(Topic ID: 311603)

What's Top 10 Best Pinball machine Designs by Steve Ritchie?

By tampa12

2 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 69 posts
  • 43 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 months ago by RTS
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

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“Steve Ritchie's Top Pinball machines”

  • Flash 1979 He started at Williams 6 votes
    2%
  • Stellar wars 1979 0 votes
  • Firepower 1980 7 votes
    2%
  • Black Knight 1980 12 votes
    3%
  • Hyperball 1981 1 vote
  • High Speed 1986 13 votes
    4%
  • F-14 1987 4 votes
    1%
  • Black Knight 2000 1989 9 votes
    3%
  • Rollergames 1990 1 vote
  • T2 1991 10 votes
    3%
  • The Getaway high speed 2 1992 29 votes
    8%
  • Star Trek The next generation 1993 65 votes
    19%
  • No Fear 1995 9 votes
    3%
  • Terminator 3 2003 Steve started at Stern 0 votes
  • Elvis 2004 2 votes
    1%
  • World Poker Tour 2006 2 votes
    1%
  • Spider-man 2007 46 votes
    13%
  • 24, 2009 2 votes
    1%
  • AC/DC 2012 38 votes
    11%
  • Star Trek 2013 37 votes
    11%
  • Game of Thrones 2015 7 votes
    2%
  • Star wars 2017 20 votes
    6%
  • Black Knight sword of rage 2019 12 votes
    3%
  • Led Zeppelin 2020 14 votes
    4%
  • The next pinball machine 2022 Steve started at Jersey Jack 3 votes
    1%

(349 votes)

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There are 69 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
#1 2 years ago

Keith Elwin and Steve Ritchie are the best Pinball designers. Steve I think is better and actually the greatest pinball designer ever because his designs lasted the test of time between Flash 1979 to Led Zeppelin 2020. I don't think Steve Ritchie's list of classic pins will be surpassed.
I own The Getaway High Speed 2 and owned High Speed 1 but I must say my top 3 are Star Trek Stern, The Getaway, No Fear. Yes I love loops.
What is your favorites? Please Share this link to other pinball fans and Steve Ritchie because he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest designers ever. I added Jersey Jack to the poll just in case he puts out a pin in 2022.
Edited: Sorry, I didn't include Atari pinball airborne avenger 1977 and Superman 1979 because I had issues saving the poll with so many of his pins. If any of those pins are your favorite then post a comment with current number of votes for that pin.

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#2 2 years ago

STTNG is #1 for me.

#4 2 years ago

Termin….I mean AC/DC

#5 2 years ago

I really like Spiderman.

#6 2 years ago

I tried to make a poll but it crashes every time I save the poll because too many listed I guess, 26 pins.

#7 2 years ago

I love my smve, really like sttng as well. Great designer.

#8 2 years ago

Glad to see an update of a thread that was fogged over by ACDC fever...for some fucking reason.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/steve-ritchies-best

I LOVE GOT & SW...but that's really a code thing.
The unmatched opulence of STTNG is hard to pass up really.
SM really hit the sweet spot for Stern in that time period...so much going on.

But I've said it before and I'll say it always; High Speed is pure pinball. It's not even really 'my era' but it's an all-timer

#9 2 years ago

Nothing wrong with a Black Knight playing fast with the volume turned almost all the way up.

#10 2 years ago

I played this pin on pinball arcade and loved it, hopefully I'll find one on location.

#11 2 years ago

firepower was my first pinball love, the first one where i learned the rules and got obsessed with trying to beat it. lol. these days i love getaway, but also ac/dc, star trek, t2 … shoot, they’re all pretty good!

i love modern games and one reason i like getaway so much is i think it plays a lot like a modern stern. in fact i would say iron maiden has a lot in common with it. steve is the king and i think elwin and most other modern designers have taken a lot from his playbook.

#12 2 years ago
Quoted from EJS:

Nothing wrong with a Black Knight playing fast with the volume turned almost all the way up.

Black knight trilogy is great, I wonder if anyone has all 3 pins

#13 2 years ago
Quoted from pineal:

firepower was my first pinball love, the first one where i learned the rules and got obsessed with trying to beat it. lol. these days i love getaway, but also ac/dc, star trek, t2 … shoot, they’re all pretty good!
i love modern games and one reason i like getaway so much is i think it plays a lot like a modern stern. in fact i would say iron maiden has a lot in common with it. steve is the king and i think elwin and most other modern designers have taken a lot from his playbook.

I agree Steve is Kingpin as it says on the license plate in The getaway, He lasted 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020 !?

#14 2 years ago
Quoted from indybru:

I love my smve, really like sttng as well. Great designer.

He's the best pinball designer lasted 70s to 2020s ?! I hope he makes another pin soon, maybe High Speed 3 or F-15, Hopefully F-15 his fastest pin yet.

#15 2 years ago

T2 got me into pinball.
AC/DC brought me back in after 15 years.
I’m dying to buy a High Speed.

Yeah, he was my favorite before I knew these were all designed by the same guy.

#16 2 years ago

Haven't voted yet because I didn't realize he made so many good games, not sure which one to pick.

10
#17 2 years ago

I picked Firepower because I still enjoy playing it after all these years and what it did for pinball. Star Trek 2013 would be my second choice.

#18 2 years ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Haven't voted yet because I didn't realize he made so many good games, not sure which one to pick.

Looking at the list I think there are just a few I haven’t owned. Mostly the newest. It appears I currently have over half his games.

#19 2 years ago

I'm going with BK2k. My BK2K was played and signed by Steve Ritchie. I own the BK2K that was at CAX for years. I want to bring it to the GSPF. We'll see if I can pull it in off. My pinball guy bullet proofed it. If I can bring it I will.

#20 2 years ago
Quoted from tampa12:

Keith Elwin and Steve Ritchie are my favorite Pinball designers. Steve I think is better and actually the greatest pinball designer ever because his designs lasted the test of time between Flash 1979 to Led Zeppelin 2020 (irony that band was from the 70s like his first pin design) I don't think Steve Ritchie's list of classic pins will be surpassed.
I own The Getaway High Speed 2 and owned High Speed 1 but I must say my top 3 are Star Trek Stern, The Getaway, No Fear.
What is your favorites? Please Share this link to other pinball fans and Steve Ritchie because he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest designers ever. I added Jersey Jack to the poll just in case he puts out a pin in 2022.
[quoted image][quoted image]

Is that spinner on the left orbit actually coded into the game on your Getaway? I’ve never seen that before. Great looking pin.

#21 2 years ago

NONE of his Atari designs are even listed. The hell kind of poll is this?!?

Can’t list his best if you exclude the most influential pinball company of all time.

Steve Richie would have NEVER become a pinball designer if not for Atari.

#22 2 years ago
Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

NONE of his Atari designs are even listed. The hell kind of poll is this?!?

Probably because they suck

#23 2 years ago
Quoted from TheLaw:

Probably because they suck

Hahaha, that was funny

#24 2 years ago
Quoted from TheLaw:

Probably because they suck

Tough but fair

#25 2 years ago
Quoted from TheLaw:

Probably because they suck

What? Superman and Space Riders are great machines.
I think they would have been be even better if built as a standard size machine.

-Mike

#26 2 years ago

ST:TNG is my favorite Steve Ritchie pin, but I give Stern Star Trek an edge as far as the playfield design goes. It's FAST! ST:TNG is sitting next to a Rick and Morty, Godzilla Premium, Lord of the Rings, Stars, and Attack From Mars LE in my house and ST:TNG is still my favorite and the last one to go. The layout on it is brilliant, and it is extremely fast for a wiedbody. It has not one, not two, but three ramps. It has awesome toys with two rotating cannons and a space ship that fires the ball back at you. The theme is hit or miss for folks but perfect for me with a Treckie wife. The assets are awesome with the full voice cast. The only things I fault it on are using a weird ship instead of the standard borg cube and less than great playfield art, but typical for the time. The programming and rules on it are awesome, with multiple video modes and some neat modes. you ahve your standard 8 modes to complete to get a wizard mode, but you are rewarded for completing those modes instead of just starting them. The encounters in the netural zone all feel different and are challenging. I love getting to warp 9 and the special modes within it. In short, it is my favorite game. The layout, assets, and programming all come together to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Also, super bonus points on theme integration for getting extra points for interrupting Data in the bonus count.

#27 2 years ago

Stern STLE is his best overall game from design, code, and looks. The thing is a beaut with a killer light show.

Really like High Speed, Getaway, and No Fear.

#28 2 years ago
Quoted from woody76:

Stern STLE is his best overall game from design, code, and looks. The thing is a beaut with a killer light show.
Really like High Speed, Getaway, and No Fear.

Both STTNG and STLE are keepers for me. Similar layouts but wide body and standard. STTNG has perfect layout geometry but the right outlane is insane so I use an extender. STLE misses are the left spinner can reject shots if not hit square, and the kickback uses the wrong actuator (round vs triangle) so the timing is never perfect. But otherwise these game are flow fests and super fun.

#29 2 years ago

There may be better games, but firepower, at the time of release was so far ahead of the curve. First multiball, early voice, simple easy to learn ruleset but not so easy to master gameplay.

#30 2 years ago
Quoted from vidguy:

T2 got me into pinball.
AC/DC brought me back in after 15 years.
I’m dying to buy a High Speed.
Yeah, he was my favorite before I knew these were all designed by the same guy.

i owned high speed it's great but basic gets boring, i highly recommend the getaway high speed 2 it very similar but with tons of extras to keep you playing long term.

#31 2 years ago
Quoted from Reality_Studio:

Haven't voted yet because I didn't realize he made so many good games, not sure which one to pick.

star trek williams is the most common pick and super pin branded but i think star trek prem Stern is the best of all his designs all in 1 pin.
1.kickback in drain lane like high speed,
2.fire kickback under the ship like f-14,
3.outer loop shot like high speed,
4.funny call-outs like no fear (dammit Jim its a pinball machine not a punching bag),
5. option to choose your own modes like no fear,
6.hidden shot behind upper flipper like no fear,
and 7.epic upper flipper warp ramp loop shot like high speed.

#32 2 years ago
Quoted from GrandFireball1:

Is that spinner on the left orbit actually coded into the game on your Getaway? I’ve never seen that before. Great looking pin.

no its a mod, mr tantrum on pinside made it.

#33 2 years ago

AC/DC. It was my first NIB, and it will never leave. I absolutely fell in love the first time the ball dropped and stil feel the same.

#34 2 years ago
Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

NONE of his Atari designs are even listed. The hell kind of poll is this?!?
Can’t list his best if you exclude the most influential pinball company of all time.
Steve Richie would have NEVER become a pinball designer if not for Atari.

i agree but the poll kept crashing on me when i tried to save it. neither pins are his best designs but should be recognized for sure.
Airborne Avenger (1977)
Superman (1979)

#35 2 years ago

Thank you!

Quoted from tampa12:i agree but the poll kept crashing on me when i tried to save it. neither pins are his best designs but should be recognized for sure.
Airborne Avenger (1977)
Superman (1979)

#36 2 years ago
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:

ST:TNG is my favorite Steve Ritchie pin, but I give Stern Star Trek an edge as far as the playfield design goes. It's FAST! ST:TNG is sitting next to a Rick and Morty, Godzilla Premium, Lord of the Rings, Stars, and Attack From Mars LE in my house and ST:TNG is still my favorite and the last one to go. The layout on it is brilliant, and it is extremely fast for a wiedbody. It has not one, not two, but three ramps. It has awesome toys with two rotating cannons and a space ship that fires the ball back at you. The theme is hit or miss for folks but perfect for me with a Treckie wife. The assets are awesome with the full voice cast. The only things I fault it on are using a weird ship instead of the standard borg cube and less than great playfield art, but typical for the time. The programming and rules on it are awesome, with multiple video modes and some neat modes. you ahve your standard 8 modes to complete to get a wizard mode, but you are rewarded for completing those modes instead of just starting them. The encounters in the netural zone all feel different and are challenging. I love getting to warp 9 and the special modes within it. In short, it is my favorite game. The layout, assets, and programming all come together to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Also, super bonus points on theme integration for getting extra points for interrupting Data in the bonus count.

i totally agree, star trek williams is amazing but steve brought more to the table with star trek stern prem like lights, callouts, interactive ship with fire kickback under the ship. probably going to buy it one day.

#37 2 years ago

Though STTNG is my favorite of the group, I have to confess that I like T2 pretty well. I actually bought one as a temporary filler. 2 years later, and I still own in. It is fun and easy to pick up, but it has a LOT of replayability and rules that don't take a 3 hour seminar to explain. The call-outs are some of my favorite in all of pinball, and the theme is a hit with my guests.

#38 2 years ago

BKSOR!!!! Idk what it is about this game, but it just clicks with me. I thought I was alone, but good to know there is at least one other person as well!

#39 2 years ago

Picked Spider-man as his best pin, but it was close between: BK, T2, HS2, STTNG, SM, AC/DC, ST, SW & BKSOR. The rest are “above average”, except for pos known as LZ. Steve Ritchie has the second best curriculum vitae in pinball, trailing only Pat Lawlor.

#40 2 years ago

STTNG is my grail game. Buying it started me on my path to becoming a pinball owner. I will never part with it. I like many of Steves designs and wish I had the room for some of them.

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#41 2 years ago

T2 is my favorite. Starts with a cool skill shot, layout is great with lightning-fast orbits and possibly the best left-right ramp looping in all of pinball (capped off by the exhilarating Payback Time, hitting the ramps smoothly during that mode makes you feel superhuman). Very cool gimmick with the cannon, and a seriously tough super jackpot attached to it. Excellent use of the license, and overall just a great fast, violent, difficult game. Even the video mode is fun.

#42 2 years ago

I always loved Black Knight and BK2K. BK2K will probably always be my favorite of his pins. I got the chance to play one of his early Williams designs, Stellar Wars. It's actually really fun and a great shooters pin with lots of drop targets and shots to make all over the playfield.

#43 2 years ago

T2, Star Trek and The Getaway are all superb, but LZ is his masterpiece

And the best thing right now is it’s a sleeper. Most of LZ’s critics have either barely played it or seem fixated on the art

#44 2 years ago
Quoted from Chambo:

but LZ is his masterpiece

Serious question. Why do you think this?

#45 2 years ago
Quoted from Krupps4:

Serious question. Why do you think this?

Everybody that comes to my house and plays it can't stop playing it. It's a pretty addictive game. Only Stranger Things has that effect on people in my collection. LZ is really a wonderful game, and completely underrated and dismissed by art critics and coil counters.

#46 2 years ago
Quoted from beelzeboob:

It's a pretty addictive game.

I get that it’s fun to play but I don’t think you explained why it is Richie’s masterpiece. Is it the layout, the mechs? How is it so much better than his other pins?

#47 2 years ago

I agree with this. I have been in the hobby a long time. I have a pretty good mix of modern sterns and Williams dmd classics. I have also owned or still own a bunch of Steve's games. LZ has really won me over. People that come over gravitate to it over godzilla and JP2. I'm not saying it's better than those but it is comparable in the fun factor. It just has a replayability to it. The long flowing shots feel good. Combining songs with tours trying to reach world tour and mothership is both addictive and straight up fun. I really enjoy the electric magic frenzy. The sounds and light show just make me smile. The game is also easy to understand compared to many modern sterns. I'm glad a found a NIB premium last month. I believe this game will be one of those that's gets respect and will be desired down the road. The tide is starting to turn as I see others are saying the same thing.

Mike

Quoted from beelzeboob:

Everybody that comes to my house and plays it can't stop playing it. It's a pretty addictive game. Only Stranger Things has that effect on people in my collection. LZ is really a wonderful game, and completely underrated and dismissed by art critics and coil counters.

#48 2 years ago

ACDC is my favorite. Looking add LZ to the collection.

#49 2 years ago
Quoted from tampa12:

star trek williams is the most common pick and super pin branded but i think star trek prem Stern is the best of all his designs all in 1 pin.
1.kickback in drain lane like high speed,
2.fire kickback under the ship like f-14,
3.outer loop shot like high speed,
4.funny call-outs like no fear (dammit Jim its a pinball machine not a punching bag),
5. option to choose your own modes like no fear,
6.hidden shot behind upper flipper like no fear,
and 7.epic upper flipper warp ramp loop shot like high speed 1 and 2.

#50 2 years ago
Quoted from tampa12:

I own The Getaway High Speed 2 and owned High Speed 1 but I must say my top 3 are Star Trek Stern, The Getaway, No Fear.
What is your favorites? Please Share this link to other pinball fans and Steve Ritchie because he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest designers ever. I added Jersey Jack to the poll just in case he puts out a pin in 2022.
*Steve Ritchie first worked for Atari then designed his first pinball machine Airborne Avenger (1977) then
Superman (1979) these pins I didn't include in the poll because the poll kept crashing when trying to save. If these pins are one of your favorites please post comment below with updated number of votes for that pin including your vote. For example, If 2 people comment Superman and you comment Superman include *3 votes total for Superman.
[quoted image][quoted image]

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