SDTM Episode 58: Lethal Weapon 3 Pinball Machine Review

Straight Down the Middle·video·27m 55s·analyzed·Apr 23, 2018

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.031

TL;DR

SDTM reviews Lethal Weapon 3 as underrated fun despite simple rules and average art.

Summary

Zach Sharpe and Greg Bone from Straight Down the Middle review Lethal Weapon 3, a 1992 Data East pinball machine, praising its fun factor, smooth gameplay, and quirky charm while acknowledging its simple ruleset and average playfield artwork. The hosts rate the game positively overall (C+ to B-), highlighting the gun trigger mechanic as surprisingly skillful and the machine's cohesive campy theme as its greatest strength. They argue the game is underrated and deserves more respect from the pinball community.

Key Claims

Lethal Weapon 3 is produced by Data East in 1992
high confidence · Direct statement: 'We Are Pinball with that East Lethal Weapon 3 produced 'in there' or similar interjection 1992'
The game features three saucers (Lethal Weapon 1, 2, and 3) as core gameplay mechanics
high confidence · Detailed playfield walkthrough describing the saucer positions and functions
The gun trigger mechanism for firing bullets is the favorite feature of the game and requires skill
high confidence · Hosts extensively discuss: 'that is honestly probably my favorite part of the game...it takes so much skill because you have to make a decision on split-second'
Lethal Weapon 3 plays similarly to a hyped-up AM or stripped-down System 11 machine
medium confidence · Comparison statement: 'it's like a hyped up am could you sort of see that...it's like a stripped down system 11'
The playfield artwork has an edgy, sketchy feel similar to Tales from the Crypt
medium confidence · Aesthetic comparison: 'it's them that darm playfield...like with Tales from the Crypt it sort of has that same edgy look like silly putty yeah it's a sketchy feel'
Jeff Teolis (mentioned as 'our buddy Jeff') owns two Lethal Weapon 3 machines
high confidence · Direct statement: 'he's...two of them yeah yeah well he says he plays sharp-dressed man on one any place you see Music Factory on the other'
Zach Sharpe remembers playing Lethal Weapon 3 as a child at a bowling alley
high confidence · Personal recollection: 'I have a soft spot 'in there' or similar interjection my heart for this one because this one was the one at the old decrepit bowling alley when I was probably eight Tee'd Off ten years old'

Notable Quotes

“you don't hear anybody really talk about it and give an honest review of it you just hear a few people you know what yeah you know it's not a show people”
Zach Sharpe (implied)@ 3:12 — Establishes the core thesis: Lethal Weapon 3 is underrated and rarely receives fair critical analysis
“that is honestly probably my favorite part of the game and I thought that it was really just gimmicky and stupid but it takes so much skill because you have to make a decision on split-second”
Greg Bone (implied)@ 17:32 — Highlights the hidden depth of the gun trigger mechanic and how first impressions can be misleading
“it's the quirkiness and the fun of it...it's a fun pin there's no reason to ever really get rid of one of these unless you just need the space”
Greg Bone (implied)@ 23:30 — Summarizes the machine's appeal as accessible fun despite not being a must-have collector's piece
“it's all campy it's all fun it's all goofing at the end of the Larry Day man's what's cons”
Zach Sharpe (implied)@ 25:04 — Emphasizes the machine's self-aware, cohesive campy aesthetic across all design elements
“you will not be disappointed if you pick this pit up”
Greg Bone (implied)@ 24:26 — Direct endorsement of the machine as a worthwhile acquisition

Entities

Straight Down the Middlemedia Zach Sharpeperson Greg Boneperson Lethal Weapon 3gameData EastcompanyPapa DukepersonJeff TeolispersonChuck WorkpersonJersey Jack Pinball

Signals

~
sentiment_shift: Lethal Weapon 3 is underrated by the pinball community and deserves more positive critical attention; hosts position themselves as correcting a bias in community perception
high · you don't hear anybody really talk about it and give an honest review of it...it gets kind of a bad rap and I hate I [] on it
?
design_philosophy: Data East's approach to game design emphasized simple, accessible rulesets with fun mechanical gimmicks (gun trigger, multiple saucers) rather than complex rule depth
medium · it's not super horrible...it's not that much of a game...it's probably one of Daddy's first DVDs
$
market_signal: Lethal Weapon 3 machines are affordable on the secondary market and represent good value for casual players or new collectors
medium · it is enjoyable yeah like it's a fun pin...because at the price that I can pick one of these up and make it Papa Duke it is enjoyable
?
product_strategy: Gun trigger mechanic on Lethal Weapon 3 is more skillful and engaging than initially appears, requiring ball control and split-second decision-making
high · it takes so much skill because you have to make a decision on split-second...if your ball isn't under control you'Stern 'AC/DC (Premium Vault Edition)' Game of Thrones cause you to drain

Topics

Lethal Weapon 3 game mechanics and playfield layoutprimaryData East pinball machine design philosophysecondaryGun trigger mechanic as core gameplay featureprimaryPlayfield aesthetics and artwork evaluationsecondaryRuleset simplicity and accessibilitysecondaryCommunity perception and critical underrating of Lethal Weapon 3primaryCampy theme cohesion across game designsecondaryPinball machine restoration and cosmetic workmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.78)— Hosts are enthusiastically positive about Lethal Weapon 3 despite acknowledging its simplicity and average aesthetics. They defend the game against community criticism and recommend it as an underrated acquisition. Some initial reservations about playfield artwork and rules are overcome by appreciation for the gun trigger mechanic and overall fun factor.

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

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about you guys but in Greg's basement it's probably a good 4550 degrees that's why I'm wearing a jacket I apologize but this is Zach from straight down the middle of pinwheel show this is my buddy Greg and he's immune to this because he's bribed about eight nine beers I mean you know it is wedding it is basement that mean basements are they tend to be a little cooler it is underrated it's heated in this house you're heavy a contemporary home yeah but you know I know he's too tight to run to run the hey yo I need that money for them enough pans man speaking of pins it wouldn't take very many energy bills to pay for the next machine we're about to review legit you see that safe has a long segue but it works whatnot no electricity you buy this pin Lethal Weapon 3 yeah who else is gonna review a lethal you know what we review to leave the webbing through is because you know what it's not a bad pin and it gets kind of a bad rap and I hate I [ __ ] on it yeah you just you don't you don't hear anybody really talk about it and give an honest review of it you just hear a few people you know what yeah you know it's not a show people my dream does need to send from the top you said I'm gonna bring my favorite cup okay so what else about Lethal Weapon 3 you need to tell these people well tell them what awesome person who sold it to you I mean I wouldn't say awesome film haha tell him how nice it was I'm gonna go with this it's pretty nice I had to do some touch-up which turned out fantastic you do a nice job pretty good color match er this one was just a little bit off on some things I tweaked a little bit but yeah you cleaned up really nice something out about it what kind of led job was I doing there I don't everybody go through and redo it all no you didn't some of it accented well he was a bastard okay so we're gonna cut over me I'm gonna give you a real quick overview oh my goodness basic rules gameplay basic rule basically they will come back for review this thing well Leo wants Leo Getz oh here we are with that East Lethal Weapon 3 produced in 1992 again I think it's actually a pretty damn nice looking game but in typical SDTM fashion we will work from our left to our right over here starting with the the out lathes and we have our infamous karate kick kickback ball save Hill you know Hill which is lit from the start when you when you first plunge and once you use it then it's an active until you hit this nice little stand up here which is light karate kick and which is also responsible for your millions when the millions is is lit every time you hit that target you get a cool million then you got this nice tight little saucer right here which is pretty cool man that's your lethal weapon one spot in there and it is also where that you will get your extra ball when lit then you have four stand up targets here those are responsible for your skill shot when you plunge out those bullets will be roving and if you hit the the lit bullet then that is where your skill shot is awarded they are also responsible for lighting Leo or lighting super Leo and that's sort of like your specials so once you you have all four bullets lit then you'll either get your super leo leo is not lit or you will like leo and within super Leo you have the option to pick between two specials of what you get then you have your orbit here and the orbit is responsible both orbits are responsible for loading your easy clip down here at the bottom it is what loads your bullets into your easy clip which allows you to fire four extra points and progress through those busey modes which we'll get into here as soon as we're done then next to that you have your steep metal ramp which is slow as can be but still really cool features of the game you got a nice spiral here into another spiral and then feeds down here to your right flipper nice very nice well Leo wants Leo gets then right here since there's only one ramp in the game they feed your left flipper by lethal weapon to here which is a kick up right here to pick straight up into this wire form which again feeds down to your left flipper immediately to the right of that is your roll overs which you'll achieve by not making a full orbit and it'll drop straight into those roll overs and then go down into the pops exiting by your lethal weapon to over here immediately to the right of that you have Lethal Weapon 3 which is the third saucer and that actually is pretty cool man because it kicks out straight into the pops right out of that hole it doesn't come back at you it kicks out to the left goes into the Pops which sometimes you can get a nice rollover off of that for your bonus multiplier spin again exiting by lethal weapon - then you have your next orbit with your nice little easy spinners the spinners are fairly smooth on this game there they're not terrible and it's responsible for getaway and some other things your hot pursuit and stuff in that during your hot pursuit which is just one of your kind of your bonuses and it's on your is eclipse sort of a mode then you'll have a that red light will will be shining and that will show you to do hot pursuit for four additional points then over here in the middle and to the right you have a set of drop targets those drop targets are responsible for your multiball and to light your millions Plus when you do two drops of either Bank or one drop of this Bank then another drop or then one drop of that Bank then you'll be eligible for your multiball and you shoot for your multiball in that leave weapon to spot right there also for your millions Plus if you hit the the bomb clock first on either one and then shoot the corresponding wire of whichever one is is lit you'll have a blue wire red wire flashing then you will get your millions Plus lit again the millions plus I mean it's a decent little thing to get but it's just not responsible for a whole lot and those are your shots so now to our modes basically like I told you before you load up your oszi and your bullets by shooting those orbits so every time you make a when you make your first full orbit you begin you can't drop into the the nine one one and to the rollovers over there you actually have to make one a full a full loop around which is a heart it's pretty smooth orbit then you'll load one full easy clip and as soon as that happens you can pull your trigger for extra points or you wait until it tells you to fire and then you unload all six bullets will pull on your trigger and you'll get additional bonus points on top of that for actually waiting and that will give you your cool three million the next full orbit that you hit then you'll get bonus multiplier hold and 1 million and that again that orbit the second time you hit an orbit it'll give you one full easy clip same thing with pulling the trigger now the different thing is is when you get here to the third one you hit your third orbit to light super leo and everything it only gives you three bullets so now you've got to hit two orbits to be able to like that super leo same thing with light video and get away then after those two then you've only got like two bullets so it progressively gets harder as you go in the orbit so now instead of hitting it one time for the first one or for the first two the second two two modes you've got to hit two orbits now you've got a hit I think three orbits to be able to start crazy rigs and then I can't remember if in freeway loops if you've got a hit three or whether it got progressively hard and you got to hit all six but I think by the end you've got to hit six orbits to be able to light your you're ten million not completely completely sure on but I just know that it gets progressively harder and for every orbit you hit you actually get less bullets the second way to score in this game which is again another sort of set of modes or your stunt modes down here and you achieve each one of those starting with the five million in Highfill by hitting your saucer so you hit lethal weapon - one two and three in no particular order it will light them solid and when they're all lit solid then on your DMD you'll start your stunt mode and you'll just pull the trigger when I tell you to nothing hard about it but it's just cool little BMD action sequences and every time that you hit all three of those then you will be awarded a stunt mode and you'll progress through those until you get to the soup ball stunt spectacular which is an even higher bonus mode and I think that it actually awards you and what does it award you I can't remember it's pretty lucrative though but it's nice and honestly that that's basically the two objectives to the game hitting all three saucers and to hit the orbits as many times as possible but it is a lot harder than what you think they have it guys will kickback to me and Zach yeah yup yup and let us review this thing so there you saw this beautiful one-of-a-kind man you should do chuck work tutorials you're so good at that next month we'll give you a Star Wars how about oh [ __ ] let's start with our rigs is this the prettiest machine you I love this I will tell you okay so here's my hang-up it I like the back glass it's not bad even when creepy Mills eyes that's Mel Gibson's just piercing blue eyes it's okay it's acceptable I can actually because of the way they printed it yeah it's gorgeous okay that's very very rich in color it's like Mel Gibson's son if you look at that down in the corner that's kind of creepy because his eyes are like solid black it's like one giant pupil look over the left okay it looks like an alien okay you like the aliens just like me shows and I love the cabinet art on this thing I do like the camera it's but it's really it's really beautiful now here's the problem it's them that darm playfield its life is Alaura in almost it's like what you were talking about about the data East artist videos previously like with Tales from the Crypt it sort of has that same edgy look like silly putty yeah it's a sketchy feel to it but you know what it's still honestly I think that it's kind of a pretty game be honest like just there's a whole no don't pick out just art like if you just look at it kinda like this if it's LED bright its kind of attractive in the bad glasses lips properly Deacon is going yeah I'm gonna see I'm gonna see as well okay it's average what about shots and lay out shots and lay out I'm gonna be plus I'm as well this is where this machine shines for me I think it's it actually good shooter but just do it's a very simple layout it is right it's got your orbits your vogue your ramp units of your pops yes it's smooth orbits they're really smooth they're not super fast no but it's nice the game is not super fast no it's basically like a hyped up am could you sort of see that I could it's like a stripped down system 11 yeah yeah you've got the Yankee said you're sort of angles not too deep on it yeah you get your three saucers got a really cool wine deer and you've never seen the ramp like they can probably so yeah Lipper's that are strong enough to to get it up there yeah to give it up it's a steep ramp it goes up and it goes through this world yeah I like the one shot sorry I'm looking at guys it's like that shadow or high-speed shot where you get it up in this scoop oh yeah it kicks it out into the Pops yeah doesn't it into the pump yes route to the pop no the bangs around comes out that's your leo so it's also got the kick up through your ear leave the weapon number two shot straight up almost straight up the middle there look yeah yeah yeah [ __ ] yeah [ __ ] yeah number two that scoop it'll kick it straight up so you only got one ramp so that kicks it up and lays it over to your left it feeds it to your left flipper which is kind of cool I'm just picturing music right now we'll get ya it's not it's not anything fantastic but I'm gonna get applause fine it's satisfy I'm gonna be playing I greet all right now when was this wouldn't this man really 92 is that some right this is the same time so Adams family yeah it pales in comparison Adams family like don't get me wrong the rules are nothing a lot of rules no there's yeah there's nothing to it the most trip down a rule set you can get on a game really is but at least you know what to achieve you know what to do and it's still hard ask old Chuck work Chuck word is a hell of a player that's Chuck how hard it is to get to like you know 200 million or something looks like it is a difficult game it's actually pretty hold up it's not I see I never found it brutal I always found it easy shooter you haven't touched my score well haven't played with that long either I'm just saying that's what I'm saying asked Chuck Chuck is a good it seems simple yeah but it's an odd uh we're at the same on rules come nod rain monster okay I don't know why I can't explain I get more frustrated with this pin them but I did Walking Dead I don't mind the rules on this I do like I do like a couple of things the video modes are cool nothing when it shows those perpetrators versus the citizens yeah and you've got to see whether which one they are and shoot them yeah I like them yes and they hold up that flower and get you every time yeah you've got the fight I mean that's all unreal sake you get your fight mode when you go up there you got to hit the flippers it for Duke it out that's something you don't really see I love the films so there's not release stunt modes there's no game modes in this game basically you hit the one two three you new you enable one of these stunt modes yes in the films yes right I like the one in the toilet but don't show you like this cut sequence doesn't everything I mean it tells you when to pull the trigger and you get an extra now I would have loved if they would have integrated a little bit more into those where's little it's like a dance dance revelution where you left right oh yeah right both let's do that that would be cool yeah it's just a one pool but it's cool movie but you know the whole thing with the news e to the Z you know it's part of it when you shoot the orbits you know you saw saw in my warmth building your award you're building that and that's for grating you get extra points if you can reach down fire that because that is super I'll tell you what that is honestly probably my favorite part of the game and I thought that it was really just gimmicky and stupid but it takes so much skill because you have to make a decision on split-second because your brain automatically goes okay my is Eclipse bullets like pull the trigger you know fire hole and you want it better yeah you really you want to do it and you're like [ __ ] but if your ball isn't under control you've got to reach down and pull that trigger for your extra points there's your missile yeah you'll miss your drain it can cause you to drain so you've got to make sure that you can control your ball for you reach down do that and don't drink so yeah it's actually a pretty smart kind of cool fun thing and that doesn't get old but it my thing is it's a DMD and we're not getting a lot no we're not getting a lot so I meant I'm gonna SEMA I'm gonna see - it's look at us Matt's enough yeah it's three for three here we're gonna rate the same game yeah oh you know how to say this out loud but police the women three toys and innovation so I don't know what there is there isn't really anything toys you got that up kick out of that buck not really a toy no the building building with the swirly ramp ramp is kind of the innovation yeah creative there really isn't and I mean I still be able to see - just because you know why you give you see much photography your beacon the beacon the beacons I think it has really got a d-plus there's no chase it's going off it does feel good it likes the room it's I probably rated that category a little high you'd like this but it's yeah d-plus for me there's nothing good alright music and call-outs now this this pin a lot of people hate the music and call it I don't mind it you got the CC C&C Music Factory we've got to the film score or the film's fine they've got ZZ Top sharp dressed man which I prefer which is kind of cool that you configure between three songs because what else I mean what other pins really use that no Mary Shelley friggin saying get to pick between two different but you don't get main the callouts karate kick so there's the save over on the side it's called pride kick it's not like a ball savoring these cry kick so every time you and then you got Joe Pesci yeah you know what honestly that was one I was so terrified about that yeah that that that that the whole Joe Pesci call its was gonna be the downfall of Penn but it does not happen mmm very much a mystery right when you get the mystery yeah well just sometimes we were there by the pop so it's just not a lot yeah okay yeah you can go into super Leo or I think it's super leo well Leo wants okay yeah and it's not that bad I have a soft spot in my heart for this one because this one was the one at the old decrepit bowling alley when I was probably eight to ten years old cuz they were everywhere that's right so out of them but I always remembered what Leo wants Leo gets and I always remembered that call out more than any other pinball machine call out so yeah I'm own will solve time I keep in the B range and we keep it a B - I do like the music I think it's so hokey and campy that I love it it is it's not serious if you don't go into the pen trying to take it serious the music fits the call has to call us with the music it's a very it is it's just quirky it's a quirky game between all the gimmicks with the flippers and the gun trigger and everything it's just a fun game you don't take it serious like I'm gonna go in here and this is gonna be like this pinball experience of a lifetime like Lord of the Rings it's just you going up it can't be fun just fun it's work so you're to be plus yes I'm gonna be - okay let's talk about the theme and you guys this is the most ridiculous Greg bone moment you guys are about to see theme not lethal weapon not lethal weapon - we're dealing with lethal weapon it's still I can second sequel of a Danny Glover Mel Gibson movie a - a - you're not getting mad is it silly the weapon the weapon is a class wasn't even that big of a movie I don't think my favorite one is the toilet one this is one what's in there see I don't know whether he'll move it oh that's really saying a lot the favor of this series yeah this is fantastic it's who doesn't love Mel Gibson Danny Glover I think Danny Glover is one of the most overlooked actors of his generation I'm okay with that I like Danny Glover I do - I don't mind Mel Gibson oh he's crazy yeah his nut job anti-semitic way yeah I still love Mel Gibson like I think he again another one like the greatest performers would ever live a ransom yeah ransom Spanish like all his no conspiracy Gary Sinise yeah there's not really that many Braveheart what else was Mel Gibson in that I really mad mad oh you probably like Mad Max is fair yeah who was a now big trouble alternate ways he wasn't it now or no that was Kurt Russell Kurt Russell that's right maybe Kevin Bacon resistant bacon all right so theme you were a laughable a - that's a good thing I was at a c-minus and I'm being nice just because I was a child of the 80s and 90s but that theme but you know what rather have that theme than Iron Maiden enjoyability well Phil woody would it be because it is a like I said it's the quirkiness and the fun of it god you're rating this thing I go back to it and it's still difficult so the difficulty of it is what honestly keeps bringing me back to it is because it still is a little bit of a hard shooter okay okay it's not really enjoyable to me but it kind of is because at the price that I can pick one of these up and make it pretty it is enjoyable yeah like it's a fun pin there's no reason to ever really get rid of one of these unless you just need the space yeah if it was my only pin yeah I know definitely not an only pair it was my first pin I'd probably be happy with it yeah you could first bin yeah if I just wouldn't real deep in a pinball but at this point no I could no because I can't own a lot of money for turns the only one big son of a [ __ ] oh I'm in a C+ special it's fine I enjoy more than I should I used to [ __ ] on this game so yeah and you become a believer I have for our composites you're at a c-plus 2.67 you find I'm gonna see to a game yeah and I'm gonna straight-up see 2.14 may I see yeah yeah that's fair it's fair what no I was just gonna say you know an orange yourself it's good that's a good don't get mad I'm telling you like you will not be disappointed if you pick this pit up yeah oh the trigger it's fun yeah now what's the per the pros is the price process the price yeah and it's not a bad looking machine it's can't be nice it is can be doesn't sound bad yes you know that's one thing is this not like you've got this super serious looking machine with this goofy ass don't take yourself yeah they'll hold the whole machine from the music to the ruleset - yeah - the pin itself the artwork and everything else it all is one cohesive unit you know I'm saying there's not one that just looks out of place to the other don't you agree it's all campy it's all fun it's all goofing at the end of the day man's what's cons the theme the toys and innovation the data East tag on it the artwork the can I keep going my only downfall is the ruleset now it's and again no rules it's not super horrible you got some spinner action you can do where you just want to hit the spinners you got some stuff that goes on with your your double jackpot and looping and taking a victory lap and step through the ramp that does add to it to me this place more like a street level game well ya know it's gotta reinvent it but it kind of plays like that I agree just like your solid state machine they threw a deem D in it but just cool but I think it's probably one of Daddy's first DVDs another checkpoint and different stuff a checkpoint yeah that Turtles those are the many decisions but there but it was one of the first yeah so you know what it's not that bad this is not that long a video because it's not that much of a game so it's really that's really all you're gonna get with this video make sure to check us out on YouTube and all of our other media formats make sure to check out this week in pinball yeah yeah that's our buddy Jeff over there and all of our wonderful sponsors check them out this is one Jeff's favorite pins is it really no I just want to say this about Jeff just served yeah weapon loves Lethal Weapon 3 this guy likes it so much I went to his basement he's got two of them two of them yeah yeah well he says he plays sharp-dressed man on one any place you see Music Factory on the other yeah I agree though ZZ Top is the song play all right Chuck work for tutorials you're gonna do I was gonna say you do I do that I'm just smiling I like this game at but it's like a permanent smile check out all my streams and unboxings and different things say hello to us at a show buy a t-shirt tell us if you think we're out of our freaking mind with lethal whoa maybe were just really high or something maybe we got high before this we didn't but maybe we did Oh makes it look good maybe we fell into you know a forest full of mushroom now what is going on in the game don't take life serious and don't take Lethal Weapon 3 series see you guys later [Music]