Foo Fighters Take Center Stage at PinSeekers DeForest

A crisp 46°F and a clear sky welcomed players to the PinSeekers Stern Army April 2025 Tournament in DeForest, Wisconsin. Hosted on April 3 at 6:30 PM, this rapid-fire showdown packed a double round robin format into just under two hours of pinball madness. Six players, four pins, and nonstop head-to-head action meant elbows were bumpin’, flippers were snappin’, and tilt warnings were flying before the first pretzel had even cooled.

Michael Williams kept the whole thing running smoother than a well-waxed plunger, managing a bracket that saw each player face every other competitor across six total games. It’s pinball chess—except faster and with way more multiballs.

More Than Just Mini Golf

PinSeekers DeForest is the kind of place that sneaks up on you—in a good way. Located just off River Road, this Wisconsin outpost combines high-tech golf with a surprisingly vibrant arcade and pinball scene tucked downstairs. Sure, the pizza gets good reviews, but it’s the mega pretzel piled high with bratwurst and cheese that makes it a Wisconsin rite of passage. Between rounds, players could sneak in some bowling, snack like champs, or contemplate whether they really needed a salad that good at a sports entertainment center. Spoiler: they did.

And while staff were flying solo on a packed Saturday, the vibe stayed upbeat, with first-timers already planning their return. It’s the kind of spot where local leagues could flourish and families discover the joy of silverball together. A pinball community seed? Planted.

Foo Fighters Shreds Its Way to MVP

Foo Fighters Premium showed up like the headliner it is, being played in five of the six matchups during the tournament—basically the flipper equivalent of a crowd-surfing encore.

Released in March 2023 by Stern Pinball, this machine marks the full design debut of Jack Danger, a name most folks in the pinball world already knew from his high-energy Twitch streams and deep love for the game. This was his first major commercial design, and he didn’t just show up—he arrived with a custom ruleset, original animations, and an entirely invented alien-fighting backstory built around the Foo Fighters themselves.

Backing Danger up was a pinball A-team:

• Zombie Yeti on artwork, bringing a comic-book style that explodes with color and character.
• Raymond Davidson, a top-ranked competitive player and seasoned coder, co-led software development with Tanio Klyce, crafting a ruleset that balances accessibility and depth.
• Jerry Thompson handled sound and audio, mixing Foo Fighters tracks with energetic callouts and a soundscape that genuinely helps build gameplay rhythm.
• Animations were original, hand-drawn, and packed with easter eggs for fans of the band and the hobby.

Gameplay-wise, this pin is a kinetic dream. The upper playfield (yes, there’s one), fast looping shots, and a sneaky combo system mean it rewards players who love momentum. The main gimmick? You’re fighting the evil alien overlord “The Overlord” and freeing trapped members of the Foo Fighters from cities around the world—each mode is tied to a real location and a unique objective. It’s like a rock tour turned interstellar rescue mission.

The game even introduced a new ball lock system in the form of a “deadpost” save—an innovative mechanical feature that lets players attempt a real-time recovery of a left outlane drain. When it works, it’s electric. When it doesn’t… well, you’ll still look cool trying.

Foo Fighters is fast becoming a modern classic—partly because it’s fun, partly because it looks incredible, and mostly because it’s built by people who genuinely get pinball.

Silverball Heroes of the Night

This tournament didn’t just pick random pins off the floor. The lineup at PinSeekers DeForest was a carefully curated blend of high-speed flow, punishing layouts, and good old-fashioned multiball chaos. Here’s what players had to tame:

Foo Fighters (Premium/LE)
You’ve already heard me sing its praises (scroll up if you missed the encore), but let’s reiterate: Foo Fighters is fast, creative, and jam-packed with innovation. It’s got one of the freshest designs Stern’s released in years, with a custom storyline, hand-drawn animations, and a layout that never lets your flippers rest. You’re fighting aliens, saving the band, and building combos that flow like a live solo.

Metallica (Pro)
This 2013 release by designer John Borg is a certified crowd favorite—and a certified flipper melter. Art by Dirty Donny Gillies gives the machine its grimy metal charm, while the gameplay revolves around stacking multiballs, building song modes, and lighting up the Sparky toy (a tiny, electrified execution dummy that doubles as the center target). It’s brutal, it’s loud, and it punishes missed shots with a snarl. Players who can juggle the Crank It Up modes with CIU progression are rewarded with massive points… and probably a sore wrist.

The Uncanny X-Men (Pro)
Stern’s 2024 refresh of the mutant saga has made a surprise return to tournament play. While the original 2013 version had mixed reviews, this new Pro edition comes with a sleeker layout, modern LCD animations, and improved rules—think of it as a second-chance evolution for Magneto’s crew. The playfield still has that wide-open feel, but with better-balanced scoring and less random chaos. Fast ramps, magnetic ball traps, and animated modes featuring fan-favorite X-Men (and some deep cuts) keep players guessing.

The Avengers (Premium)
Released back in 2012, this was one of Stern’s early forays into the modern superhero trend, designed again by George Gomez—the mastermind behind classics like Monster Bash and Deadpool. The Avengers Premium edition is a mix of sharp angles and tight shots, with a vertical upkicker shot to Hulk and a spinning Tesseract disc that messes with your control just when you think you’ve found a rhythm. It’s a tough nut to crack in competitive play. Players need precision to light the heroes and enter “Battle for Earth” mode, but just reaching that wizard mode is an achievement in itself.

Climbing the Podium One Flip at a Time

Big shoutout to Roger Wolkoff, who flipped his way to first place out of Madison, WI. Sitting at 90th in the state with 171 events under his belt, he played like someone with a lot more than 46°F in his veins—ice cold focus.

Trae Vance took second, just a breath behind Roger. With a serious IFPA resume and a solid 17th-place state ranking, Trae brought the heat all night long.

Eric Thayer snagged third and showed off his own Madison sharpness, proving why he’s been steadily climbing in both state and global rankings.

Rounding out the final four was Jim Bethke, who, despite being unranked, showed everyone that numbers don’t mean squat when the flippers are hot and the pressure’s high.

Who’s On Top in Wisconsin?

Here’s the current state of the WPPR-powered world in Wisconsin pinball:

There’s a lot of shuffle potential on this list, and with tournaments like this one heating up in spring, don’t be surprised if we see some new names cracking the Top 10 soon.

When the Last Ball Drains

Big thanks to Michael Williams for organizing a fast-paced, fun-filled night of competitive pinball. The vibe was electric, the machines were killer, and PinSeekers DeForest delivered on atmosphere and appetizers. Congrats again to Roger Wolkoff for claiming the top spot—well played, sir.

Look forward to more exciting pinball updates and stories! Until next time, may your slings be kind and your tilts forgiving.