One Pinball Machine That STOLE The Show at Pinball Expo 2025!

RetroRalph·video·19m 14s·analyzed·Oct 24, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.036

TL;DR

Winchester Mystery House steals Expo 2025 as boutique manufacturers gain momentum over Stern.

Summary

RetroRalph's comprehensive Pinball Expo 2025 video coverage reveals a significant momentum shift toward boutique manufacturers, with Barrels of Fun's Winchester Mystery House stealing the show. While Stern Pinball's booth saw reduced foot traffic compared to prior years, boutique makers like Barrels of Fun, Spooky Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball, and emerging companies like Hexa and Turner Pinball drew heavy crowds. The homebrew section saw record expansion and polish, and Harry Potter's new code update reinforced Jersey Jack Pinball's market dominance.

Key Claims

Winchester Mystery House sold out within the Expo weekend and people cannot get one if they didn't pre-order
high confidence · RetroRalph, concluding remarks: 'The downside to that is you can't get one. So, if you wanted one, I'm sorry, you're not going to be able to get it.'
Stern Pinball's booth was not as busy as prior years, possibly due to Star Wars fatigue
high confidence · RetroRalph observing Stern booth: 'It's just not quite as busy as other years... if you look at these different booths, people have really gravitated toward the boutique manufacturers. And I think Stern really thought Star Wars was going to be this big draw.'
Harry Potter received a major code update approximately one week before Expo 2025
high confidence · RetroRalph at JJP booth: 'everyone at this show is going to experience the brand new code. It just got released like a week ago as of filming this, and man, they brought it to the next level.'
Pinball Brothers Predator features music from original Predator composer Alan Silvestri
high confidence · RetroRalph discussing Predator: 'Alan Silvestri did the original score for Predator. There's a couple of his songs in it... his music really matched the Alan Silvestri soundtrack.'
The homebrew section was 3-5 times larger than the previous year
high confidence · RetroRalph: 'Behind me is the homebrew area. This year, this has a major upgrade. I can't tell you. This is probably like three, four, maybe even five times the size of last year.'
Chicago Gaming Company has a rumored spring release, possibly related to original Xbox launch title
medium confidence · RetroRalph at Chicago Gaming booth: 'there will be a game coming out sometime in the spring. And I'm going to just say if you played an original Xbox, then it probably was a game that you definitely played at launch.'
Spooky Pinball is gearing up for a Beetlejuice release and skipped booth presence at Expo 2025
medium confidence · RetroRalph: 'Spooky Pinball didn't have a booth at the show this year... Maybe the reason Spooky Pinball skipped the booth this year is simple. They're gearing up for their next big release, Beetlejuice.'

Notable Quotes

“The energy in the pinball world right now is off the charts. All the major players are here, and for the first time in a while, you can actually feel the tension in the air.”
RetroRalph@ 0:12 — Establishes the competitive market dynamic and industry shift toward boutique competition
“It's just not quite as busy as other years... people have really gravitated toward the boutique manufacturers.”
RetroRalph@ 2:07 — Key observation of foot traffic shift away from market leader Stern toward smaller competitors
“It was honestly obvious. It was Barrels of Fun with Winchester Mystery House.”
RetroRalph@ 18:07 — Explicit declaration of the standout game and manufacturer of the event
“The downside to that is you can't get one. So, if you wanted one, I'm sorry, you're not going to be able to get it.”
RetroRalph@ 18:38 — Emphasizes FOMO and sold-out status of Winchester Mystery House, demonstrating scarcity-driven demand
“It feels like the boutique manufacturers have the momentum right now. There's this shift happening. Fresh ideas, bold risks, and it's incredible to see.”
RetroRalph@ 17:25 — Captures the broader industry sentiment about market consolidation around boutique brands
“Everywhere you look, there was innovation, passion, and creativity on full display.”
RetroRalph@ 4:06 — Highlights the elevated quality and maturity of homebrew manufacturing, positioning it as a credible alternative

Entities

RetroRalphpersonBarrels of Funcompany David Van NesspersonStern PinballcompanyJersey Jack PinballcompanySpooky PinballcompanyHexacompanyWinchester Mystery Housegame

Signals

$
market_signal: Significant foot traffic shift at Pinball Expo 2025 away from Stern Pinball's booth toward boutique manufacturers (Barrels of Fun, Jersey Jack Pinball, emerging makers), suggesting market consolidation around smaller, design-focused companies
high · RetroRalph's direct observation of reduced Stern booth traffic and explicit statement that 'people have really gravitated toward the boutique manufacturers'
?
product_launch: Winchester Mystery House sold out immediately at Expo 2025 and is no longer available for purchase, creating significant FOMO in the collector community
high · RetroRalph: 'The downside to that is you can't get one. So, if you wanted one, I'm sorry, you're not going to be able to get it.'
?
code_update: Harry Potter received major code update approximately one week before Expo 2025 that improved gameplay significantly
high · RetroRalph: 'everyone at this show is going to experience the brand new code. It just got released like a week ago... they brought it to the next level.'
?
community_signal: Homebrew/independent pinball section at Expo 2025 expanded to 3-5x prior year size with significantly elevated polish and commercial-quality production, featuring games like Monster League Hockey, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokemon, The Greatest Showman, Big Trouble in Little China
high · RetroRalph: 'this has a major upgrade... probably like three, four, maybe even five times the size of last year... the level of polish these creators brought is starting to feel more like a commercial product'
?
design_innovation: Homebrew creators demonstrating sophisticated mechanical innovations (trap-and-go, rotating elements, synced lighting choreography) that rival commercial manufacturers

Topics

Boutique manufacturer momentum and market shift from Stern PinballprimaryWinchester Mystery House as Expo 2025 standout and sold-out success storyprimaryHomebrew section expansion and elevated polish of independent creatorsprimaryStern Pinball's reduced booth traffic and Star Wars fatigueprimaryHarry Potter's continued market dominance and code update receptionprimaryEmerging manufacturers (Hexa, Turner Pinball, Wonderland Amusements) gaining tractionsecondaryPredator widebody gameplay and licensing constraintssecondaryChicago Gaming Company's rumored spring release and retro game strategysecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— RetroRalph's coverage is enthusiastic about the broader pinball industry, particularly boutique manufacturers and the homebrew scene. He expresses genuine excitement about the energy and momentum shift, community connections, and creative innovation. Some mild criticism of Stern's booth traffic and American Pinball's direction, but overall tone is celebratory of the industry's health and diversity.

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

Welcome to Pinball Expo 2025. I can't even begin to tell you how fired up I am for this year's show. The energy in the pinball world right now is off the charts. All the major players are here, and for the first time in a while, you can actually feel the tension in the air. The big dog Stern Pinball might still be king of the hill, but the boutique companies like Barrels of Fun and Spooky are coming in hot, pushing boundaries and turning heads. This year, it's not about showing off machines. It's about making a statement. Who's going to steal the spotlight? Who's going to own Pinball Expo 2025? Let's dive in and find out. Oh my gosh, this game is amazing. The show has officially begun and people are flooding in. Where are they going to start? Winchester Mystery House, Predator, Fall of the Empire? I don't really know, but I'm going to show you a company from France that's gaining some ground within the pinball scene. So, let's see what they have going on over there. Hexa is still new to the US market. They haven't really had their big breakout moment, but you can feel it coming. Behind me, you're looking at the elegance version of Space Hunt. There's a classic and an elegance. The Elegance is mostly cosmetic differences, but some really cool ones. So, the back glass is mirrored back glass. All the armor is powder coated armor. The artwork on the side of the cabinet is called Side Shield. It kind of reminds me of JJP's Rad Cows. It's like a really high quality. It's rigid. and it just gets placed right on. But the attention to detail on these machines are pretty good. The only other thing too you get with the elegance is there's a shaker motor. You still get all the pin sound equipment, the audio equipment. I'm impressed with their attention to detail. And when uh when I met them, they were talking all about how that's important to them and it definitely shows in the aesthetics of the machine. Their game was genuinely fun to play and I really hope they find success here in the US. It's going to be exciting to see how their story unfolds. But now, let's shift gears and visit the veterans, the current kings of the pinball world, Stern Pinball. Okay, so we're in front of the Stern booth right now. And you know what? It's just not quite as busy as other years. I'm not sure why, but if you look at these different booths, people have really gravitated toward the boutique manufacturers. And I think Stern really thought Star Wars was going to be this big draw. Maybe people have Star Wars fatigue. I'm not really sure, but I'm just not seeing as many people into it as some of these other games that are on the show floor. Okay, I'm in front of the Pin Brothers Predator. This isn't Predator. We'll find it. We'll go find the real Predator. This isn't the fake Predator. We're going to find it. In the meantime, there's still plenty to see. Cheer, baby. Come on. I'm at the Barrels of Fun booth. They've got probably like three or four Winchester Mystery House games. The talk in the town right now is this game. It's designed by Carl D'Python Anghelo and the game captures the eerie charm of the real mansion. Twisting hallways, secret rooms, and staircases to nowhere. Winchester Mystery House feels alive, unpredictable, challenging, and absolutely unforgettable. But will it stand up to all these plays? And how will the community react to it? We're going to find out pretty soon. Behind me is the homebrew area. This year, this got a major upgrade. I can't tell you. This is probably like three, four, maybe even five times the size of last year. And while I love checking out all the new manufacturers and the old games, some of the real creativity comes from this booth right here. It's just a bunch of hobbyists who try to make games that maybe we couldn't license because the IP holder isn't going to allow them to. So you see lots of stuff like that or just creative things. The homebrew section this year was absolutely off the charts. They had more space, bigger crowds, and honestly the level of polish these creators brought is starting to feel more like a commercial product. Monster League hockey, Sonic, dude, Pokemon, Adam. I get some speed when you go. And now now you can use your red flipper. The Greatest Showman. The list just goes on. Everywhere you look, there was innovation, passion, and creativity on full display. If you were part of the homebrew section this year, take a bow because homebrew was the talk of the town at Expo. So, I'm in front of the greatest showman. This is actually a 1990 Williams whirlwind that they reskinned, but this is way more than a reskin. The thing looks awesome. This had been at other shows before, but I never got a chance to check it out. One of the standouts at the show for me was The Greatest Showman. Featuring custom code, full RGB lighting, and synced musical choreography that makes every flip feel like you're part of the show. It's passion projects like this that prove the homebrew scene is where innovation and pinball truly shines. I'm in the homebrew section in front of Monster League Hockey. I've been talking to Jake Danzig about this project for a little while now, and he's been teasing little things. People are having an absolute blast. If you've ever played like the head-to-head joust, think that, but way more modernized and way more fun. Damn, Jamie. I'm back, baby. Let's go. I don't have my gloves on. It plays a factor. And there's a bunch of people that collaborated on this project. So, it's not just Jake. He kind of spearheaded the project. It's very cool. I hope that they end up selling these cuz I honestly think there's a market for people that would want a game like this. It's different. It's unique. And it's very homebrew. So, Jack Danger was somehow talked into bringing his first full pinball project to the show thanks to a moto from Marco in the homebrew area. Aaron from Fast Pinball took the challenge of converting it from a Raspberry Pi build to the Fast platform and tried to get it flipping before the show ended. Was basically his resume into getting into the industry, which is super rad. Photos been trying to get me to bring this for years and she strong me this year to like That's awesome, man. I never did circle back to see if they pulled it off, but knowing that crew, they probably 100% did. That's what I love about the homebrew scene. Creators helping creators just pure passion for the game. Oh, and Jack built this crazy little tabletop pinball packed with a ton of spinners and a ramp. We played it way longer than we should have, but man, it was a total blast. If pinball seems out of your budget range, there are some consumer-friendly options on the floor this year. Now, building a pinball machine is not easy, especially when you're trying to hit a price point around a thousand bucks. That is a tough challenge. So, let's see if Wonderland Amusements has been able to turn their black box from last year into not only something worth playing, but something you'd consider buying to put in your game room. Okay, we're over at Wonderland Amusements. Now, last year they were here with just a box with nothing in it. So, in a year's time, they've come from a box with nothing in it to a playable 3/4 scale pinball machine. We did play it yesterday. I will say for the price point they're trying to hit. I I don't have these like ultra high expectations, but it wasn't that bad. The flipper strength felt good for the amount of the ball size and weight cuz obviously it's a smaller ball. It's not a regulation pinball. It's actually not bad. So, if someone's looking for a budget pinball machine for like a child to start getting into pinball or maybe just you want to collect something that you don't have the space, this could be a potential solution for you. Codewise, there's some things that I think are a little nuanced that need to be fixed, like the ball saver light isn't blink like a typical pinball machine. So, there's a couple things they could work on, but overall, I don't mind it. And they kind of teased that their next game is going to be something Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So, apparently, they must have got a license from Nickelodeon, so that's kind of interesting, too. You want to see something cool? Yeah, me too. This is big trouble in Little China. Too bad we can't actually see it. Guess what? There's a gigantic line to even play it. So, you know what I mean? It seems like momentum shifts around here where people are really trying to check out more of these homebrew games than stuff by the bigger manufacturers. I haven't even been able to play it yet. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to play it because honestly, the line's just been long the whole damn time. We're right over by Electric Playground. So, let's say hi to Rob, Alec, and Nick. I'm here in the Electric Playground booth. These guys have been absolutely crushing it lately. But they also have a circus Voltater topper here that they're revealing to people at the show at specific hours. So, I'm definitely going to want to come down and check that out. So, the guys at Electric Playground made this for me. I'm super stoked cuz uh I do a lot of work with Rob and the team over at Electric Playground. So, they've always been great partners. They've just been so fun. Mason did their Pulp Fiction topper video. We did the King Kong Topper. So, we've done a lot of cool work with them. See all the things that Electric Playground's doing. And if you want, you can even bring home a King Kong Topper. They have them here in boxes. Definitely come check these guys out. My man Chris Turner over at Turner Pinball is here again at the show. Obviously, you're probably familiar with his first product, which was Ninja Eclipse, but he's here with Merlin's Arcade. He sold the three that he put on the floor. And that makes me so happy for Chris because he is also a boutique manufacturer trying to bring a new product to market. So, I got I got distracted. I got distracted by this. This is awesome. Chris brings a lot of innovation to his games. He's a creative guy. He's pushing the envelope of what's possible. I love seeing this kind of stuff. So, I want to see continued success for Chris. So, hopefully Merlin's Arcade continues to be really great and we see whatever Chris's next title is going to be. Man, the support we got for our panel this year was just awesome. I was lucky enough to MC it and I was joined by some great dudes. Josh and Scott from Loser Kid and Joel and Jared from Flipping Out. We had such a blast up there and the crowd was really into it. The questions were great and it just felt like one big pinball family hanging out. Seriously, thank you to everyone who came out. It really does mean the world to us. And if you missed it, no worries. You can watch the full panel in replay. I'll drop a link in the video description. Over the years, I've built some incredible friendships with folks I've met at Expo. This time, we decided to take a breather from the show and head down to Logan's Arcade. It's kind of become a little tradition, just hanging out, enjoying some games, sharing stories, and laughing together. Some of these friends I only see once a year, but we reconnect and it feels like no time has passed. We unwind, we laugh, and we remember exactly why we love this hobby so much. So, when the doors opened, the first place I went was the Pinball Brothers booth to play Predator. The reason why is because there was so much controversy over this game's launch. There were some people that just automatically rode it off because Arnold wasn't in it. He's kind of in it. I mean, you do see him at times. You'll see like part of his arm or him falling back, but you never really see his face. You're not allowed to see his face because of licensing issues, but whatever. My hands are already sweaty. I need my gloves, man. The music stood out to me big time. Alan Sylvestri did the original score for Predator. There's a couple of his songs in it, but I was able to speak with the original composer, and the thing that stood out is that his music really match the Alan Sylvestri soundtrack, which was really exciting. Now, you're probably wondering, how does it shoot? It shoots pretty good, but it is a widebody, so it can be a little slow and floaty. I need more time on it, but I like it a lot more than I thought I would. And there's still plenty more to see. Here's a booth that's been packed the entire time. Okay, so now we're in the main Jersey Jack booth. It's obviously Harry Potter heavy, but there's a reason for that. The game is selling like crazy. Everyone that plays it absolutely loves it. But what's really cool is everyone at this show is going to experience the brand new code. It just got released like a week ago as of filming this, and man, they brought it to the next level. The game is already super fun, but they upped it with the code update. So, if you come to the show or you're going to be here, definitely play Harry Potter. If you're watching this after the show, go find one on location. I promise you, you're going to have a ton of pinball fun. Even Carrie likes Harry Potter. He actually got rid of his King Kong for a Harry Potter, right? Yeah. Yeah. See, it's coming. He's getting an arcade edition. He loves it. The guy loves it. Look at him. I don't know when I'm getting it. Look at him. And he's so handsome. He's so handsome. Would you Is there anybody in the pinball community you'd believe more? And just look at his face. He looks He looks like he's dependable. He's reliable. He'll snuggle you if you want. I will. I was This is true. They bring all 11 of their games and they set them up for you. So, you get to play every single game in the Jersey Jack catalog, but you also have the stuff in the booth. So, if you want to experience, like maybe you're newer to Jersey Jack or maybe you're just someone that hasn't explored other pinball manufacturers, you can literally play every single game in their catalog. And then if you want to just hang out and play just a bunch of Harry Potter, there's a bunch of it set up in their booth right here to my right. All right, we're over at the CGC booth. Here you can play Cactus Canyon Remake and the Medieval Madness Merlin Edition. So, there isn't anything newer than that, but the rumor is that there will be a game coming out sometime in the spring. And I'm going to just say if you played an original Xbox, then it probably was a game that you definitely played at launch. And I think that might give you a hint or clue as to what CGC might be up to. Time will tell. So, big trouble in Little China. It's still packed. It's still busy. I still can't play it. I want to play it. Everyone that's playing it says they love it, but the line just won't die down. I'm in front of the Pastimes Arcade booth. If you don't know what Pastimes Arcade is, it's an arcade in Gerard, Ohio. It's Rob Burke's arcade. He started it. It's all his collection really. I mean, it's not all of it, but it's it's a large majority of it. And if you love pinball, this is a place you have to go. It's absolutely an arcade destination. Think of it like Gallop and Ghost. Gallop and Ghost is an arcade destination. Pastimes Arcade is a destination if you love pinball. So, this is just a small curation of the games he has, but it's cool to see him advertising for it. If you want to learn more about it, I actually have a full video. We were there for the grand opening. Definitely check it out. I think you'll really enjoy it. The thing about Expo, it's not all about new manufacturers or new games. There's tons of classics here to play. There's like two or three rows of classic games here. They're all in great condition. Some of them you can even buy if you're interested in them. The whole point is is if you come to Expo, don't just stick with the things you know. Try to branch out in some of these older games, especially if you're someone that really hasn't branched out. You'll find the code sets and the rules are a little bit more rudimentary, but they're really fun to play some of these games. So, don't sleep on the old stuff. There's plenty of older games for you to enjoy here at Expo, too. We're here in front of American Pinball. And honestly, there's not a whole lot to report. You see behind me this Whirle Ball. This is a prototype product, but this kind of falls under their main category brand now called Orbit Games. They're kind of reinventing themselves as an amusement company. So, we're going to probably see other products other than pinball machines, although I think American Pinball will still exist as a subcategory. So, I don't know. Maybe we'll see American Pinball release new pinball machines, although it seems like they're really more focused on these amusement brands. They also do distribution for the Polycade. It's something that uh you can sit on your wall. It's actually a pretty cool product. I have one at home. It's a multicade arcade device. So, it's a little unclear where they're going, but they definitely seem to have somewhat of a plan, but we'll see what happens in the future. The booth is a little underwhelming, though, cuz really there's nothing new pinball related. I'm in front of the Project Pinball booth. They are here every year. It's a great charity and the silent auction is something that I participate in every year. I MC the event. This is my second year doing it. What's great about it though is they supply pinball machines to children's hospitals, Ronald McDonald houses for kids in need. It brings joy to their day. It's pretty awesome and they've been doing this for years. So, I would urge you not only to come and check them out if you're at an event, you can go to projectpinball.com and find out a lot about them. You can participate in other auctions they have. They're oftent times auctioning off pinball machines and things like that. They're a give back community, so definitely check out Project Pinball. Spooky Pinball didn't have a booth at the show this year, but that didn't stop the buzz. Great American Pinball rolled in with a bunch of modded Evil Dead machines fully loaded and ready to play or buy. The price $16,500 plus tax. Yeah, that's steep. But the demand for Evil Dead continues. With only 888 units ever made, people are scrambling to lock one down. And maybe the reason Spooky skipped the booth this year is simple. They're gearing up for their next big release, Beetlejuice. If Evil Dead is any hint of what Spooky's bringing next, you might want to call your local DRO because when the game hits, it's going to vanish fast. Or press one for more options. Hey man, it's me. Um, I just need the final voice over something punchy. High energy. All right, bye. I'm going to do this right now. It's going to be a one take. Ready? High energy heartfelt ending. Here we go. It feels like the boutique manufacturers have the momentum right now. There's this shift happening. Fresh ideas, bold risks, and it's incredible to see. The fact that we have so many choices in pinball today, that's a win for every one of us who loves this hobby. But in the end, pinball isn't just about the games. It's about the people, the shared moments, the laughter, the friendships that stick with you long after the lights go out. This community, it's something special. I got to reconnect with old friends, make a few new ones, and be reminded that pinball at its heart is about connection. I promised you in the beginning of the video I would let you know who stole the show. It was honestly obvious. It was Barrels of Fun with Winchester Mystery House. Players are calling it beautiful with fast, unexpected ball paths, brutal side drains, and an upper flipper that delivers some of the most fun and satisfying shots in pinball today. The line has been constant the whole entire weekend. And all the feedback I've heard about this game is, "Oh my gosh, this game is amazing." The downside to that is you can't get one. So, if you wanted one, I'm sorry, you're not going to be able to get it. So, hats off to Barrels of Fun. They really did a great job. David Van Es, you knocked this one out of the park. You stole the show at Expo. Until next time, we'll see you at Expo 2026. Till next year, Expo, it's been an absolute blast.