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Whirlwind: Total Chaos Pinball Review

Cary Hardy·video·18m 48s·analyzed·Sep 4, 2023
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.022

TL;DR

Pedretti's Whirlwind 2.0 kit offers solid hardware and new code, but art design and missing features hold it back from greatness.

Summary

Cary Hardy reviews Pedretti Gaming's Whirlwind 2.0 kit, which adds an LCD display, PinSound board, new 'Total Chaos' code, and optional art/translite to the classic 1990 System 11 game. After three months of use, he praises the reversibility and build quality (8/10) but critiques the Total Chaos code (7/10), art direction (5.5/10), and missing auto ball launcher. Overall score: 7.25/10, positioned as a valuable upgrade for existing Whirlwind owners seeking new gameplay without permanent alteration.

Key Claims

  • The Whirlwind 2.0 kit quality materials and build are Grade A, with no operational issues after three months of use

    high confidence · Reviewer personal testing over extended period; states 'no issues guys the game's playing just as it did on day one'

  • The micro USB port on the PinSound board is in an awkward position and prone to damage; USB-C would be preferable

    high confidence · Direct design critique based on hardware inspection and handling experience

  • The art blades are lower quality than offerings from competitors like Brian Allen's supplier and have adhesion issues causing them to fall off

    high confidence · Direct comparison and observation; reviewer notes art blades fell despite pin stadiums holding them down

  • Total Chaos converts the original linear Whirlwind code into a mode-based game with multiple wizard modes and variant multiballs

    high confidence · Detailed gameplay description and code walkthrough by reviewer who has played extensively

  • An auto ball launcher is planned as a future upgrade but not currently included in the kit

    medium confidence · Reviewer states 'I hear that this is a possible upgrade in the near future' — hearsay but from presumably reliable source

Notable Quotes

  • “But when you alter a classic, you're going to get the traditional feedback from the old guard. Fuck em.”

    Cary Hardy@ 0:27 — Sets reviewer's stance on purist opposition to classic game modifications; establishes framework for evaluating the kit favorably despite inevitable community backlash

  • “If you watched my install video, then you know about this board already, but this replaces the original hardware. If you were to cover the back box and speaker panel, it would be very difficult to tell the difference.”

    Cary Hardy@ 1:44 — Emphasizes the integration quality and reversibility of the upgrade — key selling point for conservative collectors

  • “All changes that you will be performing to install this kit are completely reversible. But my suggestion to those of you purchasing this kit, keep your original components.”

    Cary Hardy@ 2:18 — Core value proposition: buyers can preserve original hardware, reducing risk of permanent modification

  • “I don't like a single spinning disc on a play field let alone three of them being so close to my flippers but I do enjoy that topper especially during the summertime”

    Cary Hardy@ 7:42 — Reveals reviewer's personal mechanical preferences and explains why Total Chaos (which de-emphasizes spinners) appeals to him despite not loving original Whirlwind

  • “I'm only going to give you a brief run-through on these modes just so you know what your primary objectives are”

    Cary Hardy @ Code explanation — Transitions into detailed mode breakdown showing Total Chaos adds substantial new gameplay structure

  • “I think this game will be really beneficial to those of you out there that feel like you've mastered Whirlwind. Like if you find yourself playing your game and you're just kind of going through the motions and it's not challenging anymore then this kit may be right up your alley.”

Entities

Pedretti GamingcompanyCary HardypersonTitan PinballcompanyMark SilkpersonBrian AllenpersonWhirlwindgameWhirlwind: Total ChaosproductPinSoundproduct

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Mark Silk provides custom callout voice acting for Total Chaos with in-jokes targeting pinball community; demonstrates collaborative creative approach

    high · 'Callouts are thanks to my buddy Mark Silk I can tell he had some fun recording these Try and pay attention during the modes for his inside jokes'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Art design for Total Chaos conflicts with original Whirlwind aesthetic; new characters (beaver with guns, muscle piggies, toxic waste monster) clash with original minimalist art style

    high · Reviewer critique: 'The art does clash a little bit with the original' and acknowledges art blades are optional aesthetic choice specifically because purists will reject new direction

  • $

    market_signal: Kit pricing is substantial enough to warrant hesitation from potential buyers; reviewer acknowledges cost barrier ('ouch well i don't know if i can soften the blow on your wallet')

    medium · Reviewer acknowledges price concern but does not disclose specific MSRP in video; positioning as investment in game longevity and secondary market value

  • ?

    product_strategy: Whirlwind 2.0 kit represents significant modernization of classic 1990 System 11 machine through LCD, PinSound board, and new code package while maintaining mechanical reversibility

    high · Three-month field review with no operational issues; reviewer confirms all changes are completely reversible and original components can be preserved

  • ?

    product_strategy: Pedretti Gaming planning future upgrades including auto ball launcher and difficulty settings for Total Chaos

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.056

0:00
Before I begin my review, a special thank you to Titan Pinball for providing the Whirlwind game that you will be seeing in this video. And of course to Pedretti Gaming for sending me the 2.0 kit for review purposes.
0:16
You tilt it, Daddy. Whirlwind Total Chaos breathes new life into a classic game with a whole new rule set for you to tackle. But when you alter a classic, you're going to get the traditional feedback from the old guard.
0:40
Fuck em. I think a lot of pinball enthusiasts would accept World Wind as being one of the best System 11 games. It was released in 1990, giving it 33 years to build a fan base and for people to grow an emotional attachment to it. And now we have Pedretti coming along, offering you a product that adds an LCD, better speakers, optional trans light, optional art blades, and a whole new way to experience the same layout, but with different rules. But along with all of this, you still have the option to play the original code. I don't consider myself a whirlwind connoisseur, but being able to tell the difference between the original hardware and the 2.0 kit is pretty difficult. If you watched my install video, then you know about this board already, but this replaces the original hardware. If you were to cover the back box and speaker panel, it would be very difficult to tell the difference. Now my target audience for this review are those of you that already own a Whirlwind. You just want to know what this kit does and if it's something that you should get. So let's get down to it. You are getting two different games with the same layout. The original game you already know and a new game, Total Chaos. All changes that you will be performing to install this kit are completely reversible. But my suggestion to those of you purchasing this kit, keep your original components. I mean, you could probably wrap them up and then tuck them away in the bottom of your cabinet or somewhere, but hold on to them for, you know, just in case purposes. This review is going to be quite different than my previous ones because I'm not going to be going over design and layout. It's Whirlwind. You already know that. my objective here is to give you information from my perspective about the product now i apologize for not getting this video out to you guys sooner i know there's a small amount of you out there that have been waiting for my feedback in general before you took the plunge on purchasing it but i think this is actually for the better because now i can let you know how the product has been holding up over the last three months no issues guys the game's playing just as it did on day one. All the art is still on the cabinet, sorta. We call that foreshadowing. But everything is still working just fine. So let's start with quality of materials. Pensound always makes grade A quality boards. Nothing more to say about it. The fast board has been doing its job, and the quality looks solid. Although, there are remnants of flux on the back side of the connectors that I wish would have been cleaned off, and the board is utilizing a micro USB. Not just that though, it's in an awkward position for micro USB, and I'm sure many of you are very careful when plugging in a micro USB cable because of its size. The likeliness of damaging the port when plugging things into it are much higher. I would like to see this board get upgraded to USB-C in the future. The speakers have some good low and high end to them. Feels very balanced on the Total Chaos. The kit doesn't come with an upgraded subwoofer, and I wish it did, because the music for Total Chaos has some good bass. The volume can be turned up pretty loud too.

Cary Hardy@ 11:18 — Identifies target audience (advanced players seeking new challenge) rather than universal recommendation

  • “The art does clash a little bit with the original. It can't be an easy task to create new characters for a theme that already has an art style.”

    Cary Hardy@ 15:32 — Acknowledges design challenge of integrating new IP into classic game aesthetic while critiquing execution

  • “Once you play it a few times, the art will make sense. But the art is the weak point on this.”

    Cary Hardy@ 16:20 — Balanced critique: contextualizes art confusion as learning curve while clearly identifying it as the kit's lowest-scoring component

    • FAST Pinball
    company
    Williamscompany

    medium · Reviewer hearsay: 'I hear that this is a possible upgrade in the near future' on auto launcher; mentions difficulty settings as potential future feature

  • ?

    product_concern: Art blade quality issues: adhesion failures causing pieces to fall despite mechanical weight, underperforms compared to industry benchmarks (Brian Allen supplier)

    high · Direct observation: 'art blades are falling off but this isn't uncommon' and comparison to 'top tier' alternatives; likely application timing issue but still quality concern

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Reviewer's personal preference shift: Dislikes original Whirlwind (primarily spinner mechanic) but appreciates Total Chaos because new code de-emphasizes spinner use

    high · 'I'm not a fan of Whirlwind' but 'I can easily state that Total Chaos is more enjoyable to me' — personal mechanical preference driving positive reception

  • ?

    technology_signal: Micro USB port placement on PinSound board creates high damage risk; reviewer recommends upgrade to USB-C for future iterations

    high · Direct design critique: 'awkward position for micro USB' and 'The likeliness of damaging the port when plugging things into it are much higher'

    • 4:39
    Thank you The LCD replaces the alphanumeric displays It's not perfect, but I think they did a good job on emulation with the types of strobing and flickering you would get on original hardware. What I like about it is that you're still getting, like I said, the strobing effects and the flickering and little stuff like that that you would see on original System 11. Like little flickering in the, that's, I love that. So they're still trying to give you the feel, or at least aesthetically, what you would see on the alphanumeric display. And all these will light up accordingly whenever you do the particular modes.
    5:28
    Display looks and works great. You can probably make adjustments on the back side of the screen, but I didn't feel like I needed to do so. Resolution is sharp and color grade is saturated nicely. The acrylic trans light feels solid, and color grading will truly be appreciated if you use cool white LEDs. The Artblades are not the quality you would hope or experience from other suppliers. Not to name drop, but if you want top quality, then Brian Allen's supplier is best. so when comparing the top tier to what we get with total chaos it feels a little cheap but surprisingly enough they stuck to the cabinet and were able to be lifted and corrected as shown in my install video they are still on the cabinet too but with pin stadiums weighing them down they are falling off but this isn't uncommon i'm more than likely applied to pin stadiums too soon the adhesive on the back side of the decals probably didn't have enough time to really seat to the cabinet so that could be on me but the color grading is nice and it has a very high gloss so with all the items in this package together i'm going to be giving the quality rating an 8 out of 10 okay so the quality is nice but how does this enhance the game of whirlwind let's talk about code look guys i'm just gonna say it and you're probably not going to like it i understand the love for whirlwind and there's a great deal of you out there that sit there and state that it's one of the best System 11s ever. And every time I read this or hear people say this I'm like you sure about that? You sure about that? So I'm not a fan of Whirlwind and my primary reason behind that is due to a particular component that seems to get the most love from people about this game and that's the three spinning discs on the play field. I don't like a single spinning disc on a play field let alone three of them being so close to my flippers but I do enjoy that topper especially during the summertime and if the room is really cold then it really does make it feel like a blizzard blowing in your face. Now these two features are still in Total Chaos but they're not utilized as much as the original game, so that's kind of a plus for me. Total Chaos is the sequel to Whirlwind. The storm you were chasing on the original is now back with a vengeance, and it's not alone this time. The storm will be activating foes that you will battle in the new modes. In a nutshell, the storm destroys your van while you are busy enjoying donuts. In order to seek your revenge you will need to obtain new parts to your van. Each successful mode completion will award a new part for your van. When your van is fully back together it is time to get even. If you manage to make it all the way to the final wizard mode and fail then your van will be destroyed and you have to start all over again. Yeah when I found that out I wasn't very happy either. What Total Chaos does is turn your original linear coded whirlwind into a mode-based game with variant multiballs and wizard modes, giving you more freedom to play the game how you want, while still challenging you in the process. I'm only going to give you a brief run-through on these modes just so you know what your primary objectives are Each mode is timed and can be failed except for one 5g zombies this for me is the most challenging mode because the shots you need to hit will move across the playfield every few seconds if you hit enough of the strobing shots you will collect a part the scary boys this is a two ball multi-ball mode shoot for the shot specified on the screen to collect the van part if you are skilled enough to keep the two balls going after that then you can then collect each of the boys for more points
    9:52
    area 51 simply hit the center target three times acid plants knock down all three of the drop targets the piggies this mode requires you to hit both scoops and the saucer underneath the ramp one time. Bermuda Crab. Just rip the spinner until the crab is destroyed. Nuke Nick. Just hit each pop bumper at least once. Run Run Chicken. This is my least favorite of the modes mainly because you can't lose but you get more points if you smash the correct flipper buttons posted on the screen. Then comes the time for you to battle the storm. If you complete the battle then you can progress to the final wizard mode, but you can't get to that fight unless you have knocked out a few other things. You need to have collected all 16 of the mystery awards in the left scoop. You light this scoop by hitting the loop ramp, so I would be collecting these awards throughout the game. If you have all 16 mystery rewards and modes knocked out then you get to progress to suey versus nannies this is a boss fight that requires you to hit the ramps until suey is defeated now you are ready for the final wizard mode I think this game will be really beneficial to those of you out there that feel like you've mastered Whirlwind. Like if you find yourself playing your game and you're just kind of going through the motions and it's not challenging anymore then this kit may be right up your alley. It will force you to play differently. It will test your skills. Each mode requires hitting different segments of the playfield. Certain modes are easier than others, making it enjoyable for kids while also challenging those of us to nail certain shots in a little amount of time. Now, if the game is still too easy for you whirlwind masters out there, then you may want to stay tuned for Pedretti updates. For instance, there may be a difficulty setting in the future. The game needs an auto ball launcher, and I hear that this is a possible upgrade in the near future, but until then, you will be plunging every ball that gets placed into the shooter lane, including the ball save feature that was added for Total Chaos that was not in the original. Like I stated earlier, I'm not a fan of the original, so I can easily state that Total Chaos is more enjoyable to me. I'm simply just not a good enough player to make it all the way through the final wizard mode. with the glass on at least. I'm giving the game Total Chaos a score of 7 out of 10. I feel like if the run-chicken-run mode was more interactive and the auto-ball launcher was on there, then I think it would easily go up an extra notch or so.
    13:05
    And these weathered ears a good chance of rain and drain. Let's talk about audio. They have kept the original theme song, but enhanced it.
    13:36
    They also include different musical tracks for each mode. This is where I think having a good subwoofer would benefit the experience because certain tracks have a good bass line that sadly won't be experienced with the original hardware.
    14:02
    Callouts are thanks to my buddy Mark Silk I can tell he had some fun recording these Try and pay attention during the modes for his inside jokes that a lot of you would find funny Oh no! I got the crabs! We have the solution for non-shipping playfields. Would you like to pre-order a game? Fake news! I have no complaints when it comes to the sound effects. Everything seems to be cohesive within the game. Nothing's annoying. So I'm going to be giving the overall sound package for Total Chaos an 8.5 out of 10.
    14:47
    Let's talk about art. And this is where things are going to get very subjective. Mainly because they have added a variety of characters that weren't in the original. When you first look at the back box art, you're going to think, what the hell is this? Where does this beaver with guns come into play? A lot of what you see on the art is what you will be experiencing through playing the game. Now, I bet a lot of Whirlwind fans are going to reject this art, and I get it. This is why I specified at the beginning of the video that the Translight and Art Blades are optional. If you don't want to change the aesthetics too much, you don't have to. And honestly, I don't blame you. I mean, the art does clash a little bit with the original. It can't be an easy task to create new characters for a theme that already has an art style. Especially when you really only have two characters on the original. The Storm Chaser and of course the Whirlwind itself. There are those that might say that some of the characters are a bit far-fetched. muscle piggies toxic waste monster and to those people i would ask where do you draw the line the original has a storm with a face that's fine nothing strange there right what they have done is built onto a world that we know very little to nothing about it took me a bit to warm up to it Once you play it a few times, the art will make sense. But the art is the weak point on this. In a nutshell, the art takes a little bit to get used to, and I honestly don't even notice it anymore. Overall, art package is going to be getting a 5.5 out of 10.
    16:44
    And there it goes. The storm is coming. it's time to finish this job that brings the complete score to a 7.25 bang skill shot pedretti has provided a lovely option for your whirlwind to make it more enjoyable and with the features of giving you the ability to play the original as well as total chaos without permanently altering your game what do you have to lose what you say oh well i guess there is the price tag ouch well i don't know if i can soften the blow on your wallet but i will say that this product is sure to extend the life of your game with modern boards and an lcd display while also giving you a new game to master. This product is still new and I can't guarantee that it will increase the value of your game, but it shouldn't hurt it either. Now for those of you that have found a Project Whirlwind machine to work on and you're missing boards and Translide and the alphanumeric display isn't working, then this is a no-brainer two-for-one deal right here. You're going to be getting all the parts you need to make the game work as well as getting two games instead of just the one. So there you have it guys, my review for Pedretti's Whirlwind 2.0 Total Chaos. Once again, a special thank you to Titan Pinball for providing the game for me to use, and a thank you to Pedretti for sending me this unit for review purposes. Have you guys got a chance to play this game yet? Do you already own it, and what are your thoughts about it? Let me know in the comment section down below, and until next time guys, peace out.
    18:36
    Thank you.