Pulp Fiction Pinball Notes: No Add-On Topper, Original Plan for the License & More

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Mar 19, 2023

Analysis

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TL;DR

Pulp Fiction topper exclusivity, Tarantino's shooter-to-pinball pivot, production delays due to parts approval

Summary

Chicago Gaming Company's Pulp Fiction pinball will not offer the Bad Mother Flipper LE topper as an add-on for standard editions. The game originated from Play Mechanix's pitch to Quentin Tarantino for a side-scrolling shooter, but Tarantino requested a pinball machine with throwback design instead of Mark Ritchie original widebody LCD concept. Production parts are being stockpiled but assembly is delayed pending final parts approvals.

Key Claims

Bad Mother Flipper LE topper will not be available as an add-on for Standard Edition
high confidence · Josh Sharpe statement via LoserKid Pinball Podcast interview
Play Mechanix originally pitched Quentin Tarantino a side-scrolling shooter game like NARC, not pinball
high confidence · Mark Ritchie and Josh Sharpe via LoserKid Pinball Podcast interview
Tarantino insisted the game be made as a throwback design
high confidence · Mark Ritchie statement regarding Tarantino's creative direction
Mark Ritchie's original design concept was a packed widebody game with LCD display
high confidence · Interview discussion of initial design approach
CGC has already released production parts months ago but cannot begin assembly due to pending part approvals
high confidence · Production timeline and parts approval status
Pulp Fiction will be built on a separate production line from Cactus Canyon
high confidence · CGC production planning statement

Notable Quotes

“Play Mechanix originally approached Quentin Tarantino looking to make a Pulp Fiction side-scrolling shooter, sort of like the classic arcade game NARC. It was Tarantino's idea to make a pin.”
Knapp Arcade (citing Mark Ritchie/Josh Sharpe) — Reveals the unexpected origin story of the game — it was not originally conceived as pinball but as arcade shooter, with Tarantino driving the pivot to pinball
“Tarantino insisted that the game be made as a throwback.”
Mark Ritchie (via Knapp Arcade) — Explains the design direction away from Ritchie's original widebody/LCD concept toward classic aesthetic
“The cool topper that comes on the Bad Mother Flipper LE version of Pulp Fiction will not be available as an add-on for the Standard Edition”
Josh Sharpe (via Knapp Arcade) — Confirms LE exclusivity strategy for premium accessories, differentiating tiers and limiting secondary market availability

Entities

Pulp Fictiongame Chicago Gaming CompanycompanyPlay MechanixcompanyMark Ritchieperson Josh SharpepersonQuentin TarantinopersonBad Mother Flipper EditionproductCactus Canyongame

Signals

?
business_signal: Production line separation strategy: Pulp Fiction will be manufactured independently from Cactus Canyon, suggesting parallel production capacity and prioritization
high · When all the parts are ready, CGC will build them on a separate production line than the one that is being used to build Cactus Canyon
?
design_philosophy: Tarantino's creative direction overrode designer Mark Ritchie's original widebody/LCD concept in favor of throwback aesthetic, indicating strong IP holder control over design direction
high · Tarantino insisted the game be made as a throwback; original design was widebody with LCD display
?
licensing_signal: Strong IP holder involvement and creative control — Tarantino directed game concept pivot from arcade shooter to pinball and influenced aesthetic direction
high · It was Tarantino's idea to make a pin; Tarantino insisted that the game be made as a throwback
?
product_strategy: Pulp Fiction assembly delayed due to pending parts approvals despite months-old stockpiling of production components
high · Chicago Gaming Company started releasing production parts months ago but machines can't be built yet because a few of the parts are still in the process of being approved
?
product_strategy: LE topper exclusivity: Bad Mother Flipper LE topper will not be offered as add-on to Standard Edition, unlike Medieval Madness precedent, creating strong tier differentiation
high · The cool topper that comes on the Bad Mother Flipper LE version of Pulp Fiction will not be available as an add-on for the Standard Edition

Transcript

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Between listening to the great LoserKid Pinball Podcast interview with Mark Ritchie and Josh Sharpe and reading about the game online I've learned a lot of interesting facts about the new Play Mechanix / Chicago Gaming Company Pulp Fiction pinball machine that I thought it warranted a post. Here's some interesting info about the game, in no particular order: According to Josh Sharpe, the cool topper that comes on the Bad Mother Flipper LE version of Pulp Fiction will not be available as an add-on for the Standard Edition of the game, like what Chicago Gaming did with the Medieval Madness topper and to some degree with the Cactus Canyon SE+ Play Mechanix originally approached Quentin Tarantino looking to make a Pulp Fiction side-scrolling shooter, sort of like the classic arcade game NARC. It was Tarantino's idea to make a pin. Mark Ritchie's original design for the Pulp Fiction pin was a packed widebody game with a LCD display. Tarantino insisted that the game be made as a throwback. Chicago Gaming Company started releasing production parts months ago to build the first 1,000 Pulp Fiction games, but machines can't be built yet because a few of the parts are still in the process of being approved. When all the parts are ready, CGC will build them on a separate production line than the one that is being used to build Cactus Canyon. Below is a link to the aforementioned episode of the LoserKid podcast for anyone who wants to check it out: https://m.soundcloud.com/loserkidpinballpodcast/ep-105-bad-mother-flippers-with-mark-ritchie-and-jos