Triple Drain Pinball Podcast Episode 58 - We’ve been honeydicked

TL;DR

Triple Drain debates X-Men code depth, celebrates Metallica LE arrival, and questions Pinball Cup rollout delays.

Summary

Key Claims

• The Pinball Cup was advertised as 'coming in December' but has not launched as of December 5th

  high confidence · Tom checked Stern Pinball Facebook, website, Reddit, and Pinside on December 1st with no results; Joel confirms uncertainty about launch status

• X-Men Pro received an auto plunge kit from Stern to address mechanical issues

  high confidence · Joel states 'I'm good on Stern for addressing the auto plunge issues. They're apparently sending out kits.'

• X-Men code roadmap shown at Pinball Expo contained only minor additions (Nimrod, Senator Kelly, Master Mold) with no major new modes announced

  high confidence · Joel: 'they showed like an outline of the code...wasn't a ton in that outline that isn't already in the game'

• George Gomez stated X-Men was rushed in production, which is why code development is behind schedule

  high confidence · Joel: 'George kept saying that it...was rushed in production. So naturally everything else is going to be a little bit further behind.'

• Metallica LE is an improved remake of the original Metallica that enhances gameplay in every aspect

  high confidence · Joel: 'Stern managed to do is they genuinely improved it in every single way' citing snap flipper speed, art, remastered sound in stereo, and expression pedalbox

• X-Men's Save the City wizard mode is poorly documented with ambiguous shot requirements and no in-game guidance

  high confidence · Multiple hosts note unclear mansion shot definition, level-up mechanics not displayed on LCD, and city shot leveling requirements

• Tom sold his Game of Thrones LE and Alvin Premium for room in his collection

  high confidence · Tom: 'I sold Game of Thrones LE to Conrad...and I sold my Alvin Premium' citing room constraints

• Tom sold his X-Men Pro because code development appears limited and he wants to revisit in 6 months to see how it evolves

  medium confidence · Tom: 'when it left the house, I was like I'm looking forward to playing this again in six months...there wasn't a ton in that outline'

Notable Quotes

• “WHERE IS THE PINBALL CUP?!”

  Tom (via text message) @ ~early in podcast — Captures genuine frustration with Stern's vague December 1st launch announcement for Pinball Cup

• “I read the ——ing read-me...just be like, 'I read the ——ing read-me,' and then you just let it rip. Establish dominance.”

  Travis @ ~mid-podcast — Humorous commentary on X-Men's reliance on external readme file for character ability documentation

• “Stern managed to do is they genuinely improved it in every single way.”

  Joel @ ~Metallica section — Strong endorsement of Metallica LE as superior to original Metallica

• “Give me something to focus on. But yet I love the distractions.”

  Joel @ ~Metallica discussion — Articulates design philosophy for broad vs deep gameplay appeal

• “There's only a handful of games that truly have done it right.”

  Joel @ ~code discussion — References elite game design that balances accessibility with depth

• “Why was it not a button then? Why was it? Did Stern not eliminate the plunger and put a button just like Monster Bash or Looney Tunes or anything Rick and Morty?”

  Joel @ ~X-Men mechanical section — Questions X-Men design choice to retain manual plunger rather than auto-launch button

• “We're three guys who like to talk about pinball, so we came up with a clever name. We're Joel and Travis and Tom, and we call ourselves Triple Drain.”

  Joel @ ~opening — Self-introduction and podcast identity

• “I was told that the pinball market is just crashing and everything's like going to hell in a hand basket...Well, you know, if you read online, apparently nothing's selling. Yeah, I guess I just sold two games this week.”

  Tom/Joel exchange @ ~early segment — Contradicts online narrative that pinball market is dying with actual sales data

Entities

Signals

• ?

  event_signal: Pinball Expo featured X-Men code roadmap presentation showing upcoming features, but outline appeared limited to already-in-game content

  high · Joel: 'Pinball Expo, and they showed like an outline of the code...there wasn't a ton in that outline that isn't already in the game...only like two inserts that don't have something'

• ~

  sentiment_shift: X-Men experiencing typical post-release hype cycle: initial excitement → mechanical complaints → code stagnation concerns → collection exits

  high · Joel: 'this roller coaster of hype about a game...people get it, they like the way it shoots...there's some flipper hop...then they're twiddling thumbs about code...No, I'm sick of waiting. Gone.'

• ?

  competitive_signal: X-Men competitive strategy evolved after Nimrod character added; best practice now to access Nimrod via challenging modes then stay in Future indefinitely

  medium · Travis: 'ever since they put Nimrod in it...now the way that I approach it...there's no other videos...no way I approach it was just to do a couple of challenging modes...then never leave the Future'

• ?

  design_philosophy: X-Men Save the City wizard mode criticized as poorly documented with ambiguous shot definitions and no in-game guidance; requires external readme file

  high · Hosts debate mansion shot definition, confirm level-up mechanics not displayed on LCD, note unclear city shot leveling requirements; Joel: 'complete ambiguity. Like, you have no idea what's going on.'

• ?

  design_philosophy: Joel explicitly prefers broad game design with side quests/distractions over deep linear progression (references Deadpool Mech Suit Multiball addition as model)

Topics

Sentiment

mixed(0.55)— Hosts express frustration with Pinball Cup delays and X-Men code incompleteness, but enthusiasm for Metallica LE arrival tempers overall negativity. Casual, joking tone masks underlying concerns about game quality and manufacturer communication.