Episode 2 - The Ritchie Brothers Steve vs. Mark

PodcastOct 30, 2023

Wedgehead Pinball Podcast

52 min

Summary

Wedgehead hosts defend Mark Ritchie legacy while celebrating both Ritchie brothers' pinball design contributions.

Alan and Alex from Wedgehead Pinball in Portland discuss the legacies of Steve and Mark Ritchie, legendary pinball designers and brothers. They defend Mark against being overshadowed by his older brother Steve, highlighting Mark's iconic games (Fishtales, Taxi, Diner, Sorcerer) and design philosophy, while acknowledging Steve's revolutionary contributions (flow, multi-ball, upper flippers). The hosts also cover Mark's recent work on Pulp Fiction at Chicago Gaming Company and discuss both brothers' design signatures, personal anecdotes from meeting them, and their respective strengths and missteps.

Highlights

Steve Ritchie is credited with introducing locks and lane change to pinball design
Mark Ritchie's first published game was Firepower 2, a sequel to Steve's Firepower
Mark Ritchie frequently collaborated with Python Anghelo on game design and art direction
Steve Ritchie's first game was Superman (1978-1979), an Atari game
Pulp Fiction is Mark Ritchie's first ramp-less game and was designed at the request of Quentin Tarantino
AC/DC is credited with saving Stern Pinball, along with Lord of the Rings and Iron Man
Mark Ritchie sang on the song in Riverboat Gambler despite not designing that game
Slash was Steve Ritchie's first game featuring a repeating upper flipper shot
Steve Ritchie recently joined Jersey Jack Pinball and has an unreleased game called Elton John
Mark Ritchie has been working at Raw Thrills for some time, designing arcade games