The Pinball Show Ep 140 BONUS: Top Stories With Craig Bobbie

Pinball Show Patreon Feed·podcast_episode·11m 25s·analyzed·Nov 6, 2023

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.023

TL;DR

Barrels of Fun's Labyrinth and JJP's Elton John emerge as standout hits at Chicago Pinball Expo.

Summary

Craig Bobbie reviews the Chicago Pinball Expo, highlighting two major new releases: Barrels of Fun's Labyrinth (a Jim Henson licensed game featuring David Bowie's music) and Jersey Jack Pinball's Elton John Pinball (designed by Steve Ritchie). Both games impressed crowds and represent strong debuts for their respective manufacturers, with Labyrinth selling out on-site and Elton John offering excellent shooting mechanics and value compared to other JJP titles.

Key Claims

Barrels of Fun allocated approximately 1,100 units for total Labyrinth production
high confidence · Craig Bobbie directly states 'the 1100 units that they have chosen to make'
Barrels of Fun sold out all on-site inventory at Expo (a dozen pre-made games plus preallocated direct sales)
high confidence · Craig states 'Barrels of Fun quickly sold out of a dozen or so premade games they had brought to the show and then proceeded to sell out of the other games they had preallocated for direct sale'
Elton John is Jersey Jack Pinball's best shooting game to date and features Steve Ritchie's strongest shot design work
medium confidence · Craig's opinion: 'deliver what I think is easily JJP's best shooting game to date' and 'Steve Ritchie's greatest hit shots of pinball'
Elton John Pinball has 16 selectable David Bowie multi-winning songs available from first plunge
high confidence · Craig states 'choosing one of his 16 multi-winning songs spanning his incredible career' and 'music from the first plunge'
Chicago Pinball Expo will hold its 40th anniversary show next year at the same Renaissance location
high confidence · Craig states 'The pinball exposition with their 40th anniversary show next year at the same location'
Deep Root Pinball's failure continues to create skepticism among buyers toward new manufacturers
high confidence · Craig notes Deep Root 'left its scars on this hobby that can still be felt to this day' and explains how it makes collectors 'more skeptical and wary of any newcomers'
Labyrinth features a topper rivaling Stern's Black Knight topper in design quality
medium confidence · Craig's opinion: 'brilliant topper rivaling Stern's own Black Knight topper for looking like it was plucked directly from Jim Henson's puppet studio'

Notable Quotes

“I believe the company also gave fans a pinball hope that in fact it was possible to create a company from scratch that could acquire a compelling license and create a game that was actually a good shooter, had good rules, good art, well thought out code, good build quality, and yes true believers, build and deliver said game in a reasonable amount of time.”
Craig Bobbie — Expresses how Barrels of Fun's execution on Labyrinth restored confidence in new manufacturers after years of startup failures
“Certainly the crowds at Expo couldn't have agreed more. The lineups to play Labyrinth were always long, right to the bitter end of every day the show was open.”
Craig Bobbie — Documents strong consumer interest and long play queues for Labyrinth throughout the Expo
“Finally, raise the sweet lord above! And finally, I believe Steve has inspired JJP to deliver their first game which actually has tremendous flipper feel and power.”
Craig Bobbie — Highlights Elton John as a breakthrough in JJP's flipper mechanics, previously a weakness
“I mean, can you imagine a music pin that is actually playing music from the first plunge? Yes, Elton John is much like the artist himself: over the top in every way”
Craig Bobbie — Praises the thematic integration and music implementation in Elton John Pinball
“So bravo Barrels of Fun, bravo! [for] doing what so many games from either new or established manufacturers have failed to do: ignite our collective pinball imaginations and make us believe that pinball miracles can and still do happen.”
Craig Bobbie — Strong endorsement of Barrels of Fun as a legitimate manufacturer breaking the new-startup curse

Entities

Barrels of Funcompany Labyrinthgame Jersey Jack PinballcompanyElton John PinballgameCraig BobbiepersonDavid Van Nessperson Steve Ritchieperson

Signals

?
product_launch: Barrels of Fun Labyrinth and Jersey Jack Pinball Elton John both debuted at Chicago Pinball Expo with strong sales and player reception
high · Craig confirms both games were showcased and Labyrinth sold out all on-site inventory; Elton John generated long play queues
~
sentiment_shift: Barrels of Fun's successful Labyrinth launch appears to have shifted community skepticism toward new manufacturers after Deep Root Pinball failures
high · Craig explicitly notes Deep Root's scars still felt but states Barrels 'gave fans a pinball hope' and are 'the real deal' — potential turning point in market confidence
?
design_philosophy: Steve Ritchie's design work on Elton John represents a refinement of his classic shot design principles with improved flipper mechanics
high · Craig praises 'Steve Ritchie's greatest hit shots of pinball' and highlights improved 'flipper feel and power' as JJP's first game to achieve this
?
gameplay_signal: Elton John Pinball implements music selection from first plunge and maintains engaging multiball balance without oversaturation
high · Craig highlights 16 selectable songs from start and notes game 'doesn't swamp players with multiball after endless multiball'
?
collector_signal: Both Labyrinth and Elton John generating strong collector interest; theme resonance drives purchasing decisions despite high price points
high · Craig notes 'theme for you will win the day' and expects both to be 'huge sales and design successes' with strong secondary market potential

Topics

Chicago Pinball Expo 2024 coverageprimaryBarrels of Fun Labyrinth release and receptionprimaryJersey Jack Pinball Elton John release and receptionprimaryNew manufacturer credibility and startup risk in pinballsecondarySteve Ritchie design philosophy and flipper mechanicssecondaryMusic-themed pinball gamessecondaryTheme licensing and IP in pinballmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Craig is enthusiastic about both games, particularly Labyrinth as a breakthrough moment for new manufacturers and Elton John as JJP's finest achievement. Some cautionary notes about production hurdles ahead, but overall tone is celebratory and optimistic.

Transcript

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The following episode contains adult language and screaming goats. Listener discretion is advised. The Pinball Network is online. Launching The Pinball Show. Thanks again for the ongoing support as a Pinball Show Club member. Enjoy this exclusive TPS content and make sure to visit the Pinball Show Club Discord to chat about the bonus material. Yes, hello, good to be back and welcome to the Pinball Show's Top Stories. I'm Craig Bobby. Well another Pinball Expo is in the books. And what an Expo it was. If it's one thing that organizers Rob Burke and DaveFix know how to do, it's to put on what I think is The best pinball exposition in the biz. Yes Dennis, this year, believe it or not, the event at the Renaissance hotel nestled in the sleepy Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois really came into its own as there were better vendors, better marketplace hours, better seminars, fantastic games of all vintages to play, and a venue hall that didn't see patrons crammed into a tiny ballroom space, meaning so much more room to actually spread out, get some good airflow in there, and not feel like you're Depending N Out Kun Berry youtube here at Fortnite All kinds of projects such as setting up airplanes doesn'tnam use pinball hockey, rundown administrators do pawn estanierl woods of不是 crises express the tack посадиях This raw chaos and f 조�n at fin National Netflix manage, disney' Christian et Cola,ari倍 the The pinball exposition with their 40th anniversary show next year at the same location. But enough about the location and all the amazing folks that attended, let's get down to business. Remember the days during COVID where the idea was conceived of pinball manufacturers never needing to release or announce a new game during a trade show? Well maybe if those shows didn't exist anymore, but since COVID fans of pinball have come back to these shows Tinkering with the world pinball industry Pinball is a great opportunity for manufacturers to do exciting new releases or first looks at their latest titles while getting critical feedback from potential buyers and players Yes this year the Chicago Pinball Expo certainly had a couple of real beauties that in Classic Pinball Matchup gave potential buyers two amazing choices to own the hottest and newest pinball releases First up you had the unknown newcomer to the pinball manufacturing scene with Barrels of Fun Pinball and their first pinball effort based on the 80s iconic Jim Henson fantasy The adventure movie Labyrinth, including the music and likeness of David Bowie himself. Now I have to admit I was extremely skeptical when I first heard about Barrels of Fun existence, of course immediately going to our collective pinball hobbies experience with so many new startups having less than stellar launches, most recently from the now defunct Deeproot Pinball which left its scars on this hobby that can still be felt to this day. And frankly, it's companies like Deep Root that make us all more skeptical and wary of any newcomers into this hobby that dare attempt to make a game that might actually work, be fun, and be reliably manufactured and delivered to eager buyers. So I'm sure like many others, when I heard that Barrels first title would be Labyrinth, I groaned at the thought of such a perfectly 80s vintage movie theme with its own cult following going to waste on a company that would ultimately be less than. Goddamnit! Not only did designer and co-founder of Barrels of Fun, David David Van Es deliver a very compelling and polished first effort with Labyrinth Pinball, but he and his team actually did something more! I believe the company also gave fans a pinball hope that in fact it was possible to create a company from scratch that could acquire a compelling license and create a game that was actually a good shooter, had good rules, good art, well thought out code, good build quality, and yes true believers, build and deliver said game! In a reasonable amount of time. In fact, the more you look at Labyrinth and Barrels of Fun, the more you realize that these guys are in fact the real deal, and I believe may have tremendous upside with future titles they have or are attempting to acquire for their second or even third releases. And certainly the crowds at Expo couldn't have agreed more. The lineups to play Labyrinth were always long, right to the bitter end of every day the show was open. After returning home and watching the movie again, I'm only reminded by how great the adaption of this movie license is in this machine. And while I loathe the often coined expression, world under glass, I have to say it's probably the best description of the labyrinth, playfield, sculpts and mechs that are cleverly placed and integrated around the playfield, along with the extra option of a brilliant topper rivaling Stern's own Black Knight topper for looking like it was plucked directly from Jim Henson's puppet studio, further recreating, in pinball form, the world of Labyrinth. Certainly the crowds at Expo were loving it as I saw men women and children all tapping their feet and dancing to Bowie cheesy but iconic dance magic dance during various multiballs as barrels of fun quickly sold out of a dozen or so premade games they had brought to the show and then proceeded to sell out of the other games they had preallocated for direct sale putting them well on their way to what I think will be an eventual sellout of the 1100 units that they have chosen to make once more of these get into locations and into other buyers hands I'm getting a little ahead of myself here as there will be some additional production hurdles for them to cross a la Dutch or haggis pinball to make the most skeptical buyers true believers, but I'm going to say congratulations anyway to Barrels of Fun and their labyrinth pinball machine for doing what so many games from either new or established manufacturers have failed to do. Ignite our collective pinball imaginations and make us believe that pinball miracles can and still do happen. So bravo barrels of fun, bravo! But wait, don't let those sexy David Bowie GoblinKing eyes and a lot of world under glass fill you before you go emailing Zach and Nicole at FlippinOutPinball to order that elaborate... Bye bye bye! Let's not forget what I'm calling not only the sleeper hit or the most underrated game of Expo this year, but I think it could also be one of the most fun music pins I've ever played in Jersey Jack's Elton John Pinball. Say whaaaaat? Yes, I know, who knew that the theme of the now godfather of glam rock in Elton John could in fact reignite the fire of this aging pinball wizard and so many others that expo and deliver what I think is easily JJP's best shooting game to date. Kong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong. Say what? Yes, you heard me, Steve Ritchie is back everyone and he certainly delivered, much like the music of this Elton John machine with what I'm calling Steve Ritchie's greatest hit shots of pinball. Now as many of you have rightly pointed out, you'll note the warp shot from Star Trek is there, reminding you with the occasional hilarious photon torpedo sound effect when you hit it, along with other similar great shots from Led Zeppelin, Spider-Man, but as soon as you hit start, you instantly don't care, as the game is so damn fun to shoot, with two blazing opto spinners at the entrances of ramps and loops that help deliver the smooth, Steve Ritchie flow we all come to love and expect. Finally, finally, raise the sweet lord above! And finally, I believe Steve has inspired JJP to deliver their first game which actually has tremendous flipper feel and power. Hold on! Holy Spirit activate! Holy Spirit activate! Holy Spirit activate! Activate! Activate! Activate! Alright, let's go! And if that was all that Elton John gave players, even that might be considered a success for JJP. But here's another shocker. Another shocker Elton John immediately has you start by choosing one of his 16 multi winning songs spanning his incredible career which all sound amazing as a backdrop to this colorful and slick shooting game I mean, can you imagine a music pin that is actually playing music from the first plunge? What do you mean? Ha! Ha! What are you just saying? Yes, Elton John is much like the artist himself. Over the top in every way from the brilliant and colorful Christopher Franchi playfield art which Which is laced with glitter, a dazzling signature JJP light show, and amazing animations and collards. And thankfully also doesn't swamp players with multiball after endless multiball. Not to mention an ingenious center mech and physical ball lock of a moving Elton John playing his grand piano with a very cool LED dot matrix display on the side of it. The game's code courtesy of Bill Grupp and Joe Katz is very approachable with what seems to be the right depth and The pinball machine is a great balance to allow new players to instantly start having fun and more seasoned pinball wizards like Joe Engelberth, sorry Travis and Tom, to start digging in on how to stack multiballs and get to the next wizard mode. And while the price of this music gem of a pinball machine may seem like a rocket ride for your wallet, by the time you add up what the platinum or CE features would be worth as accessories or extras to match what you'd pay from other manufacturers, there really is true value there from JJP. The included topper on both trim levels, their hot rail lighting system, powder coated armor, radcal cabinet art, inner art blades, the list goes on. Once you cost all of those included features from either trim level, you start to see that JJP games are, in general, actually priced quite fairly versus other manufacturers and offer the buyer a ready to go, full featured option versus a stripped out version at a lower cost. So, what do you do? Because when the dust and hype settles down on these two titles, buyers are left with an impossible choice if in fact you have to choose just one. And as it always does, theme for you will win the day. There are many that will in fact pass on both of these titles as these themes do not resonate for them. However, I think once players actually play and get in front of both of these tables like me, many opinions will begin to change and soften. I think both Labyrinth and Elton John have their place in any collector's very respectable lineup and I have no doubt that both will go down as huge sales in design successes. Well that's all for this week for the Pinball Show. I'm Craig Bobby. Catch you on the flip side. Th southeast