Episode 4: Pinball Through My Wife's Eyes
In this episode, my wife Kim joins the show. We discuss her perspective on pinball, my journey with the hobby, and how she views it from a non-pinhead perspective. We also discuss how nudging is NOT cheating, why she enjoys certain games, and her dream theme!
Kineticist’s take
Retro Ralph's wife Kim shares her perspective on pinball, gameplay experiences, and design appreciation.
Synopsis
Retro Ralph interviews his wife Kim about her perspective on pinball and arcade gaming. Kim shares her initial skepticism about pinball, her surprising affinity for it over traditional arcade games, her natural talent and quick reflexes when playing, and her observations about the craftsmanship and artistry in pinball machine design. The couple discusses their current collection (Godzilla, Venom, Jaws, John Wick), speculates about potential future machines (Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre hip-hop themed, Barbie), and touches on concerns about John Wick's market performance and the broader market slowdown.
Highlights
- John Wick pinball is not selling well despite being designed by Elliot Eismin, a mechanical engineer at Stern making his first game
- Kim scored 196 million on Godzilla on approximately her 10th play of the game
- Kim beat Retro Ralph on Venom despite him being an experienced player on that machine
- Stern Pinball and Jersey Jack Pinball are the two largest pinball manufacturers driving the hobby forward
- No hip-hop or R&B pinball machines currently exist; George Gomez mentioned this at Stern during a tour
- The pinball market in general is currently down
- Retro Ralph traded away his James Bond pinball machine to acquire Jaws, despite loving James Bond
- Kim has naturally faster reflexes than Retro Ralph and believes women generally have faster response times than men in pinball
Entities
- Jersey Jack Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Elton John· game
- Godzilla· game
- James Bond· game
- Jaws· game
- John Wick· game
- Venom· game
- The Flipside Pinball Podcast· organization
- Elliot Eismin· person
- George Gomez· person
- Kim· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- The Jaws movie· product
- Player 1 Arcade· venue