claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.031
Jaws review: Keith Elwin's superior design elevates iconic theme despite minor mechanical and code refinements needed.
Keith Elwin is the only modern designer who can sell a game based on his name alone, alongside historical designer Lyman Sheats
high confidence · Greg and Zach discuss designer prestige; Zach states 'one of the very few people that can still sell a game based on his name alone'
Jaws Premium Edition features a full upper playfield with five options, while Stern version lacks this
high confidence · Joel's detailed ball path overview explicitly contrasts editions: 'on the Premium Edition you have that entire upper play field' vs Stern 'just feeds the upper flipper'
Premium Edition Chum Bucket captive ball has more rejections due to metal lip than Stern version
high confidence · Zach describes Premium Edition issue: 'on that captive or that captive ball inside the boat on the Stern there's nothing to impede it... on the Premium Edition you've got a metal lip on that boat where it lifts up... you get a lot more rejections'
Code is currently at v9.91 and still in development with recent major updates in past couple months
high confidence · Greg states: 'it's 9.91 now it's come along like in the last couple months they've had some big old code updates'
Elizabeth (code designer) recently updated Night Swim mode lighting based on community feedback to keep it dark throughout
high confidence · Zach explains: 'she listened to feedback because everybody was like you need to keep it dark for the whole thing it's amazing'
“he is the greatest designer in pinball right now and it's not close”
Zach Sharp@ 14:10 — Strong endorsement of Keith Elwin's design prowess over all contemporary competitors
“the best parts about this game are things that shouldn't feel good that normally people fail on like the upper Playfield and the mini flipper at the bottom”
Jon Hey@ 19:56 — Identifies Elwin's innovation in making typically problematic design elements (upper playfields, mini flippers) enjoyable
“the shark needs to eat the ball”
Jon Hey@ 27:17 — Perspective on the shark eating ball feature; acknowledgment of design authenticity despite mechanical consideration
“I like to be able to need to hit those and I don't like little flippers and I like to be able to go up above to get the fin shot”
Zach Sharp@ 16:19 — Appreciation for mini flipper integration despite typical distaste for such elements
“I need some more distinction I don't know whether it comes in with Jerry sound to give me a little bit more distinction”
Zach Sharp@ 23:42 — Identifies potential for improved mode differentiation through audio cues
“It's Keith Elwin it's phenomenal the the things I love about Keith Elwin The Games are that number one they're smooth”
Jon Hey@ 12:46 — Core analysis of Elwin's design strengths: smoothness and unique ball patterns
community_signal: Flippin' Out streaming actively developing Jaws expertise; Wednesday night streams 10pm-midnight EST with consistent audience engagement
medium · Jon: 'me and my brother we stream every Wednesday night from 10:00 to midnight Eastern Standard Time and um we've had a ton of fun with this game'
design_philosophy: Mode progression and visual differentiation in Jaws code lacks clarity compared to character-battle games like Deadpool; players unclear on completion versus accumulation mechanics
high · Zach: 'I need some more distinction... I just see four or five blue flashing shots and I need to hit those shots' and comparison to Deadpool where 'I still feel like I get a clear indicator there'
design_philosophy: Keith Elwin's strength lies in making inherently difficult design elements (upper playfields, mini flippers) feel enjoyable and rewarding through careful execution
high · Jon: 'the best parts about this game are things that shouldn't feel good that normally people fail on like the upper Playfield and the mini flipper at the bottom'
community_signal: Michael Bernard continues as primary artist for high-profile Stern titles; composition and world-integration praised over stylistic choices
medium · Greg: 'Michael Barnard' worked on Rush and Jaws; hosts praise his compositional layout 'not overdone' and incorporation into playfield world
product_strategy: Code improvements ongoing with Night Swim mode lighting adjusted based on community feedback; v9.91 expected to reach A/A- level
positive(0.78)— Hosts express strong enthusiasm for Jaws' design, layout, and Elwin's craftsmanship. Criticisms are constructive (code clarity, minor mechanical tweaks) rather than condemnatory. Both rate layout highly (A/A-) and expect code to improve further. Some frustration with mode distinctiveness and shot tightness expressed but framed as refinement rather than fundamental flaw.
youtube_auto_sub · $0.000
high · Greg: 'it's 9.91 now it's come along like in the last couple months they've had some big old code updates'; Zach notes Elizabeth 'listened to feedback because everybody was like you need to keep it dark'
product_concern: Premium Edition Chum Bucket captive ball mechanism shows more rejections than Stern version due to added metal lip; minor but integral shot requires cleanup
high · Zach: 'on the Premium Edition you've got a metal lip on that boat where it lifts up and the comes out and if you don't hit like that ball sticks out so minimally... you get a lot more rejections off there'