The Flipside Pinball Podcast

Are we living in the golden age of pinball right now?

In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest questions in the pinball hobby: is modern pinball better than ever, or are we just caught up in the moment?

I also talk about how my own perspective might be shaped by when I entered the hobby. I got into pinball around 5–6 years ago, so the era of modern Stern, Jersey Jack Pinball, Chicago Gaming, Spooky Pinball, American Pinball, and all of these new releases has been my “normal.” But for veteran players who grew up on EMs, solid-state games, or the classic Bally/Williams era, the golden age of pinball might mean something completely different.

We discuss the moving scale of nostalgia, why every generation of players may see “their era” as the best, and whether some longtime pinball fans have evolved with modern pinball — or if modern rules, deeper code, LCD screens, licensed themes, and complex modes have changed the hobby too much for some players.

From classic pinball machines to today’s feature-packed games, we ask the big question: are we actually in the golden age of pinball… or will we only realize it years from now?

Drop a comment and let me know: what do YOU think is the true golden age of pinball?

Looking to Buy a New or Used Pinball Machine?
Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball: https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL, and I might play it on the show!
https://www.speakpipe.com/RetroRalphVM

Looking for more Pinball Content? Check out my pinball podcast, “The Flipside Podcast.”
Video Version of the Podcast can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheFlipsideRetroRalph

Want to listen to the podcast instead? Here are links to Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Spotify Link To Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZF6rZGos5tFI77MaznZY

Apple Podcast Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flipside-pinball-podcast/id1753621594

Subscribe to The Flipside Podcast so you don't miss an episode!
https://rb.gy/uqi2an

[RETRO RALPH MERCHANDISE AND CONTACT INFO]

Get your Retro Ralph Merch Here:
https://bit.ly/2YS5ukX

Follow Retro Ralph on Twitter:
https://bit.ly/39mdqzy

Follow Retro Ralph On Instagram:
https://bit.ly/3fU1Dew

If you would like me to do a video review of your product or for other business inquiries, send me an email: retroralph1980@gmail.com

#Pinball #ModernPinball #SternPinball

The new Transformers pinball machine from Stern Pinball is finally here… but so is the controversy surrounding it.

In this episode, we dive deep into the rumor that Optimus Prime was originally supposed to transform in the game, where that rumor may have started, how the pinball community ran with it, and whether content creators helped create expectations that Stern themselves never officially promised.

We also discuss:
• The origins of the transforming Optimus rumor
• How leaks and insider information shape community expectations
• Whether Stern Pinball is being unfairly criticized
• The responsibility of pinball media and influencers
• The hypocrisy surrounding “confirmed” rumors
• Why social media and speculation can spiral out of control
• The actual gameplay, code, and features people are LOVING about Transformers

And to be fair, we also talk about the positives:
🔥 Fast and flowy layout
🔥 Strong launch code
🔥 Incredible G1 theme integration
🔥 Peter Cullen & Frank Welker callouts
🔥 Megatron and Soundwave mechs
🔥 “The Touch” mode and pure 80s nostalgia

This was a really interesting conversation and honestly one of the wildest examples of rumor culture in pinball we’ve seen in a while.

What do YOU think?
Did the community build expectations Stern never promised?
Or should Stern still be criticized for what people believed the game was going to include?

Looking to Buy a New or Used Pinball Machine?
Check out Flip N’ Out Pinball: https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL, and I might play it on the show!
https://www.speakpipe.com/RetroRalphVM

Looking for more Pinball Content? Check out my pinball podcast, “The Flipside Podcast.”
Video Version of the Podcast can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheFlipsideRetroRalph

Want to listen to the podcast instead? Here are links to Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Spotify Link To Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZF6rZGos5tFI77MaznZY

Apple Podcast Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flipside-pinball-podcast/id1753621594

Subscribe to The Flipside Podcast so you don't miss an episode!
https://rb.gy/uqi2an

[RETRO RALPH MERCHANDISE AND CONTACT INFO]

Get your Retro Ralph Merch Here:
https://bit.ly/2YS5ukX

Follow Retro Ralph on Twitter:
https://bit.ly/39mdqzy

Follow Retro Ralph On Instagram:
https://bit.ly/3fU1Dew

If you would like me to do a video review of your product or for other business inquiries, send me an email: retroralph1980@gmail.com

#pinball #sternpinball #transformerspinball #transformers #optimusprime #megatron #g1transformers #pinballpodcast #pinballmachine #arcade #retrogaming #pinballcommunity #pinballnews #arcadegaming #theflipside #retoralph #pinballlife #insiderconnected #autobots #decepticons #80stoys #80scartoons #gamingpodcast #youtubecreator #pinballwizard #pinballarcade #transformersg1 #podcast #viralvideo #newpinball

On this episode of The Flipside, we’re talking about the leak that lit up the pinball community — Stern accidentally showing images of the Transformers playfield and cabinet through the Insider Connected app.

We’ll break down what appeared, what it tells us about the game, how this may have slipped through, and what it could mean for Stern’s official reveal. The Autobots may not have rolled out on purpose… but they definitely rolled out.

Leaks, speculation, community reactions, and all the usual Flipside chaos.

Transformers Pinball is coming… and apparently Insider Connected wanted us to know early.

🕹️ LOOKING TO BUY A PINBALL MACHINE?
Visit Flip N’ Out Pinball for new and used machines:
👉 https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

📣 LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL
I might play it on the show!
🎙️ https://www.speakpipe.com/RetroRalphVM

🎯 WANT TO COMPETE?
Find a tournament near you on the official IFPA calendar:
👉 https://www.ifpapinball.com/calendar/

⸻

🎙️ CHECK OUT MY PINBALL PODCAST – “The Flipside”
📺 Watch the video version on YouTube:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheFlipsideRetroRalph

🎧 Prefer to listen? Subscribe here:
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZF6rZGos5tFI77MaznZY
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flipside-pinball-podcast/id1753621594

✅ Don’t miss an episode – Subscribe to The Flipside!
👉 https://shorturl.at/t2pVG

⸻

🛒 RETRO RALPH MERCH & CONTACT INFO
👕 Get your merch: https://bit.ly/2YS5ukX
🐦 Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/39mdqzy
📸 Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3fU1Dew

#pinball #transformers #sternpinball

The Goonies pinball rumors are heating up after a very interesting discovery inside Spooky Pinball’s Beetlejuice code. Did Spooky accidentally leak their next game, or is this just some clever pinball marketing?

In this episode of The Flipside, we dig into the Goonies rumors, the latest Beetlejuice momentum, Pokémon pinball drama, connected play, Scorbit, PinAccess, and all the big pinball community buzz from the last couple weeks.

If you love pinball news, rumors, hot takes, and community reactions, this one is for you.

🕹️ LOOKING TO BUY A PINBALL MACHINE?
Visit Flip N’ Out Pinball for new and used machines:
👉 https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

📣 LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL
I might play it on the show!
🎙️ https://www.speakpipe.com/RetroRalphVM

🎯 WANT TO COMPETE?
Find a tournament near you on the official IFPA calendar:
👉 https://www.ifpapinball.com/calendar/

⸻

🎙️ CHECK OUT MY PINBALL PODCAST – “The Flipside”
📺 Watch the video version on YouTube:
👉 / @theflipsideretroralph

🎧 Prefer to listen? Subscribe here:
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZF6rZ...
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

✅ Don’t miss an episode – Subscribe to The Flipside!
👉 https://shorturl.at/t2pVG

⸻

🛒 RETRO RALPH MERCH & CONTACT INFO
👕 Get your merch: https://bit.ly/2YS5ukX
🐦 Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/39mdqzy
📸 Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3fU1Dew

#goonies #pinball #beetlejuice

These are two wildly different games with two very different strengths, and the community has a lot to say about both of them. We’re breaking down how players are reacting to each title, where the praise is landing, where the criticism is coming from, and which game might actually matter more for the future of pinball.

Is Beetlejuice the ultimate theme-driven pinball machine?
Is Pokémon the mainstream hit that could bring more people into the hobby than almost anything else?
And which one holds up better when you get past the hype?

We’ll cover the good, the bad, the funny, and some of the most unhinged community takes we could find from places like Pinside, Reddit, and more.

🕹️ LOOKING TO BUY A PINBALL MACHINE?
Visit Flip N’ Out Pinball for new and used machines:
👉 https://www.flipnoutpinball.com/

📣 LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL
I might play it on the show!
🎙️ https://www.speakpipe.com/RetroRalphVM

🎯 WANT TO COMPETE?
Find a tournament near you on the official IFPA calendar:
👉 https://www.ifpapinball.com/calendar/

⸻

🎙️ CHECK OUT MY PINBALL PODCAST – “The Flipside”
📺 Watch the video version on YouTube:
👉 / @theflipsideretroralph

🎧 Prefer to listen? Subscribe here:
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZF6rZ...
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

✅ Don’t miss an episode – Subscribe to The Flipside!
👉 https://shorturl.at/t2pVG

⸻

🛒 RETRO RALPH MERCH & CONTACT INFO
👕 Get your merch: https://bit.ly/2YS5ukX
🐦 Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/39mdqzy
📸 Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3fU1Dew

#pokemon #beetlejuice #pinball