Top 5 Greatest Pinball Machines From Jersey Jack Pinball (SDTM, 2025)

Straight Down the Middle·video·10m 7s·analyzed·Mar 11, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.024

TL;DR

SDTM ranks JJP's top 5 games; Elton John #1 for Ritchie's shooting design and immersion.

Summary

Straight Down the Middle hosts debate and rank Jersey Jack Pinball's top five greatest machines: #5 Wizard of Oz (world under glass despite poor shooting), #4 The Hobbit (immersive journey experience), #3 Pirates of the Caribbean (loaded with mechanics), #2 Willy Wonka (challenging pinball player's game with Pat Lawlor design), and #1 Elton John (Steve Ritchie masterpiece with exceptional shooting and code by Bill Cravens). Discussion emphasizes design philosophy tension between loaded/toy-heavy games and pure shooting mechanics.

Key Claims

Jersey Jack Pinball now has 10 games released
high confidence · Opening statement establishing JJP's production volume as of 2025
Wizard of Oz shoots poorly (two-shot Joe ball) despite being loaded with features
high confidence · Multiple speakers confirm poor shooting mechanics as documented weakness
Elton John is Steve Ritchie's closest match to Addams Family in terms of shooting layout and design
medium confidence · Host comparison: 'as close a field to Addams Family that we ever come'
The Hobbit achieves immersion through LCD/video/sound design rather than playfield toys and sculpts
high confidence · Detailed discussion of Gandalf animations and sound effects creating immersion
Pirates of the Caribbean had a triple spinning disc feature that was removed due to longevity concerns
high confidence · Direct statement: 'It could have been number one if they didn't pull that triple spinning disc'
Joe Catz did the code for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
high confidence · Host attribution: 'Joe Catz did a remarkable job on that code'
Willy Wonka was JJP's first true 'pinball player's game' after prior focus on glitter and toys
medium confidence · Speaker opinion: 'Jersey Jack finally has a pinball players game'
Elton John initially had very low interest/expectation from the market but has been slowly gaining appreciation
medium confidence · Host discussion: 'Very low' initial interest, but 'people cannot dislike this game'

Notable Quotes

“It's the epitome of world under glass... It's completely loaded and it's deep.”
Host (discussing Wizard of Oz) @ ~2:00 — Sets tone for debate over what makes a 'greatest' game: loaded features vs playability
“You literally feel like you're traveling with those hobbits on a journey... When you have something interacting with you... like that's immersive.”
Host (discussing The Hobbit) @ ~5:30 — Articulates JJP's immersion-through-video philosophy as distinct design strength
“To have a third flipper that is pretty much only used and created for that one moment... I'm a sucker for that.”
Host (discussing The Hobbit's Smaug moment) @ ~7:00 — Highlights narrative/mechanical integration as rewarding design moment
“Nobody was asking for a Pirates of the Caribbean pin... And so for them to take that and to be able to create what they did to make it one of the best pins.”
Host (discussing Pirates) @ ~9:30 — Credits JJP with elevating underperforming IP into compelling game design
“It's Pat Lawlor, so you know it's going to be smooth... This is a pinball players type of game. It really is because it can be a mean bastard.”
Host (discussing Willy Wonka) @ ~12:00 — Connects designer pedigree to playing characteristics; frames as departure from JJP norm
“Did we really want an Elton John pin? Did we really?... Very low. But guess what? Slowly. People cannot dislike this game.”
Host (discussing Elton John reception) @ ~15:30 — Documents market skepticism overcome by design excellence and word-of-mouth
“It's like one of Steve Ritchie's, if not his best shooting pinball machines... as close a field to Addams Family that we ever come.”
Host (discussing Elton John) @ ~17:00 — Positions Elton John as pinnacle of Ritchie's shooting design legacy
“Jersey Jack finally has a pinball players game... before was all glitter and toys and stuff... Now pinball machine.”

Entities

Jersey Jack Pinballcompany Wizard of Ozgame The Hobbitgame Pirates of the CaribbeangameWilly Wonka and the Chocolate FactorygameElton Johngame

Signals

~
sentiment_shift: Market skepticism about Elton John IP being overcome by design quality; slow but steady appreciation building through word-of-mouth and continued sales
high · 'Did we really want an Elton John pin?... Very low. But guess what? Slowly... People cannot dislike this game... continuing to build because people are giving it a chance'
?
design_innovation: Pirates of the Caribbean had original triple spinning disc feature removed for longevity/reliability concerns, demonstrating trade-off between novelty mechanics and durability
high · 'It could have been number one if they didn't pull that triple spinning disc... worried about longevity. And I agree. I mean, smart move'
?
design_philosophy: Tension between JJP's 'world under glass' / loaded mechanical approach versus pinball player's preference for smooth shooting layouts and design depth; Willy Wonka positioned as departure toward latter philosophy
high · Multiple speakers discuss balance: 'Jersey Jack finally has a pinball players game' after prior focus on 'glitter and toys'; Elton John celebrated for Ritchie's shooting expertise
$
market_signal: Continued strong sales of Elton John despite initial low market expectations suggests design quality and player experience overcoming IP skepticism in premium pinball segment
medium · 'This ain't a cheap game, dude... People continue to come in because it's just continuing to build because people are giving it a chance'
?
personnel_signal: Steve Ritchie's transition to Jersey Jack Pinball and subsequent design of Elton John as major event; positioned as bringing legendary shooting design expertise to boutique manufacturer

Topics

Design philosophy: world under glass vs. shooting mechanicsprimaryImmersion design: video/LCD/sound vs. mechanical featuresprimaryJersey Jack Pinball's evolution and production volumeprimarySteve Ritchie's recent transition to JJP and Elton John designsecondaryMarket reception of themed IP (Hobbit, Pirates, Elton John) in pinballsecondaryPlayfield shooting quality as ranking criterionsecondaryDesigner attribution and credited rules programmersmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Hosts are enthusiastic and celebratory about JJP's catalog, even for lower-ranked games. Some frustration about shooting mechanics on Wizard of Oz and debate around ranking priorities, but overall tone is admiring of JJP's design achievements. Initial skepticism about Elton John IP was overcome by design quality. Affirmation that games are 'worth it' despite high pricing.

Transcript

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The top five Jersey Jack pinball machines. This one's tough, too. Jersey Jack now has 10 games out. And we all argued on this one quite a bit. We tough, man. Because what constitutes the best back and forth? I It's It is really tricky, especially with Jersey Jack cuz is it like, you know, their most loaded game? Is it is it how that game shoots? Is it really the world under glass? But then if it doesn't shoot so well, you know, this world like there's so much different stuff that Jersey Jack brings to the industry. Yes. But if we're arguing the best, it's hard to argue with what we picked. I agree. We'll start at number five. The fifth best Jersey Jack pinball machine of all time is the one they started it off with. It could be argued to be higher. It could argue be lower. This number makes the most sense. The Wizard of Oz. Yes, this thing is It is the epitome of world under glass. Beautiful. It is everything. Beautiful. Sculpted spinning house. A spinning house. A a winged monkey that comes up and grabs my ruby red flippers. Oh my. And then the the state fair bowl. Yes. The haunted trees. It's It's loaded. It's completely loaded. And it's deep. It's got that Keith P. Johnson rule set. It's as deep as Greg mom's haunted forest. That's how deep. Can't see the forest through the pubes. It's so dirty. Please horrible. Please let a house fall on her. You don't You don't understand how mad people get about my mom joke. They're so stupid. They're so immature. All he did was have mom jokes for long. Just a reason I love them. So, and if you don't like them, I don't remember when we used to get called immature like so. Mom jokes. Really? Yeah. Absolutely. They're nostalgic and they're fun. Just like pinball. Leo, the the Wizard of Oz is it is good, but man, it's it does not shoot well. No, it's a twoshot Joe ball. And that's why that I had to argue with you because you were like, I thought it should have been higher. Maybe it should be higher because it's so jam-packed and it was that first game that really like elevated pinball into a different, you know, and I even said it's definitely not my favorite jersey. And you're like, then what are we doing here? Yeah. Like, okay, that's true. That's true. That's number five. Number four, the the fourth greatest Jersey Jack pinball machine of all time is the Hobbit. Believe it or not, The Hobbit over Wizard of Oz, listen, over the likes of a lot. Oh, The Hobbit is a journey. Oh, man. It's a beautiful journey. It's an experience. It is. It truly is. And that's what when we started talking about this when we really got into it, it's like there's not, you know, you could argue that that Guns and Roses, which Eric did a phenomenal job. Uh, you know, same thing with Wizard of Oz, how immersive it is. Even without lighting. Yes. Well, this has lighting, but even without Hot Rails, it has the most immersion in a game that I can think of. It does because the LCD and everything that they did and the call outs and the sound effects, you literally feel like you're traveling with those hobbits on a journey, the different modes, the captures from the film into the and you didn't need I mean you still got the dragon, but you didn't need a ton of sculpts. You didn't need all this stuff on the playfield. It's literally just it the immersion with sounds and video smog talking to you like that's immersive when you have something interacting with you. smile turns around and talks to you and it's on the screen and then the light show that accompanies it like yes like oh just don't like it's beautiful it's a beautiful game long playing game it's a long playing game but but so is the film it's a journey it is it's still a journey and it's worth it you feel accomplished floaty again it's like Wizard of Oz where you don't feel the best to shoot it's got a third flipper that doesn't really but once you get accustomed to that feel and you play a few games on there and especially when you're on that journey And you destroy smog. Yeah. Feels so good. So it's such a rewarding out of the air. One of the drop targets drops and that's his little scale that you got to hit with the arrow. Oh, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. To you to have a third flipper that is pretty much only used and created for that one moment. Yeah, it's I'm a sucker for that. I take it. I love it. That's The Hobbit. Number three. The third best Jersey Jack pinball machine of all time is Pirates of the Caribbean. Great game. Yeah, jam-packed. That's a Eric Mer special. Another one of those things. Eric did so much stuff with that, man. You shot out of a cannon, a pinball to strike the the hull of another ship across the playfield. Come on. You got constellations in the back of the backboard that can give you secret hidden messages. Yeah. Like with the way the stars shine. Insane, man. Yeah, it's that was really cool. We got pop bumpers with the little guy in the pop bumper. You got spinners that go into a lagoon. You got a a whirly mcg ball on the chest. Yeah, it's Yeah, it's and a map that's spinning around now. It could have been number one if they didn't pull that triple spinning disc. If it didn't have the chest that come up, it did work. It just worried about long ter and I agree. I mean, smart move to do ball. It's a multiball heavy. Little multiball heavy. But stack six multiball. But to to show you what this pin is, nobody was asking for a Pirates of the Caribbean pin. It I won't say it was a dead franchise, but it was a franchise that nobody really cared that much about. Yes. It doesn't have. And so for them to take that and to be able to create what they did to make it one of the best pins like cuz you got the call outs from the one guy in the film like it's just really Yeah. Like that's good. It's good stuff. But it gets better. The number two Oh, we're going to hear about this. I know. Cuz I love the number two greatest Jersey Jack pitball machine. It's Willy Wonk and the chocolate. So good. People are going to You guys, I know. Don't turn it off. No, Joe Katz did a remarkable job on that code. It's so good. It is. And it's an immersive pin, too. Not in the same way as some of the others like The Hobbit and so forth, but it's challenging. You've got that quirkiness. It's and it's very challenging. It's Cat Lawler, so you know it's going to be smooth. Uh, and I like that it it has an unorthodox play field. Yes. Like the layout and such. Um, you got upper flippers, you've got magnets, you've got uh the Wonkavader, you got a lot of stuff, but it's really the layout in the world. This is a pinball players type of game. It really is cuz it can be a mean bastard out of the collecting those golden Oh, the pops are And it's just different. It's not just mode based. You're collecting golden tickets and then you get the different wizard modes throughout. It's just all around it. It was finally whenever we were like, "Okay, Jersey Jack finally has a pinball players game." Yes. It was all, you know, uh, glitter and toys and stuff before. Yeah. Okay. Now pinball machine. It's a good challenge. Yes. And then the best of all the world is our number one greatest Jersey Jack pinball machine. It's not dialed in. No, it's not Avatar. I'm sorry. It's It's not uh What else have we got? It's not G&R. No. No, it's not Godfather. Of course, it's not Godfather. I bet a lot of people saw GN. I bet a lot of people were going They thought GNR. GNR. They thought or dialed in. A lot of people really like cuz we had dialed in before. It's Elton John. It's Steve Ritchie coming over to JJ. The game that came out of nowhere. Elton John. Does anybody want an Elton John game? Not necessarily. That theme doesn't do anything. But Steve Ritchie and and and Bill on on rules. Yes. It's It shoots and it's gorgeous. It's like one of Steve Ritchie, if not his best shooting pimple machines. And then you layer on all the beauty and the moments that they create with Bill Gre's code. It's I I'm trying to think Star Trek is the only layout that Steve Ritchie has done that I would argue is better. Yeah, Steve has made a lot of games. Yes. But just it's the close it's as close a field to B Williams that we ever come. Very true. Very true. And a testament to this game is just like this game came out. It's like what you said. Yeah. Did we really want a John pin? Did we really is that low initially on this? Very low. But guess what? Slowly. It was a little spark. People cannot dislike this game. It's so good that you're like, "Well, shit." Yep. Like, and we continue to sell it. People continue to come in because it's just continuing to build because people are giving it a chance. This ain't a cheap game, dude. This is a great game. This ain't a cheap game. The topper had lasers that shoot onto your ceiling. It's got little Elton John playing on looking at you and It's got the dumbest toy and put them on a little tiny dancer. But I like the alligator rocket. It's cool though. You can stack uh crocodile rocket man. Rocket Man Multiball. Man, I love it. It's so perfect. Oh, just it's a great game though. It's beautiful. Give it a chance. If you're out there, play it. It is worth the number one spot. We were talking about uh on the top stern games like Destroy the Rings. One of the greatest moments in pinball when you start the mini wizard mode, Pinball Wizard. Oh yeah. Oh, it it like we all hate that song as pinball people, but when when presented in that way, it feels good. It it sends chills Yes. down your spine, down your arms, cuz you're like and you just it cranks the light shows going. You feel like you're gonna float away on that damn promotional video. That's Jersey Jack Pinball's top five greatest.