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The Pinball Tapes Ep 6: Whirlwind

The Pinball Network·video·1h 20m·held·Nov 25, 2022
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.035

TL;DR

Pat Whirlwind (1990) analyzed as pinball design masterpiece amid his retirement announcement.

Summary

Zach Colligan's detailed retrospective episode on Pat Whirlwind (1990) celebrates the game as a masterpiece of design, art, and audio. The episode dedicates itself to Lawler's recent retirement after 34 years of pinball design, traces his career from Banzai Run through Dialed In!!, and provides extensive analysis of Whirlwind's playfield mechanics, John Youssi artwork, and Chris Granner award-winning soundtrack. Colligan emphasizes Whirlwind's enduring influence, its cultural position as a benchmark design, and the collaborative genius behind its creation.

Key Claims

  • Pat Lawlor has retired from pinball design after 34 years, with Toy Story 4 (2022) as his final game

    high confidence · Zach Colligan opening dedication; explicitly stated as recent news at time of recording

  • Whirlwind sold 7,304 units, a respectable figure for early 1990s but below Williams' peak performers

    high confidence · Zach Colligan citing IPDB data; production start January 11, 1990

  • The The Addams Family is the best-selling pinball machine of all time with 20,270 units sold

    high confidence · Zach Colligan citing IPDB; also notes it was designed by Pat Lawlor

  • Chris Granner worked on Whirlwind under an 'extremely aggressive schedule'—the shortest timeline of any Williams game he worked on

    high confidence · Zach Colligan referencing Chris Granner to Head2Head Pinball podcast interview (episode 71)

  • John Youssi signed an exclusivity deal with Pat Lawlor after early collaborations and worked on every Lawler game until his recent retirement

    high confidence · Zach Colligan; Youssi began as pinball artist in 1976

  • The term 'cellar hole' is directly credited to Whirlwind in pinball terminology

    medium confidence · Zach Colligan citing game documentation

  • Ed Boon provided the male voiceover callouts for Whirlwind (confirmed by Chris Granner)

    high confidence · Zach Colligan; also notes Boon voiced Rudy in Funhouse

  • Williams initially covered the Cubs logo on early Whirlwind back glasses with a sticker over the boy's cap due to licensing concerns

    medium confidence · Zach Colligan; notes this may indicate production run variant and potential resale value

  • Whirlwind's music is consistently cited as among the best pinball music ever made across 30+ years

    medium confidence · Zach Colligan's observation of ongoing community discussion; subjective assessment

Notable Quotes

  • “Pat Lawlor, this episode is dedicated to you. I'm not assuming, but hoping one day you might hear my ramblings and know that the pinball community at large owes you a bottomless debt of gratitude. Thank you, good sir.”

    Zach Colligan @ opening dedication — Emotional tribute to Lawler's retirement; sets tone for reverent retrospective

  • “To me, this summation somewhat demeans the whole glory of this game as a whole, but I guess, despite being a bit too simplistic for my taste, it is the most basic and fundamental element that deep down we all really want from our machines.”

    Zach Colligan @ early analysis — Frames tension between 'fun' as surface appeal vs. deeper design merit

  • “When it comes to the pure enjoyment of the game of pinball, this game has it all.”

    Zach Colligan @ mid-episode — Core thesis: Whirlwind as comprehensive pinball experience

  • “Pat Lawlor games definitely remind me of the colour and wonder that Nintendo brings to this world. They share that certain flavour of thoroughly enjoyable animated entertainment, with simple and enjoyable rules.”

    Zach Colligan @ design philosophy section — Contextualizes Lawler's design aesthetic within broader entertainment design paradigm

  • “He basically said to Larry, 'Hey Larry, I've got an idea for a pinball machine with a vertical play foot in the back glass.' And Larry said, 'Great, let's go make it.'”

    Zach Colligan @ Lawler origin story — Captures origin of Lawler-DeMar partnership and Banzai Run genesis

  • “Unlike the shark tank experience of Pat Lawlor at Williams, Chris had an extremely positive and supportive experience when joining the legendary 90s Williams team.”

    Zach Colligan @ Chris Granner section — Contrasts Lawler's competitive early experience with Granner's collaborative environment

  • “Chris started at Williams right when pinball audio ceased being a software problem and started becoming a musical problem.”

    Zach Colligan — Marks Granner's entry as pivotal moment in pinball audio evolution; directly quoted from Granner's H2H interview

Entities

Pat LawlorpersonWhirlwindgameChris GrannerpersonJohn YoussipersonZach ColliganpersonLarry DeMar

Signals

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Pat Lawler has retired from pinball design after 34 years; Toy Story 4 (2022) was final design

    high · Zach Colligan's opening dedication: 'the talented Mr. Pat Lawler has literally just hung up his designing tools and announced his retirement from the world of pinball wizardry. This is after, if my calculations are correct, 34 years'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Whirlwind exemplifies collaborative design excellence: Pat Lawler (concept/direction), John Youssi (exclusive art), Chris Granner (music under aggressive deadline), Ed Boon (voiceover), Bill Futsenreuter (code structure)

    high · Detailed credit analysis throughout episode; Lawler credited as 'concept and design and also directed by'; Youssi signed exclusivity deal after early projects; Granner worked on aggressive timeline with pre-structured codebase from Futsenreuter

  • ?

    design_innovation: Chris Granner's music designed to create psychological tension curve: main theme as calm baseline, multiball lit as building dread, multiball theme as climax, with callouts like 'Do not panic' adding meta-psychological dimension to competitive pressure

    high · Zach's detailed analysis of four-track soundtrack structure and callout timing; direct reference to Granner's stated goal of 'ominous, threatening and intense' with 'break to catch your breath' between sequences

  • ?

    design_innovation: John Youssi embedded multiple Easter eggs and thematic consistency across cabinet, headbox, backglass, and playfield; cloud-faced antagonist character unifies visual narrative; red button became visual trademark for all Lawler games

    high · Detailed Easter egg inventory: self-portrait in backglass, flying cat, pigs in whirlwind, Cubs/Williams cap variant, Youssi's wife in photograph reference; Pat suggested red button after Youssi originally sketched thumbs-up

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.243

0:00
The Pinball Network is online. Launching the Pinball Tapes. Before we begin this journey my friends, I just want to take the time for a dedication. I find that sometimes my endeavors seem to take a lot longer than they should, like the release of this episode, but this is definitely a case of everything happens for a reason. At the time of this recording our feature designer for this This episode, the talented Mr. Pat Lawler has literally just hung up his designing tools and announced his retirement from the world of pinball wizardry. This is after, if my calculations are correct, 34 years of creating the most joyous, fun-filled and innovative games the world of pinball has ever seen. Not only have these classics stood the test of time, but they are still highly sought after and are only increasing in value after all these years. Mr Lawler, this episode is dedicated to you I'm not assuming, but hoping one day you might hear my ramblings and know that the pinball community at large owes you a bottomless debt of gratitude Thank you, good sir I sincerely hope you find more time to play pinball and I hold out hope that we may not have seen the last Pat Lawler game
1:26
My name is Zach Colligan, and I'm possessed by pinball. If you're listening to this, there's a glimmer of hope that I can instill into you the joy and fascination I get from this kinetic wonder.
1:49
This is the Pinball Times. Well, hello, pinball people. I've missed you all terribly, but I'm finally back in the driving seat for another jam-packed episode of the Pinball Tapes. Now, I'm going to admit I've been putting off recording this episode and have left this one till the time felt right. This is not because my excitement has dwindled for podcasting and also not because my love of the silver ball has abated. For the record, it has absolutely not diminished one iota. But because today's machine requires a cosmically, I think I made up a word, deep level of admiration and attention, and it requires, nay demands, a detailed and genuine analysis so I can imbue into you good people the wonder that this game has brought so many pin players since its inception in 1990. I am, of course, talking about the Pat Lawler masterpiece, The Splendiferous Williams World.

  • Bill Pfutzenreuter (credited as 'Futs') provided pre-coded soundtrack template structure for Chris Granner to compose within

    medium confidence · Zach Colligan citing Chris Granner account; Futsenreuter's broader role unclear

    • @ audio history

  • “When you have the lock lit for the first and second time, the game lets you know something serious is coming. 'Danger, danger. Storm is coming. Return to your homes.'”

    Zach Colligan @ callouts analysis — Illustrates thematic integration of audio design with game state

  • “Do not panic. Because it knows you'll probably have at least a semblance of panic, something you have to quell in order to become a top player.”

    Zach Colligan @ multiball callout analysis — Identifies meta-psychological dimension of audio design; connects to competitive play wisdom

  • “It is by no means cluttered, it is simply beautiful.”

    Zach Colligan @ playfield artwork analysis — Summarizes design principle: visual information density balanced with aesthetic clarity

    • person
    Williamscompany
    Keith Elwinperson
    Bowen Kerinsperson
    [name withheld pending review]person
    Bruceperson
    Ed Boonperson
    Bill Pfutzenreuterperson
    Steve Ritchieperson
    Dave Christensenperson
    The Pinball Networkorganization
    The Pinball Tapesevent
    IPDBorganization
    Silver Ball Chroniclesevent
    Australian Head to Head Pinball podcastevent
    PAPAorganization
    The Addams Familygame
    Dialed In!game
    The Sea Thievesorganization
  • ?

    historical_signal: Whirlwind traces lineage through Lawler's career: started at Dave Nutting Associates (video games), moved through bowling tech to Williams (via Larry DeMar); Banzai Run was first solo concept; Addams Family provided commercial validation; Whirlwind was third fully independent design

    high · Zach's detailed career narrative including chance meeting between Larry DeMar and Lawler at bowling company; Lawler's pitch for vertical playfield concept becoming Banzai Run; Addams Family success enabling Whirlwind independence

  • $

    market_signal: Whirlwind maintains strong collector demand 30+ years after release; secondary market prices rising; early production variants (Cubs cap with sticker vs. Williams cap) noted as potential value differentiators

    medium · Zach notes Addams Family commands 'hefty price' and 'popularity and worth seem to be endless'; warns new buyers about premium pricing; identifies Cubs/Williams cap variant as 'may not only be of historical interest but could be worth a few extra bucks to the right buyer'

  • ?

    community_signal: Whirlwind operates as canonical design benchmark in pinball community; referenced constantly across media, tournaments, and casual discussion; serves as comparative standard for evaluating modern and homebrew games

    high · Zach: 'Whirlwind comes up constantly. Regardless if it's an offhand comment... or a detailed and joyous analysis... People just love this game'; notes Keith Elwin (GOAT) praises it in podcasts; Bowen Kerins created tutorial on PAPA website

  • ?

    manufacturing_signal: Whirlwind produced under extremely aggressive development schedule; Chris Granner reported it had shortest timeline of any Williams game he worked on; pressure appears to have enhanced rather than diminished final product quality

    high · Zach citing Granner's H2H interview: 'extremely aggressive schedule, and it was the least amount of time they had to make a game out of all the games he was part of developing at Williams. In light of this, the results are quite incredible. It seems that the pressure paid off.'

  • ?

    technology_signal: Whirlwind marks inflection point where Yamaha synthesizer chip embedded in Williams pinball circuitry enabled transition from 'pinball audio as software problem' to 'pinball audio as musical problem'; Chris Granner arrived at Williams one month after chip integration

    high · Granner quote via Zach: 'he started at Williams right when pinball audio ceased being a software problem and started becoming a musical problem. A month before he started, they had only just embedded a Yamaha synthesiser chip within the circuitry'

  • ?

    restoration_signal: Whirlwind's distinctive topper identified as critical component to full gameplay experience; Zach's initial Whirlwind acquisition was rejected partly because candidate unit lacked topper; he emphasizes 'it simply would not have been the same experience' without it

    medium · Zach: 'For this particular copy of the game that was for sale, it did not have its glorious topper, but more on that later'; later in episode promises detailed 'hash out' of topper but transcript cuts off

  • ?

    content_signal: Pinball podcast ecosystem shows mature cross-referencing and collaborative culture: Slam Tilt podcast guests appear on Pinball Tapes; multiple specialized shows (Slam Tilt, Australian H2H, Silver Ball Chronicles) provide deep-dive historical content; creators cite and build on each other's work

    high · Zach recommends: Silver Ball Chronicles ep. 13 for Lawler history, H2H podcast ep. 71 for Granner interview, Slam Tilt podcast from Ron Hallett and Bruce (who appeared as guests on Pinball Tapes ep. 5); notes episode timing coordination around Lawler's retirement

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Pat Lawler's career pattern shows constraints paradoxically driving innovation: told his designs 'would not work,' responded by 'pushing the boundaries'; aggressive deadline on Whirlwind appears to have sharpened rather than compromised final product

    medium · Zach: 'What also makes Whirlwind and Pat's games in general something unique and special was that he was often told he was crazy and that his designs would not work. All this did was spur him on to keep pushing the boundaries.'

    • 2:56
    Oh man, oh me, oh my. My own origin story with Whirlwind is a tale full of dizzying heights, towering lows and creamy middles. Before I obtained my own piece of windswept wonder, I was a younger man full of the obsessive joy that comes with the prospect of owning a pimple machine in my very own home. I did what many have done before me, and what I have discussed before at length on this podcast and considered under a microscope what I wanted from my first machine. A Williams Whirlwind came up for sale in my home state of South Australia in my budget range, a pittance compared for the price they command to date, and I launched into research. The overarching report on this machine, the one word that was thrown around again and again and again, was fun. Everyone who reviewed this game and spent the time to write what was usually a gushing essay, said when it came down to it, this game was just a blast and simply good fun. To me, this summation somewhat demeans the whole glory of this game as a whole, but I guess, despite being a bit too simplistic for my taste, it is the most basic and fundamental element that deep down we all really want from our machines. So, I took this all to heart and kept on reading and reading until I felt confident to take the plunge, but alas, it had been sold. However, this harrowing tale was fate playing its hand. Not only do I now have one of these revered beauties in my collection, but I would have missed out on an aspect of the game that is so unique that it simply would not have been the same experience.
    4:40
    For this particular copy of the game that was for sale, it did not have its glorious topper, but more on that later. Since this first foray into Whirlwind adoption, I've continued to research, listen and learn about this fine piece of 90s innovation from all different areas of pinball media. Now, though I may get lost in superlatives again, you know how I get. I'm not saying that this is the greatest game ever made. Demand that you have to like it or expect you to pay a princely sum for it. When it comes to the pure enjoyment of the game of pinball, this game has it all. As I mentioned many times in previous episodes, I pay attention to all corners of pinball media when it comes to info about games that intrigue me. Whirlwind comes up constantly. Regardless if it's an offhand comment like the GOAT himself, the greatest of all time, expert pinball designer and world champion player Keith Elwin saying how much he loved Whirlwind in a podcast interview, or a detailed and joyous analysis like uber pinball player Bowen Kerens' tutorial on the PAPA website. People just love this game, and you may have guessed it, I do too.
    6:00
    So I'll again urge those not flying a helicopter or driving a tank or anything like that to head over to the IPDB or the International Pinball Database and search up Whirlwind so you can play along at home. I'll obviously include a link in the show notes so you can perhaps go there instead So a few fast facts here According to the IPDB, Whirlwind's official production start date is January 11, 1990 As far as production numbers go, they sold 7,304 units which in today's standards is staggering At the time, in the early 90s, it would have been seen as a pretty decent success a bit above par for sales during that time especially if you ignore fellow designer Steve Ritchie's insane sales figures but for Pat Lawler there would be far bigger things to come. In regards to the features of this game this beauty is packed. We have three flippers, two in the usual position down the bottom and an upper flipper on the top right. We have two extensive and elegant ramps. The three-toll ramp on the left ends in a Y form that drops you directly onto the playfield. The skyway ramp on the right has a diverter at the end that can either send you back to the left flipper or safely nestle your ball into the locked lane. Its entrance can also be up or down, giving you access to a kick-out hole beneath, but more on that later.
    7:23
    Also, we have not one, but three spinning discs that oscillate wildly in different directions, causing mayhem in all the right ways. We also have two nests of three pop bumpers, or as they called them, jets, back then. There was a bit of a stoush going on between designers, where some called them jets, some called them pop bumpers, and the documentation I see about this, they refer to them as jets, but I'll probably still refer to them as pop bumpers for the rest of this episode. We also have two cellar holes, and the pinball-related term cellar hole is apparently directly credited to this game, and a centre post between the flippers. We also have the topper to end all toppers, but we'll hash that out later as well. So much world under glass, it's worthy of a cliche
    8:31
    Okay, so let's talk about the man, the myth, the legend, Mr Pat Lawler Pat Lawler, who boy, to put it mildly, is one of the greats when it comes to pinball designers. On the Mount Rushmore of pinball designers, it would be a crime not to include his esteemed visage. He's got a great mo to boot. In the revered and highly sought after era of 90s pinball manufacturing, he produced some of the biggest and most popular games of all time. If you are listening to my ramblings from outside the true obsession of pinball, and if that is the case, thank you very much, or if you are well and truly taken by silver fever, all I need to say is Adam's family. Everybody, and I mean everybody who I've ever talked to about pinball for five seconds or five hours has heard about the famed Adam's family pinball machine. And why is this? Well, it goes down in history as being the biggest selling pinball machine of all time with, according to the IPDB, 20,270 units sold. Unbelievable. So if you add up the facts, the market at that time was all about operators, and there were obviously a lot of Addams Family machines in bars and arcades around the world. Compounded with the fact it was at the peak of pinball in the 90s, and that many of us current home-earning pinball lovers were hanging around in those bars and pubs. And there you have a recipe for deep Halcyon tinge pinball memories. Perhaps a quick word of advice here? This game has such a strong nostalgic pull that it commands a hefty price in today's market and its popularity and worth seem to be endless. I've seen this situation many times. The keen and new pinball enthusiast who wants to relive their youth and join the pinball owners club. Their first thought goes to the mythical Adams family that they spent many hours flipping in their youth. They remember the joy and pursue the dream until they see the price. my advice for the new player in this glorious hobby is to perhaps set their sights elsewhere there are many many many games out there that in my humble opinion can give as much if not more joy and you can most likely buy two three or four for the same price of a single atoms in saying all that if you have the opportunity to buy one and the money to match go for it and enjoy it's a great game. So, in case you got lost in my long monologue about Adam's Family, the reason I'm banging on about it is because it was dreamt up by our feature designer Pat Lawler. Though Adam's was his first huge commercial success, he has many other amazing games worth paying attention to. Adam's Family not only gave him a blank check to create the absolutely bonkers game The Twilight Zone, arguably the most toy-filled pinball machine ever made, but also set him up to continue to make games and be trusted by manufacturers for over 30 years. By the time Pat Lawler designed Whirlwind, he already had a number of classic games under his belt and had well and truly adopted his fun and surprising aesthetic. To relate it to the home console world, Pat Lawler games definitely remind me of the colour and wonder that Nintendo brings to this world. They share that certain flavour of thoroughly enjoyable animated entertainment, with simple and enjoyable rules. Matt's era with the pinball company Williams in the 90s left some legendary and groundbreaking pinballs in his wake, like Earthshaker, the first pinball machine with a shaker motor, it's on my wish list, and Banzai Run, another one I'd love, with a vertical playfield in the back glass. As mentioned earlier, and to date this podcast, Mr Lawler has retired from designing, leaving the world with Toy Story 4 as his last offering in 2022. too. 30 plus years of designing is no mean feat, especially with such a string of incredible machines. I'm not going to list them all here, but as with all the pinball tape episodes, I strongly advise you again to look up the IPDB and search for Whirlwind, or follow the link.
    12:28
    One game I'll quickly bring your attention to is his dizzyingly innovative modern classic, described as a masterpiece by Ron Hallett of the Slam to It podcast, another podcast that I highly recommend you listen to. In fact, Ron and Bruce from the Slam Tilt Podcast were my guests on the last episode of the Pinball Tapes. Not only was this the first original theme pinball in many, many years, but it included a camera that took pics of you for the winning scores, which reminds me of a princess I once met. And it has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can control something with your phone, which is nuts. Amazing stuff. I haven't had enough time on Dialed In to add too much to the dialogue currently, but it's definitely on my wish list.
    13:26
    So just to help set the tone here, I'll recount a brief synopsis of Pat Lawler's Pimble origin story. If you're interested in a far deeper and detailed account of the man's life, you cannot go past the excellent historical pinball podcast, The Silver Ball Chronicles. I've gleaned much about Pat's extraordinary life from episode 13, titled Pat Lawler, William's Wrecking Ball. So Pat Lawler's pinball origin story began, as many of these uber designers do, by working in the video game industry. Pat started out at the famous Dave Nutting and Associates in the late 70s, and they were associated with Midway and made video games. When he started, the industry was booming, and money was being poured into the development for games. Then the industry crashed, and the money that was being put into games basically disappeared overnight. So brutal. He then briefly went from that to a company that put video games into cartridges for home use, to another company that developed bowling alley technology. And this is where the real origin story begins. I love this story. It's classic old school business action where a chance meeting and a person with an eye for talent begins something truly great. So one fine day, Larry DeMar from Williams Pinball went to Pat Lawler's bowling tech company to check out what they were doing and they started talking about pinball. Larry DeMar was already a bit of a pinball legend by then, as he was involved with the software and sound development of the smash hit Steve Ritchie designed pinny, High Speed. Lawler was very familiar with this game and had spent many an evening battling with it on locations around the area. This is my favourite part of the story. He basically said to Larry, Hey Larry, I've got an idea for a pinball machine with a vertical play foot in the back glass. And Larry said, Great, let's go make it. I mean, I'm obviously being a little bit facetious here, but still kind of all came together like that. I love it. So outside of the Williams factory, which is interesting, they bought and stripped down a Williams Road King to make a working model, or for those who are unaware, a whitewood. A whitewood is basically an art-free pin, which is playable. Now I should mention here that Pat Lawler famously has an amazing design studio at his house. I've often heard this referred to in revered tones. It's apparently an incredible setup where he can actually pre-fabricate his own parts to design working models at home.
    15:49
    So this game with the vertical back glass became the groundbreaking game, Barns-Iron, and ended up being his very first game for Williams. Though it was developed under a pressure cooker situation that described Williams during that era as a shark tank, and the other designers felt he was going to be a failure, it was a hit for the company, and so Pat Lawless' career had begun. So let's get to the Wanderous Whirlwind. This was the third game and 100% Pat Lawler designed without any input from Larry DeMar. And it certainly did not suffer from being a solo endeavour. I feel he had his finger in many pies for this project, offering direction and influence in all areas. On the playfield he is listed as concept and design and also directed by. The inspiration for this beautiful game came from Pat's love of the old disaster films of the 60s and 70s. What also makes Whirlwind and Pat's games in general something unique and special was that he was often told he was crazy and that his designs would not work. All this did was spur him on to keep pushing the boundaries.
    17:04
    So let's begin where most punters begin. That alluring factor that the designing team hope will draw the unsuspecting player across the room to put that dollar in. Now I'm going to admit that I'm an absolute fanboy of this package. I love the way this game looks. Everything about it just works for me. It's got the vibrant blend of colour and imagery that really appeals, and also aptly sums up the fun and excitement contained under the glass. Our artist for this machine is the talented John Yousey. John began as a pinball artist in 1976 and collaborated with Dave Christensen, another famous artist who is known for his pointy people, I say in inverted commas, to create a beautiful art package for Bally's old Chicago pinball machine. Lawler was obviously impressed with John's work because after the first couple of projects together, John signed an exclusivity deal with Lawler and they've worked together on every Pat Lawler game until his recent retirement. So starting at the cabinet. Blue is the word that comes to mind here. The crowning glory of this entire art package is that our feature natural disaster, the whirlwind itself, has a cloud face. As you would expect of a wind producing deceptive trickster, he doesn't look terrifying, but is almost blowing his cheeks out in order to create chaos. On the side of the cabinet, the whirlwind name is being blown out by Mr. Wind in a cloud with what almost looks like flames surrounding the letters. He is again beautifully symmetricised I do enjoy making up these words for you on either side of the cloud-shaped topper as well. The side art of the head box is perfectly theme-apped also this time only showing our stormy friend's hand fingers twirling to create the whirlwind once again cementing that he is indeed the puppet master in this unpredictable game. So let's move to the crowning achievement of the art package the back glass or technically the trans light. This era of 90s games favoured the acrylic translight for the headbox art, as opposed to the mirrored backglass used in previous decades. I'm very fond of a glorious mirrored backglass, but much prefer handling a translight. I have sleepless nights thinking about having to handle those fragile and thin mirror backglasses. One slip and it'll be lost forever.
    19:19
    So officially, the theme of this game itself is a tornado causing havoc in Kansas. There is a wonderful sense of movement in this image. Nothing is static. All of our characters are being affected by the wind and it shows. One of the briefs John was given by Pat was to put hidden things into the art. Easter eggs, if you will. So the largest character on the back glass is a smiling and very prominent mustachioed driver in the front left of the frame driving the Storm Blaster's bus. That is in fact a self-portrait of John Yousey himself. John apparently got his wife to take a polaroid of him in position in order to get the right posture for the piece the red button in John's hand made its first appearance on Whirlwind and became an identifying illustration for Lawler Games from then on and is apparently also the logo for his company it is some sort of trigger for the electrically charged gizmo on top of the van I guess It was dreamed up by Pat as John originally had himself giving a thumbs up Pat also suggested the tagline on the van that says anytime anywhere
    20:24
    We also have cloud-faced Willy Whirlwind looming ominously over the whole proceedings. Cheeks puffed out to the max, causing a major twister in the centre. His right hand is creating a number of smaller whirlies over a farmhouse and hilariously causing some poor hapless pigs to spiral up into the air. Perhaps there is an in-joke about pigs flying here? And his left hand is where the lightning emanates from.
    20:50
    We also have a number of other characters in varying degrees of peril. The station wagon that is crashing through a funnel-crossing sign, get it? On the bottom right of the frame, it's just about to tip over and has two passengers. one a frightened pooch or John Yassi's goofy English setter that has his paws over his eyes in terror we also have a young boy in a cap recklessly hanging out the window with a video camera capturing the approaching storm the young lad's cap is a point of interest the type of cap he is wearing signifies the different versions of the back glass depending on when it was released so the story goes Pat and John were fans of the Cubs baseball team and so on the first run the boy had a Cubs cap with the C logo. Williams were a bit concerned that they might get sued so they put a sticker over the Cubs logo and replaced it with the Williams logo. Subsequent production runs only had the W on the boy's cap. So if you own a Whirlwind have a close look at the cap. If you have a sticker it may not only be of historical interest but could be worth a few extra bucks to the right buyer. And finally we have our policewoman tearing up the road in the middle of the piece racing to get ahead of the storm. To be honest she doesn't that concerned. And right in front of her at handlebar height is my fave the flying cat. So funny for all the wrong reasons. This poor feline is not having a good day. Its arms are spread out as it careens through the air in a way that no cat was meant to travel. So looking at the play field. Again superb artwork. It evokes a feeling that there are good times ahead and that you will be rewarded handsomely with colour and movement. We have yellow and red lightning strikes on orange backgrounds in the in lanes and out lanes. There are isobars across blue skies that surround the yellow compass in the middle of the playfield. We also have another excellent image of our cloud-faced windy pal, ominously uplit with amber and looming over the multicoloured spinning lightning discs that sit in the centre of the playfield. The storm chaser's van makes an appearance also, blasting a beam from its satellite dish in the direction of the right orbit. Up the top half we have paths of green, yellow, orange and blue, all serving a particular purpose to highlight directions that the ball should go. There is a lot going on, but it is by no means cluttered, it is simply beautiful. Well, all right, it's time to talk music. Oh, I'll be looking forward to this section. Of all the other innovation and firsts in Whirlwind, the music in this game is regarded as some of the best pinball music ever made. I'm not exaggerating when I say that any time there is a discussion about the best pinball music ever made, Whirlwind always gets a mention. That's saying a lot for a game that's over 30 years old. So we once again come back to the legendary stylings of Uber musician and producer Chris Granner. I discussed Chris's work in the very first Pinball Tapes episode, as he was responsible for the quirky circus soundtrack of the wonderful William Cyclone. I highly recommend listening to that, and also listening to his interview on episode 71 of the Australian Head to Head Pinball podcast, to get a very comprehensive overview of his pinball career. I'll include a link in the show notes to that particular episode, because it's well worth a listen. When it comes to pinball music, Chris literally was the right person, at the right time, in the right place. Unlike the shark tank experience of Pat Lawler at Williams, Chris had an extremely positive and supportive experience when joining the legendary 90s Williams team.
    24:42
    Chris was extremely well educated. He came to Williams with a Masters in Musical Composition and had a background in programming experimental music before keyboards were readily accessible. When Chris started at Williams, it was the perfect storm of technological advancement and he was the perfect person to utilise it. As he said in his head-to-head interview, he started at Williams right when pinball audio ceased being a software problem and started becoming a musical problem. A month before he started, they had only just embedded a Yamaha synthesiser chip within the circuitry that could be used for composition. So how did our intrepid audio explorer find his way to this wonderful soundtrack? Chris reportedly was given the tagline, The storm is coming, to help with the musical score. The words Chris used a number of times to describe the score were ominous, threatening and intense. A feeling of tension and suspense. Then, after the storm has passed, or multi-ball has passed, which we'll talk about later, you get a break to catch your breath, the music is slightly less ominous, and then it happens all over again. Another fact I find quite fascinating is that Chris was reported as saying that he had a very short amount of time to make the game. It was an extremely aggressive schedule, and it was the least amount of time they had to make a game out of all the games he was part of developing at Williams. In light of this, the results are quite incredible. It seems that the pressure paid off. Perhaps pressure was exactly what this project needed. I'd like to take a moment here as well to mention one of the more unsung heroes of the world of Williams Legends. I must admit that I haven't been able to find out too much info on software programming extraordinaire Bill Futsenreuter. That's how I want to pronounce it. I think that's how you pronounce it. But the admiration Chris Granner has for him made me take notice. I have noticed his name on some of my games. He was part of the team that produced Cyclone and is listed on Whirlwind simply as Futs.
    26:44
    His name came up when Chris was talking about the process of putting together the music and sound for Whirlwind. He said that Bill was amazing and that he was so organised, he handed Chris the soundtrack template already coded. So they knew they didn't have to do anything new structurally, it was just musical. So the drop target, pop bumpers and multi-ball sequence etc. had an available space ready and waiting for Chris's wizardry. This is another testament to the bubbling cauldron of talent that came together for this very special game. In regards to the audio, let's start with the assured and prominent call-outs. The call-outs in this game are just superb, and are perfectly integrated into the theme of the game. It sounds to me like the pre-recorded emergency warning voice you would hear during bomb raids in areas prone to natural disasters. This absolutely harks back to the old disaster films that inspired Pat Lawler to make this game in the first place. Thanks to Chris Granner passing on the info we at least know that Uber software designer and sometimes voiceover guy Ed Boon delivered the male voice callouts in this game Ed Boon famously voiced the talking ventriloquist dummy head Rudy in the legendary Pat Lawler Williams game Funhouse We unfortunately don't know who voiced the female callouts but they are equally as great Even from the very start and when you press the button a whimsical voice says Uh-oh, looks like rain.
    28:11
    Ed's call-outs are perfectly placed during tense moments. When you have the lock lit for the first and second time, the game lets you know something serious is coming. Danger, danger. Storm is coming. Return to your homes.
    28:28
    The storm is over. All clear. A stroke of genius with the audio programming happens when you've locked two balls and multi-ball is lit. Not only is the music foreboding, but the game itself is almost trying to psych you out. I only discovered this when I paid careful attention to the call-outs during the game. So what it does, it repeats the other phrases we just mentioned, but also adds a very seminal phrase. Do not panic. Because it knows you'll probably have at least a semblance of panic, something you have to quell in order to become a top player. I remember seeing a pinball documentary years ago where they interviewed a world champion Swedish player. And his main advice was, you must never panic.
    29:13
    I can't really do his wonderful accent justice, but suffice to say that it really stayed with me. And the whirlwind reminds me every time I have multi-ball lit. Do not panic. All clear. All clear. All clear. Okay, let's have a look at the actual songs that were composed for the game. So let's start with the first thing you hear. what's simply called main theme. A rocking but welcoming ditty that introduces you to the frenzy that is Chris Granner's crazed improvisation. It's all synthesizer guitar from the Yamaha keyboard technology that we mentioned earlier. But improv like this I can only imagine was done on a keytar, surely. If you're unsure what a keytar is, go and watch a pseudo-echo film clip. Keyboard guitars are amazing. He couldn't possibly sit down and play like this, could he? What is surprising about this track is the drums. They are very busy but really work. And from making my own music with my band The Sea Thieves, which is the title of the show, and the outro music, I'm very aware that busy drums are a very difficult thing to pull off. The drums match the very busy melody he brings to the table though. It sounds like he really means it. This is designed to act as a balm between tense moments and stormy action. Chris talks about giving you a break at times during the whirlwind experience and because it's the first thing you hear and more importantly where the game goes back to after multiball has finished then this is as gentle as it gets So the next song is The Million Plus So I classify this as the country rock number Yee-haw! Get your electro duds on dudes I would describe the flow of this track as a non-stop solo once again that is ridiculously deft and persistent. It is broken up by a slightly mellow section, but this doesn't last long before you know it, straight back into the frenzy. This track's called Multi-Ball Lit. Now we get to the white knuckle action. I love this number. It feels like it was grown organically in an ethereal 80s synth lab. The drums are amazing off-kilter and unexpected with a bass tremolo that just pulses through it. The main theme is the calm, this is absolutely the soundtrack for tension. You can feel the building of an ominous storm that is brewing in the sky above and it should be tense because it only happens after two balls have been locked. So when you hear the bass pulsing, the room grows dark, you know you're one mere a shot away from the glory of multiball. So the final musical composition in this game is called simply Multiball Theme. Now the Multiball Theme can only be described as a face melting rock number. I know I said Chris was shredding before but this my friends, this is the one. He's absolutely ripping up the keytar in this one. I wouldn't be surprised at all if at the end of the take his keytar burst into flames and he threw it out of the window and into a dumpster.
    32:18
    Because unless he had face melt randomizer software, this is all improvised, which is quite astounding really. In this number, he wants you to feel the tension of the situation. The movement of the guitar perfectly matches the spinning and ricocheting action of three 516 inch ball bearings. This is the track that gives you the special sauce at the end. The perfect sting only if you take the time to hear it out. This is an interesting little quirk and the main lesson I learnt from isolating the music of this game. You are able to isolate certain songs and sounds in the sound test mode, but the application of them in the game can be quite different. This is of course quite obvious during gameplay because in typical pinball fashion, your ball can only last a few seconds, giving you just a tiny taste of what the soundtrack has to offer. This is not uncommon on a pinball machine, and hear everything many, many times. The main theme comes to mind here as you often hear the outro riff that signifies you've lost the ball which is amazing but sad at all the same time Interestingly, Chris, in his head-to-head interview again talked at length about the music of a pinball machine but not in terms of song composition He felt that the real music, and I'm making air quotes, of pinball wasn't the ditties in the background but the combination of sounds that happen in a random fashion during the game and can I say here that the sounds in this game are just excellent. There's so many whooshes and beeps and boings and springs and I'm not going to catalogue them all here and talk about them because there's too many but just the general soundscape of this game as I said it evokes the fun and joy that you would hope to get from a Pat Lawler game. Here's an example of this music of the pinball machine regarding the figure eight ramps in the classic Williams games Fish Tales where you can get into a groove flipping left and right as each ramp feeds to the opposite flipper. It makes a sound like the motor on a small fishing boat and, from memory, gets higher in pitch the more combos you achieve. This is what he considered the real music of a pinball machine. The most easily recognisable example of getting a special audio moment from playing the game is the multi-ball theme that also plays you out at the end of your game. If you stay and listen, there is a neat little end to the track. The persistent shredding stops and it breaks right down to the bass and drums for the very last verse. I love this little variation. It really gives me such joy. You stick it out into the bitter end after this suspension of tension, trademark pending, it is broken up by an extremely tasty lick at the very last bar to finish off the track. The playfield illumination is off during this sequence with dancing insert lights to entertain you. The entire playfield lights wave from top to bottom and you're out. It is very reminiscent of the end of game music we talked about in the Pinball Tape Cyclone episode. the very first episode I did. If you stick it out on the cyclone the dreaded elephant sound will trumpet you out at the end. A little moment for the patient pinballer. So the general vibe of Chris Granner's approach is to give joy, movement and tension. By creating an ever-flowing and changing melody he's following the journey of the silver ball. Anything can happen in pinball and everything does happen in the licks of that keyboard guitar. I really would like to ask Chris one day if it was a keytar but I fear that would be too good to be true.
    35:33
    Okay, so let's dig right into the superb rules and overall approach to this windy wonder. Primarily, like a lot of 90s classics, it has the easy to learn, difficult to master aesthetic, which makes you want to come back again and again and again. I find it interesting that because I don't own a more modern game, I find this to be quite a long player but in the scheme of things it really is not like some of the new games you might get a 10 minute game on the whirlwind whereas some new games you can be playing for like an hour as a personal aside here I quite like these shorter playing games for social situations because I don't like the idea of inviting my friends around to watch me play for an hour especially if they're draining really quickly so it's quite good with these quick games You know what they say, quick game's a good game. When I have pals over to my arcade to sample the different flavours of my collection, I always sum up the Whirlwind as a catch-and-shoot game. So what do I mean by that? Well, it's exactly how it sounds. To master all the major tasks in this kinetic masterpiece, you have to learn to stop and hold the ball with the flippers, take a breath and carefully aim your targets. Now, I don't want nasty letters telling me that I'm missing out on the flow elements of this game because I am well aware that Whirlwind is a fast and furious beast and has many sides to its story. There are some non-lucrative but especially satisfying combo shots in this game that you will never forget. But for a player like myself to achieve the glorious and supremely satisfying main tasks, catching and shooting is a must.
    37:18
    So, what's the aim of the game? What do we have going on here and what delights do we have to follow? Well, think of the whirlwind as a glorious and colourful tree with many branches, but the two main arms bring the biggest rewards. In regards to the smaller branches, there are so many different things to achieve in this game that I could be here for days talking about the nuances of them all. Although I might enjoy myself, I don't know whether you would. So I made an executive decision here to focus on the two main objectives that are truly the road to high scores and success. I urge anyone who has time on a whirlwind to explore and discover these different avenues themselves and there is plenty of documentation out there to assist. No matter the path, whirlwind always rewards the persistent pinhead. So in regards to the main branches, we have multi-ball, which is essentially the main aim of the game plus we also have what is historically seen as the first ever wizard mode, more air quotes. Oh boy, wizard modes, I cannot wait to tackle them later. so as with all episodes of the pinball tapes we start strategizing the moment you put your fingers on the plunger there is a lot that can be achieved from the get-go and the skill shot on this amazing bit of 90s tech is no exception.
    38:54
    The skill shot is deceptively simple to achieve but can quickly and without much ado send the ball right down the drain. The danger comes from the three feel-the-power drop targets that are located almost directly in the centre, about halfway up the playfield. They don't face you but face the right-hand side with the slightest of angle on the playfield and are directly across from the short plunger lane. Unlike many games that shoot the ball right up the top of the game, Pat made an interesting decision to start the game by having the ball enter from the right hand side about halfway up the playfield. The aim of the skillshot is to collect as many of the three drop targets as you can in one shot before triggering any other switches. Only during the skillshot mode, the time before any other switch is triggered at the beginning of the game, are the targets at their most lucrative. The closest to the flippers is 300,000 and the other two are 200,000 and 100,000 respectively.
    39:53
    Sweeping all the targets, so basically hitting them all down in one fell swoop, gives you the drop target combined value score plus another 100,000 points on top. So a perfectly executed skill shot can earn you 700,000 right out of the gates. In a clever design twist, the targets are angled slightly up towards the right, So rolling the ball across the three targets from the skill shot is a very difficult endeavour.
    40:20
    The playfield does actually have directional insert lights that blink towards the targets in a trajectory that I imagine is the perfect path to success But as we discussed in previous EPS of the pinball tapes the release time and general tension of the plunger is where the real battle is. There is however another far more dangerous but supremely rewarding method of getting the perfect skill shot. Something that the highly skilled players of the world apparently always do. Instead of trying to hit the targets from the plunge, you try to hit nothing at all and catch the ball in the cradle of the flipper. It takes a very deft and delicate plunge to achieve this. You want the ball to just roll over the top left-hand side of the plunger lane and come down onto your flipper. Not only is this difficult to manage from a plunging perspective, but if you hit one single switch on the way down to the flippers, the skill shot sequence is over. The biggest enemy in this scenario is either the right or left slingshot which can put you in immediate danger. Also as is my lot in pinball ownership there is no ball save whatsoever on the whirlwind so an immediate drain is usually instant death. I say usually in air quotes again I'm enjoying the air quotes today because in theory games without a ball save give you back the ball if you haven't hit any switches or scored any points. On my whirlwind however there is a devastating glitch that does sometimes allow you to lose the ball even if you haven't triggered any of the switches at all it usually happens on ball too from memory this is absolutely heartbreaking and feels a bit unfair but i have to remind myself that it is because i screwed up very badly and very early that i'm in this predicament in the first place as we chatted about before keeping yourself out of danger is a very large part of success in the game of the silver ball but still brutal to say the least. And finally there is actually a third and far more difficult maneuver that can be achieved from the plunge but it doesn't actually involve the feel the power drop targets at all. You can get to a point in whirlwind where the only way to light multi-ball, it's the second time around from memory, is by hitting the three-toll ramp, usually via the top flipper, something that we will discuss in detail later. If you're in this situation, you'll have the ball waiting to be plunged. The three-toll ramp is directly across from the plunging lane, and if you do a full plunge, you'll go about a quarter of the way out this ramp and come flying back in a very dangerous manner, a trap for new players to be sure. However, if you hit the plunger with a short, sharp and very hard whack with the palm of your hand, there is a slight possibility it will sail around that left three-toll ramp and achieve the reward. Now I will add a few notes about this idea here. Primarily, being a pinball owner and a pinball operator I don't really love it when people plunge using the whack of their hand. Don't get me wrong, it's not the end of the world. I also understand that weak plungers sometimes need a bit of an extra kick and I don't really care that much but it always feels a little bit like pinball abuse. It would also add a substantial amount of wear and tear to the plunger assembly. Also, this method is extremely hard to pull off. I've managed to do it once when I had multi-ball at the ready and it hurt. It's not just about the force, but the right amount of force at the right time on the right section of the plunger. In Bowen Kerens' wonderful Whirlwind tutorial video on YouTube, he actually mentions this very trick. Interestingly, he talks about how he has seen Keith Elwin, the GOAT, or the greatest of all time, you know the man I talked about earlier, do this, and he doesn't understand how it can even be done. That makes me feel better about my mega skills, but there is a big difference between achieving crazy ideas like this in the home environment, as opposed to high level competition.
    44:24
    So let's elaborate on one of these main branches, and that is multiball. Oh, multiball, the glory of multiball. So multiball is a concept that's been around in pinball machines at least as early as the 1950s. Now, there might be some earlier examples, but I'll use this just for the current discussion. As the name suggests, multiple balls are released at once, and the hilarity and interplay that occurs has to be witnessed first-hand to be believed. There is quite a famous example of a very early multi-ball featuring Pinney that seems to have become a darling of the US pinball scene called Balls a Poppin'. This 1956 electromechanical beauty, produced by the now defunct pinball company Bally, can deliver no less than nine balls at once on the playfield. I unfortunately haven't seen a Balls a Poppin', but I'd love to see one, and yep, it's also on my wish list. So if anyone's looking for a birthday present for me, you know what to do.
    45:26
    Whirlwind, however, like many games around this time, gives you the more modest option of a two or three ball multi-ball. This is what I'm used to and what was the norm during my formative pinball years in the 90s. It also gives you the possibility of another task on the road to glory, the excitement that is multi-ball control. So ultimately you're attempting to lock three balls and achieve multi-ball and only during multi-ball can you score the jackpot. Jackpots are the biggest and quickest way to get a high score with the whirlwind but they are hard won and not given lightly, which is another 90s classic rule. So what do we do? To lock balls on the whirlwind, you have to shoot at a number of shots that are spread all over the playfield. There is a compass illustration set into the playfield with insert compass points that flash and are either switches or stand-up targets. You hit the compass shots when they are flashing. Once you've got all the flashing shots, you light the lock. According to the whirlwind rule sheet, you are officially moving the storm around the playfield. Now this is where we have to take a minute. This is probably one of the most elegantly simple immersive ideas that pinball has ever seen. When you light any locks in this game, or you achieve multi-ball and some other smaller features, the game lets you know in a very unique way. The topper, true to theme, is a freaking fan. So when you feel your hair blowing back, like you're soloing in a soft metal field clip, you know you're achieving great things. Such a great idea. So the story goes, the game was complete with three weeks until launch, and Pat Lawler was playing it with Uber software designer Bill Foots. That's what I call him. They had a moment of genius and thought it would be funny to put a desktop fan on top of the game. They laughed so hard and loved the effect so much that it stuck and was put into production. I must say that the design also of the fans housing is wonderful. It's like having a cloud perched on top of the game. It is arguably one of the best toppers ever made and I think what sets it apart from all other toppers is that you don't have to look at it while you play the game to know that it's doing something. It's the only topper that I can think of that you feel rather than hear or look at. Most toppers are for the onlooker or to be admired when you aren't playing, but this one gives you a sensory experience while you are in the thick of battle. This is where an extremely simple idea traverses into genius territory. Hilariously Williams Legal almost didn't approve the fan because they were concerned if someone was smoking that it might blow smoke and or burning ash in their face. When it comes to theme immersion though, I can't think of a better example. I mean for crying out loud, the aim of the game is to light the storm and to fire up the wind and that is exactly what happens. One thing that continues to give me great joy with this particular feature is that my casual pinball pals never expect it to happen. It's always a total surprise for anyone playing the game when all of a sudden they literally feel the power of the wind. Another superbly immersive feature of this wonderful game is located in the playfield itself. We have not one, but three spinning discs that work in conjunction with the fan to create silver ball mayhem. They spin in different directions and have an abrasive texture that catches the ball and sends them careering wildly across the playfield. I love elements to a game like this. It adds unpredictability for the new and skilled players alike, and as they say, the ball is wild. So back to the main aim of the game, the glory that is three ball multiple. We're left off lighting a lock after you hit the flashing compass points. They are targets and switches located around the playfield. You have North West, North East, South West and South East. Righto, so you hit the flashing lights, the wind is blowing in your hair and the discs are a spinning. You notice at the entrance to the far right ramp, the Skytol ramp, there's a green arrow insert in the playfield that is flashing and says lock. This superb ramp is a delight to hit. I made an executive decision to buy a new one when I obtained this amazing game, and I've never regretted it. As another quick aside here, the benefits you get from new, clean and clear ramps are a constant surprise. One excellent benefit is even if you hit the ramp badly, there is still an outside chance the ball will slowly but surely make its way around. If there is any chance of making it, a shiny and clean ramp will make it happen. Also, being able to see cleanly through a ramp is a surprising benefit. Pinball designers use clear ramps for a reason and we will discuss this revelation soon. Right so back to multi ball again, sorry keep getting distracted do not I? So you nail the ramp and it glides in a swift arc from the right to the left and satisfactorily deposits the ball right at the bottom left hand side of the playfield. Locked balls are stored in a second plunger lane on the far left of the playfield. a trademark Pat Lawler design quirk. It's pretty neat because locked balls are very visible, so you know just by looking to the left of the flipper area where you are in the journey to multi-ball mayhem. I will say though, once you get into two, three or four player games, things get a lot more complicated in that respect, because obviously if there's a ball locked and then someone else locks a ball, there can't be two balls locked anyway. Suffice to say, I'm not going to go through all that. I'm just going to stick to the basics because that gets complicated, but the whirlwind always manages to sort it out.
    50:59
    So, one ball is locked. Now we go again. The compass points flash wildly and you achieve them all to light the lock a second time. The green arrow is lit and you nail the SkyToll ramp for a second time. As a quick strategic tip here, the SkyToll ramp can be hit from both the left and right flipper. However, the right flipper shot is a tight little number and can often go astray. Mastery of this shot however is crucial to the game as a whole, but more on that later. So now we have multiple set up, ooooooh yeah! The key word I haven't used so far comes into play here. This is where the Whirlwind clearly stands apart from many games in this era, with its beautifully timed and executed lights and audio. And that word is Choreography. Whirlwind has some of the most exciting and heart pounding moments due to its amazing choreography. Like watching Swan Lake for the first time. As explained in the music section, the multi-ball lit music is rolling and intense, and this is also the only time you hear the phrase do not panic. They know exactly what they're doing in this moment. In order to achieve multi-ball, you need to hit a final shot under the sky-tall ramp. This beautiful ramp is the additional feature of a kick out hole that can only be accessed when the ramp hinge is lifted. It's a neat set up, the hinged end of the ramp lifts just high enough to allow the skilled player to shoot the ball under the raised flap and into the hole. This is essentially the same shot as the Skytall ramp, and it can be achieved with both flippers, but the trade off here is if you hit it too hard, it will roll right out again. So you, of course, nail the shot. Let the theatre commence. The audio here is just superb, the bass tones that you are hit with are spectacular, everything goes dark and the game ominously announces its catch cry. Hear the power of the wind. Here it comes! Multi-ball music begins and the balls are wild! So I'll break the tension here and take you away from the madness to chat about the best course of action to capitalise on multi-ball mayhem. The key phrase, as I mentioned earlier, is multi-ball control. It sounds counterintuitive from a pure fun perspective, and there are many opinions about how to generally deal with multiple pinballs. You can either go for it and relish in the danger, or control and deftly calculate your next move. Some people like to play it out, and that is totally fine. The main reason I like to practice multi-ball control on the whirlwind is that there is no ball save whatsoever. I found myself over the years somehow, without prior knowledge, ending up with games that all have no ball save. We touched on this earlier, but to clarify, a ball save is literally what it sounds like. We have a certain amount of time, if the ball drains, you get it back straight away and you can play on. Ball saves generally happen at the very beginning of the game, to prevent the gut-wrenching house ball experience, where you get an area flip and you've lost it down the drain, or during multi-ball. If your machine is a ball save during multi-ball, you can usually tell if the extra ball light between the flippers is flashing. It is usually finite. The wisdom here is to flip hard and fast until it stops and then control the situation. The Whirlwind does not have any ball save whatsoever and is a fast and furious game. So all three balls can drain very quickly if you haven't properly girded your loins. you add in the rotating discs that careen the ball around with added spin, then things can get very dicey very quickly. So what is a recommended multi-ball strategy? I will say that I found my own way to this method, but it has been echoed back by the amazing video tutorial of the legendary US player Bowen Kerens. Bowen demonstrates how to play whirlwind, and his succinct guide is mind-blowing. I'll include a link in the show notes. It's definitely worth a watch. so let's get to it primarily the aim of multi-ball and the main aim of the game in a pure 90s fashion is to achieve as many jackpots as you can what i love about this pursuit is that hitting the three toll ramp at any stage during the game is no mean feat so another superb feature of the whirlwind that we've already mentioned is the third flipper located high up on the right hand side of the playfield there are many fun things you can do with this but the main task is to launch up the three-toe ramp located directly opposite on the left-hand side of the playfield. So I'll outline the ultimate multi-ball control technique here. Unfortunately though getting the balls into proper position is something that can't really be explained. The path is different every time you hit start and it's really all about practice. But I digress again. Primarily when the three balls are launched you get a free shot at the ramp. The first two balls locked are nestled in the kick-out lane at the bottom left-hand side of the playfield. They were delivered there by your expert shots on the SkyToll ramp that we discussed earlier. But the third ball has been locked under the raised SkyToll ramp in the kick-out hole. This ball is usually delivered neatly to the right and rolls down past the top right flipper, and if you nail it just right, it rockets up the three-toll ramp for jackpot! Then it circles back to the right and is dropped onto a spinning disc in the playfield, right back into danger. The accompanying audio and visual reward are probably the biggest highlight of the game, but more on that later. Again, with all things pinball, not everything happens perfectly the same way every time. This is one of the main things I love about pinball. The randomness of ball trajectories can surprise you at every turn. Following on from that, in theory, you have a second or so when the single ball is released from the kick-out hole to have a stab at the jackpot ramp. The other two balls usually take a little longer to head towards the drain as they have to be shot out from the bottom of the left plunger lane I say usually because they can sometimes be all upon you at the same time Often also your attention is divided by frantically attempting to save the balls and the free shot is squandered Okay, so let's say you missed your first shot It's okay, you can still do it The mission here is clear Catch and hold all the balls as soon as you can It can take some very fancy mini flips to get everything in order, and I know it can be very daunting to the new player, but it is absolutely worth having a go. The feeling of controlling three or even two balls at once is almost indescribable. You have achieved a seemingly impossible task within the microcosm that is our world under glass. Sorry, I couldn't get by without saying that at least once. So you fumble and flail about for a bit, but then you have become that legend and you have all three balls cratered on upright flippers. The end game here is to have two balls on the left and one on the right. If you find yourself with two balls on the right and one on the left or even three balls on one flipper, yep that does really happen, then you need to attempt what is known as cradle separation. That is essentially where you want the second ball or extra two if you have three trapped up on one flipper to move on to the other flipper while keeping hold of at least one ball. I usually find a soft flip will send the second ball up and you can either attempt a quick post transfer with the stationary ball while the other is in the air or hope that it comes back down and bounces nicely onto the opposite flipper. A post transfer for those playing at home is when you have a ball trapped on an upright flipper and you give it a quick hard flip so it bounces off a nearby rubber post and bounces over to the other flipper. If that description makes any sense I implore you to try it next time you are silver surfing. It sounds very difficult but is really one of the easier tricks you can do to get the ball safely to where you need it. Okay so where were we? You have two balls on the left flipper and one on the right. Both flippers are up and the balls are safely trapped. The idea here is simple in theory but can be devilishly hard to nail. During multiball the right ramp, the Skytol ramp is raised and the same kick out hole you hit to start multiball is where you want to go. You want to shoot the ball on the right flipper straight up essentially back handing the kick out hole. It will then spit it out into the right lane and roll it slowly past the top right flipper. You then get a crack at hitting the jackpot ramp. All the while your left flipper is up with the other two balls safely trapped on it. In an ideal world you nail the right jackpot ramp and the ball is delivered back to the right side of the playfield back to your right flipper. You then catch it again and repeat. Simple. So if you haven't fallen asleep with all this descriptive multi-ball audio, you can see the peril that you are clearly in. Getting the ball to come back to your flipper is, in theory, a grand idea, but in practice, once you add the spinning disc element and the fact that you essentially can't really use your left flipper in any meaningful way because you have two balls trapped on it, sounds like an absurd notion. but trust me if you want that glorious high score it is a very worthwhile endeavour with satisfaction beyond compare.
    60:09
    A quick tip here, it is perfectly acceptable if you get into a difficult situation to sacrifice the third ball and be left with two. On whirlwind it could actually make things less confusing if you are dealing with two and not three balls. You can still achieve everything you need to and it is much better to lose that third ball than to risk drainage of all three balls or lose multi-ball mode altogether for the sake of saving one. You do, however, have to possess the wherewithal to make that decision in a split second I also add here that if you keep all three balls in play it is definitely better than only two So back to the game Man I throw in the audio here so you can feel the power of the wind Because when you achieve jackpot on this amazing machine The choreography of the whirlwind is next to none You have started the storm and each jackpot you achieve is accompanied by a furious bass driven clap of thunder. You've got pouring rain, strobing and flickering light show that wants you to lose the ball by the way to let you know you've achieved the main aim. It's an amazing sequence and yeah, so worth getting but so hard won. But you feel like you've received something in return. So what is this elusive jackpot worth? First time around it's a 1 million point shot and increases by a million each time. Millions are hard won on the whirlwind and so this is absolutely worth all the pain and heartache to be given the chance. There is also a way of adding an additional million to each jackpot shot. So the first jackpot is 2 million and so forth. Apparently it maxes out at 10 million too, but we will discuss that more in our wizard mode section. Now, you've got to remember, sometimes pinball is a cruel game indeed. I have had many a game where all the hard work is done, multiball begins, and all three balls drain before you can say, don't panic.
    62:08
    However, an absolutely brilliant part of the whirlwind's rule set is that if you haven't achieved a jackpot during multiball, the whirlwind gives you another chance. I love this. Despite the whirlwind coming across as a magnificent bastard because of its lack of ball saves and extremely difficult jackpot shot. It recognises you've had to work tirelessly to achieve multi-ball and you deserve a second chance. All you have to do is hit the ball in either cellar holes located on the left and right side of the left orbit lane. The cellar holes are best hit from the right flipper and again, as most shots on the Whirlwind, it is best from a stationary ball cradled in an upright flipper. If you achieve this, you're rewarded with a mini jackpot-esque celebration with a number of booming claps of thunder and a two-ball multi-ball. The jackpot is worth the same. The jackpot is worth the same unless you've added the extra million on top and you unfortunately lose that. But still, it's a real second chance given to the weary pinballer, a bit of charity from a game that seldom gives anything away for free.
    63:20
    Now, I feel I've rambled on for long enough about multiball for you to get the idea that this game has many exponential situations. I won't even begin to discuss what the game has to do to remember who was locked what ball if you're playing a multiplayer game. Suffice to say, the whirlwind always sorts itself out and never gets confused and does random ball searches, etc. It may sound strange to the casual player, but there can be any number of surprises for the software when a ball goes where it shouldn't. I never cease to be amazed at the way Whirlwind always manages to untangle unusual situations. That's part of the magic of software programming and good mechanical engineering. A part of the game that is often overlooked but extremely important. So back to the matter at hand. You've reached multi-ball, either nailed a jackpot or two, controlled the situation or what happens to us all sometimes. You've loved and lost and you're back at square one with a single ball. Whirlwind is a fickle mistress here. she remembers that you've achieved multi ball once and so doesn't make it easy to do it again. So what usually happens here is you'll be left with a playfield with almost nothing lit. Sometimes when you get to this point, all that is lit is a compass insert in the middle of the playfield, which will be flashing, with no obvious playfield target to hit. So what ideally do we do? Basically, we have to hit the three-toll ramp, or jackpot ramp, that I mentioned earlier. Hitting this ramp will award you a compass point. and I should have mentioned earlier that hitting this ramp at any stage will actually award you one of the compass points you're supposed to hit to light the lock. I discovered an extremely important rule by myself one fine day. If you lob the ball into the right cellar door or the super cellar door when it isn't lit it will raise the entrance to the sky toll ramp revealing the kick-out hole once again. For the record if you accidentally hit the super cellar door again put the ball in there again, it will lower the ramp so once it's up it's best to avoid this shot. You then repeat your jackpot shot and place it under the ramp into the kick-out hole. Ball gets kicked out, you have a three-toe ramp with your upper flipper and boom, compass point achieved. The playfield will then flash with more obvious and easy to hit compass shots building up to a second multi-ball. To make it that much more difficult, after locking two balls the only way you can start multi-ball is by hitting the three-toe ramp with the top flipper. As I said earlier, hitting this ramp is crucial in all aspects of the game. As it progresses also, there are many and varied subtle changes in the ways you are required to achieve certain goals. I will leave that for you, the expert player, to discover these nuances for yourself.
    65:59
    I just want to quickly talk about the wisdom and glory of brand new ramps. Look, I'm not saying that anyone needs to replace working components if they are perfectly functional, but I had a particular experience with this that was a revelation. Primarily, the clarity of a new or clean plastic ramp that covers any portion of the playfield makes a big difference to gameplay decisions. I wasn't particularly cognizant of this feature until I replaced both ramps on my whirlwind. Despite the guy I boarded off interstate saying, and I quote, I don't see anything wrong with the ramps, they're all a bit knackered. To be fair, they both work fine, but the SkyToll's ramp hinged lifting section had been repaired. Until I replaced it I didn't realize that because the glued section of the ramp was so cloudy it was actually hiding the kick out hole under the ramp from view. With the new ramp I was able to see the second it was kicked out into the right orbit giving you the maximum amount of time you could possibly have to prepare for that all-important upper flipper shot. Even the placement of the hinge itself is perfectly designed for the standing player to have an unimpeded view of the kick out hole. It may sound like an insignificant difference but knowing exactly where the ball is going to be hurled back at you is a game changer. As I've said before millimeters make a mile of difference on a pinball machine. so let's talk about the hard-won but supremely satisfying megador bonus on the mighty whirlwind this feature of the game is often arguably referred to as the first ever wizard mode So what is a wizard mode? Well, according to the glossary of pinball terms on Wikipedia, I'll put a link in the show notes, primarily the origin of the term wizard, an exceptionally skilled player. The term comes from the 1969 rock opera Tommy, where the likewise nicknamed protagonist becomes famous when he masters pinball. The title of the song Pinball Wizard quickly gained acceptance among pinball enthusiasts as an honorific. A wizard mode, or wizard bonus in brackets, a special mode or bonus started only after completing a long and difficult series of tasks in a pinball machine. The first wizard bonus was the King's Ransom in 1989's Black Knight 2000. So we can see that historically the Megador bonus isn't technically considered the first official wizard mode, but the idea of bringing in a special mode of this magnitude and working towards another goal, aside from the main aim of the game, can indeed be credited to the great Pat Lawler. This payoff for achievement is definitely worth the heart palpitating action and nerves of steel required to get there. So what do we do to obtain this honour? On the left hand side of the playfield we have two cellar holes that we talked about before in multi-ball mode. These were the ones that restarted multi-ball if you royally screwed up. The right cellar or the super cellar door is what we are concentrating on here. The other one is simply referred to as the cellar door on the left hand side. For those of you who have dialled up the IPDB or the International Pinball Database, have a look just under the alphanumeric score display on the back box and it says in bold yellow letters Supercellador Value. There are 7 Supercellador Values and during gameplay one of these will be flashing. They are selected at random at the start of the ball but the spinner located on the top right of the playfield cycles through the 7 choices when hit. So, from left to right, the super seller door values are upper jets on, score $500,000, extra ball target on, three bank targets $100,000, light quick multi ball, light the million shot and lower jets on. To obtain these values, the right seller needs to be lit. It has a yellow light on top of its sign above the hole and if that baby is lit, it's value time. It would depend on the settings of your game, but on my copy, the supercellar door is lit at the start of your first ball.
    70:16
    So basically, whatever value is flashing on the back box will be achieved if you land the ball in the right cellar, or the supercellar door, when the yellow light is on.
    70:26
    The trick with this is that lighting the cellar on purpose is very difficult indeed. There is a rollover switch in the right in lane that if activated will temporarily light the supercellar door for about 5 seconds or so. The only way to achieve this purposefully is to shats or alley pass from the left flipper up the right in lane. A tricky prospect indeed.
    70:49
    I've mentioned shatsing or alley passing before but in case this is your first pinball tapes, to shats or alley pass and it might be not what you're thinking is when you let the ball roll down your flipper until it's absolutely on the tip and about to drain but you flip at the very last second and it goes rolling up the opposite in lane for the record the origin of shats is the famous us player neil shats who made a name for himself for his amazing pinball skills and mastered alley passes so decidedly that they named it after him he's also quite a striking figure with a Clark Kent like appearance. So okay back to the pursuit of the mega door bonus. To permanently light the supercellar door you have to hit the elusive but extremely important three toll ramp. As we talked about in multi-ball this is achieved by the top flipper on the right hand side and if properly executed never fails to give joy. Now to be honest regarding the supercellar door values three of these are quite useful but the other four are not particularly worth getting too excited about. The best three are obviously Extra Ball, Quick Multi Ball and Light the Million Shot. So Extra Ball is a devilish shot that is located just a bit off centre right up the back of the machine. It is a single drop target that can be different values and can also give you two ball multi ball if you start looping the Skyway ramp and build it up but I digress. The reason for my unease with this target is that it can often come right back at you straight down the middle. Whirlwind also tries its very best to make you lose your extra ball straight away. There is another amazing flashing light sequence accompanied by loud booming tones. Playford goes very dark and flashes with lightning and there is always a very good chance your additional ball will be short-lived. So quick multi-ball is an interesting sell-a-door value because it brings some strategy into the game and quite frankly a lot of luck and patience to achieve. This is the only example of multi-ball stacking we see in the whirlwind. Multi-ball stacking, like the name suggests, is where you can set up a number of multi-ball opportunities so that they can be all executed in the same mode. On whirlwind, if you have two balls locked, the quick multi-ball super cellar door value is lit and you land that silver sucker in the cellar. Then when you start multi-ball, each jackpot is worth an extra million. This sequence is as difficult to put together as it sounds. It pays to take notice of when the supercellador value is flashing before hitting the lit hole. I tend to find that because you have to hit the three toll ramp to achieve millions in both quick multi-ball and light the million shot, and it is a difficult shot, it's worth holding off on quick multi-ball if it's flashing and attempting to stack rather than just play out a quick multi-ball. I have had countless of games where I've held off achieving quick multi-ball only to hit the spinner and have that value changed anyway. So there's that glorious risk-reward scenario that us pinball enthusiasts know all too well. Now the other values are all awesome in their own right, but aren't really that lucrative. When you achieve these, you thank the pinball gods for the bounty, but basically continue to play for the main goals. So let's get back to the matter at hand, climbing that shaky ladder to the mega door bonus. Once you've achieved the supercellar door value, it no longer flashes on the back box and stays a solid yellow colour. You can see where I'm going. You have to achieve all seven of the super door values and then the fun really begins. You want stress in a game? Here is a particularly great example. So you've achieved all seven super cellar door values and at this point the super cellar door is lit and everything's flashing and all you need to do is glide that silver orb into the cellar hole one last time. It's funny what your mind does to you in moments like this. You've obviously successfully hit that cellar at least seven times, and most likely a bunch more than that, but the shaky feeling and sweaty palms that accompany this one shot are very real. So what happens when you nail that shot? You get every single one of these features all activating at once. This sequence is magic. Each of the seven Superdor values are activated and displayed on the screen one at a time with an accompanying booming accent and light show. And it happened at a very measured pace to let you know that you've definitely achieved something special. Now I'm going to deviate here and not actually provide audio for this particular experience. I'm by no means a purist, but I felt a little wrong manually causing a wizard mode even for documentation purposes. It didn't sit with me, but if you can't wait to achieve it on your own, that amazing Bowen Keren's tutorial on YouTube that I mentioned I will include in the show notes, shows everything you could possibly want from the whirlwind experience. So finally, another minor moment that always brings about a satisfactory smile is the Combo award. Now funnily enough the points scored by activating this feature are negligible and definitely not on par with the effort required but the end result is absolutely stupendous all the same. We have a combo award that is not only extremely hard to do but not usually purposefully attempted. It mainly involves our upper right flipper and you guessed it the three-toll ramp. This combo is as follows. From the right flipper down the bottom of the playfield you hit the ball up through the cluster of yellow pops and around the left orbit. It's worth mentioning here that the speed the ball is going from this shot is quite substantial. As it sails around the back of the playfield it comes tearing past the upper right flipper at top speed. You get a split second to make the shot but the idea here is to hit the left inner loop, a tricky shot located just to the right of the three-toll ramp, then it comes back around to the flipper again. You then hit the three-toll ramp. You'll know you've done something sweet because it allowed amazing siren rings out letting all who dwell in the area, you are the legend. So what do you get for this supreme achievement? Only 250,000 points. Look, points are always gratefully accepted, but this is small change in a game where the jackpot awards are in the millions. I would happily state that this achievement is easily as difficult as a jackpot, perhaps even more so. But I love elements like this. The three-way combo isn't meant to be a big deal, but they make it into something you absolutely want to do because of the unique audio reward that only happens when this occurs. I reckon that's it my friends thanks for taking this ride with me the beauty of diving right down a rabbit hole is you can come right back out again and smell the grass what I'm left with after waxing lyrical about many of the amazing aspects of this wind over glass machine see what I did there is that there are so many more branches to explore. Like a good game should, there are many, many extra surprises that I haven't even touched on here that ramp up the experience even if your score doesn't seem to adequately reflect the effort you put in. The genius of the whirlwind is that it responds to your efforts. It gives you kinetic satisfaction and AV feedback that can make even the newest player with no idea what they are doing feel like a wizard. I think Pat Lawler's goal was achieved. You'll find yourself saying, as many have before, OK, just one more game.
    78:55
    Thanks for listening. The Pinball Tapes is an original concept written and edited by me, Zach Collinger. The original music in this episode, including the title track, The Opticon and the Saw, were written and played by my band, The Sea Thieves. you can listen and follow the sea thieves on bandcamp apple music title and spotify if you want to get in touch with corrections and comments you can email me at the pinball tapes at gmail.com i also can't leave you without shamelessly plugging my wife and i's cafe bar and event space called the jade if you like seeing some live music having a party or simply enjoying an excellent coffee or cold beverage while playing pinball of course then come and visit us at 142 to 160 Flinders Street, Adelaide, South Australia. At the time of this recording, the mighty cyclone is on site in our cosy heritage front bar, just waiting for you to experience its kinetic magic.
    79:52
    Keep an ear out for future episodes, and I have more games to explore with you. Stay cool, Daddy-O. Zach signing out.
    80:08
    Thank you. Bye.