Better than LOTR ? that's a tall task for any game.

Game play looks awesome. There are games I see and just want to play and this one is right there!

Everything you said is meaningless when you're talking about a game you haven't played.

I think LOTR would beg to differ with this assessment.

I agree. I think it looks like it will be a blast to play!

Agreed, but the faster games are over so fast, since im a crappy player. What's great about pinball is there are so many great games and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I hope Xmen is fantastic.

TSPP and LOTR will never be surpassed by Stern - there, I've said it too

Being the best Stern pinball isn't much of a challenge. They're all overrated.

lolz, nice try Jersey Jack.

good one!!!

"Look at the toys compared to IM. This blows it away."

Uh, not even close if we're comparing Pro models. They both have 2 magnets and 3 pop bumpers. The Iron Monger on IM is tastefully hidden from view when not in use. IM has 3x more spinners, about 2x as many targets, and has the war machine kicker. AND the action figures are the right size. You want to rethink this?

The "ace in the hole" feature in X-Men is nice; I'd trade the war machine kicker for that. But you can have the rest of the toys on X-men.

SM FTW!

I can't wait to see X lit up in a dark room.

I was not considering xmen, but now maybe. The pro is to my liking

Imo in looks this is a winner, so the software will make or break this game..

I haven't seen this much hype since PotC was going to be the greatest game ever and nobody had seen or played it.
I was still playing catch up and pulled the trigger a NIB BK instead.

Steve played it and he likes it.

673255495_6p9VW-M.jpg 673255412_9vanP-M.jpg

X-Men won't be the greatest game Stern has ever made, only because tastes are so different and you have so many different opinions on what makes a game great that no one game could ever fill that.

A *lot* of people claim TSPP or LOTR to be the greatest Stern games, but I personally don't like either of those. Then again, I'm a big fan of BBH, RS, and AP, three Stern games most people really dislike.

I do think that X-Men has serious potential to become my favorite Stern game though.

That's usually a good indication

What is RS? (abbreviation is for Road Show, and can't think of what machine you are referring to).

I find the size of them a bit overwhelming in the photos, but what I really don't like is the high-gloss finish. I agree, its cool to see custom toys, but its a real head-scratcher that they'd cheapen the look with that shiny finish.

And the playfield art... as someone has already mentioned, I was hoping for more of a TSPP playfield and what we got is more IM.

I agree with others, you don't play the artwork, but for me to drop that kind of dough on a machine, major components need to be a big hit. The shiny toys and the playfield art killed the buzz for me. Just a big miss IMO.

The game does look like it will be a lot of fun! It has lots of toys and what looks to be a really fast and fun layout but I think software will make or break this game. I think it would have a chance to be a top 5 Stern game if Lyman or Keefer were doing the software but quite honestly I just can't get too excited over any of Lonnie Ropp's rule-sets. I'm sure he's a really nice guy and I hope he proves me wrong, but I think software will be the limiting factor on this game. The reason why LOTR, TSPP and SM are regarded as Stern's best titles is because they have fantastic (and complete) rule-sets.

Good indication of a lot of people's tastes being different than mine.

I don't like long games. Except once in a great while on route - I have an odd attraction to IJ4 on route but I'll tell you I don't much care for the game.. even though I'll usually go to it first on route... odd. But anyway, if I can't hop on a game, play it for five minutes tops and be done to go do something else, the game play is too long for me. I recognize both LOTR and TSPP as great games for what they do, but it doesn't synch at all with my play style.

What is RS? (abbreviation is for Road Show, and can't think of what machine you are referring to).

Rolling Stones, which I guess a lot of people like to use TRS for, which I guess I just don't. It's like how a lot of people use SS for Space Station, Space Shuttle, Scared Stiff and I think one other one. Sorry 'bout that.

But I really DO like RS. The moving Mick makes for a lot of interesting strategy about where and when you take certain shots, and I like how he can block certain shots. I dig the skill shots that the game has, and the fact that the ROM update that they did to make it so the center ramp isn't stupidly over-rewarding balances the game in a unique and fun way. If you find one on route with the old ROMs, you just shoot the center ramp all day avoiding Mick, until you get like 20x multiplier, and you win a free game... which is not fun, but again attracts me in the odd IJ4 way. Overall though, the game is far better than the stinker that a lot of people declared it as. I wouldn't mind owning one at some point, if I can somehow solve my space issue.

Are there any official pinball critics??

Anyone who's anyone that is a fan of xmen knows the wolverine edition fits the theme perfect. Although, more heros on the cab art would have been better. That said, the villains looks bad ass but is a little out of place for the theme. And the pro is ok since it's just a muster of villains and heros. The LE trims slightly bother me, I think chrome wolverine would be bad ass and a darker red magneto or a Decepticons purple would look nice. Still got to see in person or see a non photoshopped pic for final judgement.

As for the two main toys. These appear to be photoshopped so hopefully their not as glossy in person. Personally I think magneto looks bad ass I just hope his cape really isn't blue and someone messed up the photoshop. Closer HD pics of wolverine at an angle make him look better too. Again, gotta see in person or non photoshopped.

+1

The cheap toys they were putting in the machine were terrible. When I got my SM, the person replaced Venom with a McFarlane Venom. It looks a million times better. The Iron Man toys are the worst part of an awesome game.

I'm not defending it because I am NOT getting one, I just don't get people saying they want something, get it, and then still complain.

Strange Science and Solid State.
I use SSTIF for Scared Stiff to avoid confusion.

I think the pics we've seen of the PF shows that there is a lot of potential, but I also know that you can't put much faith in that either. We've got to play it.

If you look at something like AFM, there is nothing there to get excited about or that would make you think it is a great playing game, but it all comes together very nicely. The opposite could be true with XM. I hope not, because I'm still definitely in!

it'll be great, a testimony to Stern's renewed dedication, but I'd say it'll be difficult to determine whether it would beat Stern's best. I'm not sure how it would even stack up against ACDC.

Not if you change the rules which is exactly what I did. Starting Two Towers MB was far too easy out of the box. A simple change in the menu and now you have to spell KEEP for each lite lock.

I understand why they want it easy on location, but in home setting I found TT MB was was always started first and often would re-start before stating another MB. Little rule change stopped that. And you can change the settings for the other MBs as well.

Cheers,
Duane

Aha, yup - Solid State in particular is the one I keep seeing and wondering what people mean when they say they are happy with their SS pins. I always wonder "why would you own multiple Scared Stiffs?"

Is there a thread with people actually talking about what they like / dislike about ACDC? I've played one (a Pro), but it wasn't for long and I wasn't sure what I thought of it when I walked away. A lot of it seemed really cool. Parts of it I didn't understand. It didn't give me the best first impression I've ever had on a machine, but it definitely wasn't a bad impression either. The LE / Premium looks incredible... yet I haven't seen anyone really do an in depth impression of the gameplay yet. Did I miss a thread?

I don't understand why they would have wanted it easy on location. LOTR has always been a game that on location, I can walk up to, play for like 15 minutes per 50 cents and win a replay or two... AND I usually feel like I didn't get anywhere, which is I think why I dislike the game. But really, what benefit does making the game easier get. I just see the machine wearing more on location, and me playing for 30+ minutes off a fifty cent coin drop isn't doing anyone any favors.

I do love the call outs on that game though.

I like to call them "Amazon toys" since I never go to Walmart.

I agree that Wolverine and Magneto look like good quality items, probably similar to the Genie in TOTAN. I just think they're about 30% too big. If I can find a good Wolverine replacement for under $100 I'd consider an X-Men pro for sure.

The Hasbro toys for IM are the same quality as the toys in LOTR, so I don't see why people bitch. If you don't try to put a figure on every square inch of the game, they look pretty good IMHO.

I will judge the game when I play it. Too many games I have played that I thought I was going to love and was a big disappointment.

My op is that the ramps look very tight. I dont like games that I just keep hitting the posts. Looks like this could be an issue. I does have alot going for it tho with all the ball interaction toys and whatnots. This could be a very good pin. 1 less shot would of opened up the ramps quite a bit IMO but lets wait and see how this plays. I dont think we are going to see any gameplay vid anytime soon.

I have it set that if you don't lock the ball before it is lost, you lose the lock light and start over on the next ball.

That's the main reason I sold No Fear, which also has 9 playfield shots. Shots were too tight for a middling player like me.

The big figures look like ass, I might be the only one but when I heard "custom molded characters" I was thinking along the lines of spiderman and sure as hell more than just wolverine and magneto being represented.

What really killed it for me was not having wolverines claws anywhere within the game claw ball lock oh hell yeah! Instead it's just the pronges off avatar. And nightcrawlers is cool but sentinels would have been so sweet and fit both LEs perfectly. Oh well I'm seriously considering retheming a pin into an xmen pin

LOTR and TSPP were the evolution of pinball in 2003/2004, something Stern briefly touched on, and for once in Gary Stern's 25 years in business, could have been an innovator in. But then they didn't, and continued making games that for the most part get grouped into the “meh” category, with very few exceptions.

Can't bring myself to buy the LE for the money as way too much plastic on view - for this kind of money I expect a higher finish.

May still go for Pro but need to see videos now.

Is there anything on this game that is better quality than WOZ? I am not getting WOZ btw.......I just want maximum choice, maximum quality and more than one company to choose from

theme

You know what other game has potential?

Every unfinished machine produced since 2006. How many times are people gonna fall for the same old trick w a company putting out an unfinished product, we buy it, and we get distracted by the next title's leaked pix?? Almost always never to be finished, unless Lyman does us a solid...

There are a laundry list of games that have potential, but will never execute because aren't done, and never will be.

How many businesses can get away w that? I sell and build skateboards for a living. Thats like if I sold someone a board w only 3 wheels, promising to deliver the 4th wheels 'down the road',
then when they come back complaining that the board is no fun w/o all the wheels, I try to divert their attention towards the hot new board that MAY have 3 wheels too. But I can't tell you about it cuz its top-secret!

How much repeat biz would I deserve from that??

I know I'm not going to be super popular speaking out about this, but it's frickin' true, and a bad way to do things!

-jon

Harley Davidson does the same thing. I got suckered by both and still am very happy.

I saw the video clips of WoZ where the miniplayfields are featured. Just am not a fan of miniplays. Even tho they have good flippers, there is only a couple of shots and they take up a lot of room from the main playfield. So almost 30% of the game seems to be upper playfield. I have yet to play a game where I thought playing on the upper games was more fun that getting there.

But to me, the physical build and quality of WoZ is way better than XM, I don't think many people will argue with that, but I don't know which is more fun to play.

****** I'm saying it 1st. X-men will be Stern's best game so far! *****

how can you tell or know? nobody played the game yet.

i hope it's not the 2 giant plastic toy on the playfield and the two ramps.
artwork on the playfield is soso, but i do agree cab translite and backbox are amazing.
rule sheet, nobody know.
dmd animation, nobody know.
sounds, nobody know.

to be in first position, it's gotta be better than a lot of games.... TSPP, LOTR, SM, ACDC.... nope not gonna happen!

let me guess... you are buying one (x-men fan)?

I don't know about quality, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it will be more fun.

I have always voiced being a big fan of Stern and JJP for making pins. I do think you are correct though on this topic. I do wish games would arrive completely done, fixed etc.... It is sort of a bummer knowing I am getting AC DC anyday now and the code is not complete. Maybe once they get in the new build cycle they will allow time for this. X-men hopefully will start a new trend in complete before shipping. I hope.
I miss skateboarding. btw... I want a jeff gross deck "the face one" for my pin room.

Way too speculative....gotta play it to find out.TF looked good in the photos,but the game is dead boring with it's terrible/ incomplete ruleset.Lack of multiball progression killed that game.Based on Stern's history you have to wait for the game to come out,then you have to wait for the software to be finished.Put it this way if you wanted to review SM you would have had to wait 2 years to give it an honest review.Scott

I have AC/DC and yes more code is coming but there is no shortage of freaking fun play. Its one thing to saysomething is incomplete and another to say it going to get better. At least with AC/DC its the latter.

If you want to believe hype, may i suggest late night chanting.

I also suggest renting 'the shining', some hoes, a bucket of crack and a vacuum cleaner. No wait.... wrong forum........