Pinball designer style trademarks

So I was watching a TZ video the other day, now that it´s definitely coming, and suddenly between the music and sound effects I heard the voice from Whirlwind "Return to your homes!". Just a few days before that I noticed that the shrunken head in RBION says "I feel like a million!" just like in Funhouse.

That got me thinking about these little cross-references in pinball. I`m really into Lawlor tables right now, and it´s no secret that he has a very memorable way of designing his tables - some say a little too much. I once spend some time playing some of his tables, trying to pay attention to the scoop-hole jingles in Funhouse, Whirlwind and RBION. Other elements like the bumpers grouped around loops or the sideways "horizontal" flippers are other trademark elements as well.

Other examples would be the back-and-forth between the Bride and Pinbot, referencing the first entry in the series, or just design quirks like Steve Ritchies "flow" or John Popadiuks big central toys you have to shoot (the Ringmaster in CV, the trunk in TOM, the genie and the lamp in ToTAN).

So, yeah, I wanted to have a little discussion about little "easter eggs", styles or references like that, as I´m very new to the genre and love little tidbits like that

If you're interested in pinball easter eggs and cross references, you might want to check THIS site out.

Nice Thanks!

JPop likes to include those bossy, female voices.

Jeff Strong said:

JPop likes to include those bossy, female voices.

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And magnets. Lots and lots of magnets.

Yeah, never really noticed that! They are really well done, too. I love the "Vanish!" sample.
The Hocus Pocus Magnasave is a godsend, otherwise my credits on TOM would have been over a lot faster.

...and JPop sounds like somebody on Jersey Shore

I want to mention another cross reference, When you play Ripley's Believe it or not when you get the ball in the mode area and it's not ready, the Jamaican Shunken head says "It's not plugged in yet man". Then theirs The Addam's Family When you get the ball in the electric chair and it's not ready Raul Julia says the same thing "It's not plugged in yet" but doesn't say man of course. So yes it is facinating to notice these Easter Eggs and cross references and very interesting to. Later.

Jeff Strong said:

JPop likes to include those bossy, female voices.

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I was even convinced that the main female voice in Cirqus Voltaire was the same actress as the friendly genie in TotAN, but as far as I can tell from the credits, it's not.

I recall a number of subtle references to The Addams Family in Twilight Zone (both have a "GREED" mode, for instance), but I've forgotten most of them.

Barry Oursler seems to like wide-open spaces lined with target banks (Gorgar, Pin*Bot, Doctor Who). He consciously designed Doctor Who as a spiritual successor to Pin*Bot, with the rising Time Expander taking the idea of Pin*Bot's head (a physically transforming element with a target bank and two ball locks) a step further.

Matt McIrvin said:

I recall a number of subtle references to The Addams Family in Twilight Zone (both have a "GREED" mode, for instance), but I've forgotten most of them.

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Pat Lawlor wasn't all that subtle with the TAF references:

• There is, as you said, a Greed round. There are also seven Greed targets on the playfield.
• If your score 25M+ in the Greed round, you will get the quote "There, see what greed will get you?" when the round ends.
• If you use the buy-in, sometimes you will get the quote "Greeeeeed".
• During the Fast Lock hurry-up, the first "station" tuned into has Cousin It mumbling. If you shoot the lock during this time, he'll scream a bit and then the jackpot music from TAF will start playing during the Fast Lock multiball itself.

It's these "references" and other things that really make me feel like Lawlor's tables are overrated.. There are two major designs he uses (four if you count mirror versions!) and I'm fine with having some consistency, it just feels like too much IMO. Also EVERY game he references his other games and it seems a bit egocentric IMO, the most notable being the blurb about TAF in RBION.

I feel he's also gotten worse with age.. Funhouse is a classic and TZ is great but RBION is not very good... it's like the culmination of his worst on one table..

David Pannozzo said:

I want to mention another cross reference, When you play Ripley's Believe it or not when you get the ball in the mode area and it's not ready, the Jamaican Shunken head says "It's not plugged in yet man". Then theirs The Addam's Family When you get the ball in the electric chair and it's not ready Raul Julia says the same thing "It's not plugged in yet" but doesn't say man of course. So yes it is facinating to notice these Easter Eggs and cross references and very interesting to. Later.

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I always thought he said "That's not convenient, man!"

The Doctor said:

It's these "references" and other things that really make me feel like Lawlor's tables are overrated.. There are two major designs he uses (four if you count mirror versions!) and I'm fine with having some consistency, it just feels like too much IMO. Also EVERY game he references his other games and it seems a bit egocentric IMO, the most notable being the blurb about TAF in RBION.

I feel he's also gotten worse with age.. Funhouse is a classic and TZ is great but RBION is not very good... it's like the culmination of his worst on one table..

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While I love his WMS games I do think he might have just been a one trick pony, perhaps he only had one good design or maybe a victim of his own success. Maybe its being constricted to a license that sapped his mojo. If you look at the prototype overlay for wizard blocks it is very UN Lawlor looking. How much of that was the needs to design around the central monitor gimmick and how much was a chance to get creative I don't think anyone will ever know. I imagine if you are the designer of the best selling game ever and you are being tossed a license and a deadline you probably go back to the well of what has worked and stick to it. Unfortunate. Gophers was the first PL game I didn't outright love, and its not all because of annoying voice tracks, its fine but I don't go out of my way to play it.

My best designer vote is easy. Barry Oursler

Designed one of my all time faves Cyclone, (And Space Shuttle which I hate) had solid games across 3 distinct SS eras and was very prolific. His best quality though is that he is all over the map with design, sometimes a hit (Cyclone, Junkyard, Gorgar, Dr Who, PIN*BOT) and also some stink bombs (Popeye, Harley) but the man took chances. Takes some serious stainless steel balls to risk a career like that.

Is a lack of a style a style?

sometimes when you get a continent letter on RBION, Ripley says "good show old man", which is a quote from TAF where Gomez also says "good show old man"

or rather its a quote from the movie itself, no too sure

also the idol on RBION sounds a lot like cousin It

and the extra ball animation on RBION is very similar to the multiball animation from Indiana Jones 93

and the sound when you hit the RBION believe it or not scoop reminds me of the Indiana Jones 93 machine too

Hi All.

PiN WiZ said:

If you're interested in pinball easter eggs and cross references, you might want to check THIS site out.

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We NEED access to the Flipper Code stuff FS!
If we can't have Op Menus-at least give is THIS?

RBION references a Slot Machine.....TZ

The Doctor said:

.....I feel he's also gotten worse with age.. Funhouse is a classic and TZ is great but RBION is not very good... it's like the culmination of his worst on one table..

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Have you PLAYED Family Guy?!?!!? :/

BonzoGonzo said:

sometimes when you get a continent letter on RBION, Ripley says "good show old man", which is a quote from TAF where Gomez also says "good show old man"

or rather its a quote from the movie itself, no too sure

and the extra ball animation on RBION is very similar to the multiball animation from Indiana Jones 93

and the sound when you hit the RBION believe it or not scoop reminds me of the Indiana Jones 93 machine too

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Most of the Addams Family quotes came from the movie, but they were re-recorded by Julia and Huston, along with the obvious non-movie quotes ("extra ball", "hit the jackpot", and the like).
Indiana Jones 93 was made by Mark Ritchie, not Lawlor.

Lawlor's playfields are similar, but somehow don't feel exactly the same. There isn't much doubt that he has constant motifs, such as vertical flippers and ramps that can only be hit consistently by said flipper, but to say that TAF, TZ, WW, FH, FG, NGG, RS, and his other tables are the same? No way, mon!

While Lawlor's tables have similar layouts in some areas, they usually have their own unique elements that makes them stand out. NGG has the launch ramp, the pop up gophers, and a unique scoring system, TZ has the powerball and a mini playfield with magnets, Funhouse has the talking rudy head, Banzai Run has an upper vertical playfield, etc. I only played a couple of his Stern tables, but I like Ripley's and Monopoly quite a bit. Ripley's isn't his best, but I found it to be an all around good table with some fun voices and dmd animations. Outlanes are mean on it, though. Monopoly looks cramped, but actually plays very well with a lot of nice features.

Telling from the voice in TAS, it sounds like Christopher Lloyd did some of the voice too?

Richard B said:

Indiana Jones 93 was made by Mark Ritchie, not Lawlor.

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ya, thats why i find it so fascinating to see a reference in RBION

Richard B said:

Lawlor's playfields are similar, but somehow don't feel exactly the same. There isn't much doubt that he has constant motifs, such as vertical flippers and ramps that can only be hit consistently by said flipper, but to say that TAF, TZ, WW, FH, FG, NGG, RS, and his other tables are the same? No way, mon!

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amen to that (and i'm atheist)

mmmagnetic said:

I always thought he said "That's not convenient, man!"

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That's what I've heard too.

Probably because the shrunken head is complaining so much already. "You think it's easy being a shrunken head? Sure, pick on the little guy..."