LesManley's ratings

The game gets a lot of grief because of the price and Toy Story 4 only theme, but those things aside, it is a solid, entertaining game in my opinion.

I think GNR is a fantastic game personally. Once again it is one of the those games that was made for a home environment where you can fully see and experience the game and what it has to offer IMHO. If I am paying a premium price then I want depth, I want challenge, I want variety and I want an experience. GNR checks all the boxes for me. For weeks I was figuring out new things and I still am to this day a couple of months later. GNR, much like POTC is not a game you walk up to and figure out in a few plays. People say, "It's a multiball fest" but they don't understand how or why to start them. They serve a big purpose in the game and they can only be started once per song, so it's not as often as you think. If you are just getting them randomly, then you are doing it wrong. The patches. Much like characters in JJPPOTC, you could take a course on the patches, their benefits and the group patch benefits. I'm still figuring strategy out with those. The album modes are all unique, single ball, and very challenging. The scoring for them needs to be adjusted, but you can't argue with the variety. Then add in a couple dozen+ songs with unique rulesets and the ability to build up value in multiple different ways before starting them and during them, not to mention the risk / reward of the jackpots during the songs. Do I push it and go for crazy high jackpots or cash out and live to play another song (hopefully)? Finally, the sound and light show are second to none, period. It is the most played game in my collection currently by far and it absolutely blows guests away like no other game when they come over and see it for the first time.

It's hard to believe that this is what Stern delivered for a "dream theme" like Led Zeppelin. The rules are fine, the layout is pretty standard and ok, the shoots feel good (minus the upper flipper shot), but the Led Zeppelin specific theme integration is terrible. This game has nothing integrated into it that screams LZ like other Stern music pins do. I didn't think they could go any more bare bones for a huge license then they did with Star Wars, but apparently I was wrong. Not having the upper ramp on the Pro is ridiculous. The features of this game on the Pro are equivalent to a home model pin version. I'll play it on route when I see it, but I don't have any desire to seek it out to play and/or buy one for home use.

The layout absolutely kills this game. So uninspired and boring...especially for the 3rd game in a series with a historic pinball theme. A great theme, music and good ruleset by Tim Sexton can't save this game for me unfortunately.

It may be the best Star Wars game ever released but unfortunately that isn't saying much. The game is fun but for a legendary theme like Star Wars it should have been so much more than it is. It would have been fun to see a more feature filled game similar to Ghostbusters on a theme like this.

I lot of game packed into one machine. The dots and cabinet graphics are top notch. Most call outs are good. A variety of challenging shots, lots of hero and villain modes and a challenging, deep code keep me coming back for more. It's a great value compared to what you will pay for newer more stripped down games.

The terrible ruleset combined with a mediocre theme really kill this one. The playfield layout is nice with tons of vaired shots, unfortunately there is usually no reason to shot for many of them. I had one on loan in my gameroom for free and I still wanted it gone after a couple of weeks because it is such as one trick pony. If this layout had a classic Tron theme over it with the colored wireforms as light cycle shots it would be a HUGE winner. It's a shame that a feature packed playfield like this was given such poor code. The one thing it certainly does have going for it is that it is very family friendly and approachable for novice players.

If you look up the word "Clunky" in the dictionary it has a picture of Batman 66. How they could take a game like TDK with some of the smoothest orbits and scoop shot, recycle the layout and make it shoot so poorly is beyond me. So many orbit and scoop rejects from solid shoots, the flimsy left ramp and the Batcomputer turntable mess. On the good side, it looks pretty and at the code has come light years from the beta code it shipped with at least.

People are quick to knock this game because the original code was confusing and difficult. After the code update, this game is a lot better. The new code makes much better use of the lower playfield and de-emphasizes the ring. The game is very challenging to try to get through and it uses the theme well. It could still use some bug fixes and a couple tweaks here and there, but as it sits, it is a fun challenging game IMHO.

This is not my style of game. I prefer deep rulesets with varied shots and theme integration. I love a challenge, but I want to go on a journey when I play and be immersed, and instead this game is like walking across the street. It's is a product of the lean times at Stern. Stripped down to almost nothing and bare bones physically and rule wise. You can see the entire game in 5 minutes. Ball times are short so you find yourself repeating the same things over and over quickly game to game since there is so little variation. I would never want to own one due to price and repetitiveness and I find myself not really interested in playing it on route when there are other options. For what Stern charges for their games, I expected a lot more out of this game. Next to the Stern Indiana Jones, this is easily the most disappointing modern Stern game for me.

I bought a Pro because I had fun playing it in spurts on route. To do well it is so much chopping wood for each repetitive mode that is basically the same as the last though, so the game didn't stay long in my collection. I got through the wizard mode after a few games and that was it for me. There just isn't enough to come back to time and time again. You can only backhand Starscream, then shoot the right orbit, wait for the ball to come out of the pops and then trap it again and repeat so many times. This game could have and should have been so much better than it turned out to be.

Maverick is a lot of bang for the buck. The dots on the large DMD are great, I wish there was more of them. Something for the beginner and still a challenge for a good player. Very good integration with the gambling theme.

I can see it doing well on route for little kids, but as a pinball machine, this game is terrible. I can honestly say I was bored before my first game was over. I only kept playing because I had more credits, but it is so repetitive and monotonous. Nothing scores points except video modes (if you complete them) and everything is the same over and over and over.

Popeye is destined to become a more sought after game when people start actually playing it before hating on it. In fact I get a kick out of reading ratings on it where people make negative comments that show they don't even know some of the most basic elements of a game they hate so much, like "The rules are a complete mess...saving animals or whatever." Nice try, but saving animals hardly equates to "the rules". You also need to find Sweet Pea, collect and return all the items to their owners, defeat Brutus in all 4 modes, rescue Olive Oyl and more. That person obviously never played the game more than once much like many of the haters...if even once. I was even guilty of this before. I used to say it was the worst modern era DMD game cause I heard other people saying it was...even though I hadn't even played it. For the longest time it was the only modern game I had never played or even seen. Now that I finally found one, I am glad I did. The layout is super unique, unlike anything else in a modern pin. The animations are top notch, the sounds and callouts are great, the rules are deep and the game is very challenging. Lightning flippers and huge outlanes make it very difficult. People freaking out about the eco-friendly theme go way overboard. I don't get the connection to Popeye, but it is integrated well nevertheless. The upper playfield obscuring shots is also blown out of proportion. It does obscure two shots, but with the pops there, many times you get a rebound into those holes just by throwing the ball up there, you don't need to see and hit a super accurate shot for those. Is the game perfect, absolutely not, but it's a great game for home use, since the depth and challenge are there it keeps me coming back for me. Some day, much like Congo and Shadow more recently, people will start playing Popeye, forming an opinion for themselves and actually start appreciating the game.

The theme does nothing for me, but the game is fun to play. It's a shame that more wasn't done with the playfield on this game. The car in the center is a waste since it is not integrated. Only a few songs for the modes compared to the Premium/LE is also a shame. The modes have good variation and the scoring is more balanced now. Lots of custom dots and voice call outs, which is nice. It's a good route game I would drop quarters into whenever I see it, but I would never pay for one brand new, there just isn't enough there for me.

Unfortunately this game is a let down. Nothing scores points until you get way into the game and start collecting Avengers, the end of ball bonus is *way* out of whack with the other scoring and some of the shots are clunky. The hulk toy wastes a ton of real estate too, not to mention the hulk kick out saucer which is weak and pathetic. Could/should have been so much better.

I got to play this at the monthly tournament last night. It was fun, nothing special. Pretty bland at this point. All modes have basically the same shots and point values. It does have very good flow. Very Rolling Stone-ish with backhanding ramp shots and having the ball return to the flippers. The warp ramp is neat, but the ball doesn't always come off cleanly, so many repeated warp ramp shots are more difficult then they are supposed to be. I like the shot under the flipper ala spiderman. Hopefully that will be utilized better in the future. Of course the color changing LEDs are cool, but they are basically pointless right now...they just change the lights of the shots to the color of the mode. I like the idea of using the photon torpedoes to attack the Vengeance. I like having multiple places to lock the ball too. The Vengeance toy looked good in person and was much bigger than I expected. I only played 4 games and I already completed all the initial modes, so I feel like I have basically seen what this pin has to offer at this point. Top score was 75 million or so. Overall, there is a lot of potential here, but right now, I don't have any real pressing need to make a special trip anywhere to play it. I'll have to see what Stern does with it. Hopefully another code update is coming soon.

Really well done game. Something for everyone, beginnings and pin-masters alike. Never gets old playing it.

After the code update, this game is now pretty good. Batpod multiball still feels out of place and looks like it was just thrown in there. I like the rules, but the scoring is very unbalanced with the 3x and 2x multipliers. Could have been so much more, but I do like it the way it is.

A little too shallow for me. I had one and it got boring quickly. Modes are almost pointless to the point of simply timing them out. Jump ramp is neat, skull is alright, everything else is...meh.

This game has so much going on at a great price. Tons of flow. Perfect use of a widebody. Theme isn't my favorite, but I can get past that easily for a quality game like this.

Too shallow for my tastes. Needs more to it to really shine. Fun game, just not enough there.

Good, but should have been so much. Stern got lazy here and then got lucky as the theme alone sells this game. Hopefully Lyman polishes the ruleset...which really needs it. Still has the potential to be something really special.

Another underrated game that people avoid because of theme. Fun, flowing game with a lot to offer. Tons more going on here than in the newer Stern games that cost 3x as much.

Way underrated. Too many people let the theme and backglass keep them away from this one. Great, different, fast playing game.

Perfection in a pinball machine. The best pin ever made. It has it all, rules, theme, sounds, difficulty, depth and more.

What an almost total waste of the Indiana Jones theme. Doesn't get much worse than this for a new game. So sad.

This game is tough as nails. Tons of stuff packed into one pin. 3 flippers, scoop, 2 magnets, vari-target, upper playfield and so much more. Great theme and an extremely challenging pin. WAY underrated and not for the faint of heart player.

This is not my style of game. I prefer deep rulesets with varied shots and theme integration. I love a challenge, but I want to go on a journey when I play and be immersed, and instead this game is like walking across the street. It's is a product of the lean times at Stern. Stripped down to almost nothing and bare bones physically and rule wise. You can see the entire game in 5 minutes. Ball times are short so you find yourself repeating the same things over and over quickly game to game since there is so little variation. I would never want to own one due to price and repetitiveness and I find myself not really interested in playing it on route when there are other options. For what Stern charges for their games, I expected a lot more out of this game. Next to the Stern Indiana Jones, this is easily the most disappointing modern Stern game for me.