Episode 43: The Pinball Expo Hype Show w/Jamie!
Pinball Expo 2025 is almost here, and this year’s lineup might be one of the biggest yet. In this episode, we break down everything you can expect when the show takes over Schaumburg, IL, from October 15–18. We’ll cover the hottest new titles hitting the floor for the first time — Portal by P3 Multimorphic, Dune by Barrels of Fun, Predator by Pinball Brothers, and Stern’s Star Wars: Fall of the Empire. The homebrew scene is bigger than ever, with even more space dedicated to creative passion projects, while Spooky Pinball looks to showcase Evil Dead and maybe even tease Beetlejuice. On the rumor radar: could Stern finally pull the trigger on a Walking Dead Remaster? And will Pedretti or CGC reveal their next remake? We’ll dive into the chatter. 🔥 Don’t Miss The Pinball Roundtable! 🕹️ LOOKING TO BUY A PINBALL MACHINE? Visit Flip N’ Out Pinball for new and used machines: 👉 🎯 WANT TO COMPETE? Find a tournament near you on the official IFPA calendar: 👉 📣 LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL I might play it on the show! 🎙️ 🎙️ CHECK OUT MY PINBALL PODCAST – “The Flipside” 👉 • Spotify: • Apple Podcasts: 👉
Kineticist’s take
Pinball Expo 2025 hype discussion with Portal, Dune, Star Wars, and Predator as key attractions.
Synopsis
Ralph and Jamie discuss upcoming Pinball Expo 2025, covering anticipated games including Portal (P3), Dune, Star Wars, and Predator. They share personal tournament memories, debate game layouts and design philosophy, and speculate on potential announcements. Ralph mentions receiving incorrect information about a Back to the Future teaser announcement and corrects this publicly.
Highlights
- Jamie will have Star Wars at Eureka Heights Brew Co arcade any day now
- Ralph received bad information about Back to the Future teaser announcement at Expo and is publicly correcting it
- Metallica Remastered (Premium/LE) had 2-hour wait lines at last Expo
- Portal adoption of add-on kit (extra ramp and spinner) significantly changes gameplay experience
- Dune had early launch with incomplete assets and licensing approval issues affecting initial reception
- Pinball Brothers game had negative launch reception despite not being widely played
- Star Wars is not a 'fan layout' despite having two pop bumpers
- Dune's initial reception was mixed, with roughly half of players giving positive feedback
Entities
- Barrels of Fun· company
- Deep Root Pinball· company
- Flip N Out Pinball· company
- Multimorphic· company
- Pinball Brothers· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Pinball Expo· event
- Alice in Wonderland· game
- Dune· game
- Metallica Remastered (Premium/LE)· game
- Portal· game
- Predator· game
- Star Wars· game
- Cale Hernandez· person
- Jamie Burchell· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Serge· person
- Zach Minney· person
- JBS Show· product
- Pin Pals· product