Quoted from Haymaker:Because the licensor wanted it, and Stern needed to make it if they wanted to make the cornerstone bond.
From what I remember listening to George Gomez on some podcasts , I thought he said they got the Bond licence and then they asked can you make us an old school single level game , featuring all the Bonds with score reels .
IF that was the case , I don't get why they would want a game featuring all the Bond's to be an old school version but have a LCD screen .
It would make total sense if the Connery games had score reels and single level , to fit with that era .
I think the are blades on the le look out of place but George said he liked those sketches , so that's why he chose them .
I find it hard to imagine someone in the licensing department of JB to know enough about pinball to insist they put in old school reels and make it a single level Playfield game , especially on a game featuring all the modern Bonds .
It wouldn't surprise me if it came out these were all Stern's decisions .
Just thinking out loud and of course I don't know and I'm probably totally wrong