Episode 15 - Die on this Hill: No Fear

PodcastJan 29, 2024

Wedgehead Pinball Podcast

40 min

Summary

Hosts defend Steve Ritchie's No Fear as underrated 1995 Williams masterpiece with killer theme and innovative design.

Wedgehead Pinball Podcast 'Die on this Hill' segment defends Williams' No Fear (1995), Steve Ritchie final Williams design. The hosts praise its extreme sports theme, phenomenal art by Greg Freres, innovative jump ramp mechanic, straightforward but engaging rules, and fast-paced gameplay, while addressing common criticisms about theme appeal, playfield flow, and punishing drain difficulty. They counter negative Pinside reviews dismissing claims of limited shots, poor theme execution, and excessive post-heavy gameplay.

Highlights

No Fear is Steve Ritchie's last pinball design for Williams after an ~20 year partnership, released May 1995
No Fear sold 4,450 units, making it the second-highest selling game of Williams' nine releases in 1995
No Fear currently ranks #183 on Pinside's Top 100 list
Steve Ritchie didn't design another pinball game for 8 years until Stern's Terminator 3 in 2003
The game features a jump ramp designed by Ritchie that is superior to Robocop and Jurassic Park jump ramps
No Fear's art package ranks in top 10 game art packages of all time