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Beastie Boys homebrew pinball nearing completion; playfield art printing now, debuting at Northwest Show.
The game includes 32 Beastie Boys songs in different aspects
high confidence · Stephen Donaldson explicitly states '32 VC Boys songs included in different aspects' during the interview
Michael started the project 2 years ago; Stephen took over software development around mid-September, approximately 7 months before GSPF 2026
high confidence · Michael: 'I started it 2 years ago'; Stephen: 'we started on the software back in mid-September. So it's been not even a full year. Yeah. About seven months'
The game features eight major modes, two major multiballs, and four mini wizard modes, with only polish and final wizard mode coding remaining
high confidence · Stephen: 'we've got all eight of our major modes, our two major multiballs, our three mini wizard modes. Um well actually we've got four mini wizard modes'
Playfield art is being printed and expected to be ready by the Northwest Pinball Show (in two weeks from GSPF 2026)
high confidence · Stephen: 'Hopefully by Northwest show it's there and done'; Michael later confirms 'The hope is we'll have the new playfield swapped out in time for the Northwest Pinball Show. That's two weeks'
The cabinet was built using a beginner kit from Oto (Trident Pinball), with custom modifications including a water-jet cut stainless steel speaker panel
high confidence · Michael: 'the cab was Oto who uh is a guy who does Trident pinball... He This was his beginner kit... So I couldn't use standard stern stuff even though the rest of the stuff is. So that's a custom uh speaker panel that I had cut at the maker space with a water jet. It's actually stainless steel'
The game uses FAST hardware and MPF (Mission Pinball Framework) software
high confidence · Stephen: 'Fast and MPF. Yeah. That's something we hear a lot here in the in the home brew... and it's worked really well'
Michael's wife Jess created all the playfield art; Ricardo Silva from Fiverr assisted with initial back glass art before Jess took over
high confidence · Stephen: 'my wife Jess, who's here at the show, did all the art for the game'; Michael: 'Ricardo Silva from Fiverr. Really nice guy'
“I was a junior or senior in high school when License to Ill came out. It was very formative in my youth... I was in like a tribute band as it's my senior year of high school”
Michael Rausch@ 0:57 — Establishes personal motivation for Beastie Boys theme choice and lifelong fandom
“You can only wait so long, right? You can only wait so long.”
Michael Rausch@ 1:17 — Explains the decision to build a homebrew rather than wait for a commercial Beastie Boys machine
“We both play in tournaments, um, pretty competitively around the Seattle area. We didn't want the game to be easy... we really wanted to make something that would be challenging for us and others”
Stephen Donaldson@ 13:28 — Reveals competitive design philosophy behind game depth and difficulty
“This game would not be nearly as far along as it is from a code perspective without all those guys help... the homebrew community, I mean it really is a community at large”
Stephen Donaldson@ 40:19 — Acknowledges collaborative nature of homebrew pinball development and MPF community support
“I want a Beasty Boys game. Like that's the only band pin I would accept in my collection, right?”
Content creator (DRI374 host)@ 39:38 — Demonstrates strong community desire for commercial Beastie Boys machine
“There's a rumor... Stern. Just make it Jersey Jack. Make it American. Whatever. Just get it out there”
Content creator (DRI374 host)@ 40:03 — Teases unconfirmed rumors of commercial Beastie Boys pinball from major manufacturers; FOMO signal
product_launch: Beastie Boys homebrew approaching final completion with playfield art in printing stage; target debut at Northwest Pinball Show in two weeks
high · Stephen: 'It's being printed right now. Hopefully by Northwest show it's there and done'; Michael: 'The hope is we'll have the new playfield swapped out in time for the Northwest Pinball Show. That's two weeks'
gameplay_signal: Designers explicitly prioritized competitive challenge and skill-based gameplay over casual accessibility; modes feature timing mechanics, accuracy requirements, and risk-reward structures
high · Stephen: 'We both play in tournaments... pretty competitively around the Seattle area. We didn't want the game to be easy... we really wanted to make something that would be challenging'
design_innovation: Custom RGB lighting implementation using addressable LED strips mounted on aluminum L-brackets to playfield rails; non-intrusive design that doesn't interfere with playfield lifting
high · Michael demonstrates and explains LED rail system: 'It's just a little aluminum L bracket... it's not in the cabinet cuz when you lift the playfield, it's not in the way'
community_signal: Beastie Boys project demonstrates strong collaborative ethos within homebrew/MPF community; Stephen credits community members for problem-solving and technical guidance throughout development
high · Stephen: 'This game would not be nearly as far along as it is from a code perspective without all those guys help... everyone's quick to jump in'
personnel_signal: Stephen's journey from non-programmer legal professional to game coder via MPF framework demonstrates accessible entry point for new developers to homebrew community
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The next planned showing is at Northwest Pinball Show in two weeks, followed by Pinball Expo in October
high confidence · Michael: 'The hope is we'll have the new playfield swapped out in time for the Northwest Pinball Show. That's two weeks... Are you going to expo? That is also the plan'
Stephen has no prior programming experience; he is a legal professional by day
high confidence · Stephen: 'I've never coded anything before. You know, I'm a legal professional by day'
Michael is planning a second homebrew game and has already built the backbox and power systems; the theme is still being decided
high confidence · Michael: 'game number two. uh that I have already built the the in the backbox, put all the um all the boards together in the power sources. We just uh we're just still trying to figure out what uh theme we want'
“I didn't want it to be ridiculously complicated for my first one cuz I had no idea what I was doing, right? So I decided to take a bit of a fan, add an upper flipper, and then take aspects from games I liked”
Michael Rausch@ 4:01 — Explains design philosophy of balancing complexity with learning curve for first homebrew
“The idea is that you start your modes at the scoop... you can get there from the straight shot or from behind in the upper loop like the Rudy hideout on Funhouse”
Stephen Donaldson@ 9:17 — Shows integration of classic pinball design patterns into homebrew rules
“if you start playing well, you're more likely to finish the mode... we also made it so that this lower standup target down here by the lower pop will add time as well”
Stephen Donaldson@ 19:33 — Demonstrates skill-based mode design with risk-reward mechanics
“giving the player a lot of choice. Sometimes risk-reward but sometimes just like what do I want to do now... the multiballs can be started totally independently and they're always available to make progress on”
Stephen Donaldson@ 33:44 — Articulates design philosophy around player agency and mode flexibility
high · Stephen: 'I've never coded anything before. You know, I'm a legal professional by day... but then this the homebrew community... really is a community at large'
rumor_hype: Host teases unconfirmed rumor of commercial Beastie Boys pinball machine from major manufacturers; strong community appetite for official version evident
low · Host: 'There's a rumor... Stern. Just make it Jersey Jack. Make it American. Whatever. Just get it out there'; strong audience response to idea
design_philosophy: Designers prioritized giving players meaningful choices in mode progression; multiballs available independently with flexible advancement paths rather than linear progression
high · Stephen: 'giving the player a lot of choice... multiballs can be started totally independently and they're always available to make progress on'
technology_signal: Beastie Boys project uses open-source FAST hardware and MPF software; demonstrates viability of open platforms for homebrew development
high · Stephen: 'Fast and MPF... it's worked really well. Aaron's also local to us... he's been really helpful too'
event_signal: Game scheduled for Northwest Pinball Show (2 weeks post-GSPF 2026) and Pinball Expo (October); represents key exhibition dates for homebrew community visibility
high · Michael: 'The hope is we'll have the new playfield swapped out in time for the Northwest Pinball Show... Are you going to expo? That is also the plan'
collector_signal: Strong demonstrated desire for licensed band pinball machines; host expresses collecting motivation specifically tied to Beastie Boys theme; community sentiment suggests limited supply of band-themed machines
high · Host: 'I want a Beasty Boys game. Like that's the only band pin I would accept in my collection'; Michael: 'everyone's just like, Ah, why don't they make one of these?'
machine_intel: Michael confirms development of second homebrew game; backbox and electronics already constructed; theme selection in progress
high · Michael: 'game number two... I have already built the backbox, put all the um all the boards together... We just uh we're just still trying to figure out what uh theme we want'