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Episode 81 - Die on this Hill: South Park
PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago44 min listen
Highlights
- South Park is the best-earning DMD pinball machine in Marcus's location portfolio, at least doubling the earnings of Whitewater.
- South Park sold 2,200 units compared to Pinball 2000 games selling 9,000 units, but South Park was played more and earned more quarters.
- South Park performs well in locations with casual/non-serious pinball players but poorly among experienced/tournament pinball players.
- The game has five main shots that must be hit four times each (without carrying progress to the next ball) to qualify characters, requiring skill and work.
- Marcus has not completed the wizard mode on his own legally despite frequent play.
- South Park was the final game Sega pinball produced before being bought and repackaged as Stern.
- The game has 13 total stand-ups: 10 for character call-outs and 3 for multiball.
- Serious pinball players avoid or dislike South Park, viewing it as a 'guilty pleasure' if they admit to liking it.
- The 1999 South Park game is based on the first season of South Park, which features lowbrow toilet humor rather than the later show's sharp satire.
- The Kenny scoop and Cartman hole are comically oversized (4-5 pinballs wide), making them easy to hit but thematically appropriate to the show's comedy style.
Notable quotes
“By far my best earning DMD. Themes get plays. This is true. Everybody knows that it's true.”
“People just want to hear the characters talk. They see them. They know they want to hear them talk.”
“Everybody knows you're not supposed to like it when you're like good at pinball. But like, there were people that were like, 'I still kind of like it.'”
“I think this game is what killed Pinball 2000. And by the way, everybody, you're welcome. Because those two games are terrible.”
“The right flipper goes through the pops on the left. You have to have the right flipper to hit the Stan shot, and it's the toughest shot on the table. By far the toughest shot on the table.”
“It's comically oversized. Hello? It's theme. It's a comic. It's supposed to be that. Like, it's certainly different. We're laughing right now. That's comedy.”
“South Park is a game where the theme is king.”
“Quit taking life so serious. Just enjoy.”
“I used to be a South Park pin snob. I have to just start there. I used to think, 'Oh, what a dumb game.'”
“If you don't like the show, you know, you're not gonna like the game.”
Entities
- Sega Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Ko-fi· organization
- PinSide· organization
- Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· organization
- Alan· person
- Alex· person
- Cam· person
- Joe Balser· person
- Kyle Johnson· person
- Lonnie Rob Hurtado· person
- Marcus· person
- Neil Falconer· person
- Oran Day· person
- Austin Powers· product
- Dead· product
- Family Guy· product
- Godzilla· product
- Pinball 2000· product
- South Park (1999 Sega)· product
- Star Wars Episode I· product
- The Simpsons Pinball Party· product
- Whitewater· product
- Next Level· venue
