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The Classic Pinball Podcast
The Classic Pinball Podcast
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#91 Stern Flight 2000 - The Classic Pinball Podcast

PodcastAnalysis updated 2d ago1 hr 16 min listenBy George
From the creator

The guys continue to review Classic Stern titles with Flight 2000. An unexpected call from Bill Davis and a podcast promo. Dave continues with stories and adventures of pinball repair.

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Highlights

  • Flight 2000 was the first Stern pinball to feature voice/speech capability using the VSU-Blackwater 100 speech board
  • Harry Williams designed approximately 15 games for Stern, including Wildfire, Dracula, Hot Hand, Big Game, Cheetah, Flight 2000, Galaxy, Free Fall, Split Second, Pinstar Gamatron, and Q
  • Flight 2000 production run was approximately 6,000 units
  • The three highest-production Stern games were Meteor (~6,000-7,000), Galaxy (~5,000), and Flight 2000 (~6,000), all space-themed
  • Data East's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machines use a specialty DMD display that is no longer manufactured and costs $400-$500 for the LED replacement version from European suppliers
  • Rotten Dog is the only known manufacturer of MPU driver boards for certain Data East pinball games from this era
  • The Space Shuttle Discovery's 100th mission occurred in the year 2000, which George suggests was foreseen by Flight 2000's designers in 1980
  • FedEx overnight shipping from multiple suppliers on Friday cost $40-$60 per package with Friday-to-Sunday delivery promised but not guaranteed

Notable quotes

“It's one of the few Stern Pinball games that has voice... I believe it's the first Stern to have a voice.”
Dr. Dave
“5, 4, 3, 2. You just need that one... Side to side. It goes in an out lane. And guess what the out lanes give you? Nothing.”
Dr. Dave
“I call that a designer with a sense of humor.”
George
“These guys were visionaries in 1980. They saw it happening.”
George
“You pay your money, it takes you chances.”
George
“It blew up. No, that would be even worse. How about nothing? I got a little bit of a flicker... and then just black.”
George (repair technician)
“They're the only game in town. We can go through the whole supply chain and you're stuck with only this manufacturer makes an LED display board for this game, a place overseas in Europe somewhere.”
George
“Now me and Rotten Dog have had a love and hate relationship over the years. A lot of times they knock it out of the park. Other times, I want to strangle them.”
George
“I told him, I'm not charging you for any of this stuff. I'm not charging him that. Why should he pay that?”
George
“It just adds complexity to one's life that is already hectic.”
George (implied)

Entities

  • Data East· company
  • FedEx· company
  • Pinball Life· company
  • Stern Pinball· company
  • Williams Electronics· company
  • Big Game· game
  • Flight 2000· game
  • Galaxy· game
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles· game
  • Rochester Pinball Collective· organization
  • The Classic Pinball Podcast· organization
  • Alice Cooper· person
  • Barry Oursler· person
  • Bill Davis· person
  • Bruce· person
  • Doug Watson· person
  • Dr. Dave· person
  • Eric· person
  • Fred Marco· person
  • George· person
  • Harry Williams· person
  • Maureen· person
  • Mrs. Pin· person
  • Rotten Dog· person

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