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Stern Pinball’s Keith Elwin Creates The Avengers Infinity Quest Pinball Machine!

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If you are a seasoned pinball player and have been following the scene for a while, the name Keith Elwin means fun, innovative and awesome pinball machines. For the casual pinballers that don’t know or notice who designs the pinball machines they love playing, if we were to mention Stern Pinball’s Iron Maiden or Jurassic Park, then you have Keith Elwin to thank.

Keith is the new pinball designer on the block who has just finished his third game for Stern Pinball, Avengers Infinity Quest! Just looking at the video and pics further below of Keith’s latest creation, we know you’ll all be itching to play it, just like we are – it’s screaming at us to be played!


source: Stern Pinball

Before we dive into questions about Avengers Infinity Quest, we thought we’d start with introducing Keith Elwin and how he got started designing homebrew machines and then progressing to the big league in getting a job at Stern Pinball Inc.!

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: Hey Keith, to help our audience get to know you, tell us, before you became a household name in the pinball design space, what were you up to?
Keith Elwin [KME]: I was a pinball operator and technician actually! I had games in San Diego and Los Angeles.

ARG: Following up on the previous question, how did your love of pinball translate to getting a pinball design gig at Stern Pinball?
KME: I always wanted to be a pinball designer. When I was a kid I spent countless hours on a video game called pinball construction set which allowed you to design your own game! When I got older I made my own game in the garage which caught the interest of Stern and the rest is history.

ARG: In the world of pinball design, you are a relatively newcomer, were you nervous or felt intimidated in any way when you first walked into Stern Pinball and bumped into seasoned pinball design veterans like Steve Ritchie, John Borg and George Gomez?
KME: I had met and interacted with George and Steve before but it was my first time meeting Borgie. I remember being nervous then he came down and was super chill and fun to talk to so any nerves were quickly gone.

Avengers Infinity Quest Whitewood

The awesome Captain Marvel Ramp!

Whitewood at night!

ARG: In the space of a few years, you have created instant classic pinball machines, firstly, Iron Maiden, then with Jurassic Park and your latest machine, Avengers IQ – how does one keep that high trajectory and momentum of designing awesome, innovative and fun pinball machines?
KME: Why thank you! Well I am trying to do things differently yet not TOO differently where people will not like it. I will always try to have a mix of new stuff not seen before with stuff not seen in a long time from classic games.

ARG: Now, to your latest machine, and dare we say, masterpiece, how long did it take from concept to hitting the production line? Oh yeah, were you also working on two machines at once (tail-end of JP and Avengers IQ) – if so, how did you manage to pull that off?
KME: I think all designers in some way are working on their next game whether it be on paper or in their mind. For me when I get spare time I start sketching ideas in my head to paper with the intent to revisit it to see if it fits a future game. Avengers started in July last year and is currently now in production!

Keith testing his creation!

ARG: Looking at all the photos and videos of Avengers IQ, we can’t help but think, WE WANT THIS MACHINE! What is it about Keith Elwin designed machines that excite people to a point that they already know it will be great to play (or own) before they even get to flip it?
KME: Ha, probably because I don’t have a template I go by (yet – haha) I think people like seeing lots of shots, multiple flippers, lots of ramps and get excited because that is what gets me excited as well.

ARG: The Avengers IQ playfield has A LOT going on in it (the motorised Dr. Strange pop-up disc scoop / underground Portal on the Prem/LE models and the custom intricate wireform ramps have blown our mind), do you come up with all the ideas (in what to include and how the machine will play) and then seek input and/or constructive feedback from others in the design team, or is the entire process collaborative from start to finish?
KME: Most of it is me bouncing ideas off my engineer Harrison Drake and he will either tell me I am crazy or he takes it as a challenge and creates exactly what I am looking for. The whole subway system I thought would work perfectly for this game as a “portal” with some cool lighting effects and Harrison did not disappoint!

Avengers Infinity Quest pinball team assemble – the Stern Pinball design and engineering team behind this great machine!

ARG: With the team behind Avengers IQ (lead software programmer Rick Naegele, lead mechanical engineer Harrison Drake, lead artist Jeremy Packer (aka Zombie Yeti), computer graphics art director Chuck Ernst, and lead sound designer Jerry Thompson), how did the current worldwide health situation impact the creation of Avengers IQ?
KME: It was fine with the Stern employees as we can always come in and have a meeting. It was harder with the contractors like Jerry and Jeremy since we have to convey what we want via email or text.

ARG: What were you most excited about working on Avengers IQ and what will surprise the player when they play this machine for the first time?
KME: The Tower magnet! I will never forget Gary’s response the first time he hit that shot…..”Whoa!!!”

ARG: Lucky last and possibly the toughest question, who is your favourite Avenger?
KME: Growing up it was Hulk but as I get older I think Dr. Strange because well… he is strange 🙂

Well there you have it folks, Mr Keith Elwin of Stern Pinball Inc. fame – the Pinball Design Avenger! Remember that name, remember the pinball machines, as we guarantee you’ll love playing them all. We thank Keith for his time and wish him the best with whatever pinball magic he creates in the future.

For now, check out Stern Pinball’s Avengers Infinity Quest and get hyped!

The first Avengers Infinity Quest Limited Edition rolls off the production line!

The gorgeous Avengers IQ LE model!

The Avengers IQ Limited Edition playfield!

Playfields Assemble!

The Stern Pinball Avenger!
image source: Stern Pinball

 

Digital Pinball Cabinet – Nintendo Switch

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There is nothing like anticipating the arrival of a cool gadget. We originally ordered Far East Pinball’s Digital Pinball Cabinet for the Nintendo Switch back in April, but due to the current world health crisis, we knew that shipping it from Japan to Australia was going to impact its arrival. Well, we are quite chuffed to finally have this cool contraption in our hands!

As huge fans of pinball video games, we always felt that the experience could be better. Don’t get us wrong, playing pinball games on your fave console are darn awesome these days, even if you are playing them using a controller. But, to get the most immersive experience playing pinball video games, you need to have the screen vertically oriented, which the Switch does quite admirably. If you have the FlipGrip, you’ll understand how awesome it is to play these games in their proper TATE orientation.

Bumping Action!

Far East Pinball’s Digital Pinball Cabinet takes the experience of playing pinball video games that one huge step forward. The Digital Pinball Cabinet for the Nintendo Switch allows you to play pinball using proper arcade flipper buttons and best of all, allows nudging, shaking and slap saving via its built-in motion sensors, just like a real pinball machine – but be careful not to tilt! The device is really easy to use, you just slide the Switch into the cradle, plug in the connector cable into the Nintendo Switch’s Type-C port, slide on the (grey) lockdown bar and you are ready to flip! The cabinet also has cut-outs along the side to access the Switch’s headphone jack, vents, volume and power buttons.

The Digital Pinball Cabinet comes with 7 arcade quality buttons, three buttons on the right of the cabinet, two button on the left and two buttons on the front. The cabinet allows for two distinct button mapping configurations, but we encourage players to use the default mappings. It also provides the means to change the motion/nudging settings to be high/low sensitivity or turned off. Oh yeah, the only buttons that are not mapped are the plus (+), minus (-) and the screenshot button – a very minor niggle that actually doesn’t affect the use of this awesome piece of kit.

The overall built quality of the unit is good, but it could be better. There is a DIY look and feel to it with some rough edges on the 3D printed case and lock down bar, but we are being quite picky now and in all honesty, you get over this  quickly one you playing games on it. Speaking of games, we played Pinball FX3, Star Wars Pinball, The Pinball Arcade, and Stern Pinball Arcadewithout a hitch. Playing these games using the Digital Pinball Cabinet has given us a renewed love for playing pinball video games.

If you are into playing pinball video games on your Switch, then we very very highly recommend you consider Far East Pinball’s Digital Pinball Cabinet – it’s flippin awesome! 

NOTE: If you are interested in buying the Digital Pinball Cabinet for the Nintendo Switch, you will need a Japanese address, as Far East Pinball only ships within Japan. We used a mail-forwarding service to purchase our cabinet. The total cost for the cabinet and then mail-forward shipping was AU$180.45.

 

Internet Connected Pinball Machines – The Future Is (Almost) Here!

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*This article was nominated in the ‘Favourite Pinball Publication or Article‘ category for The 2020 TWIPY Annual Awards*

The future has caught up with pinball. No longer will this pop culture mechanical icon operate in the old world ways. The online reckoning is here!

The time for real pinball machines to be online has come. The current crop of pinball manufacturers like Stern Pinball and Jersey Jack Pinball are surely tinkering away to have their machines internet ready and connected in the not too distant future. Actually, Jersey Jack Pinball have been beta testing hardware dongles to allow some of their back catalogue machines to connect to the internet via WiFi, but this is still fiddling around the edges of the true potential of pinball machines being online. Companies like Multimorphic have shown the big boys of the pinball world how it’s done by announcing head to head play on their P3 machines, as part of their campaign, so the precedent has been set.

image source: Multimorphic via Twitter

We published a speculative feature a few years ago regarding pinball innovation, specifically around the implementation and use of technologies, like utilising telemetry via IoT (Internet of Things), however, this particular editorial explores the possibilities of internet and online pinball and its applications and services manufacturers could potentially use to deliver their online capabilities for the player, collector and operator.

When it comes to online services, there are really two main options, free or paid subscriptions. No one likes to pay for an online subscription, but the precedent has already been set by Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) with their respective XBox Live and PlayStation Network (PSN) subscription platforms. These platforms have a decade plus head start and provide a myriad of services for their subscribers, so the value proposition of having an annually paid membership is enticing. Pinball has a lot to learn and catch up on in this regard, so careful consideration must be given when creating an online service, ensuring it provides everything pinball players have been craving for, and more importantly, what players have been complaining about. Studying the two video game online service platforms from Microsoft and SIE will definitely give pinball manufacturers the edge in delivering an online platform rich with options and services for their subscribers straight off the bat, thus giving them value for money. But, things are never clear cut or that simple!

image source: pinballandmore

Pinball manufacturers implementing a paid subscription for their online service must tread carefully. When users pay for an online service, their expectations (of what is offered), must come close to being met, otherwise there will be a backlash which will be difficult to recover from. Meeting users’ expectations of an online service is no small feat and is quite unrealistic. If an online service is priced reasonably and competitively, then expectations will be tapered down, but users will still want to see value for money.

The flip side to the paid subscription is offering the online service for free. One thing we have all learned over the years is that nothing truly is for free. If pinball manufacturers (the providers) offer their online pinball services for free, then rest assured that you will be bombarded with online ads and the data collected (by the provider) will be sold to interested parties to recoup their costs in keeping the lights on and ensuring the service keeps running as expected – pretty much what Google does when you create an account to use their services, like Gmail. If you don’t like ads popping up while using an online service, then you are out of luck. Free (or freemium) services still cost money to run, so the provider will do what is required to ensure their services can keep running and investment being made for new and improved services.

Enough talk of free and paid online subscriptions, we want to throw around some ideas of what applications and services could potentially be offered by pinball manufacturers to home collectors, players and operators in connecting their silverball playing beasts to their online services.

We gazed into our crystal ball and came up with a few applications, but you be the judge if these will be of value to you when choosing to subscribe to an online pinball service (free or otherwise) to connect your pinball machine:

Underpinning all of this online connectivity is security, from secure login to ensuring users do not cheat or circumvent online services. How these online pinball service providers ensure that your data will be secure in transit and at rest? How will they ensure someone isn’t cheating in tournaments? This is fundamental to any online offering, as the implementation of the security construct needs to be at the heart of the online service and its many applications. A good start would be to use multi-factor authentication or one-time pin (OTP) services like LastPass’ Authenticator. As for ensuring a level playing field (pardon the pun) for tournament play, service providers could ‘push’ tournament settings with a checksum to ensure all participants are playing to the rules –  levelling the machine is another variable here, perhaps a digital level display on-screen could be used, ensuring everyone participating sets their level per the tournament rules, otherwise they will not be allowed to compete.

The one thing we do not want to see with an online pinball service is the enforcement of downloading the latest software code and updating your machine before you are able to play it – that would be the fastest way to lose subscribers and put the fan base offside. The online pinball service should allow freedom in how it is to be used and it’s interaction with the machine. A fine balance that should be tweaked and set right from the start.

There is precedent already set by video game providers in how and what to offer to their players when it comes to an online gaming service, so pinball manufacturers can learn from these providers to ensure they strike a good balance of offering services, be it free or otherwise. In an ideal world, an online pinball service would offer all users to register for free and provide a number of basic services free of charge, including software / code updates and social media integrations as a minimum. A paid or premium level service should be compelling and provide value to the target users, otherwise, they would not be worth pursuing.

The time has come for pinball to enter the 21st century and join the internet age. Pinball is in a unique position where it can definitely be fun in its current format or provide the means for its users and players to go online and unlock new ways of playing and interacting with their machine and others around the world. The future of internet pinball connectivity is now, so the silverball is in the pinball manufacturers court – make it happen!

 

Behind The Scenes with TMNT Pinball: An Interview with Stern’s John Borg

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Cowabunga! With the latest release of Stern Pinball’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machines going gangbusters, we grabbed ourselves a deep-dish Chicago-style cheesy pizza to tempt John Borg, Lead Designer of this bodacious new pinball title, to have a quick virtual chat with us about his creation and to give us some delicious behind the scenes scoops!

Ready, set, here we go!

AUSRETROGAMER: How long did it take to design and make TMNT (from concept to finished product)?
John Borg [JB]: I started the layout last year (February 2019) around the time The Munsters LE was running down the line.

ARG: Do you have a favourite feature (or features) from the TMNT Pinball machine?
JB: I love the underlying features, like the 123 combo challenge – Training – Weapon  – and of course Pizza Multiball!

ARG: What was the biggest challenge in designing/making TMNT Pinball?
JB: Everything was hard! Speech was the scariest thing late in the project. Mike and Tom (The Super Kyzivat Bros.) pulled off the Krang and Shredder speech. Best in the game. I scripted so many lines through so many episodes. I loved it like I loved Speed Racer as a kid.

Dwight Sullivan’s hand did not make the final cut!

ARG: We need your complete honesty here – who is your favourite Turtle and your favourite villain from the TMNT series?
JB: Donatello – I love that he’s a tech driven mad scientist. Krang is my favourite villain. I practised his voice for weeks, but Tom Kyzivat sounded so much like Krang, it absolutely floored me.

ARG: Lastly, since you are a big BMX fan, we wanted to ask – there is a famous Australian movie from the 80s with a young Nicole Kidman called BMX Bandits, would this ever make the cut as a pinball machine in the future? Hypothetically speaking, if you did make such a machine, what would be the first is the first feature you would include in the game?
JB: BMX is awesome, but It won’t be a pinball in the near future. Watch the Youtube videos of the BMX in the Olympics – it is so amazing!

And just like that, we polish off our pizza, wipe our mouth clean and thank John Borg from afar for taking time out from his busy schedule to talk to us about some of his experience in making TMNT Pinball.

Whiteboarding TMNT with John Borg and the team!

Old Yeller!

Old Yeller in full mutliball glory!

Spin that wheel!

You spin me right round, baby
image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

Stern Pinball Unleashes The Heroes In A Half-Shell in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pinball

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Oh wow, we finally have a good reason to unleash all of the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quotes we’ve had in our head over the last 30 years! Let’s see how many we can sprinkle in this righteous announcement then! COWABUNGA Dudes!

If you haven’t yet worked out what we are talking about then let’s just cut to the chase, the cool folks at Stern Pinball have just announced their latest cornerstone title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) pinball! This new machine oozes everything that is great and iconic about the TMNT cartoon series, from the heroes (our fave is Michelangelo – he is such a cool dude), their sensi, Master Splinter, their NYC sewer lair, their tough friends, the villains (yep, we are looking at you Krang, Shredder and the Foot Clan!), lots of pizza and of course, their ultra gnarly vehicles – these machines have captured it all!

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Game Trailer

For those of you that are too excited to read more and just want to check out how the three TMNT pinball models (Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE)) look like, scroll down now (and then scroll back here)! Oh yeah, check out the videos too (above) and just a tad further below to whet your Ninja Turtles appetite.

Right, for those of you that are a tad more patient, let’s talk about what we have seen in the press kit, including videos of the different models in action, features list and of course, the hi-res photos of the three models.

Zombie Yeti’s gorgeous playfield artwork (Premium model)

The first thing you notice is the eye popping hand-drawn art by Zombie Yeti (aka: Jeremy Packer) – just check out the pic above (from the Premium model), it’s so bodacious! Each model has a distinct and unique art package, with Zombie Yeti nailing the cartoon aesthetics of this iconic series, and just like Michelangelo drooling over a pizza, we reckon you will be doing the same with the look of these machines – all three are gorgeous!

The design of the game is by none other than John Borg, who brought us The Munsters, Guardians of the Galaxy, Kiss, The Walking Dead, Metallica and Tron: Legacy to name just a few. With a design pedigree like that, you know John will give us all a heart racing and fun shooting machine in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball. From the software side, Dwight Sullivan is in charge of code, so we can expect a game that is both deep and easy to get into – perfect for all player skills, from the novice to the pinball wizard.

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Premium / LE game features

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Pro game features

Once we get past the beautiful artwork, we are immediately greeted (and gobsmacked) by the playfield – it’s packed with Turtle Power! There is the obvious differences between the entry (street) level Pro model when compared with the Premium and Limited Edition (LE) – more on this in a bit, however the differences won’t make you feel like you are missing out too much.

All three models are powered by Stern’s SPIKE 2 system and feature three flippers, with the third flipper positioned in the upper left side of the playfield. Other common traits include:

  • a high-speed magnetic spinning pizza disc, capable of holding and throwing 3 balls during pizza multiball mayhem
  • 3 high-speed ramps
  • 3 pop bumpers
  • foot spinning target
  • turtles van
  • hidden ninja training ball lock area
  • 17 RGB software controlled LEDs
  • 6 balls (Pro) / 8 balls (Prem/LE)

For the complete list of features, check out the TMNT Feature Matrix here.

The Premium and LE models up the ante with an interactive custom sculpted Turtles Van, equipped to lock up to 4 balls inside with a mechanical opening/closing side door, ready to unleash multiball havoc. They also feature the iconic TMNT Glider, a custom-sculpted, player-controlled diverter assembly stationed above both ramps, giving players the ability to control and transport the ball to the flipper of their choice. In addition, a custom-sculpted mechanical Krang toy hovers over the pop bumpers, jumping up and down while taunting players throughout game action.

 

As it’s model name suggests, the Limited Edition will be limited to 500 machines globally. The LE oozes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored backglass, exclusive custom themed cabinet artwork, a custom autographed bottom arch, exclusive custom art blades that compliment the playfield, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball glass, a shaker motor, and a sequentially numbered plaque.

To spice up the player experience, Stern have implemented a 4-player co-op mode, just like the old Konami TMNT 4-player arcade machine – so the only problem you’ll have is picking which turtle you’ll play as! Completing the theme integration is the audio and video, with the original 1987 theme music, plus 80s tracks complementing the action with speech call outs from 17 characters and custom video scenes and events created exclusively for a complete TMNT immersive pinball experience.

We like what we see in the initial photos and videos of these machines, so to say we can’t wait to flip this would be a gross understatement. Right, it’s time to order some pizza. COWABUNGA!  

Pricing (in $US / $AU)* 

  • TMNT Pro Model: $US 6,099 / $AU 9,450
  • TMNT Premium Model: $US 7,699 / $AU 12,250
  • TMNT Limited Edition Model: $US 9,099 / $AU 14,250

*pricing correct as at time of publishing.

For those of you radical dudes and dudettes that skipped the wall of words above, feast your peepers on Stern’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pinball machines; starting with the Pro, followed by the Premium and LE models. Be warned – scroll slowly, as you may miss something really cool! These are definitely better than cheesy pizza (well, almost) 😉

Stern TMNT Pinball Pro

Stern TMNT Pinball Premium

Stern TMNT Pinball LE

All press assets supplied by: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

 

STAR WARS Comic Art Pinball: May The Force Be With You

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far too close to home, I was excited when Stern Pinball announced their Star Wars pinball machine. I was so excited by this news, I almost bought one without playing it!

But there was a disturbance in the (pinball) FORCE in mid 2017! Bear with me here, as this story delves into the depths of the dark side before I see the light.

Cooler heads prevailed and I took Ms. ausretrogamer’s advice to play the pinball machine before making a decision to buy it or not. Well, on that fateful day in mid 2017, my initial impression of Stern’s Star Wars pinball wasn’t at all positive. I played the Pro model of the game, and let’s just say that it didn’t inspire me to press the start button to play it again. The FORCE just wasn’t strong enough to engage me. I was gutted! I felt that the machine did not capture the theme and universe of my all-time favourite movie franchise. I buried my disappointment and forgot about the machine. As the great Jedi Master, Yoda once said, “Disappointment is the path to the dark side. Disappointment leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Welllll, he didn’t say that exactly, but you get my drift.

Luckily I did not give in to the disappointment, no matter how tempting the dark side of the force was. At the time, I found solace in another pinball machine, Chicago Gaming Company’s Attack From Mars Remake. My pinball mojo was back to peak level and the disappointment of the Star Wars pinball machine was all but a distant memory.

source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Then in mid 2019, there was a flicker in the FORCE. My brother-in-law, who got the silverball bug after playing our machines, went hunting for his first pinball game and settled for a Stern Star Wars Premium pinball machine. I remember thinking to myself, I hope he loves the game. Well, to my surprise, he did. What surprised me even more was my reaction to the game – once I pressed the start button and started flipping, I was immediately grabbed by the FORCE, just like Darth Vader’s force choke. Taking Yoda’s advice to heart, we had to unlearn what we learned about this game.

Wow, what a difference two years had made! The updated code and of course, this being the Premium model of the game, it felt like I was in the middle of the (original) Star Wars universe! I found that my excitement for the machine was at the same level as when Stern first announced that they were making a Star Wars pinball game. I knew then that I had to hunt down a machine to fulfil my wish of owning my pinball dream theme.

Just like all Star Wars stories, starting with a struggle and then ending on a positive note, so has this musing. I finally saw the light side of the FORCE and procured my pinball dream theme, a Stern Star Wars Comic Art Premium machine, beautifully presented by Star Wars comic artist, Randy Martinez – it’s so eye-poppingly beautiful. It was a long time coming to get to this point, but I am glad I went on this journey and reached my destination. The moral of my story is, never judge a book by its cover and always come back to a pinball game you haven’t played in a while, it may surprise you.

Thanks to the folks at Zax Amusements for fulfilling my wish – they made this Padawan very happy. May the FORCE be with you!

A lightsaber is required to bust open this beauty!

The Ausretrogamer Fun Factory is READY!

The machine is (almost) in its position – love the right side cabinet art!

Love the left side art cabinet too!

And we are upright!

We have the keys to the Millennium Falcon

Time to play and defeat the evil Empire!

Always Use The Force!

Love the LCD – it integrates the theme with visual Star Wars eye-candy

The comic art is eye-poppingly gorgeous on this machine

Taking in the comic art with the glass off!

Randy Martinez should be commended for his brilliant art work on this machine

Let’s blow up the Death Star

Making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs

The magnets on this machine whiz the balls around on the hyperspace loop at breakneck speeds!

And we are on, like Donkey K… Ah, never mind!

Who doesn’t like seeing their name on the high score table

Just enjoying the view

A handsome threesome in the Fun Factory

 

Podcast: Vertical Hold – Retro Gaming In Self Isolation

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I can’t believe that we (myself and Ms. ausretrogamer) have never appeared together on a podcast! Well, I am here to tell you that we finally made our debut together in guest speaking on episode 275 of the Vertical Hold podcast!

The topic of discussion was how we were passing the time and keeping our sanity in this worldwide pandemic. We delve into the midst of nostalgia and discuss all things gaming, from retro and modern, pinball, arcade, board games to the Commodore 64, SNES, RetroPie and Nintendo’s Wii! Oh yeah, Double Dragon and Zelda came up in conversation too 😉

Thank you to Alex Kidman and Adam Turner for having us on their brilliant weekly Vertical Hold podcast, we had a blast!

 

Star Wars Premium Pinball You Are Like Cinnamon!

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Following on from the Diary Of A First Time Pinball Buyer feature, Nick has put pen to paper (Ed: shouldn’t that be fingers to keys?) to give us his take on owning Stern’s Star Wars Premium pinball machine.

We have now had our Stern Star Wars Premium pinball machine for 3 and a half months and have already clocked up playing over 6,400 balls or over 2100 total plays! The whole family has loved it, from my wife to our 11 and 7 year old sons. Although I still classify myself as a novice player, I have found it a really rewarding and enjoyable pin to play. Having the four different Star Wars characters and all the different missions, means it is an incredibly deep game to really engross yourself in, or just have a bash and see what happens!

As a huge fan of Star Wars, this is a very special pin to me. The artwork, playfield, excerpts from the films and the game itself, is just a terrific homage to the original Star Wars trilogy (which are arguably the best films of them all!). Stern have done a great job of making the playfield pop out and use of the screens without detracting from the mechanical elements of the game.  I also love the ramps and the hyperdrive loop, they are so satisfying to hit again and again! While playing this machine over and over again, I find new details, scenes or features that I haven’t seen before.

I still haven’t managed to blow up the Death Star – through Death Star or Endor missions, but have been one shot away (hitting the hyperdrive loop) from doing so. I have adjusted the settings to easy, so as to encourage longer play and obviously some bigger scores. Also, playing the game at night with only the pinball lighting up is really cool – the Escape from Bobba Fett mission looks pulsating and amazing when you get to it.

Except for an occasional stuck ball, the machine has been trouble free. I have also bought a cover for the machine it doesn’t get affected by UV in our gaming shed. Since I do not have the official topper, I came up with one of my own – decorating it with Return Of The Jedi themed bobble-heads! It is an evolving collection!

Star Wars Premium Pinball, you are like cinnamon!

PS: For those that don’t get the you are like cinnamon reference, check this out 😉

 

Star Wars Pin: The Force Is Strong In This One!

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We recently visited our friends at Zax Amusements to wish them all the best for the Festive Season and while we were there we got to play Stern’s Star Wars Pin. In case you weren’t aware, this is the ‘home’ edition of Stern’s popular Star Wars commercial pinball machines.

Don’t let the ‘home’ moniker fool you, this machine shares a lot of DNA with its bigger brother, like the Spike operational system architecture, flipper, drop targets, slingshots and pop bumper sub-assemblies. Not only that, the playfield dimensions are also identical! The best part of this machine is its price, at AU$6,850 it is almost $2,500 cheaper than the entry level Star Wars Pro model. So for those budget conscious pinball fans that are into Star Wars and don’t want the complex maintenance, this machine may be for you.

So how does it play? Well, since it’s a George Gomez designed game, it of course shoots darn well! All of the 11-shots (in a fan layout) feel great when nailed, some being easier than others, which makes it great for all skill levels. What we loved most about this machine was its flow and ease of understanding in how to progress through the game, including getting to the timed wizard mode called Jedi Multiball. The implementation of sounds and iconic dialogue from the original Star Wars trilogy also add to the overall experience and theme immersion. Nothing is ever perfect in this world, so our main gripe was the small screen as we struggled to view the videos when looking up quickly while playing, meaning we missed our shot and drained our ball. Apart from this niggle, we felt that there was enough on the playfield to shoot at, from drop targets, a spinner that sounds awesome when hit and the two ramps, to keep us coming back for one more go – we were hooked by the FORCE.

For those that love easy to understand rules and objectives, this machine keeps things fairly simple – hit the F-O-R-C-E target on the left side of the playfield to light up each letter. Once FORCE is all complete, the Rebels (Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker) are then lit, which you then shoot one (for example Luke Skywalker) and proceed to complete the designated shots for that character. Once all Rebel characters are completed (including R2-D2), the timed wizard mode Jedi Multiball begins, with the objective being to rescue Luke, Princess Leia and Han Solo by shooting the lit shots before time runs out – pretty straight forward if you manage to not lose that elusive silverball.

With four multiballs, including the aforementioned timed wizard mode Jedi Multiball, super jackpots, timed double scoring, bonus mutlipliers and the clever R2-D2 ball lock (which you can use to start or steal your opponents locked ball for the R2-D2 mutliball) , there is enough depth in the game to have you playing over and over again. Without a doubt, one of our fave and most satisfying objectives and shot (apart from ripping the blaster spinner) is destroying the Death Star – the light show, video and sound are choreographed perfectly, making you feel like you had a hand in the Rebels bringing down the Empire.

This game really surprised us. We love pinball, so we were sceptical at first since this machine is targeted for the home. But once we started flipping it, all that scepticism went away. The total package does look and feel good, from the art, sound, sound effects to the video (even though the screen is on the small side) and general playfield, we felt like we were in the original Star Wars universe. If you are interested in Stern’s Star Wars Pin, you can contact the folks at Zax Amusements today to have a flip and see if it is for you. However, if after playing it you feel that this machine is not to your liking, then then check out the commercial-grade Star Wars Comic edition.

The Force is definitely strong in this Pin!

 

 

 

Diary Of A First Time Pinball Buyer

By

Ah life, it can be quite stressful and difficult at times, so it’s even more imperative to inject as much fun as you can for yourself and your family.

If there is one thing we know about pinball, it’s a lot of fun, no matter your age. The other thing about pinball, once you get bitten by the silverball bug, there is no shaking it off – it becomes part of your life.

This is exactly what happened to our brother-in-law, Nick. Once he (and his family) experienced pinball in the comfort of our Fun Factory, there was a twinkle in the eye that we had seen before – it happened to us years before, when we had been bitten by the same bug. Nick was hooked. He made it his mission to one day get a pinball machine for his family home.

Looking for your first pinball machine can be a daunting task. Which pinball machine do you choose? Will your family and friends enjoy your choice of pin? Do you go new or secondhand? What budget should you allocate? Once you answer these questions, you then have to decide, do you trawl the internet, forum or social media marketplaces to find your machine or do you go to a traditional bricks and mortar establishment to try before you buy?

Our advice to Nick was simple, when looking for your first home pinball machine, the most important aspect is to play and experience as many different machines as possible – this then determines the style of games, layouts and themes you (and your family) enjoy, which helps narrowing the choice of candidate machines. Once Nick got to play a myriad of machines at locations around Melbourne, he quickly had a number of candidates he wanted to check out and also have his family to play them to ensure they enjoyed them as much as he did.

After trying his hand at secondhand pinball machines, Nick found the process difficult and frustrating, as machines were either not as advertised, or worse, not in a working state. To help Nick, we told him about our dealings with Zax Amusements when we were buying our pinball machine, which made the whole process a breeze, with added peace of mind that we weren’t buying a lemon. This reassurance gave Nick the confidence to go to Zax with his family to play test the machines in their showroom and chat about his options to buy a new or secondhand pinball machine.

Before making his final decision, Nick checked out other Stern pinball machines at Zax Amusements

When purchasing a pinball machine, the family should be included in the decision making

With the family decision being made, Nick ordered a new Stern Pinball Star Wars Premium machine. He was kept informed of every step of the process, from when the machine would  land in Australia, to his options in adding optional features and most importantly, delivery and setup. Once the machine arrived at Zax Amusements, Nick was invited to be present during the unboxing and setup of the machine. This level of customer service was the reason we recommended Zax Amusements to Nick.

Speaking to Nick about his overall experience in purchasing his first pinball machine, he informed us that he appreciated the peace of mind by dealing with a reputable distributor with great customer service. As for playing the machine, we are happy to report that it has been played every day since it was delivered, which is music to our ears. The Force is definitely strong in pinball.

All eyes are on Star Wars!

After playing many machines, it was settled –  Stern’s Star Wars Premium was the chosen one!

Nick’s Star Wars Premium pinball machine on the line at the Stern Pinball factory in Chicago!

The machines are ready to travel across the globe from the US to Australia!

After a long ship ride, Nick’s machine lands in Australia!

Unboxing and going over the machine

The proud owner of their first pinball machine – it’s a beauty!

Play testing – it works flawlessly!

Playfield looks all good!

Getting the machine ready for delivery

Delivered safe and sound!

Final checks, adjustments and setup of the pinball machine

Family test – passed with flying colours!

One happy camper! May the Force Be with You.

Many thanks to Nick for allowing us to tell his story, Zax Amusements for allowing us to follow Nick in their showroom and prep area, and Zach Sharpe from Stern Pinball Inc. for providing photos of the Star Wars Premium machines rolling off the assembly line.