Episode 33: I Played Harry Potter Pinball & Filmed the Featurette!
In this episode, I share my first impressions after playing Jersey Jack Pinball’s highly anticipated Harry Potter machine — but that’s not all. I was honored to help tell the story behind this game by filming the official featurette, giving fans a rare glimpse behind the curtain at how this pinball experience came to life. From creative design to theme integration, this episode dives into what makes Harry Potter Pinball come to life! 🎙️ Initial Gameplay Impressions 🎬 Behind-the-scenes insights from the featurette production ⚡ What it was like working with the team bringing the Wizarding World to pinball Whether you’re a pinball fan, a Harry Potter enthusiast, or love seeing how epic games are made — this one’s for you. Looking to Buy a New or Used Pinball Machine? LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL, and I might play it on the show! Looking for more Pinball Content? Check out my pinball podcast, “The Flipside Podcast.” Video Version of the Podcast can be found here: Want to listen to the podcast instead? Here are links to Spotify and Apple Podcasts! [RETRO RALPH MERCHANDISE AND CONTACT INFO] If you would like me to do a video review of your product or for other business inquiries, send me an email: retroralph1980@gmail.com
Kineticist’s take
Retro Ralph reviews Harry Potter pinball after filming its official featurette, praising gameplay depth and artistic detail.
Synopsis
Retro Ralph discusses his experience filming the official featurette for Jersey Jack Pinball's Harry Potter machine, which launched on the episode's release date. He provides detailed gameplay commentary on key mechanics including the Quidditch playfield, rotating staircase, wand ball lock, Death Eater diverter, and various themed elements, while sharing behind-the-scenes insights about the production process at JJP's factory. The episode emphasizes the game's fast flow, artistic detail, and the passion of the development team, with Ralph defending the art direction against community criticism.
Highlights
- Harry Potter pinball was filmed in late April and launched in June 2025
- The game features four flippers and a rotating staircase with multiple ball path configurations
- A number 11 Quidditch player Easter egg had to be removed due to licensing concerns
- Arcade Edition costs $10,000; Wizard Edition costs $12,000
- The Harry Potter set was originally filmed in North Carolina for a separate project and shipped back to JJP's Illinois factory
- Jesper hand-drew all the Collector's Edition artwork over nearly two years
- The Wizard edition features a color-shifting powder coating effect
- The Death Eater mechanism has variable speed settings
Entities
- Flip N Out Pinball· company
- Jersey Jack Pinball· company
- Southern Fried Gaming Expo· event
- Harry Potter· game
- The Flipside Podcast· organization
- David Thiel· person
- Eric Minier· person
- Jesper· person
- Joe Katz· person
- Mason Conrad· person
- Miraphora Mina· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Zach Sharpe· person
- Arcade Edition· product
- Collector's Edition· product
- Wizard Edition· product