Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast BlahCade Pinball Podcast

Mel Kirk visits once again and chats with us about all things Zen from 2025, offering a sneak peek at what to expect in 2026.

These interview episodes tend to be fan favorites, and you won't want to miss this one at all!

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Discord: https://discord.gg/c6HmDcQhpq

Twitter: @BlahCade

If you would like us to feature or review your pinball-related product or have other inquiries, send an email to: BlahBlahBlahCade@gmail.com

The Lost Halloween episode! (that should have come out a few days ago but didn't, oops)Lots of pinball tidbits and a fair amount of talk about Alien: Earth

Two topics:

• Pinball we love to play despite being terrible at the tables.
• Look at the three tables in Zen's Williams Vol 9 pack: Pin*Bot, Taxi, and Who Dunnit

This time we go deep on how much it costs to either have the best Quest 3 VR experience with pinball or on a cabinet with AtGames Legends Pinball 4K.

There's a lot to consider, and we're fans of both options!

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-291/

Lara Croft and her raiding of tombs have been turned into two different pinball tables by Zen, and we're here to take a swan dive into them!

Includes gameplay footage from the VR version.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-290/

Continued discussion of the Arcade2TV-XR controller and the software it comes with, Arcade Ranger and Pinball FX VR.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-289/

On this episode, we discuss if the Arcade2TV-XR controller is the controller all us digital pinball players have been waiting for...or if it misses the mark. This is mostly a hardware discussion as we are saving the software discussion for next time.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-288/

The podcast provides an extensive and enthusiastic exploration of VR pinball gaming, focusing heavily on the Quest 3 headset experience, Pinball FX VR software, mixed reality features, and hardware peripherals such as the X Arcade controller.

The discussion covers technical setup, immersive gameplay mechanics, accessory recommendations, and community-focused future features.Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-287/

In this episode, we dive into Zen's announcement for Pinball FX VR!

We also give our gut reaction to the Kickstarter for Wonderland Amusement's Alice Goes To Wonderland pinball machine. Is it a toy or is it more to it than this label?

https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-286/

This go around we've got a show packed full of shorter pinball topics:

• Zen being unusually quiet
• A new Wikipidia page about Pinball FX
• How to fight pinball doldrums
• Tables you should give another chance
• Zaccaria Pinball's new look!

Enjoy the mixed bag!https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-285/

It's the annual tradition of Chris giving his review of movies seen in the past year.

But first, re-piping a house and the reveal from AtGames of what Zen titles are coming to ALP 4K through Aug of '25.

https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-284/

Three new tables have been added to Pinball FX as well as a whole new way to play Zen on a mobile app, Pinball World.

Plus, there's new content from Zen for AtGames Legends Pinball 4K!

So. Much. Pinball!

https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-283/

Chris and Jared respond to a comment thread regarding the interview with Mel Kirk.

Also, they discuss what the highlights of the interview were in our opinion.

https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-282/

Our annual discussion with Zen Studios COO Mel Kirk is here to talk all things pinball that happened in 2024 and a sneak peak at what to expect in 2025.

It is fantastic to hear things from the source and fuel speculation of what will come.

Thank you to all of those who sent questions in for Mel.

If linking to any portion of this video or featuring this video in another original piece of content, follow the CC-BY (Attribution) requirements of the video license.

Show Notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-280/

This is an excerpt from our interview (episode 280) with Zen Studios COO coming out next week.

This small bit is all about Zen and their partnership with AtGames this past year and into 2025.

If linking to any portion of this video, or featuring this video in another original piece of content, follow the CC-BY (Attribution) requirements of the YouTube license from which this audio is generated.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-281/

This go around Chris got his hands on Stern's Jurassic Park Home Edition at his local Costco and is here to address that price point.

Also on the show we look at the WORST pinball machines from Bally, Data East, Gottlieb, Sega, Stern, and Williams.

Let's see what debate that starts!

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-279/

Two new Zen tables to discuss in this episode:

• The Princess Bride
• Goat Simulator Pinball.

But first we discuss a bit about Stern's Uncanny X-Men.

After the table talk, Chris talks a lot about recent movies he has watched, including why he loves Alien Romulus so much!

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-278/

What would you put into a pinball machine if you could design your own from the ground up?

Chris and Jared debate over a list of things you normally find in pinball machines and build out their dream tables.

Should a table have flow, or will it be stop-and-go? Should you have drop targets everywhere or stand-up targets for sharpshooters to aim at?

Perhaps you'll join in and give your grail pinball fit-out in the comments? We'd love to hear what you reckon would make your table "just right" for you!

We touch briefly on the news about The Princess Bride and Goat Simulator releases coming later in August, but expect more detailed coverage about that after we get to play with the tables. https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-277/

In this episode, Chris and Jared break down all the advantages and disadvantages of owning a real pinball machine versus a digital pinball cabinet. https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-276/

Since the last episode, seven tables have dropped on Pinball FX!

Chris and Jared take a look at them through an abbreviated play-through.

Before that happens, Chris talks about Zen's 45 new table packs coming to AtGames Legends Pinball 4K. https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-275/

Chris explains why the Gottlieb packs for the AtGames Legends Pinball 4K might leave you wondering if FarSight even tried. Also, three tables were announced for Pinball FX, so we give our thoughts based on what is in the trailer before they release in May 2024. Follow us on Twitter: @BlahCade If you would like us to feature or review your pinball-related product or have other inquiries, send an email to: BlahBlahBlahCade@gmail.com #pinball #pinballfx #atgames

The boys dig into Chris' initial impressions of the ALP 4K now that he's had some time with it. Follow us on Twitter: @BlahCade If you would like us to feature or review your pinball-related product or have other inquiries, send an email to: BlahBlahBlahCade@gmail.com #pinball #atgames #zenstudios

Zen Studios has partnered with Netflix for a free with subscription game called Zen Pinball Masters. Not only that, the studio has also released a brand new table, System Shock, for their Pinball M platform. Gregg from  @SpaciesArcade  also produced some cool videos to help Chris with VPX so he can get started fast with the AtGames Legends 4K Pinball and PC OTG. Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-272/

They may not be the best, and they may not be our favorites, but these are the top 10 Zen Originals we always have a game or two on when booting up Pinball FX.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-271/

Chris became an EM owner since the last episode with a Gottlieb Target Alpha, and it was as close to a barn find to be had without the actual barn!

Things start with the annual tradition of the best movies seen in 2023 and the worst.

Show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-270/

It's an annual tradition of having Zen COO Mel Kirk join us to discuss everything happening with Zen Studios and reflect upon what was a massive year for the studio.

We discuss Pinball M, AtGames ALP 4K, and what to expect in 2024.

The interview is shorter than the ones we have done in the past because we used to ask about development stuff, which Mel is no longer close enough to. Interview summary is available from https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-269/

Zen Studios just announced 14 new tables coming to Pinball FX within 1 week of each other! What??

We start the show by looking at AtGames's changes to the ALP 4K and some new SKUs they announced in partnership with Zen Studios.

We then delve into all the new things and discuss the announced quality-of-life patches coming to the game. Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-268/

We unbox the AtGames Legends Pinball Arcade Control Panel, look at the Pinball M demo, and show some differences with South Park in Pinball FX compared with Pinball FX2.

Show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-267/

The announcement about the partnership between AtGames and Zen Studios came out of the blue, so here we are reacting to it!

Yep, Zen has moved on from Arcade 1Up and instead has partnered with AtGames for their upcoming 4K pinball cabinet.

We've got plenty of questions and only a few answers.

Check out https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-266/ for show notes.

Join us as we discuss which of the 34 remaining tables from The Pinball Arcade we'd like most to see next come to Pinball FX.

Oh, and also some IMAX talk and the fact that Chris might experience a hurricane for the first time in SoCal.

Check out the show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-264/

Our favorite sort of episode: one filled with speculation!

Zen soft announced Pinball M, a mature-rated, horror-themed pinball experience coming soon.

We dig into what is, what might be, and what should be with this new product line.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-263/

Get comfy because this is probably our longest show yet!

We go over what we think are the best of the 29 tables (Williams and Zen Originals) that are new in Pinball FX, as voted on by you, our viewers.

If you are a new adopter of the Nintendo Switch version or new to the Pinball FX platform, we hope these results help you start a strong collection. Show notes with the nominations and results at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-262/

We had the opportunity to send several questions to Peter 'Deep' Grafl, the lead pinball designer at Zen.

Today we share his answers with all of you!

Show notes and other links at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-260/

Here we go again, our favorite thing to do: speculation!

Zen's latest Pinball Show gave us lots to chew on, and chew we do:

• Is South Park coming back?
• Will we see a Harry Potter table?
• Are Twilight Zone and Whirlwind next on the Williams collection?

But first, Chris declares his addiction to Oakley frames and old-school watches.

He will happily accept offers of any frames you might want to part with!

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-258/

In a change of pace for us, we discuss actual pinball machines!

Three new machines have all been announced in the last few weeks, with Play Mechanix's Pulp Fiction grabbing Chris' attention.
Now if only we had a spare $10,000 lying around.

We also look at JJP's The Godfather and Stern Pinball's Foo Fighters to balance out the discussion.
Can Zen Studios learn lessons from these newer games and their designers?

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-257/

We're taking a spin on Peanuts Snoopy Pinball and Garfield Pinball, the last two carryovers from the Zen Pinball Party mobile app, into Pinball FX.   

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-256/

Whelp, PinFX is here!

We look at how Zen went about their "festering" of Bally's The Addams Family and discuss some of the tweaks made from Early Access.

Then we play a bit of pinball, mainly the two new Gearbox titles being _Borderlands: Vault Hunter_ and _Brothers in Arms: Win the War_ pinball.

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-255/

Zen's Pinball FX platform is officially coming out of Early Access and onto PlayStation and Xbox consoles on February 16!

Chris and Jared take a look at 80+ titles available at launch and give some clarification to title transfers.

Show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-254/

Before we play, we first discuss what was curiously missing from Arcade 1Up's CES announcement: pinball cabinets.

Who could Zen have partnered with to produce the next generation of cabinets?

After that, it's off to play _Plants vs. Zombies_ and _Ms 'Splosion Man_. These two tables never came to FX3 and almost certainly won't to PinFX either.

This is a video-heavy episode so if you are a podcast listener, take this opportunity to check out the YouTube video linked in this post.

Show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-253/

It's that time of year again when Zen Chief Operations Officer Mel Kirk visits the show and talks all things Zen pinball.

Get tons of info related to the upcoming console releases of Pinball FX, The Addams Family, and the decision behind removing ticket pricing.

And, of course, Mel's responses to our questions go several levels of detail deeper than you'll get elsewhere.

Our interviews are not marketing-focused: we're about the business side of digital pinball.

Show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-252/

We do a play-through of the indie game The Pinball Wizard by Frosty Pop and then do the same for Zen's latest Bally recreation World Cup Soccer '94.

There is some bonus TV talk at the show's end. If you're looking for new entertainment, perhaps some of these shows could be right for you.

In this episode, we talk about the game Inks and how it is now available on Android.

We do a Let's Play of this title and talk through the chilled-out elements of the gameplay.

We also discuss the 12 "new to Pinball FX" Star Wars tables added, along with the Hasbro My Little Pony table from Zen Pinball Party.

These tables also get the Let's Play treatment, so check the video for that part of the show if you're an audio-only fan.

We could see many more Zen Pinball Party tables come over now the exclusivity period has ended.

The Pro Mode feature for Williams tables is out now, and we share our thoughts about this heavily requested feature.

Show notes available from https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-248/

We speculate a bit about what is coming up from Zen in Pinball FX for September, October, and November.  

We then dive into the live play of Zen's latest, Homeworld: Journey to Higara Pinball.  

Is this Zen Original a "buy now" or "don't bother"?  

Show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-246/

It has been a bit of a quiet year regarding commercial digital pinball.

Chris and Jared break down what has happened throughout this year and predict how the year may end based on what we know now.

There is also a break from the usual pinball talk with a discussion about the new Predator _Prey_ movie and a few other returning shows to check out.

Well, people sure did have things to say about our previous episode featuring RetroPlay!
We try not to kick the hornet's nest once more and probably fail.  
You decide.  

But we start the show with Jared talking about the BPAP 2022 festival in Brisbane, and we finish with a "Let's Play" of Zen's latest original table, "Grimm Tales".  

There's some bonus play of Williams' "The Machine: Bride of Pinbot" (BoP for short).  

Show notes: https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-244/

We usually stay clear of VPX discussions.

But we saw what Retroplay is doing with a new app in their cabinets that takes all the hassle out of installing VPX tables, so they work well.

With this being a major frustration point for Chris and me, we decided to talk with them.

David Gilmore joins us for an in-depth discussion about the software and hardware solutions he has created to make pinball more accessible.

We also discuss a great solution for pinheads who like to play in VR.

Check out https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-243/ for the show notes.

It's the end of an era! The digitalpinballfans.com forum is closing at the end of July 2022.

We go down memory lane and talk about how the site hugely impacted digital pinball's growth and our reason for existing as a podcast.

Oh, and Bride of Pinbot got announced, so we talk a little about what we've seen.

Check out the beautiful graphics in our show notes at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-242/

This week, we discuss Pinball FX's latest new table _Swords of Fury_.

We also dive into the announcement about Zen Studios collaborating with Toho Studios for a trio of Monsterverse tables due to crash through buildings in late 2022.

Then, of course, cabinet mode is now available in Early Access.

Is it worth trying out at the moment?

Show notes available from https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-241/ 

A must-watch episode as Zen's very own Mel Kirk joins us once more on the show to talk about the current state of Pinball FX, where the platform is heading, and how your feedback affects the game.

The effort for Pinball FX is "a marathon, not a sprint" as Mel repeatedly says throughout this interview.

Get your runners on and pace yourself for another great chat.

Extensive show notes are available at https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-240/

Join us as we look at Zen's roadmap of future tables.

We also offer our first impressions of the new World War Z table from the Paramount Pinball collection.

Finally, we share our opinions on the three latest Zen originals: Noir, Curse of the Mummy, and Sky Pirates.

Read https://www.blahcadepinball.com/blahcade-239 for the show notes and imagery from World War Z.