The Electric Playground Reveals Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” Topper (plus an interview with Rob Rath)

After a little bit of an advanced teaser campaign, today, topper-makers and TWIPY award winners The Electric Playground fully revealed their latest offering, the Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” Topper for Chicago Gaming Company’s (CGC) 2023 release, Pulp Fiction. 

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The topper is a non-licensed product and meant to complement CGC’s Special Edition model of the game, which is their base-level trim and one that shipped without an included topper.

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Typical of recent TEP topper releases, the “Double Tap” topper makes innovative use of fully integrated mechanical pinball action, as well as SFX and light shows that serve to further immerse the player in the world of the film, as well as provide helpful sensory clues that aid the player during live gameplay sessions. A particular highlight is the use of gunshot SFX when the game’s multiplier feature is ready to collect. 

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This release is the second to use Brad Albright for the art package following his work for the Attack from Mars topper. It’s also the first official release with new hire Nick Neitzel (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater) on board in a full-time role.  

The topper is available for pre-order now at teppinball.com and will start shipping within the next few weeks. Toppers are listed at $1,479 and limited to 300 individually numbered units. Each purchase also comes with a limited “Double Tap” magnetic apron badge inscribed with your item number. 

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In advance of the release, we had the pleasure of chatting with TEP co-founder Rob Rath about some of his team's efforts. 

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A “Double Tap” Interview with Rob Rath

Colin: Last time we talked in this space, you had just announced the upcoming release of the Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” Topper, which at the time had been in the works for the last six months or so. How relieved are you for release day? 

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RR: It has been a while in the making, but we’ve had others that were baked for longer but it’s good to see it go out! This topper is special because we had a new team member contributing, Nick Neitzel who joined in January of this year. It was a big accomplishment to pull him into the process in the middle of the lead-up to a release. 

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Needless to say, the team is really excited (relieved) to have it out there. We’ve built about 5 so far, and we’ll be off to the races on the first 25 next week!

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Colin: The focus today is going to be on the new topper (and rightly so), but I wanted to take a minute to ask you about some of your launch activities and what that production experience was like. For an upstart accessory manufacturer, your launch communications have been impressive. If I can give folks a peek behind the curtain, you’ve assembled a full media kit with a press release, fact sheet, multiple pieces of video content, product photos, a TEP brand kit, and a few other odds and ends. Talk a bit about how all that comes together, the time it takes to create, and why it’s a part of your release strategy.

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RR: Each release adds a bit more to the mix. For our last 5 toppers (and including this one) I had to go back to memory for all the things I did for previous launches. This time around, I set up a launch tasklist that was far more detailed, and that will serve as a roadmap for the next launch. Beyond that, I’ve been doing product launches for companies (even before pinball) for a long time, so some of this comes second nature at this point. 

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We also had the pleasure of working with Mason Conrad on our video for this launch. Mason works with Retro Ralph on his content, and Ralph introduced us to Mason. This is our first project together, and we’re very excited about what he’s created for us.

Colin: Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” is your sixth official topper release since founding TEP in 2022. Looking back on day one versus now, what are some key lessons you’ve learned? How have things changed from what you first envisioned?

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RR: We know more than ever that we have to keep pushing the creative and innovation envelope on our products, both for ourselves and for what people expect from our toppers. 

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It’s quite a daunting task, but it’s also the most exciting part. Our definition of what achieves this is highly personal to every team member. We’ve also learned that it must manifest itself early in the idea or we should move on. So, I think just being aware of that and how that ultimately ties into the success of the product down the line is the most important lesson I’ve learned. 

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Colin: While the production quality might indicate otherwise, this release is not officially licensed, which impacts your production approach. What is it like trying to bring to life an unlicensed product for an iconic property like Pulp Fiction? I imagine it’s challenging to walk the line between executing your creative vision without violating copyright laws. I like how it seems like you were still able to incorporate iconography (Katana blade, gunshot SFX) that makes it feel within the universe of Pulp Fiction IP.

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RR: We talk about licensing very early on in every project. Can we get the license… is the idea violating a license if it’s not licensed… and can the idea survive factoring in the related consequences of not using something people recognize? 

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With our Pulp Fiction Topper, it played out in an interesting way. We knew we wanted to bring back the ball action from Twilight Zone, but did not know for which title. 

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We ultimately decided on Pulp Fiction because we fell in love with the idea of the ball being a bullet that traveled out of one gun and into the other. When we approached the artist (Brad Albright) about this, he brought to our attention that the extreme amount of perspective (depth of field) that he was going to have to apply to the characters to achieve the “circular” look we wanted was pretty outside of the box for illustrative art. That ultimately presented the opportunity - combined with the sunset scene that changes visually as the colors change -  to lean into obscuring the character's faces through shadows. Later, we ran with that on a creative and technical level to achieve the result that just wouldn't be nearly as cool if the faces were fully drawn.

Colin: One of the aspects of your topper work that I appreciate is that it seems you’re always using the topper as a means for improving the way the game communicates with the player, mostly through mechanisms that can be processed with periphery senses, so that the gameplay experience isn’t interrupted. For example, in your AFM topper, you used clever light shows to indicate ready game features, and in Pulp Fiction, you’re adding sound and mechanical action to that mix so that the player knows when to collect important scoring components. How intentional is this approach for your team? Are you ever starting from a place of wondering how the game can do a better job of telling the player what to do, or is it more of a natural byproduct of the process?

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RR: Yes. As an example, it started from there with our Godzilla Topper, and while our owners love how interactive it is (13 interactive elements), we found that it took a lot for potential buyers to appreciate, and that came at the expense of a difficult product to communicate and an installation time that was longer than we wanted due to needing a lot of sensors and connectors capturing information under the playfield. 

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With Pulp we wanted to focus on one key gameplay element, and that kind of works since it’s a more simple game. As we played the game, we realized how critical the playfield multiplier can be, and the fact that it can go up to 6x… and it’s untimed! We’re hoping some folks learn a bit more about this opportunity in the game, since it’s a big focus of the topper. 

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The way it works is that when you have activated the playfield multiplier in the game - by hitting the 2 big kahuna targets up top - the gun flasher lights (below the watch on the right) are active. When that flasher is going, you’ll get the “Double Tap” ball/sfx/light action on the Topper until you collect it. It will fire roughly every 30 seconds to audibly remind you the multiplier is ready to collect. We thought that was a great reason for the feature to exist, and was the core concept from very early on.

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Anyways… to answer your question, yeah we think a lot about it ;)

Colin: This marks your second project with artist Brad Albright and first with Nick Neitzel on the team. What was it like working with this expanded (and increasingly familiar) team?

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RR: Familiarity is always nice, but these guys are just awesome people to work with, and that is the most important thing. We’ll keep working with Brad as long as he’ll have us. 

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Having Nick on board full-time has been a dream come true, in every sense of the phrase. He’s brought so much to this topper in a short amount of time; the SFX, dynamic ring lighting (it changes every time), and the fact that it’s triggered by an actual opto in the topper; that was all him in the last month and was not part of the plan 30 days ago. We’re very excited he’s come up to speed so fast and we can’t wait to explore a “from scratch” topper idea with him on our next topper.

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Colin: Did you get any input or feedback from the Chicago Gaming Company team? Even though this is a complementary product, I sometimes wonder how the manufacturers feel about efforts like these! 

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RR: Cary Hardy was nice enough to introduce us to one of the key CGC folks at an event and he was extremely supportive of the topper. He felt like it would help CGC sell more SE games. 

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We also have spoken multiple times with another key team member and showed him some early sketches at Expo last year. His comment was, “Looks cool, our’s is better.” I freaking loved it. Such a great guy, and looking forward to hearing what he thinks now ;) 

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For the record, there was no explicit/written approval or support, but that’s ok. I hope they like it, and because they didn’t offer a topper to their SE customers, I hope they too collectively feel it’s a win-win.

Colin: We’ve included all relevant ordering information in the final article, but is there anything else interested buyers should know about the Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” Topper? I know there are only 300, so I imagine they will sell out fast! 

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RR: We’re doing a full interview with Gonzo’s Pinball podcast, that will be live early next week, so probably some more behind-the-scenes stuff there. You can also check our 4-minute “How it’s Made” video here and Doug @ COOLTOY has released the first review and installation overview. 

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Also lastly I just want to give a shout out to our customers. The amount of people who have purchased 2, 3, 4, and even 5 means so much to us. We can’t wait to get this one in your hands!

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For more info on the release, see the official press release, which is copied below. 

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Pulp Fiction "Double Tap" Topper Press Release

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Overview

Coming at you with great vengeance and furious anger, The Electric Playground proudly presents its 6th topper, the “Double Tap” Topper for the one and only Pulp Fiction Pinball! 

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Fully compatible with all versions of CGC’s iconic game, this topper features a dynamic art package by the infamous Brad Albright and custom light shows synchronized with all the in-game action. And for the first time in pinball, we’re bringing sound to the tops of your games with the “Double Tap” action sequence that releases a physical pinball timed with custom gunshot audio and muzzle flash lighting effects! 

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Limited to 300 editions, one thing’s for sure, this topper is a bad motherf***er!!

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Full Description and Features

CGC’s Pulp Fiction Pinball is a game that stands on its own in most people’s lineups and now collectors will be able to take their games to the next level with the inclusion of this custom topper and limited edition badging! 

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Bringing the thrills of the in-game experience to the tops of games everywhere, this unique topper experience ties directly into the game’s GI and multiball lighting to mimic all of the game’s rich colors and light sequences.

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Players and viewers alike will see (and hear!) when its time to collect the playfield multiplier with the topper’s first-of-its-kind “Double Tap” feature that releases a physical pinball accompanied by custom gunshot SFX, and dynamic muzzle lighting when activated in-game and during various multiballs. Powered by custom-mounted speakers on each side of the topper, the gunshot SFX are fully adjustable using the volume control knob on the back.   

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Once again we have partnered with Brad Albright to create a Pulp Fiction world, centered around a multi-layered “Diner Scene” that captures the intensity of the movie’s final sequence. Bookended by ominous Jules and Vincent silhouettes and anchored by Butch’s weapon of choice, the custom art package is printed on 11 art panels and is backed by a mirror finish cloud layer and katana blade that matches the game’s translite.

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Each topper is accompanied by limited “Double Tap” edition magnetic apron badging that will help set your game apart and show off your chosen production number. Numbers can be chosen when the final payment is due and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis (starting with early waitlist members in order of waitlist signup).

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Finally, giving something to those Bad Mother Flipper edition owners to be jealous about!  

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Feature List

• Industry-first pinball action + SFX built into a pinball topper, activated by the game
• Jules and Vincent “Double Tap” Gunshot Ball action, SFX, and muzzle flash lightshow when the Playfield Multiplier is ready to collect (activated by the flasher below the watch) and during various multiball lightshows
• This unique “Double Tap” feature acts as an audio queue to collect the playfield multiplier when it’s available, which can be built up to 6x in the game.
• The audio volume can be adjusted (or turned off completely) via a knob on the back of the topper. The audio plays approximately every 30 seconds while the gun flasher is lit, a frequency we found is just often enough to remind you to collect this important feature, but not feel overly repetitive.
• Includes 650+ controlled LEDs. Topper Lighting is synced with the GI and Multiball Lighting in the game, bringing the exact same deep green, yellow, red, ultraviolet and rainbow light shows features in the various multiballs into the topper’s general illumination. Leveraging the unique layering of art in the topper, these colored lightshows create dynamic scenes that bring the ominous character of Jules and Vincent to life on the topper
• Mirror finish Katana blade captures the moment Butch and Marsellus make their way out of the pawn shop and honors Tarrantio’s fan favorite “Kill Bill”
• Enhanced game startup sequence;  experience the “Gun’s Cocked” SFX and lightshow when your topper powers on with your machine
• Production is Limited to 300, individually numbered, and includes a custom collector box
• Easy 30-minute installation - just 3 connection points inside the game
• Full video installation guide available here, no soldering or wire cutting necessary
• Bolts securely to the top of the machine using existing mounts
• Powered through the service port plug inside the machine, no cutting or soldering. Turns on and off with your game.
• Made in St. Louis, MO USA by the Award-winning TEP team, 1 Year Warranty
• Lifetime support - Phone, email & text support included  
• Overall height 10”  7.5 lbs. Product Dimensions 23.25 W x 9.5” D  x 10” H