There aren't any. The original AC/DC premiums are probably as close as it gets.

Well, to be fair: that machine has as many interactive features as SW Pro.

Not sure about that - as the main extra gimmick on SW is a speed/flow toy, while GOT's upper playfield was just a swing and a miss.

Sturdy and smooth is great and all, but I need that emotional tie. It needs to get me fired up, some unexplained energy created. Just damn fun!!! I didn't get that when I played dialed in. For me it didn't have the "it" factor. Now this was a few months ago, so I hope the code has progressed.

When I hit the start button on SW it will instantly have that familiar connection with me. Weather it cashes in on that nostalgia or not will be determined by the gameplay, sounds and rules. Can't wait to see!

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found these sweet toys I'm going to put on the right side of my LE. Have to balance the game out a bit...

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Looks like the pro does have a physical ball lock as well? Just looks like the fork style like on xmen or st rather than the nifty one on the prem?

Have to say with the high rez photos the art doesnt look that bad, just not as good as it could have been, the cabs and translites are all very nice.
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This just holds the ball momentarily. It's not a ball lock.

Not too hard to include extra stuff when you only put out 1 game every couple years:

That shot says "video mode", so stopping the ball for that is def gonna happen there - but it could have other uses, too.

Right good point there, looking forward to a gameplay video so we can see and hear it

It would be interesting if it held the ball and then gave you another ball, and you had to knock it out like a captive ball to start a two-ball multiball.

Help me DeadFlip you're my only hope

Ala Spider-man "the Pin". Cool idea

I've said before your average pinsider doesn't understand pinball design or history, and this thread reminds me why I feel that way constantly.

Tell me the other steve ritchie games with playfield magnets that randomly throw the ball around the playfield ala the power or ghostbusters. That kind of randomness isn't part of his design philosophy and that's one of the reasons why I like his games.

People who are complaining about lack of magna slings and bash toys really didn't put much time into considering their expectations. This is a steve ritchie game.

Ala Avatar, but doubt it happens. Doesn't look like there is a good way to do that in the SW design. I mean, how can you tell it's knocked out?

Agreed, just don't want to make claims before even seeing gameplay video.

Yoda is on the game. During the bonus countdown there's a great clip of him saying "there is no try...only do." I saw him elsewhere as well.

At least Yoda and his merchandising people did not play too much hard ball with Stern on likeness fees.

JJP Also released a terrible
Game in the hobbit, one of the worst ever. Shouldn't we expect better?

People are complaining about a seemingly lack of anything on the game, not specifically magnets. Though there could have been something cool like a FORCE "shadow" style lock with a magnet.

Saying that, I think everyone realizes the game will still probably be fun. People will warm up as gameplay surfaces and people start receiving games. It's just disappointing as far as features go is all. IM was the same way when it came out.

Shouldn't it be "Do or do not. There is no try."?

Well, I don't know about that. I wasn't talking about software. I was talking about the overall integration of the SW "art package".

Of course, you'll say that a pinball game is more than just art. Sure. I agree. I hope SW will have both.

Except they didn't. It's phenomenal. You're thinking of GB, clearly.

It doesn't.

Your credibility was already sketchy, but you just hit crap level with that comment. It's right there with SF2 huh? LOL!

Correct. Sorry I've only seen empire like 7 times

Well that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee

Sturdy and smooth is not overrated elsewhere

Come on - I agree with 90% of what you say, but this statement is just silly. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it a terrible game and certainly not "one of the worst ever".

Yeah, it'd have to sit on a switch for that functionality. It's prob just a video mode stopper then.

Isn't that an opto under the ramp? All the game would need to know is that the gate is triggered followed by an optical interruption.

edit: I'm assuming it's just for the video mode, but it'd be a neat trick.

But then how would you stop the next ball from slamming in from behind on the loop? It isn't gonna happen boys.

Which is why I prefaced my theory with "it would be interesting if", haha

It gets so old man. For two years now people are CONSTANTLY dragging The Hobbit into every Stern thread. And the hobbit sucks. No serious pinball player I know likes it. It's boring, it's got a terrible layout, and it's so easy that you'd have to make major modifications to it to make it challenging for even a below average player.

Comparing hobbit to Star Wars is a joke. Hobbit is a total novelty and that's all it will ever be, down to its terrible layout. Star Wars is awesome and another steve ritchie classic, and hobbit is and always will be the hobbit.

A few more pics for you all:

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Looks like R2D2 is gonna be my go to.

I don't know how one would define "serious pinball player", but I would define anyone that has a pinball machine in their house as a "serious pinball player". Everyone agrees the rules need a little more polish to make the game more cohesive and incentivize mode play, but it's not a terrible layout. Gold Wings is a terrible layout.

There's something about the idea of kicking everyone's ass with R2D2 that just seems very satisfying.

Good point Levi, but my counter would be why not give the SW license to someone with the sensibilities to make use of the core elements of said license for best immersion into the theme? Let Ritchie continue to make awesome games out of "generic" themes like AC/DC and Getaway and leave the magical licenses to the likes of Trudeau, Gomez, etc.

Believe me, I totally agree with you. It seems like a big oversight by stern...
It's like they intentionally left it black for a mod ... Hell even a decal would have been something.

Just find a college girl who is looking to thin out her Fall wardrobe...

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And why not? Stern and JJP are both american companies that manufacture pinball machines in the U.S.A. It's totally fair to compare the products they produce.

Without talking about personal gameplay preferences, It's not unreasonable for me to wish that SW was built similarly to The Hobbit, both aesthetically and structurally (as far as quality).

It might be terrible to him, and that's cool. He is in the minority I'd guess along with Iceman. There is no doubt TH is mediocre at this point with code (awaiting a code update to fix that, Keith), but it is really far from terrible IMO.
Saying you'd have to make major modifications to make it challenging is ridiculous. Open/remove the outlane posts, remove the center post, and crank up the legs. Pretty easy to do. I bet he's never done that. It's easy to make ANY game easy or challenging. Hell, throw some lightning flippers on it if you're that good after all that.

Why not?

Because you are completely missing the point. Compare hobbit to a lamp or something. If you want the hobbit, buy the hobbit. Stop complaining that every new stern game ISNT the hobbit. Serious pinball players know where to go for serious pinball and it isn't the hobbit, no matter how dressed up with novelties it is.

I kind of (sort of) like the Hobbit...but would never buy one.

I am not a competitive player but my first game on Hobbit lasted 45 minutes!!! First Game. My second lasted over 30 (different machine). It's kind of cool but way too easy (IMHO).

taking martell into hand of the king is not a great way to play. You also cant play 2 modes at once with greyjoy. If anything the only other house to pick is Tyrell

The only other really viable strategy is bash drops and get your spinner up to insane values and rip it all day, but that is no fun.

There are these wacky things called "opening the outlanes", "removing the center post", "making the incline steeper", and "changing difficulty settings". It's crazy, all games have difficulty options!

There's also this concept of "Deep games". LOTR & TSPP are examples. Games are long because they have the content to justify the length. Long doesn't = bad, if the content is there.

Not for here so if ya want to hear about more strategies, send me a PM.

Ah, you can see the red & blue GI switching. I like it!

Reminds me of Bally Midways Atlantis,... wich I hate furiously (and I want one).

Put a couple of 40 pound weights into the new Sterns if you want them to feel sturdy. All of those extra miles of unneeded wire, the 40 pound transformer and other obsolete components don't make JJP games play any better.

Not entirely. I would have thought that his "Yagov Kicker" (that one that fires the Ball back at you; also seen in GOT, ST and more) would maybe be done with a magnet... Sadly it's missing entirely.