By Todd Russell
Here we are at that wonderful juncture in the week called Hump Day or rather we condense to humpday just to be different, where we talk and hopefully can play all things pinball: real pinball, virtual pinball, games that are simply about and/or related to pinball.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye
Stern pushed out code update 0.86 and those with the game probably already have it. Our oldest son’s birthday wish was to go to the arcade to play the new D&D again. I’m closing in on 40 games played and still very much intrigued with the game.
After playing the first time, I did a detailed write-up here at PGM: Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (0.85 code) Stern Pinball Pro 2025 Detailed First Thoughts After Flipping on Location.
From a sales standpoint, I’m seeing LEs still available from multiple distros. This isn’t usually a good sign for sales, which is a bit of a bummer for a game with so much potential.
I think the problem is the release code state, that it’s still too early for folks (speaking of code, we talked with one of the programmers of the game, Elizabeth Gieske, see: PGM Interview #2: Elizabeth Gieske Stern Pinball programmer for Jaws & Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye – Behind the Code (Video + Full Transcript)), and there is pinball buyer fatigue setting in. A lot of games are coming out and not enough pinball buyers have space and money to just keep buying and buying and buying these games. At some point you become more picky about what and when you’ll buy them.
Our family bought three games in 2024 and have already stated it’s extremely doubtful we’ll buy three or more in 2025, maybe not even one, but it’s going to be hard to resist an Elwin King Kong. One of our sons was really taken by D&D when he first played it, however …
It’s not just Stern that is bringing out new games, but maybe there are just too many coming out for the amount of demand? Let us know what you think might be impacting D&D sales in the comments.
Insider Connected Badge Frenzy
Have been thinking about checking in on the March badge frenzy in a dedicated article. Stern is releasing an overwhelming number of badges in March. Like 128 or so? Something wild and it includes new badges you can earn each week for every single Spike 2 IC game.
These badges are limited in quantity, so might want to check this out sooner, rather than later, if you’re interested.
Personally, our interest in IC badge chasing has waned somewhat. I will probably expand on this in a more detailed, standalone PGM article. Can there be such a thing as too many of a good thing (virtual badges and achievements)?
Zaccaria Pinball releases two more new games
Those folks at Magic Pixel are pushing out very frequent updates, adding new games at a weekly pace it seems right now, which is fantastic. You don’t have to like every new game they put out, and I’m not super psyched about Tropical Deluxe, their newest game, but love the fact they are releasing new games for their Platinum edition customers (we’re one).
PGM members Skullbox686 and BRASSLeague are both running Zaccaria score chasing competitions we all can play in right now. I’m trying to play in as many as I can to support but it’s also getting me back into this great collection that I first encountered on the Atgames Legends Pinball.
Skull’s featured Zaccaria game this week:
BRASSLeagues’s featured Zac game this week:
TPF
Am getting excited for the Texas Pinball Festival (TPF). We’ll be boarding a plane headed for the large state of Texas a mere week from now and am mapping out arcades in/around the Dallas/Fort Worth area where both arcades and pinball are available to play. The show starts on Friday 3/21 and runs through the weekend, but we’re only planning on being there and playing on Saturday 3/22 (see We will be at Texas Pinball Festival on Saturday March 22, 2025, Are you Attending?). We have other plans down there. It’s the first time our family has been to Texas.
The list of pinball at TPF continues to grow on the games list () with only Barrels of Fun leaving a mystery (TBA) in their listing of what they’re bringing.
I’m reading various rumors but nothing confirmed yet what it will be. Barrels of Fun made a splash last year with their first game: Labyrinth (Barrels of Fun 2023) Detailed Thoughts after Flipping On Location. Love the topper on that one, but not such a big fan of the movie (related, see: Bought, Watched Labyrinth (1986) movie directed by Jim Henson starring and including music by David Bowie + Real and Virtual Labyrinth Pinball)
We are not really into the rumor mill stuff here at PGM, although it can be fun to dabble in it here and there, so we’ll wait to see what’s actually there and report back. That said, we’ve been hearing about a half dozen or so different games coming over the first half of this year, including another P3 game based on Portal, Alice from Dutch Pinball, possibly Predator from Pinball Brothers (they did Alien, Queen and ABBA), Harry Potter from JJP and, of course, King Kong an Elwin Team offering from Stern. No idea if any of these games will be coming or not, but only interested theme-wise personally in King Kong and Predator.
For those reading for the first time, themes do not impact my desire to play a pinball game. I will play just about any pinball game (there are some extreme themes in virtual pinball I will not ever play), regardless of type of theme: original to unknown to beloved IP. To me, it’s all about how fun the actual game is to play. I enjoy playing all different types of pinball: including virtual pinball, board games and even non-pinball games about pinball. If they are calling it “pinball” it has at least some of my interest. Doesn’t mean I’ll love it, but will check it out and flip it. And if it’s a real pinball game, I’m writing and sharing my detailed first thoughts here at PGM.
Looking forward also to meeting others at TPF and next week’s Humpday Wednesday will likely have much more on that front, since we’ll be ready to board the plane. Will share some specific places in/around TPF that we are going to check out. Readers with additional recommendations, please use the comments area and let us know, as we are newbies of the area and this will be our first TPF.
Your Turn
What have you been up to this last week and planning this week with pinball? Time to check in, let us know in the comments?