Episode 86 - Wonka Reality
Pinball: This guys discuss Jersey Jack Pinball's reveal of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, followed by their hands-on experience with the Pro model of Stern Pinball's Black Knight: Sword of Rage. They wrap up the news with a brief discussion on the Beetlejuice backglass art that was revealed and Dennis' article with This Week in Pinball regarding the IFPA's $1 fee. Video Games: Discussion covers the rumor of a smaller Nintendo Switch coming out soon, positive review-bombing for Assassin's Creed: Unity, Gamestop's new guarantee program, and EA's Jedi Fallen Order. This Week in Pinball's deep dive on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Deadflip archived footage of Black Knight: Sword of Rage gameplay: Article on impact of IFPA's $1 fee: Website: iTunes: SoundCloud: Stitcher: Facebook: Twitter: Twitch: YouTube: Email: eclecticgamerspodcast@gmail.com
Kineticist’s take
Wonka revealed with strong mechanical design but criticized art package and aggressive upsell strategy.
Synopsis
Dennis and Tony review Jersey Jack Pinball's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a Pat Lawlor design revealed at Midwest Gaming Classic. They discuss the three-tier pricing model ($7,500 Pro / $9,500 LE / $12,500 CE), art package criticisms (comparing it unfavorably to Star Wars, citing repetitive Gene Wilder expressions and vanilla playfield design), and Jersey Jack's deliberate strategy to make the Standard edition unappealing to force home collectors toward LE purchases. The conversation also covers game features (four-flipper, seven magnets, virtual ball lock, 7-inch LCD screen, relocatable camera) and broader concerns about pricing strategy versus Stern's approach.
Entities
- Jersey Jack Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Midwest Gaming Classic· event
- Dialed In· game
- Oktoberfest· game
- Pirates of the Caribbean· game
- Star Wars· game
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory· game
- Straight Down the Middle· media
- This Week in Pinball· media
- Christopher Franchi· person
- Dennis· person
- Dirty Donnie· person
- Jean-Paul DeWin· person
- Jeremy Packer· person
- Joe Katz· person
- John Yossi· person
- Pat Lawlor· person
- Tony· person
- Vikas Dio· person