As long as we're talking about an unlicensed game, it'd be neat to see something space oriented again. Not necessarily with Aliens being the central theme, but just something with cool galactic art, black holes, rockets, stars, mysterious planets, exploration, slip in a little mystery of time and space, some alien cameos, and I think you'd have a pretty slick game.

Time travel and space stuff are my favorites

Sounds a lot like RHPS!

Ster Electronics Iron Maiden with Bally Embryon.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/need-ideas-for-retheme#post-3953959

from the list in this link, keeping with what Stern seems to like:
Pink Floyd or Depeche Mode.

Re-theme Fathom to something spacey.
-Mike

Crap, forgot that part...

no "original" ideas here

Rick and Morty comes to mind. Or where you thinking non-licences?

I already got hand slapped for "my" ideas

Smurfs
Or lucky luke

A New Pin called "The Game of Life" The modes will start as a newborn! You will wok your way through to starting School,maybe graduate if you get the right combos,then either college -or=the street life!! Success or failure depending on which combos and modes you complete,or don't!! Sound familiar

I always really enjoyed the artwork on GTB late 70s/early 80s stuff. I'm thinking Asteroid Annie and the Aliens. Always thought that was a beautiful backglass and PF. You can get really creative with space/cosmic/alien/futuristic sci-fi themes. Can pretty much take it in any direction you'd want to go and it would be all "believable" in that world.

I love fantasy themed things too. Mythical beasts like dragons, barbarians, wizards, etc. It might be going into "nerdy" territory, but one could argue that the majority of pinball enthusiasts sit in that category anyways

Underwater theme. I always thought like a Fathom ll would be a great follow up to original but of course changes to original layout. Call it Deep Diver or Diver Down with a giant squid or octopus creature or maybe like the movie Abyss with the aliens at the bottom.

how about a baby Elvira?

I'm not sure that's a good idea.

Ok, I guess I get your point.
just was thinking, with a new Elvira coming, and the other 2, why not a progression early ss/sys11/wpc-95/spike.

let me change that to a Casper.

Think along the lines of classics... like:
Fireball- Mythical Fire Gods Odin and Wotan throwing fireballs in space...
Pinbot- Fantasy Giant Space Robot that juggles planets in space
The Machine- BOP once again, Fantasy Giant Space Robot that becomes human in space...
Space shuttle- in space
Blast off- to space
Meteor- from space
Apollo 13- disaster in space
Star Wars- in space
Star Trek- space, the final frontier...
Space space space space space...

There are 222 entries (literally) in the IPDB marked as space themed. Maybe space needs a rest? Or does space just sell pinball? Or could it be we were in the middle of the space race when a fair number of these titles came out?

How about a western?

hold your horses, an underwater western? Something like Cowboys and Aliens but different...?

Me, I would like everyday themes the best - reading the newspaper, eating lunch, going to work, getting out of bed, etc. They could offer infinite possibilities for humor and societal commentary

How about White Knights? You play as a Neck-bearded white knight coming to the aid of M'ladys everywhere.

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Cowpoke, Bounty Hunter, CC?

Space theme with CRAZY ramps,twists and turns like the space mountain ride at Disney.
More than #RCT.
For someone to look at the playfield and say "your kidding,right?"
-Mike

Once upon a time
Williams tried the outrageous and
Big Guns didn't exactly torch the pinball world.
Something "different" should never cross the line into "what were they thinking?"

So based on your poll right now, you have mythical underwater beasts that can travel through space and time...checks out.

We could call it Hot Tub Time Machine...Done! Let's move to layout

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I like the western theme too. I wanted to base a game around the artwork for Secret Panchos. It's a western, but it also has elements of fantasy.

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My favorite features of 80s games are in-line drop targets, drop target banks, and spinners.

I'm really curious to what Whysnow thinks about all this. Maybe he'll chime in!
Oh he started this thread. Never mind!

When you say 'classic', do you mean an 80s-style original game, or a modern game with 'classic' themes based on that list? Because I've tried my hand already at both of those, one of which would have been Circe's Animal Alehouse. My thinking for original themes tends to be along the lines of 'relatable human activity in a fantastic environment, as part of a world that feels much larger, the pinball game being a microcosm of it'.

Yes same! Exposed pop bumpers for sure. Maybe double flippers (ala Paragon, Harlem Globetrotters, or Alien Poker)

Just about all of the 77-85 Bally / Stern era game artists are still with us. Most in some way still have ties to the industry. Greg Kmiec is still designing stuff (Breakshot), and Jim Patla while retired is still active in the pinball community. Maybe we can re-create a game by original artists, by original designers. With custom harnesses and software now more easily obtainable than ever before, maybe now is the time! I'll bet the artists/designers still have things in their files that could be finished off and produced.

Me personally? It would have to be the production of Bally's "Mysterian".
Honerable Mention to Stern "Cue" with playfield improvements.

Duncan Brown has some of the lost Harry Williams playfield layouts. Who says they can't be made as solid state Stern's instead of EM games?

Bally had so many licenses, Stern so many Space Themed games. Maybe it's time for a Buck Rogers pinball based on the TV series, maybe Wonder Woman? Dukes of Hazard? Racing themed like "Dirt track Demon" or something along those lines. Card themes are always a hit. Maybe 5-card draw where you try to make the best poker hand. I'm a hardware guy, so creativity isn't really my strongest attribute

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