Wedgehead Pinball Podcast
A biweekly pinball podcast brought to you by the people that run Wedgehead, a pinball bar in Portland, Oregon. Each week Alan and Alex discuss a different pinball topic, with a focus on location play, often with other interesting guests. Support our show: https://ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast If you have any questions, or might want to guest on a future episode, please email : wedgeheadinfo@gmail.com.
Episodes
Support the show and receive a link to the private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
Local legend Cory Butcher joins us on the show to defend his love for the 1992 Gottlieb game, Cue Ball Wizard. On paper this game sold well, and earned well back in the day, but for some reason it hasn't aged so well in the 30 years since its release. Thankfully Butcher is here to educate all of us.
As is tradition, profanity is used througho...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
Seattle pinball player and creator of the kickass pinball ratings website, pinballranker.com brings us all his episode that he wrote and recorded all about what he believes to be "The Best Game Ever"
Warning: like all of our normal episodes, Conor has also chosen to use adult language, this is your warning.
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
In this episode we dive deep into the pinball career of one of pinball's most successful designers. Barry designed over 30 pinball machines in the solid state era, sold obscene amounts of his designs, single handedly saved pinball in 1984, and was always a team player and a kind and willing collaborator. Despite all this, he's almost ...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
It took me awhile, but the second episode of my pinball economics series is finally here, and I am exploring the concept of "value" as it pertains to the business of pinball operating. It all starts with: Is looking at the coinbox overrated?
I hope you all enjoy this second deep dive into the life of pinball operating and the underlyi...
Help support the show and receive a link to our private discord community: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
We are joined by longtime supporter of the bar and podcast, Conor Wilson who created an awesome new website to make ranking your favorite pinball machines that makes it simple, easy, and fun to do, and allows you to share your lists with your other pinball friends.
You can start your journey here at: pinballranker.com
As always, some ...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
We are back and celebrating the best games in all categories and handing out awards for the best pinball machines of 1995!
Warning: Adult Language is used.
Support the show & get a link to our private discord channel: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
In this episode Alex went into the lab and locked himself away to run the tests and to finally come up with the “Top Ten Games of All Time: No Opinions, Just Facts” list and that's what we're sharing with you on this episode.
Everybody knows the pinside list is deeply flawed and skewed towards brand new games, but the real top ten...
Support the show and receive your link to the private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
Bonus Episode of the show coming at you featuring two local portland players and friends who met through the discord for this show, Rob and Miggy! They recorded this episode to tell everybody why they love Pat Lawlor and his 1992 game "The Addams Family" so much.
You can hear the excitement in their voices and no, the playback has not been sped ...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
There's something very different about Stern's latest game, and for really the first time ever on the show, we're breaking from our normal format and covering a brand-new game from the location player and operator's perspective. This feels like a historic moment, and so we're going to talk about the first couple weeks of Pokémon on location...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
In this episode we cover the 20 machines that Gottlieb made from 1982-1985 and discuss all the weird, strange, wacky, and good games and innovative designs that they churned out during the doldrum years of the mid 1980s.
But buckle up, there's adult language throughout.
Support the show and get a link to our private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
Our friend Lisa, a pinball tech at Next Level comes on the show to defend her love for Stern's Austin Powers machine from 2001, and makes sure to state clearly that she does NOT like the movies at all. We read all the bad reviews we could find online and Lisa educates us on why they are all wrong.
But be warned if this is your first time, we do use adu...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
In this episode Alan sets the record straight on the true greatest game of all time, Dennis Nordman's masterpiece, 1993's Whitewater made by Williams. Listen to us discuss why Whitewater not only excels in all aspects, but why it truly transcends the medium.
Normal disclaimer: We curse when we get excited, and this episode is about the GOAT, so the...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
In this episode we discuss 6 names from the EM era that you should be aware of, two from each of the Big Three of Williams, Bally and Gottlieb. This episode really is a love letter to EM machines, and all the very talented designers of pinball's most popular, but least celebrated era.
But as always, we use some adult language when we get really exc...
Support the show and receive a link to the private discord channel: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
AJ of Flip a Coin in Colorado is back to discuss the current affairs of operating brand new pinball machines in the year 2026 and beyond. AJ buys lots of new games from Stern, Barrels of Fun, JJP, and CGC and he's here to cut through all the marketing talk and just discuss the business side of buying NIB games and trying to make money with...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord channel: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
This episode we explore the period from 1995-1999 when Gary Stern successfully convinced another Japanese arcade game manufacturer to partner with him and rebrand from Data East to Sega for the North American coin-op pinball market.
These games are mostly pretty low production run games, with some clear cost cutting measures in place, and t...
Support the show and grab a link to our private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
In this episode we are joined on the show by veteran pinball machine mover, casual on location pinball player, and Alex's wife, Megan aka the Watergirl and she is here to give her thoughts on all the 2025 pinball releases from her unique perspective as a non-nerd, and non middle-aged man.
Hear about how the average pinball player views all these games...
Support the show and get access to our private discord: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
This whole episode is Alex trying to describe to the listener why there has never been a good center ramp in a pinball machine, and even the ones that you think are good, aren't actually center ramps (according to him).
As always when discussing niche nerd topics, we speak fluent profanity in the episode.
Support the show and get access to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
For the first and probably only time, we bring you the Wedgehead Podcast Holiday Special! So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and listen to us as we run down the best holiday games from pinball's past, what to buy for the pinhead in your life, and a good reminder of what this season is really all about: PINBALL!
Warning: We were in the holiday spirit, ...
Support the show and receive a link to our private discord server: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
This week's episode has us exploring the history of the ball save in pinball, why it has grown bigger over time, and whether or not it was actually all a big mistake.
But we do curse throughout the show...this is your warning.
Support the show, and join our discord by donating to: ko-fi.com/wedgeheadpodcast
Former guest of the show, and video game designer Paul Michael Melio gave us this bonus episode to share on our channel with the first edition of BEST GAME EVER!
Hear about why Jaws is Paul's favorite game of all time, and maybe why it should be yours as well.
Warning: We must've rubbed off on Paul, because he does curse while he describes his love for J...
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