Another year, another fantastic Pinfest in Allentown, Pennsylvania! While there were not as many games as last year (2023 will forever go down in history as the flood of amazing new games from every manufacturer imaginable), there were many excellent new titles on offer. The primary lineup was definitely centered around the dynamic double offering of Looney Tunes and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from Spooky Pinball, Stern Pinball’s Jaws, American Pinball’s Barry O’s BBQ Challenge, and the late 2023 offerings from Barrels of Fun and Jersey Jack Pinball in the forms of Labyrinth and Elton John.
Right off the bat, I am always in awe going to these shows, and because of hype, lines, and my work schedule, there was not enough time to play everything that I wanted to, so some I will unfortunately have to give my initial thoughts on at a later time, but I will give a quick rundown of each new machine that I tried out – Jaws, Looney Tunes, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I will quickly give a write up of the others as well.
Elton John
Elton John is without a doubt a sleeper hit from late last year. Jersey Jack Pinball holds a claim to the throne for best lighting and light shows in pinball, and Elton John looks poised to continue to prove the point. I did not have time to play it, but look forward to playing it this summer at Silver Ball in Asbury Park, New Jersey, but from what I saw, it has a lot to offer, with some cool toys (Elton playing the piano and the rocking crocodile!), and plenty of good music that you can definitely here from more than a few machines down. Another beautiful game from JJP, and another flow monster from one of the all-time greats in pinball, Steve Ritchie. If you love Sir Elton John’s music, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Labyrinth
Perhaps the ultimate surprise of last year (I call last minute or surprise entrants the Rey Mysterios of the world – not just because he has done that in pro wrestling, but because his name fits the bill), Labyrinth came on the scene from new creator Barrels of Fun, and much like Spooky Pinball, it seems that absolutely pride themselves on dedication to theme and its integration. While I have yet to watch the film (though I will have to find the time before I play!), everything from moving Muppet heads on top of the machine, to David Bowie himself is here, and it was a very popular choice among casual players and buyers at the show. I will definitely give it a look see sometime soon, and like every other machine on this list, I recommend you do so as well, regardless of whether or not you have seen the film.
Barry O’s BBQ Challenge
In what is simultaneously the most heartwarming and strangest theme to ever grace the hobby, American Pinball presents a tribute to legendary designer Barry Oursler in the form of Barry O’s BBQ Challenge. Owners who choose to spend their money on this can be heartened to know that a portion of the proceeds will go to his widow and family, as this game represents his final table design before his unfortunate passing. Oursler has created some of the most legendary tables in pinball, and to name just a few are Space Shuttler, Fire, Pinbot, Bride of Pinbot, Space Station, Hurricane, Taxi, Cyclone, Junk Yard, and two of my personal favorites: Who Dunnit and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
His loss is a large one to the hobby, and it is cool to have a table themed to him, but it is definitely one that is heavily unique in its target audience. I would say theme is a weird one, but the game does look well made and seems to have a good sense of humor about it. American Pinball, like it or not, has focused on original themes over licensed ones, but their tables more often than not end up a blast. I greatly enjoyed finally getting to play Houdini this year, and last year I was smiling all the while playing Hot Wheels. To me, most pinball is still great pinball, so I will come back to this, like the others, with more to say when I do finally get to play it.
Looney Tunes
Call me a Spooky Pinball stan, I really do not care, because they do what is to me the most important thing in pinball, and most media – crafting the world that you play in. Known as “the world under glass” in pinball, this is how well a team of designers can paint the medium make you feel enthralled in the world of the game they are creating. From a video game point of view, look no further than the recent Helldivers II, in how it engulfs you in that world, from the initial drop, to the beautiful landscapes, the hordes of enemies, and the jingoistic propaganda – it crafts a world that you are more than happy to be involved in.
Back to pinball – in pinball, art and audio packages are a key component in this ability to create escapism in a player. Spooky always sweats blood and tears in order to get these assets in their games, from the proper voice actors, to the original songs and video clips. Looney Tunes will throttle you with that nostalgia from the get go, from Bugs telling you that you missed a skill shot, to Daffy blaming the game for draining the ball, it is everything that you love about the classic characters all packed into a machine. The game is a great flow machine – there are plenty of flippers, shots, and ramps for you to explore the Acme factory, and many abilities to choose from with a third flipper button ala Mario Kart. It will make you laugh, smile, and get back in line for one more game, and much like their previous offering in Scooby-Doo is going to be a hit with a wide audience for sure.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Perhaps not as wide appealing as Looney Tunes, but certain revving up for a grisly time, is Spooky’s other game, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Set around the events of the original movie, the game actually casts you as the family of cannibals as they capture, cut up, cook, and serve their favorite BBQ this side of Texas. Sacrilegiously, I actually laughed at TCM more than Looney Tunes, but that is probably because I am big into horror and it is so ridiculously over the top. Just like Eric Bauza is voicing all of the Looney Tunes as he does currently, Spooky was able to get great audio assets for TCM, in this case, original hitchhiker actor Edwin Neal as well as returning voice actor Scott Innes as the narrator of the gruesome events unfolding.
Here is where the dual game dynamic gets interesting – Looney Tunes and TCM both have the same layout, but what they do for theme and code integration makes them almost completely different. TCM was more memorable to me overall because there was a great moment where a multiball began after a ball was held by the magnet by the door and I had to knock it off to start a 2-ball multiball, similar to mist multiball in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, one of the all-time classics and most unique features for decades now. While Marvin the Martian’s rocket ship is great, I have to give the edge to the left side toy being a FREAKING MEAT GRINDER! It flowed in its own unique way versus Looney Tunes, and while I can never go over every feature of any machine in these write ups, I feel like TCM just had that little extra push that made it my favorite of the show. Both machines are excellent, both have amazing theme integration, gameplay, and code, and I do like Looney Tunes as a theme more overall, but The Texas Chainsaw Massacre definitely proves Spooky’s pedigree that horror-based themes are definitely right at home in Benton, Wisconsin.
Jaws
Stern Pinball continues to be the industry leader (hey, someone has to be on top), and they look to add another all-time classic film franchise to their pinball in Jaws – the first of many Steven Spielberg blockbusters, and the first ever summer blockbuster. Designed by the industry and competitive darling Keith Elwin, Jaws is another excellent offering from the team. I personally love the film, so having the video assets this time around (unlike Jurassic Park), is very nice, as is having Roy Schneider on board for call outs. The art on the playfield may be an acquired taste in the era of Jeremy “Zombie Yeti” Packard, however it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being on the open ocean. The shots flow well, as expected of Elwin and since I was playing the premium, the shark coming up out of the playfield was fun to see. I never made it to the upper playfield on the Orca, but I did get to do the absolutely fun harpoon into the moving shark fin target shot, and I believe everyone else will enjoy it as well. If you are a fan of the movie, and definitely of Keith Elwin tables, it is definitely safe to go back into the water for this one!
This was my second time going to Pinfest, and aside from these newer titles, I was able to play some absolute classics like Road Kings, Houdini, Austin Powers, both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Black Knight Sword of Rage limited edition, and even a busted Street Fighter II from Gottlieb (still pretty fun!). Pinfest is filled with great people who love the hobby and are themselves very warm and friendly. If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking it out each May. You are surely in for a lot of fun, variety, and smiling faces.
Pinfest 2024 Links
- For more of Spooky Pinball, check out their YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@SpookyPinball as well as designer Bug’s weekly stream over at Twitch:
- Bug’s Scream and Stream!: https://www.twitch.tv/bugs_scream_n_stream
- Stern Pinball: https://www.youtube.com/@sternpinballinc
- Jersey Pack Pinball: https://www.youtube.com/@JerseyJackPinball
- Barrels of Fun: https://www.youtube.com/@BoFPinball
American Pinball: https://www.youtube.com/@americanpinball
For more information, visit HERE
Related: Reviews by Matt O’Toole
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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