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Boom! Stern Pinball Unleashes Deadpool

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Yesterday Stern Pinball Inc. announced their latest pinball machine, Deadpool. Based on the Marvel comics (not the movies), Stern seems to have captured the real essence of the Marvel character, thanks to the artwork by famed artist, Jeremy Packer, also known as Zombie Yeti.

True to the Deadpool character, Stern have thrown in some really clever, funny and backhanded insults, taunts and other comments all over their three Deadpool pinball machine models (Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE)) – check them out below. We particularly love the “OOOH, YOU’RE FANCY!” one on the LE plaque.

Oh yeah, the backboard LCD screen graphics will definitely take you back to your 80s and 90s video game days with their pixelated imagery – the nostalgia is overwhelming!

Designed by George Gomez with coding lead by Tanio Klyce, the Deadpool Pro model will hit Australian shores in October, followed by the Premium and LE models in late November (subject to change).

We can’t wait to get to Zax Amusements to fight some ninjas and get insulted! BOOM!

Price (in AUD with GST):

Image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

Nintendork Gets Nostalgic At Hersheypark

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By: Nintendork

It’s one of those things you never thought about when growing up – that these huge and heavy arcade machines would one day disappear and the amusement centres housing them would become extinct.

I always thought that arcade machines would be here to stay and that they would remain popular as ever with everyone. How wrong was I? Luckily for me, Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania is the big exception. Hersheypark could have gotten rid of their old arcade cabinets long ago but they decided to keep them and maintain them in working order. I love having my physical console games from when I was little and in this instance it is great to see these big arcade games remaining exactly the same as when I was a child, making them that extra bit special. To know that I put quarters in their Double Dragon machine when I was 12 and am playing the exact same game right now and doing the same thing beating up baddies means the world to me.

Hersheypark is the perfect destination for a hit of gaming nostalgia. Enjoy the pics!

 

First Impressions: Stern’s Iron Maiden Pro Pinball Machine

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When we got the word that Stern’s new Iron Maiden: Legacy of The Beast pinball machine had officially landed in Australia, we knew we had to run to the hills (Ed: terrible pun!) and hit up our friends at Zax Amusements to get hands on with this highly anticipated pinball machine.

Our first impression when walking up to the Iron Maiden Pro pinball machine was wow, this thing stands out! The physical presence and visual impact is striking and quite visceral. Jeremy Packer’s (aka: Zombie Yeti) art sets the tone and scene for what is to be a pretty darn awesome and frenetic pinball experience.

From the very first plunge we had our mouth and eyes wide open with our heart palpitating at the excitement – funnily enough, the short plunge was quite easy to do to hit the skill shot target (we’ll leave the more difficult skill shot to the Jordan Tredaways of the world). The induced adrenaline rush wasn’t based on us just playing ‘another Stern pinball machine’, we immediately noticed that Iron Maiden was a fresh take on the Stern formula with a new layout, thanks to Stern’s rookie design team; Keith Elwin – Game Designer, Tim Sexton – Software Engineer and Harrison Drake – Lead Engineer. Originally an Archer whitewood (which was shown at Arcade Expo 2.0), the game was morphed into Iron Maiden and we have to say, the re-theme suits the game like a glove – it is fast and furious, just like the metal band. Stern’s lineup of music themed pins just keeps on getting better.

We can sit here and tell you all about the technical aspects and the myriad of modes and shots to play on this machine, but we will spare you, as we’ll leave that to wizards out there than can explain it way better than we can. Let’s just say that this machine gives the beginner and expert players equal amount of ‘fun play time’. We loved the additional two flippers which ensured that the ball is kept around the targets and loop near the top of the playfield, giving the game a ‘super flow’ feeling of satisfaction when a shot is nailed. Speaking of the upper loop, it definitely has that supercharger feel when you keep hitting the shot over and over with the upper right flipper – the gratification is immense.

The left ramp through the pops is a bit more of a challenge, but again, with a bit of game time, the shot can be nailed over and over again. The sarcophagus gives the game that extra dimension, giving the perception of depth to the playfield which we have not seen on a Stern pinball machine in quite a long time (if not ever!). The one really great thing we noticed was that this game had no cheap drains, meaning that it is perfect for the casual gamer wanting to extract the maximum time of play on Iron Maiden.

This pinball machine is the complete package, no matter if you are an Iron Maiden fan or not. The art, the playfield, the four flippers and game play has that distinct freshness about it that provides fun for everyone, from the novice to those gifted pinball wizards among us, Stern has definitely hit it out of the park with Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast! Go and play it now.

Stern Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast pinball machine comes in three models:

  • Iron Maiden Pro $8,450
  • Iron Maiden Premium $10,650
  • Iron Maiden LE $12,500 (SOLD OUT)

Get in touch with Zax Amusements if you want a Pro or Premium machine. Up The Irons!

Look familiar? Before Iron Maiden became Iron Maiden, it was Archer!

A huge thanks to Phil and Scott from Zax Amusements for allowing us to go nuts on Stern’s Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast!

 

2018 Brisbane Pinball Masters

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Calling all pinballers! Get your flipping fingers ready, as the 4th annual 4-day Brisbane Masters pinball extravaganza is almost upon us!

The 2018 Brisbane Masters will take place from July 19 till July 22 at Rydges Fortitude Valley. With 100 confirmed entrants, places are limited, so ensure you get in touch with the organisers, Jason Lambert and/or Jimmy Nails (via the Facebook event page) to secure your spot at this most prestigious pinball tournament.

Just in case you needed an incentive to compete, official Australian Stern Pinball distributor, Amusement Machine Distributors (AMD) is sponsoring the 2018 Brisbane Masters and have thrown $3,000 towards the event kitty!

For more information on the tournament, please check out the official Facebook Event page.

Photos from the 2017 Brisbane Masters (by Marco Rossignoli)

 

Results Are In For Your Dream Pinball Theme

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image source: David Manzano via Ozark Pinball Syndicate – Facebook

You all cast your vote and now it is time to reveal the results of what you all wanted your dream pinball theme to be.

We swear, we did not influence this result, but let’s just say we are very very happy to see Masters Of The Universe at the top of the dream theme heap! We were surprised with Pokemon, Die Hard (movie) and Predator (movie) getting votes for equal 3rd spot, but Harry Potter (2nd) and Rick and Morty (equal 3rd) were always going to poll well.

With all this talk of dream pinball themes, we wonder if the major pinball manufacturers and their licensing teams will take heed and surprises us in the not too distant future? We should hope so!

So, do you agree with this vote result? What theme would you have preferred to be number 1? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook – go on, have your say!

 

The Best Stern Pinball Machine Since 2010 – Winners

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First of all, thank you all that voted in our Best Stern Pinball Machine Since 2010 poll!

We won’t keep you waiting any longer in announcing the winner, so here we go – the Best Stern Pinball Machine Since 2010 is [drum roll please] The Walking Dead!

This comes as no surprise, as The Walking Dead (32% of the vote) is an absolute beauty to play – it has a great balance of being easy enough to play casually and challenging to the max with its great modes if you want to become grand champion and the last man standing. Star Trek (12% of the vote) took out second place, as it should, as this machine is Steve Ritchie at his best – fast and flowing! The biggest surprise for us was third – TRON Legacy, which garnered 11% of the vote. The two machines that we thought would feature in the top 3 ended up being tied for fourth, Metallica and Ghostbusters (both 9% of the vote).

The brand new Stern machine Iron Maiden got votes too (3%), which was surprising, as it’s just rolling off the production line as we speak, so we can only imagine that this machine will climb up the votes in the months and years ahead – so look out The Walking Dead! For now, we reckon John Borg should be commended for having two of his games in the top 3 Best Stern Pinball Machines Since 2010.

There you have it peeps. This was a public vote open to all, so the pinball gamers around the world have spoken. What do you think? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook and join in the conversation.

image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

Vote For Stern Pinball’s Best Machine Since 2010

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This decade may not be over but we still reckon we can run a poll to find out what is Stern Pinball Inc’s best machine since 2010!

We have to doff our collective hat to Stern, they have been prolific in releasing pinball machines year in year out. So without further ado, here is the poll – vote now for what you think has been Stern’s best pinball machine since 2010.

You better hurry as voting closes on April 16!

 

The First Stern Iron Maiden Pinball Machine Is Boxed and Ready for Action!

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Witnessing pinball history in the making is so flipping awesome – check out the first ever Iron Maiden pinball machine being boxed for delivery at Stern Pinball’s Elk Grove Village factory (near Chicago)!

Iron Maiden machines will soon be invading the entire planet and we can’t wait to tame the beast!

Forget unboxing videos, watch the first ever Iron Maiden pinball being boxed!

What a great sight! Iron Maiden machines as far as the eye can see!


source: Stern Pinball via Facebook ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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DIY Nintendo Switch Pinball Controller

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Who needs Nintendo Labo when you can create your own custom Nintendo Switch pinball controller for less than a meal for two at Nando’s!

Stemage was nice enough to provide a bill of material and schematics to make this cool DIY Switch Controller for USD$26!


source: Stemage

 

The Making of Star Wars Pinball

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Just a couple of weeks out from the release of Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Stern Pinball celebrates the 40th anniversary of the original film trilogy by giving us the making of their Star Wars Pinball machine!

Just in case you didn’t know, Star Wars Pinball was created by Stern Pinball’s all star development team including legendary game designer Steve Ritchie and Hall of Fame programmer Dwight Sullivan.

May the Force be with you all!


source: Stern Pinball via Facebook

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