Why exactly does the band itself need fifty LE's? Like, if they want to spread Iron Maiden pinball around to various people who work for them or to record execs or whomever, why not give Pros? Honestly, people outside of pinball fandom wouldn't notice the difference.

Has there been an insightful discussion of likely cabinet art for the Premium and LE versions?

The Pro's cabinet is dominated by Eddie the trooper. Fine. So which Eddie will dominate the Premium? The LE?

And what of the backglass on the LE or the translite on the Premium? Honestly, I can't really make out what all is going on in the Pro's translite. It's fairly busy, perhaps a melange of different Eddies.

J

Hmm. Thanks, V. Eddie the Mummy for Powerslave, eh? That could work. I still wonder about the tranlsite/backglass. As for foil wraps on Stern cabinets, I don't know that they dazzle particularly. Are you referring to same kind of wrap that enhanced IMVE? Really, a good silk-screened design beats a wrap, as it has no greyscale/pixelation, but perhaps it's been decades since Stern silk-screened the sides of their cabinets.

Powerslave.Eddie (resized).jpg

** Archive of the Dead Flip Stream, Anyone? **

Does anyone know of any gameplay clips other than this thirty-second Instagram post?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg12rI0nC4p/

If Dead Flip will restream, can we guess when?

Thanks.

This video is very helpful. You're right. Thanks for embedding it here in a post.

I see some of the functionality of the mechs - more, certainly, than I could see in the stream fragment. At one point I saw a scoop by the right side of the inner loop.

Honestly, the Archer music we hear here would get on my nerves less quickly than the music of Iron Maiden. (No offense, Maiden lovers.)

** Archer'ing Out Your IMDN? **

Call me bananas, but the Archer music I hear in the gameplay clips of Elwin's Archer prototype has really grown on me and - with all due respect - I would rather hear it than Iron Maiden while playing this table. The callouts, too, are more my style.

I s'pose I'd be out of line if I used Pinball Browser to return Archer to his former self, but with some work it could be done.

Owner's of TWD line up to get Clelend's revised code, but would IMDN owners dare to desecrate their pins by replacing Iron Maiden's music with...what? Spy music? It's pretty catchy stuff, honestly. I would download that code!

Just sayin'.

An Egyptian-themed Premium will mean prominent Mummy Eddie, I guess. That's fine. There is already a large fraction of the PF given over to the Egyptian theme as it is, so it may look matching, if nothing else.

The LE is described as having "Battlefield-themed art" with red armor, and that means the same Trooper Eddie we see on the Pro. The question then is, how will Trooper Eddie be represented any differently? Like, will he dominate the backglass?

When I picture the Pro with red armor - and I think that's a fair way to envision the LE - I'm not crazy about it, although it will depend a lot on the shade of red, etc.

A lot of blue? I don't know why you assume that, apart from the presence of blue in the Trooper's uniform. Still, you may be onto something, as the Union Jack's colors are, obviously, R/W/B. That leaves - ahem! - white. I don't like white at all, as it's merely the lack of any other color, and putting a big swath of it on this/any cab would be disappointing.

As for brass or gold, you're right: any such armor would have to be done by the owner, as gold isn't consistent with Iron Maiden. They are ruffians, not royalty. And besides, Stern already tried - with middling success - gold armor on their GOTGLE. Guardians had some of the best Stern art ever, and yet the gold armor made the LE look *less* appealing than the other versions. If the Premium's cabinet art is predominantly tan, black armor would look awful. Really, I can't guess which way they'll go on this.

Good job, Asael!

You figured it out!

Thank you!

I was wondering what the RGBeacon could be.

** IMDN Pro Shop Manual PDF: What Secrets Lie Therein? **

Just wondering if any inquisitive readers gleaned anything from the freshly published manual for IMDN Pro.

There was talk of node boards and it sounded positive. Anything else?

I'm enjoying leafing through it, seeing the exploded diagrams, etc. Still, I'm assuming an experienced reader would know far better what he was looking at.

Thanks.

Interesting analogy. Powerslave does not, to my ears, mark the same "evolution" that the Black Album did for Metallica. The Black Album had Metallica going soft with ballady vocals (Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters), while the only real musical change on Powerslave for the band was Adrian Smith's inaugural use of guitar synth. The Black Album helped Metallica find an audience in women/girl listeners, which was key for their chart-topping ways thereafter. Powerslave saw Maiden at their peaks as musicians. As impressive as that whole record is, Rush had set the bar even higher three years prior with Moving Pictures.

If I buy IMDN, will likely substitute instrumental versions for many if not all of the songs.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I looked at the reveal photos and saw *no* bash toys on IMDN's PF.

The Newton ball is your bash toy and it's a satisfying one at that.

** Elwin on Maiden's Music: **

If you listen to the Coast2Coast podcast interview with Keith Elwin, the subject of Iron Maiden's music and its appeal to Elwin personally comes up.

When asked if *he* likes the music, he replies with a fairly transparent dodge:

"I think it's good music for pinball."

That wasn't the question, Keith.

OMG!

Some lucky dude is gonna get his IMDN Pro next week!! Maybe even sooner!

Me so jealous.

Oh.

Some dude is *not* going to get his IMDN Pro next week.

Still, at least convention goers will get to try it and *then* some lucky dude will take it home!

You know the discussion will turn to mods the minute any Pinsiders take delivery!

In case you're heading to Minneapolis this month:

https://www.facebook.com/tiltpinballbar/

The sixteenth!

O...M...G!!!!!!

I don't know that MOPLE's appear for sale "all the time," really.

I see one a month at most.

How many BIBLE AC/DC's were made? How many LTBR's? Weren't there 500 of each? And yet somehow examples of those LE's command between nine- and twelve large. By that rationale, the IMDNLE, with its JJP-grade extras and even-lower production numbers, could see even higher rates of appreciation than did AC/DCLE.

I still think the music is going to sour a lot of would be buyers on this title. All those piercing metal vocals from Bruce are going to annoy the heck of most people. The music of AC/DC, by comparison, is easy for just about anyone to tolerate happily. Even if you don't in fact like it, you can play/enjoy a pin with its theme.

Translation (courtesy of Google Translate) of the Danish (surprising, as I assumed Dutch) message embedded in the photo above of the allegedly first IMDN owner:

"Hi, everyone. This is the word's first Iron Maiden pinball machine in the flesh (in 'reality'). It is the foremost established throughout the world."

Where are the Europeans who today have new IMDN Pros?

Like, surely they know the rest of the world is clamoring to see gameplay video of the Pro.

I mean, if I were that Danish cat who took a photograph of himself standing proudly in front of his "foremost established" Iron Maiden pinball machine throughout the world, I would follow up my photo with some VIDEO!!!

So, all you European IMDN buyers, show us some gameplay, please!

(Of course, as I write this, it's 2:00 in the morning there.)

Re: Danish Clip

As much as I want to share in the enthusiasm, I don't know what you're looking at. I can't see Jack! From this distance, in a darkened parlor, with only the game's GI and inserts to light the game, I can make out basically nothing.

My favorite part?

The fresco to the right of the pin in the second clip!

All those hips!

https://www.facebook.com/henningdanni.lescher/videos/10215286616456180/

The owner of the pin (shaved head) in this clip is the same person who stands beside his IMDN Pro in the photo that's posted earlier on this tread. And here I was thinking there were *many* Danes with Pros when perhaps there is just one!

https://www.facebook.com/henningdanni.lescher/videos/10215286616456180/

Number of successful left-ramp shots in this clip:

Zero?

Did *you* see any?

I saw none.

I'm starting to worry.

Not really, as the French Chef from the Muppets spoke French, ostensibly, while the men who shared their IMDN game with us were speaking Danish.

I stand corrected. The Swedish Chef, not French.

And here I assumed it was a model, holding a Speed-Stick anti-perspirant product, set to apply it to his underarm, etc. Of course, that assumption sheds nary an iota on *why* this might be your avatar, but I guess that's as far as I went.

Interesting: "easy."

Could this be true? Keith Elwin is famous for, among other things, posting some absurd score on MET (3B?). He would probably say that table is "easy." Still, if he knows MET is easy, would he not design his own layout to be more challenging? Hitting the launch ramp is easy, but using it to strike the center target is probably not. The "Clairvoyant" shot (beside the pops, between two posts) is apt to be hard, as is the left ramp. Consecutive loops (on either loop) are apt to be hard, as are the two Jackpot shot shots from the upper-left flipper. Watching both gameplay clips posted on YouTube, I counted *one* successful trip up the left ramp. That suggests "hard" to me. As for scoring and advancing through the objectives, I would again assume Keith of all people would make that challenging.

I'm waiting for a proper "review" from either a player using a routed table or an owner, but perhaps that's asking a lot as either sort of person in this case is likely to be Danish. Still, he might post his review in Danish, and we might then try to translate his review with Google Translate. Too much work? Perhaps.

Is this your own creation?

I'm going to assume that, without a pin to work with, the modding industry is yet to offer any IMDN mods - apart from this shooter rod, I guess.

I happen to dislike heads for shooter rods; they are bulky and make precise plunging more difficult. IMDNLE will ship with a custom Eddie shooter rod, but, were it my game, said rod would come off and go in a box.

I did notice that players in the few clips of gameplay posted on Youtube failed to make any left ramps. "Claustrophobic" isn't far off for the left-mid PF for many Lawlor's titles, thanks to the presence of the pops there. Keith loaded up the back of his PF with things like two intersecting loops and a kicker shot, necessitating the relocation of his pops. He reasoned he could put them in front of left ramp, creating a "Congo" shot there, but has he created a sense of claustrophobia in that part of his PF? I don't know. I do see a fair bit of space in the lower-PF below the pops, and my impression of the PF in general is "roomy," like that of SW. When I first saw gameplay of Archer on Youtube, I thought of what my billiards friends sometimes say about long shots: "Lots of green!" Archer's PF was so deep! Archer was shortened a bit to become IMDN, but it still looks deeper than many other PF's.

My worry at this point is simply tying up the ball in the pops every time I brick the ramp. Indeed I see brick rates as potentially high all 'round, as many important shots are hella tight. For example, look at the Clairvoyant shot, between those two posts. That is tight!

Merci, Davide, pour ta poste geniale/utile at pour les videos.

Let's be real: Iron Maiden is now gracing a pinball 'cause Stern's bean counters decided it was a viable theme for fat international sales. The quality of the music - evident or not - was ancillary.

Two premium versions would surprise me. It would be expensive for Stern to work up the second version's art (more licensing hassles) and it wouldn't necessarily translate to more sales. A second version of the Premium would simply split the base of Premium customers; it wouldn't necessarily *add* new ones. Moreover, the matrix describes one and one Premium version only.

Still, so as not to be a total wet blanket on this one, what would the second Premium version's art likely feature? Cyborg Eddie?

And while we're (I'm?) talking about versions within versions from Stern, let's not forget Transformers.

Unless I'm mistaken, there were no less than *three* LE versions of that title: Decepticons(200), Autobots(200), and the twinned Decepticons/Autobots (500) versions. Goodness!

Incidentally, there is a twinned LE at a nearby pinbar and I've played it a few times. 'tis a flat'ish layout from George Gomez with sounds/vibrations/dots that remind me of IM.

But did Metallica's published matrix indicate the two versions *before* the reveal?

Jack Danger said he'll be busy doing something "way cooler" than going to MGC this week, but what is he talking about?

We know he's the technical director of the upcoming IMDN stream, but that's hardly "way cooler" than going to MGC.

Is he hinting at a raucous reveal with members of the band? That ought to be reserved for the "Launch Party" at MGC, no?

Has such a surprise reveal ever happened? Has any band member of any music-themed pin ever participated in a reveal?

I'm assuming by "friend" he means Keith and the tutorial.

I'm not sensing a Premium reveal. Indeed the Premium reveal may wait 'til *after* MGC.

I predict a "Pinball With The Pros"-like segment, with Keith playing us through the rules on a Pro version of the table.

Sorry?

I like your numbers. I have zero experience with either eBay Bucks or CC rewards, but now could be a good time to start!

$7.1K, delivered!

"Locations"?

I thought there was just the one location, at MGC.

Thirteen minutes and counting here.

How can you(Jack) not set up and dial in *before* the scheduled hour?

Me seeing the Pro PF.

Drat.

You funny, bruh'!

My local pinball bar corroborates this, as he (the proprietor) is expecting his Pro to be in place on location come next Monday. I don't know what/who his distro might be, but it's quite possible that his pin is coming straight here from MGC, where it will be on free-play for the show, etc. Perhaps that was the only way to get one so quickly. Domestic operators who want truly NIB may have their pins ship next week, but I'm only guessing.

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum?

Is this in your area? Have you been there to play this pin?

If so, what are your impressions?

Well, I took your advice, Lloyd, and hustled over to Caffetto. Sure enough, there it stood. Of course, there also stood many other interested pinballers, so it was look, don't touch, for me. At least I got to see gameplay in person. To my pleasant surprise, the music was *not* annoying. This pin had a powered sub and the audio was excellent. The Eddie callouts have ample menace, but the British girl who does her share doesn't really compare to the girl from GOT. (And yes, they are different actors.) The PF looks beautiful, with plenty of colorful inserts and all that brushed stainless. The main ramps rise significantly above the PF, with steep transitions, so rejects appeared common. The left ramp is tight, but bricking it doesn't tie your ball up in the pops for more than a second or two. The end of the kicker ramp is perhaps 1.5-inches away from the target switches, so don't imagine that the shot is a true launch, like, say, NGG's Hole-in-One shot, etc. The loops look fun, but bear in mind that the ball needs to come to your flipper hugging the loop wall or you'll be reaching for it and won't "connect" as necessary to make the shot. I saw very few successful consecutive loops or Super Jackpots from the upper left flipper, and just a handful of consecutive larger loops.

Translite is colorful and attractive with the illumination of the internal bulb - better than it appears in any picture. Cabinet art was hard to appreciate as the pin stood in a darkened space.

All the players I watched appeared to be moderately skilled and all advanced through the modes - or at least they all began multi-balls dependably, earning many jackpots. The outlanes weren't particularly hungry. Ball times were long'ish.

Animations in the LCD display look like those of a third-rate video game, with the Mummy and the Tomb images being the best.

I would say go play it yourself at this location, but the game will head to MGC for the next few days I believe beginning tomorrow morning. I could be wrong. You could ask Caffetto. They're on Facebook.

Leaked Premium and LE images?

Has anyone heard rumblings about a leak?

I talked to a distributor in IA who used that word. Is he misled?

I don't know where but here to look for a leaked image of a Premium, frankly.

Certainly nothing turns up in a Google Images search.

A podcast focused on IMDN? Please elaborate.

Good points. It's possible that asking the PF artist to also take on the "electronic" art of the display would be just too much in terms of time/effort.

And I agree: JJP's "dots" are the best around, by a fairly large margin. I actually think TWD's dots are a good deal better than the animations of IMDN - at least when seen with a color DMD.

I'm excited for you, but please show us some photos. As you can probably guess, we in the States are some curious to see what the LE looks like!

You're starting to worry me.

Is this image going to be any part of the backglass/cabinet art?

I'll be relieved if you're right, as Satan here looks like a prancing satyr and the Mummy looks like a Bolshoi dancer.

No thanks!

You know, your post, for the first time since I first read Stern's feature matrix, has me rethinking "battle."

I was thinking battlefield, not battle, and that is likely a mistake. I was thinking of the Trooper on his battlefield, but now I'm thinking more of Eddie's soul-shard-recapturing odyssey and the battles necessary along the way, etc. My concern then is that the art above would play into that notion deftly, and that worries me. (Still!)

Good points. Still, a "battlefield" is a battlefield. The art above, while a great representation of the Legacy of the Beast theme, isn't a battlefield. I don't know which way to lean here.

Do we know anything more about just who might have seen the LE? Would it have been someone at Stern's factory?

You know what, this is *not* a dumb question at all. All of my experimentation with Pinball Browser taught me that audio files are converted to mono before they can be added to the code. I remember taking alternate audio from the web, adjusting it in Audacity, and then adding it to my revised code via Pinball Browser. In every case, the result was sub-par when I heard those same files during gameplay. Monaural is pooh.

Still, IMNDLE touts a JBL audio upgrade, suggesting stereo power/brilliance, etc.

I'm trying to recall if IMDN Pro on location here made good use of stereo separation. I don't think it did, but if it were truly mono it would have sounded awful - and it did not.

That suggests to me that the techs set this pin up to be as difficult as possible, as tourney pins typically are. If you've ever watched a Bowen Kerins PAPA tutorial, he will often mention how PAPA's pins are invariably set up for the shortest ball times possible.

Very interesting: this would mean the artwork for the Premium and LE has been right under our noses! It's been combined for the translite of the Pro! But wait, the art on the right half of the Pro's translite is *not* "battlefield" themed, particularly.

Now I'm *really* worried, as I don't much like Trooper Eddie on horseback. Eddie is such a ferocious beast in Maiden lore that he would have slaughtered any horse that was foolish enough to get near him. I don't care for the cloud-like apparitions behind him, either. It is battlefield though, and to me that's worrisome.

Congrats, Who-Dey. You've been active in this thread for weeks, so it's good to hear you finally got to play it. I finally played it, too, and I played quite poorly, frankly. I didn't make a single left ramp or inner loop, and I started perhaps one multi-ball. Of course, I'm fairly unskilled in general.

Tomorrow marks three weeks since the Pro reveal. Stern seems to like Tuesday for significant developments/announcements for IMDN. Is tomorrow going to be the day? Premium/LE, come on down?

OMG!

Look at this lineup!

'tis Stern heaven!

To any of you within driving distance of Minneapolis, come to Tilt and play the LE there.

I saw it today, intending to play it - naturally! - but my tokens wouldn't register and no credit appeared. Rather than ask the bartenders to sort it out, I simply played the Pro that stands directly beside the LE. Go see them and compare!

The LE is gorgeous! Have no doubt: the backglass is a true mirrored backglass and looks stellar!