Episode 28: Is Pinball Evolving or Dying w/ Jamie from Wormhole Pinball!
In this episode of The FlipSide, I sit down with Jamie from Wormhole Pinball for an in-depth and fun conversation covering everything from our experience hosting the TWIPY Awards to exploring the legendary Wormhole Vault—a collection of rare and unique pinball machines from the past. We dive into what it’s like having access to such an incredible lineup of classic games and talk about how older machines took risks that you don’t always see in today’s designs. From innovative mechs and layouts to wild themes and experimental rulesets, we discuss what made those vintage pins special—and whether modern pinball design is playing it too safe. We also reflect on our own Vault “Around the World” tournament, how that inspired this very episode, and the lasting impact of titles like Time Machine and Robot.
Kineticist’s take
Jamie recounts how Wormhole Pinball evolved from private COVID-era hangout to public venue with tournament and streaming operations.
Synopsis
Jamie from Wormhole Pinball discusses his entry into the pinball hobby through friend Tim, the creation and evolution of Wormhole Pinball from a private insurance building into a public tournament venue and streaming hub, and plans for future public access. The conversation covers Wormhole's philosophy of rotating machines through its collection, the vault system for restoration, and community impact.
Highlights
- Wormhole Pinball started in October 2020 in a former $39 insurance building as a private hangout during COVID lockdown
- A transformer blew at 82 Bar downtown in 2021, displacing 40 league players, leading Tim and John to invite them to Wormhole, transforming it into a public venue
- Wormhole has 23 pinball machines in approximately 1,400 square feet
- Wormhole has hosted 87 Monday night game streams with 10-12 people, $2 entry fee, featuring different machines each time
- Tim Hood owns approximately 250 pinball machines total
- Jamie started playing pinball in 2018 after Tim showed him Metallica with a specific teaching moment about game strategy
- Wormhole Pinball plans include one to two public open days per month at $20 entry with food service, potentially expanding to two-three days weekly
- Houston has expanded from two pinball tournament venues with two tournaments monthly in 2015 to five tournaments weekly currently
Entities
- Electric Bat Arcade· company
- Wormhole Pinball· company
- Pinball Expo· event
- Twippies· event
- Fish Tales· game
- Magic Girl· game
- Metallica (Pro)· game
- White Water· game
- World Cup Soccer· game
- IFPA· organization
- The Flipside Pinball Podcast· organization
- Christine Hood· person
- Jamie· person
- John Spates· person
- Josh Sharp· person
- Kale· person
- Rachel· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Tim Hood· person
- 82 Bar· venue
- The Vault· venue