Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Stern, 2004
Road Show
Williams, 1994
Twilight Zone
Bally, 1993
Whirlwind
Williams, 1990Finished up with RS (LEDs at a later date) and finally got it in the lineup. Snapped a photo last night of my little side of the room devoted to Pat Lawlor. Would love to see some of you guys' pics of specific designer lineups. We all have that one designer that just hits home and weighs a little heavier than the rest.
Quoted from schudel5:I have:
Earthshaker
Whirlwind
Banzai Run
Twilight Zone
Safecracker
roadshow
Addams Family
FunhouseOnly B/W Lawlor title I'm missing is NGG
I used to have a Monopoly...
That's a Lawlor dream lineup right there! Just out of curiosity, which one is you favorite/would be last to go?
Quoted from The_Director:That's a Lawlor dream lineup right there! Just out of curiosity, which one is you favorite/would be last to go?
Addams is my favorite although I really like Twilight Zone and Earthshaker as runners up.
Banzai Run would be the last to go only because it's one of just a few factory diamondplated games in existence. It ended up winning best of show (SS) at the 2012 Pinbrawl in Chicago.
I've got a RBION and WW, they have a comet in between them at the moment, at some point I'll have to shuffle them to be next to each other. Would like to pick up a RCT or ES if i find one for the right price. Lawlors lay outs feel like they have more depth than any other designer to me, great for home use pins not so great for when newbies come round to play.
This is just a dumb Newb question but is it true that there is not a Lawlor game that exists with a video mode?
Quoted from QuarterGrabber:This is just a dumb Newb question but is it true that there is not a Lawlor game that exists with a video mode?
hmm I never heard that before, but interesting, I believe that is correct, but you could make an argument for many aspects of SC, but no true vid mode.
Quoted from Atomicboy:hmm I never heard that before, but interesting, I believe that is correct, but you could make an argument for many aspects of SC, but no true vid mode.
I love video mode on older titles. I wonder why he never put a video mode in any of his designs?
I'd love to have almost any 20th century Pat Lawlor machine, but Twilight Zone and The Addams Family are kind of out of my price range. Earthshaker for me has the best fun to price ratio, but I'd be happy with a Whirlwind or Funhouse or Banzai Run or any of the rest.
During "Gopher's Choice" on NGG, if you watch fast enough the option for "video mode" will scroll through the choices. But there is no video mode. 
I'd like to eventually get a Whirlwind. I don't think I've ever played it, but it looks enough like a cross between NGG and JP that I'd have to like it. Plus I need one more non-DMD in the line-up.
Can anyone give me more info on the "red button" thing concerning Lawlor games? I wasn't aware of it at all and didn't know why "Bud is holding the red button" was listed as a thing on the easter egg sites, then found a little info that most of his games have a red button but no explination or reasoning as to why.
Quoted from blondetall:Can anyone give me more info on the "red button" thing concerning Lawlor games?
No one knows, it's a secret he's never expanded on.
Quoted from QuarterGrabber:I love video mode on older titles. I wonder why he never put a video mode in any of his designs?
Because he was ahead of his time with many things that were only appreciated years after, and he probably didn't see the value in vid modes. This is pinball, and in those days vids were what was killing pinball.
They put them in to try and bridge the two, but in these days, although some are fun to play here and there, I would prefer to have them all replaced with another pinball mode of some kind. Most are the same sequence, and in home use this becomes mind numbing. When I owned BF, the vid mode basically killed that machine for me, as there were only 6 modes, and one was the same vid mode with the same obstacles played every game. I couldn't take it anymore. I used to practice with my eyes closed, but was never able to actually pull it off.
Quoted from blondetall:I'd like to eventually get a Whirlwind. I don't think I've ever played it, but it looks enough like a cross between NGG and JP that I'd have to like it. Plus I need one more non-DMD in the line-up.
I highly recommend WW. It has so many great shots and has that "one more time" feel more than about any other game in my collection. I fired it on last night to play a quick game before bed and ended up clocking about 7 and didn't hit the sack until midnight haha.
Quoted from TigerLaw:Anyone know what Pat is doing these days? Any chance he has one more game left in him to design?
I'm not sure. PLD still has a Website up. I had emailed them once several months ago just to ask if any pinball machines might be on the horizon, but never got a response. Somebody here on Pinside said he was helping his wife with a t-shirt company. I tried Googling, but couldn't find anything about it. There was a Lawlor apparel company online, but it didn't seem like Pat -- was some kind of long time family business. I hope he hasn't left pinball for good. Does anyone know how old Pat is? I would guess around 60 (I don't think he even got into programming/games until his early 30s after working as a rental car manager), and I'm sure he's made a good living after all these years. So, he may be effectively retired.
Quoted from blondetall:I'd like to eventually get a Whirlwind. I don't think I've ever played it, but it looks enough like a cross between NGG and JP that I'd have to like it.
Well it's a pretty standard Lawlor layout, but I guess those games are more like it becasue it was first RBION is eXtremely similar to it; but I enjoy them all and never feel like "I'm playing the same game." In fact I have a RBION (and TZ) and am currently looking for a NGG.
Whirlwind is an all time classic; just pure pinball.
Quoted from blondetall:During "Gopher's Choice" on NGG, if you watch fast enough the option for "video mode" will scroll through the choices. But there is no video mode.
Yeah if you watch the promotional video for NGG it kind of says there's one but not really? They don;t say "video mode" but something similar and show the Gofers doing something with missles. I don't know enough aboot the game if that's just just animations from another section though.
The missles and gofers they show on the promo video are just animations from Cart Attack, where essentially you are supposed to be chasing the gofers while in your highly-modded rocket-launcher-carrying cart. If you shoot the cart path lanes or hit the golf cart itself, the animations are the missles flying from the cart at the gofers.
http://pinside.com/pinball/archive/no-good-gofers/details
Video mode
The words 'Video Mode' can be seen when it flicks through the different 'Gofers Choice' awards, but it's an inside joke as it doesn't actually have a video mode.
Quoted from BadBrad97:You should never have gotten rid of ES. Big mistake. But thanks.
If you ever let it go, call me first!
Quoted from Mudflaps:Just picked up RBION. I am enjoying it way more than I thought I would. Amazing game.
It's one of the few Lawlor's I've never gotten to play the real machine of (Banzai Run being the other). I've played the Pinball Arcade and really enjoy it there, but never had the chance to play the real machine. I think it would rank highly for me as well.
Quoted from Mudflaps:Just picked up RBION. I am enjoying it way more than I thought I would. Amazing game.
That is a great game! And the shrunken head just oozes cool.
Quoted from The_Director:It's one of the few Lawlor's I've never gotten to play the real machine of (Banzai Run being the other). I've played the Pinball Arcade and really enjoy it there, but never had the chance to play the real machine. I think it would rank highly for me as well.
^^ I bought mine based on playing Pinball Arcade. I own all the PA tables, and this one is a real hoot. Plays great with LEDs and strong flippers.
Quoted from TheLaw:Only non Capcom game I have that I thought looked the same with bulbs vs leds...so there's saving right there
No way! I am an LED whore and I have that f^%(r blinged out. Not too tacky -- mostly cool and warm whites with subtle green & orange. Mirror blades on the way!
Mods mods mods!!
Quoted from Mudflaps:No way! I am an LED whore and I have that f^%(r blinged out. Not too tacky -- mostly cool and warm whites with subtle green & orange. Mirror blades on the way!
Mods mods mods!!
Haha nothing wrong with that. I tried LEDs in it and literally it looked no different to me, and in a place or two they looked worse (And I am usually 99% in favor of Insert LEDs.)
Sad to say I put mirror blades on mine and they are pretty pointless. I guess if peole are watching form the side it might be 'neat' but I can't even tell they're on when playing. Then again maybe all games with blades are like that..I really don't know.
Quoted from The_Director:Does anyone know how old Pat is? I would guess around 60 (I don't think he even got into programming/games until his early 30s after working as a rental car manager), and I'm sure he's made a good living after all these years. So, he may be effectively retired.
Pat Lawlor's wikipedia page says he was born in 1951, which would make him 62 sometime this year. Good guess.
If JJP manages to get to a point where they can crank out a couple in a year, I strongly believe you will see a Lawlor pin again. I don't think it will ever happen again with Stern, and I don't believe he will ever sign up with one of these new low production companies.
It's a good thing borg has continued creating in Lawlor's memory. That's me being as nice about borg's designs as possible.
Haha nothing wrong with that. I tried LEDs in it and literally it looked no different to me, and in a place or two they looked worse (And I am usually 99% in favor of Insert LEDs.)Sad to say I put mirror blades on mine and they are pretty pointless. I guess if peole are watching form the side it might be 'neat' but I can't even tell they're on when playing. Then again maybe all games with blades are like that..I really don't know.
I installed them last night on my RBION. I was never a big mirror blade guy, but seeing them on my TF LE from trade changed my mind. Not as dramatic as TF, but still much better than black.
RBION doesn't need a whole lot (as opposed to Tron), but LEDs and mirror blades make a big difference. Mods mods mods!
Quoted from Mudflaps:I installed them last night on my RBION.
Yep I have some pics of mine here
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/mirror-bladeslets-see-them
He is my favorite designer. Five pins set up together - TZ, BR, SC, TAF, Shrekguy. Didn't want too many though and sold RS and FH (x 5). I have always enjoyed WW and ES too. Lawlor games have well integrated themes and stand the test of time. Although I have never seen the test nor anyone's responses. ;/
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