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Episode 90 - Pinball Hindsight Awards 1990
PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago42 min listen
Highlights
- Bally Williams released significantly more games in 1990 than competitors; Data East made three games and Gottlieb made four, while modern Stern makes about three per year
- Funhouse's interactive talking head (Rudy) pioneered a design approach that influenced successful Bally Williams games throughout the 1990s
- Jon Norris programmed modes into Deadly Weapon (1990) before Larry DeMar is commonly credited with inventing modes for Addams Family (1992)
- Pat Lawlor released both Whirlwind and Funhouse in 1990, both considered among his best games 35 years later
- Phantom of the Opera's female figure was modeled after artist Paul Faris's daughter
- Gottlieb System 3 street-level games (non-ramp designs) from this era functioned well compared to later DMD implementations
- Steve Ritchie ruled the 1980s as top-selling designer; Pat Lawlor ruled the 1990s
Notable quotes
“basically Data East made three games and Stern kind of makes about that now you know three new games a year and they kind of probably doing similar units to what Data East was doing in this era”
“it wasn't the way for commercial success, but it was the way to our hearts”
“he's a giant head that you're walking into and if you look at it doesn't necessarily feel that way when i play the game”
“Can you imagine not only releasing two games when the others released one, but those two games being still considered 35 years later as maybe your best games? It is crazy.”
“Steve Ritchie ruled the 80s, Pat Lawlor ruled the 90s”
“the people leaning on really good licenses were making objectively worse games and that's why they needed the licenses”
“Ed Boon. Yep. Ed Boon. You're like, okay, it's a fucking banger.”
“these street level games that have the pointy boys but don't have ramp returns like that they just kind of work”
Entities
- Bally Williams· company
- Data East· company
- Gottlieb Premiere· company
- Deadly Weapon· game
- Dr. Dude· game
- Funhouse· game
- Roller Games· game
- Whirlwind· game
- Alan· person
- Alex the Waterboy· person
- Bill Futzenrooter· person
- Chris Granner· person
- Dan Forden· person
- Dennis Nordman· person
- Ed Boon· person
- Greg Freres· person
- John Hay· person
- John Krutsch· person
- John Yowsey· person
- Jon Norris· person
- Larry DeMar· person
- Pat Lawlor· person
- Pat McMahon· person
- Paul Faris· person
- Steve Ritchie· person
