1992 wasnt 25 years ago. There is a huge difference between modern games and crap from the 80's - where you were lucky to have a ramp.

All of which existed 25 years ago. This is the timeframe I selected as it seemed to be about Python's time frame according to ipdb.

Anyways, my argument is all pretty moot since someone showed me the pinball circus.

Too bad his games have a tendency to unbalanced scoring and skill shot devices taking up too much space. Ideas, artwork and crazyness factor are one of a kind.

You knowledge about automobiles and pinball is obviously superficial.

At least your ignorance is consistent across many fields.

Keep flaunting it for our entertainment.

Dude... first of all the display was developed in 1990 and implemented in 1991. You're kidding right? The first ramp was used in freakin' 1953 and was pretty common in the 80s. At this point you are either profoundly ignorant, or just trolling. And it's obviously the latter, so stop derailing threads with this nonsense.

yeah nothing to shoot at in pinbot, a ramp, a target under the ramp, 3 drop targets with a moving light target, 10 standups with a moving light, 3 different holes, and a wickedly hard advance planet standup. sure nothing to shoot.

Wow...who is Python.... I had to delete everything else I had written, as I'm sure I would be banned, or it would have at least been deleted by a mod....

Show some respect for a pinball god! And as for Pinbot, there is little to mod the piss out of, so I can see how it may not appeal to some... It's only one of the best playing machines ever made.

Man.... I am shaking my head after reading this thead. I wish I hadn't opened it.

Python, if you read this, you are loved by the pinball public.

I know everyone doesn't want to hear it, but I don't really like the Pinbot series either. For instance the example of all the amazing shots posted above me. None of those shots are super satisfying in my opinion. To get back on topic I hope Python can bring some more creativity into the pinball world. The pins he's worked on tend to stay away from typical. Let's see what he can do in todays pin world.

Hitting Solar Ride's with the music and explosions going off, while the visor is up and down - one of the best all around theatrical experiences in pinball.

Python? He's just another Art guy from 30+ years ago. Really? Lets dig up Harry Williams and see if he can add something old to pinball?? Move on, look forward and design something new. Quit looking for the quick and easy fix of going after old "Talent". If you follow the same old path it takes you to the same destination, the end of pinball!

In your opinion. I was not amazed by it. Never will be. Then again the pin came out before I was born, so that could have something to do with it. I know it's very popular, and I'm a minority in my thoughts on it, but I truly believe it's a boring pin. I've played tons of games on it, got grand champion score on my friends Pinbot, just never left feeling like I needed to play again.

I owned Pinbot for 12 years (just sold it yesterday), and was one of my favorites in the arcade back in the day. Fun game, but imho is showing its age next to some of the newer machines. Great pin for the price though, especially for those for whom it has nostalgic value.

Hitting the solar ride during solar eclipse is pretty challenging. I always seem to slam the ball right of the ramp into the post because I get too anxious. I like the timed nature of the drop targets and solar eclipse.

As far as design and art, you can only compare contemporaries to contemporaries. Pin*bot came out during a time of great science fiction movies like The Terminator, Robocop, etc. Look at the original themes that came out of Gottlieb during the same time (RAVEN?!)

Yeah, with the price of computers dirt cheap it's easy to see a Tron and like it more. But for its time, Pin*bot is practically a masterpiece.

You've actually got to control the ball in PB, its not just hit the ramp, ball returns in controlled way to flipper, repeat. When you go for the targets you have to regain control to make the next shot.

Hey, if he turns on all the old timers to buy new games then its good for Pinball.

The funny thing is that Steve Ritchie is probably as old as anybody in pinball these days.

Steve Ritchie is 62 years old.

Python Anghelo is 58 years old.

If Python ends up working on a new machine, its not as though someone unfroze him from 1994. The game would be made in the present time with his experience and prospective of all eras of pinball. I would like to see what he makes. I would also like to what a new designer/artist can come up with.

Don't waste your breath trying to explain it to some of these guys.

It's not. The only thing it will have in common is the name.

LTG : )

I don't get it.

I don't know how to explain it any simpler.

Python designed a Pinball Circus machine for Williams.

Python will now design a Pinball Circus machine for JJP. NOT A COPY OF HIS EARLIER WORK. A whole new, a whole different, pinball machine.

LTG : )

Oh, well that's obvious. I thought you meant something else.

Good point LTG. I'm sorry if my pic was misleading to anyone. Since JJP is all about pushing pinball technology forward (and IF JJP turns out to be the manufacturer), it would obviously make sense for Python to push the limits of what's possible with today's modern technology & not simply use what he was limited to 18 years ago when he designed the original Pinball Circus. What we know is that Python did state at Expo that "Pinball Circus is going to happen", but he didn't confirm who is going to manufacture it, although he did plug JJP & WOZ a bit.

Take a look at Predator, that zombie game from ben heck and a few others.

End of the day, these "new" games are merely just new layouts. I don't expect a "new" designer/artist fresh to the game is really going to innovate anything (assemblies, the way you play, the way you interact, etc). I would absolutely expect the veterans of the game to take it to the next level. They already know the in's and out's of the game. They've already spent 30 years stubbing their toes on what DOESN'T work, and they have a pretty clear idea of what DOES work.

Pinball designers and lack of creativity isn't what killed them to begin with, it was the fact arcades died and people shifted to home entertainment.

Thanks for a post that contains no content on the subject and only serves to insult me.

Hmmmmmm.........by golly you are right. Must be JJP is going to fully remake 16 year old technology and produce remakes of the real Pinball Circus machine in Vegas.

Why sell a thousand new pins when you can easily sell 25 to 50 of these.

I think you are onto something. I must have heard Python wrong at Expo.

LTG : )

By the way, I believe that Python lives in or near Chicago.

I would say "You're welcome!", but I'm not here to spar with others.

You came into and crapped all over a thread where people were excited about one of the true geniuses coming back to pinball.

You insulted Python and his incredible body of work.

You even went as far as to say games like Comet (which sold 8000+ games in the middle of the video game invasion, and was an enormous money maker on route) sucked.

So, when someone points out your ignorance, you squawk? The troll kept on trolling, all night long....

Really ?

Then you must know of other Pinball Circus plans

LTG : )

I would say "You're welcome!", but I'm not here to spar with others.
You came into and crapped all over a thread where people were excited about one of the true geniuses coming back to pinball.
You insulted Python and his incredible body of work.
You even went as far as to say games like Comet (which sold 8000+ games in the middle of the video game invasion, and was an enormous money maker on route) sucked.
So, when someone points out your ignorance, you squawk? The troll kept on trolling, all night long....

Sassy!

sassyhartman.jpg

Interesting - Python's praise of JJP is unusual considering his known history.

Just no Zingy Bingy, please!

Greatest interview EVER!

Required listening material for all pinball newbs.. Clay at his best.

Python is a Pinball Artist. I cant think of a better match.. from what i know about Python and JJP i am sold without knowing anything about it!

Pinball Circus is cool at first, but gets old REALLY fast. It is a one trick pony if ever there was one. Would make a really cool boutique game if someone wanted to run 50 or 100 for big bucks.

I hope Python is involved at JJP in some way as he is truly and amazing artist. I just would rather see him work on something other than PC...

The man!

image.jpg

I asked what was the big deal and who this guy was. When given a list of games he "designed", I looked them up and found two things:
1) They were mostly attributed to other designers
2) They were all very old and boring compared to today's designs - nothing anyone should get excited about the latest company, JJP, working on.

I then questioned this further, pointing out that games like comet, if released today as the latest JJP or Stern game, would not be well received, why anyone was excited about this. When someone pointed out that:
1) Python actually had more to do with design than IPDB gave him credit for and
2) Pinball Circus was solely his design, which was really pretty innovative.

Well after that, I admitted that I was also excited about Python. There's a big difference between some ultra creativity like pinball cirqus vs some old bore like comet, hurricane, and pinbot. Those games may have been great in their time, but they're not anymore. I cant get any more excited about the designer of *those* games coming to modern pinball as I could get excited for say the designer of Asteroids coming to xbox 360. But all this became moot the second I saw Pinball Circus. That's another beast entirely, and I am very excited for *that* designer to be making current pinball.

And then, after the fact, after I admitted that I now see the light, you come with nothing relevant to say except that I am ignorant. You say you're "not here to spar". Yet that's all your post accomplished. Every single other person, whether they agreed with me or not, managed to add some level of content to their response that was pertinent. Even though most of them indicated that they thought I was an idiot for saying I hated games like pinbot etc, at least they had some content to their response. Not you. You're not here to spar, yet you're just here to tell me that I'm a troll and ignorant - with no comments on the subject of the topic. I get it.

I'm pretty sure I didn't add any content. I called your credibility into question ... and that's about it. And that credibility doesn't appear to be improving with your attempt to pick a fight with (IMHO) one of the good guys. Just let it go already.

I would be incredibly surprised if JJP would let Python design a game. Python is an artist and a unique character, but he's not an employee of JJP, neither is JPop for that matter and JPop has been heaping praise on JJP a lot lately too. I think all those guys would love to work with a well-funded company that is giving designers a lot of latitude, but from what I gather, Jack had the opportunity to hire all of them and he picked the team he wanted.

pinball circus parts left over from original production...notice the python up kicker that didnt make it into the game! that was designed to be in the in the game and im told the location for it exists.

IMG_3133.jpg IMG_3134.JPG IMG_3135.JPG IMG_3137.jpg IMG_3145.jpg IMG_3147.jpg

few more

IMG_3144.jpg IMG_3143.jpg IMG_3139.JPG

Yes I have seen these games and played one of them. I digress.

If this is true I am very excited. I want new fun unique things that are still at there core pinball.

whoops wrong thread

P3

From what I have heard and read of Python, he seems more like a vision, storyboard, and ideas guy than a traditional designer driving a design team to complete a project like Steve R, Pat L, John T, etc. While he may deserve more credit than he gets (e.g. art guy crossing over with some great mechanical ideas that were implemented), it may be a bit of stretch to call him a full on designer and that may be why. From what I understand he was a bit of a loose cannon and often would come and go as he pleased not being seen or heard from for days at a time. That's probably why he had a 'co-designer' on every game he was given designer credit for. It's hard to drive a team when you're unreliable and MIA at times. I guess the only ones who would really know are those that worked with him.

Rob

It's not.

If Python designs a pin it will have the name Pinball Circus. But it will be brand new from the ground up. It won't be his original design he did for Williams.

LTG : )

Really? You've found nothing worthwhile to play in the last 12 years? LOTR, TSPP, SM, FGY, Tron, AC/DC, they all suck?

It worries me that you would bash everything Stern has made in the last 12 years, then in the next breath mention your magazine called Pinball Magazine. Not long ago, you incorrectly attributed Stern's change in direction to JJP here. Maybe you should change the name to WMS Magazine instead? Or maybe WMS and JJP Magazine. That way you wouldn't even have to talk about all those dreadful games Stern has put out in the last 12 years.

Personally, I'm a fan of games. Not any particular game designer or programmer. And definitely not any particular manufacturer. I like all the Stern games listed above and plenty more.