Is this King Kong Pinball Topper worth the $800 price tag?

RetroRalph·video·8m 7s·analyzed·Aug 26, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.020

TL;DR

RetroRalph reviews Electric Playground's King Kong topper at $800 with praise for design, features, and affordability.

Summary

RetroRalph reviews the Electric Playground King Kong topper priced under $800, highlighting its premium 1/4-inch cast acrylics, 10.5-inch LCD screen with six preloaded animations and SD card customization, spinner-integrated spotlight effect, and detailed design elements like the NYC skyline backlit panel. He praises TEP's focus on affordable quality and notes the company is expanding with new talent, positioning this as a compelling alternative to expensive OEM toppers.

Key Claims

No topper options were available for King Kong before Electric Playground released this one
high confidence · RetroRalph, opening statement: 'As of the filming of this video, there are no topper options available for this game.'
The Electric Playground King Kong topper uses 1/4-inch cast acrylic versus 1/16-inch material that Stern uses
high confidence · RetroRalph describing topper materials and construction quality
The topper has a 10.5-inch LCD screen with six preloaded animated billboards inspired by classic King Kong movie posters
high confidence · RetroRalph detailing topper features
The spotlight on Kong is integrated with the left spinner near the river and activates at varying frequency when hit
high confidence · RetroRalph demonstrating the spotlight effect: 'when you rip the left spinner, you'll see that go off at a varying frequency'
TEP is planning an add-on upgrade option for a nominal fee while maintaining the under-$800 price point
medium confidence · RetroRalph: 'the rumor is that there's going to be an added bonus for some nominal fee if you want to upgrade your topper'
Nick Nitel, who created the Tony Hawk homebrew pinball game, now works for Electric Playground
high confidence · RetroRalph: 'Nick Nitel, who made the Tony Hawk homebrew game...Well, now he works for TEP.'
The topper can accept custom video clips via SD card slot, though TEP does not provide additional clips beyond the six preloaded animations
high confidence · RetroRalph: 'The monitor also has an SD card slot so you can bring your own video clips' and 'Anything else you have to do on your own.'

Notable Quotes

“They're trying to target some key areas. Price point, trying to make it something that's actually more affordable than the current options out there.”
RetroRalph@ 0:34 — Establishes the core marketing strategy of Electric Playground's topper as a budget alternative
“Dude, these guys, guys, TEP, what are you guys doing over there? They made this thing really cool.”
RetroRalph@ 5:50 — Enthusiastic endorsement of the product quality and design execution
“I wish that there were more of these like budget topper options because it's getting kind of crazy. The OEM toppers are getting very expensive these days.”
RetroRalph@ 6:56 — Commentary on broader market trend of rising OEM accessory costs creating demand for alternatives
“I love that it's the first topper available. I love the price point under $800.”
RetroRalph@ 6:24 — Reiterates the significance of being first-to-market with an affordable option
“I think it's a really cool feature because honestly, it kind of ties you more into the King Kong world because it doesn't have the movie clips because this was Sam Stern's own IP.”
RetroRalph@ 6:21 — Explains how the lack of licensed movie clips is actually a thematic advantage given King Kong's public domain status

Entities

RetroRalphpersonElectric PlaygroundcompanyKing Kong: Myth of Terror IslandgameNick NitelpersonStern PinballcompanyPinball Expoevent Sam Sternperson

Signals

?
product_launch: Electric Playground released the first topper for King Kong: Myth of Terror Island, priced under $800, targeting the gap in OEM topper availability for this game.
high · RetroRalph review confirms product is available or imminent, with information in video description for purchase; units appear to be in circulation for review
$
market_signal: RetroRalph observes rising OEM topper prices and notes growing demand for budget-friendly alternatives, suggesting market frustration with premium accessory costs.
high · 'The OEM toppers are getting very expensive these days...it's cool to see that they're actually looking at how can we make something that's high quality but yet doesn't break the bank'
?
personnel_signal: Nick Nitel, creator of the Tony Hawk homebrew pinball game, is now employed by Electric Playground, signaling company growth and expansion of design talent.
high · RetroRalph: 'Nick Nitel, who made the Tony Hawk homebrew game...Well, now he works for TEP. So, it's cool to see TEP growing, thriving, acquiring new talented people'
?
design_innovation: King Kong topper features spinner-integrated spotlight effect that activates at varying frequency when the left spinner is hit, creating dynamic visual feedback tied to gameplay.
high · RetroRalph demonstrates feature: 'when you rip the left spinner, you'll see that go off at a varying frequency...That's the only thing in the game that it integrates with.'
?
design_innovation: Topper includes SD card slot allowing collectors to add custom video animations beyond the six preloaded billboards, enabling community creativity.

Topics

Topper design and manufacturingprimaryKing Kong game accessories and customizationprimaryAftermarket vs OEM pricing and valueprimaryIntegration between toppers and game mechanicssecondaryElectric Playground company growth and talent acquisitionsecondaryCommunity customization options (SD card video content)secondaryMarket trends in pinball accessory pricingmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— RetroRalph consistently praises the topper across multiple dimensions—material quality, design details, price positioning, and company vision. He expresses enthusiasm for Electric Playground's approach to affordable accessorization and appreciation for the product's execution. No significant criticisms are voiced; the only caveat is that custom video clips require community effort, which he frames as a positive feature rather than a limitation.

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

Hey guys, welcome back. In today's episode, I have something that you are going to be interested in, especially if you're the owner of a King Kong Myth of Terror Island, or you're thinking about picking one up. As of the filming of this video, there are no topper options available for this game. But the electric playground just came out of nowhere and said, "Nuh, uh-uh, uh-uh, no. We're going to drop one." And I think this option is pretty cool. Before I get started, I want to let you know this was given to me for purposes of review, but the opinions are all my own. But what I would think is cool about this is they're trying to target some key areas. Price point, trying to make it something that's actually more affordable than the current options out there. They're trying to make it easy to install. So that's at least what they're saying. So we're going to find out here together. And then they have enough unique features in it at that price point. Like I said, they're trying to they're trying to be attracted to make it interesting to me and to you and everybody else that's watching this. So is that all true? We're going to find out in this video. But let's stop wasting time and let's go install this thing. Come on. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] All right, guys. I'm sorry to be in the dark, but I really want you to get the effect of the lighting on this topper. Basically, how this little spotlight goes off is when you rip the left spinner, you'll you'll see that go off at a varying frequency. So, I just wanted to make sure that was clear to everybody uh before we move forward. So, that's the only thing in the game that it integrates with. So, I just wanted to make that really clear. But, what we're going to do now is I'm going to take the topper off the game so we can get a really, really close look at all of the unique features of this topper. The King Kong Topper boasts a lot for its price point of under $800. First thing you'll notice is the high-quality acrylics throughout the entire topper. The art is very detailed and the cast acrylics give this topper a very premium look. It's because they use 1/4in cast acrylic versus a 1/16th material that Stern would use. This delivers a richer, more premium look and feel to the overall topper. It's hard not to notice the 10.5 in LCD screen. It comes preloaded with six animated billboards that were inspired by the classic King Kong movie posters. The monitor also has an SD card slot so you can bring your own video clips. I played with this feature a little bit and it does add another level to the topper, but keep in mind these additional clips are not provided by TEP. It's a super easy way to add your own animations, and the instructions by TEP are fairly straightforward. It'll be fun to see what the community does with this feature. The spotlight on Kong is also another cool feature. It's tied directly to the spinner on the left near the river. The train car crash scene looks awesome with the highquality acrylics that are used by TEP. There's no doubt that the scene was inspired by the 1933 crash scene from the movie and really helps bring the entire topper to life. The attention to detail can be seen all over this topper and the wood accents for the billboard really add a cool level of realism that you would expect from the guys over at TEP. I love that they find even small ways to make something more impactful. If you look closely, you'll notice a company name under the billboard. They made mine custom to say the flip side company as a nod to my podcast. This will say the electric company on the finished product. While it might be tough to see here, the blue backlit back panel is super awesome. It lights up the city skyline and gives the topper this New York City at dusk skyline effect that looks really awesome. If you have a wall behind your game, you're really going to enjoy this effect. Last thing you might not notice at first glance is the spotlight is designed to create a shadow of Kong on the wall behind your game. This kind of purposeful design is awesome and it just shows the TE guys look at every little detail to bring their designs to the next level. All right. So, what are my final thoughts on this topper from TEP? Dude, these guys, guys, TEP, what are you guys doing over there? They made this thing really cool. It's one of those things when you look up at it at your game and you're like, "That looks really good." That's a winner right there. I think they did a really good job. The acrylics are high quality, which I love. You can add your own movies to it with your SD card. That's a cool feature. Now, keep in mind, they don't provide you with the movie clips. They provide you with the six animations that I showed in the video. anything else you have to do on your own. But it's not very hard. I did it myself. I played with it. I think it's a really cool feature because honestly, it kind of ties you more into the King Kong world because it doesn't have the movie clips because this was Stern's own IP. I love that it's the first topper available. I love the price point under $800. I think that's a sweet spot. And the rumor is the rumor is that there's going to be an added bonus for some small nominal fee if you want to upgrade your topper. It's not going to be crazy expensive. And I think they're still going to target that under $800 price point. So, that's pretty cool. The integration with the game is a nice touch, right? They have that integration where you hit the spinner over by the river area and you'll get that cool lighting effect. Overall, I'm a big fan of this. I wish that there were more of these like budget topper options because it's getting kind of crazy. The OEM toppers are getting very expensive these days. So, it's cool to see that they're actually looking at how can we make something that's high quality but yet doesn't break the bank for people. So, I think uh overall TP, you guys did it, man. And I'm sure they'll be at Pinball Expo. I know it's not for a couple months, but if you go to Pinball Expo, go hang out with these guys. If you remember last year at Pinball Expo, Nick Nitel, who made the Tony Hawk homebrew game that like you basically couldn't play cuz everyone wanted to play it. Well, now he works for TEP. So, it's cool to see TEP growing, thriving, acquiring new talented people to make cool products for us here in the pinball community. So, if you enjoyed the video, give me a thumbs up. Consider subscribing to the channel. Put your comments below. I want to know what you think of this thing. If you're interested in purchasing it, there'll be all the information you need in the description. And that's it for now, guys. We will see you on the next one. [Music]