Joker Poker (Gottlieb 1978) & Criss Cross Pop-Up (Chicago Coin 1964)

TL;DR

Mystery Pinball Theater plays Joker Poker and Criss Cross Pop-Up with community interaction.

Summary

Key Claims

• Joker Poker is one of the first solid-state pinball games

  medium confidence · Manu states 'Joker Poker must have been one of the first solid states' when discussing a 1978 model with both EM and solid-state versions available

• During the late 1970s, manufacturers made both EM and solid-state versions of the same game to cater to players resistant to electronic technology

  medium confidence · James explains: 'they just made two versions. Oh. In case you were old and wanted to deny technology, you could still buy the EM'

• Criss Cross Pop-Up (1964) is not a pinball machine but a turret shooter game with a mirror-based scoring system

  high confidence · Manu explains the game uses a turret to shoot marbles that pop up via kickers behind a mirrored backglass, with scoring based on shape completion (lines, diamonds, corners)

• Criss Cross Pop-Up could function as a gambling device similar to craps games found in Vegas

  low confidence · Manu speculates: 'could be a gambling device in Vegas' and mentions craps jars in Vegas that 'robbed me of all my money'

• The Criss Cross Pop-Up scoring cap was designed assuming players would never exceed approximately 1,990 points

  medium confidence · Manu notes: 'They don't think you're ever going to get over 2,000. You're never going to get over 1,990 points on this'

Notable Quotes

• “I should get the Twippies for best streamer after doing this here. So whenever that comes up, kids, just vote for me, please, because this is... I give up after this.”

  Manu@ 2:42 — Self-deprecating humor about the streaming challenge of moving between two different games with complex setups

• “This is Church of Pinball.”

  James@ 7:37 — Community joke referencing Manu's dedication to playing EM games despite difficulty

• “These games are incredibly difficult to credit up... It's a five-ball game. There's one credit. And only 50 cents.”

  Manu@ 5:09 — Describes the challenge and low cost of playing vintage EM games

• “I'm never trying this ever again, where it's like two specifically weird setups, one after the other.”

  Manu@ 14:38 — Reflects on streaming logistics difficulty

• “If you can actually complete a vertical, a diamond, a diagonal, a corner, a straight line, I get a free pop. So the game can sometimes just play itself for a while.”

  Manu@ 19:42 — Explains key mechanic where completing shapes triggers automatic free shots

• “If I was Karl DeAngelo, every single one would be a murder.”

  Manu@ 27:25 — References pinball player Karl DeAngelo's skill level while missing shots on the turret shooter

Entities

Signals

• ?

  community_signal: Interactive stream format where chat participants (Jeff Teolis, Six Toe, James, Fliptronic) provide real-time shot suggestions and strategy guidance during gameplay

  high · Throughout Criss Cross Pop-Up section, chat gives shooting directions like 'center,' 'all rows,' 'right,' and Manu/James follow or debate these suggestions

• ?

  design_philosophy: Criss Cross Pop-Up (1964) represents early arcade game design with intentional scoring limitations (max ~1,990 points) based on developer assumptions about player capability

  medium · Manu states: 'They don't think you're ever going to get over 2,000. You're never going to get over 1,990 points on this'

• ?

  technology_signal: Historical context: late 1970s manufacturers offered both EM and solid-state versions of the same game title to appeal to players resistant to electronic technology adoption

  medium · James explains: 'they just made two versions. In case you were old and wanted to deny technology, you could still buy the EM'