DPP #251 "A Fair and Balanced look at Bon Jovi"

Don's Pinball Podcast (regular feed)·podcast_episode·28m 8s·analyzed·Aug 1, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.022

TL;DR

Don goes from skeptical to convinced about Bon Jovi pinball after hands-on play, pre-orders machine.

Summary

Don attends the inaugural Barrels of Fun Reserve exclusive event at Southern Fright Gaming Expo in Atlanta and plays three pre-release Bon Jovi pinball machines by Barrels of Fun. After initially being skeptical about the theme and artwork based on promotional materials, he experiences a dramatic 180-degree sentiment shift after hands-on play, ultimately pre-ordering a machine despite previously declining. He praises the game's shot selection, hidden playfield areas, music implementation, and overall fun factor, comparing it favorably to other recent premium releases including Elton John.

Key Claims

Bon Jovi pinball machines are limited to 700 units total production
medium confidence · Don states 650 sold with 700 total, but when he asked David Van Es directly, received 'no comment' response, so he's uncertain about the exact figure
Bon Jovi plays better than Elton John (Stern machine)
high confidence · Don's direct comparison after playing both: 'I had more fun just shooting this game than I do when I play Elton John' and later 'I like it better than Elton John'
Game has 17 total songs, with 4 available at start that unlock additional songs
medium confidence · Don states 'I think there's 17' but qualifies with uncertainty; notes finite song selection with progression unlock system
Bon Jovi will be produced on a separate manufacturing line from Dune with 2.5 weeks remaining production time
medium confidence · Don reports Winchesters are on one line, Dunes on another with 2.5 weeks left, and Bon Jovi starting August production; acknowledges he 'seem to get wrong all the time'
The game features hidden ball paths and backstage areas not visible in promotional materials
high confidence · Don describes discovering 'a lot of small hidden ball paths' and 'backstage area with the stand-up targets and the magnets' that 'didn't really get conveyed in the release trailers'
Game features mode stacking, multiplier stacking, and perks that carry through entire ball
high confidence · Don reports from conversations with dev team: 'stack modes creatively and strategically, stack multipliers. When you hit a shot, it adds a perk to you that will carry through the rest of your ball'
Barrels of Fun is releasing alternative backglass artwork for Bon Jovi
medium confidence · Don states 'There's an alternative backlash that's coming. I don't know what it's going to look like' and mentions they may sell alternates to existing owners
Galactic Tank Force Edition limited to 100 units at $8,999 MSRP

Notable Quotes

“Plays like a dream. This is the best shooting barrels of fun game.”
Don @ mid-review — Establishes Bon Jovi as Barrels of Fun's most playable game to date
“I think I had more fun just shooting this game than I do when I play Elton John.”
Don @ gameplay assessment section — Directly compares favorably to Stern's premium offering, surprising given initial skepticism
“Did you have this on your bingo card that Don would come around and actually get himself a Bon Jovi pin after ripping it apart based on the launch?”
Don @ conclusion — Acknowledges dramatic reversal of initial position, meta-commentary on his own bias
“I went from like raging against into the wind against this machine to like I think I need to get one of these.”
Don @ pre-order decision — Crystallizes the complete sentiment shift that drove pre-order decision
“Every single person that was in there that we played with had fun in this game. They all remarked that it shot better than some of the other new releases that are out there.”
Don @ group experience section — Reports consensus opinion across players and mentions unnamed competitor comparisons
“I probably go to my grave thinking that that would have been a good idea to include [a backscreen].”
Don @ criticisms section — Persistent design preference despite understanding dev rationale
“Dude, once people start playing Bon Jovi, people are going to start ordering Bon Jovi. I know it's going to happen. Happened to me.”
Don @ closing prediction — Predicts cascade effect of hands-on experience driving sales
“I think I'm going to go ahead and pick one up... I went ahead and got one of these. That may mean that my fallout budget has now been extinguished.”
Don @ pre-order section — Confirms actual pre-order after extended consideration and hand-wringing

Entities

Donperson David Van Esperson Brian Savageperson Barrels of FuncompanyBon JovigameSouthern Fright Gaming ExpoeventBarrels of Fun Reserveorganization

Signals

~
sentiment_shift: Don completely reverses his initial skepticism about Bon Jovi theme/artwork based on promotional images after hands-on play experience, moving from 'not for me' position to pre-ordering a unit
high · Initial skepticism: 'there's a discordance that happens and it's a little bit jarring.' Post-play: 'I went from like raging against into the wind against this machine to like I think I need to get one of these' and actual pre-order placement
?
gameplay_signal: Bon Jovi praised for superior shot execution and playfield layout compared to other recent releases from all major manufacturers
high · Don: 'This is the best shooting barrels of fun game' and consensus report: 'Every single person that was in there... remarked that it shot better than some of the other new releases that are out there. Just about every company was mentioned'
?
design_innovation: Bon Jovi features hidden ball paths and backstage areas with stand-up targets and magnets not visible in promotional materials, adding discovery value
high · Don: 'there are a lot of small hidden ball paths in this game that didn't really get conveyed in the release trailers' and describes backstage area as 'fun little moment' when ball careens into magnets
?
product_strategy: Bon Jovi limited to 700 units with no plans to exceed 1,000 units, positioning as collectible alternative to mass-market Stern/JJP releases (Pokemon, Harry Potter, Sonic)
high · Don: 'It's not a game with thousands of games out there... There's only going to be so many of these' and production cap at 700 with possible Barrels Reserve member activation perks
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Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.019

0:00

Hey everybody, do you want a podcast? I hope so because I got one, 251 of them including this episode, including my experience with the brand new Bon Jovi Pinball Machine Extravaganza from Barrels of Fun. Did it hit? Did I quit? Let's get into this after the drop. Boom! Alright, what's up everybody? I don't want to wait anymore. I am in my hotel room. I have been having the greatest day in the city of ATL. The Sunshine City, the big basket case, the giant rotten peach. I forget exactly what they characterize this ciudad as, but I am here. I worked all night. I left work in the morning, boarded a plane, flew to Atlanta, went to a fun spot to go ride Air Force One. It was great. It's going to close this weekend. And then I got myself over to the Renaissance Waverly, Wizards of Waverly Place Hotel, Southern Fright Gaming Expo, and Atlanta at the pinball show, you guys. I've been up for 36 hours. I'm having a freaking blast, and everything's been going swimmingly well. So I attended the inaugural event for the Barrels of Fun, Barrels Reserve, Supercharged Excellence Edition Hangout Time or whatever. Somebody called it like the Eyes Wide Shut Party. You guys are crazy out there. So I get into this place. It was from 4 to 6 p.m. exclusively for guests of the members of the Barrels Reserve Club. You know, you get to go in if you're a member and you get a plus one. And in that room was three Bon Jovi machines, you know, all facing back to back with each other. And I got to play all three of them and I have a firsthand player's experience to deliver to you. Now, unlike the majority of the content creators across this great continent, I had no early access to this game, and I think that's totally fine. I go in fresh just like everybody else, putting pant legs on two at a time, just like Lady Gaga. So I go in there. This game was revealed a few days ago. I knew that the theme, as new as much as anybody can know a rumor, was going to be Bon Jovi, and I was okay with that after re-listening to some Bon Jovi music. Getting into like the cheesy 80-ness of it, right? He's a little bit of a straight edge 80s guy. He's not a skid row exactly. Not quite a poison, but a little bit more grimy than Warrant, I would say. But like I was into it. So I'm like, okay, Barrels of Fun, I know. This is the fourth game, right? They've made three games now. I liked Labyrinth. I bought a Labyrinth. I like playing Dune now, though I didn't buy one at launch or subsequent to launch. Its value is increasing and it's making its way into the heartworms of pinball enthusiasts. Winchester, we know how that goes. Everybody and their mom wants one of these games. And a lot of us at the bottom are just waiting to get a chance to play it at home, which is hopefully coming soon. So they've got a pedigree of making these great games with incredibly themed environments, with that great screen at the back of the play field that extends the view that I love so much. And they put scopes in there and they have deep rule sets and things. And when you go to a boutique game like this and then you go to one from the big guys, like you notice the difference that's baked in there. And we know that they don't have three games that reveal and release every year. So it's almost like you can just kind of subscribe to the idea that their yearly release is going to be packed with fun. So I was, of course, primed for whatever their next game was. I was hearing it was Bon Jovi. OK with the theme. And then I got the reveal. Now, the image of the game that I had pictured in my head, much like if I'm reading a Dungeon Crawler Carl Burke book, I've got my own voices in my head that I've got. When I heard the actual audiobook voices, like there's a discordance that happens and it's a little bit jarring. That's what happened with me and Bon Jovi, okay? And there's only so much you can see from release images, from journal entries, from one-sheet flyers that come out. And it took me a while to settle my anxiety demons down and kind of come to terms with it. So it was a bit harsh out the gate just because if nothing else, I knew there was going to be a screen in the back of the game. All that notwithstanding, we saw the art. We were not impressed with the back glass. That's near universal.

4:17

And I think that's very well held now and I think even recognized from those in charge. Back glass is due come in alternates from this company. I think we're going to probably see some more of that. I think they're going to sell some of them to people that bought this game. So turned off a bit by the art, intrigued by the layout. And I will say that there are a lot of small hidden ball paths in this game that didn't really get conveyed in the release trailers and such that I saw. And, you know, there was just a huge dump of content and trying to sort through it all while working full time packing for Atlanta was a little bit difficult. Okay, so all that is to say we all know games always look better when they're in front of you than what they look like online. And that is true of the case here. So I want to give you my true non-shill objective, fair to the game, fair to Barrels of Fun, and fair to the integrity of everyone else, how this game is. And is this something that deserves to be in a home collection next to the other games, Winchester, Labyrinth, and Dune from the barrels of the fun? So first off, I can say all of the art, inclusive of the playfield and the cabinet itself, the back box, I dig it. It looks fine in person. It's got that Evergloss decals, right? This is like their version of a rad cow. I love this over just a regular decal. Sorry, Monica, I know you're printing decals right now, but I'm telling you, I do like running my hand over that nice glossy-glossy, whether it be a rad cowler or whatnot. So this does look good in person. This looks like a Bon Jovi version of Guns N' Roses LE, which had great art. So I like this take on it. It's a little bit busier than just the brick wall with movie poster, concert posters on it. It's a little bit scrapbooky, but I think the composition looks better in person, especially in like a game room where the lights are down a little bit low and everything's really popping. In a bright room under bright lights, I think this powder-coated armor would be a little bit more teal and jarring. Subdued, I liked how the light played off of it and a lot of the purples from the game and the lights and everything. So it really didn't put me off at all. You know, it's not going to send me raving over the moon, but how much can, you know, Powder Code impress? It looked fine. Okay, it looked much better than what I was picturing just from the pictures. So really put yourself in front of this game and see it and play it and judge. I still don't love the back glass, but like the colors seemed oversaturated in the marketing materials that were released. A lot of people are sharing pictures of like this red-faced, almost Epstein-looking Bon Jovi that's been going around. It does look better in person Still not great I still want something else but at least it wasn as bad as I seen And we were actually standing in this room There was about 45 or so of us And, you know, we're showing each other pictures of like the launch material versus what it actually looks like in a proper game room environment. And it did look better. So I'll give everybody that. If the art was the one thing that was holding you up, it does look better in person. Don, how does it play? Plays like a dream. This is the best shooting barrels of fun game. I had three games on it. I played each one that was there. The games are now down on the show floor, so we'll be able to play them again tomorrow and then going on. Looks like there may be a fourth one down there as well that hasn't been set up yet, so that is interesting. More to come on that. Game shoots fine. You've seen the live streams, right? Carl D'Angelo blowing it up, spending eight minutes on a ball one or whatever. I was able to hit orbits. I was able to hit ramps. I was able to have a fun time. And those hidden little shots, the backstage area with the stand-up targets and the magnets, that was fun. Even when the ball just kind of accidentally careens and goes in there, like it's a fun little moment getting stopped on the magnet. Shooting through the heart was fun. The heart mech was pretty active. You know, it would raise up. I don't know all the rules and everything yet, but I saw it in each one of its positions. And each time it was fun. And it was satisfying when you rocket a shot from the bottom left flipper straight through the heart, Shot through the heart, you know, from the bottom of the playfield all the way to the back. It goes through there pretty smoothly. That was fun every time it happened. The magnet grabbing the ball when it goes through was fun every time that happened. And I was even able to backhand that shot from a cradle on the right flipper. So that's satisfying. Lightning flippers that this game has. I guess they're a little bit shorter than regular flippers. I didn't notice much of a difference, but it seemed snappy enough. I had no problems rocketing the ball to the back of the playfield. And it played just fine. I will say, and this may be a bit controversial, some controversy for you, but I think I had more fun just shooting this game than I do when I play Elton John. Now, it doesn't have the Piano Man Piano Physical Ball Lock in the back. It doesn't have that cool light tracing effect with the rope lights on the rocket ramp or whatever. But I will say just like game for game, like this was a little bit more I'm playing pinball in a dive bar-ish kind of experience than it was playing on stage, this pristine, very limited high-end version of a pinball machine when it comes out in junk. Like them both, but I did like playing Bon Jovi better. Music is fine. I didn't play It's My Life because I've heard that song enough. I don't ever need to hear it again. And it's almost like sitting back and listening to the Goo Goo Dolls or something. But every other track that's in there, super fun. Didn't realize this when I walked up to the game, and this may be a code where it's at right now or whatever, but there was only a finite number of songs to choose from, which is good. I didn't have a burden of choice of 13 songs to scroll through or whatever's in this game. I think there's 17. So you start with four, and each one is triggered to a different mode, right? Some are multiballs, some aren't. I don't know all the full nuance of it, just playing it three times, but these are three times I was playing in four-person groups. So we're all standing around watching everybody else play too and getting a sense of the game. It was fun every time I stepped up to it, and every time I drained, I was a little bit sad, and I wanted to go back and play again, and so I did. So I will say the gameplay experience of this game, hitting the shots, all the different areas, the magnet, the stand-up targets, the backstage area, the steel horse, ball locks, some of the multi-balls. It was fun. When you'd go back for Ball 2, if you'd played through some of the other songs, you had access to different ones. I loved that unlockability. And it was fun to kind of dance around, you know, and there's the songs that you know and the songs that you don't know that you know. And it was fun to jump around in there. So the screen assets, it's got music videos. And they kind of do this fun thing, I noticed, where a song would be playing and they would play like they'd cut between like the original MTV music video from back in the day. And then they'd cut it to more modern footage but still keep the track the same. So it was like there was a mixture of live footage and concert footage. That was fun. That required a lot of effort to do that. I could appreciate that.

11:17

Jeff Dobson, Dirty Pool, was there talking to him. He had a big hand in, of course, the audio of this. Now, we were in a cavernous rental room at the Wizards of Waverly Place Hotel. So it's not like you're playing solo at home and really feeling every bass. But like we could hear it and it sounded good to me. Speakers have speaker lights. The horizon lighting system was great. You know, all that was fine. Yes, it was missing a screen at the back of the play field, which I think would have been fun, like playing this game and having to display footage of like a point of view from the stage out into the crowd. Be kind of cool. But it would have been more atmospheric, which I think is how these back screens really can be utilized in the best way. I'm probably going to die on this hill that I think it would have been a good idea to include it. So ultimately I came up with a quick review. I picked three pretty simple things that I wish were in this game and then I picked about five or six things that I'm really glad are in this game. And I made that post on Facebook and so I've really warmed up to the Bon Jovi. This is crazy. I didn't go in expecting to like it as much as I did, to have as much fun hitting the shots as I did, and to have as much fun lording over the fact that in two of my three four-player rounds, I took the top score, man. And these are like Aussies in there. There's good people in there. Craig Scott and Jeff and Steve and everybody else that came up to me and was playing in there. We were having a good time in there. And I even managed to win the round with David Van Ness himself standing over watching me on my final ball. So that was super fun. Me and David, totally cool. We're in a bromance with each other. We hugged it out. We're good. I told him that it was stilted by me processing anxiety at the time of just a brand new game release on top of two prior, on top of me being busy with work and everything and barely having time to even go through everything. I know the game so much better now than I would if I sat home and watched all that content and everything. So where are we at now with this game? We've been hearing that 650 of them are sold. There's only going to be 700. And I'm not certain if that's the case. I asked the man directly. What I got back was a very clear and concise no comment. So I don't know. I kind of figure that if 650, if 700 were sold, there'd be posts everywhere like Final 50, get it now before it's gone, and then a celebration to follow. So I don't know if this is maybe like allotments have been allotted to distribute. I don't know. I'm not going to speculate. I don't even really care. I know that the game's available now. Maybe someday it won't be available, but right now it is. And so that's what I can say for sure. So what I will say is every single person that was in there that we played with had fun in this game They all remarked that it shot better than some of the other new releases that are out there Won name any names but just about every company was mentioned Hey I like how this game plays better than this one I think it plays better than this I think it plays better than what's offered from this place. So just about every company. Now, we are Barrels Reserve members, so maybe we're a little bit biased. But there were people there that hadn't decided to purchase this game who then said, yes, I definitely need to have this. It's like legitimately they were having that much fun. I was having that much fun to the point that I'm like, man, maybe I should have got one of these even. And then that's like a full 180 from where I was from just the release of the assets that we saw earlier in the week. So that is nuts. That is nuts. Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I was okay with the music. Let me give you the three things that I did have issues with, the three things I wish were changed, the three things that were kind of hangups for me. Not fatal flaws, but like this would have been nice to have. One of which is the back screen. Okay, I'll probably go to my grave thinking that that would have been a good idea to include. Okay, I heard all the rationale. I get it. And to some degree, I understand. But a small piece of me still wants a fun little screen in the back of the play field. Number two, the back glass. I need a different one. I need a different back glass. I'm not going to go as far as to accuse anybody of bad taste. I am not an art major, art scholar, or anything in shape or form of that. But for this guy here, if I have to go and make it myself, I will. But I do need a new back glass because I want something that captures 1980s Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet, like in that era. You know, the guys in their denim and then some ladies with blown out hair and leotards or whatever they wore in the 80s. Like, that's what I want to see with the big logo font of the classic Bon Jovi. Maybe that's what I want to see when I go out there. That's what I'm going to make if no one else will make it for me. Now, there's an alternative backlash that's coming. I don't know what it's going to look like. I don't know what the holdup is. Maybe they've already revealed it on the show floor. I'm back in my room right now. But we'll see that. But hell or high water, slippery or wet, I want to see a new backlash. So that's number two. Number three, this is a long-term goal for me, but I want an extra coin slot. And the coin door. And maybe that's just a me thing. Maybe that bothers zero other people. But like it's the third one. It's the third one. And for this game, I think that's OK. Notice I mentioned nothing about like shooting the game itself, nothing about the rules or where they're heading, you know, talking to the team here. I got a good idea of the foundation of where the code and what this game actually is as of where it is now and can kind of get an idea of where it's going. And this will be a pretty complex, nuanced game where you can stack modes creatively and strategically, stack multipliers. When you hit a shot, it adds a perk to you that will carry through the rest of your ball. So those are all fun gamification things rather than pick the song and then play until you drain and then pick another song and go. So yeah, we were having a lot of fun with this game. I was having a lot of fun with this game. To wit, I had so much fun playing this game that I reached out to MadPinball at info, madpinball.com and said, hey, remember how you had me on a list for this game? And remember how I said after the reveal, you know, I just don't think it's for me. Can I, like, go backwards on that and give me self one? And they said, Don, we got you. We got you. You're going to make it happen. I'm getting a Bon Jovi. I went from like raging against into the wind against this machine to like I think I need to get one of these and it's supposed to hit the line in August. So I did try to clarify before Winchesters are on one line. There's a separate one currently running Dunes and there's 2.5 weeks left. Correct me if I'm wrong because I seem to get wrong all the time and correct it after the fact. I want to be correct and accurate, but it seems like this game will be made here in August. So that's super fun. Now, is that when Mad Pinball is going to get their allotment? That includes the one that I just pre-ordered. We'll see. I don't know. I'm still kind of buzzing from the excitement of playing this and everything. But yeah, the game is fun. And I don't know how well the game has been saying, but I will tell you this. Everyone that's down there playing the game, of which the lines are super long. I thought the line for Winchester was long. As soon as Bon Jovi set the floor, people started queuing. So now it's a new game. So even if it was like a bad game, nobody wants people are going to play it because it's brand new. But I think that once people play this game, they're going to say, yeah, you know what, that that was a lot of fun. Anybody that was on the fence, I think would be pushed over the fence playing it for its experience and what it is, especially because it's something that will be in limited numbers, no more than 700. Unless miraculously it sells out the next day or so. And then some barrels reserve members activate their perk and benefit. But even then, I still don't think it would go over a thousand. So it's not something like a Transformers. It's not something like a Pokemon, right? It's not something that's going to have, you know, thousands of games out there and will be run over the next five years. It's not a Sonic. It's not a Harry Potter. Like there's only going to be so many of these. And while it may not be appropriate for everybody's game room or everybody's location, if you've got a kind of location that already has a lot of the standard heavy hitters and you want something else eclectic on there that people will maybe travel for because you can't go to the next level. Find it that many other places. Or you want to be that cool person in the community that's got one. So, hey, let's go over to that guy's house. He's got that rare game that just isn't everywhere. And he's got a good version of it. We can go play it. He's got beers. I think he's got a pool. And I think his sister is single. So let's go over there. So I think once those people play this, I think they're going to be gobbling up spots. So if you're a person with means and space and want something interesting, like I can see this game now. I can see this game. How far have we come here in just the last little bit? Now, I went to David and kind of patched things up with him. I think we're in a good spot. We hugged it out. We bromanced. You know, the last thing I wanted to do, yeah. I have enough energies and stresses to deal with in normal life. We don't need to make enemies with pinball manufacturers and everything. So, you know, hand outstretched. I congratulated him on the game and told him, like, yeah, I think I'm going to go ahead and pick one up. Talk to Brian Savage as well. And I wanted to give my unbiased opinion out to everybody else because I was not invited early. I was not put under NDA. And there is a selective pressure that happens when you are brought into the bosom of a company. And it's like, okay, this is our new thing. We're being cool and you see it. And there is an unconscious bias that will come in. I had no bias going into this. I owed nothing to anybody. I was pretty clear that this was something I didn't need. And insofar as any of us actually need a pinball machine, I think that's still true. But I went into the face of the beast that I've been battling with figuratively and literally and said, yeah, this is this is this is good. I get it And because I got to play it So how about that All right Put my money where my mouth is I called up mad I went ahead and got one of these That may mean that my fallout budget has now been extinguished And I think it going to be a while until I really going to care because this game seems to have some deep replay value And the songs are pretty kick ass, you know, for like in a kind of New Jersey Bob Tonolone kind of way, you know, or what was the name of the guy in Aquatina Hunger Force? Carl. Carl Badowski or whatever, you know, like, hell yeah, that kicks ass, you know. And I'd probably be saying the same thing if this was Foreigner, you know, probably saying the same thing. This game actually, you know, honestly, honestly, this game plays as good or better than Rush for me. I think it plays better than Rush, actually. The ramps are a little weird and wonky and you had to shoot through the pops and stuff. I like the little hidden side areas that are on this. I was having fun with it. It's not a game with targets close to the flippers like a Winchester's Mystery Castle. So, yeah, so like it was fun. It was fun. So put that in your pipe and, you know, I mean, don't smoke it. That's terrible for your health. But file that away. If that makes sense to you and is helpful to you, you're welcome. And if you want to make up your mind why you didn't need it and that's helpful, you're welcome as well. I don't know where the sales numbers are. I don't know really when they start leaving the factory. All I know is what I'm told and I'm just giving you the best information I had. I had fun with the game. I want to go play it again. And like, I can't wait to unbox it at home. I'm going to play some freaking Bon Jovi, man. Who knew? Who knew? Who knew? I like it better than Elton John. I think Elton John's a great game. I like this one a little better. What kind of shooter rod can I make for this game? We'll see. We'll see. What else is going on on the show floor of Southern Fright Gaming Expo? This is my second time being here. And yeah, it's fun. It's a mixed media kind of place. It's like Midwest Gaming Classic that they have in Milwaukee every year where it's not solely pinball. This isn't Texas Pinball Festival. This isn't Expo. There's not a Stern booth. Heck, there's not even a Jersey Jack booth. There's a classic game rooms booth. Jason Grindle is down here representing the homebrew area is kicking off, though, just like Aaron at Fast Pinball is over here. Ernie Silverberg's games are on the floor. I've seen the cabinet for Coming to America looks completely amazing. Somebody signed that license. I would love it and buy that today. I'd be even more exuberant over that than a Jon Bon Jovi pinball machine. Play Monsters, Inc. again to Ernie. Ernie, it's sick, man. It's sick. Like Ozzy's roaming the floor, Antonio Pandaras's roaming the floor, Anthony Manura, shout out to you guys. And everybody else that came up and just said, hey Don, what's up, give me a dap or something. Like it was super fun. It was super fun and I totally dig it. Played some Beetlejuice, had a good time. The new Galactic Tank Force, I forgot to mention. I did get the media kit the other day. This is a deluxe edition of Galactic Tank Force. It's $8,999 MSRP. They can probably wheel and deal a little bit. They're going to make 100 of them. You know, maybe, I don't know. I don't know how many have sold. I'm not American Pinball, but there's 100 of them. If you like Galactic Tank Force, this is probably the best version of Galactic Tank Force that I have played. It doesn't have the wheels on the cabinet, not that they really did anything, but they changed the plunger rod out from that beehive thing that was really sticking and never felt satisfying to, like, just a general Bally Williams shooter rod. Like, the action is smooth. It feels like just such the biggest upgrade at all. Now, this is a game that I'm not purchasing and taking home for me.

24:22

It's a game I've never liked enough to even really consider seriously bringing it home. It's got its fans out there. If you're a fan of this game and wanted one, like this is the version to get. The tank looks completely amazing. It still has the articulated robot that pops up, even though there's a small robot under the cap at the top. It's still the 3D printed robot inside, but the actual tank itself looks awesome. The turret has lights in it. There's actually lights in a couple different places inside the tank with the turrets. So that was cool, but I still got to ball two and then turned around to my good friend Ryan. I loaded up a multiball and I'm like, please take over this game. I don't want to play this anymore. All right, so it's fun in small bits. It's a creative game. Somebody says it feels like Attack from Mars. I don't know if I would heap that much praise on it for me personally, but this is a great version of the game. It was doing everything Galactic Tank Force should do. The code is now where it was always supposed to be. Not that I just care to spend a ton of time with it. I think there's much better options out there, but there it is. The topper looks great. The art of the cabinet is great. The game never suffered because of the art, and the topper does look good. So, I mean, if you're one of 100 people out there that want to get one of these games, it's out there and it's fine. It's the Glycetic Tank Force. You've played it. It's got Professor Plotnick or something. If this is your jam, then stir that marmalade, baby, and go get yourself one. What else did we do? Played. It's fun. My friend Ryan's here. Super cool guy. I'm going to have him on tomorrow and I'm going to get his take. He's my roller coaster homie. I'm getting him into pinball. He's tangentially aware of what goes on in this hobby, like through me. And it's fun for me to introduce him to other people. This is the second time meeting Ron from American Pinball. I got to introduce him to Steve Ritchie today. That was super fun. We played Sonic. We played Beetlejuice. We'll get into it tomorrow. And through his eyes, I want to see what he sees about these games. Because we know the nuance, the difference between a Stern and a Barrels of Fun game, a Spooky game, a J.J.P. game. But how much does he pick up on somebody that's not obsessively into the hobby to this level? That'll be super fun. So did you have this on your bingo card that Don would come around and actually get himself a Bon Jovi pin after ripping it apart based on the launch? Who knows? Do I need to calm my own damn self down? Probably. Do we all need to like, you know, you know, I don't have to love everything. You don't have to buy everything. In fact, please don't. But I'll try to temper my reactions just a bit. But as a non-shill for this game, I'm kind of excited and I can't wait to get one. All right, let me know your thoughts. Don's Pinball Podcast, Gmo.com, Seacrest out.