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SDTM: a pinball show Episode 23: The Shadow Review

Straight Down the Middle·video·27m 25s·analyzed·Jun 25, 2017
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.035

TL;DR

SDTM hosts rate The Shadow as near-perfect A-tier classic pinball despite theme/art limitations.

Summary

Filthy Ass Greg, Devin, and Zach Sharpe review The Shadow (Williams/Bally), a classic 1990s pinball machine they argue deserves A-tier status alongside Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars. The hosts praise its innovative dual-flipper diverter mechanics, exceptional shot layout, sophisticated ruleset, and best-in-class ball lock (the Sanctum), though opinions diverge on artwork and theme execution. Final scores: Greg gives A- (3.78 GPA), Devin gives B (lower overall due to theme and art concerns).

Key Claims

  • The Shadow is on par with Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars in terms of game quality, or even superior to them

    medium confidence · Greg (Filthy Ass Greg) states: 'I would rather have The Shadow than Medieval Madness or Attack from Mars' and 'I think The Shadow is on point with the other two' (Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars).

  • The Shadow has one of the best, if not the best, ball locks in pinball (the Sanctum)

    high confidence · Zach states: 'I would say that The Shadow is maybe the best ball lock 'in there' or similar interjection pinball' and both hosts agree.

  • The Shadow's shot layout and design is superior to Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars

    medium confidence · Hosts debate layout quality; Zach claims 'It's laid out a lot better than Medieval Madness. It's laid out a lot better from Attack from Mars' with agreement from Greg.

  • The Shadow is faster/more combo-oriented than Johnny Pinball (likely Addams Family pinball)

    medium confidence · Hosts discuss speed: 'The Shadow is much faster than Johnny Pinball Mnemonic that we reviewed before.' This appears to be a reference to another reviewed game.

  • The Shadow has innovative dual-flipper diverter mechanics that enable four distinct ramp shots instead of typical two

    high confidence · Detailed explanation of the air diverter: 'on the side of the game you see two buttons the red button is responsible for the flippers and the blue button is responsible for switching that diverter so you essentially have four ramps for ramp shots which is really unique'

  • Tim Curry provides the voice work/callouts for The Shadow and is a major highlight of the game

    high confidence · Zach confirms: 'Tim Curry is awesome. I need to watch the movie.' Hosts praise his callouts and mode narration.

  • The Shadow movie (featuring Alec Baldwin) is poorly executed, with Tim Curry as the only redeeming element

    medium confidence · Devin: 'I tried watching the movie. Really? Is that bad? Oh, it's bad.' Zach notes Baldwin's performance isn't good and Tim Curry is 'the only good part.'

Notable Quotes

  • “I would rather have The Shadow than Medieval Madness or Attack from Mars. Whoa! Whoa!”

    Filthy Ass Greg @ ~3:30 — Greg makes a bold claim elevating The Shadow's status above two universally-praised Williams classics, setting the frame for the entire review.

  • “The Shadow is definitely faster. It definitely is faster. You hit an outer orbit. Bam. Outer orbit, third flip or inner orbit. Oh, boy, oh, boy.”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~18:00 — Demonstrates the game's mechanical excellence through description of combo potential and ball movement.

  • “I'm such a pump I don't want to talk up this game because I'm afraid people are going to buy it and I'm not going to get one.”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~28:30 — Reveals collector mentality and deep personal affection for the machine; indicates scarcity/desirability in secondary market.

  • “It's another one of those pins that the theme is what killed it at first. But then people learned this is a damn good game.”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~42:00 — Captures the narrative arc of The Shadow's community perception: initially underrated due to weak theme/movie, later appreciated as mechanical masterpiece.

  • “It is an A category game. Again, I think the theme's what keeps it from being universally loved.”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~48:30 — Synthesizes the core tension in The Shadow's reception: elite game mechanics hampered by mediocre IP.

  • “a well-rounded game is going to probably rank higher than a game that you freaking love but has one bad thing”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~45:00 — Articulates the review methodology and explains why The Shadow's theme drags down its overall score despite mechanical excellence.

  • “Tim Curry? Is that his name, the guy that even Steven The King said? Yeah, Tim Curry. Oh, my God, he's the best in this game.”

    Devin @ ~37:00 — Identifies Tim Curry as the standout element of the game's presentation and a draw for players unfamiliar with the IP.

Entities

Filthy Ass GregpersonDevinpersonZach SharpepersonThe ShadowgameTim CurrypersonAlec BaldwinpersonMedieval Madnessgame

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: SDTM podcast uses detailed scoring rubric (Art/Shots/Rules/Toys/Music/Theme) with GPA conversion to enable systematic game ranking and comparison

    high · Zach explains methodology: 'We evenly distribute each category... a well-rounded game is going to probably rank higher than a game that you freaking love but has one bad thing.' Plans to add GPA scores for ranking consistency.

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Collector community recognizes The Shadow as difficult to acquire (scarce in quality condition) despite moderate secondary market availability

    medium · Zach: 'I'm such a pump I don't want to talk up this game because I'm afraid people are going to buy it and I'm not going to get one.' Indicates he believes discussing quality will drive demand and reduce his acquisition prospects.

  • ?

    design_philosophy: The Shadow contains Brian Eddy Easter eggs that transform subsequent modes into novelty modes (duck/laughing callouts), adding hidden depth but potentially distracting from serious play

    low · Devin mentions Easter egg activation leading to 'quacking ducks or something like that.' Zach's reaction ('That's bad. That's bad. Don't do that.') suggests the feature is divisive or poorly received.

  • ?

    design_philosophy: The Shadow's theme/IP (1994 movie, Alec Baldwin) is viewed as a weakness that limits collector appeal and requires players to divorce gameplay enjoyment from thematic immersion

    high · Multiple hosts note theme as limiting factor. Devin rates theme C- and acknowledges 'the movie sucked.' Zach: 'the theme kind of kills it for me because I'm not a big fan of The Shadow' but acknowledges game transcends this.

  • ?

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.082

0:00
You hit it off with a bumper, now you're straight down the middle again. Middle again. You had a fling with a slingshot, you're rolling out the island again.
0:12
I tried to cradle you with my flipper, it was all in vain. It was all in vain. Baby, baby, baby, why are you doing me wrong? Do me wrong. Don't you remember the good days when we used to get along? What's happening everybody? This is straight down the middle. We were talking about some really inappropriate stuff before you guys popped in here. This is Filthy Ass Greg and this is Devin and Zach. What's up? So today, Gregory, what are we doing? We're reviewing The Shadow. The Shadow Knows. Another underrated game. Well, not really underrated now at this point. It was an underrated game at one point. Yeah, it's been promoted. Yeah. to top tier. Is it a top tier game?
1:01
I'd consider it a top tier game. I don't think people throw it in with like Theater of Magic. I think they still think it's a B ranked game. I agree. What do they call it? B level or B? Yeah, whatever they throw at it. Class B. Yeah, they don't think it's Medieval Madness or anything like that. They don't hold it in that category. Hey, I'm not saying that. I do. I do too. What I like about this game is Brian Andy made three games. Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, The Shed. Yeah, and I think the Shadow is on point with the other two. Honestly do. I think that just the theme and the fact that it was linked to the movie. You guys want to hear something crazy? We're going to get into the reviews here, but I've got to tell you this because I feel so strongly about this game. I would rather, this is crazy, I would rather have the Shadow than Medieval Madness or Attack from Mars. Whoa! I'd rather have Attack from Mars maybe.

  • The Shadow features Easter egg modes that can be activated through Brian Eddy design mechanics

    medium confidence · Devin mentions: 'Brian Brian Eddy Easter eggs. If you can find a way, it's enough Easter eggs and you can activate them, your next mode will turn it into the duck. Or it's laughing. Laughing or quacking ducks or something like that.'

  • Secondary market prices for The Shadow range from $3,000 for basic units to $4,000 for immaculate condition machines

    medium confidence · Devin: 'You can pick up one that you're going to have to tinker around with for about $3,000... A decent one's been overhauled or serviced out and set for $3,500. An immaculate one for $4,000.'

  • The mini-playfield on The Shadow is one of the best, if not the best, mini-playfield in pinball history

    medium confidence · Zach: 'Mini Playfield is, again, one of the best, if not the best, mini playfields.' Devin: 'I could not think of anything' better, and both agree it surpasses Twilight Zone's magnetic feature.

    • “You need to go get one, Greg... At $3,500, I think it's a hell of a steal.”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~50:00 — Market valuation signal; positions The Shadow as excellent value in the secondary market for serious players.

  • “The Sanctum... maybe the best ball lock in pinball... it pulls it back just like a there's The Shadow or something especially if you have the little brick wall”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~30:00 — Highlights a signature mechanical feature that elevates The Shadow's toy design above peers; notes customization potential.

  • “Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of man.”

    Zach Sharpe @ ~43:00 — References the iconic Shadow catchphrase, demonstrating how the game's theme/presentation has become embedded in player culture despite weak movie IP.

    • Attack from Mars
    game
    Brian Eddyperson
    The Addams Familygame
    Walking Deadgame
    Straight Down the Middle: a pinball showorganization
    Twilight Zonegame
    Rocketeergame
    Doug Watsonperson
    Rick (Romulus X)person
    Cometcompany
    Johnny Pinballgame
    Game of Thronesgame
    The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbitgame
    Bone Cairnsperson

    design_philosophy: Brian Eddy's design approach emphasizes mechanical innovation and shot layout excellence over flashy IP-driven theming; theme/IP often secondary to gameplay

    medium · Hosts argue The Shadow's mechanical excellence transcends its weak movie IP: 'it becomes its own character and you don't worry about the movie so much. You worry about the play field graphics.'

  • $

    market_signal: Secondary market pricing for The Shadow is stable and attractive: $3,000-$4,000 for good condition machines; positioned as value acquisition for serious collectors

    high · Devin: 'You can pick up one that you're going to have to tinker around with for about $3,000... A decent one's been overhauled or serviced out and set for $3,500. An immaculate one for $4,000.' Zach: 'At $3,500, I think it's a hell of a steal.'

  • ?

    community_signal: Content creator 'Bone Cairns' has produced instructional/strategy video for The Shadow demonstrating combo play and loop shots; indicates growing educational content ecosystem around the title

    medium · Zach references: 'Bone Cairns shows you how to rack up a lot of points on The Shadow through the use of combos and The Shadow loops. So check out that video.'

  • ?

    product_strategy: The Shadow's dual-flipper diverter mechanic is a signature design feature that enables four distinct ramp shots, differentiating it from standard 2-ramp machines

    high · Detailed mechanic explanation: 'on the side of the game you see two buttons the red button is responsible for the flippers and the blue button is responsible for switching that diverter so you essentially have four ramps for ramp shots which is really unique'

  • ?

    product_concern: The Shadow's diverter mechanisms can become 'floppy and clanky' over time, requiring complex maintenance/repair

    medium · Greg: 'If they break, they're kind of a son of a gun to work on. I've had a The Shadow before where one of the diverters was floppy and clanky.'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: The Shadow has transitioned from underrated/B-tier status to near-universal A-tier recognition within competitive/enthusiast community

    high · Zach: 'Another underrated game. Well, not really underrated now at this point. It was an underrated game at one point. Yeah, it's been promoted.' Hosts discuss it as now ranking with Medieval Madness/Attack from Mars.

  • ?

    technology_signal: Aftermarket LED/lighting customization (Comet purple passion bulbs) is standard enthusiast enhancement for The Shadow, affecting visibility and aesthetic appeal of mode inserts

    medium · Zach: 'if you have a The Shadow and you haven't put... Comet purple passion bulbs in there in your mode inserts, you're doing it all wrong.' Indicates lighting mods are expected enhancements.

    • 1:53
    Medieval Madness, I don't know, man. I love Medieval Madness. Yeah, but it's a damn good game. Let's review the hell out of this game because I love it.
    2:02
    I love it. Yeah, I'm always going to love this game. I assume you're scores. There's just one thing that killed it. Okay. All right, let's go to the game. I'm going to show you guys the shots and layouts and everything like that, and then we'll come back. Greg and I will talk about some ratings. How about that, buddy? Sounds good. Woo-hoo! We're going to the game.
    2:22
    All right, guys, what's up? Let's learn more about the Shadow here. Oh, isn't she beautiful? Mmm. She's pretty. Alright, so the object of this shadow is to get to the final battle. You get to the final battle by completing these four objects. Number one being complete all scenes. All scenes are completed by completing all scenes.
    2:47
    There are one, two, three, four, five, six of them. To start a mode, that nice little tight shot right there starts your mode. Very satisfying shot. Nice and tight. So you complete all modes. I tell you what, when it comes to the shadow, and if you're wanting to get to the final battle, you really gotta focus on getting through those modes because of the difficulty of starting the mode itself. You can also start a mode by hitting that side shot with that third flipper there. I believe. Yeah. Alright, next thing, you have to conquer the battlefield. conquer the battlefield by hitting back up in there. You hit a drop target down, hits it into the Vuk. The Vuk shoots it up to your mini battlefield. This goes back and forth with the flippers and you try to get switch hits. And then the ones in the back will drop down and then they'll jump right back up immediately until you get the number of required switch hits. Then they will stay down in the back. You complete it by hitting it through that back shot there and it goes down the alley in the back.
    3:58
    See, it's begging for me to play it right now. So that's Conquer the Battlefield. The next is Shadow Multiball. You get to Shadow Multiball by hitting it right up to Sanctum there and locking three balls and starting that multiball. Con Multiball. Con Multiball is completed by lighting Con Multiball by going over the rollovers there. And then once you get that, you do that side shot, the third flipper, bam, right into that, and you'll start con multi-ball. So if you can successfully get through con multi-ball, shadow multi-ball, conquering the battlefield, and completing all scenes, you don't have to beat them, you just have to get through them, then you will start final battle. Final battle is a tough, tough switch-based wizard mode, and it's very, very satisfying. I've gotten there a couple times. Over here at my buddy Rick's house, Romulus X, he's got there a couple times as well. But he'll be the first to tell you, getting there is one thing, but completing it is a whole other ball game. So if we're looking at the play field here, the major objectives of the shots here, you've got your left orbit that's responsible for the mongol hurry up. A little tip here, if you're running mongol hurry up and for some reason you're just not getting that shot down you can go ahead and hit the hit the shot there to end the mode and it'll give you a couple million points so if you're getting ready to drain and you've got that hurry up going i'd recommend you just pulling that trigger really quick and the trigger is used a lot a little side note here this trigger is used a lot throughout the modes you can get to secret modes that way you can get bonuses and different things all right so going from left to right you see the ramp here what's really unique about the shadow is that there is a a fir but diverter right here so on the side of the game you see two buttons the red button is responsible for the flippers and the blue button is responsible for switching that diverter so you essentially have four ramps for ramp shots which is really unique you hit the ramp shots to go through vengeance it's like a mini mode hitting jackpot skill shots they're all all required by hitting the ramps. Very satisfying ramps too. And if you miss them, they're not satisfying because they're going to come right back at you. Alright, as we're peering throughout here, you've got that side shot that's responsible for the super jackpot and starting con multi ball. You also have an inner orbit that is fast as pinball comes. If you can hit an outer orbit then hit that third flipper right there to hit that inner orbit, that thing's just cruising makes this game really fun. Also responsible for jackpots and shadow loops If you watch oh who is it with Papa Bone Cairns Bone Cairns shows you how to rack up a lot of points on the shadow through the use of combos and shadow loops So check out that video Alright, going back, that's where the battlefield I was just talking about was. That's how you get up to the mini playfield. A lot of people light this right here so you can see. It can be a bit dark at times up there when the lights are out. Then you've got stand-ups of course, but then here's your locks. Here's where you lock right there in the sanctum. One of the coolest, if not the coolest, ball locks in pinball. has a custom backboard there that he did with brick that looks super, super nice. Then when you're going left to right, you hit that right ramp. And again, another diverter.
    7:39
    I'll play in a minute, buddy. Okay. And then you have my favorite shot of the entire game. This tight mode start shot is responsible for the mystery shot as well as the extra ball. So lighting an extra ball in this game is fine and dandy, but the pressure is on to hit that shot and then it shoots it off to the right and rolls back down the right orbit. And then you have your right orbit shot that loops around as well. Now if you don't hit that right orbit shot precisely, it could dribble out the inner orbit so you've always got to be ready on the shadow. All right guys, so you've seen, are you guys in love yet with the shadow? I know I am. Yeah, you got to be. The shadow knows. Yeah.
    8:22
    So let's go. Let's start with our first category, which is art. Art. For art, for me, I had an A. An A for art. You guys might think I'm crazy. Why don't you give it an A? Because I'm curious about this. I gave it an A because it is the most beautiful artwork on the play field there is. No. It's got a plane.
    8:42
    Plane? No, it's not. It's got the shadow emerging right in the middle of the play field, and his black fades to the background. And then it's got the cab, the taxi cab, right in the middle with the, it's like the 50s. Yeah, the taxi's beautiful. I will give the taxi that. But, I mean, the overall thing, it's not. The only reason I didn't give it an A-plus is Alec Baldwin. That is the only reason. I wish we could rate this based on Rx package. Yeah, because that's very beautiful. But, boy, oh, boy, this thing lights up. The colors are great. It's got what I love about Bally Williams, those inserts. They're all kind of the same. they're highlighted and they color and they're circles kind of like a dimlish man different things like that i just man i love it the apron i love i love the furbils i love i love even the mini play field it's very simplistic yeah it's got that what is it uh it's not the 50 is it the 50 no it's a mid 30s yeah i might sort of feel yeah the 30s kind of thing the gangster kind of yeah yeah i don't know enough about the shadow comic book or anything like that no but um for me art is an A. It doesn't get much prettier than art on the shadow. As your eyes freaking roll. What do you got on it? I wonder what art school you went to. C plus man. I gave it a C plus. And the reason I gave it a C plus, I was that generous, was because of That taxi on the front, I think that that's a beautiful thing near that dream. It's gorgeous. And I will give you this. It's a pin for whatever reason, the color, scheme, whatever, that does draw me to it. The color scheme is gorgeous.
    10:27
    So it does draw me to the game. It was actually going to be like the second game that I bought, and then that was the one with the bad play field and stuff that I went to. But me and my daughter had actually drove up to pick it up because I looked and looked for pins. because, again, I'm on a tight budget. I looked and looked and looked for a pin back then. You're on Social Security.
    10:45
    Basically. It's so tight. No, it's not. It's just a tie-dye. Yeah, I nickel and dime everything. So you're at a C-plus because of the cab. You like the cab. Yeah, I like the cab. What about the freaking shadow right in the middle? It's okay. With the scarf? And the scarf is where the inserts for the final battle are? Yeah, but it's cool, but it's not like an overly whelming, beautiful package in play field like some. But it is. No. whatever man, whatever man, you're ruining the score with your C+. I know, there were a few things that messed it up. All right, let's go to shots and layout. I think we'll both agree on this. Yes. For me, the shots and layout, I hate to be so black and white on these videos, but find a better machine that has better shots and layout. So it's a unique layout. I've never seen, you get some third flipper layouts that are similar, but orbits are really nice left to right. your shot up the ramps are really cool because they're essentially four shots because you have the ramp furbideferters that you can go left and go right back, it's a nice long back ramp shot, that left ramp is cool too, it's really smooth for as steep as it is, it is a steep ramp it'll come right back at you if you don't hit it right too, so you can get combos going with those ramps start vengeance up, then you've got the battlefield shot which is the upper playfield, upper playfield is neat It's a nice little play field. It's a nice, easy shot. You have, and we'll talk about toys and innovation with the upper play field, but then you have the sanctum shot right up the middle, but it's dangerous. Be careful if you're trying to lock balls up there because it will come straight down the middle, right back at you. And then you've got the third flipper shot, which is so nice because it's not just one ramp. It is a scoop that feels so, so satisfying. When you hit it, it's a solid bam. There it is. And then you've got the inner orbit, another fast shot. Now, I would say that the Shadow is much faster than Johnny Mnemonic that we've reviewed before. Much faster than Johnny Mnemonic. Maybe on a single hit. No. Combos. Ramp. Orbit. Inner orbit. Bam. That's what I'm talking about. What do you think is faster, Shadow or Star Trek on the combo, hitting that warp ramp?
    13:00
    Shadow. Shadow is definitely faster. It definitely is faster. You hit an outer orbit. Bam. Outer orbit, third flip or inner orbit. Oh, boy, oh, boy. And then ramps. Bam, bam, bam. The ball doesn't have to stop on the shadow. It does not have to stop. This way, it is on Johnny.
    13:19
    No, it's not like that on Johnny. Your ball trickles out past the left. Oh, it does on that. I'm talking about the combos on all of them. Ball trickle. Don't hit a ramp or you might break your machine. Click, click. speed. Maybe I'd have to do it a little more time on Shadow. Nah You need to buy one I do need to buy one So I was at an A A not getting the same And for the same reason Zach There really nothing to add to that It is some satisfying shots It is laid out. It's laid out a lot better than Medieval Madness. It's laid out a lot better from Attack from Mars. I like the little, on Attack from Mars, to the left of the orbit, or to the left of the UFO. The saucer. I do like that shot. Yes, the ball lock. Yeah. The lock is, I agree. But you guys, the shots that lay out on the shadow. I do agree that it is a lot better than Attack from Mars layout. Okay, fair enough. I think so. I agree with that as well. Luring you over. A plus all around. It's one of the best in the business. All right, let's go to rules. We were similar, I think, on rules. What did you have your rules at? My rules were in A. Yeah, my rules were in A as well. The reason I had an A was because it's not just a finish the mode, you get to wizard mode. there are four objects that you have to complete to get to it it's start all the most it's defeat the battlefield you've got to hit it up there 30 times in order to defeat Khan then you have to do Khan multiball then you have to do Shadow multiball if you can get through all of that and it's not the easiest in the world but it is reachable then you get to the final battle and the final battle is so cool because it lets you know it says you have reached the final battle and then it goes through and then you've got to beat the final battle. You guys can get to the final battle all day long. Final battle's tough. But beating it, getting enough switch hits to beat that damn thing, I think you have to get all the shots. Oh, man, I love it. And then you've got your vengeance side mode. You have defeat con as a mode. I think it's a deeper game, though, a lot of people realize. Yeah, but it's not overly deep. It's not a Keith Johnson. It's not overly deep, but I could play that game on and on and on and on. It's approachable. Very approachable. Anything you want to add to the rules? Nope. Sorry, I'm geeking out. No, no, no. You're fine because there's nothing else to say. All right. Let's go to toys and innovation. Toys and innovation. What did you have there? Oh, I had an A. An A. I had an A+. So let's talk about that. We both like them. The diverters are huge. How cool are they? The diverters are huge. They're cool. Now, if they break, they're kind of a son of a gun to work on. I've had a shadow before where one of the diverters was floppy and clanky. Ramps are hard to find. so that can be they turn it off but they're metal ramps like the whole thing is metal and like you said earlier you would think when you hit that thing it would be clunky because it's right at your face but it's smooth metal on metal but yeah have trails everywhere very nice so Toys and Innovation what I like is maybe the best ball lock and pinball yeah the sanctum where it holds the ball flashes the light because it's surprising oh yeah it pulls it back just like a there's a shadow or something especially if you have the little brick wall yeah That adds to it. I love it all. Mini Playfield is, again, one of the best, if not the best, mini playfields. Think of a mini playfield that's better. You've got the paddle. You're hitting it. You're trying to hit him. You hit him enough, and then it goes behind it down a tunnel. Yeah, because I was trying to think about it earlier, about what would be a better mini playfield. There's not a better mini playfield. There's Twilight Zone's little magnetic thing. That's cool. But it's not as good a shadow. Nope.
    16:50
    Man, I tried to write my brain earlier. No. I could not think of anything certainly not here's how selfish I am with the Shadow I'm such a pump I don't want to talk up this game because I'm afraid people are going to buy it and I'm not going to get one I've got one currently right now for sale and I love this game so much Greg that it's not in the condition collector's condition and I want to invest some serious bank it's a keeper it's one of those games that people sell they buy back, they sell, they buy back, they sell the Bob Back. Oh boy. So it's an obvious peeper. So I think it's worth it. So Toys and Innovation. Anything else we're missing on Toys and Innovation?
    17:32
    No, not a whole lot to it. Again, it's another innovative pinball. Yeah, it's really cool. So it's nice. Okay, let's move on to music and call outs. I like music and call outs. I love them. It fits the theme. It's great. So I gave mine a B. A B. I was at an A on mine. And I'll tell you why the call out or the music is mysterious. It is. It's mysterious but it ramps up when you're getting in certain modes and bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum. I just, we're doing sound effects too much. People don't want to hear sound effects do they? But it puts you in the mood.
    18:06
    But it's cool. It's edgy. It's mysterious. It's cool. But then the call outs. I love the call outs. I know nothing about the shadow but damn it, every time I play for the next couple hours I'm thinking the shadow knows and Martha and there's so many call outs. It's like I'm not afraid of you, but I am. It's just mysterious. And then the best thing about the call-outs, you guys will love this, is Tim Curry?
    18:32
    Is that his name, the guy that Stephen King said? Yeah, Tim Curry. Oh, my God, he's the best in this game. He calls out, he's got his own mode, and it's like the shadow news. And then he mocks you and you hit, and it hits him if you hit things. Tim Curry is awesome. I need to watch the movie. No, no, no, you don't. I actually, there was, I remember when I was researching the show. I tried watching the movie. Really? Is that bad? Oh, it's bad. A couple people said it wasn't bad when I was like researching for the pen. The only reason I was talking was Tim Curry. Really? That's the only good part? Baldwin's not good? It's bad. Plus this game, back to the rules really quick. It's got Easter eggs. It's got those Brian Eddy Easter eggs. If you can find a way, it's got enough Easter eggs and you can activate them, your next mode will turn it into the duck. Or it's laughing. Laughing or quacking ducks or something like that. Easter eggs. It's cool. See? How cool is that? That's bad. Don't do that.
    19:25
    I tried. I just want to add something. I just want to add something to the show. That's it. Something never before seen. And that's all the people turning off their computers. Yeah, this guy's a dumbass. That's a wank wank. All right. So music and call outs. Let's go to the theme. Your favorite part of the game, buddy. Okay. I had to rank it a little low. I went with a C- on this one. Okay. and just because of the movie. Because you're freaking angry. Just because of the movie. Now, that whole 30s, 40s kind of thing thing or whatever time period. That's the thing that I'm looking at. That is nice. I like that feel to it. The whole speakeasy kind of feel and everything to it. That secret mob thing. Flubber girl kind of thing. Yeah. And it kind of reminds me of, remember Rocketeer? Oh, I remember that. That was a feel-good game. Yeah. That was a feel-good movie. Yeah. To me, they kind of have the opposite Sort of had the same feel of that, what is it, steampunk? It's not really steampunk. It's that early Americana. Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm talking about. So that does a little bit more for me That kills it No it above average on theme For me so I had A throughout You guys for me this is a dang near perfect game Literally a perfect pinball machine. And I can see where you're coming from with that. I really can. Perfect pinball machine. A piece of art to me, if you get art or bad class. But the theme for me is a B-.
    20:51
    It's not a theme that I necessarily like, like The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones or even Wizard of Oz. Even The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, I like that kind of stuff. The movie sucked. The Alec Baldwin is awesome, but I don't like him in this thing.
    21:08
    The theme's just not there for me. No, it's another one of those pins that the theme is what killed it at first. But then people learned this is a damn good game. But I will say that the reason I did do a B- in the B area is because you fall in love with this thing. Like this thing becomes its own character and you don't worry about the movie so much. You worry about the play field graphics. You worry once you have the auric package. Like that's your theme. I 100% agree with that. You don't think anything about it being a shadow. So I could even probably have went higher than a B-. But for me, this is nearly a perfect game. But the theme kind of kills it for me because I'm not a big fan of the shadow. Yeah.
    21:50
    But, man, I'm telling you, I feel so emphatic about this. It really creates its own character, this game does. And you guys probably, many of you probably agree with me too if you haven't. Because it's kind of a spoofy, it's kind of an over the top thing in a way. I think that's just 90s porn movies. It was. I don't think that was their intention. But it's kind of a neat thing to it, you know. Yeah. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of man. Okay, so recap.
    22:20
    I've got an A for art. Shots and layout, A freaking plus. rules A toys and innovation A plus music and call outs A let's give it a perfect score not so fast theme I've got a B minus which gives me a cumulative is it a cumulative? yes oh very nice a cumulative grade of A minus which is very respectable hell yeah it's a hell of a game hell yeah but it might be one of the best games ever made yeah mine I went with art with a C plus shots and layout an A plus rules just an A toys and innovation an A music and call outs is a B theme the C minus so my total was a B which still ain't bad but I mean it kind of shows you how a theme can kind of hurt because that's what's bad we were talking about the way that we grade everything and some things are coming out high almost like the back glasses we added the top 10 on the back glasses some things that is your favorite game they don't rank higher than other games don't like as much because there might be that one stupid thing in there like theme or it just might have bad art or something small in there like Walking Dead's call outs just suck on the Walking Dead it just I don't think they're that bad they're corny but I don't think they're bad they're horrible but you know that's the one thing in a fantastic shooter something that's a great game. We evenly distribute each category, which I think is the most fair way to do it. I think so. But at the end of the day, a well-rounded game is going to probably rank higher than a game that you freaking love but has one bad thing. So pay attention again to the individual letter grades. That's right. What we're going to try to do, if I'm not too damn lazy, is whenever I list them here in sequential order, I'm going to try to give you the GPA or the actual, because an A minus has a range. A B plus, or B's have a range. B plus has a range. It's, what is it, 0 to 5 or 4.0. 0 to 4. So for me, an A minus, mine was 3.78. See how it ranks with the other A minuses. It might be higher or lower. So keep an eye on that. We will update those frequently and then we'll what are we going to do next week? I forgot what we're going to do next week. Next week we're going to do another top ten list, buddy. Is it another top ten again? Another top ten. So any more pros and cons? We've got, it's beautiful, cons is the theme. Price, how much are these things running?
    25:02
    Man, anywhere I would say between three. What do you think? Three to? Three to four thousand. Three to four? Yep. Maybe five. I saw that one that was, oh my God, that was completely restored at about five. Wasn't that five that we sold? Yeah, but I don't know if I would... I might buy it for five. I'd make five for five. Is it fully restored? It's a keeper, yeah. I mean, to me, it's on par with Adam's Family or anything else, honestly. I still put it in that A category. I agree. I know that sounds weird to a lot of people, but... No, it's a freaking... It is an A category. Again, I think the theme's what keeps... I mean, I know you could argue, okay, Adam's Family, not a lot of people love it, but it's still that spooky, kooky... Gimme Shadow. Yeah. Gimme Shadow. But, I mean, I have... You can pick up one that you're going to have to tinker around with for about $3,000. It's about up to that point now.
    25:54
    A decent one's been shopped out and set for $3,500. An immaculate one for $4,000. Yeah, yeah. Which I think... You need to go get one, Greg. At $35, I think it's a hell of a steal. Hell yeah. Beyond a hell of a steal. If it's a nice one? If it's nice, yeah. Oh, purple that bad boy out. Put the domes on it that are purple. The star posts that are purple. Light up the star posts. Star posts make a big giver. Light your battlefield up. Yeah. I swear to you guys, if you have a shadow and you haven't put, oh, look. Free freaking plug, Comet, because I love your stuff. I love this. But the Comet purple passion bulbs in your mode inserts, you're doing it all wrong. You've got to do that. Yeah. Until next week, Greg. Yes. Hell yeah. See you guys later.
    26:45
    Do you ever evaluate yourself? All the time. That's why I'm here. Why are you here? Go. He talks to himself. It's okay. So how are you feeling today? I'm feeling good, damn it.
    27:03
    Alright, alright. Here we go. Fuck this. We'll talk about some ratings. How about that, buddy? Sounds good. Woohoo! We're going to the game.
    27:15
    That's a lot of energy.