Alex is doing a second best game episode for best game ever since apparently, he's confused about the definition of "best game ever" actually means...

In this episode we discuss the 1993 Williams Classic Barry Oursler game: Bram Stoker's Dracula and what makes it so great.

But be warned, the swearwolves were in full effect on this episode...this is your adult content warning.

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In this episode we explore the role that physical layout and shot geometry has on the overall feel of a pinball machine. We discuss the classic spectrum of two genius designers who operated largely on opposite sides of the spectrum, Steve Ritchie and Pat Lawlor, and Alan discusses why if he doesn't like the way a game physically shoots, then he will NEVER enjoy that machine at all.

But as per usual, adult language is used. This is your warning. 

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Local legend Cory Butcher joins us on the show to defend his love for the 1992 Gottlieb game, Cue Ball Wizard. On paper this game sold well, and earned well back in the day, but for some reason it hasn't aged so well in the 30 years since its release.  Thankfully Butcher is here to educate all of us.

As is tradition, profanity is used throughout the episode.

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Seattle pinball player and creator of the kickass pinball ratings website, pinballranker.com brings us all his episode that he wrote and recorded all about what he believes to be "The Best Game Ever"

Warning: like all of our normal episodes, Conor has also chosen to use adult language, this is your warning.

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In this episode we dive deep into the pinball career of one of pinball's most successful designers. Barry designed over 30 pinball machines in the solid state era, sold obscene amounts of his designs, single handedly saved pinball in 1984, and was always a team player and a kind and willing collaborator.  Despite all this, he's almost forgotten about in the modern-day discussion of pinball design legends, and we talk about why in this episode.

TOPcast Interview w/ Barry: pinrepair.com/topcast/topcast_35.mp3

But in case you don't know by now, adult language is used in the episode so sensitive ears be warned.

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It took me awhile, but the second episode of my pinball economics series is finally here, and I am exploring the concept of "value" as it pertains to the business of pinball operating.   It all starts with: Is looking at the coinbox overrated?

I hope you all enjoy this second deep dive into the life of pinball operating and the underlying economics of the venture, but as usual...some adult language is used in the process.

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We are joined by longtime supporter of the bar and podcast, Conor Wilson who created an awesome new website to make ranking your favorite pinball machines that makes it simple, easy, and fun to do, and allows you to share your lists with your other pinball friends.

You can start your journey here at: pinballranker.com

As always, some swear words may be used in the passionate discussion

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We are back and celebrating the best games in all categories and handing out awards for the best pinball machines of 1995!

Warning: Adult Language is used.

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In this episode Alex went into the lab and locked himself away to run the tests and to finally come up with the “Top Ten Games of All Time: No Opinions, Just Facts” list and that's what we're sharing with you on this episode.

Everybody knows the pinside list is deeply flawed and skewed towards brand new games, but the real top ten list is right here… at least according to Alex.

As always though, we are adults and we use adult language. This is the sensitive ears disclaimer. 

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Bonus Episode of the show coming at you featuring two local portland players and friends who met through the discord for this show, Rob and Miggy! They recorded this episode to tell everybody why they love Pat Lawlor and his 1992 game "The Addams Family" so much.

You can hear the excitement in their voices and no, the playback has not been sped up, they are just naturally that hyped up all the time! Enjoy!

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There's something very different about Stern's latest game, and for really the first time ever on the show, we're breaking from our normal format and covering a brand-new game from the location player and operator's perspective. This feels like a historic moment, and so we're going to talk about the first couple weeks of Pokémon on location and what they did differently with this title and why this feels like it's breathing fresh life into the pinball hobby.

But if this is your first episode of the show, we use adult language when we speak and I make zero efforts to censor. This is your warning. 

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In this episode we cover the 20 machines that Gottlieb made from 1982-1985 and discuss all the weird, strange, wacky, and good games and innovative designs that they churned out during the doldrum years of the mid 1980s.

But buckle up, there's adult language throughout.

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Our friend Lisa, a pinball tech at Next Level comes on the show to defend her love for Stern's Austin Powers machine from 2001, and makes sure to state clearly that she does NOT like the movies at all. We read all the bad reviews we could find online and Lisa educates us on why they are all wrong.

But be warned if this is your first time, we do use adult language on the show.

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In this episode Alan sets the record straight on the true greatest game of all time, Dennis Nordman's masterpiece, 1993's Whitewater made by Williams. Listen to us discuss why Whitewater not only excels in all aspects, but why it truly transcends the medium.

Normal disclaimer: We curse when we get excited, and this episode is about the GOAT, so there's some spicy language throughout.

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In this episode we discuss 6 names from the EM era that you should be aware of, two from each of the Big Three of Williams, Bally and Gottlieb. This episode really is a love letter to EM machines, and all the very talented designers of pinball's most popular, but least celebrated era.

But as always, we use some adult language when we get really excited, and this is your warning that we are more hopped up than two fat kids on Mountain Dew in this episode!

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AJ of Flip a Coin in Colorado is back to discuss the current affairs of operating brand new pinball machines in the year 2026 and beyond. AJ buys lots of new games from Stern, Barrels of Fun, JJP, and CGC and he's here to cut through all the marketing talk and just discuss the business side of buying NIB games and trying to make money with them on route.

As always though, we might swear a bit throughout...

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This episode we explore the period from 1995-1999 when Gary Stern successfully convinced another Japanese arcade game manufacturer to partner with him and rebrand from Data East to Sega for the North American coin-op pinball market.

These games are mostly pretty low production run games, with some clear cost cutting measures in place, and the art packages are pretty uneven too. Many pinheads haven't seen or played these games very much, if at all, but they still seem to get a bad rap in general if they have.  But Alex and Alan explore why these games are generally pretty fun, and they cover them all in this episode.

But as usual, adult language is used in this episode, as in all other episodes.

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In this episode we are joined on the show by veteran pinball machine mover, casual on location pinball player, and Alex's wife, Megan aka the Watergirl and she is here to give her thoughts on all the 2025 pinball releases from her unique perspective as a non-nerd, and non middle-aged man.

Hear about how the average pinball player views all these games, the results are guaranteed to surprise you.  But as usual, we do swear in the episode...this is your warning.

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This whole episode is Alex trying to describe to the listener why there has never been a good center ramp in a pinball machine, and even the ones that you think are good, aren't actually center ramps (according to him).

As always when discussing niche nerd topics, we speak fluent profanity in the episode.

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For the first and probably only time, we bring you the Wedgehead Podcast Holiday Special! So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and listen to us as we run down the best holiday games from pinball's past, what to buy for the pinhead in your life, and a good reminder of what this season is really all about: PINBALL!

Warning: We were in the holiday spirit, and the holiday spirit swears sometimes.

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This week's episode has us exploring the history of the ball save in pinball, why it has grown bigger over time, and whether or not it was actually all a big mistake.

But we do curse throughout the show...this is your warning.

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Former guest of the show, and video game designer Paul Michael Melio gave us this bonus episode to share on our channel with the first edition of BEST GAME EVER!

Hear about why Jaws is Paul's favorite game of all time, and maybe why it should be yours as well.

Warning: We must've rubbed off on Paul, because he does curse while he describes his love for Jaws, you have been warned.

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We are back once again, looking back through the decades with the mighty power of Hindsight to accurately give out awards to the best pinball machines that were released in the year 1991!

Unlike network tv awards shows, we do however use occasional adult language. 

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We are discussing the pinball career of legendary pinball designer and mechanical engineer, John Borg.  He worked at Premier, Data East, Sega, and still works at Stern to this day, and we deep dive into his games and what design hallmarks that he is best known for.

As always though, just like John, we don't f*&k around on this show. Curse words are present. 

Career Retrospective Seminar Expo 2024

TOPcast Interview 2008

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Our friend Paul, a video game designer and aspiring pinball designer joins us on the show to defend his DOTH Game: SHAQ ATTAQ! At the time of recording, this is the 8th lowest rated game of all time on the pinside list, and the second lowest rated game that we have covered on the show.

But Paul joined us to set the record straight (with some choice swear words)!

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We're back with a nice culmination episode that pieces together a lot of bits and themes from the last 100+ episodes of the show, and compiled them into a nice and tight episode not only showcasing the importance of community building, but also some actionable advice for how to grow a scene around you, no matter where you live.

But as long-time listeners already know, we swear when we record the show, so this is your warning for sensitive ears.

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Waterboy is back with his own response to the age-old question: what is the greatest pinball machine of all time?

As always with our show, swear words were used in the making of this episode.

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Alex is bringing y'all a very special episode of the show all about one of the dumbest and yet most discussed aspects of the pinball hobby today, and that's TOPPERS!

Warning: curse words were cursed in the making of this episode.

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This episode is all about the pinball's most important mech, the flipper. We cover the history and evolution of the flipper, discuss how they work, and the differences in flipper feel over the years.

Warning: We manage to discuss some of the science behind electricity while still managing to swear quite a bit.

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In this very special episode of the show, legendary sound designer Chris Granner joins us once again. In the last episode we discussed his career, and his artistic process, but in this episode, we listen to selections from 15 different games and over 50 pieces of his music, and Chris tells us about each one.

Our first episode covered the artist, and this episode covers the art.

Enjoy! But be warned, we do curse on the show sometimes (including this time)

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A very special interview with LEGENDARY pinball composer and sound designer Chris Granner. Chris worked at Williams, Capcom, and Stern and his name is credited on the sound packages of more than 40 pinball machines during his career.

He is the man responsible for most of your favorite games, and it was a pleasure to have him on the show.

Be warned though, we do swear on this show.

More Granner Interviews

Chris Granner (2019 Pintastic)

Pinball in Stories & Songs with Chris Granner (2025 NW Pinball Show)

pinrepair.com/topcast/topcast_47.mp3 (2008 TOPcast Interview)

Listen to more Chris Granner Pinball Music

CGMusic archives (Chris' website with more of his pinball music)

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In this episode we talk about the invasive species of multipliers that have invaded the old school bonus multipliers habitat and completely overrun it. Alan discusses why he thinks all games are better without them, and Alex argues why they are good sometimes.

In case you don't know, we swear on the show.

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We're back to honor another year in pinball history, with the Pinball Hindsight Awards of 1985!  This was a major downturn of the industry, but that doesn't mean that there still aren't some great games released this year, and we honor all of them in this episode with some awards given out with the power of hindsight!

This isn't network television, so we do swear on the show.

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This episode is all about the rise and fall of one of pinball's most magnificent and enigmatic designers, Mr. John Popadiuk Jr., sometimes better known as JPOP in pinball nerd circles.  He made a string of some the absolute best games in the 1990s including World Cup Soccer, Theatre of Magic, Tales of the Arabian Nights, and Cirqus Voltaire.

But after the closure of Williams' pinball division, and his last production game Star Wars Episode One for the Pinball 2000 platform, the story gets really exciting, sad, and interesting.

Obligatory curse word warning, just like all of our episodes.

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Join us as we discuss with frequent guest on the show Greg Dunlap to discuss the important role that programmers play in the design and development of pinball machines as we talk about all the many different ways that programmers can influence a player's perception positively or negatively through their work.

But there's some tasteful swearing present throughout.

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This episode features former guest on the show, and dot matrix pinball programmer Greg Dunlap to discuss how Gary Stern ends up surviving TWO pinball extinction events at the turn of the millennium, and then another one at the end of the decade.

This is the only era in pinball's long history where there was only a single manufacturer in business.  Gary made a lot of tough calls and hard decisions to keep pinball alive during this dark age, and contrary to some popular belief, actually made quite a few awesome games during this period as well.

So sit back and listen up as we discuss and give our flowers to Gary Stern, the man who saved pinball in this episode.

Although we do cuss a little bit...

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This is the first ever award show that attempts to get the calls right, all with the power of HINDSIGHT.  So, for this first Pinball Hindsight Awards Episode, we chose the year 1990, and are giving out the test of time awards to games like Dr. Dude, Funhouse, Whirlwind, Rollergames and many more.

Warning: adult language and no-no words are used for effect.

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This episode Alan & Alex are joined on the show to discuss the short-lived Pinball 2000 platform, and Ian defends SWE1, the last game that Williams pinball ever made against a flood of bad reviews.

I mention in this episode a fantastic documentary that you should check out, called TILT: The Battle to Save Pinball check it out to learn more about this incredible project.

As always though: this is an adult show with adult language.

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This episode is all about why pinball's natural habitat is on location, and why location pinball still matters (and matters much more than private collections) in the year 2025 and beyond.  Our whole podcast is basically centered around the importance of pinball being put on location, but this episode in particular is a love letter to on location pinball ...with swearing.

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This episode is all about the joys and fun that a hard game of pinball brings.  For whatever reason this seems to be a minority opinion in the modern era, even though we set out to prove that pinball was always supposed to be hard, and that challenging games are way more fun in the long run.

Obligatory naughty language warning. 

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This episode has been teased multiple times over the run of the show, and is a solo episode based upon what I started out writing as a short article about the business of location pinball, the economics of it, and the feasibility of pinball earning money on location.  What started out as a short article quickly grew wider in scope, and eventually I just felt like it would make a better podcast episode rather than an article.

If you like this episode and want to hear Pinball Econ 102, 103, or 104 in the future, reach out to me on the discord channel and let me know.  There's definitely a lot more to cover if y'all are interested.

As always though: I did swear while recording this episode. No surprise there.

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Good friend of the show and all-around expert solid state assassin, Ty Palmer joins us on the show once again for his SIXTH appearance to defend his DOTH game, 1979's Future Spa.

Designed by George Christian and released by Bally in their golden era, this game is a super wide body with a very weird and very horny art package, but it's also a game that is widely mocked. At least it was, until this episode where Ty sets the record straight.

Oh yeah, we are a pack of swearwolves though, so this is your explicit content warning.

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This episode is all about the mystery and mystique surrounding Bally's best game designer from their early solid state golden era, previously covered in our Susan B. Anthony Years episode.

And just like last time, we are joined by local Solid-State assassin and good friend Ty Palmer to discuss what is all of our favorite designer from this era.  For a guy that designed some of the best-selling games of all time, during the pinball's peak era you would think that there would be a lot more known about this legendary pinball designer, but sadly there isn't.

On this episode of the show, we try to piece together all the little arcane bits of data and information that we have collected over the last 18 months, to try and shine some light onto this unsung hero of the industry.

Warning: Adult language is used by adults in this episode.

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This episode we discuss Stern pinball's interesting way of approaching certain licensed games that they make, including their recent games Dungeons & Dragons and King Kong, before we dive into the differences with their earlier Marvel games like Spider Man, Iron Man, or Avengers to what they make nowadays with Deadpool, X-Men, Venom or Avengers (the second time).

Roger Sharpe used a phrase called a "Soft License" to denote a licensed game in which the licensor gives a ton of freedom with how the license is used in a game (like Elvira), but we have expanded that definition to include games like D&D, Kong, and even Jurassic Park as games with minimal assets, but recognizable names.

As always, we swear on the show. This is your warning.

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This episode was written by Alex, about how to get the most out of a Pinball Show.  As the popularity of pinball has grown in the last 5-10 years, so too have the number of Pinball Shows/Expos/Conventions, and there is probably one near you too.

Shows can be overwhelming, so listen to Alex & Alan discuss their tips for getting the most out of your weekend!

Warning: We are badboys, and so we use badboy language. 

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In this edition of DOTH, Marcus Petersen from the previous episode about creating a pinball scene in a rural town, is back to defend his love for Sega's final pinball machine: 1999's South Park.

I am sure everybody has heard of the show at this point, but this game was released after the first two seasons of the show. The pinball machine is nowhere near as well loved as the IP it's based upon, which is we are covering it as Marcus' Die on this Hill game.

And while all of our episodes contain adult language, this episode ramps that up a notch with some of the soundbites that I took from the movie. You've been warned!

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This episode we are joined on the show with Marcus Petersen, who became a pinball operator in Lassen County, in Northern California near the Lassen National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Susanville is the biggest city in the county with less than 10,000 residents, so Marcus really had a small pond when he decided to first start operating pinball machines.

Marcus speaks to us passionately about the importance of community building and offers lots of fantastic advice for anyone listening who might find themselves in a similar situation out there.

Warning: we do cuss a little bit.

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This the follow-up episode to Episode 76: Original Themes, and in this episode, we explore the licensing wars in the early 90s through the lens of Joe Kaminkow at Data East pinball and their shift from original themes to only making licensed games.  We talk about how Williams and Gottlieb follow suit and compare sales strategies amongst the companies.

Then we end up discussing the major shift in pinball buyers from operators to home collectors, and how that has forever shifted the landscape moving forward.

As always, we swear on the show. Sensitive ears be warned.

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This episode we are joined by the Underboss of the Stern Family, Mr. George Gomez to discuss the single most popular location game in the Portland pinball scene and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of its release.

George tells us stories about the production of the game, working with Lyman Sheats and Chris Granner, as well as answering our questions about the psychology of game design, and why he believes his games are so appealing to new players.

Warning: the Sopranos is an adult show, with adult language.  Our show is an adult show, with adult language.

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On this episode, we have a listener from the New England area Josh who wants to talk about the first Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine released in 1987 by Bally.  It's a famously hard game with very weird inlanes, so it should be no surprise that it is not well loved by most pinheads.

But Josh came on to set the record straight, and respond to all the haters.

Warning: We swear on the show.  Always have and always will.

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This is a good one, where we discuss how Williams was able to prove that during the renaissance period of the late 1980s and 1990s, they were able to design, manufacture, and most importantly, SELL the crap outta their original theme games.

In this episode, we talk about how Williams beat their competition with original themes and then discuss why almost all of the modern original IP themes suck.

Warning: we swear when we get worked up, and we definitely get worked up in this episode.

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Scott Danesi rejoins us on the show to defend his love of Gottlieb Premier's Raven, the lowest rated game that we have ever featured on the show!  Scott goes on the record with why he thinks Raven is actually great and confronts and addresses all the bad internet reviews.

Standard warning: We curse on this show; in case you weren't aware of these fact in the first 74 episodes of this podcast.

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In this episode, we are joined on the show by the patron saint of making pinball challenging again, Scott Danesi.  Scott works a full time job at Pinball Life as a multidisciplinary engineer, creating replacement pinball parts for all of us to benefit from, but he also famously has designed 3 (as of this recording) production pinball machines.

Scott is also one of the nicest dudes in pinball, who just so happens to make some of the meanest games in modern pinball, and he generously took the time to discuss all of the many things that he does in the pinball hobby from engineering, coding, scoring, and designing.  He truly is pinball's renaissance man.

Standard warning though, and it was Scott's first question (can I swear on this show?): yes we are adults, so sometimes we swear when we talk. This is your warning.

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In this episode we discuss the final chapter of Gottlieb as a pinball manufacturer.  The prevailing narrative around these games is that they're all terrible, but that's simply not true.  There was a bunch of talented individuals working at Gottlieb at this time, making some very interesting games on extremely tight deadlines, with few resources and we wanted to highlight their talents and work.

You may know these games by their pointy boy flippers, or their killer custom music compositions, but we hope that after listening to this episode, you will find a new appreciation for Gottlieb's last dance era.

But if you're new and don't know, we are adults and freely use adult language to express our enthusiasm.  You have been warned.

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We are joined on the show by our friend Todd Robinett, to discuss creating a pinball scene from scratch in a small town near the Oregon Coast.  He operates pins in his two businesses: the Merry Time Bar, and the Labor Temple Diner.

When Todd first moved out to Astoria, there were no pinball machines.  Now Astoria has 45 pinball machines on location in a town of 10,000 people, and Todd operates about half of these games.

Todd tells us all about his rare games strategy, the initial confusion that locals had to his pinball obsession, and how he was able to make Astoria a pinball destination.

The Salty Mermaid Cup

An annual, 2 Day IFPA sanctioned Matchplay tournament happens on Easter Weekend this year. Saturday 4/19 (Qualifying) & Sunday 4/20 (Finals).

Limited to 64 players. Registration opens on March 1, 2025. Register here.

Astoria Pinball League

Tuesdays at the Merry Time, 6:30pm

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IFPA director, and former women's world champion Zoe Vrabel is back on the show to discuss the past, present, and future of women's competitive pinball.  Zoe tells us all about the rise of competitive women's pinball, and what she would like to see in the future.

Stream the Women's World Championship March 29th-30th on Twitch through Backhand Pinball

Local Portland Women's events mentioned in the show:

Gator Queens - Every last Monday of the month at Wedgehead. IFPA sanctioned, registration at 6:30, tournament starts at 7pm.

FLiP - First Wednesday of the month at Ground Kontrol. IFPA sanctioned. Registration at 6:30, tournament starts at 7pm.

Good Luck, Babe! - Second Friday of every month, at rotating locations around deep SE Portland. Website here.

Other Resources:

Belles and Chimes: find or start a local chapter

IFPA Resources

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In this episode, Alan is joined on the show by Zoe Vrabel, an IFPA director and former Women's World Champion to discuss some of the legendary women who have worked in the pinball industry, and we discuss their impact on the games that we all know and love.

....but, we do swear sometimes.

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