121 episodes tracked since 2023 about →
Episode 75 - Die on this Hill: Raven w/ Scott Danesi
PodcastAnalysis updated 2d ago43 min listen
Highlights
- Raven was a very big seller for Gottlieb Premier with 3,500 units made
- Raven is currently ranked #301 on the all-time Pinside list, the lowest-rated game the show has featured
- The photorealistic backglass was the first time any company had done this technique
- Raven machines currently sell for $1,200-$2,500 on the secondary market
- Raven's spinner mechanic with the helicopter animation was ahead of its time, predating innovations like Cactus Canyon
- The game features innovative elements like air ball protectors and clever drop target usage for the late 1980s
- Raven's backglass color fading is a primary reason modern reviews cite dislike, not intrinsic design problems
Notable quotes
“There's absolutely no such thing as an unfun pinball machine, and I'm going to prove it to you right now.”
“People don't know how to have fun. This is just a perfect relic.”
“The back glass is the best part. It is that cabinet. I mean, seriously, look at that cabinet. That's hilarious. It's awesome. It's great.”
“What I don't understand is why people are playing pinball and staring at the back glass while they're playing. That's what's weird to me.”
“When the owner, when the operator of the game is leaving a really negative review on Pinside and clearly dislikes the game, like, of course, your patrons aren't going to be enthused about it.”
“You shoot that ramp. Well, it first takes skill to get the ramp to go down. And then you have to shoot the ramp up there. Then you have to nudge it to the proper side you want it to go on, so you get the most points.”
Entities
- Gottlieb Premier· company
- Cactus Canyon· game
- Firepower· game
- Raven· game
- Thunderbirds· game
- Pinside· organization
- Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· organization
- Alan· person
- Alex the Waterboy· person
- Dumb Record· person
- John Burris· person
- John Trudeau· person
- Ken Hale· person
- King Daddy· person
- Larry Day· person
- Scott Denesi· person
- Aliens· product
- Rambo 2· product
