Episode 85 - Die on this Hill: Future Spa

Hosts defend Future Spa (Bally 1980) against poor ratings, citing innovative design and art

Synopsis

Wedgehead A Pinball Podcast episode defending Future Spa (Bally, 1980, George Christian design) against poor Pinside ratings (ranked #257). Hosts Alan and co-host Alex discuss why the wide-body spa-themed game deserves better reception despite legitimate criticisms about playfield balance, maintenance requirements, and theme execution. Guest Ty Palmer argues the game's unique layout, artwork, and risk-reward mechanics outweigh flaws.

Highlights

• Future Spa sold 6,400 units, demonstrating strong market appeal despite later poor Pinside ratings
• Future Spa playfield was designed by Dave Christensen and backglass by Paul Ferris, two different artists collaborating on the wide-body artwork
• The game requires steep angle and proper wax maintenance to play well; flat examples feel 'floaty' and unresponsive
• Future Spa has a dedicated PCB control board for backglass letter sequencing/light show animation
• The game's backhand drop target technique allows players to work the inline drops safely without always committing to a full playfield shot

Entities

• Bally· company
• Wedgehead Pinball Bar· company
• F-14· game
• Future Spa· game
• Paragon· game
• Pinside· organization
• Alan· person
• Alex (The Waterboy)· person
• Caucasian Two-Step· person
• Chris Rhodes· person
• Dave Christensen· person
• George Christian· person
• Paul Ferris· person
• Ty Palmer· person