I have a Dr Who, Bad Cats, Pin-Bot, and Grand Lizard. Definitely enjoy all the games he worked on.
Very sad to hear. I was lucky enough to meet him once, briefly, long ago. I remember him being very kind. Pinbot was definitely the game that planted the seeds for my love of pinball way back in middle school at the roller rink. I was very much looking forward to his comeback and seeing what he would do with American Pinball. I hope he was at least able to share some of his ideas with the team there and they are able to bring them to life someday.
Much love to his friends and family.
Tragic. Pinbot is what got me into Pinball. Barry I wish I could have met you, you may have never admitted it, but Space Shuttle did save pinball. Thanks for changing my life and everyone in the community's for the better.
I knew he had been ill for many years but this is still a shock. Very talented gentleman.
It's so sad that he wasted all that time at Deeproot without making a game. I was looking forward to seeing what he had coming up at American Pinball.
Rest in peace, Barry.
Barry was such a likeable, amiable man, always full of charm and anecdotes, and willing to work with anyone as a team player. He could listen, as well as dictate a project.
But the guy also had SUCH rotten luck and it looked like at American Pinball it might have been about to change.
Maybe someday a 'tribute' can emerge, bringing to life the last things he was able to work on, including the material from the Heighway days that he and I worked on together. He *did* still have the touch.
Phoenix
Time Warp
Gorgar
Laser Ball
Scorpion
Jungle Lord
Solar Fire
Baracorra
Cosmic Gunfight
Defender
RatRace
Time Fantasy
Joust
Starlight
Space Shuttle
Comet
Grand Lizard
Pinbot
Fire!
Space Station
Cyclone
Jokerz
Police Force
Bad Cats
Harley-Davidson
Hurricane
Dr. Who
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Popeye
Dirty Harry
Who Dunnit
Jack-Bot
Junkyard
Thank you Barry.
That's sad. He designed some great machines. His rollercoaster trilogy was special. Still love my Hurricane.
Quoted from Caucasian2Step:Thank you Barry.
The only one of these games I haven't played is Starlight. Space Shuttle was the first game I bought, and I still regret selling it.
Quoted from Aphex:It was also in 2014 that Barry made an appeal to the pinball community for help paying medical bills. He had been diagnosed with bone cancer in February 2013, while his wife, Donna, was suffering from kidney failure. His initial target of $20,000 was quickly achieved, with the total of the donations reaching $33,718 by the end of the fundraiser.
We hosted one of these fundraising tournaments. Very sad to see him go RIP Barry
We should at least be grateful for all the extra years we got with him, after the outpouring of community support in 2013 during his previous battle with bone cancer (which is not one with a high positive survival rate, and Barry beat the grade average by a comfortable margin).
OH man..
I can't.....
So sorry to hear this..
Barry was such a super nice guy...
This is horrible! Going to miss You Barry.
He was easy going, fun to work with, extraordinarily kind, super enthusiastic about his designs, full of ideas, and loved to talk pinball. I'm so, so sad to hear that he's passed. We had talked about finally meeting in person next month at TPF, and I'm brokenhearted I won't get the chance to hang out face to face. He was great, and I'm going to miss him.
So bummed. One of my favorites...before I even really paid attention to designers I found I liked his games (no coincidence really). As others have said....2022 is not off to a good start. RIP
A true gentleman .... condolences to family and friends. Was looking forward to catching up at TPF again in a few weeks, always enjoyed his stories and anecdotes. Sad, just so sad....
RIP.
I’ll never forget when the local arcade brought in a brand new Gorgar with its sinister demon, but then “GORGAR SPEAKS!” Mind blown.
So sorry to hear about Barry. Thanks for making Bad Cats. The game was my conduit to getting into pinball back in the early 1990's. And the game that helped me get to know and connect with my father. RIP to both.
Barry was the genius behind a third of my collection -- obviously my favorite designer.
My whole heart is sad -- I wish I could have expressed to him in person -- my appreciation for how much joy his games bring to people.
I want to thank Caucasian2Step for his long-form interviews with Barry, where he unknowingly conveyed my appreciation for Barry for me. They are great interviews with so much joy and enthusiasm -- you can hear what a nice and unassuming guy Barry is. He had to have appreciated those interviews immensely.
Barry, thank you for all the joy you brought to people.
-mof
Cyclone, the first pinball i saw and played as a young man.
also the first one i owned later.
my children love cyclone as well.
R.I.P. Barry
condolences from germany
Sad day...i will need to play a few in his honor...Who Dunnit really turned me on to Pins when I was younger, still love that game
What a shame. Quite possibly my favorite designer of all, I'm a big fan of just about every game he made. Cyclone is what got me back into pinball after video games dominated a lot of my '80s arcade time. Other than two or three, I consider every game he made somewhere on the good-to-great scale and worth owning. RIP to a legend.
Such sad news today. I never spoke to Barry but the last 2 TPF I attended he always seemed to sit near us at breakfast at the Embassy Suites. I really regret now not taking the initiate to say hello and thank him for all his great games.
RIP Barry….
Still miss my Bad Cats. Thanks Barry for some incredibly inventive and colourful machines. Sad day. RIP.
"American Pinball Lost a Good Friend
American Pinball and Aimtron Corporation are saddened to announce the passing of legendary game designer, Barry Oursler at the age of 70. Barry designed more than 40 pinball games over his long and illustrious 40-plus year pinball career. Among them, his Space Shuttle game released in 1984 is said by many to have saved and revitalized the pinball industry.
“I was looking forward to designing new games and new mechs with you. I had a wonderful time working on all your games.” – Zofia Ryan
“I will always remember Barry’s brilliant, dry sense of humor, and always having me in stitches.” – Jack Haeger
“I was looking forward to him coming to American Pinball to work with him and enjoying all of the good cooking that Barry made.” – Dennis Nordman
“What can one say about one of the true pinball design masters of the past forty years. Barry established himself as not just a creative talent but a genuinely humble individual who never sought the outside accolades but rather the internal contentment of what he was achieving. From the first time we worked together with Phoenix and Barracora to many subsequent projects, Barry remained a very special coworker and friend. I will miss him dearly but know his legacy will endure forever.” – Roger Sharpe
Those who have had the honor of working with Barry know of his dedication, his efficiency, his kindness and great enthusiasm for pinball and its players. His games are easy to understand, fun to play, and difficult to master, the perfect combination that earned him admirers from all over the pinball world.
“Barry’s game, Space Shuttle, was my introduction to the pinball world. It was a privilege and an honor to work with him as a new member of the pinball industry and then again here at American Pinball.” – Steven Bowden
“Barry has always come across as a gentle giant. He was a guy I was happy to bring on to American Pinball. I am greatly saddened for his family.” – David Fix
“I will always miss Barry for his soft spoken nature and his support of Pinball Expo since day one.” – Rob Berk, Pinball Expo
“Barry was a great friend and an early mentor for me in the Pinball biz. We spent 15 years working together at Williams. Barry was always willing to help me out with anything I needed while cutting my teeth in Pinball design. He was also a really fun guy. We made friends almost immediately. He had a sharp mind for humor and would jab me with practical jokery from time to time. I have nothing but fond memories of our time together.
Barry had a heart of gold and was a good man. I had the pleasure of working on a game with Barry -- that game was Police Force. We would jokingly lament together regarding Python's crazy ways during development. It was a great experience and I am thankful to have had that opportunity.
There were so many good times over the years. Suffice it to say – Great Friend, great person, and I shall miss him a great deal. Rest In Peace, my friend.” – Mark Ritchie
“It saddens me that we lost one of the good guys. He was known as a prankster on some occasions and possibly playing with fireworks in the offices. A great designer and a good friend. He will be sadly missed.” – Ken Fedesna
“It was a great privilege to host him at the UK Pinball Show and to have him speak at the banquet about his amazing career in gaming.” – Gary Flower - UK
Our deepest condolences go out to his family, many friends and the pinball community. He will be truly missed."
Barry is my favorite designer. He made a majority of the games that I like to play the most. I'm glad to have just 3 of his.
He made many awesome games. Wish I got to meet him and talk pinball. RIP
Quoted from mof:Barry is behind a third of my collection -- obviously my favorite designer.
My whole heart is sad -- I wish I could have expressed to him in person -- my appreciation for how much joy his games bring to people.
I want to thank Caucasian2Step for his long-form interviews with Barry, where he unknowingly conveyed my appreciation for Barry for me. They are great interviews with so much joy and enthusiasm -- you can hear what a nice and unassuming guy Barry is. He had to have appreciated those interviews immensely.
Barry, thank you for all the joy you brought to people.
-mof
Mr. O knows how much his games meant to us. I believe it's partly what kept him going throughout his illness. he knew what he did mattered to others and brought joy to others. at the end of the day that's a pretty good accomplishment.
Quoted from Coz:“Barry was a great friend and an early mentor for me in the Pinball biz. We spent 15 years working together at Williams. Barry was always willing to help me out with anything I needed while cutting my teeth in Pinball design. He was also a really fun guy. We made friends almost immediately. He had a sharp mind for humor and would jab me with practical jokery from time to time. I have nothing but fond memories of our time together. Barry had a heart of gold and was a good man. I had the pleasure of working on a game with Barry -- that game was Police Force. We would jokingly lament together regarding Python's crazy ways during development. It was a great experience and I am thankful to have had that opportunity. There were so many good times over the years. Suffice it to say – Great Friend, great person, and I shall miss him a great deal. Rest In Peace, my friend.” – Mark Ritchie
Such a loss. I am truly sorry for Barry's family and the pinball community as a whole. He will be missed in many ways, by many people.
More sad news for pinheads. I have owned his first and last game on the IPDB list. As many previously said, not accorded the rock star status some designers get, but nevertheless, a master of his trade. He gave us many fantastic games. RIP Barry.
Quoted from Pinslot:More sad news for pinheads. I have owned his first and last game on the IPDB list. As many previously said, not accorded the rock star status some designers get, but nevertheless, a master of his trade. He gave us many fantastic games. RIP Barry.
Pinball has always been about cranking out games and making money, and for 20 years Barry was among the best at that. He kept the line moving, and kept operators happy. Left his mark for sure.
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