Episode 57: Beetlejuice vs. Pokémon: Theme Monster vs. Mass Appeal
These are two wildly different games with two very different strengths, and the community has a lot to say about both of them. We’re breaking down how players are reacting to each title, where the...
Highlights
- Spooky Pinball production is capped at approximately 1,000 games per year and will likely remain there
- Beetlejuice has three scoops that can cause flow issues and occasionally kick straight down the middle
- Evil Dead has superior callouts compared to Beetlejuice, representing some of the best in modern pinball
- Beetlejuice is more forgiving and longer-playing than a typical tournament game, with ball saves enabled by default
- Secondary market asking prices for Beetlejuice average $15,500 with premiums of $4,250+ for confirmed preorder spots
- Pokémon pinball features more obvious shot selection than typical Stern designs
- Mode selection in Beetlejuice via left sling/band is not an intuitive or controllable mechanic
- Beetlejuice has a learning curve requiring 8-10 games for average players to master shot placement
Notable quotes
“Theme, sound, artwork are excellent on this game. It makes you smile from the moment you hit start.”
“It feels like you're playing the Beetlejuice movie.”
“Not everything needs tournaments in mind. Some players just want an amazing experience.”
“MagnaSave implementation is really cool... it works when it's on. And that's what I want. I want it to save my damn ball.”
“Doesn't have much consistent flow. Shots feel choppy even if the design is original.”
“Three scoops are annoying. It doesn't add any fun. Often it kicks straight down the middle and punishes you.”
“If you're someone that hasn't gotten their game yet and you're an average player, give it a good 10 games. You'll start to get the shots down and you'll enjoy it.”
“Evil Dead callouts are some of the best callouts in modern pinball in my opinion, bar none, period. They nailed it. It was like lightning in a bottle.”
“It is what it is. But because Spooky's on fire right now, you just got to get in early.”
“Everything under the glass feels like magic.”
Entities
- Electric Bat Arcade· company
- Flip N Out Pinball· company
- Spooky Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Texas Pinball Festival· event
- Beetlejuice· game
- Evil Dead· game
- Fall of the Empire· game
- Godzilla· game
- Harry Potter· game
- Jaws· game
- Led Zeppelin· game
- Pokémon Pinball· game
- Pinside· organization
- Bug (Spooky Pinball designer)· person
- George Gomez· person
- Kale (Electric Bat)· person
- Keith Elwin· person
- Rachel· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Zach Meny· person
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