Purchase made! To me this is more of an enhancement than a "mod". I'm hoping to see more innovative enhancements like yours for SW. A lot of what is out now looks like cheap crane game toys with LEDs stuck in them.

Wow. That is honestly terrible. This should have been sent back for full refund. Seriously, that type of crap has no place being sold on Pinside or anywhere for $90...

Haha. Oh well, maybe people are afraid to make waves?

Ironic that it ended up with Yelobird. The Mod Couple mods are amazing in their detail and creativity. Opposite that turd which is just a junky toy with an LED in it.

Are there any Cliffy protectors needed for this game aside from the shooter lane? I don't see any available, but maybe some are in the pipeline? How about areas to add mylar?

The license holder keeps rejecting the design. In the end it will be a Jar Jar Binks topper instead.

Seriously though, I have been waiting intently on the topper. I was hoping the topper would arrive before my Premium, but it looks like that is not going to happen! I join the club tomorrow.

I feel the opposite. The bezel from pinball life makes the screen blend in much more like it belongs there. The game was screaming for this mod. To each his own I guess.

How are you guys mounting these ships? I have some piano wire and I was thinking about using that. Seems like the Armada ship is kind of big for one mount though.

Edit: I found some great picture from earlier in this thread using piano wire. I will mount some toys, though I am a little worried the Armada class Destroyer is a little too big. I am go to try to keep it over top of the right ramp as much as possible.

I kind of liked the white trim at first, but once I stepped back from machine about 10 feet it really stuck out like a sore thumb. The whole game has black trim and the white around the head just didn't look right. It looks so much better now. It only took a few minutes to do too. I did it while I was putting in the Flipper fidelity speaker system.

Here's a picture with one of each so you can really see the difference.

20180303_151001 (resized).jpg

That's what makes this hobby great!

I know where we can get some white trim...

supreme (resized).jpg

When you pull the old T-molding off you will notice that the ridge that fits into the slit is cut off at the corners to allow it to make the curve easily and smoothly. All you need to do is use some cutters to cut the molding the same way the factory one is cut. This is not an exact science here, if you are a little off it won't be visible at all. If you don't take off enough material, you can always go back and cut a little more. Just put the seam in the middle on the bottom like it was to begin with. I used a stout set of sharp scissors to make the final cut and it came out nice and flush. One other thing to verify is that you got the right channel, by holding it up against the original and making sure the dimensions are the same.

20180303_225512 (resized).jpg

How about some free play and instruction cards? Anyone have links or files to post? Thanks!

Wow. I feel a little stupid. I searched on "card" instead of "cards" and got practically nothing. Searching on "cards" brought a whole lot of great stuff. Obviously the Pinside search function doesn't work like I'm used to...

Thanks again!

R2D2 had been waiting for months in my game room. Finally his machine is here. He is a little upset about not having a topper though.

20180304_220235 (resized).jpg

Yeah it is a beverage cooler. The lid was originally clear, but I removed it, turned it upside down and sprayed it with fusion metallic paint. I didn't have to tape off the decals and now it looks more like the real R2!

It's just here for looks, but can be used for beverages of my choice at my next gathering. Truthfully it is a cool looking prop for the gameroom and I only paid $75 for it. It gets a lot of comments when people come over; mostly good.

This is cool. One of the cool things about spike is being about to dim the backbox during game play to cut down on reflection. Interacting menu just makes it easier to set up. This and the new sound settings are totally worth it. I have the Flipper Fidelity speakers with ten inch woofer and was hoping for better control. Once again the spike 2.1 system is superior to the old way where there was a crossover between the cabinet and backbox. I haven't experienced/noticed the ball drain issue, but glad it's fixed anyway! Keep them coming Dwight!

Is there an easy way to start a multi ball on this game? I can go through 10 games of the time without having a multi ball!

Any game with magnets will eventually. Since it doesn't stop and hold the ball it probably will take longer to magnetize them. As many metal ramps as are in this game the balls will probably need changing long before they are magnetized.

I have the Mod Couple satellite reflectors and death Star too. They look awesome.
The reflectors especially are such a great idea because it simply dresses up the spots without adding clutter.

I'd love to see what those side blades look like with white or EL lit white instead of the mirror backing... I'm over the mirror blade thing and prefer art blades.

I saw a bunch of posts and thought maybe the topper was released... Oh well. I can only imagine the lame demands by the license holder that are holding this up. As I mentioned before, it will probably be Jar Jar instead of R2D2 by the time it is released. Theesa multiball.

That smoky smell is $500 burning a hole in my pocket.

Haha. I'm normally not a topper person, but I feel this game needs one and should have had one standard. Currently 18 games in my collection and zero toppers.

The ball doesn't drop on the switches the way it does on Metallica or Dialed In, so no protectors needed there. There is already factory mylar at the drop spot.

Edit: this is apparently only true for the Premiums/LEs and not Pros. Rule of thumb is that any of the new games that drop the ball off of the ramp directly onto the inlane switch must has a Cliffy switch protector ASAP!!

Keep in mind that Met and ACDC were antiquated mono sound with a crossover between the back box and cabinet speakers. SW is a SPIKE game which has three separate channels (2.1) of lossless sound. The new software allows bass and treble, balance, and separate volume for cabinet speaker. The Flipper Fidelity with the adapter and ten inch woofer sounds much better in SW than in the older games and the new controls opens up a whole new level of tweaking.

I don't use external subs, but don't let that sway you as they do sound good. Being able to hook two pins to one reasonably priced sub is a bargain even with the Pinnovators mods.

I bought a really quiet 80mm fan, glued on two rare earth magnet disks and stuck it in the backbox just above the power supply pointing upward. This fan runs 100% of the time the machine is powered on and draws air up through the power supply enough to keep the noisy fan from ever coming on. Once you put the backglass on the added fan is basically silent. My fan has not come on since I bought this. YMMV.

Here are a few more details. I purposely bought a non-PWM fan the Noctua FLX model. It came with a 2-pin molex adapter cable which I cut and installed a standard Stern 12v power connector onto. I also bought the Stern 8-way power splitter from Pinball Life. This splitter is cool and it also uses magnets to stick onto the metal back box. Links below. Also, pictures show the magnet installation with five minute epoxy and an overall shot that shows the installation location along with the power splitter. It is very important that the fan blows upward to aid in the natural convection rather than fight it.

http://a.co/03lwGmV

https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4359

https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3893

https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4248

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These are the same. They come in handy for all kinds of things.

DIYMAG 15pcs 1.26”D x 0.08”H Powerful Neodymium Disc Magnets, Strong, Permanent, Rare Earth Magnets, Fridge, DIY, Building, Scientific, Craft, and Office Magnets, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XD2XYYP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.49SAbRFMNXXF

I put the Pinball Life shaker in my SW and it was really simple compared to the old SAM machines. I really like the way it works compared to the Cointaker shaker in my Metallica. The Cointaker shaker is way too violent. I need to figure out how to adjust the weights on that one to make it less violent.

Thanks. I ordered a motor speed controller last night and feel confident that will fix the problem. I actually cut my weights to make them lighter and that did almost nothing. The speed controller is a much better idea. From now on I'm buying PBL shakers...

I agree but the Cointaker shaker is already in the machine. I hate to throw it away when there is a great solution for $10. If there were no solution, I would throw the Cointaker shaker in the trash and start over.

?

OK, it is April 3rd so I won't hold my breath. Still four weeks in this month. Looking forward though!

I may be a dead guy with $500 in his pocket by the time the topper comes out. I've never bought a customer shooter. Any idea what this one looks like?

I moved the post on my Premium. Now it drains on the left side like a normal game does from the factory. I haven't had to adjust the inner orbit, though it very rarely will go STDM from the right exit instead of hitting the right flipper. On those rare times the ball is kind of clanging through slowly instead of a smooth orbit. Very rare on the right hand kick that it goes down the middle, but I have yet to tweak that one too and I can see the rail has some play in it. I have a 2-second timer on the right kick out anyway. At some point I might tweak both of them, but they are far from a problem. The freakin up post rejects on my Metallica are much more annoying than anything on this game. At least Stern is back to spending the extra $$$ for the two controlled gates instead on one up post. I notice even GOTG has controlled gates and they list gates in the feature matrix now days.

I just wanted to share my experience with the Stern light saber side rail upgrades. I really love the LE side rails and tried to get some with no luck. Instead I ordered the Stern light saber side rails and installed them. Two problems were apparent right away. First was the backing was not held down well enough which caused shadows in the cut out area especially along the blade portion. Second problem was the handle portion of the cutout area used such fine lines that you basically could not see the saber's handle shape unless the room was well lit and you were looking directly straight on so you could see the white backing.

The first problem was an easy fix. I removed the rails and taped the backing down along the entire length in a way that is not visible from the front and reinstalled the rails. The second problem still remained a head scratcher. I did some quick research on putting in some EL backlighting, but that led to dead ends and I wasn't sure it would fix the problem anyway. Long story short I decided to hand paint some outlines on the handles. Not being an artist, I simply got a fine white paint pen and simply/carefully ran it along all of the edges in the cut out areas representing the light saber handles. This worked awesome and was done in about ten minutes per side. Now even in low light you can actually tell its a light saber and it looks infinitely better from all angles. The handles stand out now in any light with just that little added paint.

I attached some pictures below. The camera on my Samsung phone is so darn good in low light it was hard to get a good "before" pictures because the camera made it look better than it actually looked to the eye. You can still get the idea.

In the end I am now really happy with these. It still would be cool if someone would create a light kit though.

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The game is already plenty bright, so pinstadium are not even a thought for me on this game. I'm also getting really tired of mirror blades. I admit they look good on some games, but the newness is gone for me and most games I see them on now simply don't look good. I prefer art blades, but they have to be really good ones. For this game I'm considering these:
https://www.retrorefurbs.com/shop/star-wars-stern-hyperdrive-pinball-sideblades/

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-wars-clubmay-the-force-be-with-you/page/76#post-4293879

Use a fan with a little more airflow and it will work. The first fan I used didn't work either. The one that I have now is silent and the stock fan has not come on once since.

I would love to get rid of the video mode. At a minimum, just let me skip it for a few points or a hurry up of some sort.

And yeah, where the eff is the topper?

Cool. Now some sort of choice to bypass the existing one and all is well.

I don't see the shooter anywhere. Apparently it is a storm trooper. Part number is 502-7048-00?

Disney is probably trying to squeeze an extra nickel out of this stuff any way they can.

This one looks similar but a little too big:
http://a.co/gg3zsbX

Even the stormtrooper is better than that smiling Yoda that is for sale in the market place LOL. I've never actually bought a shooter, so skipping the Stern shooter will not be a big deal. Lets hope the topper kicks ass though!

Not sure if everyone saw the game play pointers that Stern posted on their website last week?

The factory fan on the new SPIKE system kicks on and off intermittently to cool the power supply. When it is on, it is as loud as a jet engine. The fan can be replaced with a quieter one, but the simpler mod is to simply put in a fan just above the power supply blowing upward. This additional fan runs all the time and keeps the power supply cool enough that the internal fan never clicks on. The key is getting a REALLY quiet fan, but still enough air flow to keep the supply from running. As noted 80mm is the biggest that you can get without casting a shadow on the translite. Even with an 80mm it has to be installed as far right as possible above the factory fan in order to avoid getting a small shadow on the translite. Also, as noted above, the fan MUST BE BLOWING UPWARD so it is not working against the natural convection flow for this mod to work. If you get an adapter as shown above you will need to use a 60mm fan because the extra height will definitely cast a shadow otherwise. That adapter is definitely a great mod to this mod!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-wars-clubmay-the-force-be-with-you/page/76#post-4293879

I doubt it. All three toppers have that black box on the bottom and the Batman and Aerosmith toppers are not Stern official toppers.

If by "awesome" you mean "suck balls" then I agree.

That gate has a bushing similar to a flipper and it needs to have a small gap to allow free movement If there is no up and down play, the gate will rub under the playfield and won't move smoothly.

Lift the playfield, loosen the gate with an Allen wrench, pull the gate out from the playfield ever so slightly so it has a couple millimeters of play up and down and then tighten the screw. Hold the gate in place with your right hand while you tighten the screw with your left to get it lined up easily. It should move freely after that. Took me a total of two minutes.

Different sizes from different vendors?

Who sells those? They look nice.

That is actually a pretty good software update. Definitely worth putting in!!

It would still be nice to be able to do away with the video mode(s) completely or at least be able choose points or some random award in its place. I've never been a fan of video modes as a regular mode in a pinball machine. I'd much prefer it be hidden or random; more like an Easter egg that you see maybe once in 50 games.

That 80mm fan doesn't car a shadow on the translite?

Try turning the button 90 degrees to the side and slide it in then twist it back to straight up and down to lock into place.

I don't think you can skip the video mode. In the new revision you can go into the menus and shorten it from 20 seconds to 15. That change makes it a little more bearable.

I did this fix and put the power to 24. Hits the flipper every time. Never close to SDTM either.

So do I. The longer I have it the better it gets.

I like the Pinball Life shaker. It actually shakes the machine rather than turning it into a violent vibrator. The PWM is the best way to tame on SAM games..

That seems like a good solution but it actually does zero! I cut a ton off of a Cointaker weight set and didn't notice the slightest difference. I think it's because its a DC motor so it spins up faster faster with less weight.

Edit: deleted PWM talk for SPIKE.

Dang so many posts today... I thought for sure the topper was released!

Those look awesome! Looks like it really has a lot of contrast that makes it easy to read too.

I have them too and the sound is really awesome. The SPIKE 2 system has really great sound, it's not compressed and it's 2.1 instead of straight 2.0 stereo. That way there are separate volume controls for the cabinet and backbox speakers.

I go with the 10".

https://flipperfidelity.com/sound/stern-speaker-systems.html

I hope you are right. Previous experience with license holders meddling seems to produce the opposite. This has been an extended meddle too...

Well I hope you are right. I just wonder why it could be taking so long. My fear is that Disney won't like a toy that can light up, spin its head and make noise because people will be buying them who don't even have the pinball machine. They might be making Stern neuter it to be only usable as a topper.

I'm going to have to try it with stacking off at some point. Does it affect scoring and/or progress through the game much?

Has anyone found a source for replacement apron decals that don't have the epilepsy warning?

The SPIKE system is 2.1 not 2.0, so the cabinet speaker is a completely separate sound track!

Sure would be nice if someone would come out with a back lighting kit for those light saber side rails.

Your DILE will dimple like mad just the same as the Sterns. Once the dimpling is set in, the little lines that will cease to matter. My SW Premium doesn't have the little lines. Probably the Premiums and LEs have a little more clear coat. It also has surprisingly little dimpling considering the amount of play.

20180512_145039 (resized).jpg

Understand, and I should add that I am not trying to downplay the pictures posted above. There are lines and there are lines. To me the ones posted above by BRTLKAT are not acceptable.

I had a game reset the other day. This is the only times it has ever had the slightest problem. 1.05 software.

I don't think you can use the speed adjuster on the newer Sterns with SPIKE? I assume you have the Cointaker shaker? They are all too strong... The one from Stern and the one from Pinball Life seem just right.

I would assume that they haven't begun production pending this approval, so we are still not going to see this in our hands any time soon. I'm guessing Christmas at this point.

Does it go back down if you flip the game off? If so it's an electrical problem. If not it's mechanical binding.

Stern needs to invest in some gap tools... The price is right.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8194

Search for "cards" within this thread. There are some great ones

I'm in. The $500 is still on my floor after burning a hole in my pocket eight months ago.

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Might want to buy one while its $399.

First thing to do with the Premium is ditch the white T molding.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-wars-clubmay-the-force-be-with-you/page/70#post-4261547

As long as the trim matches the powder coat. That one on the market place looks terrible with two different whites

Not sure what people were expecting, but it was no letdown to me. My friends who saw it in person at Stern thought it looked good too. I'm getting one the day it is released.

How about being able to pass on the video and just take some points instead? Would be nice to have this option on every game that has a video mode past, present and future...

Does someone sell these or were those customer made? Normally I don't really care about leg bolt color as long as the threads are still good, but those look fantastic!

http://www.tiltforums.com/c/game-specific/rulesheet-wikis

A way to opt out of the video mode and choose points instead would also be wonderful.

Been there, done that. Still wish I could bypass it or simply disable it in the menus.

The Pinball Life shaker seems just right in Star Wars. When I got my Metallica it had a Cointaker shaker in it and it was way, way, waaaaaaay too strong. Funny thing was its not even the red thunder or whatever there stronger shaker it. I like a shaker but when it is overboard it just feels stupid. Better off without one than one that is too strong.

I've never had a clean run. Probably because I don't like video modes and I have never really tried. It's just 15 seconds of intermission before getting back to playing pinball.

Seems like that could be repaired with some UV glue. I've had good luck with "Bondic".

I just ordered the sand world for my Premium. I look forward to seeing it. I would really like the forest world too if they get made. I have a tie fighter over the pop bumper area and not a huge fan of the ice world any way.

I agree, they all look amazing. The attention to detail is spot on. I might have to get the whole set after all. We'll see...

With BK on order, budget will be a little tight if the SW topper finally comes out this month...

To me the premium with the light saber side rails is the best combination of art and game play. At first I really wanted the LE side rails, but after seeing them in person a few times I'd rather stick with the light saber rails. I love the hyperloop ramp. Nothing in pinball has ever gotten my adrenalin flowing like that ramp!

Here is a link to my original post. These rails didn't come without problems of their own. I used a white paint pen in a simple method to make the saber handle stand out better.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-wars-clubmay-the-force-be-with-you/page/81#post-4321453

Stay away from cointaker unless you want something that shakes your whole neighborhood. The Stern and PBL are the way to go.

I do seem to remember something like that in a couple of interviews. Definitely would not be a mod that I want for the exact reason stated by Steve. Your machine though, so do as you want. Just keep in mind that some might consider this a mod that would lower the price of the game if you sell it. Definitely put the button where it would be covered by a new set of extended side rails or light saber rails if you ever want to sell the game.

If you really want to cheat the system, leave the button on the lock bar as is for multiplier changes and add a rapid fire button in parallel on a foot pedal. Hold the pedal down and get 15 fighters per second!

Step stool?

I finally was able to get my light saber side rails back lit. The color is not perfect but I think they look awesome now.

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The rails are obviously the Stern official mod:
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1092-great-american-pinball/02061-star-wars-side-armor-official-stern

I was able to get Hooked on Pinball to sell me the lighting kit. This was not a ready to go kit like with the LE. I had to do some custom cutting to leave the original backing behind the saber handle and just have the lit portion on the saber part itself. I also bought some theater gel material in red and blue to add the color and carefully cut and taped it over the EL panel to tint the light. One other key thing that is needed regardless of whether you backlight is to highlight the saber handles with a white paint pen so they stand out better. As they come from Stern, these side rails are basically a fail. With a little work they look awesome as heck. Here is the post with before and after on the white paint pen mod:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-wars-clubmay-the-force-be-with-you/page/81#post-4321453

No it's all laser cut. Replaced the original white backing on the blade portion with EL

Used to be able to buy the "Star Wars: Armada - Imperial Class Star Destroyer" on Amazon for $40 and mount it yourself. Its not lighted but looks great none the less.

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Looks better than I was expecting. Simple, but looks well made with the metal ramps and new speaker panel. Even the dots are nice. As a supporter of Project Pinball charity, I'm hoping a lot of these make it into Children's hospitals. This is a perfect game for that purpose.

Sorry, I meant the backbox. Previously the speaker was where the "coindoor" is now.

I'm glad they did this. The pegs sucked. To me it makes sense to make all the games the same anyway. The more rails you buy, the cheaper they are. Just put them everywhere! I'm still glad they stuck with the latches instead of the levers for the lock bar. I like those a lot better now after having them for a while. And I also like the metal heads with the small bolts instead of the coffin locks a lot better.