week to see not just our pinball community, but all these new people coming into the pinball community and and like basically embrace it, right? Embrace it. And you know, look, we've been beaten down with these high prices now for so many years. Nothing is uh surprising anymore. We know what it costs to play the game of pinball. It's not cheap. I think you're going to get a lot in the pro version of this game. But pros, are they still for hoes? I don't really think so. But more so, the main topic around this game is this debate around approachability versus skill, right? I mean, that's really, if you think about the two words, skill, like a game that's rewarding to those who have pinball skills, and then a game that's fun for a novice. And most pinball is unapproachable for most people. And so, pinball has not been embraced by a lot more people because they just don't enjoy it because it's a pretty steep learning curve on some of these games. I mean, there are literally modern games where you could walk up to them and never know really what to do. I I have Guns and Roses, man. I don't even know what half the patches damn do. And I never will, and I could care less to try to figure it out. Um, firsttime buyer, the pros going to be the best is going to be the best one here. I don't think so, man. I don't I don't really understand the the reason why the Pro is not going to be the best one here, I'll tell you why. It might be the best value. That's a different discussion. But you're gonna lose a you're gonna lose some of that Pokemon personality. You're gonna lose some of those shots. Um, also like not for nothing, the Ellie cabinet of this game. Just finally they they did it. They made the Ellie look much nicer. So I think the Ellie is above and beyond the nicest version of this game. And I've been hearing from people who have played it, people that have seen it, and there's just a lot of excitement for this game. So, you lose the Java toilet bowl, but they also modified that mech. Unfortunately, not in Star Wars. Maybe they're going to give people a chance to uh switch out the Star Wars one. I think we can agree Stern nailed this title for new blood in the hobby, said uh said Daniel. I agree. Hot garbage is the next post from Sean. So Sean, like this is my thing. This is my thing. If you walk up to this game and you say it's garbage, I mean I mean right there, right there, that's just a level of juvenile indictment of a game before you've played it, before you know what the game is. And I think you could feel that way, but I think you'd be better off keeping a little bit more of an open mind. Um, Loser Kid interviewed told me everything I need to know. Two flippers, six shots, kitty artwork. Not for me in the least. Scotty Pinball. The um I'm excited for your family, Canada. Yeah, me too. I mean, I'm excited for my family, uh, for many more reasons than this pinball machine. I'm just excited to get a new game in the house and and flip it. Uh, as you know, I'm Beetlejuice number 999. So, I'm at the back of the Beetlejuice line. I've got friends who have offered me like, you know, they'll sell it to me. A Winchester spot. I'm I don't know. I just don't see Winchester with the amount of games I'm going to have. It's not going to make a spot in in this house. I'll ask the question everyone's too afraid to ask. Is this outfit really the kind of crap you buy with your pin scalping profits? John, first of all, the answer is yes, baby. Yes, baby. Um, we're going to talk about PokemonL, what we think the uh secondhand price is going to be. Uh, like let's Hold on one second. Hold on. Oh, I need I need to do something real quick. Hold on. Um, let's see. No. Uh

high confidence · Kaneda confirms after initial confusion: 'Walking Dead and Star Wars are two flipper games... Walking Dead's 12 years old'

“Basically, they're just a raffle company... they're making $13,000 on a Pokémon for doing absolutely no work.”

Kaneda @ ~1:14:00 — Distills criticism to core argument: Project Pinball's business model is profit-driven raffle operation masquerading as charity

Ian Jacobiperson
Walking Deadgame
Star Wars Pinballgame
Beetlejuicegame
Monster Bashgame
Attack from Marsgame
Batman 66game
Pokémon Companycompany
Godfathergame
AC/DCgame
Guns N' Rosesgame
Robin (Pinside admin)person
?

design_philosophy: Intentional engineering simplicity in Pokémon Pinball reflects Stern's strategic decision to minimize breakage mechanisms (no drop targets, no complex ball locks) for massive planned production volume

medium · Kaneda: 'I think Stern made this game so that it like never breaks... I really think Stern knows that this is a game that's going to move 10,000 units or more and they don't want... to have to service a problematic mechanism'

  • $

    market_signal: Narrative shift: Stern redemption arc after Star Wars/Walking Dead criticism; Pokémon Pinball reframes manufacturer as capable of meeting player expectations when IP constraints align with approachable design philosophy

    high · Kaneda: 'That's where we are... Stern has redeemed itself... they nailed it' and extended comparison framework showing Pokémon's superior execution vs. recent releases

  • ?

    event_signal: Valentine's Day livestream on Saturday Morning Spectacular format serves as community celebration moment; high viewer engagement ('More people on Facebook than YouTube') signals Pokémon Pinball's mainstream appeal

    medium · Kaneda: 'Got more people on Facebook than YouTube right now... How's everybody doing, man? It is Valentine's Day. We've waited like two years for this Pokémon game.'

  • ?

    licensing_signal: Pokémon Company exercised strict creative control over visual assets, prohibiting Stern's standard art direction; this constraint paradoxically enhanced game appeal by preserving authentic brand aesthetics

    high · Kaneda: 'They didn't let anybody touch it... this is what is Pokémon for everybody in the world' and explicit contrast with Star Wars ('hideous art package') and Walking Dead (not franchise artwork)

  • $

    market_signal: LE scarcity strategy: 750-unit LE production with 1 hour 22 minute sell-out creates extreme secondary market demand; Kaneda predicts sustained price appreciation as game reaches arcade locations and attracts new collectors

    high · Kaneda: 'supply will be so small for such a long time... there's going to be a moment where you're gonna have like hundreds of people are going to want an LE if not a few thousand... only like one in the world for sale'

  • ?

    community_signal: Jack Danger provided initial playfield layout; George Gomez expanded and enhanced design; reflects collaborative design process and potential scope/ambition growth during development

    medium · Kaneda: 'this was Jack's initial uh layout and then George came in and added some stuff'

  • ?

    product_strategy: LE variant features Meowth magnet and ramp mechanism absent from Pro; Premium/LE distinction creates mechanical feature stratification despite basic overall design

    high · Kaneda: 'the magnet underneath him on the Premium and the LE... I kind of love him... You're going to lose the magnet if you get the Pro version of the game'

  • ?

    technology_signal: Pokéballs lack physical ball visibility during lock and fail to implement 'tractor beam' aesthetic innovation despite screen technology capabilities; represents conservative engineering approach

    medium · Kaneda: 'all it does is move. It doesn't even... a red light comes from the Pokéball that like kind of... pulls them back into the Pokéball. None of that. It just just shakes.'

    • 8:27
    Ah, hold on one second guys. I need to I need to I need to do something real quick. Um hey Brenda
    8:40
    I know why because it's like One second. One second. One second. One second. One sec. I got to do something. You're going to laugh. You're going to laugh when you see what I do.
    9:27
    Hold on. What's your phone number? Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Yeah. 6467
    9:41
    two. Okay. Hold on. Stay here because I need a code to get sent to me. Sorry guys. This is going to be worth it.
    9:51
    All right. Ready? Did they text you a code? Did they text you a code? Mhm. Mhm. What is it? What is it? It says don't share the code. It says don't share the code. What is it? What is it? 69. There's got to be another number. There's got to be another number. Yeah.
    10:30
    You'll see what I'm doing right now. Hold on. How's everybody doing? Check this out. Ready
    11:10
    Look, look. I'm doing this for just s's and giggles because it's absolutely ridiculous that Robin will not let people list or like where's all the Pokemon less for sale on pin side? Where's the quick flips? Zero. Zero. Okay. So, like what what's what happened? It's so stupid. It's like this used to be like now is the time if you're again just saying if you're a scalper. Here's the thing with this game. We're going to talk more about it later on, but the um I think this game is just going to like hold value for such a long time. I wouldn't even sell an Ellie yet. I would wait till more and more people see them out on location and then re because here's what's going to happen. There's going to be a lot of people who see this game who love Pokemon and then they're going to want to go get one and and they're going to realize there's an LE and they're going to realize they're all gone. So whoever and then there's going to be a moment where you're gonna have like hundreds of people are going to want an Ellie if not a few thousand and then there's only like one in the world for sale at a time or maybe two. See this is the part people forget like it's all about supply and demand and the supply will be so small for such a long time. So here let's talk about the game first. Let's not talk about the market value. Let's talk about the game itself because for those of you who listen to Canadas Pinball Podcast, I think I did a very balanced review of the game and I said, "Look, this game is not it it is not a a design masterpiece. It is not a technological marvel. The ball isn't doing anything. Wow. No mechanism is doing anything wow." there's maybe five shots in the game, six when I think the center shot opens up, six total shots in the game. I mean, there are some games we play that have 12 or more shots in the game. So, it's very very basic. Okay. Now, when when I listened to the loser kid and I heard like, you know, Jack and George talk about that this was Jack's initial uh layout and then George came in and added some stuff. So, Godfather has 28 shots, I think. C said, okay, AC/DC had five shots. Okay, so there are games out there. If you if you look at games like Monster Bash and Attack for Mars and you know other games out there, this is this is basically more of one of those games than one of the more modern games with a lot more shots, a lot more flippers, upper play fields. So that seems to be the first. If we think about like what are the uh issues that are being debated most frequently around this game, it is um it is the main debate, right? This did Stern in an effort to answer the license holders uh requirements to make this game approachable, which I I kind of doubt that they would make that requirement. You know what I'm saying? Like they don't know. Like, do you guys really believe that the license holder of Pokemon understands the difference between a Keith Elwin game and a Monster Bash? See, you know what I'm saying? It's like, as a communicator, as a PR guy, I have a hard time believing that they had any control whatsoever around layout and design. Okay. So I I just I just want to say that like of course Stern is going to tell us these are the wishes of the license holder because you can hide anything behind that statement. You know l the licenser wouldn't let us do A B and C and if you argue against it but I just look there's things where I understand like when they say like the license holder wouldn't let us adjust the artwork on Pokemon because it's sacred. I get that. Like that's their world. But to say that they had a say in the layout and the amount of shots and the mechs, I I I highly doubt that. Okay, Sad Boy just gave $100, so he gets the floor right now and we get to spend some time on Sad Boy's comments. He said, "You know that scene in Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd pulls up to Harry on the scooter and says, "You go and pull a stunt like this and totally redeem yourself." That's where we are. Okay. Yes. So, uh, Sabo, I'm assuming you mean that Stern has redeemed itself with Pokemon Pinball. I agree. And I'm going to explain throughout this show today why I think this game is important for the hobby and for Stern. And I think they nailed it. I think they nailed it. And of course, comparatively to other games we've had recently, it is it is absolutely barren. It is absolutely simple. It is absolutely just basic. But the theme and the clips and the personality and the color. So, what it does it it's like, you know what I'm saying? But Pokemon was always kind of basic. You know what I'm saying? And there's just a bunch of Pokemon. There's going to be a bunch of Pokemon in this game. The story of these trainers who catch them and then use them in battles. Like that's it. Like it's not Lord of the Rings here. This is not like a very complex, deep storyline here going on. It's meant to make kids and adults have fun collecting Pokemon and battling with them. So I I I kind of find it funny, you know, when people what what did you expect? Now, you know, watching the show with Killian and and and and then looking over the game again, I think there's a few things I'd like to see. Well, let's go over the game first. So, you've got the main mech in the game. Really, the the big mech in the game is the Meowth Meowth balloon that swoops down and enters into the battlefield or the the battle, I don't know, is the battle zone and blocks the ball. And then there's a magnet underneath him on the premium and the Ali. And I I kind of love him. He looks so fun. It's nice to have a very big sculpted item moving. It It's not going to have the I don't think the same kinetic satisfaction as hitting the crane and Batman that moves where it's like more skillbased. This thing is like right up the middle. You're going to hit it every time. He doesn't move across the playfield like a Slimer. So, you know, again, easy shot, easy to start a multiball shooting up the middle. Stern wants that though. They want people to walk up to this game and see Meowth move around. see Pikachu talk and move. They want to see everything happening. So that's the main mech in the game. Like other than that, and when you think about it, it's not like that intricate of a mech. I mean, other than Meowth, what next mechanically is like, whoa, right? There's nothing like there's nothing. And and again, I I think when we lift the hood on this game, we are going to see one of the most barren under the underneath the playfield games we've seen in a long time. I think people are going to lose their minds when they see underneath how simple this game is probably going to be to make for Stern. How basic it is. Like lift the hood on a Beetlejuice, lift the hood on a Winchester. Of course, this game, look, this game's going to look like the bomb on it, which was all assets most likely, is very, very low from a mechanical standpoint. And as I've been saying on my show, I really feel like Stern made this game so that it like never breaks. There's like nothing to break in this game. There's no drop targets. I would have liked there have to have been drop targets in the battle area. It would have been so much more kinetically satisfying to have those targets drop down each time and if there's six of them or you know seeing only one to go, two to go, you don't get that when they're just permanent targets. So yeah, cheap, much cheaper than drop targets. Drop drop target mechanisms can be problematic. They can break. Stern doesn't want to deal with that. I really think Stern knows that this is a game that's going to move 10,000 units or more and they don't want, you know, to have to service a a problematic mechanism on 10,000 games. So, everything in this game really does feel like uh it's it's built to last forever that you won't have to take the glass off ever on this kind of game. So there's really, you know, so after the Meowth mech, then what what's the next mechanical stuff that's really wow in this game? I think the to me the next impressive thing would be the ramp that goes up on the premium and the LE that allows you to lock your Pokemon. So let's talk about that for a minute. with all the engineering in pinball, all the ability, the fact that you don't physically lock the Pokemon in the Pokeball, another another shortcut, right? Right. They couldn't figure out a way to to have the Pokeball actually, you know, take the balls like the Death Star and then open up and then release the balls into multiball. You know what I'm saying? It's like I I just feel like again watching the show and how the Pokeballs open up is a is a is cheap. There's no way around it. Like all it does is move. It doesn't even The other thing that I thought was kind of again missed opportunity to engineer further in the show when you want to retrieve your Pokemon after the battle or in a battle when they need to be retrieved a a red light comes from the Pokeball that like kind of it's kind of like a tractor beam that pulls them back into the Pokeball. None of that. It just it just shakes. So, you know, again, engineered to do a little bit, but nothing nothing really complicated in the engineering department. So, that's like that's the other. But, I think the ramp lifting up and shooting the ball into the scoop, which I believe goes into a subway. I is that and I think is that a physical ball lock? I really do think that that is uh a really cool feature that I would not want to lose on if you get the pro version of the game. Uh as as term as far as physical ball locks go, I I I always like physical ball locks when you can see the balls as they're locking. I don't think that's the case in this game. I might be wrong. I I've been watching some different uh videos, but I don't think there is a physical ball lock. The Pikachu is super funny, super cute. I think he's adorable back there. Him moving and tracking the ball movements is really cool. I also would not want to lose that. I love the speech of Pokemon and Pikachu. I think uh his 80s something individual call outs are adorable. I think a lot of this game is going to I think a a lot of this game is going to win people over with the fun of the gameplay because even though it's going to be simple, it's going to be fun to shoot and it's going to be rewarding. And I think the personality of all the call outs and the clips and everything like that. Okay. So, you know, and George is putting stuff in here like the the ramp on the like the left orbit turns into like the James Bond ramp and that's going to be I think a very satisfying uh shot to shoot. It's way fun to shoot. See, this is what I love. We got uh you know Ian here from Nudge Magazine and I Ian, it's not just you, man. I've heard from everybody that I know and trust that this game is really fun to shoot. And I think a lot of us, if we were to be a little bit honest, there's been a lot of games that have been critically acclaimed that, you know, they're really just not that fun to shoot. They're maybe too difficult, too hard, too brutal, and we don't want to look like wimps and and admit that. You know, a game that I see people on the fence about, too, is like Winchester, you know, you're it's it's tough. Like, you're not going to have you're not going to be ripping through Winchester with great flow. and and and I know that's what some people want, but this game is going to be the complete opposite. It's going to be pretty wide open for people to hit stuff. But, you know, even so, I wasn't seeing people having 20 minute ball times on Pokemon. I think it's still going to be a game where it's going to be, what do they say? It's a it's simple to learn but difficult to master. I mean, it sounds like my potty training when I was a kid. So, simple to learn, difficult to master. Potty training for Canada. So, it's uh it it's and and that's what they're promising and I and that's going to require is it TO like you know whenever Tano like what what's his background like that name to me it it's like it's such a I've I've never met another in my life and then the guy just looks like a normal like dude like what it's I always because I it's like t an io or something like I want to say like Tananielo and like it's like Tano Teno like I I never can fully remember how to say it cuz because I' because there's nobody else in the world I've ever had to call this. How do you enunciate it? Can someone write it again? It's Italian.
    24:51
    I I'm Italian. I've never met another. Is it like Is it like a nickname for like Anthony or Tony? Tanyo. Tanyo. Okay. Um, so Tanya, look, I think they're um I think they're going to really figure out the code on this game and make it really fun. Um, so you know, the the two flipper part two, a lot of people talking about that. Like I mean, it's been a while since we've seen a two- flipper game from anybody from any of the big manufacturers. Again, I think it's just going to be um a nice change of pace for people. I absolutely do. Now, look, all this said, I've been saying this game is mechanically pretty barren. Game from a design po standpoint pretty basic. The game, it reminds me a little bit more like WWE, right, with that big thing up the middle. But even that had like I think a little bit more interesting like the way you get into the ring, you know? I I will say I I think they could have done something a little bit more exciting. And here's what I mean by that. I wish this game would have had when you get into like the battle like the arena if you will. I wish this game would have had a more dramatic way to enter the arena. Are you telling me they couldn't have done more of an Aerosmith where one Pokemon shoots in and then the other shoots in? Something like that. I think there could have there's just a real missed opportunity here uh to to create a dramatic moment of battle with the balls and with something mechanically happening. It's very very basic. I mean, this is like as basic as it gets. Uh that being said, it kind of is what it is, right? And what you see is what you get. I I I I don't feel like they pushed themselves. I don't feel like Stern took a single risk on this game. I think that was the brief. So, yeah, Walking Dead and Star Wars are two flipper games. Oh, okay. I I for some reason I thought Star Wars had three flippers. All right. Well, Walking Dead's 12 years old, so All right. So, Pokemon, we've seen it. It's a simple game. Where this game though wins, and I and I just it it wins because it's freaking Pokemon. Seeing the world's most popular anime of all time in pinball format, this is the best use of the big screen Stern has ever done. This is like, this is what gets me excited about this game. They know what they're doing. The assets are being delivered and served back to us in such an awesome way. All the campy call outs from Meowth, all the, you know, they've got what is it? Giovani, all the Pikachu called outs. I, this game is just going to ooze personality and put a smile on your face, and it's just going to, it's just going to feel like you're jumping into the cartoon that the world loves. The same way like Batman 66 felt like you were jumping into the Batman series that everybody loved. And and that's killer. Like when you play Star Wars, it doesn't feel like that. They they've chopped it all up. It's all over the place. It's on a smaller screen within the big screen. There's too much going on on the screen. The theme song just keeps playing. So it's like to me this is almost like a other than like not having like mechanical wow, it's a nearperfect translation of Pokemon into a pinball cabinet from an asset standpoint. I mean, assets that I'm so happy the art is the original art from the Pokemon company. I think the way they laid it out looks really nice. I think it's refreshing. And I'm not saying this in a negative way for Zombie Yeti, but I think people are just happy it's not another Zombie Yeti game. But here's the thing is like, see, Walking Dead and Star Star Star Wars were not another Zombie Yeti game, but they were not great art packages. They didn't really connect. Like if you look at Walking Dead, that's not the art of the of the franchise you love and know. When you look at Star Wars, it's it's an hide it's a hideous art package. And so when when you look at Pokemon and you're a fan of Pokemon, you're like smiling. This is Pokemon. This is what I love. This is what Pokemon looks like. This these are sacred beings. They didn't let anybody touch it. They didn't let anyone put it in their in in their vision. This was this is what is Pokemon for everybody in the world. So I I do agree that Charizard, you know, like Charizard is the reason why Daniel is that Charizard while popular is not really in the first sort of like 151 very often. He he he shows up in episode 43 of the Pokemon series. So and I think the most of the clips are the HD clips from seasons like 10, right? So this wasn't even like season one because they wanted the clips to look good. They look great. This is not the story of a Ash Ketchum. This is not the original storyline. This is And again, I'm learning about Pokemon as I as I go into this game and learn more about the property about how there's like different genomes or territories where Pokemons are and they created their own sort of like Pokemon territory for this game. So, this kind of this kind of like game has a unique index of Pokemon. This is all this a lot of this terminology is new to me. So, so I think what's going to happen next is they're really going to start to make the actual pinball machine a location where you can you you you have to go to different locations to get certain Pokemon. I think that's definitely coming. So, a lot a lot. Um I'm 100% getting this game. I'm getting an Ellie of this game. I I want to talk about what the value of this Ellie is. Let's drop this for you guys new this. We have a lot more people now. Look, look at what I posted on this is this post. By the way, this post is for it's for humor sake. So, please don't run and cry and try to get my game taken from me. Okay. But none of them were even for sale from Stern Insider or what is it? Something access early access. I don't know, forget what their thing is. But Stern didn't sell a single LE directly.
    31:40
    If someone offered me $30,000 for the game, of course I'd sell it. You know, like I'm not that stupid.
    31:51
    Ellie go on sale. One hour turn. Do they are they selling some direct? Kelly.
    31:59
    Ah, okay. Interesting. How many are they selling? I mean, they're going to sell out like like hot cakes. One hour and 22 minutes. So, so who see the thing with the direct sales is like is like it's that that's where you go like you have to pay tax on it immediately. I don't know.
    32:24
    I mean, they I'll tell you this right now. When Stern sells direct, they usually only offer like 10, okay? So, like they're just going to be gone.
    32:46
    You know, I just want to say, and then I'm not going to keep going down this road, but we definitely ruffled some feathers over at Project Pinball today, and I saw they put up a comment on Facebook, which is basically just a copy and paste of their company statement. But what I did not see in their comment was more of a direct response to what I was saying yesterday, that this company made $39,000 in like literally one hour of work. And I'm just really curious where all that money goes. And I know I just want to let them know that I'm I'm going to start looking into this. I I just I can't I can't I don't think that I I get that the math adds up, but I don't think the money's going where it's supposed to go. And I'm I'm just saying that because there's not as many games out there as there should be for the amount of years they've been doing this. And all the work to maintain those games is volunteer work. And yet, so basically, they're just a raffle company. And then every once in a while, they'll put a game in a hospital. But they're basically making all of their money just doing raffles. There's no work to be done in that. They're not taking possession of those games. They are simply they're making $13,000 on a Pokemon for doing absolutely no work. And I just want, you know, and and and and I know they're like, if they're listening to this, and I know they the people, let's just say like we as a community, I think we need to see more of like where this all this money is going.
    34:20
    You know, they own every pinball machine, too. That's the thing is like I I I just I I just want to see more games going to kids. You know what I'm saying? It's like their their mission is to put a pinball machine in every children's hospital across America. Okay, you're making so much money. Do it. Do it. you know, there's just there's just way too much money coming in on these like raffles and it's just it's Yeah.
    34:56
    Anyway, I'm not going to turn that show into this, but I I you know, I saw they responded because they they know they know what they're doing, too. And the reason why I think in that comment they didn't they didn't address any of the concerns I had is because I think they know what they're probably pocketing. Yeah. Look, I you know, look, I just we all know this like charities and nonprofits, the executives on them make a lot of money. And that's why people have a big issue with a lot of charities and nonprofits because how can you be nonprofit and be profiting yourself?
    35:34
    So, but this has been a, you know, this has been like a can that nobody's wanted to kick down the road for so many years. And if I could tell you the amount of people that know more that just keep telling me to push this boulder further, I I but it's like the problem is I'm not I'm not the Wall Street Journal. I'm not the New York Times. Like this is not like a scandal. And like there's kids, man. I just want the kids to get the games. And I just I just think these these raffles are are really a little skeptical I am of how this money is being generated with these raffles.
    36:13
    What's up Hilton Beetlejuice number two on route to IO Arcade in Madison, Wisconsin. Come on out and play it for those of you out there. Yeah, man. I think, look, we all know though when someone puts a Beetlejuice next to a Pokemon, it's going to make Pokemon look like a $3,000 game. Like, we we do know this, right? Okay. I just I just want to like level. I think people think I've sold out that I'm a shill. You know, my reasons for getting Pokemon. I love Japanese culture. I want a game that my kids can learn to play pinball on. What What other game would you recommend, right? If that's the case, like a theme that's good for kids, that they can learn to play pinball on that they that that my kids actually enjoy. Like again, I'll wait. There's none.
    37:01
    All the books are public. I'm just looking at the public numbers. I don't know. I'm just saying these these these raffles. I think the part that like, and again, I said it yesterday, the part that just made me a little annoyed is, you know, my wife might be having to look for a job soon again. And the fact that these guys can make $39,000 in like one hour for doing no work. That's what rubbed me the wrong way. It's like it's just like why is that? Okay, because you're going to put like I don't understand like how can you make so much money in three hour for like an app for doing nothing. And again, like you go back and look at some of those older auctions, man, they weren't doing live drawings of all the names. And you know, I just like I you know, I just
    37:52
    there's no there's no oversight. There's no real regulation happening. You never know what's going on there.
    38:01
    Christopher Franchie in the house. I think he is. Who is in the house? I'll tell you guys, this has been a long week. You know, Stern doesn't normally reveal games on Fridays and it's exhausting because I feel like we were we were waiting all week for it and then it drops. Okay, let's talk about Pokemon Ellie. Let's let's just let's stop with everything else other than what do we think? I want to ask you guys, what do you think Pokemon Ellie would sell for today? Okay, today. I mean, right now, people would think they might have a shot at the Stern Insider Access games. Maybe they're going to go instantly. A little bit of advice, keep refreshing your web browser before the actual They usually tend to open it up a little bit before
    38:55
    I know. I'm just curious. What do you guys think the price is going to be? I I I'm not interested in your anger I I I'm not interested in your anger over that scalping happens, but what do you think the price is going to be?
    39:16
    Yeah, but John John at least anyone scalping is is flat out no one scalping three games for 13 John you have to you have to remember John they can John raffles allow you to make so much more money for no work whatsoever. I mean, literally, if I raffled my Pokemon off, because you got to remember, too, like I could sell like you could sell five, you know, you could sell 5,000 tickets for like I don't know what, 10 bucks each and people would buy them.
    40:09
    John, how you doing, by the way, brother? Happy Valentine's Day, everybody.
    40:16
    John, what do you have planned for for Morgan? You better be doing something romantic. Better get her a Pokemon Ellie. John, are you getting in an oie?
    40:38
    Hilton thinks the game is going to settle at 11. Interest. I mean, I Hilton I just I don't know. I just think there's too many Pokemon fans out there. I I don't think it settles that low. I think a lot of this though, look, I said it on my show. I'll say it here. This game is really the longterm appeal of this game is going to come down to the code. I if it's if the only thing is like you collect Pokemon and put them into your index on insider connected, but it doesn't really change the game play. You can't trade Pokemon with other players. They don't keep adding new Pokemon to the experience because that's what they're going to need to do. Like I think they're going to need to add like over time like find fun ways to unlock new Pokemon and make it hard to unlock certain Pokemon. And when you do unlock certain Pokemon, then those Pokemon need to really unlock like wizard modes and magical moments in the game that everyone's going to want to get to. So that's going to me that's going to be like this game is going to longterm live or die on that. Like right now, yeah, everyone's gonna have fun playing the new Pokemon, banging on it. But if it gets like all you do is do this over and over and over again, and it doesn't really change the game and it doesn't create more moments of woow, people will get tired of it. Of course, they will. Even Pokemon fans will get tired of it. It's like watching the same Pokemon episode over and over and over again.
    42:08
    Yeah, I know. The kids are screaming. I mean, Brenda and I had like a we had a we had a screaming match this morning. It's 7 o'clock in the morning, right? And like Killian and I are just trying to watch Pokemon and Cass is downstairs and like he's screaming and it's like we have we live in an open floor plan house. He's screaming his brains out and and it's because Brenda is trying to teach him a lesson about how to ask for something. He's like not even two. He's like he's like one and a half. And I'm like literally ruining our Pokemon watching experience. So I'm like, Brandon, what what the hell? Like what is this? Like it's 7 in the morning. Stop trying to teach a lesson every five minutes of the day to these kids. They're not going to remember any of this when they're like stealing the car keys and joy riding as teenagers. Like I I just Does anyone remember like that lesson your mama taught you when you were like 18 months old and you like wanted some candy? Like what is this?
    43:12
    Uh, gang, I think you're wrong. I think your guys Well, here's the thing. Maybe not, though. Okay, I think the biggest thing that's going to knock down Pokemon pricing, I think two things are going to make PokemonL's sink. Transformers LE and Sonic CE because I I think Sonic is gonna just like I mean look I'm I can just tell you right now Sonic is gonna destroy Pokemon in every which way, right? In in every which way in game play, in mechs, in speed, in flow. And it's going to be approachable. This is the thing that's funny to me is like it's going to be approachable, but it's going to be so much like you and you're going to see like Sonic CE for 15 and then look over at Pokemonle with the topper and be like they're basically the same price almost and it's just going to be comical. I mean, that's that's Stern's the worst thing for Stern right now is really when you put their games next to other company games, they just still look very very cheap in comparison. Like they look cheap next to Beetlejuice, next to Winchester, next to Harry Potter. I mean, Harry Harry Potter Wizard Edition next to Pokemon Gang, you know? Like I I get it. Like I I'm not an I'm not a fool. I'm not an idiot. Like if you put Harry Potter next to Pokemon and you say these are the same price, I'm like I don't I I don't understand how these could be the same price. I I don't It's like putting a white t-shirt next to a tuxedo and being like they're the same price. I don't I don't get it.
    44:52
    Look, Den, look. Are some of you guys new? Someone just said if it's based on the Sonic movies, it's based on the old Sonic the Sega arcade game, the Sega video game. It's not based on the movies at all. I've seen it. The art the art is very much The art's got like Sonic, Knuckles, Tales. It's like it's the art from the video game covers. Like that kind of art.
    45:24
    Well, all right. So, what Stern needs to do with the LE is Yeah, they need to go further. I don't disagree. I I think I think they look I think the major step here on the LE that you can't discount because a lot of were just art package differences. The major the major reason why Pokemon AliE I think holds is the art is so radically different and nicer than the premium and the pro. Name me another name me another recent Stern game where the LE was so radically nicer in art than the premium and the pro. Name me one.
    46:13
    When are you doing the Beetlejuice sale to fans? It's a good question. Um, we got we got a ways to go. It's games number like 501 to 506, I believe. John Wick. No, John Wick is first of all and also not Jaws because Jaws Pro looks exactly like Jaws. Doesn't Jaws Pro look a little like Jaws? Let me see. Hold on. And but then but then Jaw But Jaws 50th. Let me see something. Jaws
    46:54
    I forget. The pros got the I don't know, man. No, but here's the thing. The Jaws art is funny to me because it's like it's so they like made it so basic like the movie poster, but it's not like it's kind of trash. I do agree. Like Jaws is just like Jaws is like No. No. DND doesn't. Kelly, come on. Dn DLE. They all look like [ __ ] DN D in general looks like [ __ ] I mean it. All D and Ds look terrible.
    47:27
    No, but X-Menally they all look good. X anything Zombie Yeti touches, they all look too good. That's the problem. That's That's his problem. He needs to learn how to sandbag the pro a little bit.
    47:41
    Well, Metallica is like I I was waiting for people to say Metallica Remastered. They I do think it's nicer, but the premium is, you know, too much green.
    47:57
    Yeah, Jaws Elliot had the foil cabinet decals which are nice. I agree. Zombie Yeti does need to give the pro to his intern.
    48:09
    Martin, we said recent games. Martin's going to Batman. Batman's 10 years ago, bro. 10 years ago. I mean, the best differentiator ever was was Batman SLE and Ghostbusters Ellie.
    48:26
    You know, like I say, I'll say in general, there hasn't been a stern Ellie of late where you're like, "Wow, like Godzilla." Like no one said Godzilla, nobody said King Kong, okay? Nobody said James Bond, nobody said Venom, nobody said Dn D except for one person. You know that that's bad. Like every gang, listen to me. Every single le should be heads and toes better than the premium and the pro. Every not not like so that's what Stern needs to wake up and like they need to that needs to be the baseline of why this thing is $3,500 more. You know what I'm saying? Because like there's not there's no way to justify it other than the art right now. So that's why on all these games that they haven't made the art much nicer, there's zero way to justify the price increase. But I would I would justify that this Pokemon is so much nicer than the premium in pro that it is worth the the search charge.
    49:30
    No, Chris Foo's got the same exact art on the premium. It's the same illustration on the premium. Chris,
    49:42
    I agree. I agree. The topper should be the Ellie should get an exclusive topper. It just should. And look, they don't have to like re-engineer the whole topper, but the Ellie should have like like Okay, so let me give you an example. If if Pokemon Ellie has the, you know, the super ball, the the, you know, the monster ball, what are they called? Like, I don't know, the what's the purple Pokeball called? The master ball. Then if the topper has a Pokeball on it, the the LE should come with an exclusive Master Ball version of that topper and give the other one to everyone else. And you only make 750 of them.
    50:31
    I mean, you you want to know a way to kill an excitement on a Canad Saturday morning spectacular? want to know a way to just like just just suck the air out of the room. Like we're all talking about Ellie's Toppers, Pokemon, Stern, Sonic, and then there's always that dude that's like Pinball Brothers Predator has some nice translits. You know what I'm saying? I don't give a about your Pinball Brothers Predator. There's only 300 in the entire world ever. Nobody cares. Like there there's the world's smallest violin. Congratulations. You got a game nobody wanted. They couldn't even sell 150 of them until they had to like panic FOMO them all. Seriously, like Predator, no Arnold and Predator. Let's make Pokemon without Pikachu. You know what I'm saying? You know what's funny about the Predator code, gang? It's open co It's open code. Do you guys know this? They purposely released that game where the code in the game is not locked. Okay. You know what that means? That anybody can edit in Arnold into all like you could basically remake the code with Arnold in all the scenes. They did that on purpose. I think they're hoping for someone to they were hoping for someone to do that. Smart move to do it right. License holder. I don't know what happened here.
    52:00
    Is Jack Danger here? Jack Danger is here. Can we all give a what up Jack Danger? Jack is gonna give Canada his Stern jacket on loan. And I'm going to give him I I don't I'm making this up Jack, but he may do it. He may donate it to Canada,
    52:20
    rocking that jacket with the Charizard bling, being like, "What up, mofos? I just designed a game with George Gomez that everybody loves, and y'all hating on me on the internet are a bunch of losers." You know, there's a great quote from Sebastian Bach. I'm going to drop it in the chat. It reminds me of what Jack should say whenever anyone hates on what he's doing because, you know, it's so easy to be a keyboard commando and do nothing with your life. And this guy's designing pinball machines. He's in it. He's like, let me show you. This is going to make you laugh. Put this in. This is like Jack, you should just make this your um let's see.
    53:10
    Hold on. God, it's so finicky this new computer. You should just make this your like out of office statement.
    53:21
    See if this comes up. Oh, come on. What's up with this? Is there a limit for amount of characters or there might be a limit? Hold on. Let me go to a certain point here. Don't type anything for a while, people, because I got to do two things.
    54:27
    trying to like add I can't forget it's not going to work. Um, sorry guys. I wanted you to read this quote. Um, here's the deal. Now I'm all like messed up with it. Like I can't even Ah, come on.
    55:03
    Why are all these interfaces so poorly designed? Um, look,
    55:23
    the the response to this game, who was the last stern that got this kind of response? Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Got to catch them all. Happy Valentine's Day, you haters. If I was Jack, I'd literally go on pins be like, "No, look at this. Look at this alcoholic out of shape cargo shortwearing mother. Hey, let me ask you a question, Chico. When was the last time we saw what you look like? Keyboard commandos complaining about people having fun. Wow, Pinball's really going to get new customers if we keep doubling down on this alcoholic beer chugging angry old man who wants more dad rock. Not going to happen. This is going to usher in a new period where they realize, you think Pokemon's going to, you know, you know what would sell just as well? Frozen. K-pop demon hunters. Yep, it would. Because the rest of us aren't a bunch of cryb babies who are unwilling to get into other stuff. You know, the thing about the Kromogyny babies is why are you so unwilling to see what it's all about? And that's always my thing is like the moment I start to see what Pokemon is all about, it reminds me exactly what I loved about G.I. Joe and Transformers and Thundercats and every It's the same formula. little boy trying to find his way in the world connects with a friend, an unlikely friend that makes him feel like he has a purpose. At what age do you get too old to get into something like that? It's the same theme of K-pop Demon Hunter, knowing you were born a certain way and you have to hide who you are from the world and you've spent your whole life just wishing that the world could see you for who you are. I mean, that is like Iceman's that is like Iceman's journey through life. That is like Neil McRay's lifelong goal is for the world to finally see him for who he is. The astronaut little boy inside. You know what I'm saying? Like these are the themes of these cartoons and then you get these like old kerogyny guys are like, "No, I no I'm not watching the halftime show. I'm not doing this. I'm not doing that. Like, oh yeah, let's get everybody out of here.
    58:03
    No, no. Good vibes are taking over. We need good vibes back in this world. We need to go analog on these motive. We know what I'm saying. Pinball's analog. It's coming back, baby. Never went anywhere, but this is what the world needs. The kids need analog toys. People want to focus on the here and the now. K, you don't get it, bro. You don't get it. K-pop Demon Hunters would out sell Venom. It would out sell John Wick. It would out sell um, let's see, Dungeons and Dragons. It It would out sell all of those games. It would out, you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't even know. This is like stupid. Outsell Godfather, outsell Avatar. It would out sell it all. But again, anyone, and I know this for a fact, anyone who talks smack about K-pop Demon Hunters, I don't care what age you are, either two things. You haven't seen it or you're dead inside. It's just that simple. Either you haven't seen it or you're dead inside.
    59:05
    Old hat. That doesn't make any sense. Something that iconic doesn't it's now going to be timeless in culture. You understand that?
    59:25
    I'm a 49year-old man and I love K-pop demon hunters. It's It's cool for tween girls. What's wrong with some of you guys? Like you just I don't think I don't think Do any of you guys have like who are chromogyny? Do you have like female friends or are you just angry all the time? It's it's like it's like weird to me. I'd rather a game of the show pimp primal.
    59:55
    Oh, I know what's going on. Brenda's screaming at the TV because Ireland's playing Italy and rugby right now.
    60:05
    Do you hear her? Jesus. If you want to hear like an Irish woman drop a bunch of fbombs and [ __ ] idiots, like just watch. Whenever Brenda watches Irish rugby, like her accent comes out like and whenever she goes over there, it's like on like it's it comes back big time. Um, need to charge this phone. Let me see where I'm at here, guys. 12%. I think we might make it to the end. I don't know if I'm going to go all 90 minutes.
    60:46
    Look, look, the K-pop Demon Hunter hype, you can't say it's died down already. It's It was It was there for like It was one movie, guys, and the soundtrack was number one in the world for like six months. It's died. It's died down already. We live in a world now where an album has like maybe a couple weeks at the top of the charts. K-pop Demon Hunter six months. I think the hype has died down already. Hype has died down. Let's make a Let's make Venom. Let's make a Let's make a Wolverine pinball machine instead of K-pop Demon Hunter. That K-pop hype has died down.
    61:31
    Father Ted shows terrible. I I love the Irish people, but they really have like the, you know, the stuff they grew up with. And it's it's cute because they're into like some of the worst stuff imaginable, but they all love it so much. I mean, you got to remember Ireland is the size of Queens. There's more people in Queens, New York, than in Ireland. you, you know, it's a little teddy bear in the ocean with five million hobbits running around trying to figure out like business and how to do stuff. And you know, that's why I love Ireland. It's like they literally they figured out the answer to life is to just eat, drink, and be merry. The other culture that has figured that out is the French, the Japanese have just mastered everything. You know, I I think that's what the hard part about America lately, right, is for all of us is like I love America. I think this is the best country in the world for opportunity. But I think we've lost like what defines us? I do. Like what what would you say is the defining thing about America now? Like we look we seemingly look like we hate each other. We we're always, you know, we're always doing things that just it's just weird. And I love America. I think there's no better country than America. But for some reason, America can't just like collectively stop hating each other. It's like we're still in this perpetual civil war that never ends. Frank with the boys. Now Frank is going to set up my Pokemon, right? Frank, we're bringing the boys to bring GNR out. Frank, it's coming. It's going to happen within like maybe like within a month or so. You know, this is Stern. This is where the other fun part like I think everybody sometimes forgets. This is stern. There will be 750 Pokemon le made in one week. How long would it take Dutch pinball to make 750 Alicees? Two years. 104 weeks. This will be done in one week.
    63:29
    Yeah. Colin, you know what's crazy is like Colin should just take that stupid story down. Instead, he like puts up like an update update. The whole thing's a lie. And he keeps the story up. Look, when if I report something and I realize it's not accurate, I just take it down. I just take it down. We all make mistakes, but when you make a mistake, just take it down. Update. Update. Nobody's watching the Twippies tonight. It's Valentine's Day. Isn't tonight the Twippies? I'm the only one I You know, it's like the only one even talking about it is the dude that hates it the most because I used to be the biggest fan of the Twippies. He absolutely ruined it. And like literally, I'm the only one even letting you guys know that Twippies are tonight. I just gave him free advertising.
    64:15
    I feel like Colin's the kind of guy that like uses AI and then when he gets back the, you know, the to write all his stories and when he gets the story back, his new prompt is make it sound more like AI. Like that's that's Colin's like content.
    64:35
    Make it. Make it. He's like He's like Adam Driver in Star Wars. More AI, more more like more bad, more unhuman sounding, more more fake news. Well, no, there's no like trippy show, guys. It I think there's like a I think it's like a podcast is re and it's like it's like a pinball podcast nobody's ever heard of. It's like you know what I'm saying? Cuz nobody wanted to go near it, man. Like my none of my boys would go near it with a 10-ft pole. Not Don, not Jenis, not Jamie, not Ralph, not Kale, none of us. K Carrie, none of us. Not, you know, not not Zack, not Greg, not Ken. Nobody would go near it with a 10-ft pole. It it it legit is like he found like, you know, that pinball podcast that's on episode like 27 or something that no one's ever heard of. Yeah, here they are. Here they are. These guys are more in style than K-pop Demon Hunter. It's kind of old by now. It's out. It's on the way out.
    65:47
    I don't even know what it is. I don't really, you know, I think people the the impact of losing the Trippies as an event at Texas Pinball Festival definitely hurts the attendance of that show a lot. I mean, it was the big it was the big like there were two things that were the most exciting thing at TPF. The Twippies live and a game reveal. Now, none of that's accurate. You know what's crazy to me is like remember when TPF posted like a couple weeks ago, we're going to be the world debut of Stern's New Machine. No, they're not even that. It's at Toyf Fair today. There's two other shows it's going to be at.
    66:32
    you know. Anyway, look, I just want to say this is going to be the best year in pinball. And I've been saying it for a while. I think now you guys are realizing it. Let's just go down the list of what we know is coming out this year and tell me you're not going to like need to go get a second job to buy all these games. This is why also like my only worry about pinball is like you're going to see a level of trying to sell old stuff. And I've been saying this for I've been telling all my friends, sell the old stuff because it's going to become, you know, it's going to lose so much value because and and and even though you've had your fun on it, so many people are going to want the new stuff. So like sell those games that you just you know people holding on to like Mandolees and Stranger Thingle and like you guys like all those games are about to just be like lapsed significantly and you know this going to be stuff like let's look at this years like what's going to be in circulation. We're going to have Harry Potter, Beetlejuice, Dune, Winchester's Mystery House. These are all games you're going to be able to get new inbox. Okay, we've got Pokemon. We've got AC/DC Remastered. We've got Transformers G1 for the first time. We've got Fallout for the first time from Keith Elwin. We're also going to get Sonic the Hedgehog, Steve Richie's greatest game of all time is what I'm being told. It is going to be the most adorable game Jersey Jack has ever made. I think the both these companies, Stern and JJP, are going to realize the power of cute, the power of making something approachable and adorable for all. We are not going to get Raza. We are going to get a new game, undetermined yet what it is, from American Pinball. God help them. I mean, I really I I say that simply because look at what's coming out. They picked the worst year to reset because the bar is going to be so high. So, we're also going to get, I think, the next game from Chicago Gaming Company, maybe Halo, Mark Richie's Forever in the Works game. We're also going to get Goonies revealed in late November, early December by Spooky Pinball. That's forget that game's already sold out. It's stupid. It's sold out. Canadia has like 89 of them. I got all the show games, you know. Just going to show them in my underwear was the deal with those guys. I love those guys. Love them more than anybody. Um, next to Jack Danger, next to Eric Minion, next to Brett Abbis. I love all these dudes. Like, it's funny. It's a great time to be in pinball. I'm so excited. You know, my show flows with the vibes and that's why everybody loves hanging out at Canadas Pinball Podcast. If you're not a member, you're missing out. It's the greatest chat of all time. It's the greatest pinball podcast you know the world has never seen. So like the thing is okay what are we missing anything? I'm trying to think like you know and this is the thing like if you're not part of if you're not part of like th those kinds of games you know come on it's kind of getting to the point where it's going to be game over pretty soon for like Multimorphic just can't compete like his modulars cost as much as a Stern Pro. Multimorphic, Turner, Pinball, you know, the the company's hanging on. And I forgot the last one, the grand finale of it all. And and I talked to them this week, Michael J. Fox involved with the game, Back to the Future. And I also heard this week, this is going to make everybody very happy. There was an insanely awesome ball lock mechanism that they've been trying to figure out for a long time and they figured out how to do it and it's going to be in the game. And so, yeah. So, I know that they are they are like going to like put everything they can into the game. And so, the separation with Melvin I think is going to be best for both parties. I'm rooting for both of them to land on their feet and that's going to be really really exciting. So I mean just dude dude this g this year is going to be crazy man like just think about it if you only buy games this year and you are and this is why newbies coming into the hobby now they have no idea how spoiled they are. I know the prices are high, but if you're a newbie, you're going to be able to build a collection that is better than people's collections who have been in the hobby for 20 years. That is why I love this year. This is going to be the year where the newbies punch back and they don't give a [ __ ] that I'm sorry for cursing, but they don't give a [ __ ] that you used to buy your lees for 6,500. They don't give a [ __ ] if you're an angry cranky cargo shortwearing mofo on pinside with 30,000 posts who remembers back in the day when this was that. They don't give a [ __ ] They're rolling in because they've been too busy living and not dying on the internet complaining about everything. They've been too busy living making a lot of money and now they got bit by the pinball bug and they're rolling in. and the five, six games they can get this year are going to absolutely embarrass the games you've been collecting for the last 20 years. And it's good. That's how you bring new people into the hobby. That's how it should be. The new pins should be better than the old pins. We should be advancing in the themes we get in the mechs we get and the magic we get. Doesn't mean those old games are not still magical, you know, because I would still say like where modern pinball falls down a lot is they rely too much on the screen and not enough on mechanical magic. not enough on like moments of wow, but I'm telling you from what I've seen, we are going to get a plethora of moments of wow. And it's going to be really exciting because I think we're going to see a a clash, if you will, of the uh of the legacy people versus the newbies. And that's why I can't wait to more and more newbies discover Canad Pinball Podcast because they're gonna they're gonna sign up and they're going to realize like, you know, all these years, all these, you know, all these games, who's who's actually bobbing and weaving. And there's a lot of good people bobbing and weaving with it. There's a little there's still a little too many shills. You know, I'm not shilling Pokemon. I've been very honest about this game's strengths and its weaknesses, but I'm also someone with something called common sense. Common sense, you know, it's like
    72:41
    common sense in my mind, there's two genders. Let me just say think common sense. There's two genders. There's boys and girls, right? Common sense. Common sense that uh an LE that's $13,000 that looks exactly the same as a $6,500 Pro, common sense. It's not going to hold value. It's not going to sell even. Common sense, right? Common sense. Games that are like 10 years old are going to fall out of favor and lose a lot of value now because we're in an oversaturated market. Common sense, things will drop. Common sense. The only stuff that will hold has significantly more demand than supply. Just all common sense. Just none of this is like genius observations of any of it. If you wear cargo shorts, please cancel your membership. We need people with Canadian. Look, look, it's not that I, you know, like the cargo short joke has been a a fun joke for I I wore cargo shorts. Remember when I wore cargo shorts with my Gucci blazer uh to accept the Trippy that year? If I won the Trippy, I'd wear cargo shorts. I I've never felt more uncomfortable and awkward in my life. The thing with all these cargo shorts, guys, there's nothing in the pockets. You got you just What are you expecting to actually have in those pockets? Um all right, everybody. Look, it is Valentine's Day. We got a great fun new approachable pin in Pokemon. I think the team did a great job. I think they should be very proud of the efforts. It's barren as can be, but as fun as can be. Like, I'm being honest. I gotta be hon. Come on, guys. Like, it's not like these guys like burn the midnight oil to figure out how to like get that mech into the game. I think they they played it very safe, but they made it fun. And I think it's hard to remove the fun from Pokemon. There's a you don't become this big if you're not fun. It's the same way I tell people with K-pop Demon Hunters. don't you don't dominate the charts for six months with a crappy song and so you don't you know you don't have the most subscribers in the history of pinball podcasting every month if you make bad content. It's just common sense. Common sense. You can have common sense and love cargo shorts. No. But common sense is cargo shorts look terrible unless you're like doing yard like yard work for skateboarding. Um, also common sense is don't take advice from a guy that dresses like this guy. Okay. Play more pinball. I'm Well, that's what I'm excited to do because I just don't play G&R anymore. It's nothing against GNR. I've owned it for years. I know exactly what it's great at. It's just not the kind of game I want to wake up and you know what I'm saying? Because the problem with Guns and Roses is there's zero things to achieve other than score. And this is the issue. When there's zero things to achieve other than score, you get so bored so fast because there's no there's no like long-term enjoyment of unlocking a light show you've seen like a hundred times. And that is the biggest mistake they made in the G&R code. They never should have had all of the songs unlocked at the beginning. This, and I'm just going to say this and I'm going to go. Keith Johnson and Eric, their biggest mistake. Why would you have every song unlocked except for one, Patience, right away? Guns and Roses should have made it so that certain tracks that are everybody's favorite like Live and Let Die. That should have been an unlockable thing that you see every once in a while. Okay. It should have it should have been more like you're a Guns and Roses concert and you're trying to get through it and you know you can shuffle the first like five or six songs because they always start with the you know they really messed up. Like the fact that it's just everything's unlocked right away and the only thing you're unlocking are these like album modes which aren't even that interesting was the biggest mistake. They they they had they had the perfect amount of content where they could have made it. So, you know, I'm still trying to play to unlock November rain or I got to November rain today. Like that's would have been what people were saying. You know, that would have been a moment and and those moments that you know, no, they just everything's everything's open right away.
    77:27
    Now, do you guys agree with my idea there? Cuz like again, and this is where like when when you make it only about score, I'm bored. And and the reason why Pokemon's going to be amazing is like we're all going to be playing for months trying to unlock like a certain Pokemon. That's going to be hard to get because they're going to make it where you're going to have to like master your gameplay to unlock certain Pokemon.
    77:56
    That's why I think people are underestimating how much fun this game the cap, you know, can have in code and and in gameplay experience. You know what I'm saying? Like especially when you got like over 180, you're going to h, you know, all these fun Pokemon and like clips from the shows and like the things you're going to be able to do. Now, what what I really think this game is going to need to do is certain Pokemon are going to have to like make the machines software create moments of wow, right? That's up to them to figure out. But how do you make like like Snorax for example, the guy just likes to sleep? Like how funny would be if you had a mode with him where the game is starting to fall asleep as you're playing the mode. And so as you're, you know, as you're hitting things, you start to hear the snoring sound and all of a sudden to the point where the game fully goes, you know, falls asleep. I I really think they need to get creative with stuff like that and and really think about think about like every game is just a canvas for ingenious coding in my honest opinion. The software the designer the software designer is the conductor of the orchestra. it is now up to them to make this thing do stuff that makes you laugh, makes you smile, and makes you want to play more. And Guns and Roses just doesn't have that after a while. It's it's it's beautiful for location. It's it's a lot of fun in an immediate sense, but you know, I'm not going to waste my life trying to get to know Sympathy for the Devil. I' I've I used I opened up the coin door to get there, and it's not worth it. It's just not worth it. DN D has a great code. In D and D, the point the the fan point of view still I can't buy that pin since the layout is very boring. You're overvaluing Pokemon. Um I don't know, man. I think where Dn D falls down, bro, is like D and D's I don't know. DN D is like I think what's on the screen is kind of really the most boring thing. I I don't think that D and D like, you know, it doesn't have like assets the way Pokemon does. And I think that's why Dungeons and Dragons gets boring is it just doesn't have the assets. You know, you're it's like what's on the screen just feels pedestrian. And then, you know, you're just chopping wood in that game after a while.
    80:29
    And also like I don't know, Pokemon's more immediately fun. Makes sense for pinball. D and D role playing game character. Like I I don't know. Just doesn't work as well. Everybody, happy Valentine's Day. Go take your wives out. Buy her flowers. Tell her you love her. All right. Cana is going to be all of your Valentine's. I will. I'll be your Valentine. I know you want me to. Have a good one. Thank you for the donations, Frank and Sad Boy. 150 bucks. That'll buy a nice bottle of sake for Brenda on Valentine's Day tonight. We're just going to stay in. Going out to eat is is idiotic on Valentine's Day. It's like pay three times as much money for the same food. I think the most romantic thing you can do for a woman is take her to McDonald's and just tell her you love her and mean it later.