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Josh Sharpe discusses CGC's $1,250 Cactus Canyon upgrade kit that adds 10 modes, mechanics, and saloon door.
The Cactus Canyon Expanded kit costs $1,250, not $250
high confidence · Josh RP and Scott Larson confirm the price early in the conversation; $250 was a pre-order placeholder
Lyman Sheets left Stern to start his own consulting business doing gun-for-hire software work
medium confidence · Josh Sharpe explains the timeline: 'there was kind of a weird crossing of uh Lyman leaving Stern to start his own consulting business doing software for sort of gun for hire business and made a deal'
The original Williams Cactus Canyon shipped unfinished because Williams was closing shop and it was their last game before Pinball 2000
high confidence · Josh RP states: 'Williams was basically closing shop... They did as much as they could on the game. It was their last game before Pinball 2000. They were so they kind of pushed it out completely unfinished.'
Doug (CGC owner) realized Cactus Canyon was expensive due to rarity, not actual game quality ('Emperor has no clothes' game)
medium confidence · Josh Sharpe explains: 'Doug probably realized oh I uh I should not have sorted the Williams Valley classic list by price... Cactus was really only that expensive because of its rarity and it was sort of an an Emperor has no clothes game there'
The upgrade kit includes 10 new modes and 2 enhanced modes, plus new animations and music by Rob Berry
high confidence · Josh RP reads from the manual: 'This upgrade includes 10 new modes, two enhanced modes, many new animations, new sound and music by Rob Berry'
Installation of the upgrade kit is complex and can cause damage if not done correctly; Josh RP stripped parts by tightening screws from the top instead of by hand first
high confidence · Josh RP admits: 'I did talk about my own hiccups on installing the game. I will totally admit that was totally me misinterpreting... I actually stripped two parts on it... by tightening them from the top'
The gunfight mode uses a risk-reward mechanic similar to AC/DC's jackpot rule, with multipliers (2x, 3x, 4x) applied as the player builds and banks points
“I would say I was a cog in the wheel that helped to bring it to life. By no means did I...”
Josh Sharpe@ 1:23 — Sharpe deflects credit, indicating collaborative effort on the upgrade kit
“Lyman's a crazy and you know when he jumps in he jumps in man you know the the dude was a perfectionist”
Josh Sharpe@ 5:35 — Characterizes Lyman Sheets' work ethic and creative drive during development
“not to be the biggest hypocrite in the world, but like tournament players can go f themselves, guys”
Josh Sharpe@ 13:43 — Sharpe's philosophy: competitive balance doesn't require 71 different rules, just two viable strategic choices
“The essence of a balanced competitive game is I have a ball cradle on the flipper and the game's job is to make me make a choice between more than one option that are both viable strategies”
Josh Sharpe@ 14:19 — Core design philosophy for rule balance in Cactus Canyon
“What's the coolest part of this game?... We both hold up a flash card and we both say, 'Gunfight'”
Josh Sharpe@ 21:06 — Explains how Sharpe and Sheets identified the gunfight mode as the centerpiece of the upgrade
“It really does take so much time of playing and putting yourself into these situations while you're playing to analyze the situation. It's so hard to do that on a spreadsheet”
Josh Sharpe@ 15:58 — Emphasizes playtesting and iterative refinement over theoretical design
product_launch: Cactus Canyon Expanded upgrade kit officially released at $1,250 price point; includes 10 new modes, saloon door mechanism with spinner, and new music/code
high · Josh Sharpe appears on podcast to discuss finished product; Scott Larson has two kits in hand; clear pricing and feature set communicated
gameplay_signal: Upgrade transforms shallow original game into depth-rich experience with sophisticated risk-reward mechanics (gunfight mode), multiple modes with interdependencies, and competitive viability
high · Detailed discussion of gunfight mode multiplier system, mode banking, showdown multiball, rank progression, ball save qualification; comparison to Medieval Madness as peer
product_concern: Upgrade kit has complex installation requiring electrical/mechanical work; risk of component damage if not done correctly; community experiencing electrical interference issues on Pinside forums
high · Josh RP admits to stripping two parts due to improper tightening technique; mentions 'every pinside post with someone having electrical interference issues'; describes installation as non-trivial engineering
design_philosophy: Sharpe and Sheets designed upgrade to appeal simultaneously to casual players (quick 60-second hook, story clarity) and competitive depth-seekers (multiple viable strategies, risk-reward mechanics, scoring nuance)
high · Sharpe explains: 'We got 60 seconds... make you laugh... and for those hooked on depth... we got you because Lyman and I still want to be challenged'; explicit discussion of merging '90s charm with modern complexity
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high confidence · Josh Sharpe explains: 'it's the AC/DC song jackpot rule... if you finish the mode, you not only earn those points, but they get banked into the next gunfight value... multiplied as you go'
Joel (from Flipping Out streams/tutorials) believes the upgraded Cactus Canyon surpasses Medieval Madness as a complete fan layout game
medium confidence · Josh RP states: 'Joel does his flipping out streams... said with the upgrade that he feels this game has has surpassed Medieval Madness for like a complete fan layout game. And and by the way, I totally agree with him'
“Do you like your your three scoop Sunday? Because this fourth scoop's freaking huge. It's always out.”
Josh Sharpe@ 23:00 — Metaphorical explanation of the escalating risk-reward multiplier system in gunfight mode
“Lord knows with with CGC, the one thing you do have is time. and the ability to have enough time to get it right”
Josh Sharpe@ 15:43 — Notes that CGC's business model allows extended development cycles, unlike major manufacturers
design_innovation: Saloon door mechanism with spinner switch creates new shot interaction; integrated with code to gate access to multiple modes and serve as central mechanical feature
high · Multiple references to saloon door as state-change mechanic; spinner used for saloon fight mode engagement; Josh Sharpe notes hardware engineering challenges of integrating mechanism with electrical systems
personnel_signal: Lyman Sheets departed Stern to establish independent software consulting business; negotiated to work on CGC projects (Monster Bash initially, then pivoted to Cactus Canyon)
medium · Sharpe explains: 'Lyman leaving Stern to start his own consulting business doing software for sort of gun for hire business and made a deal... to do an update for Monster Bash'
industry_signal: CGC (smaller manufacturer) willing to significantly delay/halt other projects (Monster Bash) to improve quality of flagship remake; iterative, playtesting-heavy development cycle enabled by different business model than mass manufacturers
medium · Sharpe: 'Doug probably realized oh I... sorted by price when deciding on remakes... should have sorted by quality'; Monster Bash put on hold; 'one thing you do have is time... to get it right'
code_update: Cactus Canyon Expanded represents substantial ruleset rewrite from original Williams code; includes 10 entirely new modes, 2 enhanced existing modes, new animations, sound design by Rob Berry
high · Manual states '10 new modes, two enhanced modes, many new animations, new sound and music by Rob Berry'; Sharpe and Sheets spent years in iterative playtesting and refinement
market_signal: $1,250 price point positioned as 'under the price of a typical topper' while delivering substantial functional and gameplay upgrades; targets existing owner base rather than new buyers
high · Josh RP: 'It's basically under the price of a typical topper. And so that that's actually a really good thing uh that adds functionality'
sentiment_shift: Cactus Canyon transformed from 'Emperor has no clothes' overpriced oddity into legitimate competitor to classic Lyman Sheets designs like Medieval Madness
high · Joel claim that upgraded game 'surpassed Medieval Madness'; Josh RP: 'I didn't think that this update would tra would drastically change the product of of Cactus Canyon as much as it truly did'
competitive_signal: Sharpe articulates deliberate design constraint: reject complexity for complexity's sake; tournament-grade balance requires two viable strategic choices with trade-offs, not 71 rule combinations
high · Sharpe: 'tournament players can go f themselves... don't need 71 things... You need two things. I need you to question where you want to go... both viable strategies'
content_signal: LoserKid podcast secures direct interview with Josh Sharpe for deep-dive technical discussion of upgrade kit; suggests significant community interest and Sharpe's media availability
high · Josh Sharpe present for extended interview; detailed technical breakdown of all modes and mechanics; collaborative media strategy between CGC and content creators