Episode 46 - Die on this Hill: Rocky & Bullwinkle

Defending Rocky and Bullwinkle as underrated 1993 Data East with stellar art and shot satisfaction despite operator pain points.

Synopsis

Wedgehead Pinball hosts a 'Die on This Hill' episode defending Rocky and Bullwinkle (1993, Data East, Tim Seckel design), a polarizing game ranked #164 on Pinside Top 100. Guest Ty from Pops arcade argues the game excels in 'woohoo factor': kinetic shot satisfaction: despite operator challenges like stuck stand-up targets, repetitive audio, and divisive long-term appeal. Hosts discuss mechanical engineering by Joe Balser, artist Kevin O'Connor's VHS-tape-based design process, death save recognition, and play-field design quirks.

Highlights

• Rocky and Bullwinkle was designed by Tim Seckel and released in 1993 by Data East
• Joe Balser was the lead mechanical engineer for Rocky and Bullwinkle but was not credited, per a Pin Game Journal article
• Artist Kevin O'Connor received no style guide or assets when signing the IP, only VHS tapes of the first two seasons, and designed playfield features from memory
• Rocky and Bullwinkle stands out among Data East games for having vibrant colored ball trails and art quality, rather than predominantly chrome finishes
• The game features thick stand-up targets (3D narrow oblong) that no longer exist and require disassembly to the switch level for replacement
• The game has a ball save that requires three switch hits (not a timer), activated by rolling through the pops after launch
• Rocky and Bullwinkle was the first (or among the first) game to recognize and reward death saves with an animation
• Ty's game comes in a blue cabinet (American release); a black cabinet variant exists for Canadian and European export

Entities

• Data East· company
• Rocky and Bullwinkle (The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends)· game
• Pinside Top 100· organization
• Pops· organization
• Wedgehead· organization
• Alan· person
• Alex the Waterboy· person
• Christina D'Onofrio· person
• Joe Balser· person
• John Carpenter· person
• Keith Johnson· person
• Kevin O'Connor· person
• Lonnie Ropp· person
• Tim Seckel· person
• Ty· person
• Rocky and Bullwinkle (cartoon)· product