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Episode 28 - Die on this Hill: Sharkey's Shootout
PodcastAnalysis updated yesterday38 min listen
Highlights
- Sharkey's Shootout had only 200 copies made (later corrected to 800)
- Sharkey's Shootout was the only Stern game in the U.S. market with outlane post buttons and center post (a European legal restriction feature)
- Sharkey's Shootout was Stern's first pinball machine with ethernet connectivity
- The game features Jeanette Lee (The Black Widow), a world pool champion, as the game host with her likeness on the translite
- Sharkey's Shootout was designed by John Borg with concept/software by Dwight Sullivan, marking the end of the Sega-era Stern dream team
- The game has an average PinSide rating of 7.234, tied with CSI at #230 on their top 300 list, five reviews shy of official listing
- 8-Ball Deluxe sold 13,000 units across three production runs and was the first game in the original 8-Ball series to sell over 20,000 units
- The bumper pool mode (triggered by completing Q-C-U-E lanes) can award up to $100 million just from pop scoring
Notable quotes
“In my naivete, saying in my mind at that time I was like, well the only thing better than 8-Ball Deluxe is going to be an 8-Ball Deluxe with the DMD and a ramp. That's all I needed.”
“What more do you want in this world?”
“If the ball falls out of the pops, it's like timed super pops at a million. All you have to do is, you can shoot another bumper, put it back into the scoop or there's a target, a stand target, the big green target in the middle of the play field that people shit on.”
“I will never disparage those drop targets. I won't stand for it.”
“Dismal play and almost no redeeming qualities other than the backglass art.”
“An okay game which is fun to play in arcade and a timeless theme but as a former owner there are elements that pushed it out of my collection... Kind of an uncomfortable mix of classic elements and new elements which long term seem to be an annoying slash rather than either a fun throwback or a great contemporary unit.”
“They've taken a previously boring and bland game and added some ramps and toys to make it worth playing.”
“It's a treasure. Spent on Sharkey's Shootout. A game so nice, they made it twice. Golden Cue, Sharky's.”
“I'd much rather play Sharkies. I've played both and I'd much rather play Sharkies.”
“Because it's fun to shoot the drops, and then you're getting them, the targets behind them.”
Entities
- Stern Pinball· company
- Die on This Hill· event
- Black Knight· game
- Eight Ball Deluxe· game
- Golden Cue· game
- Lord of the Rings· game
- Pirates of the Caribbean· game
- Sharkey's Shootout· game
- The Beatles (Gold)· game
- Pinball Over Boston· organization
- PinSide· organization
- Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· organization
- Alan· person
- Alex· person
- Dwight Sullivan· person
- George Christian· person
- Jeanette Lee· person
- John Borg· person
- John Youssi· person
- Keith P. Johnson· person
- Lonnie D. Ropp· person
- Mitch· person
- Johnny Pinball's· venue
- Next Level· venue
- Wedgehead Pinball Bar· venue
