Episode 549: Video Pinball (Patreon)

Stuart: Remember that bit in the best movie ever made, Freddy Vs. Jason, where Freddy pings Jason around like a pinball and there are actual pinball noises, and then he growls, “Tilt”? It makes no sense, I know, but it’s up there with the finest moments in cinematic history for many, many reasons, the most compelling of which being that it reminds me of pinball. Which is what this episode is about!

Sort of. It’s about pinball what’s on the telly, so the sort of pinball that you play with a controller and that transcends the reality of what poor, underpaid pinball-table-makers are able to achieve with their meagre resources. You won’t hear about the likes of Pinball Arcade or Pinball FX here, but you will hear about Sonic Spinball, Devil’s Crush, Flipnic and a host of other fine-tastic “pinners”, as pinball enthusiasts famously refer to pinball games.

Who better to take you on this wildly ricocheting journey through the storied history of video pinball than Ralph Barbagallo, one of the mega-brains behind Demon’s Tilt and the upcoming Xenotilt, along with host Stuart Gipp and the inimitable Diamond Feit? Nobody better, that’s who. It’s a dream team! Well, actually, we tried to get the actual Bride of Pinbot on the show for comment, but Stuart got all nervous and blew it.

Edits: Greg Leahy; Art: Leann Hamilton

• 14:34 - Alien Crush: The Best Five
• 21:56 - Flipnic: Ultimate Pinball: Optics (Stage Main BGM)
• 30:59 - Yoko's Island Express: Welcome to Mokumana Beach
• 38:07 - Dragon's Fury: Bonus Table 2
• 44:51 - FunHouse (Williams): Multiball | Kirby's Pinball Land: Boss Battle
• 54:30 - Sonic Pinball Party: Burning Hearts
• 59:34 - Crüe Ball: Dr. Feelgood
• 1:10:19 - Castlevania: Harmony of Despair: Don't Wait Until Night
• 1:21:32 - Devilish: Graveyard (Stage 1)
• Closing - Demon's Tilt: Table BGM