Springfield, VA
Well, not totally biased. 
I just picked this beauty up and here are some thoughts based on my limited time with the game.
Art:
Fantastic. The backglass is hammy, cheesy, and 70's-tastic. Total throwback with a retro vibe that still manages to look modern. I’m less sold on the decals... they are minimalist and re-create the solo KISS album covers, but I would have liked a giant KISS logo somewhere on the sides similar to ACDC. I prefer the reds & oranges from the Premium and LE, but they still look appropriate on the game.
The playfield artwork is phenomenal. Great use of color as an extension of the backglass artwork. Everything is laid out nicely.
The clearcoat is the nicest I’ve ever seen on a Stern... it’s actually reflective! I was lucky that Gene’s head & face paint looks decent... a few pictures from other games make it look like it was painted by a very talented 3 year old.
I don't like Gumby Paul. He looks like a melted action figure... I'm looking to the mod-makers out there to turn a KISS MacFarlane toy into something better.
Gameplay:
The game shoots really well. Ramps are nice to hit (the left ramp is easier to hit than the right). The spin from Gene’s head is total chaos in a good way. There is no telling where the ball will end up. The Starchild area, as noted by many others, is tough to hit consistently. It reminds me of the drop target area from Metallica... not impossible, but satisfying when you aim and it lands.
Only 1 SDTM so far with Gene spitting out the ball. It will go to the left flipper 90% of the time, but it’s definitely inconsistent with where... sometimes the tip, sometimes the middle, etc.
Lights:
Wow. The fading effect of the LEDs is a quantum leap forward for Stern. The inclusion of RGB inserts is another welcome bonus. The game is bright, colorful, and features some great light sequencing.
Sounds:
Probably the best ‘out of box’ sounds from any Stern. I’m not even sure if I’ll upgrade to Flipper Fidelity, and that’s saying something. Callouts are minimal at this stage in code, but I like Gene’s callouts. I look forward to more as I’m sure they have a ton of recorded material.
The re-recorded songs aren’t quite as energetic as the originals, but hopefully pinball browser will take care of that in the future.
Spike system:
This is my first Spike game. The fan is a bit loud, but the tiny board was a pleasant surprise. The backglass LEDs are bright enough to light the entire panel. I’m also a bit lost on when things are usually connected... I had some mods waiting (lighted flipper buttons, etc) but I’ll have to search to find a connection. The flippers feel good and the underside of the game feels generally less cluttered.
Code:
Too early to tell, but there’s potential. Shoot this, combo that, multiball here, blinky thing there. The layout is solid, so code updates should only improve the game.
Dots:
Once again, too early to tell. Not too many animations now, but I like the Gene dots so far, especially the Lock animation.
Overall:
Once again, Stern has a winner. I’m glad I pulled the trigger on KISS as it has great art, fantastic sound, and solid flow. It looks great tucked in between ACDC and Metallica!
(Literally 1 second before your post)
Breda, Holland
Saskatoon, SK
