Dirty Harry Pinball Review | First Impressions, Gameplay & Hidden Gem from Williams

Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama·video·14m 5s·analyzed·Aug 23, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.019

TL;DR

Gonzo discovers Dirty Harry as a hidden gem after playing pristine example at Medway Pinball Club.

Summary

Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama presents an extended first-hands-on review of Dirty Harry, a classic Williams pinball machine designed by Barry Owler. The hosts discover a pristinely restored example at Medway Pinball Club and play multiple games, highlighting the machine's well-designed upper flipper shots, strong ball physics, and engaging rule callouts that guide players through objectives. Initially dismissive of the game's visual appeal based on worn arcade examples, the hosts become invested during play and conclude it's a hidden gem deserving of collector interest.

Key Claims

Barry Owler designed Dirty Harry and Barry's Barbecue was his last game design
high confidence · Host states 'Barry Owler, who's uh the game designer... the last game he designed was was was Barry's Barbecue' and confirms Owler 'is sadly no longer with us.'
Dirty Harry's upper flipper ramp has a wide aperture, which is preferable for shot design
high confidence · Host extensively discusses upper flipper shot design: 'very wide aperture on this ramp, which I for me is key with these upper flipper shots' and contrasts it with Bond Premium's 'quite tight' upper flipper shot.
The pristine Dirty Harry example was beautifully restored and is available to play at Medway Pinball Club
high confidence · Host states 'you can actually play this yourselves if you get down to the Medway Pinball Club. This has been beautifully restored.' and emphasizes 'I've never seen one in this condition before.'
Dirty Harry's gameplay is reminiscent of Judge Dread in terms of mechanics and player guidance
medium confidence · Host states 'playing it reminds me of um Judge Dread' and later 'This is so much so much like Judge Dreads. It really is.' Also notes both games 'talks you through the shots you're going to be playing.'
Host initially dismissed Dirty Harry because worn arcade examples were visually unappealing, but pristine condition changed perspective
high confidence · 'I've dismissed them because they've always been absolutely roached when I've seen them... but seeing one in this condition makes you look at it in a whole new light... it's a brilliant game'

Notable Quotes

“Don't see many of these around. And I've only played this game once before. And that was a really ironically dirty arcade.”
Chris (host) @ 0:00-0:30 — Sets up the rarity and condition context for Dirty Harry
“I've never seen one in this condition before.”
Chris (host) @ 1:00-1:30 — Emphasizes the exceptional restoration quality of this particular machine
“You like an open throat on a ramp.”
Spencer (co-host) @ 6:00 — Captures the informal but technical discussion of upper flipper shot design preferences
“I've dismissed them because they've always been absolutely roached when I've seen them... but seeing one in this condition makes you look at it in a whole new light. It's a brilliant game.”
Chris (host) @ 9:00-9:30 — Documents the sentiment shift from dismissal to appreciation after hands-on play with pristine machine
“Sometimes you have no interest. You think I'm never going to get a game. The more I play this and sometimes you just get a game and you think, 'Actually, I want one.' And I I do. I I want one of these already.”
Chris (host) @ 15:00-16:00 — Captures the moment of genuine collector interest emerging during extended play
“This is a good game. I don't care what anyone said. This is a good game.”
Chris (host) @ 35:00 — Final verdict delivered with conviction after extended gameplay demonstration

Entities

ChrispersonSpencerpersonBarry OwlerpersonSteve Ritchieperson Dirty Harrygame Judge DreadgameMedway Pinball CluborganizationBond PremiumgamePinfest

Signals

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event_signal: Medway Pinball Club providing pristine Dirty Harry as playable example for enthusiast audience
high · Host directs viewers to Medway Pinball Club: 'you can actually play this yourselves if you get down to the Medway Pinball Club. This has been beautifully restored.'
~
sentiment_shift: Dirty Harry recontextualized from overlooked arcade machine to worthy collector item after pristine restoration demonstration
high · Host explicitly states dismissing the game in arcades but changes perspective after seeing/playing pristine example: 'I've dismissed them because they've always been absolutely roached when I've seen them... but seeing one in this condition makes you look at it in a whole new light.'
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design_philosophy: Upper flipper shot design with wide aperture identified as key quality marker in classic Williams design
high · Host emphasizes 'very wide aperture on this ramp, which I for me is key with these upper flipper shots' and contrasts favorably with tighter modern designs, linking this to Steve Ritchie's design principles
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product_concern: Arcade wear/neglect has historically obscured the quality of Dirty Harry examples, leading to community dismissal
high · Host notes 'I've seen these in arcades as well, and I I'll be brutally honest. I've dismissed them because they've always been absolutely roached when I've seen them... it's not the most visually appealing game, and I've I've walked past it'

Transcript

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0:11

Dirty Harry. Not me. You understand? This game here. Don't see many of these around. And I've only played this game once before. And that was a really ironically dirty arcade. Dimly lit, scratched glass. You know the type of thing when you walk into a location, one of the flippers is sort of dodgy. The game had a service for ages. The playfield was in a disgusting condition really. Um, and that was the last time we played it. I had one game, but we're very, very lucky here to have what is an absolutely pristine example. Um, you can actually play this yourselves if you get down to the Medway Pinball Club. This has been beautifully restored. this one. But Spencer, get in there with a camera and have a look. Um,

1:02

just look stunning. And I got to say, a game that would really not necessarily be on my radar, it has to be said,

1:15

an absolutely beautiful example of it. And um, really nicely restored. I've never seen one in this condition before. It is beautifully restored, isn't it? It is beautifully restored, isn't it? Now, there's something special about this because there's a signature on the back box. Let me just go up there and have a look at that. Who's who's that signature of, Chris? So, that's Barry Owler, who's uh the So, that's Barry Owler, who's uh the game designer. He's sadly no longer with us, is he? He's sadly no longer with us, is he? Sadly no longer with us. So, I think the Sadly no longer with us. So, I think the last Yeah, the last game he designed was was was Barry's Barbecue. Um Ah, right. So, but obviously he did I mean he's So, but obviously he did I mean he's done done a number of games. I I think I think he did Dracula. Uh Jack B. I mean done, you know, he's Uh Jack B. I mean done, you know, he's obviously a designer that's done a lot of a lot of games. Um I'm just going to have a little look I'm just going to have a little look down the the side of this at the side art. Now, we had the playfield up earlier on and the the condition of the playfield underneath is fantastic. I know we're we're sort of looking at artwork and all the bling that's on show on the top of the playfield, but I can assure you the the underside is lovely. the the underside is lovely. Oh. Oh, if you look if you look at the Oh. Oh, if you look if you look at the undercarriage, it's beautiful. Actually, if you just look, I just want to show you something here. So, this is actually my latest game. Um, we're at Pinfest. Uh, but if you want to go and see the overview of Pinfest, that's a different video. I just want to really concentrate on um I was going to say Harry Potter on Dirty Harry. Harry Potter and Dirty Harry. They're very different. You never see them together though, do you? You never see Harry Potter with a Magnum You never see Harry Potter with a Magnum 357. You certainly never do. I want to point You certainly never do. I want to point I want you to look at this um I call it the warp ramp, but it's actually the Delta Quadrant ramp on this particular game. very wide and it goes off the upper flipper. So it's an upper flipper shot. So this is a Steve Richie game. Um so this this upper flipper shot here. Um so this this upper flipper shot here. That's Lionel's brother. Yeah, That's Lionel's brother. Yeah, it's Lionel's brother. Yeah, absolutely. it's Lionel's brother. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Um very wide aperture on this ramp, which I I for me is key with these upper flipper upper flipper shots. Now, funny enough, we just looked to the game next to it. You've got an upper flipper shot here on Bonds. This is my This is my Bond Premium, which is not long for this world, it has to be not long for this world, it has to be said. um goes up to this shot. It's a very That's quite tight that one, It's a very That's quite tight that one, isn't it? It is. It is tight. I found this It is. It is tight. I found this difficult. So, I do like a wide aperture. a wide aperture. You like an open throat on a ramp. You like an open throat on a ramp. So, if you go and look at the the same So, if you go and look at the the same shot. So, we've got clean Harry So, we've got clean Harry on the clean Harry. on the clean Harry. There he is. And they're beautiful these There he is. And they're beautiful these flippers. They're lovely. And that goes across They're lovely. And that goes across to that lovely wide aperture. to that lovely wide aperture. Look at look at the the width of that Look at look at the the width of that aperture. Oh, like a real one, only wider. like a real one, only wider. Yeah. Right. I'm going to have a game. Yeah. Right. I'm going to have a game. Go for your Go for your It's such It's in beautiful condition. It's such It's in beautiful condition. Now, I've seen these in arcades as well, Now, I've seen these in arcades as well, and I I'll be I'll I'll be brutally honest. I've dismissed them because they've always been absolutely roached when I've seen them. So, I've loaded the gun So, I've loaded the gun and it's it's not the most visually and it's it's not the most visually appealing game, and I've I've walked past it, but seeing one in this condition makes you look at it in a whole new light. Put those guns down. It it's a brilliant game and actually playing it playing it reminds me of um Judge Dread. Oh, damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Full save. I've got a ball save. I was pleased about that. So, you you had a Judge Dread, didn't So, you you had a Judge Dread, didn't you? I did have a Judge Dread. I did have a Judge Dread. Oh, man. Oh, man. Unfortunately, Spence, and it was a lovely one before we really started doing much on the channel. Oh, well before the channel was really used at all. So, it doesn't feature on this channel, which is a shame. I loved it. I restored it. Was only one. Oh, man. One of two games I've ever restored. And, you know, I decided the restoration stuff I wasn't really good enough at it. It took me a long time to do and it wasn't for me. But I restored two games. One of them, funny enough, was a Star Trek Next Generation, and the other one was um was the Judge Dread. And it it just I I was the Judge Dread. And it it just I I really liked the game. You could tell because you actually spent an awful lot of time and effort on that joke. I remember being I mean I'm color blind, but I can remember the all the different colors of LEDs you had on it. It was very obvious that it you made it you made it quite special. Yeah. And I got the I got all the um Yeah. And I got the I got all the um wire forms powder coated as well. I got everything all Yeah. I did so did so much on it. Spent Oh dear. Oh, I was I was going to say I Oh dear. Oh, I was I was going to say I don't think I'll be able to save that. Nicely saved. Thank you.