The Flipside Pinball Podcast

The highly anticipated Fallout pinball machine from Stern Pinball is finally here, and I’ve played it! In this episode of The Flipside, we break down Keith Elwin’s latest creation and ask the big question: Could Fallout be his greatest pinball machine ever?

Stern opened the wallet and gave the team the freedom to build one of its most ambitious and feature-packed games to date. Does that make Fallout worth the higher price? Could it also change what players expect from future Stern Pinball releases? More importantly, could this machine inspire pinball fans to explore the Fallout universe while bringing Fallout fans into pinball?

We also need to have an honest conversation about Stern’s Media Day. A few things happened that made me question whether Stern should restructure the event, establish clearer expectations for attendees and do more to keep the focus on media access instead of allowing it to become someone’s personal pinball tournament.

Was Stern Media Day a bust? Is Fallout Keith Elwin’s best game ever? Does this release set a new standard for Stern Pinball?

Let me know what you think in the comments and whether you would choose the Fallout Pro, Premium or Limited Edition or if this one is a “pass” for you. 

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LOOKING FOR A NEW OR USED PINBALL MACHINE?

Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball:
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WATCH THE FLIP SIDE PINBALL PODCAST

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Fallout is coming… and if the rumors are true, Stern might be about to drop something pretty damn wild.

On this episode of The Flipside Podcast, I’m fired up and we’re covering a TON.

We get into everything we think we know about the rumored Keith Elwin Fallout pinball machine, why I still don’t think Elwin has made a bad game, the rumored lower playfield, vault, Nuka Cannon, possible Stern pricing changes… and whether Fallout could be one of those games people buy simply because Elwin’s name is on it.

But that’s just the beginning.

We also talk about the Pokémon Home Edition showing up at Costco and why, whether you want one or not, I actually think products like this could be incredibly important for bringing new people into pinball.

Then we go down the rabbit hole of affordability in this hobby. I talk about Pawlowski Pinball’s mission to build a legitimately GOOD affordable pinball machine, the newly announced BUMP 001, and the bigger question:

Do we really need ANOTHER pinball company making $10,000+ machines?

And somehow we still have more…

🔥 Spooky Pinball and the heavily rumored Goonies machine
🔥 Could Goonies actually show up at Pinball Expo?
🔥 Why I’m nervous about Back to the Future and Dutch Pinball
🔥 My Transformers Megatron Cannon problems
🔥 New Transformers mods and the transforming Optimus Prime ideas
🔥 Bon Jovi, Barrels of Fun and the problem with unpredictable delivery timelines
🔥 Tim Sexton’s awesome interview with Jamie from JBS
🔥 Why new players matter WAY more to the future of pinball than we sometimes realize
🔥 And why there are officially WAY TOO MANY FREAKING PINBALL MACHINES coming out right now 😂

Plus, because this is The Flipside, I eventually completely derail the show talking about Cannon Beach, getting older, working out, energy drinks, friendships, life priorities and apparently everything else bouncing around inside my caffeinated brain.

So yeah… pretty normal episode.

The big question:

If Fallout dropped tomorrow and it looked amazing… are you buying one?

And are you buying it because you love Fallout… or because it says Keith Elwin on the game?

Let me know in the comments.

Thanks as always for watching, listening and supporting the show. I seriously appreciate you guys.

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LOOKING FOR A NEW OR USED PINBALL MACHINE?

Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball:
https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

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WATCH THE FLIP SIDE PINBALL PODCAST

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LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

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Three major new pinball machines. One person who has played them all.

In Episode 64 of The Flipside Podcast, Retro Ralph sits down with Jamie Burchell to discuss his exclusive hands-on experiences with Barrels of Fun’s new Bon Jovi pinball machine, plus Dungeon Crawler Carl and Ender’s Game for the Multimorphic P3 platform.

Jamie shares his honest first impressions of Bon Jovi pinball, including its fast-flowing layout, lightning flippers, Crowd Surf ball save, Steel Horse Multiball, interactive heart mechanism, upgraded audio system and concert-style atmosphere. Is this really the best-shooting Barrels of Fun game yet, and could it convince Ralph to cancel his Tales of the Arabian Nights remake order?

They also break down Multimorphic’s ambitious new releases, Dungeon Crawler Carl pinball and Ender’s Game pinball. We explore the shared P3 playfield, completely different rules and artwork, Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook callouts from Jeff Hays, Ender’s Game audio from Glenn Wächter, and the massive rotating mechanism that changes ball paths and interacts with each game in unique ways.

Plus, Ralph and Jamie discuss music-pin fatigue, whether the Multimorphic P3 deserves another chance, the pressures of creating pinball content, podcast anxiety, Pinball Expo plans and the overwhelming number of new pinball machines arriving in 2026.

Which game should Ralph buy: Bon Jovi, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Ender’s Game or the Tales of the Arabian Nights remake?

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LOOKING FOR A NEW OR USED PINBALL MACHINE?

Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball:
https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

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LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL

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WATCH THE FLIP SIDE PINBALL PODCAST

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LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

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Sonic Pinball vs. Transformers Pinball - if you could only bring one home, which would it be?

In this episode of The Flip Side Pinball Podcast, I review and compare Sonic Pinball by Jersey Jack Pinball and Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye by Stern Pinball. These are two completely different machines, but both deliver great theme integration, approachable rules and plenty of reasons to hit the start button again.

I’m not necessarily trying to crown one definitive winner. Instead, I break down what each game does well, where each one could improve and which machine may be the better fit for your game room.

In this episode:

• My impressions of Jersey Jack’s Sonic Pinball
• Sonic’s zones, checkpoints, rings and Chaos Emerald Multiball
• The upper playfield, Bash Dash and upcoming feature modes
• My biggest praise and criticism of the current Sonic code
• Stern’s Transformers Pinball after extended play
• The shots, rules, multiballs and “One Shall Fall” mode
• The Optimus Prime controversy and the mod I’d like to see
• Transformers Pro vs. Premium vs. LE
• Which game may be better for newer pinball players
• My updated pinball lineup and new podcast studio
• The incredible number of new pinball machines arriving in 2026

Sonic offers a fast, approachable fan layout with rules that are easy to understand but still provide depth. Transformers delivers a more unusual and challenging layout packed with G1 nostalgia, creative shots and some fantastic moments.

They scratch completely different itches and that makes choosing between them extremely difficult.

Which one would you bring home: Sonic or Transformers? Are you buying one of these machines, or are you saving your game-room space for another upcoming release?

Drop a comment and let me know!

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LOOKING FOR A NEW OR USED PINBALL MACHINE?

Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball:
https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

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LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL

Your message might be played on a future episode:
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WATCH THE FLIP SIDE PINBALL PODCAST

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LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

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LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

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#SonicPinball #TransformersPinball #Pinball

Are we living in the golden age of pinball right now?

In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest questions in the pinball hobby: is modern pinball better than ever, or are we just caught up in the moment?

I also talk about how my own perspective might be shaped by when I entered the hobby. I got into pinball around 5–6 years ago, so the era of modern Stern, Jersey Jack Pinball, Chicago Gaming, Spooky Pinball, American Pinball, and all of these new releases has been my “normal.” But for veteran players who grew up on EMs, solid-state games, or the classic Bally/Williams era, the golden age of pinball might mean something completely different.

We discuss the moving scale of nostalgia, why every generation of players may see “their era” as the best, and whether some longtime pinball fans have evolved with modern pinball — or if modern rules, deeper code, LCD screens, licensed themes, and complex modes have changed the hobby too much for some players.

From classic pinball machines to today’s feature-packed games, we ask the big question: are we actually in the golden age of pinball… or will we only realize it years from now?

Drop a comment and let me know: what do YOU think is the true golden age of pinball?

Looking to Buy a New or Used Pinball Machine?
Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball: https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL, and I might play it on the show!
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Looking for more Pinball Content? Check out my pinball podcast, “The Flipside Podcast.”
Video Version of the Podcast can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheFlipsideRetroRalph

Want to listen to the podcast instead? Here are links to Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Spotify Link To Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZF6rZGos5tFI77MaznZY

Apple Podcast Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flipside-pinball-podcast/id1753621594

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