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The Classic Pinball Podcast
The Classic Pinball Podcast
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Episode 4 : The Classic Pinball Podcast - Quicksilver - Part 1

PodcastAnalysis updated 2d ago55 min listenBy George
From the creator

In this episode the guys discuss all the things they could come up with related to this game. Everything you want to know including history, sounds, gameplay and more. Lots of Bally comparisons. Did...

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Highlights

  • Quicksilver was one of Stern's hits from 1980, with only 1,200 units produced initially
  • Approximately 150 Quicksilver machines exist worldwide today after 40 years
  • A 1935 J.H. Keeney machine called Quicksilver predates the Stern game and was the first to use a free-play coin mech
  • Designer JoJo Jr. created Quicksilver; his only significant game gem in the 1980s was this title
  • Artist Doug Watson defied Stern management's directive against using green playfields on Quicksilver
  • Quicksilver's back glass artwork is heavily inspired by Heavy Metal magazine and possibly Peter Max's psychedelic art style
  • Stern used minimal cabinet art in 1980, often applying just one stencil to a single base color due to production volume pressures
  • Quicksilver has the best bonus countdown sound effect among Stern games from that era
  • The drop target bank on Quicksilver and Sea Witch are in the same or nearly identical positions
  • Stern's early mechanical parts used pot metal construction, which corroded over time, whereas Bally used more robust solid metal with nylon bushings

Notable quotes

“It ain't just any plain old silver ball, it's the fastest moving pinball ever. Quick silver!”
George
“1980 was their year. They put out, for instance, these games here, Galaxy, Ali, Big Game, Sea Witch, Cheetah, Quicksilver, Flight 2000, Stargazer, Nineball... a new game every month in 1980.”
Dave
“I went to the books... I went to look up Quicksilver. I'm thinking, oh, okay, they're going to have the Stern game. Nope. 1935, J.H. Keeney's Quicksilver. The first game to use a free play coin mech.”
George
“He wasn't one to fall into line with that kind of stuff, so he said, I don't think so. Screw you guys. I'm using green.”
George
“I went right up to him and confronted him in front of everybody... he said, no, no, that's just mercury or, you know, that kind of the flow of it.”
George
“They were not afraid to experiment... They tried all the wacky stuff.”
Dave
“I can understand now why people like this game. It's got great sounds.”
George
“Stern got a bad rep early on for using almost like a pot metal thing... the metal actually after years would kind of turn a little white dust would be on it, like from a little corrosion.”
Dave
“They're not going to have, like, 30, 40, 50 years. We know they were never intended for that.”
Dave
“I was stuck on ball one for, I don't know, a half hour. I was like, this ain't for me.”
George

Entities

  • Bally/Valley· company
  • J.H. Keeney· company
  • Stern Pinball· company
  • Trimount Coin Machine Company· company
  • Texas Pinball Festival· event
  • Galaxy· game
  • Nitro Groundshaker· game
  • Paragon· game
  • Quicksilver· game
  • Sea Witch· game
  • Stargazer· game
  • IPDB· organization
  • Pinside· organization
  • Dave· person
  • Doug Watson· person
  • George· person
  • Jesse Kujawa· person
  • Joel· person
  • JoJo Jr.· person
  • Marco Razzagnoli· person
  • Mike Kubin· person
  • Pat Lawlor· person
  • Peter Max· person
  • Heavy Metal Magazine· product

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