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Bonus Episode - Best Game Ever: ADDAMS FAMILY

Wedgehead Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·36m 43s·analyzed·Apr 27, 2026
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.032

TL;DR

Two Portland players defend Addams Family (1992) as pinball's greatest game despite veteran gatekeeping.

Summary

Rob and Miguel, two Portland-area pinball players, make a passionate case for The Addams Family (1992, Bally) as the greatest pinball machine ever made. They discuss its innovative mechanics (Thing flipper, power magnets, modes), legendary design team (Pat Lawlor, Larry DeMar, Chris Granner), cultural impact through Raul Julia's iconic callouts, and how it successfully bridges casual and veteran player experiences. The episode counters the community trend of dismissing Addams as 'overhyped' once players gain experience.

Key Claims

  • The Addams Family was released in March 1992 by Bally and sold 20,000 units, making it one of the most successful selling games of all time.

    high confidence · Miguel and Rob discussing game history and sales numbers

  • The Thing flipper mechanism was patented so nobody else could replicate the automatic Thing flipper feature.

    high confidence · Miguel discussing innovative mechanics of the game

  • The game was originally intended to be an alphanumeric machine like Whirlwind and Earthshaker, but received a DMD after T2's success.

    high confidence · Rob explaining the game's technical development history

  • Roger Sharpe secured the Addams Family license from Paramount Pictures, marking a shift toward popular IP and movie tie-ins in pinball.

    high confidence · Rob discussing licensing history and industry impact

  • Addams Family Special Edition added new callouts, a secret tunnel, and a new mode called 'Cousin It's Hairbrush' but throws too many points at players.

    high confidence · Miguel and Rob discussing the Special Edition variant criticisms

  • The game design team included Pat Lawlor (designer), Larry DeMar (coder), Chris Granner (sound), and John Yowse (art).

    high confidence · Miguel identifying the core creative team

  • It's common for experienced players to develop contrarian views dismissing Addams Family as 'overhyped' or 'too easy,' but Miguel believes the more experience he gains, the more appreciation he has for the game.

    high confidence · Miguel and Rob discussing gatekeeping behavior within the player community

  • The original retail price of Addams Family was $2,700.

    high confidence · Miguel stating historical pricing information

Notable Quotes

  • “It had Pat Lawlor as a designer, who's, you know, I think probably like maybe both Rob and I's favorite designer of all time, you know, the GOAT.”

    Miguel @ mid-episode — Establishes Pat Lawlor as widely revered designer in the community

  • “Everybody's got a power story. The way that, oh, it took it straight out of the chair and threw it down the center.”

    Rob @ mid-episode — The power magnet mechanic creates memorable, universal player experiences

  • “You can ask 10 people what their favorite multiball start is. Nine of them are going to say Adam's family and the first person just wants to get paid.”

    Rob @ late-episode — Demonstrates near-universal acclaim for Addams multiball as best in pinball

  • “Like, you know, if you're not having fun at Adams, you're probably trying not to have fun, you know?”

    Miguel @ mid-episode — Frames game design as inherently playful and engaging

  • “This is when Bally and Williams were sort of getting into more licenses... Roger Sharpe secured the license to the Addams Family.”

    Rob @ early-episode — Historical context on licensing shift in pinball industry

  • “I was a kid when I think I was maybe like seven or eight years old when this movie came out and this pinball machine came out. I was obsessed with the movie... seeing a Hispanic guy as a main character, a cool Hispanic guy as a main character on the big screen.”

    Miguel @ mid-episode — Personal connection to game's cultural impact and IP representation

  • “Incredible call-outs by the incomparable Raul Julia that pinball has been chasing ever since.”

    Miguel @ mid-episode — Raul Julia's voice work established a lasting industry standard

  • “Extra ball! Just like the films, he brought this machine to life.”

    Miguel @ mid-episode — Raul Julia's performance is integral to the game's appeal and success

Entities

The Addams FamilygamePat LawlorpersonRaul JuliapersonLarry DeMarpersonChris GrannerpersonJohn YowsepersonRoger Sharpeperson

Signals

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: Addams Family offers layered gameplay with accessible entry points (bookcase lock, chair scoop, vault shots) but significant depth through multiball callout variations, combo systems (2x/3x/4x combos finishing in swamp), hidden secondary shots (swamp backdoor mansion mode), and progressive challenge (tour of mansion at 99 ramps). Game scales from casual players to veterans.

    high · Rob and Miguel discuss how casuals hit bookcase/chair easily but game becomes brutally hard when you miss; mention secondary multiball callouts changing, combo systems, and super ramps after 99 hits

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: The power magnet mechanic is a core variance tool adding chaos and unpredictability, especially during multiball. Players describe universally having 'power stories' of unexpected ball behavior. Speakers defend this as innovative variance-adding mechanic typical of solid state design philosophy, not a flaw.

    high · Rob: 'Everybody's got a power story.' Miguel argues power adds 'fun, innovative way to add more variance' and claims 'every magnet is a flipper' if you nudge

  • ?

    design_innovation: Addams Family's modes (Mamushka, Hit Cousin It, Tunnel Hunt, Seance) are memorable and foundational, though speakers clarify Lights Camera Action came first. Addams' modes became so iconic they shaped player perception of what 'modes' are. Modes teach playfield geography and risk-reward (Mamushka bumpers = high risk high reward).

    high · Miguel: 'Lights, camera, action. Gottlieb doing it first again. But because the modes in Addams Family are so memorable, this is what people think of when they think of modes.'

  • ?

    design_innovation: Thing flipper was a patented automatic flipper mechanism that no other manufacturer could replicate. This exclusive mechanic became iconic and difficult for competitors to match.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.110

0:00
I'm not conceited, I'm just convinced. I'm the greatest of all time. You are arrogant, hot-tempered, entirely too bold. I like that. Greatest genius who ever lived. I'm the smartest businessman in the world. King Kong ain't got shit on me. Sometimes our genius is, it's almost frankly. And that's the bottom line, just don't hold himself.
0:37
I am the greatest 20s of our world. Well, Dick, here's the deal, I'm the best there is, plain and simple. I mean, I wake up in the morning, I piss excellent.
0:47
Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world. I am the greatest Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion that ever lived and I am the greatest professional wrestler that ever lived. Perfection being measured by its own relentless logic.
1:05
But I'll say one thing, I am for one very, very good reason. The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Hello, everybody. This is Alan, your normal host of the show, introducing our second of the fan episodes released in between our normal schedule here in between weeks of our new episodes. This is the second edition of the fan generated best game ever series. We got two locals coming at you. They record their own episode for a game that they're very excited about, the game that got them into pinball and a game they still love to this very day. And they are going to make the argument that it is, in fact, the best game ever. You're about to listen to these two guys that went through hell and back to create this episode, and I think they did a fantastic job. They had microphone failures and recording failures and all that kind of stuff, but it didn't stop them. And I'm just super proud to call these guys friends, and I'm glad that they finally created this episode. They've been teasing a long time in the Discord, and I'm very happy to share it with y'all. I hope you enjoy it. Welcome, Monadette.

  • “There's been no better pairing than Raul Julia and Chris Granner. Fight me on that.”

    Miguel @ mid-episode — Celebrates the synergy between voice acting and sound design

  • “Ultimately, the call-outs, combos, pathing, any items you go to, you have nostalgia, play with confidence. This is the best pinball machine of all time.”

    Rob @ end-episode — Final argument that Addams synthesizes all elements of great pinball

    • Rob
    person
    Miguelperson
    Alanperson
    Ballycompany
    Williamscompany
    Paramount Picturescompany
    Wedgehead Pinball Podcastorganization
    Peter Piper Pizzavenue
    Whirlwindgame
    Fishtailsgame
    Black Rosegame
    Creature from the Black Roomgame
    Doctor Whogame
    Terminator 2game
    Getaway 2, 92game
    Funhousegame
    Mortal Kombatgame
    Addams Family Special Editionproduct

    high · Miguel: 'Thing flips where it automatically flips to the trying to hit a target, and I believe that was patented so nobody else could have the automatic Thing flipper.'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Pat Lawlor's design philosophy for Addams bridges casual and veteran appeal through achievable entry milestones (easy multiball lock, chair scoop, bookcase geometry), but with brutal consequences for missed shots and escalating challenge. Game doesn't forgive misses; multiball has no ball save; swamp kickout is unforgiving. This tension defines the experience.

    high · Speakers repeatedly emphasize how game is 'approachable' for casuals but 'unforgiving' and 'brutal' for mistakes; Rob describes chair as 'swan target' where misses are dangerous

  • ?

    product_strategy: Addams Family marks a strategic industry shift toward popular IP and movie tie-ins. Roger Sharpe acquiring the Paramount license moved Bally/Williams toward recognizable franchises to attract casual arcade-goers and new players. This contrasts with original/themed machines and shaped industry trajectory.

    high · Rob: 'Roger Sharpe secured the license to the Addams Family... This was... a new territory for Williams... it gave families, casual people, and curious arcade goers something to recognize'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Community trend of experienced players dismissing Addams as 'overhyped' or 'too easy' (especially criticizing 'ramp chair' gameplay) is identified as unfair gatekeeping. Rob and Miguel argue this criticism misses the game's intentional design balance and emotional depth. They position their defense against this emerging contrarian stance.

    high · Miguel: 'It's kind of cool to hate on the Adam's family as you get better... But like from my perspective... the more experience I get, actually, the more appreciation... the more love for how special the game is'

  • ?

    product_concern: Addams Family Special Edition variant criticized for throwing too many points at players (15M points for 'doing nothing'), making the game easier/less challenging than original. Rob dislikes Special Edition philosophy; Miguel appreciates execution but agrees points are excessive.

    high · Rob: 'I don't think that's very fair... but I do think that the special edition kind of takes that throwing points to you a little bit too far. You just like get 15 million points for doing nothing.'

  • ?

    community_signal: Alan highlights that Rob and Miguel met through the Wedgehead Podcast Discord community and became 'really good friends,' illustrating how the podcast's community platform fosters real-world connections among players. This reflects the tight-knit nature of the pinball community.

    high · Alan: 'Rob and I met through this Discord and we become like really good friends... It's a really cool place to join.'

  • ?

    collector_signal: Addams Family remains 'one of the most recognizable and sought after playable tables in pinball' decades after release. 20,000 units sold makes it widely available in secondary market, yet demand remains high. Game is 'living history' with universal player stories. Still found in arcades today.

    high · Miguel: 'Adam Stanley remains one of the most recognizable and sought after playable tables in pinball. It's living history... everybody has some history with this table.'

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Addams Family assembled a 'dream team' of industry legends: Pat Lawlor (designer/GOAT), Larry DeMar (coder), Chris Granner (sound/GOAT), and John Yowse (art). This concentration of talent at Bally in 1992 was exceptional. Raul Julia's callouts became industry benchmark that 'pinball has been chasing ever since.'

    high · Miguel: 'It had Pat Lawlor as a designer... Pat Lawlor is GOAT... Larry DeMar... Chris Granner, who's covered in episode 96 and 97, the GOAT of sound... it's quite a dream team.'

  • ?

    historical_signal: 1992 was a peak year for pinball with Addams Family (Mar), Getaway 2, Fishtails, Black Rose, Creature from Black Room, and Doctor Who all releasing. Terminator 2 (1991) with successful DMD influenced Addams' pivot from alphanumeric to DMD. Speakers describe 1992 as one of best years in pinball history.

    high · Miguel: 'if you were going to pick a year to die and live in pinball forever, you could not do much better than 1992'

    • 2:16
    Welcome to the fan episode of the Wedgehead Pinball Podcast. We're here to talk about our best game ever, but let me introduce myself. I'm Rob. I'm a Portland scene player and awesome youth librarian. I'm Miguel. I'm also a Portland scene player and happy to be here with you today. And we are going to tell you why the Addams Family is the best pinball machine ever made. But first...
    2:48
    It's my turn to plug the Ko-fi account. So if you want to help support the show, you can go to ko-fi.com slash Wedgehead Podcast, donate some money, and you'll get actually the best thing, which is a link to our Discord where... The best Discord that you possibly have where you can come chop it up with us, learn all of our cool acronyms. So we're ranking the George Christian, who's covered in episode 84, games by their swan ability. We're talking the A-bono Strat on Cindy. And, you know, to be honest, the best part of it is that you get to join a really special community. You know, actually, Rob and I met through this Discord and we become like really good friends. So it's a really cool place to join. That's the spirit thing. Lend a hand. It's only five bucks, so, you know, it's definitely worth it. Plus, you get to make fun of Alex and Alan, which is always worth the price of admission. But we're not here to talk about them. All right, everyone, time for a game. We're here to talk about the Addams Family Pinball Machine.
    3:48
    Why do we have to defend it if it's already so famous and aren't people like it so much? Well, once you get into the hobby, there tends to be a habit of sort of poo-pooing the Addams a little bit. People like to have contrarian opinions like, oh, this game is overhyped or I hate how this plays. It's too easy. Like liking Adam's family actually becomes uncool in some circles. You're a funny guy. And I feel like we have enough experience between the two of us to come back and be like, you know what? This game actually totally rips. Yes, absolutely. I mean, I think, you know, Rob said I do think it is kind of cool to hate on the Adam's family as you get better. But like from my perspective, like as someone who has a little bit more experience, like I actually think that the more experience I get, actually, the more appreciation, the more love for how special the game is. Is I feel, you know, so absolutely. And just to give you a little bit of the history, The Addams Family was in March 1992, released by Bally. It came out before Fishtails, Black Rose, Creature from the Black Room, Doctor Who. It came out after Getaway 2, 92, fantastic year for pinball, came out after 1991's Terminator 2. But if you were going to pick a year to die and live in pinball forever, you could not do much better than 1992. So it had Pat Lawlor as a designer, who's, you know, I think probably like maybe both Rob and I's favorite designer of all time, you know, the GOAT. Larry DeMar, another legendary coder on the code. Chris Granner, who's covered in episode 96 and 97, the GOAT of sound. You know, it's quite a dream team. Even has John Yowse on art. And I think there's a little bit of a story about the licensing here, right, Rob? Yeah, so this is when Bally and Williams were sort of getting into more licenses. This was Data East thing. I don't know what they were doing in 1992. I'm sure. It's fine. Carry on, Data East. But a new territory for Williams. Roger Sharpe secured the license to the Addams Family. The game was originally intended to be an alphanumeric game like Whirlwind and Earthshaker. But because T2 was so successful and had a rockin' DMD, they put up a DMD for Adam's family. And you know what? How did this DMD turn out? You know, I think this DMD turned out pretty great, especially considering that it maybe sounds like it might have been an afterthought. You know, I think it's actually an integral part of a lot of the key moments of the game. Like, it'll definitely come up as we discuss some of our favorite features. Yeah, those dots definitely rule. I'm not tired of them yet. So the game was $2,700 when it released. The IP itself, definitely hyped, big movie tie-in. Even today, everybody knows who the Addams Family is.
    6:24
    So it had all that going for it and went on to sell 20,000 units to become one of the most successful selling games of all time. Resold, reselled, you can still find it in arcades today. People still want it, collect it. They love this thing. The game is absolutely jam-packed with great mechs and unique features, one of them being the Thing mech where it reaches out and grabs the ball, Thing flips where it automatically flips to the trying to hit a target, and I believe that was patented so nobody else could have the automatic Thing flipper. And also, everybody's favorite, the power, where magnets under the playfield would cause havoc and chaos with the balls. Feel the power. All of these, innovative, often imitated, but never quite as effective. So, you know, you mentioned a lot of pretty cool mechs. Rob, what's your favorite one? I have to pick the power just because the way the magnets mess you up. Everybody's got a power story. The way that, oh, it took it straight out of the chair and threw it down the center. I was flipping and it went straight off to the left and down the outline. Everybody has a power story. And overcoming the power, always a good time. You know, frankly, like I think the power is like way too maligned, you know, like just in general, you know, like so absolutely the game or the power is. I'm personally a solid state guy, and I feel like what makes solid state special is their high variance, and I think the power is just kind of a fun, innovative way to add more variance to the game. And you know, frankly, man, I'm just going to say this, you can absolutely nudge the power, okay? You can add some control there, bro. What? To the magnets? How do you nudge the power? Bro, every magnet is a flipper, okay? This is just true. Just trust me, man. Once you start believing it, it'll become true. Just trust you, sure. All right.
    8:10
    So beyond just the innovative mechs, actually, you know, there was also a pretty big innovation for the time, which was the introduction of modes. Right. A lot of people think of Addams Family as the first game with modes. That's actually lights, camera, action. Gottlieb doing it first again. But because the modes in Addams Family are so memorable, this is what people think of when they think of modes. Mamushka, Hit Cousin It, Tunnel Hunt, Seance. Raise the bed! Out to the cemetery! Come on, everybody!
    9:03
    And then Rob we talking about the greatest game of all time Whirlwind today right Yeah it the Whirlwind episode right
    9:20
    Yeah, yeah, you know, like, Whirlwind, greatest game of all time, sweepable drops, spinning discs, you know, what else do we love about Whirlwind, Rob? Ufucker ramp to nowhere. Yeah, Ufucker's another thing that you'll learn if you join the Discord. This won't be the last Whirlwind version we make, but let's get back to Addams, okay? This is the Addams Family episode. So in Addams, we have Hit Cousin It. It's a valuable mode. It's a frenzy, very similar to Funhouse Frenzy. And Cousin It also boosts that frenzy value and gives you 2 million points.
    9:47
    Notice how Mickey has a moral objection to hitting Rudy, but when it comes to Cousin It, bash it, bash Cousin It, bash it. I just love to see him dance around avoiding that ball with that DMD. But you want to crank that wall as much as possible. And because that geometry is so tight, you can really take some really interesting advantage of it and make some really interesting bank shots. I don't like how you're making us sound like great players there. Bank it off the geometry. Just swing it up in there. But you're right. It is a fantastic mode. The DMD is well done. It's always fun to play. And you get a lot of points out of it if you don't tilt. Who says you can't take it with you? Yeah, 100%. I mean, another mode that I think is probably the classic mode, maybe the one that everyone knows, is the Mumushka. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! You know, I love it. It's a lot of fun. It also teaches you some really valuable lessons about where you should be shooting on the playfield, right? It's simple fun, and it's super heightened by the DMD, the sound effects, right? It's just killer execution. Yeah, everybody knows the Mumushka mode. And what I love about if you play Adam's Family at Wedgehead, the location, they have the volume cranked to 11, So all bumpers anywhere in the building, it's going to be the mamushka is what you hear.
    11:01
    So, Rob, which is your favorite room? My favorite mode is probably the quick multiball. I'm going to go for points here because you can dead bounce it over. Oh, you hit the hurry up. Now your jackpot's 15 million points. But what I really love is the insult is when you don't mess it up. You're like, I got to get it to thing. And you get it there and your jackpot is now 3 million points. Have fun with that. Play that out, your two-ball, multi-ball with your three million points. Yeah, you know, I mean, I think one of many ways that this game can be, you know, brutally tough, right? So, you know, the other modes you mentioned, Tunnel Hunt, I think Tunnel Hunt is really special because it's just very intuitive. Like, you know, you're shooting for the scoops, you know, it's the Tunnel Hunt, right? So I love that. Like, I think the very thoughtful game design, very thoughtful with how they introduce the modes, right? Seance has great theme integration. You know, you have the ghostly magnets throwing you around as you, As you try to get up to the ramp.
    11:58
    Yep, and you better try. I don't want to see any cowards trying to hold the ball and wait out seance. Play your seance. Get your knocks. See, I totally agree. I mean, you know, the feeling of getting that knock when you fly off the ramp, man, again, like another place where we just have like this really great integration between the DMD and the sound and the feel of the ramp shot. Yeah, that ramp is awesome. I love going up that ramp. The best ramp there is is the one you're having fun playing, regardless of center or not center. That's my opinion. Also, as a fun idiot, I like to play the modes. Do you play the modes out? Oh, yeah, I absolutely do. I mean, I think both of us kind of maybe care a little bit more about having fun with a game than necessarily getting the highest score right. And I think the modes, there's just like a lot of fun to be had there, I feel. Absolutely. If you're not, I'm not having fun on Adams. It's just ramp sharing. Like, did you did you raise the dead? That's why you're not having fun. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Like, you know, if you're not having fun at Adams, you're probably trying not to have fun, you know? Skill issue.
    12:52
    100% man. So beyond the modes, like I think maybe one thing that they did a rerun of this game and I think it actually maybe added some stuff that maybe made it a little bit worse. But let's talk about the rerun. Yeah, they did do a special edition of the Adams family. They made a thousand more, has new call outs, new rules, a secret tunnel, a new mode called Cousin It's Hairbrush, but it's really just extra points. How do you feel about it? So, you know, I am a little bit of a special edition hater. I think, you know, I don't think the criticism of Adams is like kind of throwing points at you sometimes with like the six or nine million points. I don't think that's very fair. I think that's actually a really good way to hook new players, get them to want to shoot the chair right. But I do think that the special edition kind of takes that throwing points to you a little bit too far. You know, you just like get 15 million points for doing nothing. Yeah, I'm not a I'm not I'm not a gold guy myself. Wake up, brush your teeth, get 15 million points. I don't know. I could get behind it. I think it looks pretty cool. I do like the art and the toys and stuff. Yes. I mean, the execution, I agree. Like playing that game, I think on average, a gold will play a lot better than your average old Adams. But just I don't know. I just don't like all the extra points it's thrown at you. Either way, whether it's special edition or classic, Adam Stanley remains one of the most recognizable and sought after playable tables in pinball. It's living history. Plus, speaking of history, everybody has some history with this table. If you've been in the hobby, you definitely have a story. Miggy, what's your history? So, you know, for me, like I was, you know, a kid when I think I was maybe like seven or eight years old when this movie came out and this pinball machine came out. I was obsessed with the movie, right? Like as a, you know, young Hispanic kid, seeing a Hispanic guy as a main character, a cool Hispanic guy as a main character on the big screen. And also one that has big expressive eyes just like me. I had an instant connection to the movie. No one's seen Raoul, Julia, and Miggy in the same place at the same time. Just saying.
    14:44
    So, you know, when I went to my local Peter Piper Pizza for the first time and saw the Addams Family, you know, I just instantly fell in love. You know, Bear Ramp, Showtime, that just clicked with me immediately. My homies would be out there doing Fatalities and stuff on Mortal Kombat. I'd just be in the corner playing Addams by myself. That spot had two games. I don't even, I have no idea what the second game was. All I did was play Addams. It is addictive like that. For me, behind our house was a campground, so you'd wander through the woods and you'd end up in kind of this pinball Narnia in their laundry room. They had a bunch of machines, and I do remember what the other ones are, but I also only played Addams Family. I put a lot of money into that machine. The first time I played it, I can remember the first time I played it, because, you know, I put your money in, you launch the ball, got the skill shot, cool. Then the ball comes down, didn't realize it had an upper flipper, so it rolls off the upper flipper straight down the middle. If I was less of an idiot, I would have stopped right there, but that had me hooked. I'm like, no, no, no, there must be a way. So I was throwing money into this, and eventually, as a teenager, I did tour the mansion, and I'm just like, holy crap, you can beat a pinball machine. It sold me. Yeah, I mean, you know, Rob and I are both middle-aged bros, and we've both been playing this since we were kids, so we've both been playing this game for like 30 years, and we're both still obsessed with it. I think that really says something about how special this game is. So let's talk a little bit about this IP, man. Since I did say I am a big fan of this movie, I think the movie itself is a big reason why I think this game is special. Everyone knows this IP. Childhood crushes the side. Everybody knows the Addams Family. Roger Sharpe acquired the IP from Paramount Pictures, which helped move Pinball in the direction of popular IP and movie tie-ins. For better or worse, come debate that in the Discord with us. You can also hear about some original themes on another episode of the Wedgehead podcast. In this case, it gave families, casual people, and curious arcade goers something to recognize, and the how of a pinball machine represents a movie and its characters. How does it do that? Incredible call-outs by the incomparable Raul Julia that pinball has been chasing ever since. Even Dracula tries to say, extra ball, like Julia did. Extra ball!
    16:49
    Just like the films, he brought this machine to life. Yes, like I said, I mean, Raul Julia was why I loved the movie, and I mean, like, he is such a big part of what makes the pinball machine exciting that, like, yeah, obviously I fell in love immediately. And that's not all! Yeah, there's been no better pairing than Raul Julia and Chris Granner. Fight me on that. 100%, bro. Another thing it gives you is a novice to veteran experience. It's fairly approachable. You can get there and have things to do, but it is also unforgiving. The multiball has no ball save. The game itself has no ball save. The swamp kickout always makes me anxious. Sometimes maybe you can catch that. Sometimes it's going to bounce out. Sometimes you don't even touch it. So there's the simple getting a jackpot is pretty easy. Double jackpot just by hitting the you fucker is something people can do. But there's always more to build on. And oh, wait, what about the call outs? Yeah, I mean, you know, like the, you know, it's showtime like that, the lightning, the lighting. I mean, everything about that multiball, that buildup, I think that's like probably the best multiball buildup in all of pinball. Yeah, you can ask 10 people what their favorite multiball start is. Nine of them are going to say Adam's family and the first person just wants to get paid. 100%, bro. You know, another, I think, pretty special thing about that multiball is like, you know, you mentioned the UFucker, which let's give them a little preview of our Discord acronyms, right? What is a UFucker, Rob? Yeah it the best shot on Whirlwind It that upper flipper cross ramp you got Lawlor loves to stick those in there And so on your best game Whirlwind it goes to a dead end ramp drops on the spinning wheels but anyway slapping a U so you can hit that cross ramp always a fantastic time Yes and Lala loves to do that especially as a jackpot in multiballs because that drawing your attention away from the drain right Where you're wanting to pay attention so that you can save the balls, your attention is being drawn away from that. Additionally, you have the power on during multiball, so you have even more chaos, right? So this is actually, for me, this is an improvement upon the whirlwind discs, which I feel are a little bit too friendly. I think usually those discs kind of like return you pretty safely to the flippers. What do you think, Rob? Yeah, it's not as psychotic as the magnets, which, you know, I said is probably my favorite mech in there just for that kind of reason. Chaos. I love the stress, especially in that multiball. It's like, yeah, you have to use the U-fucker for the jackpot, but the lower playfield is crowded enough that everything's going to drain out of there quickly. You have to have like pug eyes looking in two directions just like that. Great job, Mickey. I bet he's good at this game. So, you know, like, we talked a little bit about the multiball, but, like, what's the Rob Expert's strat in this game, man? I'm definitely a multiball player on it. I will try to get the modes, but to be perfectly honest, I am not great at hitting the chair scoop. I feel like I mess that up more often than not, unless I'm backhanding from the left. It's not plugged in yet. So multiball is where you go. A few quick bashes and then sink it to lock it. You can keep that multiball going, and if you get in the flow of jackpots, you're both going to have a great time playing the machine and an epic score. It's like, oh, get the jackpot, sink it in the vault, get another jackpot, keep on, keep going. It's very satisfying when you do it. It's not that hard, so it keeps you coming back, but it is that hard because it will humble you. Yeah, 100%. I think, again, your attention being pulled away, all the chaos of the power. I think also, like you said something about like the callouts change with the multiballs. Is that right? Yeah, you get different callouts the further multiballs you get into. That's if you haven't done it, go find your Adam family right now. Play a few because I love some of those secondary multiball callouts. You can tell Rob's a much better player than I am because I had no idea about any of this. I'm usually like, you know, if I get one multiball in the game, I'm pretty happy. But, you know, Rob's Rob's over here. He's an expert. You know, I'm more stubborn and I have a lot of quarters. So beyond, I mean, you know, I think like you mentioned, right, the multiball like has a lot to offer. It's fairly easy to get, right? So it has to warm up. You know, casuals can absolutely like, you know, you're going to hit that bookcase. Like you said, that geometry is very tight. So you're always going to hit that bookcase. Once you open it, you get a lock in there. You're off to the races, right? So very approachable from a casual perspective, but it's also very brutal in the ways that we mentioned, right? So it can kill you. I think the chair, you can make a lot of similar arguments, man. So let's talk a little bit about the chair. Yeah, so once you sink that chair, it doesn't tell you this is how you start modes and whatnot. People will figure it out. Once you sink that chair, the mode starts, you relight it with the ramp, that's your ramp chair, but the chair is definitely a swan target. If you miss the chair, you're in danger. Absolutely. And then once you get the chair, as a beginner, you get the excitement of, can you get a good mamushka? Can you survive the seance? Right. So, Rob, since we were talking about the chair, you know, obviously the alternate way to get some rooms is through the swamp shot. Do you ever take that opportunity? I do not. I find that shot challenging. Oh, that does feel really good if you sink it and get a backdoor mansion room. It is nice. And I think for people that are it's too much ramp chair, try ramp swamp. Maybe it's I love that you have that backdoor available, but I admit to not taking it. So, you know, honestly, I also rarely shoot it. But because, you know, I was preparing for this episode, I wanted to kind of like, you know, explore the play field a little bit. And like, actually, you can kind of like do this cool little like bank shot off of the rubber right below it into the scoop that actually feels pretty good. I don't know. I think it's another fun way to explore the game. Yeah, no, I kind of want to try that now. Oh, no, we're going to play more Adam's family. So, you know, since we're talking about like, you know, beginners and learning the game, the modes, how it kind of like helps you learn the game. Right. Like I think Mimusha is a great example of this. Right. You have this really great risk-reward trade-off, right? Because, like, you know, you realize, oh, I want to hit as many targets as possible. I should probably go into those pops. But then once you do that, you're like, should I go into the pops? It's pretty dangerous, but you get that reward at the end of the ball. Don't tilt it. Don't tilt out. I do like that it has a lot of achievable milestones in the game. Again, for that new and a veteran player, you can get the extra balls just by doing enough ramps. The X-Tribble! Like I said earlier, or actually I didn't say this earlier, I wanted to ask you about one of my favorite ways to get points, another easy way you can get like 9 million points, the graveyard shot, the 5x graveyard shot. Quicksand, fumes, toxic waste, it's all ours. Do you flip whenever you have the opportunity for a 5x graveyard, Rob? No, it scares me. I want my 2x ramps or even my thing flip for the 5x so that it can automatically do it. I'm probably just going to put it out in the right out lane. That's a verifiable fact. Yeah, so like you said, you know, probably at least a third of the time when I'm shooting that thing, I will go into the right out lane, but I still shoot every time. I think that shot's super satisfying, and like, you know, you can actually throw up a bunch of points going that way, you know, shooting up the ramp and then going down to thing flips, right? Okay, so I do just want to also say, you know, the last time I was shooting the thing flips, I actually shot it so hard into the right out lane that it actually bounced off the wall and back into the right in lane, and like, that felt pretty special, man. Well played, Thing. You're really on the ball. Yeah, I can just picture your amazed face when that happens. Like, what? It's the game that keeps on giving. Absolutely, man. And you know, the quick multiball, another thing I love about that quick multiball is that's another really easy way to learn the best way to get up to that you fucker, right? It's the jump ramp, baby! Jump ramp! Yeah, man, you know, this game has everything, man, especially including a jump ramp. Yeah, speaking of everything, I think it's a great game to sort of practice your skills. Because you know what to do, you're going to be backhanding things. Can you backhand the chair? The chair returned. You dead bounce that. Can you live catch? Nudge on those left out lanes. You got two lanes, but it might go to the out lane. That's a great place to work on your nudging skills. I will say, you know, those left out lanes are those freaking staples. Another, I would say, solid state motif, right? Those staple out lanes. The double in lane looks safe, but man, I bounce off that stupid thing into the out lane all the time. Yeah, it's hilarious when it'll come off the millions plus ramp, the Ufucker ramp, and then just bounce between those in lanes to the out lanes. Everybody knows what I'm talking about. Yeah, man. I mean, just in general, I think it's a game where you always kind of know what you need to do next, and so it's perfect for coming up with creative solutions to solve the problems for the shots that you're trying to make. Even as you go, there's always more to sort of discover and do. There's combos in there. Have you discovered a lot of the 2x, the 3x, the 4x combo where you finish in the swamp? I mean, that feels really good, but it is not easy.
    25:41
    I have no idea what you're talking about. Again, this is an example of why Rob is a lot better player than I am, but the combos do sound like a lot of fun. I'm going to have to go try this out after we finish this episode, man. Yeah, so you can be a good player, still blow it up, and the seance will still come along and mess you. I love hearing all the creative swear words people come up with playing this one. Not the Bermuda Triangle! Yeah, you know, I mean, I just, like you said, I think, like, just the package, the call-outs, the combos, everything just feels like, you know, you're walking up to an old friend, right? If you're a veteran, you can absolutely blow this game up, but the game prepares for that. Like, you get super ramps after you hit 99, which I haven't done, to be clear. To tour the mansion starts, you get a great 50 million points, but also you have to survive the tour as it runs through the different modes. The multiball rhythm, which is really fun, and then, yeah, like we said, the seance can still get you no matter where you are. Sorry, old man. Ultimately, the call-outs, combos, pathing, any items you go to, you have nostalgia, play with confidence. This is the best pinball machine of all time. 100% man. You know, and I think like, as you mentioned, right, this game does have a lot to offer for both for both new players and veterans. And I actually think like, you know, one of the biggest critiques of this game of by veterans is I think a little unfair, which is, you know, let's let's call this the ramp chair in the room. I know, darling. Yeah, isn't this game easy? Isn't it just ramp chair? You should know better. Again, cowardly. Yeah, but that's both beauty and the crutch. Here's the thing. I kind of enjoy ramp chair. Nobody can take that from me. Especially since I kind of suck at the chair port, it's not guaranteed that I'm going to sync that and get the mode.
    27:19
    Adams is not forgiving when you miss and the more that you do it right the more accurate you are I feel like it builds up Lawlor the master of that stop and go pressure build and you done ramp chair three times you need to hit it again you can just feel the anxiety build the more you do it Don torture yourself You know actually it does not surprise me at all for me to hear you describe your love for the game in terms of anxiety because I know that you definitely thrive in that environment Put it in my veins.
    27:47
    I'm more of a chill guy, you know, but I do love the game for similar reasons, but maybe from a different perspective, right? Like all that danger, you know, we've already discussed the like, you know, that chair, very, very unforgiving return. Thing flips, super dangerous. The left out lanes, those those staples, very dangerous. And of course, you cannot forget the feeling of flying back down that center ramp and going straight down the middle, you know.
    28:10
    Oh, yeah, this game has no ball save. It's not even that steep of a ramp, but we've all had that happen. Yeah, you know, like all that danger that really makes you I just think it makes it makes the feeling of finding your shots, hitting them. It just makes them all that more satisfying. When you and I first played this game together, I actually remember you having a good ball. No surprise, you're a good player. And then I just remember you yelling something like, oh, you know, man, when you're hitting shots, man, the flow of this game just feels incredible. And that's exactly how I feel about this game, man. There's more where that came from. Yeah, that's kind of what brought me back down to earth, too, because I was having a little bit of a, I'm becoming an experienced pinballer. I can't like Adam's family. That's a noob pick. But actually, no, it was sinking shots, having a good game. It always feels good. Whenever I go back to play it, it either feels good or wrecks you, which is exactly what you want from a pinball machine. Totally, man. And, you know, besides just chair ramp, like I said before, there's a lot of like blue collar ways to get points in the game, right? You have the million plus shot from the U-fucker. You have the 5X Graveyard, which if you're not a coward, you'll go for.
    29:12
    And you even have stuff like the railroad in the train wreck. You can get lots of 5, 10 million points off the train wreck without having to start anything, right?
    29:23
    I don't think I've ever played train wreck or even really got that many of them. So that's like a new strategy. Again, I'm like, ah, I got to go out. I got to try train wreck swamp. Who plays train wreck swamp? I'm going to try it. Have a nice swim. Yeah, man, there's just, you know, if you want to have fun on the game, there's plenty of fun to be had, right? And of course, like, that also forgets, like, I would say many people's, like, favorite strat, which is the easiest way to blow, one of the easiest ways to blow up the game is actually the multiball, right, Rob? Now you've done it. Yeah, that's definitely how I do it. And the best games I've had have all been multiball, hitting jackpots, getting in the flow of it. Yeah, so, you know, I think it's way too reductive to just say that it's Chair Ramp. I mean, that's even kind of ignoring the fact that, like, Chair Ramp does feel super great to combo, and, like you said, when you're feeling it, like, it's a fun time. Yeah, I can acknowledge that some people are like, I'm too good for this game, therefore it's bad. That both forgets the perspective of new players and moderate players into it who love this game, who this is the one that brought it in, and I'm sure maybe some people blow it up, never want to play it again, but we have a strange hobby. The better you get, the more games might become inaccessible to you. So if you're too good for Atoms, you're probably too good for a lot of other really great games out there. But for me, that shine definitely hasn't worn off yet. The Mamushka hasn't ended. And if it does, will we always look back affectionately at the game? Of course. Yeah, man, you know, I'm definitely doing the Mamushka with you still, bro. And, you know, I haven't even toured the mansion yet, so I still got a long way to go before I can even consider getting tired of this game. There, see what greed will get you? Anyway, defining this game as the greatest of all time, everyone's best game ever could be different, but Adams is going to be the highlighting the goat list until the end of time. Selling and reselling is one of the most important pieces of playable pinball history and beloved by players at all levels. It's the 90s game you still see everywhere, and the perfected experience, gameplay, sound, mechanics, lighting, the light show on this in 1992, come on. Well done! The world has been chasing it ever since, and I will never not play this game. You should coin up too. Bite the power. Good luck. Don't suck.
    31:51
    Adam Family. They do what they want to do, say what they want to say, live how they want to live, play how they want to play, dance how they want to dance, kick in, they slap a friend. Adam Family. I remember the day I needed to ball, a little bit of pepper. The next thing you know, coming in me was a hand with the fingers I stepped in. Now I try to play it on off and act like I'm having a ball. But what do I say? A perm with feet standing about feet tall. They do what they want to do, say what they want to say, live how they want to live, play how they want to play, dance how they want to play. Dance how they wanna dance, kickin' they slap a friend, Adam Family. They do what they wanna do, say what they wanna say, live how they wanna live, play how they wanna play, dance how they wanna dance, kickin' they slap a friend, Adam Family.
    32:36
    Alright, I know this isn't a Die on the Hill game because it's still popular, but I do like addressing criticism with violence. So, I've got somebody who gave a 5.2 to the Adams family, and their whole thing is, it's not a modern game. I simply think that old games are way overrated. Don't you think that modern games should all be ranked much higher? Just about everything improves over time or people will not be buying pinball any longer. People are absolutely correct about 25-year-old games being very, very shallow code-wise. Okay, so let me address that last thing first, right? So it is shallow code-wise, but I think that's part of the advantage of the game, right? Beauty of a game like Atoms and early Solid State games, pretty easy to learn, difficult to master, right? I mean, the thing that keeps you engaged with the game is not that you're going to spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out the optimal strategy, it's just that you're going to go in there, get your ass kicked, and have a good time, you know? So who cares about the, I don't know. I personally don't think the complexity necessarily makes a game better. Yeah, what needs to be nailed on the wall next to every pinball table is that the ball is wild and you come close, try again. If in a modern machine, if you have so many modes, do you know if you're coming close? Sure, it's exciting, but where's the try again? Love that the comment goes on to say, Cannot figure out why, other than nostalgia, that these games are so cherished by some. Stern, JGP, Spooky, Modern Day Technology Coding does circles around these old, outdated games. I actually think that's also kind of crazy because I think for my money actually I think the mechs in the 90s games are like actually quite a bit better than most of the mechs in modern games. Yeah, no one's like wow these 90s mechs suck. They're so terrible. Yeah, you know I think like maybe it's just that back in the day they had maybe a little bit more money to put into the games because they were selling more of them. I'm not sure but like I definitely feel like those 90s games are like have plenty to offer in terms of mechs and like I think they're a good balance between the simplicity of solid states and like just insane complexity of the modern game. I think it's hilarious to be like, why can't this game be modern? Modern stuff is cool. Old stuff is bad. Like, that does not sound like a pinball player to me. Sorry.
    34:40
    I hope you all enjoyed this episode. If you were listening to it and you go, hey, that sounds like fun. Maybe this is something I would want to try. Well, go ahead. Give it a shot. You know, with the change to move into every other week episodes with Alex and I, we're, you know, we got a space. And if you want to write, research, record and edit the show and then send that file to me, I think it's good. I would love to share with the audience. You know, it's fun having extra content generated by members of our own discord, members of the community, fans of the show. So if that sounds like you, send me a DM in our discord and we'll help you in any way I can. But I will say it is quite a bit of work and the goal of you making your own episode is for you to do the work. So I want to give a shout out to Rob for doing so much hard work on this episode. You see him in the Discord. Feel free to thank him. And you're in the Discord. The best part is every Friday, Rob does a weekly roundup of memes that he makes himself recapping all of that week's activities in great meme format. I don't know how he does it, but every week everyone looks forward to it. So that's just another reason to join. Go to ko-fi.com slash Wedgehead Podcast. You get your link after you donate a couple bucks to the show. Help us keep making it. And if it sounds like you want to join, come on through. I'm ready to hear your episode two.
    36:13
    Thank you.