The Golden Age of Pinball: Is It Happening RIGHT NOW?

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? 00:31 Are We in the Golden Age of Pinball? 01:26 Moving the Retro Ralph Studio 04:28 Sponsor: Flip N' Out Pinball 05:15 How I Got Into Modern Pinball 07:16 Why Deep Rules Matter at Home 12:47 Revisiting John Wick Pinball 15:16 Modern Pinball Is More Software-Driven 21:39 How Nostalgia Shapes Pinball Opinions 25:22 Transformers Pinball and the Optimus Debate 31:02 Sonic Pinball and Steve Ritchie 35:31 Mechs vs. Code: What Really Matters? 44:58 Is This the Golden Era 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:    / @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/62ZF6rZ... Apple Podcast Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 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: [email protected] #Pinball #ModernPinball #SternPinball