When there’s something strange in the pinball neighborhood, who you gonna call? Well, if it has to do with a custom Ghostbusters pinball machine, then you should probably call Brian Stahl. Stahl, who goes by username “Betelgeuse” on RGP and Pinside forums, worked for over 14 months creating this custom conversion. Starting with a heavily worn Flash Gordon pinball machine, Stahl sanded, painted, printed, and programmed until he ended up with a fully-working ultimate tribute to the 1984 classic movie.
This is all pretty impressive for someone who isn’t a professional electronics engineer or full-time graphic designer. According to Brian, he’s just a “bean-counter” with a passion for pinball.
Well, i’m not an electronics engineer or anything. I did focus in graphic design back in school. I got pretty good with Photoshop and I have done countless pro-bono flyer, signage, newsletter and website jobs over the years (including for the Pittsburgh Pinball League). Aside from that I have just been fixing and maintaining my own collection of games for the last 6+ years.
Electronically, aside from a custom sound board that boasts over 40 quotes from the movie and all your favorite musical selections, the game is Bally stock from its days as a Flash Gordon. The game debuted this past June for its first public appearance at the Pittsburgh Pinball Open followed by a stint at the PAPA 15 World Pinball Championship in August. I’m sure that everyone who had a chance to play this game came away thinking “Bustin’ makes me feel good!”
For more information on the project including a detailed history, information on printing and installation, programming, and plenty of picture visit Brian’s website. For now, enjoy the following video which shows off the sounds and features of this fantastic game. Hey Brian, next time someone asks you if you’re a pinball god, you say “Yes!”
Simply awesome, would have been an superb title to really make.
Woah nelly, how about them apslpe!