Pinball Machine Review | The Most Highly Tuned Pimped Game I've Ever Played | Galactic Tank Force

Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama·video·15m 49s·analyzed·Oct 1, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.018

TL;DR

Gonzo reviews heavily modded Galactic Tank Force, praising it as underrated gem with stellar design.

Summary

Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama reviews a heavily customized Galactic Tank Force from American Pinball owned by Rob, featuring extensive 3D-printed mods, custom plastics from Colly Wobbles, and significant software input from the owner. The hosts praise the game as an underrated sleeper title with outstanding artwork by Chris Franchi, excellent lighting, and engaging original theme mechanics, attributing its market obscurity to poor release timing coinciding with other major pinball releases.

Key Claims

Galactic Tank Force is the best-lit pinball machine currently available
medium confidence · Host states during gameplay: 'This is by the way the best lit pinball machine that I think is out there'
Chris Franchi is the best pinball artist without question
medium confidence · Host opinion: 'Chris is the best pinball artist. Not even beyond doubt in my opinion'
Rob (owner) has had constant contact with American Pinball and helped develop software updates post-release
high confidence · Host states: 'Rob was in contact with them...he's actually helped them develop the software once it was released into software updates'
Galactic Tank Force's poor market visibility is due to crowded release timing, not game quality
medium confidence · Host speculation: 'When you talk about the release...it came out at a funny time. There was a lot released at the same time'
Within 2-3 years, used Galactic Tank Force machines may become hard to find as demand increases
low confidence · Host prediction: 'I would not be surprised if in two or three years time the people want to get hold of these and they can't'

Notable Quotes

“This is not just any any old Galactic Tank Force...This is Rob's Galactic Tank Force and this has been had everything done to it.”
Gonzo (host) @ ~1:20 — Establishes the machine as heavily customized and exceptional, setting expectations for the review
“This is by the way the best lit pinball machine that I think is out there.”
Gonzo (host) @ ~7:40 — Strong praise for lighting design; significant claim about GTF's technical execution
“Chris is the best pinball artist. Not even beyond doubt in my opinion.”
Gonzo (host) @ ~4:50 — Identifies Chris Franchi as top-tier artist; contextualizes artwork quality assessment
“I'm you know some of them get lost in the fog of there being so many pinball machines”
Gonzo (host) @ ~14:20 — Reflects on broader market saturation and how quality games can be overlooked
“This is an infinitely playable pinball machine.”
Gonzo (host) @ ~10:30 — High praise for gameplay depth and replayability
“This has been tuned to high heaven by Rob. He's just what he's like. He takes it apart and he tweaks it and he puts it back together.”
Gonzo (host) @ ~15:00 — Describes owner's obsessive customization approach and commitment to optimization

Entities

Galactic Tank Forcegame American PinballcompanyGonzopersonSpencerpersonRobpersonChris FranchipersonDennis NordmanpersonPete PetroskipersonColly Wobbles

Signals

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community_signal: American Pinball maintaining direct feedback loops with owners for post-release software optimization
high · Host describes Rob having 'constant contact with American people pretty much since the day they brought it out' and helping develop software updates
?
design_philosophy: Original IP themes offer creative freedom and flexibility not available with licensed properties
medium · Host: 'it is an original theme, so it's not a license, which has allowed them to go really...use their imagination'
$
market_signal: Galactic Tank Force release timing coincided with market saturation, contributing to reduced visibility despite quality
medium · Host speculation: 'it came out at a funny time. There was a lot released at the same time...some of them just get lost in the fog'
?
product_concern: GTF had significant issues out of box but has been addressed through software updates and community feedback
high · Host: 'when it was out the box, this game had had a lot of problems, but you shouldn't disguise it...it's a fantastic game' and describes Rob's role in software development input
~
sentiment_shift: Galactic Tank Force repositioned from problem-plagued launch title to underrated sleeper gem with market potential
high · Host: 'it's a fantastic game, a hugely underrated game' and prediction that availability may become constrained in 2-3 years as demand increases

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:10

Galactic Tank Force from American Pinball. You've seen this on the channel before. We were lucky enough to have one of these sent down. Um, thanks to Pinball Heaven sent us one. In fact, one of these, which is the top edition. So, this has got the full kit. Actually, when the back box is down, if you look at the back of the back box, Spence, you'll see there's a gun turret on it. So, actually the whole machine becomes a tank. It bloody does. Look at that. It bloody does. Look at that. There you go. And you actually see like There you go. And you actually see like the um Oh, that's just naughty. Oh, that's just naughty. Gamma ray thing or whatever. Whatever it Gamma ray thing or whatever. Whatever it is, the little flasher. the little flasher. Yeah. Yeah. This little red end is having a flash. This little red end is having a flash. Leave me out of it. Right. Leave me out of it. Right. This is not just any any old Galactic This is not just any any old Galactic Tank Force. Not just saying that because it's the top model. This is Rob's Galactic Tank Force and this has been had everything done to it. Robbers had constant um contact with American people pretty much since the day they brought it out. Even when I had one of these at my house, Rob was in contact with them. He I I think it would be fair to say that he's actually helped them develop the software once it was released into software updates by, you know, telling them what was wrong, what what the glitches were, all that sort of thing. So there's been a lot a lot of input from him that's gone into it. He's also done a load of mods. You can just cut come in and start looking at it, Spence. To be honest with you, he's done so many mods on here. There's um everything is sort of been individually 3D printed. So these plastics here, they're from they're from Colly Wobbles. He's got the Collie Wobbles plastics on it. Have some fun. But you've got this Have some fun. But you've got this little drain device on it here, which again when it was out the box, this game had had a lot of problems, but it shouldn't disguise it. It's a fantastic game, a hugely underrated game. I would not be surprised if in two or three years time the people want to get hold of these and and they can't. That how good it is. Um so all this this he's printed this, designed this. Um even the tank itself has been redesigned um which he's done. And actually inside, if you um I'm not going to pull him up there. You'll see when he pops up. He's not gray. He's actually, you know, in a full gold color, which you'll see on the screen. All these are new 3D prints that Rob's done. Um he's basically done this. So, this now matches the pop bumpers. You got the full light show in there. He's just done so much on this game. Um and one of the things I really like about this game is it is an original theme, so it's not a license. which has allowed them to go really

2:51

I I think just to use their imagination in terms of what they wanted to do and there's a really good team on you probably see and hear a lot of the team that's just disappeared off there you got Pete Petroski who was obviously involved in the champion pub uh this is Wow that's that's that's really Wow that's that's that's really interesting yeah yeah he he was he was heavily yeah yeah he he was he was heavily involved in it as well I mean it's got all here but it's a Dennis Nordman design of course Dennis Nordman Oh, we did White Water. Dennis Norman did Whitewater. Alvirara's House of Horrors. Um, and then it's Chris Franchie on the artwork. And the artwork is sensational. This I mean sensational. This I mean sensational. This back glass is stunning. It's a 3D This back glass is stunning. It's a 3D back glass. Yes, it is. Yes. Yes, it is. Yes. It's just I don't know whether the It's just I don't know whether the camera is going to pick it up if it will or not. Yeah. But when you're looking at it, it's incredible. It's It's stunning. But what I will say is actually just the original artwork even without the 3D is is just stunning. Um I mean he is the best at it. Chris Chris is the best pinball artist. Not even Yes. Not even beyond doubt in my opinion. And funny enough we were just looking at Evil Dead earlier which the first time I've seen Evil Dead. Incredible. He's just he's just got he's got such flare. got a real eye for color and what what colors you'd hope an artist did know how to match colors, but you know, but still it just looks absolutely brilliant. So, uh yeah, Rob's done a fantastic job here on what I think is a bit of a sleeper of a game actually. I think people will come to realize quite how good this is. Um so, we're going to have a just a quick couple of games now. Um just so as to get Spencer to enjoy it as well. We won't do doubles because it's We won't do doubles because it's involves a lot of swapping over the camera. I played and you can play. They filmed all these, you know, for the game. And get your hand on that shooter and see if get your hand on that shooter and see if you got the right touch. Good girl. Good girl. [Music]

13:34

[Applause] Spy bots are detected. Right. I I actually was I thought I was going to bounce past it across there. Um and um Yeah. What a game. Yeah. What a game. What a game. What a game. It looks fantastic. It looks fantastic. Yeah. I mean, it's it's it's an Yeah. I mean, it's it's it's an incredible game. I I enjoyed that. We're so lucky. We are so lucky with so We're so lucky. We are so lucky with so many good pinball machines around now that that some of them just get lost. So I'm I'm you know some of them get lost in the fog of there being so many pinball machines and funny we were talking about one earlier when we did Dirty Harry and I know it's an older game and there such a clamor to get some of the more famous older games titles that some of them just get lost and I just wonder because so many releases came out at the same time because maybe the problems American people were having at the time but you really got to look at the team that put this together when you talk about Frenchie when you talk about Norban when you talk about Petroski They a wonderful wonderful team who've made if you collectively put their pinball machines together, incredible really what they've done. I would just advise anyone to to have a play of this game. But make no mistake about it, you won't play as good a version of it as this cuz this has been this has been tuned to high heaven by Rob. He's just it's just what he's like. He takes it apart and he tweaks it and he puts it back together. If it's not right, he'll take it apart again. And if he hasn't the parts not right, he'll he'll manufacture a part and then he'll put it in there as well. So, um, it is plays beautifully. I mean, it plays absolutely beautifully. I'm not going to be able to record Spencer's game, so we need to end this video now. But Spencer's going to jump on this now, I'm sure. I think you have arguably played the I think you have arguably played the best Galactic Tank Force in the world. This is the best Galactic Tank Force in This is the best Galactic Tank Force in the galaxy. In the galaxy. Well done, Rob. Cheers. In the galaxy. Well done, Rob. Cheers. [Music]