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Pulp Fiction Pinball Gameplay Guide (Flip N Out Pinball, 2024)

Flip n Out Pinball·video·27m 48s·analyzed·Mar 6, 2024
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TL;DR

Gameplay guide demonstrating Pulp Fiction Pinball's innovative mechanics, modes, and legendary design pedigree.

Summary

Zach from Flippin' Out Pinball provides an extensive gameplay guide for Chicago Gaming Company's Pulp Fiction Pinball, designed by legendary pinball designer Mark Ritchie and developed by Play Mechanics. The video showcases the game's innovative design features, including physical ball locks, behind-backboard playfields, and comprehensive IP utilization, while demonstrating core gameplay modes like Briefcase Boogie, Pawn Shop Panic, and Cast Chaos. Zach emphasizes the game's accessibility combined with challenging depth, praising its artwork, sound design by David Thiel, and comprehensive Pulp Fiction soundtracks/callouts.

Key Claims

  • Mark Ritchie, designer of Taxi, Diner, and Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure, returned to pinball design after working in arcade games with Play Mechanics and Raw Thrills

    high confidence · Zach identifies Mark Ritchie as the 'special' team member at Play Mechanics known for iconic classic pinball machines

  • Pulp Fiction Pinball was pitched by Quentin Tarantino to Play Mechanics/Raw Thrills, who suggested making it retro/nostalgic rather than arcade-styled

    medium confidence · Zach describes Tarantino approaching the company with an arcade game idea, then Play Mechanics proposing a retro pinball aesthetic

  • Pulp Fiction Pinball features include physical ball locks, magnets, behind-backboard playfield areas, complete IP licensing including soundtrack and sound clips, and a briefcase toy

    high confidence · Zach details multiple mechanical and aesthetic features throughout the playfield walkthrough

  • George Petro (Bally Williams-era coder) is now running Play Mechanics and collaborated on Pulp Fiction with Josh Sharp (rules) and Scott Pikulski (artwork)

    high confidence · Zach identifies key team members and their historical roles

  • David Thiel is 'arguably the greatest sound designer in all of pinball history'

    medium confidence · Zach's opinion-based assertion about Thiel's design work on Pulp Fiction

  • Pulp Fiction Pinball comes in Standard Edition and Limited Edition ('Bad Mother Flipper' edition) with an interactive topper

    high confidence · Zach explicitly names the two model variants

  • The game's wizard mode is called 'Divine Intervention' and requires completing five tasks: Briefcase Boogie, Pawn Shop Panic, all five Roll Scenes, Cast Chaos, and Pulp Fiction Frenzy

    high confidence · Zach lists the five specific wizard mode prerequisites

  • Pulp Fiction Pinball is designed to look like it's from the 1970s aesthetically but features state-of-the-art modern pinball mechanics

    high confidence · Zach explicitly states the retro aesthetic with modern features philosophy

Notable Quotes

  • “Are you a bad mother flipper? This game is kind of special, the reason being Chicago Gaming Company is known for all of their Bally Williams remakes, right?”

    Zach (Flippin' Out Pinball)@ 0:12 — Opening hook establishing Pulp Fiction as distinct from CGC's typical remake focus

  • “He's created some of the most iconic, classic, funnest pinball machines in existence. Games such as Taxi, Diner, and one of my favorites, Indiana Jones the Pinball Adventure.”

    Zach@ 0:40 — Establishes Mark Ritchie's legendary status and credential

  • “Pulp Fiction comes out and kind of just shocks the entire industry. Seemingly a single level play field, but hidden in its features, including playing areas behind the backboard, under the playfield, physical ball locks, sculpts, mechanics, complete use of intellectual property.”

    Zach@ 2:20 — Describes the game's surprising design complexity and innovative features

  • “I'm in love with this game and it may be the coolest pinball machine ever created.”

    Zach@ 3:09 — Strong personal endorsement and enthusiasm signal

  • “The callouts on this game are the greatest ever. The greatest ever. And they've got every one of them too. Every callout you could ever want.”

    Zach@ 12:03 — Emphasizes comprehensive Pulp Fiction IP integration through audio

  • “It's not the longest game. It's quick. It's fast. It's challenging. Easy to approach. Hard to master. It's Pulp Fiction.”

    Zach@ 7:03 — Summarizes the game's design philosophy balancing accessibility and depth

Entities

Mark RitchiepersonSteve RitchiepersonGeorge PetropersonJosh SharppersonScott PikulskipersonDavid ThielpersonQuentin TarantinopersonZachperson

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Flippin' Out Pinball leverages content creation and media production as core business differentiator beyond traditional sales, positioning themselves as community-embedded rather than transactional

    medium · Zach states: 'we don't just answer the phone and take your money. Hell, we're creating media for you. We treat you how you should be treated because we're pinball people too'

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Pulp Fiction Pinball's wizard mode design (Divine Intervention) requires mastery of five distinct task categories, suggesting skill expression through mode sequencing and completion management

    medium · Zach explains: 'The big wizard mode is called Divine Intervention. And to get there, you have five tasks to complete... That why I love this game so much... It's not the longest game. It's quick. It's fast. It's challenging. Easy to approach. Hard to master.'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Pulp Fiction Pinball employs hidden complexity strategy: simple visual/layout presentation masks sophisticated feature depth (behind-backboard playfields, physical locks, multi-level objectives)

    high · Zach describes: 'Seemingly a single level play field, but hidden in its features, including playing areas behind the backboard, under the playfield, physical ball locks, sculpts, mechanics'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Pulp Fiction Pinball exemplifies deliberate aesthetic incongruity: 1970s visual/thematic styling with cutting-edge modern mechanics and features, creating nostalgic appeal paired with contemporary complexity

    high · Zach states: 'Pulp Fiction Pinball looks like it's from the 70's, but all of the features remind you very quickly that this is state of the art pinball.' Also: 'Quentin Tarantino, you may have heard of him... Play Mechanics says... why don't we make you something nostalgic, something retro that fits more to the styling of your artwork?'

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.083

0:00
Hello again, Zach from Flippin' Out Pinball, straight down the middle and the Pinball Show Podcast. Back with another gameplay guide, this time for Chicago Gaming Company and Play Mechanics Pulp Fiction Pinball. Are you a bad mother flipper? This game is kind of special, the reason being Chicago Gaming Company is known for all of their Bally Williams remakes, right? Play Mechanics and Raw Thrills, mostly known for arcade machines, Cruisin' Blast, Big Buck Hunter Reloaded, the new Kong and Godzilla VR stuff, MotoGP, Nitro Trucks, Fast and Furious. So what are they doing making pinball machines? Over at Play Mechanics and Raw Thrills, they have a team member that is very special historically to the pinball industry. He's created some of the most iconic, classic, funnest pinball machines in existence. Games such as Taxi, Diner, and one of my favorites, Indiana Jones the Pinball Adventure. And then remember when Capcom was developing pinball machines so he left bally williams went over there to help design some games and just like that he was gone there were rumblings that he was still out there designing behind the scenes and lo and behold he was over designing some arcade games with play mechanics and raw thrills known throughout the industry as a pinball badass he is back and his name is mark ritchie it's in the blood some of you may know his design brother steve ritchie currently a jersey jack pinball another iconic designer but mark ritchie comes back to the scene and he designs pulp fiction with a great team from play mechanics such as george petro george petro was a designer back in the bally williams time and he was coding games as mark ritchie was designing them petro is now running play mechanics we also have rules by josh sharp the sharp family royalty in the pinball industry we got scott pikulski on artwork and arguably the greatest sound designer in all of pinball history david feel. Quentin Tarantino, you may have heard of him. Crazy enough, he approaches play mechanics and raw thrills in once an arcade game produced around the theme of his film Pulp Fiction. Play mechanics says, we can do that QT. Friends just call him QT. But why don't we make you something nostalgic, something retro that fits more to the styling of your artwork? And nothing better can represent one of the greatest films of all time in pinball, and that is simply Pulp Fiction.
2:20

  • “We have the best customer service in the entire industry, some of the fastest shipping times, and we don't just answer the phone and take your money. Hell, we're creating media for you.”

    Zach@ 26:16 — Flippin' Out Pinball positioning statement regarding their business differentiation

  • “If you love this theme forget it you know forget it damn want to play again”

    Zach@ 17:46 — Expresses intense enthusiasm for the game's theme and replayability

    • Chicago Gaming Company
    company
    Play Mechanicscompany
    Raw Thrillscompany
    Flippin' Out Pinballcompany
    Capcomcompany
    Jersey Jack Pinballcompany
    Pulp Fiction Pinballgame
    Taxigame
    Dinergame
    Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventuregame
    Pulp Fiction (film)product
  • ?

    licensing_signal: Pulp Fiction Pinball demonstrates comprehensive IP integration including licensed soundtrack, complete film dialogue callouts, character representation, and thematic fidelity across all game elements

    high · Zach repeatedly emphasizes: 'complete use of intellectual property, all the sound clips, even the licensed soundtrack' and 'The callouts on this game are the greatest ever... every callout you could ever want'

  • ?

    community_signal: Mark Ritchie's return to pinball after arcade game work demonstrates continued industry influence and the gravity of legendary designer involvement in new game development

    high · Zach extensively introduces Mark Ritchie's history and emphasizes his return as a major industry event: 'he was over designing some arcade games with play mechanics and raw thrills known throughout the industry as a pinball badass he is back'

  • ?

    product_concern: Gameplay demonstration shows player struggling with specific shot consistency (saucer shot to trigger Cast Chaos), suggesting potential shot difficulty balance or aiming feel issues that may impact casual player experience

    low · Zach repeatedly misses the saucer shot for Cast Chaos, saying 'I have the hardest time with that shot of any shot in the game' and 'I can't hit it y'all'

    • Quite simply put, this game comes out and kind of just shocks the entire industry. Seemingly a single level play field, but hidden in its features, including playing areas behind the backboard, under the playfield, physical ball locks, sculpts, mechanics, complete use of intellectual property, all the sound clips, even the licensed soundtrack. Pulp Fiction Pinball looks like it's from the 70's, but all of the features remind you very quickly that this is state of the art pinball. A briefcase that locks balls, it's got magnets, it's even got the gimp, a watch, shove up your ass. I'm in love with this game and it may be the coolest pinball machine ever created. Zed's dead baby. There's two models of Pulp Fiction pinball, the SE model, standard or special edition, and the limited edition model. The LE, also known as the bad mother flipper edition, see what they did there? Yeah, it comes with one of the greatest interactive toppers ever made, but you can catch that in another video. Today I'm going to give you a general walkthrough of the game, some gameplay strategies, what you're doing, how the mechanisms interact and work, and I assure you it's not going to take much convincing for you to add this to the top of your list for next pinball machine that you're going to purchase. We're all going to be like three little pine trees here.
    4:02
    Really quick, let's run through the layout and the features of this game. You've got a stand-up target here, Royale with Cheese. You've got two stand-up targets right here by Bruce Willis' head. well as his head. You've got a left and a right orbit that can go all the way around or it can be controlled up top there. You've got an inline drop bank here for briefcase. If you hit all three of them down, you then start locking balls physically into the briefcase behind the backboard basically. And then once you have three of them, you start briefcase boogie. You got three pop bumpers. You got a saucer up top, very nostalgic 1970s, 80s kind of thing there. In the center, you've got three drop targets right here and then the pawn shop this is basically the pawn shop you can go lock balls within there in the subway you lock three you'll start the pawn shop multi-ball whatever that may be called then you've got two stand-up targets right there in the pop bumpers i don't know if you see them right there big kahuna is advancing and building up a lot of that bonus jackpot then you've got this saucer right here as you see these are the roll scenes so you can play different movie modes there. If you play all four of them, the fifth one will start a mini wizard mode called the shot. I don't want to ruin it. We will not get there today, but it is one of the coolest moments in all of pinball. You're also going to collect characters there as well. We'll talk about that here shortly. You got your right orbit, opto spinners, those things, those things spin so, so good. You got two more standup targets by walking. And then you've got a stand up target right under the watch here and his ass and then you've got a magnet right here that will ruin you. So much fun to see. Regular Italian bottom here, two in lanes, two out lanes, ball saves. You got a one, two, three, four right here. You light those up, that's the drive fast. We'll talk about that later. Some more specifics. Pulp fiction, you're probably wondering why the letters are inserts there. The arrow inserts and shots, you hit all of those to spell Pulp Fiction. And that'll start Pulp Fiction Frenzy. The characters right here, every time you hit it in a saucer, you will make eligible a character. So once you make eligible a character, you can collect that character at this little saucer right there. And then once you get the characters collected, you start Cast Chaos. And crazy enough, that's pretty much it. But here's the genius behind it all. It's understandable, but it is challenging. The big wizard mode is called Divine Intervention. And to get there, you have five tasks to complete. They are right down here. Briefcase Boogie. That's not just starting. I think it's completing it or getting a super jackpot in it. Same with Pawn Shop Panic. Pawn Shop Panic has started up middle there, remember? I don't think it's just starting it. I believe you have to either complete it, super jackpot. I'm still learning this game. Roll Scene. You've got to get through all five scene modes. Not easy to do. Cast Chaos We talked about how to start Cast Chaos Pulp Fiction Frenzy spelling the letters Pulp Fiction So you going to get all five of those just to start Divine Intervention That why I love this game so much That why I keep coming back It's not the longest game. It's quick. It's fast. It's challenging. Easy to approach. Hard to master.
    7:11
    It's Pulp Fiction. Let's play. Hooyah! We should have fucking shotguns. Skill shot, super simple. You try to plunge it up into the saucer when all five arrows are lit. So what I try to do is stay alive, but what else I try to do is I'm trying to make eligible the locks so I can stack my multiballs with my modes. Essentially that's what I'm trying to do. I'm also collecting characters every time I get to the saucer. So you'll see roll scene is lit with a drop target in its way.
    7:56
    We're going to try and knock that down to make a mode eligible. Now keep in mind, if we were to hit that saucer right now, it's going to make a character eligible, and we won't be able to make eligible a mode until we collect that character. So that's why I like to get the drop target and the roll scene done first. All right, there's that.
    8:22
    Now we can start a mode. Or we can go up top and get a character. Got to be fast on this game. All right, I locked the ball into the pawn shop.
    8:42
    Love it. It's physical ball light. So right now, the scene that is lit is twist contest. See it? Every time you hit a pop bumper, those will cycle through.
    8:54
    Let's get right in the middle there. Oh, missed it. We'll try to start a scene. Oh, there is a center. I got a ball save there. There's a center post in this game.
    9:05
    Don't rely on it, though. It'll burn you. I'm missing that saucer. All right, let's start a mode. Shots not the easiest. Probably the hardest shot is that saucer shot. I'm going to pay for it. You can almost backhand it. I can backhand the drop targets. See if I can backhand that. Gold watch. This is a tasty burger. Oh, I love it. Cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast. Oh my God. You see that? Love it. All right. Vincent's lit. Please would be nice. So now, since Vincent is lit, you'll see him lit there. If I hit that saucer right there, I'll start the mode as well as collect Vincent as a character. We're starting BMF Wallet. So I collected Vincent.
    10:20
    And action. I want you to go in that bag and find my wallet. It's the one that said bad motherfuckers.
    10:32
    Alright, so the modes are fairly quick in this. You don't have much time, and I'm trying to get my briefcase boogie going at the same time.
    10:44
    You see the stand-up arrows or the arrow targets? That's for BMF mode here. I would love to get that multiball going right now.
    10:58
    I'm losing line, b-ball. See? Mode's almost over. You gotta hit that. Ah! Cut, cut, cut! Demo, left focus! Alright. I didn't do much here. I did not do much. I was trying to get that multiball going on top of that in that scene mode, but I didn't get that going. That's okay. You got to see what Bad Mother Flipper Wallet is all about. And I was able to hold my character. If you don't, I don't know how to hold the characters, I'm not going to lie. But if you don't get those characters held, you have to start over on the character, on getting the characters. All right, y'all, ball two. What I'm going to try to do, again, is I'm going to try to get a scene going and then start briefcase boogie.
    11:51
    That's my goal. You know what they call a court car with a cheese and fries? Royale with cheese. You've got a corpse in a car, minus a head in a garage. Take me to it. The callouts on this game are the greatest ever. The greatest ever. And they've got every one of them too. Every callout you could ever want. Alright. See, I can't roll a scene. I can't start a scene because I had a character lit. So I have to collect them. Perfect. We couldn't have planned this better. I got Mr. Wolf collected. Then before I hit that saucer again, I need to hit down this drop target.
    12:31
    There you go. Now I can collect characters or whatever I want to do. Damn, you fight this game. Let's start another mode. What's it going to give me? Oh, whoa.
    12:48
    Twist contest. Oh, I do love some twist contests. If I could show you all that. Got my big kahuna. Don't kill me.
    13:08
    We're about to clean the car. Now I'm going to try to get that briefcase boogie going at the same time.
    13:18
    Come on, baby. So clean the car or orbits. I want to taste it. Ah, I can't get that mode going. There we go. Ball one locked.
    13:39
    I don't think I'm going to get all three locks in this mode, though. It's all right. Orbits or locks. There's two. I got 20 seconds in this mode I can do it Alright Get in there Alright I'm making another... There's one more out. Mia. Exciting, you don't have permission. Is eligible.
    14:07
    Don't drain me. Back in, back in, back in. I'm losing life, people! God. I did get my scene. Oh! Well, let's not start sucking each other's dicks from you. Ha ha ha ha ha! Print it! Oh my God. Oh, wow. Okay. As long as you're in my bedroom, I suggest you get going. All right. I said, God damn! Ha ha ha ha! All right. No, I didn't want to start! All right, well, I started anyway. You guys get to see Briefcase Boogie. all right i'm trying to get a uh jackpot during this oh my god this is not the greatest start watch the light show too insane all right now i'm trying to hit the payoff shots Do you hear these sounds?
    15:12
    Oh my god, no. You've got to be shitting me. That was it. Get in there. Talk about blowing that multi-ball there. That's alright, we're starting.
    15:34
    That's right. We're starting Gold Watch. I'm also going to try to lock some balls in the pawn shop. Is that ball two? It's lock two. It would be nice if we could get this multi-ball. I'd love to show you guys this multi-ball. And right now we've got four of the five characters, guys. So if I can get back up in that saucer and get jewels, then I can show you that too, that cast chaos. Tasty burger. ah it's okay that sucked that really sucked we got one more ball right super approachable but so addictive i held my cast too so that's great we've got a couple different things we can do if i can plunge it into the saucer up top there then i'm going to make jewels eligible once i hit that saucer and get jewels it's going to immediately start Cast Chaos.
    16:40
    I wouldn't mind holding off on that and starting another mode and starting the Pawn Shop Multiball to show you guys that.
    16:52
    But it's probably safer to just full plunge up top instead of short plunge. Yeah, see? Now, we're not going to start a mode.
    17:02
    We're going to show Cast Chaos. Oh man, if I could have got it I like the way you stink Damn You guys get the feel of Pulp Fiction Order yours today at FlippinOutPinball Just go to FlippinOutPinball.com What happened here was a miracle And I want you to fucking acknowledge it I'm going to put my highest for it Go to FlippinOutPinball.com Order yours today or email me at ZachZACH at flip the letter N out pinball.com what did i get the high score for this game is going into my collection without a doubt
    17:46
    phenomenal grand champ 3.5 i'll take it and if you love this theme forget it you know forget it damn want to play again let's do it that's a pretty good game of Pulp Fiction, but I want to show you guys all of the other features that this game has to offer, including Cast Chaos, the Pawn Shop Panic Multi Bowl, as well as some of the other modes. So let's do that now.
    18:20
    Skill shot! I mean, I want to help you, but I don't want to lose my life doing it, alright? Alright, Jimmy? I want to help you live my life doing it that's right this one's called twist contest I'm gonna turn lights off because frankly the the light show is amazing it's based on pop bumper so I'm gonna try and hit some pop bumpers and really light this mode up.
    19:04
    Self preservation is an instinct you possess. You better fucking do it and do it quick. And look at the display. Oh yeah.
    19:22
    Get down, get down. Twelve more seconds in this mode. Got to get in the saucer. four seconds left on the mode backhand when time running out I blew it We have it. Here we have it. Get down, get down. Look at that light show. Get down.
    20:23
    We'll leave the lights off for this one. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. Come on come on come on come on Trying to lock it back in there there you go wouldn mind locking the ball right there for the jackpot still can get to it there it is All right, we've got a good briefcase boogie going here. Let's see if we can control. Nope.
    21:29
    One more shot. No. Hit. Ball save, ball save. Don't shake the machine. Now. God damn, that's a pretty fucking good note shake.
    21:45
    So now you see, if I can just control the ball here. Uh-oh. It's going crazy. Now you can see that I've got Jimmy and Mr. Wolf already collected. I've got Jules, me, and Vincent eligible for collecting. See that right there? It's going crazy because it wants me to start Cast Chaos. Let's see if I can. Get up there.
    22:09
    See if I can backhand it. Nope. Forehand. I have the hardest time with that shot of any shot in the game.
    22:31
    Oh, that's a spin. get up there backhand forehand still can't get it cast chaos if I hit this and remember I might not be able to hold either hold my cast backhand you have got to be joking me
    23:02
    I can't hit it y'all. Alright. Shake off the nerves. Ain't nothing. Let me just start this real quick.
    23:26
    There we go. I said god damn. God damn. Placed through all of it. I'm going to turn on... Your tasty beverage. I'm going to turn the lights off so you guys can see the light show. Cast chaos here. Collected all characters. And away we go.
    23:44
    Going to hit the payoffs. You guys hit the payoffs spots. You see that? Get up there. There are some good points in this. Calm, calm, calm, calm. Don't shoot. That's it. I blew it. I just blew it. Fight it, Zach. I'm gonna try to get pawn shop paying it going. I only need one more. There we go. I'll turn off the lights for pawn shop painting. I love this. Starts awesome. Here we go. Stop. It's closed. Even the ball releases are triggered to the sounds of the... There we go.
    25:31
    Bring out the Gimp. Oh, shit. Oh, that's a double drain. No, I tried to sneak a pen. Don't you hate that? I do. I do hate that. As a reminder, you know where to pick up your next pinball machine or arcade machine. It's none other than our company Flippin' Out Pinball. Do so because we do more than just sell you a pinball machine. We have the best customer service in the entire industry, some of the fastest shipping times, and we don't just answer the phone and take your money. Hell, we're creating media for you. We treat you how you should be treated because we're pinball people too, so we kind of get it. Hamburger! Cornerstone of any nutritious food.
    27:02
    Oh damn! The spinner's not going to stop spinning. You fucking shut up right now! How about you Lester Rube? Can you keep your spurs from jingling and jangling?
    27:32
    Thank you.