I got a chance to play a handful of games on a Stern Star Wars Pro today at Pintastic. I'm curious to hear first impressions from those who have had a chance to play it. Here are mine:

The sounds, lighting and video are fantastic. It is a very impressive display and gets you immersed in the game. The artwork looks a lot better in real life than in the pictures. I normally don't like actors images on a playfield, but here, it gave it a sense of nostalgia while also feeling entirely fresh at the same time.

The game played fast, as one would expect from Stern and Ritchie. The layout was interesting, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet. The ramps were nothing special and seemed a bit too much tucked into the side of the game. I liked the mini-orbit on the left a lot. That shot felt good and fast, and it returned the ball to the flipper nicely. Hitting the tie fighter was fun, and I loved to see it bounce around after being hit. The bank of targets in front of the mini-screen was also fun to hit. Though, there, it was a definite risk vs. reward. Some modes seemed to require you to hit them, but they are a dangerous shot and send the ball back quickly towards the flippers and the drain. That said, there were no cheep drains down the middle. Each shot was set up well.

The Death Star on the Pro didn't seem to do anything other than light up. It still looked good, but I would love to try a Premium / LE some day. That might be the model to get.

It is hard to judge the code from a few plays. There seems like quite a bit there, with many modes and many different ways to play. The instructions for the modes were clear, and I never seemed to wonder what I should be shooting for.

Overall, I liked the game, but I'm on the fence a bit on the layout. I definitely want to see how the code develops and try a Premium/LE one day. It was a fun game that brought fond memories back while still feeling new. I'll be watching it.

I wish I remembered my scores. I know I got Hoth Champion on one of the pins in the showroom, but I don't think I took any other high scores. Are those podcast scores normal or just a result of really really good players? If they are normal, I think pin score inflation is getting out of hand.

The playfield doesn't feel that bare when you play it. I played both Star Wars Pro and AS Pro for the first time. Star Wars was the one I enjoyed more. That said, my biggest misgiving about Star Wars right now is the placement of the ramps. They are long shots and completely tucked into the sides. They didn't give me that cool feeling to hit that most other ramps give me. So, I'm not sure.

LOL. I was thinking the same thing. There are way more opinions on pricing than on actual game play. Oh well.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I liked it a lot, but it was hard to tell whether it would have lasting appeal. I really like how chuckwurt has played enough games that he is getting a feel for the scoring strategy. I only played a handful. It seemed like a lot was going on code wise, but I couldn't figure it out. It would be nice to hear how the selection of characters and bonuses work. Is Stern going to put out a strategy sheet like they did with GOT?

You know, it is interesting. I think Stern is doing a disservice to itself putting the LCD screen so low on the backbox. When people are crowded around the machine, it will be hard to see. The LCD on Dialed In by contrast is large and bright. It instantly attracts. At Pintastic, even though I was far back in line waiting for Dialed In, I could still enjoy all the beauty on the screen.

Maybe. I was just thinking about attracting customers to play on location, where the game is always on. The large and visually stunning display of Dialed In I think will do a better job. That said, the visuals on Star Wars are great. It is just harder to see from afar or behind a bunch of people.

Not to get off topic, but Pintastic was the first time I saw a Dialed In in person, and I was amazed by the display. I wasn't sure about it from the videos I had seen, but in person, the thing is a marvel.

Can you let us know what you figured out about scoring, character selection and bonuses? Or, would it take a book . . . .

At Pintastic, the lines for DI seemed twice as long as the lines for Star Wars. Could have something to do with ball time, but my games on both were about equal in length.

Agreed. I own a ST Pro and have played countless games on it. Star Wars did not feel like it at all.

Some people commented on the Tie Fighter sequence when a dozen of them appear on the screen and you furiously hit the middle button to destroy them. I only got this once but really liked it. I had to quickly cradle the ball, and then it just felt very satisfying to destroy those Tie Fighters.

I'm not sure what triggered them appearing, but I suppose that can happen. You're off in a galaxy far far away minding your own business and suddenly find yourself surrounded by Imperial forces, needing to fight your way out.

In any case, you either have to take your hand off one of the flippers to hit the button, which is dangerous, or try to cradle the ball. And, if you don't like the Tie Fighter button mashing, just don't do it. I believe it goes away.

Is that right? If you nail all Tie Fighters, it starts multiball? I think I came up one short. Do you know what you have to do to trigger the Tie Fighters appearing?

Again, I only had a few plays, but my biggest gripe was the ramps. I'm not sure anyone else felt this way, but they just seemed kind of blah to me. The left one in particular is a fairly long shot, and it felt it took a while for the ball to get back to the flipper. I'm curious what others think of the ramps, especially those who have played it more.

Yeah, that was a blast to hit!