Concord Champ '25: Round 1, Game 1/4 on King Kong Premium by Stern. Streamed from The Flipper Room.

DRI374·video·28m 11s·analyzed·Nov 18, 2025

Analysis

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TL;DR

Concord Champ '25 tournament coverage on King Kong Premium with strategy discussion.

Summary

Tournament stream coverage of Concord Champ '25 Round 1 on King Kong Premium by Stern at The Flipper Room. Commentators discuss game mechanics, strategy, and playfield setup while four players compete. Notable observations include virtual lock settings, center post rubber removal affecting ball physics, and the difficulty of on-the-fly shots versus safer trap-and-shoot strategies.

Key Claims

King Kong Premium is configured with virtual locks, making multiball work like the Pro version with ball locking via kickback target
high confidence · Streamer explaining tournament setup during gameplay commentary
Center post rubber has been removed from this King Kong machine, making it a dead post that balls cannot bounce off safely
high confidence · Commentator observed: 'between the flippers, there's no rubber on the center post. Uh so that will just be a a dead a dead ball once it kind of hits that'
Cross the Chasm is positioned as the optimal one-ball mode for controlled play with lock bank progression
medium confidence · Commentator strategy analysis: 'cross the chasm is my favorite kind of one ball mode as well... it's very controlled if you if you manage to hit your shots. And you also get progress on your lock bank'
On-the-fly shots to the center ramp on King Kong are high-risk and unnecessary compared to trap-and-shoot strategies
high confidence · Commentator analysis during multiball attempts: 'the thing is doing that uh shot on the fly is uh unless you really know the game, it's a really risky shot... there's really no need to make a bunch of on-the-fly shots on this game'
Eric Waggins was consulted about King Kong strategy a couple weeks before this tournament
high confidence · Commentator mention: 'I was talking strategy with Eric Waggins, honor a couple of weeks ago on Kong'

Notable Quotes

“between the flippers, there's no rubber on the center post. Uh so that will just be a a dead a dead ball once it kind of hits that. It's very difficult to bounce off that metal post.”
Commentator (likely Tom Graff or similar streamer) @ mid-stream — Reveals intentional machine modification affecting ball physics and play strategy
“cross the chasm is my favorite kind of one ball mode as well. So, I can totally see why other kind of prefer that because it's very controlled if you if you manage to hit your shots.”
Commentator @ mid-stream — Strategy commentary on optimal early-game play on King Kong
“the thing is doing that uh shot on the fly is uh unless you really know the game, it's a really risky shot, right? And um on King Kong, like when you get the ball fed from the um from the river there, you can always do a safe ski pass and post pass over, trap up, and then make your shot, right?”
Commentator @ late-stream — Detailed strategic commentary comparing risky vs safe shot execution on King Kong
“Spell King Kong to battle T-Rex. Move fast, keep your distance, and hit where it hurts.”
King Kong machine voice/callout @ early-stream — Game instruction text demonstrating King Kong theme integration
“Yeah, virtual locks. Um, so that means that the multiball works, uh, like it does on the Pro. Um, once the multiball is ready, you shoot it up the kickback target.”
Commentator @ early-stream — Explanation of tournament configuration choice affecting gameplay mechanics

Entities

King Kong PremiumproductConcord Champ '25eventThe Flipper RoomorganizationEric WagginspersonStern PinballcompanyAdampersonNick SteinpersonZackpersonTonyperson

Signals

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competitive_signal: Tournament strategy emphasis on trap-and-shoot safe sequences over risky on-the-fly shots on King Kong; Cross the Chasm identified as optimal early-game mode for controlled lock progression
high · Repeated commentary about post-pass trap strategies vs on-the-fly ramp attempts; multiple instances of commentators praising controlled play
?
design_philosophy: Center post rubber removal on tournament King Kong may be affecting intended ball physics; commentator initially uncertain whether metal post was supposed to be playable
medium · Commentator stated uncertainty: 'I couldn't quite see if they removed the rubbers on the outlanes' and later corrected themselves on center post bounce behavior
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product_concern: Machine setup includes questionable modifications (no center post rubber, possibly no outlane rubbers) that alter playfield ergonomics and ball routing
medium · Commentator observation of dead-post behavior and questions about outlane rubber removal affecting standard ball physics

Topics

Tournament mechanics and playfield setupprimaryKing Kong game strategy and optimal playprimaryMachine modification and configurationprimaryBall physics and post/rubber interactionssecondaryMultiball progression and lockssecondary

Sentiment

neutral(0.5)— Content is factual tournament commentary with minimal editorial opinion. Commentators maintain professional tone discussing strategy and gameplay without expressing strong positive or negative sentiment about the game or tournament.

Transcript

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with my bank. All right. So, we got um [clears throat] we're doing some practice. Uh first uh players get 30 seconds of practice. I didn't do any better. I like I'm just chasing where why there's no sound. But here's the sound. Ah, that's super late. So there's no Nick. Are you referring to Nick Yankee? Nick Yankee did not make it. Yonke Miller and Warren. There's a Nick Stein, but I believe he was in the top eight. Player two, you're up. with a skill shot. Yeah, Nick Stein was seed four. Spell King Kong to battle T-Rex. Move fast, keep your distance, and hit where it hurts. Jack, the map goes like this. Yeah. So, one of the settings, uh, they're they're playing with virtual locks. Um, so that means that the multiball works, uh, like it does on the Pro. Um, once the multiball is ready, you shoot it up the kickback target. [clears throat] Uh, commonly during practice games, you put in a odd order of players to make sure that the game is not counting for any reason. I didn't set a timer. I didn't set a timer. Uh, it's okay. I don't think I need much more. Yeah, I love my new Telustrator. It's uh it's very ace. Uh I can uh draw a lot of like cool lines. Can make like chevrons and chevrons in different colors, you know. um can focus in on certain things on a play field and kind of draw ball trails, right? Um and uh I can just do regular scribbles. Very cool, very useful. I don't use it a lot though, but uh once you have it, it's very practical. It was a very long day of qualifying yesterday. I didn't expect to stay here to 11. Here's famed archaeologist Ann. by her side, the rugged and resourceful Jackris. Together, the adventurers set foot. Okay, let's uh see where we go with this wers of the South Pacific. The island has a reputation and not I was talking strategy with Eric Waggin's honor a couple of weeks ago on Kong. Let's see if any of that stuck with him. Yeah, you definitely want to do your soft plunge to kind of hit the bank here on the side. The action button will uh uh activate a log that is just on the behind the upper left flipper. Uh what you normally want to go go for as soon as possible is um drop down the bank uh here a couple of times. I think it's two times to kind of qualify your your main King Kong multiball and locks up the center ramp. Obviously, this is set up pretty tight. You can also see if you look down at the between the flippers, there's no rubber on the center post. Uh so that will just be a a dead a dead ball once it kind of hits that. It's very difficult to bounce off that metal post. Uh, I can't quite see if they removed the rubbers on the outlanes, but I would assume so. Cross the across the chasm is a very good mode if you can control the ball kind of on the upper uh on the upper play field, but you can kind of just dribble the ball back and forth. There you go. And now you need to ramp there. No, didn't quite work out. Oh, nice save there. Screaming there. Very nice. Uh back into play. up the center. Hit the ramp. Traverse. Okay, so now we're getting biplanes here instead, but uh that's fine. Okay, another log. Yeah, I'm a bit allergic to the cats here Yeah, hopefully that link is correct in um in the standings there. Yeah, we're just getting started. So, there's no standings yet. But if you look at the brackets or not bracket, the matches, I guess, see where where we are currently. We're following uh the first group. All right, we're ready for our first island scene. Yeah, the um cross the chasm is my favorite kind of one ball mode as well. So, I can totally see why other kind of prefer that because it's very controlled if you if you manage to hit your shots. And you also get progress on your uh uh on your lock bank, right? Oh, that's unfortunate. That's a tilt event. All right. Uh Sak was watching outside, so he's uh he's on his feet. Yeah, that kind of counted. So now you How are you ball safe? Hay fever. hay fever tablets already. So, I I'll be good enough. I had no problems with it yesterday and I took the medications like earlier in the day. So, I'm sure it'll bite soon. But thank you for uh thinking of me. Multiball. All right, that's quick and easy. Uh, so we're in King Kong Multiball without a scene, I think. Or did he get a scene? Yeah, you want to get the add ball at this point. Oh, you did actually bounce on the metal there. I I couldn't quite see that. Yeah, watch the center post now because it looked like a ball actually bounced there. T-Rex. Oh, it did. It did. All right. I stand corrected. The the ball can bounce on the uh center post. Oh, that one did not. Too high. Blast off. Oh, so it's in pterodactyl for it went down the shooter lane. I was just like, where did that go? All right. Yeah, that's a pretty decent pterodactyl. The multiball wasn't huge, but safe plunge to the flippers. Is a combo rhino double. Shoot the lid target. Unlock the trigger. All right. pulled ahead there a little bit. Um, Shoot the lit cipher. So the locks are lit now. Oh, that was a tilt. All right, so Adam got the uh locks all ready to go and all three. So hopefully get a multiball out on that and uh make a dent in this thing. Player three. And flip in that one. bounce back. Oh, the magnet flinged it out. It's a damn spider. Should have thrown his hat if he had one on the glass. Skill shot. Spell King Kong to battle T-Rex. Looks like we got to fight our way out. No. Okay. So, it looks like the is the pit ready now or No. No. You need to have all the inserts flashing right before the the pit multiball is ready. Player four, you're up. He won last year. I'm surprised he's not wearing his uh last year's winners's hoodie to intimidate. you need to shoot lit arrows and then I think you collect on the uh on the there's a lit arrow there and then I think you collect it on the kickback every minute of risk fighting that thing we're losing valuable footage and dollars, folks. Killing ball saved. Come on, get the spider. All right, we're in very good shape right now. Uh, all three balls uh in play and uh basically hitting uh every shot is shooting for. All right, should I jinx it now? All right, juicy jackpot there at the end. Comrade collected. We got the kickback lit there for the Stegosaurus. Collective. All right, so 10 million shot there. There we go. Stegosaurus catalog. Looks like the map goes like this. Shoot the hidden target to collect treasure. Oh. Oh, that was just ice cold. That's crazy. I would never put that trust in that metal post. Oh my god, that ball was [music] drained. Anyway, good work there. 420 switches. 187. Yeah, player one, you're up. Yeah, keep putting up the 90 million per ball there and and uh it's quite the lead. Might be a walk-off. Who knows? All right, Adam got uh all his locks lit. Uh just needs to uh rail the the center ramp uh three times. Um and um get the multall going since uh it's virtual locks. The the uh the multiple is started on the on the right orbit. There we go. Multiball is ready. Oh, that was so shitty. Yeah, the thing is doing that uh shot on the fly is uh unless you really know the game, it's a really risky shot, right? And um on King Kong, like when you get the ball fed from the um from the river there, you can always do a safe ski pass and post pass over, trap up, and then make your shot, right? So, there's really no need to make a bunch of on the-fly shots on this game, right? Because those standups next to the gong, they're just lethal when uh when you miss one. All right, Eric is in a similar situation here. Uh got all his locks lit. Beautiful. Let's see if we're doing on the fly here. Yeah, fight it on the fly. Missed. Okay, try it again. Miss danger. Yeah. What are you doing? Third time's a charm. Has not found a shot yet. Yeah. So, this is a better situation. Do a post pass. Oh, did not do a post pass. Oh, is he trying the island? So, so the spider is kind of fluttering a little bit as well. I don't know if that's asking for for a shot. Yeah, there's decisions to be made here. The spider is dangerous now. I would toast pass. All right, we're off the plan here. Okay. From a trap now. Let's do it. Multiball. There we go. Yeah, my headset is already hurting my head. Yeah, getting things under control here. Getting the attabol going. All right, one more gong for the out ball. Double super jackpot. Kong multiball collected. All right, that was his first Kong multiball. Level two 3 2 1. Drop the gong there. I don't know if uh did that register or do you need another hit to actually light it? Oh, there it is now. Okay. So, you need two shots to kind of like qualify it and your third will uh collect it or that second gong didn't register. Oh, I thought there was going to be traffic there. Oh [ __ ] Went out anyway. No. All right. So, where did we go here? Yeah, we got that traffic on the gate there. That went out. Tried to save that, but that went out the outline. Yeah. All right. It's uh 3 2 1 zero scoring. So, um um Eric got a point at least for now. And uh thank you for the raid there. Grown-up agescent. We're not grown-ups here. Oh, that was a perfect drain. All right, Tony takes fourth with those points and uh Zack uh does a walk-off. Uh will be back soon. I think Santigra 37 is the next game. So, cheers. We got to find a way out. All right. So, he's actually playing it out. Banana combo. Red banana. Follow the gold arrows.