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Episode 55: Who STOLE the Show at Texas Pinball Festival?! 👀 + American Pinball Is BACK!
Texas Pinball Festival 2026 is in the books… and wow, there’s a LOT to unpack. In this episode of The Flipside, we break down: 👉 Who really stole the show at TPF 👉 The biggest surprises and standout games 👉 American Pinball is back and better than EVER! 👉 The moments everyone is talking about (and a few that flew under the radar) Let’s talk about it. 🕹️ 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
TPF 2026 recap: Beetlejuice wins the show; Pokémon, Yukon Yeti also strong; major 2026 pipeline includes Sonic, Transformers G1.
Synopsis
Retro Ralph recaps Texas Texas Pinball Festival 2026, his first attendance, highlighting the debut of three major new games (Beetlejuice, Pokémon, Yukon Yeti) and providing detailed impressions of each. He discusses upcoming releases from JJP (Sonic), Stern (Transformers G1), Barrels of Fun (possibly Never Ending Story), and Turner Pinball, while reflecting on the event's venue experience and community engagement.
Highlights
- Beetlejuice was the main draw at TPF with 19-20 machines on display in a giant inflatable tent setup
- Pokémon has achieved significant commercial success and Retro Ralph recently upgraded his order from Pro to Premium with shipment on March 23rd
- Yukon Yeti had over 250 units sold before the show began and was approaching 300+ by the show's end, with potential sellout coming very quickly
- Pokémon achievements feature was pending licensure approval at the time of TPF and could not be enabled for the show
- JJP's next game is Sonic with 99% certainty, designed by Steve Ritchie, and is described as a 'worst kept secret'
- Barrels of Fun is rumored to be making Never Ending Story, though Retro Ralph expresses uncertainty about this
- Stern's next game after Pokémon is Transformers G1 designed by Elliot Iseman, described as a heavily packed game with multiple cool mechanisms
- Stern has a remaster planned that will be either AC/DC or KISS, with AC/DC or KISS being the leading candidates
- Turner Pinball engineering approach significantly simplifies the underplayfield wiring, eliminating about 90% of traditional wiring found in pinball machines
- TPF's carpeted flooring and dim lighting create a better gameplay experience compared to Pinball Expo cement floors and bright lighting
Entities
- Barrels of Fun· company
- Flip N Out Pinball· company
- Jersey Jack Pinball· company
- Spooky Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Pinball Expo· event
- Texas Pinball Festival· event
- Beetlejuice· game
- Pokémon· game
- Yukon Yeti· game
- Brian Savage· person
- Chris Turner· person
- David Van Ness· person
- Dirtypool Pinball· person
- Elliot Iseman· person
- Jamie Burchell· person
- Keith Elwin· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Steve Ritchie· person
- Zach Sharpe· person