EP 2 - What You May Have Missed in Harry Potter Pinball
Flip N Out Pinball Podcast
56 min
Summary
Deep dive into Harry Potter pinball design, Eric Meunier evolution, and thematic integration choices.
Ken Cromwell and Greg Bone discuss Jersey Jack Pinball's Harry Potter game, focusing on design philosophy, Eric Meunier evolution as a designer, and thematic integration. They explore the decision to consolidate eight films into one machine rather than splitting across multiple releases, analyze gameplay mechanics and shot geometry improvements, and examine the polarizing MinaLima collector's edition artwork and its thematic significance.
Highlights
- Harry Potter licensing was long rumored to be unavailable due to JK Rowling's alleged opposition to pinball in bar settings
- Eric Meunier knew from when Greg joined Jersey Jack in April 2020 that Harry Potter was a desired license and his dream theme
- Guns N' Roses was Jersey Jack Pinball best-selling title of all time
- Wizard of Oz was priced at approximately $6,700 and created pricing issues despite being positioned as a luxury boutique game
- Harry Potter flipper response is faster and more responsive than most other JJP games, more similar to Stern or Bally machines
- Joe Katz, JJP's lead programmer on Harry Potter, previously released a 2.0 code update for Willy Wonka on his own time after the game had shipped
- MinaLima, the artwork studio featured on the collector's edition, created foundational visual assets for the entire Harry Potter franchise including theme parks
- The MinaLima collector's edition artwork presents Harry Potter story in chronological order from left to right across the cabinet exterior
Greg Bone and Ken Cromwell take a different angle on Jersey Jack Pinball's latest release. This isn't a deep dive, but rather a little "inside baseball" with perspectives you won't hear anywhere else.
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