Episode 33 - Die on this Hill: A Nightmare on Elm Street

Ian Matheson defends Nightmare on Elm Street as excellent gateway game despite poor critical reception.

Synopsis

Ian Matheson of Propeller Arcade defends the 1994 Gottlieb Nightmare on Elm Street pinball machine on the "Die on this Hill" segment, arguing it excels as a gateway game for new players despite low critical rankings. He emphasizes strong theme integration, immediate player feedback through accessible multiball mechanics, and its role in converting casual players into pinball enthusiasts at his arcade.

Highlights

• Nightmare on Elm Street is ranked #244 out of 290 machines on Pinside's Top 100 list of solid state machines
• The game was designed by Bill Parker and Ray Tanzer for Gottlieb Premier in 1994
• Nightmare on Elm Street functions as an effective onboarding tool that converts casual players into regular pinball enthusiasts
• The game features accessible design elements like one-button skill shots and immediate multiball rewards that create positive player feedback loops
• Nightmare on Elm Street 4 was the highest-grossing film in the franchise
• Gottlieb typically avoided ultra-violent or sexually risqué themes compared to Bally in the pinball era
• The Freddy Krueger glove toy on the game is poorly constructed and deteriorates quickly due to steel ball impacts on thin plastic
• West Craven's New Nightmare released in 1994, same year as the pinball machine, kept franchise licensing valuable during that period

Entities

• Gottlieb Premier· company
• Propeller Arcade· company
• Spooky Pinball· company
• Wedgehead Pinball Bar· company
• Nightmare on Elm Street (pinball)· game
• Pinside· organization
• Alan· person
• Bill Parker· person
• Ian Matheson· person
• Kevin Yager· person
• Ray Tanzer· person
• Renny Harlin· person
• Robert England· person
• Wes Craven· person