This actually has nothing to do with any amount of work put into a game at all. It has to do with the term "HOMEBREW". In my opinion, this is NOT a homebrew, it's simply a "retheme" or a "hack" of an already designed game. Can a hack/retheme be amazing? Certainly it can be! Remember the Trilogy Brewing Co machine?

In this case, it is an amazing example of a re-theme or hack. It does not have an original layout. Nothing wrong with that... just not a homebrew in the "I started from scratch" traditional definition of the word. For me personally, the "new layout" of a homebrew is just as important as a theme. It's 50% of the adventure.

Refering to the recording industry... you're "breaking up the Sampling so hard it's now an original work"...? That might be valid here but, it's a stretch. Let's not also forget, "imitation is the greatest form of flattery". We're all here to discuss pinball, not to bash anyone's hard work.

Yes! This exactly.

Nothing is perfect. I actually don't like the fact that once you reveal a game, that's the only chance you get to be recognized, even if it's not a 100% complete/finished product. Part of the fun of showing off your home brew work is getting positive and negative feedback and retooling your design. If a TWIPY is awarded only based on a game's "first reveal", it kind of misses the mark in my humble opinion. I do realize there's no perfect way to do this.

People wlll always vote for their "favorite" and it may not be the best design... My favorite homebrew ever was Bill Paxton... and it's not because it was a great playing game.

TWIPYS are fun but.... maybe there should be a hidden Pinside homebrew category where you would need to register then scan a QR code to prove you actually played (or observed) the game in order to rate/review it.