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DPP #21 "It Foo Fighters reveal day! Come meet me LIVE next month in Louisville, KY and GET FREE STUFF!!"

Don's Pinball Podcast (regular feed)·podcast_episode·34m 49s·analyzed·Mar 1, 2023
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.038

TL;DR

Don analyzes Stern's Foo Fighters reveal: $13K LE questionable value, Premium sweet spot, gameplay looks exceptional.

Summary

Don's Pinball Podcast #21 covers the official Foo Fighters pinball reveal by Stern, analyzing the Pro/Premium/LE pricing tiers ($6,900/$9,600/$12,999), playfield features, shot design, and art direction. Don expresses enthusiasm for the game's layout complexity and combo potential, compares it favorably to recent releases like James Bond, and speculates on American Pinball's Galactic Tank Force positioning in a competitive 2024 release schedule.

Key Claims

  • Foo Fighters LE is limited to 1,000 units, same as James Bond

    high confidence · This LE is open to 1,000 units, which is in line with the most that Stern has ever offered. It was the same with James Bond.

  • Foo Fighters Pro lacks expression light mounting capability, unlike Rush Pro

    high confidence · Interesting thing, there is no expression light side routing or mounting on the Pro for this version, which is a departure, I believe, with Rush, because the Rush Pro had the capability to put the expression lights in there

  • Expression lighting kits still unavailable for purchase despite Rush release in January 2022

    high confidence · Rush came out when? January 2022. And to this day, we still don't have access to those expression lighting kit with the art blades and the lights to put in there.

  • Foo Fighters LE includes mirrored back glass, foil cabinet decals, and custom powder-coated armor

    high confidence · they have gone back to the foil cabinet decals... you still get that mirrored back glass on the limited edition... Custom high-gloss Overlord green powder-coated pinball armor, legs, hinges

  • Foo Fighters Premium and LE playfields are identical except for finishing touches

    high confidence · The premium play field, the limited edition play field, they look identical. The back glass art is identical with the difference being the mirror finish.

  • Don estimates $1,100-$1,500 in parts/finishes justify the $3,000 LE premium over Premium

    medium confidence · So for $3,000 you get some finishes And you get about $1,100 to $1,500 worth of extra parts... essentially If you go on the LE you're paying $1,500 for somebody to install all this for you.

  • Foo Fighters features a death post mechanism that pops up before left out lane drain

    high confidence · left out lane has a feature where a plastic post can pop up just before the ball drains? And if you lift up the left flipper, it, like, pops right up like a death save and goes back into the play field.

Notable Quotes

  • “This machine that I've been anticipating Once I heard that it was a Foo Fighters music pin I've enjoyed the music pins That Stern's been putting out, particularly Rush And also I do enjoy my Guns N' Roses, limited edition”

    Don @ early — Establishes Don's context as a collector of music-themed pins and frames expectations

  • “here's your retro atomic zombie adventureland overlord outreach adventure party. Playing as the Foo Fighters, defending the Earth from invaders. I love it. I love this kind of campy thing.”

    Don @ mid-early — Conveys enthusiasm for the creative theme direction and campy sci-fi narrative approach

  • “Zombie Yeti and our boy Danger have put together their premier machine, I would say.”

    Don @ early — Credits designer Jack Danger and art director Zombie Yeti for the game's quality

  • “If this product was $11,000, I would say this is the one to go for. Since the price has increased to $13,000, I'm going to leave it more of a value judgment.”

    Don @ mid — Signals price sensitivity and concern about LE premium value proposition

  • “For $3,000 more, throw in a shooter rod. I'm just saying. I'm just saying.”

    Don @ mid-late — Expresses frustration about missing customization detail on LE package

  • “This looks like a Godzilla killer. I would say that the jury is firmly out on that until we play it.”

    Don (paraphrasing community comment) @ mid-late — References competitive positioning against recent premium release; Don remains measured on comparison

  • “I like this direction of where we're heading. I like this over Bond 60th For sure By several country miles”

    Don @ late — Strong preference statement; Foo Fighters exceeds recent James Bond release in appeal

  • “American pinball guys, I want you to do well. I think you make good products. I just want to see those products really be what the market wants.”

Entities

Jack DangerpersonZombie YetipersonFoo FightersgameStern PinballcompanyAmerican PinballcompanyDave GrohlpersonJames Bondgame

Signals

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Community commentary on Foo Fighters playfield: 'Godzilla killer' comparison circulating; Don resists hyperbole, advocates for hands-on testing before competitive comparison; anticipates positive code evolution post-release

    medium · Somebody actually said in one of the chats that this looks like a Godzilla killer. I would say that the jury is firmly out on that until we play it... I hope that will age and code will improve on it but this one out the box looks like it's full of toys it's full of color it's full of fun

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Foo Fighters and Galactic Tank Force (American Pinball) positioned as competing 2024 releases; Don questions whether American Pinball should defer launch to avoid Stern's momentum; limited buyer market for multiple new games

    medium · Are they going to drop this game right in the middle of the fervor for what Stern has done here? Or should American Pinball kind of take their game, maybe hold until later this summer... if you were in for one game or maybe if you were in for two games that's like 95 of the market

  • ?

    design_philosophy: American Pinball criticized for weak art direction on past titles (specifically Lederhosen-themed Oktoberfest); Don suggests pivot to licensed IP (Beetlejuice, Last Starfighter, Gremlins) to appeal to nostalgia-driven 70s/80s demographic

    medium · some of the art is questionable, like re-Octoberfest, because I have nightmares about that Lederhosen guy... I think, you know, grab onto those [licensed properties], and I think I would be more interested

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Foo Fighters features campy sci-fi narrative (Overlord alien character, Area 51 theme) combined with band-member-themed ramps and combo shot mechanics; represents deliberate departure from straight 70s band theme approach

    high · retro atomic zombie adventureland overlord outreach adventure party... This is giving me off vibes of what's the other spoof show? Mike Tyson Mysteries... this game is making me firmly forget that James Bond is available

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.104

0:00
Well, just like that, I'm back in Wisconsin, back home in my home studio for episode 21 of Don's Pinball Podcast. Thanks, everybody, for listening. And, boy, is this going to be, like, the episode of the week. The Foo Fighters information has dropped. And I've got those sweet, delicious Nashville hot takes for all of you listeners out there about the Foo Fighters pinball machine and some more speculation and news. So buckle up, buttercup, and get ready to get steady because we're going to go in about six seconds.
0:40
Love toying around with the intro and seeing how I'm mixing it up. I wonder if I might get some new music to try out. We like trying new things on here. I got a ton of foo news today. This is the foo show. This is the 21-episode foo show. Before we get into that, real briefly, though, I do have the T-shirts in stock that people have been asking about. the Don's Pinball Podcast signature t-shirt, Series 1, is in stock, extra larges. I got double extra larges. And for only $25, you can outfit your torso with my merchandise. That's $25 shipped in the U.S. To order, throw me an email at donspinballpodcast at gmail.com. I need an address, and I will send you a PayPal link for you to reimburse this guy for it. And if you want more than one, just add another $20 and tell me how many shirts you want. I'll give you all I got. I got stock coming in. I got big ideas coming up. and I've got some big giveaways to talk about later. So thank you for tolerating me for this housekeeping segment. Moving on to the reason that we are all here today. Did you guys watch this reveal? I caught it. I was at work today at about 11 o'clock Central Time, and boom, Twitter linked to the reveal trailer, and my mind began to become warped watching this thing. I had to watch the video two or three times, pausing, checking out the shots. Man, Zombie Yeti and our boy Danger have put together their premier machine, I would say. This is a machine that I've been anticipating Once I heard that it was a Foo Fighters music pin I've enjoyed the music pins That Stern's been putting out, particularly Rush And also I do enjoy my Guns N' Roses, limited edition That I have as well And so I like this guy, and didn't I call this I think I had the same thought As our boy Danger here, maybe he was channeling me But about five episodes ago When I was speculating on Foo Fighters I was saying this is either going to be likely Another music pin where we are at the show we're playing the the songs as modes um just like you know maybe rushes or guns and roses or or is this going to be a fantasy fun adventure starring the band and incorporating the music of the band with some sort of madcap adventure and wouldn't you know that's exactly what we're getting here man here's your retro atomic zombie adventureland overlord outreach adventure party.

Upper playfield on Premium/LE features Area 51 theme with vacuum-molded building and fourth flipper

high confidence · Looks like it's Area 51. There's a vacuum-molded building there with the fourth flipper.

Don @ late — Measured criticism of American Pinball's strategy and call for licensed IP focus

  • “I think their art is okay. I think their layouts are fine. I think some of the art is questionable, like re-Octoberfest, because I have nightmares about that Lederhosen guy.”

    Don @ late — Specific critique of American Pinball's art direction on past titles

  • “I would say that the jury is firmly out on that until we play it. But I like the combo shots that we have here versus their most recent offering, which was from Bond.”

    Don @ mid-late — Cautious optimism; Foo Fighters layout design appears superior to Bond's on paper

    • Godzilla
    game
    Rushgame
    Guns N' Rosesgame
    Scooby-Doogame
    Galactic Tank Forcegame
    Deadpoolgame
    Pat Smearperson
    Donperson
    Gary Sternperson
    Seth Davisperson
    Expression Lighting Systemproduct
    Elviragame
    Keith Elwinperson
  • ?

    personnel_signal: Jack Danger (designer) and Zombie Yeti (art director) credited as creative leads on Foo Fighters; described as 'premier machine' collaboration; Zombie Yeti artwork praised as 'fantastic,' 'full,' 'cluttered,' 'chaotic,' 'high energy'

    high · Zombie Yeti and our boy Danger have put together their premier machine... Look at this art, this art is fantastic I love this, the play field is full It's cluttered It's chaotic

  • $

    market_signal: Don questions LE value proposition at $13,000 vs $9,600 Premium; calculates $1,100-$1,500 in actual parts/finishes, suggesting $1,500 labor premium; comparable to Bond LE pricing but market perception of value declining

    high · If this product was $11,000, I would say this is the one to go for. Since the price has increased to $13,000, I'm going to leave it more of a value judgment... essentially If you go on the LE you're paying $1,500 for somebody to install all this for you

  • ?

    product_strategy: Foo Fighters Pro/Premium/LE stratification follows established Stern tier model: Pro lacks expression lights & upper flipper; Premium adds upper playfield & death post; LE adds mirrored glass, foil decals, powder coat armor

    high · there is no expression light side routing or mounting on the Pro... The premium play field, the limited edition play field, they look identical... The premium playfield, the limited edition playfield, they look identical

  • ?

    product_strategy: Stern's Foo Fighters production timeline: Elvira wrapping up; Pros in development imminently; first Pro unboxings expected 1.5-2 weeks; LEs next; Premiums follow; Don estimates Premium availability by August 2024

    high · Production-wise, it looks like we're going to have pros out first, and they might be even going into development later this week... then pro unboxings like as soon as about a week and a half from now, maybe two weeks for the first ones to come out... By August I may be looking at a premium in my house

  • ?

    rumor_hype: Galactic Tank Force confirmed as American Pinball's next title; layout, price, and release timing remain unconfirmed; leaks confirm theme; Don remains 'very much wait and see' on game quality and market fit

    medium · Galactic Tank Force... We still don't know the layout of that game, and I'm still not sure exactly when it's coming out. I've just heard rumors... Galaxy Space Force, I'm on the very much wait and see

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Don's enthusiasm for Stern releases rebounding post-Bond; Foo Fighters represents recovery from perceived Bond mediocrity; explicit preference statement: 'several country miles' over Bond in quality/appeal

    high · I like this direction of where we're heading. I like this over Bond 60th For sure By several country miles... this is like the second game to drop... this game is making me firmly forget that James Bond is available

  • ?

    technology_signal: Expression lighting kits remain unavailable for purchase 2+ years post-Rush release despite consumer demand; Stern producing 1,000 units for Foo Fighters LE but not offering kit separately, creating scarcity frustration

    high · Rush came out when? January 2022. And to this day, we still don't have access to those expression lighting kit... Stern, what's going on with the lights? You can make them. You're making 1,000 of them for the LE... I know mad people be waiting for their expression lighting kits

    • 2:51
    Playing as the Foo Fighters, defending the Earth from invaders. I love it. I love this kind of campy thing. This is giving me off vibes of what's the other spoof show? Mike Tyson Mysteries, almost. Everybody in the van, get the crazy teenagers together. Teenagers, guys, are in their 50s, for crying out loud. Let's go save the world. It looks like there's going to be a fictitious show.
    3:12
    Foo Fighters Saturday Morning Adventures or something. is kind of like a subtext to this game. So this thing looks bomb awesome. So I want to go over it a few different ways. Now, of course, this also has the Pro Premium LE, as we've come to expect. With the pricing actually staying the same, I went on the Stern site, and we're still looking at about $6,900 for the Pro, $9,600 for the Premium and the LE sitting at $13,000, $12,999 that Bond was at. So no upcharge there. Gee, thanks, guys.
    3:45
    And I did take a look at the breakdown of the different versions, and so I kind of want to go over that, not quite line by line of every stinking ramp in the game, of which there's many, but really the difference between the Premium and the Limited Edition. If I do start out with the Pro, the Pro looks like, you know, this is built for arcades. Interesting thing, there is no expression light side routing or mounting on the Pro for this version, which is a departure, I believe, with Rush, because the Rush Pro had the capability to put the expression lights in there, if I'm not mistaken. In this case, it doesn't appear to be there at all for the Pro. So if you want those expression lights, you're going to have to go premium or above. And unsurprisingly, just like with Rush, the LE does come with those expression lights, those RGB LEDs that are timed with the music and fit in and sequence well with the art blades. That looks so awesome and are also incredibly hard to get for reasons that are heretofore unknown. So premium for me, this looks like to be the good jumping off point. If I'm going to go on this game, I think that's the level I'm going to go in and I'm going to try to finagle myself some expression lights somehow. So there's a jump between the premium and the LE of $3,000. That's unchanged from Bond. Let's go through and see what you actually get though for the LE. So this LE is open to 1,000 units, which is in line with the most that Stern has ever offered. It was the same with James Bond. So there's not a terrible amount of exclusivity there. I think, you know, there will be a rush to get these by the same people that typically go on the LEs. But I don't think it's going to be a madcap dash because there's, you know, more than 500 of these. You also get a certificate of authenticity signed. Those are good. You know, I like to have signed things. It's signed by Gary Stern and the CEO, Seth Davis, or president. um okay so for me particularly uh that's okay um if these were signatures from dave grohl or the band um i would put a lot more weight in this uh you know not trying to hate on them but um you know that doesn't hold a ton for me uh the it is autographed on the apron by the designer jack danger that's in line with how stern markets their limited editions again i'm not a big signature guy I can see if it was a Dave Grohl or signed by Rush or something, but again, that's just signatures. You get the limited edition plate. They have that advertised as a feature. Okay, I guess.
    6:13
    You do get the same back glass art as the premium, those two share, except this one actually has that mirrored back glass finish, which in person does pop. So I do like that. Of the Pro Premium LE, however, I think I actually prefer the Pro design better. on the back glass than the premium, but you still get that mirrored back glass on the limited edition. So that is, you know, one benefit that you would get there that I would like. They have gone back to the foil cabinet decals. Thank you, Stern. They must have been limited by the license or something with Bond and just put the movie posters on there without that shiny, shiny. But, man, I've got to rush LE, and I've got to tell you, in person, that foil graphic really does pop. The mirrored back glass really does pop. It's a nice finish on there. It's a nice-to-have. It's not a have-to-have, but it is a nice-to-have. So I'm glad that they brought those back. Hopefully they continue that trend. This one comes with the Art Blades unexpectedly.
    7:11
    The big difference for this, though, is this one actually comes with those expression lights installed. That is important for a couple of reasons. First off, it's awesome. Second off, you have to line it up with the Art Blades if you were installing yourself, so there's a little added difficulty there that wouldn't otherwise be there. The other thing is availability, right? Rush came out when? January 2022. And to this day, we still don't have access to those expression lighting kit with the art blades and the lights to put in there. People are actually putting in or ripping them out from Led Zeppelin and putting them in their Rush just to have them. So, Stern, what's going on with the lights? You can make them. You're making 1,000 of them for the LE. You couldn't make another 250 to 500 to sell to add in here. Hopefully, they're waiting for this game to drop to bring them out to market because I know mad people be waiting for their expression lighting kits. And if I go on the premium, I'm going to be waiting for it too. So you do get that. There's upgraded speakers. Okay.
    8:10
    You get the anti-reflection play field glass. Okay. Shaker motor installed. All right. Not difficult to install those. They're $109, but nice to come from the factory. Getting down to the nice finishes, you do get a powder-coated armor. and they do say laser cut Foo Fighters logo armor. Now these side armor blade, not blades, the side armor from Foo Fighters uses the same sort of angle cut that Godzilla came with, that the LE for Bond comes with In this case it does have a laser engraved Foo Fighters logo with a blue plastic insert behind it so it does have a two pop I do like the color. I think that green pops. What else do you get? Custom high-gloss Overlord green powder-coated pinball armor, legs, hinges, and action button front molding. What does that mean? Is that the lock bar? Yeah, I think that is the lock bar. All right, so they're advertising the armor, and then the rest of the powder coat is two separate things. So I added all these together. This is a price difference of $3,000, $3,100, I believe. And shaker motor, you're in for $109 to buy one of those yourself. Playfield glass, what's that, a couple hundred bucks? Upgraded speakers, you know, speakers, you can get decent speakers for not a lot of money. You can get pinwoofer system for a little bit more money, $400 or so. You get the, the armor is the big thing, I think, the difference here. The premium play field, the limited edition play field, they look identical. The back glass art is identical with the difference being the mirror finish. So some finishing touches. So adding all these up, expression lighting system, if you're able to get one, Led Zeppelin was selling for $450, $109 for the shaker motor, a couple hundred bucks for the play field glass.
    9:55
    Art is hard, you know, the foil artwork, you know, you can't really buy that one. So for $3,000 you get some finishes And you get about $1,100 to $1,500 worth of extra parts I've priced out Powder coating armor And I'm looking at about For the side armor, for the lock bar For the coin box, for the apron And for all four legs I was looking at like $450 or so For some candy powder coating So that's kind of how I came up with this So essentially If you go on the LE you're paying $1,500 for somebody to install all this for you. So that's a value judgment. The LE itself as a product looks amazing. It pops. I like the foil art in the art. I like the mirrored back glass. I like that green. I like the armor. I like it. It's a good product. If this product was $11,000, I would say this is the one to go for. Since the price has increased to $13,000, I'm going to leave it more of a value judgment. Do you find value in there? Personally, I don't. I think a premium with powder coat and some lollipop armor and art blades, a shaker motor. I could take or leave the glass. But the expression lights, if I can get those, I'd be just as happy with that. Me personally, you know, if you win it on LE, congrats. I think you're going to have an awesome looking game and you're not going to have to futz with nothing. So there is that.
    11:18
    Going through the rest of the features, I mean, this thing is long. There's a lot of shots. There's a lot of ramp shots, combo shots. There's the dead post. What do they call that thing? Did you see on the video where the left out lane has a feature where a plastic post can pop up just before the ball drains? And if you lift up the left flipper, it, like, pops right up like a death save and goes back into the play field. Fantastic piece of innovation there. I'm excited for that. That is only featured on the premium. Other differences from the Premium, instead of flat plastics, you get full sculpts on the van on the left side of the play field where the balls lock while you pick. I think in this game modes, you're picking cities. And then you also get that Overlord spaceship. Instead of a flat plastic, it's three-dimensional.
    12:09
    Popping back over, I'm going to look at the play field here and see if I can remind myself what else pops on the Premium. Oh, that whole upper play field on the left, right? Looks like it's Area 51. There's a vacuum-molded building there with the fourth flipper. So the Pro is going to come with three flippers, the two at the base, the one on the right, which is full-size, and then this half-size upper left flipper is not there on the Pro but is there on the Premium. And there's more action on this play field. I'm going to go over the shots here in a bit.
    12:36
    What else is on the Premium besides Sculpt, Sculpt, play field, extra flipper, and the death post? I think that's about it. I think both of these games are going to play fairly similarly with the only difference really being that upper play field and then the sculpt candy and the death pin. Pull the death pin. I love the death pin. All right, let's go over shots. You guys want to do shots? Shots, shots, shots. All right. So looking at Foo Fighters, the pinball machine adventure, starting at the bottom and over onto the left, they have several different shots, and each one of them has another member of the band with it. And they've kind of, in the features list, they've named these ramps and shots for the band members. So first is that Ramy ramp. Ramy ramp? Looks like you can access it definitely from the right flipper. I don't know if you can hit that from the left, but it kind of tucks around, goes underneath the ramp next to it, and kicks it out kind of mid-play field. Looks like there's a stand-up target at the bottom of the Dave ramp there on the right that that can hit. So that would be fun. I wonder if you hit this hard enough, if it actually goes into this mini orbit around the Overlord's machine here. That might be the way that you enter that part of that little mini inner orbit. All right, I'll get to that in a second. Next to it is the Pat Smear ramp, dude. Pat Smear, cool guy. Looks like this is definitely a right flipper. It looks like you can hit it off the left flipper as well. This is a quick ramp mid-play field. It makes a 180-degree turn and goes underneath either the plastic or the sculpted mod of the van. And a plastic pin or Teflon pin will pop up. Hold the ball there while you select a mode.
    14:08
    And I wonder if the modes are the cities because those are lit inserts in the mid-play field here. Possibly is what I'll say there. Next up, there's a bank of three drop targets with what they call a paddle target behind it. It's like a stand-up target that's got some give to it. You can see it pretty good in the video, these three drop targets. And then there's some insert lights up. It looks like they might have two different levels.
    14:30
    There's like a check engine one, some kind of shield, and like a bomb. So that will definitely affect gameplay. I like in one of the highlight videos, they were holding up the right upper flipper and letting the ball dead bounce off of it and hit that top center-most drop target. So that looks like a fun piece of kit that was designed in there. So that's the Pat Smear ramp and the drop targets.
    14:54
    Next is two shots that look like they're accessible from the right upper play field. So I'll skip those for now and hit one of the main spinners in the game. I don't think they have a character listed for here. I think it's just the Overlord spinner. And that looks to go into a quick orbit. And then right next to that is where you've got the Overlord ship and that little captive play field down there. Oh, the play field has a magnet in the premium and the LE, and I don't believe that is in the pro. So you shoot into here, and it looks like they took the two posts from the ball lock mechanism that was on rush down at the lower left part of the play field where you could lock a ball behind the drop targets on that game. Similar mechanism here, and it looks like you can hit a ball in there. There's some stand-up targets also. And then if the posts come up, then the ball is locked in there, And then it looks like it'll work kind of like a Newton ball or a captive ball that you can hit to knock it back to hit those targets. And at some point, it looks like you can actually drop those pins and have a mini multi-ball with that second ball release. So that looks like a fun, you know, interactive toy there. And I do hope they have some good sounds and effects when you hit that. Right next to that is that inner orbit. And I don't believe that that looks like it's really hittable from any of the two main flippers or even the right upper flipper for that matter. It looks like you would have to hit the Ramy ramp, have the ball run over there across the play field, and then zoop around to get into there. It looks like it will probably come out through the spinner, I would think. I have to watch some more gameplay videos. Next up to that is the main ramp feature of the game, the Dave Grohl ramp. And this one feeds up into the wire form on the Pro. And on the Premium LE, it looks like that's how you access the upper play field. So let's talk about the upper play field for a minute. I like the Area 51 design. I like the blue-green layout of the art on the base there. And there's stand-up targets everywhere on this. It looks like coming off of that little mini upper flipper is the other spinner of the game. It's right through the center of the building. And from watching the gameplay videos, it looks like that is a loopable shot if you keep shooting it up through the building and hitting that spinner.
    16:51
    The spinner entrance is flanked by two drop targets with some light-ups as well. It looks like there's another maybe drop or a stand-up target just to the left of that, too, with an insert.
    17:01
    It's something like a pot of coffee or something. There's some art there on the area underneath that stand-up target by the post. But what's fun about this is that one little mini flipper, instead of just hitting one target plus the stand-ups, you can actually center it around to the right of the building, and it looks like it will loop around the whole thing. And I wonder if you carry enough speed if there a way to hold that flipper up and have it bounce off and hit something too Something innovative right also from the video is the I don know what you call it the back little bent area that sends the ball around back to the flipper. If you hit it around the building, toggles and can actually lift up. Looks like it's on a mechanism, which would allow the ball to then go straight into a super jackpot stand-up target. So I like what they did there. I like that it's not just a static, you know, spin around and try to hit the spinner as many times as you can, but you can actually activate that mechanism and send the ball straight up through that other stand-up target. That looks like it'll be, you know, something with some difficulty, something you have to set up, something you have to hit targets to qualify, and then probably hit the ball back up there again because you'll drain it just to hit that shot. But that looks satisfying. I'm happy with that. That all drains into a wire form that meets up with the main wire form and then returns to the right flipper.
    18:20
    And then after that, moving left to right, we come to the final main shot of the game, which by the videos looks like the ones I'm most excited for. I think when I get on this game, this is the shot I'm going to go for first. This is basically the right orbit shot. It looks accessible from the left flipper only. I don't think you can hit this from the right. and the ball hits up there, orbits around the back in a traditional manner, and then there's this cool little cutout design similar to what Deadpool has for that main play field shot to access the ramp and the katana ramp. But this one feeds backwards, so you go around the right orbit, exit out the left, and then you kind of come back almost like a figure eight into this cradle on the right, and then it feeds back to the left flipper, which, would that make that a repeatable shot? Wouldn't that be great? This game, perusing through the rules, it looks like there's some combos that can be activated. And so this looks like a repeatable combo-able layout. So I'm excited about that. I really want to try that shot. I really want to try the Chris Orbit shot. The Chris Orbit figure eight magical maniacal shot looks fun to me. I want to do that. Coming off the right flip, there's two more shots that I can see. These belong to Nate and Taylor. Nate looks like a way to access basically a left orbit but from the right upper flipper. And then the tailor shot, okay, this one is a ramp to access that main wire form. So, yeah, those look like the main shots to me. There's some other stand-up targets and things I may have missed. I need to see a more in-depth gameplay video. I have no idea about the code or, you know, what the main objective is to start. You know, are you going for the van shot to unlock the modes, and then you play the modes. I know in Godzilla there's different cities that you travel to once you satisfy certain requirements. But in this case, is it each town its own mode and has its own way to play through it? And once you've liberated all these towns here, then is that how you get to the wizard modes? Apparently there's two mini wizard modes and then one main overlord wizard mode. That lines up with these mid-playfield inserts. So I'm excited about that. I think this game looks fantastic. It looks loaded. When I compare this to something like Bond, you know, for the same square footage, I'm seeing a whole lot more to do here. You know, Bond has that rocket, which basically takes up the same room as this innovative upper play field that has some interesting mechanisms in it, as well as a full building. You know, there's a, oh, I forgot about the shot with the true Newton ball in that UFO. It's hard to see on the premium in LE because the upper play field is covering part of it. It's more evident on the pro. But there's a captive ball in there that goes around this what looks like a UFO orbit or maybe there's some stand-up targets in there. So there's a lot to shoot at. It looks like for my play style, which is kind of loose and just fire the ball, make it go fast and see if you hit anything, it looks good. It looks if you want to play more Mandalorian style where you're kind of stocking the shots, they're doable. It looks like it's combo-able. I'll have to get a play to get a feel to see if these shots feel the same as they do on Godzilla, which is just fantastic. Somebody actually said in one of the chats that this looks like a Godzilla killer. I would say that the jury is firmly out on that until we play it. But I like the combo shots that we have here versus their most recent offering, which was from Bond, right? You know, Bond has a couple of wireform ramps similar to this. You know, it's got an escalating ramp to the wireform with the, you know, Bond on a wand deal. But to this day, I still can't really activate the Bond wand rocket pack. I've done it once I'm not sure what I did to lead to that I don't know if there's still more code to drop I don't know if it's still in licensing hell I don't know but this game is making me firmly forget that James Bond is available it's a game that I hope that will age and code will improve on it but this one out the box looks like it's full of toys it's full of color it's full of fun and this one's going to have more than just that one song right there's 15 songs on here and even though they left off Big Me I'm still enthused for this I think this is a good pin I'm glad they got a band that's not just straight out of the 70s And so I hope this game Sells well And there's a lot of support behind it Enthusiasm behind it Because I'd like to see more games like this I was looking off the flipper too And where that really launches It looks like the flipper lane Shoots up almost like Godzilla does And it drops into that Little bendy form to the right Um, skill shot wise, there's a standup target between the Nate ramp and the, uh, the Taylor shot. So I don't know if a skill shot is going to be there or skill shots going to be on one of the standup targets by that paddle target. Uh, cause it looks like a softish plunge would head right there in the middle. So that I would say is probably a safe bet for a skill shot. Um, otherwise I like that there's a, uh, a shooter rod. It doesn't look like the Ellie comes with a custom shooter rod. What's going on? what's going on with the lack of the custom shooter rods for the limited edition? You know, for $3,000 more, throw in a shooter rod. I'm just saying. When they do develop a custom shooter rod, let's speculate a little bit. Are we going to see Overlord's head? You know, he looks like an alien wearing a Skeletor mask. I love it. I could see that as being the custom rod rather than just, you know, Dave Grohl's goatee or something. So, man, this game, this is fun. They have a lot more planned, too. and I agree with what others have been saying. The rollout of this game was fantastic. We got a teaser video that confirmed the theme, followed by video, followed by some gameplay and kind of the full reveal as far as the features of the game. And then there's more planned coming up. Production-wise, it looks like we're going to have pros out first, and they might be even going into development later this week. I think Elvira should be wrapping up. I think next thing we're going to see is photos of Foo Fighters on the line, and then pro unboxings like as soon as about a week and a half from now, maybe two weeks for the first ones to come out. LEs will be next to satisfy those LE buyers. And then premiums. So I think by August I may be looking at a premium in my house if I decide to go ahead and go through with this. So I'm excited about that.
    24:41
    I was going to say it's been a while since I've been excited about a game, but Scooby just came out. But I like this direction of where we're heading. I like this over Bond 60th For sure By several country miles I would say Plus I mean Zombie Yeti and the art Look at this art, this art is fantastic I love this, the play field is full It's cluttered It's chaotic It looks high energy, it looks like it reflects the energy of the game I want to get this, I want to get the expression lights And my only question now is American Pinball Where are you guys at? Where are the other manufacturers at on this? This is like the second game to drop Well It's been a few months since Scooby-Doo Came out but Scooby is out now To play so we finally got Like hands on gameplay Then we get this and we're still rumored to get Galaxy Tank Force Gosh was that even the name Galaxy Death Force Galactic Tank Force there it is You know and they've been Releasing little snippets there's been some leaks that this is confirmed to be the theme. We still don't know the layout of that game, and I'm still not sure exactly when it's coming out. I've just heard rumors. But are they going to drop this game right in the middle of the fervor for what Stern has done here? Or should American Pinball kind of take their game, maybe hold until later this summer so there not as much competition in the marketplace Because you know people that were ready to buy this year um have non deposits in for scooby and it looking like that game is going to be solid um people are going to be excited about this for sure um and for most people if you know if you were in for one game or maybe if you were in for two games that's like 95 of the market i would wager i don't think there's many people left that would have you know funds available for a third game like a galaxy tank force, unless you were an operator or something. Um, we still don't have details on the price or anything for that. Um, but American pinball guys, I want you to do well. I think you make good products. I just want to see those products really be what the market wants. Um, and I'm not privy to their numbers. Maybe they're selling out everything and then I'm just talking out my ear. But, um, I think, uh, American pinball, I think they have manufacturing sorted. Um, if you order a game, people get them. I'm not hearing about big delays. The games that have played every one of their games, and they feel solid. They don't feel cheap. I think they make a good product. I think they use good materials. I think they've got good resources behind everything. I think their art is okay. I think their layouts are fine. I think some of the art is questionable, like re-Octoberfest, because I have nightmares about that Lederhosen guy. But what I want to see them get is some real licenses. I know that's not their thing, Hot Wheels notwithstanding. If you make an unlicensed theme and you're selling it for the same prices that everybody else is going and you're not having to pay out that licensing, that's more money in your pocket. But I would think that overall sales would eclipse that if you were to land something like a Beetlejuice or a Last Starfighter or some movie that's got nostalgia ties. I think that's right in who your market is for.
    27:50
    Older guys and ladies that have money now that grew up in the 80s, grew up in the 70s, and have nostalgia for Gremlins and things like that. I think, you know, grab onto those, and I think I would be more interested. Right now, Galaxy Space Force, I'm on the very much wait and see. I'm going to play it. I want to play it a lot, and then I still don't know if I have room in my game room for it, I have to say. So come on, American Pinball. Cook something up. Get a good theme going. Get us excited. Also on that note, Jersey Jack, guys. Guys, man, I had so much hope. I got in, I saw Wizard of Oz and how packed that was. I saw Dialed In and I was confused. I saw The Hobbit and I kind of fell in love with it because I love that theme that speaks to me. And then I wanted to love Willy Wonka, but just the assets weren't there for me. The gameplay, I'm starting to get my head around the gameplay, but I'm like, I'm missing, it's a musical. Where's the music?
    28:50
    Toy Story was a miss for me. Godfather I have zero excitement for I want to play it But you know what I saw Sopranos and I wanted to play that too And I did and I'm not running back to play it again That's not a theme that speaks to me And I like innovation in the marketplace And I think Jersey Jack is separate enough They're young enough They're small enough that they could really move and take some risks Do some interesting things with pinball I love Guns N' Roses man Follow that up But you know Godfather Get on the couch or set up the table I don't want to set the table when I play pinball I don't want to sit on a couch I don't want a dead bloody horse head That I got as a bash toy That I got to hit or whatever I want cool themes that are high energy So I can play and I can drink cider And I can slap balls around And have a good time with So Jersey Jack Come with it man Come with it Let's see what you have with Godzilla Bring it I want to be wrong Prove me wrong Show me that it's awesome Show me that I can't wait to get it in my game room. But honestly, guys, the theme I'm not tremendously excited for. Maybe this is a calculated marketing move. Maybe Jersey Jack's got a lot of designers. Maybe they have a lot of games that are ready to go into production. And maybe they wanted to get Toy Story out there and test the market with that price. And test they did. And so now they got the results. And so maybe they're looking at this crowded market thinking, you know what? Let's take that Godfather we got. Let's put that into production. It may sell modestly okay, but it'll fill time until the market is a little more clear, there's less dust in the air, and then they can come out with their Back to the Future or Last Starfighter or Gremlins or Gremlins 2 or Gremlins 3 or Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or some dang thing. They've got to have some diamond that they're waiting to get out there, like a Top Gun or something. And maybe releasing a Top Gun in this crowded market isn't the most optimal way to potentiate their profits. So they're like, well, it's just Godfather out there. It'll do modestly well. I'm sure it will sell better than Queen, right? Sorry, Pinball Brothers. Got to be honest with you.
    30:58
    It will sell definitely better than Spinal Tap. Well, if that game even exists. I've only seen one on location. Maybe that was the one of one. But I'd like to see Jersey Jack come with something. And maybe that's what's going on. So I would understand that if they're like, you know what? We got Godfather. We want to sell 1,500 units. We want to fill a couple months in the production schedule. and then we're going to drop a summer bomb on everybody when, you know, Stern's next cornerstone isn't until the fall. So Jersey Jack can own the summer. Maybe that's what they're doing. That's just me speculating off the top of my head.
    31:30
    But I think we're all excited for Foo Fighters. We're so happy this is here. It looks like Stern's back on top, back in the fast lane. And we're going to drive this Foo Fighter bus down the road away from Bond. All right. I just want to cover with a couple more things. I do have some fun pinball podcast news. For me personally, I'm going to the Louisville Arcade Expo. The plane is booked. The car is rented, and I have everything except a hotel room. But I did purchase my admission for the show, and I'm going to be there on Friday. I'm going to be there on Saturday. I'm going to fly home on Sunday. So the Louisville Arcade Expo, March 10th, 11th, and 12th. That's a Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It's the Triple Crown Pavilion right there, kind of like on the east side of town. it should be a good time a good filler for those that either aren't going to Texas Pinball Festival or Midwest Gaming Convention or just live in the area and want to stop by it looks like the guys from Flip the Letter N Out Pinball are going to be there, Spooky Pinball is going to be there, they've got a couple of special guests that are going to be there, John Riggs he's got a YouTube channel about old NES games and Sega Genesis games, I love it, I love watching John Riggs, he's from where I used to live out in the Pacific Northwest too so I wonder if this guy, talk to him, maybe exchange some stickers or something. And also Tim Kurtzow from NBA Jam, the Boom Shakalaka, he's on fire guy, is going to be there. Why? I have no idea. Maybe he'll be able to autograph something for me. Maybe I can pay him $5 and he'll record a voice message on my phone or something. But that's March 10th, 11th, and 12th, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Friday they open the doors at 2 o'clock. They're open until midnight on Friday and on Saturday. Saturday they open at 10. Prices, Friday $30, Saturday $35, Sunday $20. If you want to pay $20 and go there where everybody's packing up, go ahead. And your boy is going to have some giveaways there. I'm going to be there. I'm going to be there with a backpack, and I'm going to be there with some prize packs.
    33:22
    Consisting of a T-shirt, some pins, some stickers, all in a nice poly bag. And I'm going to have a couple of them to give away Friday. I'm going to have a couple of them to give away Saturday. How do you win one? Easy. You just have to come up to me. But you have to not just come up to me. you have to know the secret password phrase. And just be like, hey, Don, what up? I recognize you. I see you're wearing a Don's Pinball Podcast shirt. I want one for free. And the passphrase is whatever it is. I'll reveal that on the podcast directly before the show. But if you come up to me, I'll have a couple, while supplies last, of free T-shirts and pins and stuff for you. I'll have something for you, even if I'm out of T-shirts. You can give a sticker or something. Selfies are free. High fives are all day. Give a dab to my homies. I also have some t-shirts for sale. I'll do them 20 bucks right out of the backpack, man. Don't go hungry. Don't be cold. Put a shirt on your torso. Does that rhyme? Anyway, I can't wait. This is going to be fun. Man, pin march. Was I lying or is this going to be awesome? Hit it.
    34:23
    Pinball march. I got pinball merch. Don's pinball podcast at gmail.com or the Facebook page, Don Pinball Podcast. I'm getting a ton of followers. I get a couple every day. Hit that follow link. Let's bring it to 200 and leave comments down below. Let me know how I'm doing. What do you want to hear? I'm here for you, baby. Let's go eat some garlic bread.