(Topic ID: 279877)

Stern - Star Wars Pro - Insulting

By Fordiesel69

3 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Linked Games

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

sw-ac-dc (resized).png
EFDF12EE-94EC-40D9-911E-938004F0414E (resized).jpeg
oldman (resized).jpg
C69EEADC-4C5D-42AE-B472-2957F3C8BF20 (resized).jpeg

There are 133 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 3.
-51
#1 3 years ago

If there is any game on the market that needs to go away it is this. Did the designers not have a Data East version to play with first? Did they ever even hear of a Data East Star Wars? Was the cost of the licensing too expensive that they had to lay off the design department and revert to a 1970's playfield layout?

Can anyone share the internal thoughts stern had to produce such a lacking game? I'd love to hear how they can defend and market a game that is far worse than any prior release by other manufactures.

A similar example is making an Eight Ball Champ, after the Eight Ball Deluxe (except EBC is actually a great shooting game unlike this one).

-A crappy playfield layout with a complex and deep ruleset is still crap. It's like bathing a wild boar hoping to make it smell better, longer.
-The art is very plain, and appears to have no thought process. Just thrown on there.
-The premium looks like it could be decent but there is no place that has one in my area to play.
-The playfield is a side drain monster (I thought it was just me, nope.....)
-The Star Wars theme is not properly executed into the actual gameplay. It's almost like the programmers and designers were not talking to each other.

Any premium or LE's around in erie, buffalo, pittsburgh, or cleveland area to try out to form a second opinion?

32
#2 3 years ago
Quoted from Fordiesel69:

If there is any game on the market that needs to go away it is this.

No it doesn't its great. I can think of 1 pinsider now however that needs to go away.

what a ridiculous thread to start and what a ridiculous 1st post.

Quoted from Fordiesel69:

The playfield is a side drain monster (I thought it was just me, nope.....)

Nope, its just u. I love it when lack luster players insult the game cause they aren't very good.

Quoted from Fordiesel69:

The Star Wars theme is not properly executed into the actual gameplay. It's almost like the programmers and designers were not talking to each other.

Wow. I guess the fact that u brought the DE version into to explain what a SW pin should be kinda explains this horrendously foolish observation and even then I have to wonder.

#3 3 years ago

Hm? That’s weird I like my Stern Star Wars.. I’m even beginning to like my cheesy r2 topper.

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from Oneangrymo:

Hm? That’s weird I like my Stern Star Wars.. I’m even beginning to like my cheesy r2 topper.

I don't like looking at peoples collections and then judge them but in this case I made an acception and its very clear to me now how a thread this stupid came to be.

#5 3 years ago

People either complain about a lack of assets or a lack of features. With this machine, you got all of the assets with minimal features. Had they gone with cartoon animations and loaded design features, people would have complained about the assets. Look at JP2, incredible design and mechs with one actor from the actual movie. I own SWLE and enjoy it for what it is. The game is very deep, but it doesn’t give me that one more game feeling like IMDN/JP2. It’s also the first game any non-pinball person wants to play when they see my collection. I think it’s a great game within a collection, but wouldn’t be enough for me as my only machine.

#6 3 years ago
Quoted from Oneangrymo:

Hm? That’s weird I like my Stern Star Wars.. I’m even beginning to like my cheesy r2 topper.

Well...if Oneangrymo isn't too upset, the game must be relatively OK.

#7 3 years ago

That's your problem.

10
#8 3 years ago

Top 10 game for me easily, possibly top 5. Sorry you do not like it, but there are plenty that do and your poor opinion doesn't mean a game should "go away". The layout is fast and flowy. Lots of backhands. Some hard shots, some easy. The code is top tier. Tons of modes, strategies, and paths to take. Plenty for a beginner to have fun with, and enough depth to keep anyone busy for a very long time if you choose to dig in. This game pulls me into the theme like few games can, and places me right inside the scenes the modes are based on. I couldn't ask for better theme integration.

Sorry, the DE SW does nothing for me. In MY opinion, the Stern pro blows it away in every way possible. Shoots better, WAY better code, better art, sounds better, etc. But I would never tell someone who loves it that the game sucks or is somehow an insult to the theme. Different people have different opinions.

#9 3 years ago

I really like my Star Wars pro and it’s also my teenagers favorite currently in our collection. To each is own I guess. I like Steve Richie and I like his board designs. They’re very fast and typically very difficult games, many eight the small killer fast loop like SW. A lot of his games require you to not just flip but the hold and actually make each shot carefully. This one has a very deep rules set and you can play it in so many ways. I really enjoy the integration of the top button in the gameplay here because it makes it extremely difficult to hit that button really fast while also controlling the ball. Maybe you don’t like the game because you can’t make the shots I don’t know but there isn’t a shot I can’t make on this and I really enjoy the game overall. I think for a stern it has one of the cooler light integrations with the red white and blue lights during certain modes. I really enjoy the game and it gets my heart rate up when I’m really into a game far. I don’t really understand this being a thread to start with.

#10 3 years ago

I don't like the game either. The art is very lacking, and I'm not a huge fan of the comic art either (big improvement though). The layout seems like it was just Steve Ritchie Fan Design Number 23 with a layer of Star Wars paint throw on after the fact. The code is deep and complex, but has some choices I don't like (in particular the shot multiplier, the use of the action button, and the silly video mode). Most of the BOM seems spent on having movie assets, which has its pros and cons.

But it's weird to come out swinging like this and it's overly harsh. Really a 1970s layout?

It's like a C+ in my book (relative to other Sterns within the past decade). Just not for me but it's cool if other people love theirs. And honestly, fixing how many balls plunge and drain to the left outlane would really do a lot to improve my opinion of the game. Just about every Star Wars I've ever played does it on occasion, if not frequently.

The premium is worth trying if you can. The hyper loop is cool and the little fork ramp thing is clever.

#11 3 years ago
Quoted from Billy16:

Well...if Oneangrymo isn't too upset, the game must be relatively OK.

I’m always upset.. and hungry. Always damn hungry. Get me a burrito stat.

21
#12 3 years ago

Someone get this guy on a Thunderbirds.

#13 3 years ago
Quoted from Fordiesel69:

It's like bathing a wild boar hoping to make it smell better, longer.

FWIW, I’ve found the smell of boar improves dramatically when roasted.

#14 3 years ago

I found Star Wars a huge disappointment. It was great they were able to get all the assets, something that is missing in a bunch of games, but with Star Wars I wanted a great game. That is why I didnt like it. I just expected more and it fell short. It is a better game now with code updates. I definitely wouldn't say it's one of the worst that Stern has done. The hyper loop is really neat and I would take a premium over a pro.( I had both already.)

#15 3 years ago
Quoted from Fordiesel69:

Can anyone share the internal thoughts stern had to produce such a lacking game?

It's for players bruh.

#16 3 years ago

I bought SW comic premium last year but almost bought the pro. Picked it over all other Stern pins that were out last year.

I love the comic pro art package.

I suspect this is just a gag thread anyway just to get people saying how great it is.

#17 3 years ago

Star Wars is an interesting game for me..... I don't care about the theme, I don't like the artwork, I generally don't like Steve Ritchie games, and the playfield always struck me as a little bare. So... I went and bought one (Pro). And I am really enjoying it, a lot. I have no idea what I am doing yet, as I cant look up at the display because the game is so damn fast. I am slowly putting it together, but I don't watch videos of people playing pinball to figure out gameplay. I also bought a Guardians of the Galaxy about the same time, and that game is super easy to understand and has a lot of great shots, yet I still play Star Wars 5x as much as Guardians. Every time I play Star Wars, I always learn something and go.... "oh, that's cool".

Star Wars reminds me of Iron Man in regards to speed and ball time, but clearly has a ruleset that goes way above and beyond. It is frustrating and satisfying at the same time, and I keep pressing the start button, which is the ultimate goal.

My only knock on Star Wars at this point is the lighting is awesome and terrible all at the same time. I love the different effects, colors, etc, but they all suck when you play in the dark. A lot of the modes, you simply cant see the ball with the lights off in the game room. I also don't want to add additional lighting to overcome this effect, as it would take away from the presentation.

So far, this iteration of all the Star Wars games made to date is by far my favorite.

#18 3 years ago

Did you just discover Stern made a Star Wars pin or something?

10
#19 3 years ago

Guys, I would like to complain about Police Force.

The game just isn’t very fun. Software super shallow. I would avoid this recent release!

#20 3 years ago

Have you ever played DE Star Wars? Yikes. Say what you will about the Stern pin but at least someone didn't have to rewrite the whole code to make the game decent.

#21 3 years ago
Quoted from Fordiesel69:

If there is any game on the market that needs to go away it is this.

Look, I agree that Stern Star Wars sucks death stars, but as you will learn, pinball is all about opinion. One mans trash is another mans treasure. Just speak with your wallet, and don't buy a Star Wars. And if you are unfortunate enough to own one already, well just sell it. Problem solved. That nasty machine will never hurt you again. And someone else will be playing a game that they like. So win-win. You didn't even need to create a Pinside thread about it. It isn't like it is as bad as Judge Dredd or something... oh crap, follow your own advice DaveH...

#22 3 years ago
Quoted from DaveH:

It isn't like it is as bad as Judge Dredd

Judge Dredd is a great pin.

#23 3 years ago

Is this the club thread for people that currently own both Stern SW and Judge Dredd? Sign me up!

-1
#24 3 years ago
Quoted from DaveH:

...It isn't like it is as bad as Judge Dredd or something...

Too true.

#25 3 years ago

Data East Star Wars has Princess Leia in her bikini.

Mic drop...

Super exclusive ad from the Pinside Marketplace!
#26 3 years ago

It's one of my favorite games ever. It's loaded with FUN and can be snagged for $4500.

#27 3 years ago

Man I really hope that come out with a Dredd sequel, what a great movie.

#28 3 years ago
Quoted from Fordiesel69:

If there is any game on the market that needs to go away it is this. Did the designers not have a Data East version to play with first? Did they ever even hear of a Data East Star Wars? Was the cost of the licensing too expensive that they had to lay off the design department and revert to a 1970's playfield layout?
Can anyone share the internal thoughts stern had to produce such a lacking game? I'd love to hear how they can defend and market a game that is far worse than any prior release by other manufactures.
A similar example is making an Eight Ball Champ, after the Eight Ball Deluxe (except EBC is actually a great shooting game unlike this one).
-A crappy playfield layout with a complex and deep ruleset is still crap. It's like bathing a wild boar hoping to make it smell better, longer.
-The art is very plain, and appears to have no thought process. Just thrown on there.
-The premium looks like it could be decent but there is no place that has one in my area to play.
-The playfield is a side drain monster (I thought it was just me, nope.....)
-The Star Wars theme is not properly executed into the actual gameplay. It's almost like the programmers and designers were not talking to each other.
Any premium or LE's around in erie, buffalo, pittsburgh, or cleveland area to try out to form a second opinion?

You must be an absolute riot at parties.

#29 3 years ago
Quoted from Hazoff:

but in this case I made an acception

Really? I can't believe adults still screw this up...

#30 3 years ago
Quoted from Beyndtstng:

With this machine, you got all of the assets with minimal features. Had they gone with cartoon animations and loaded design features, people would have complained about the assets. Look at JP2, incredible design and mechs with one actor from the actual movie.

And JP is being praised as an incredible game, despite its lack of assets.

Yes, we'll take features over assets any day. It's a pinball game, not a television set. Don't need footage or actors if the game is fun and compelling to shoot.

Chalk me up as another one who thinks Stern SW is pretty meh.

#31 3 years ago
Quoted from metallik:

Really? I can't believe adults still screw this up...

No idea what ur talking about.

#32 3 years ago

I’m actually more of a fan of my stern Star Wars since a generous pinsider shared with me the original music/score code and I hooked up an External woofer sounds amazing and adds to the modes

#33 3 years ago
Quoted from Oneangrymo:

Man I really hope that come out with a Dredd sequel, what a great movie.

I actually think the sequel is really good.

#34 3 years ago
Quoted from Dr-pin:

I actually think the sequel is really good.

There is a sequel to Dredd?? I dont think so. Dredd is the latest movie.

#35 3 years ago

I'm not a fan of SW pro, either...

which is why I got an LE: because it's EPIC!!!

#36 3 years ago
Quoted from beelzeboob:

I'm not a fan of SW pro, either...
which is why I got an LE: because it's EPIC!!!

Ha! The very first time I played Star Wars Pro was with you at Pintastic. Maybe that is why we both hate it?

Man that makes me miss pre-pandemic fun.

#37 3 years ago
Quoted from Hazoff:

No idea what ur talking about.

spellling man!

#38 3 years ago

Oh, who cares.

#39 3 years ago
Quoted from DaveH:

Ha! The very first time I played Star Wars Pro was with you at Pintastic. Maybe that is why we both hate it?

Well, that's certainly why I hate it. I would think you'd love it after that experience.

#40 3 years ago

Where did you go, OP? Seems like you have over 40 pinsiders that don’t agree.

I agree. I love Star Wars, loved DE Star Wars, I can’t stand this Stern version- pro or whatever I’ve played on route. I’ll take the comic book edition for decor, though. I think it is more a function of how the DE version is ingrained in our brain. Hear the music, hitting flippers- should hear a ball whipping around a wire form and a tie fighter flying by- or whatever that was. That pulsing alarm siren- shoot the troopers!!
Stern version- aim for mode start LCD, hit squarely and watch ball go straight down the middle. Flush! and repeat.. I’ll keep trying it- unless there is a DE in the place.

#41 3 years ago
Quoted from Trogdor:

Stern version- aim for mode start LCD, hit squarely and watch ball go straight down the middle. Flush! and repeat.. I’ll keep trying it- unless there is a DE in the place.

Well there's your first problem, shooting the standups under the "LCD" isn't how you start modes. That generally just nets you tie fighters which go toward tie fighter multiball (though it is used in some of the modes as a time extender).

#42 3 years ago

love my comic version and love the game overall. I have a premium but like the pro as well. Game is deep as shit. Its a different game. Incredible flow from Ritchie. Premium has hyperloop, death star that blows up, the tie fighter bash. Left outlane is a drain monster for sure and its a tough game. But I love it. I will admit when I started playing it on location I didnt love it, but I made the leap and bought it in January and fell in love.

#43 3 years ago

I would probably rate Star Wars a top 5 all time favorite for me. The Unorthodox ruleset is probably the best in pinball. Fast pace, awesome flow, brutal layout, challenging all around game. I owned a pro for 2 years and am very tempted to get an SW PREM Comic, but that would mean bailing on GNR; which actually probably wouldn’t be such a bad idea considering GNR’s are going to take a LONG time to make.

#44 3 years ago

Pretty sure we’re all being trolled...

C69EEADC-4C5D-42AE-B472-2957F3C8BF20 (resized).jpegC69EEADC-4C5D-42AE-B472-2957F3C8BF20 (resized).jpeg
#45 3 years ago
Quoted from Trogdor:

Stern version- aim for mode start LCD...

FFS.

#46 3 years ago

You can launch a ball and open hoth missions before the ball saver is off. Then back hand left ramp and you've opened up 2 planets in under a minute....sheesh.

-5
#47 3 years ago
Quoted from Hazoff:

I don't like looking at peoples collections and then judge them but in this case I made an acception and its very clear to me now how a thread this stupid came to be.

And what is that supposed to mean? Yep I get teased about a small handful of my games, and I don't care. I looked at your collection too and you have an Iron Maiden. Do the comparison, it happens to be an excellent game from Stern, and EFFORT WAS PUT INTO IT!!!!! Art is amazing on all three editions, and integrates well, the software /ruleset integrates with the playfield unlike Star Wars Pro, and most of all it actually has a playfield with features and the playfield is NOT A DRAIN MONSTER. Repeat after me.....EFFORT.....WAS.....PUT.....INTO......IT. Facts are facts, being we all know JJP saved Stern's a$$ by actually being innovative, and making them step up to the plate, Star Wars Pro is like a giant leap back to when Stern sucked. Anybody can overpay for a license, exhale art work onto a firewood cabinet, write a complex code base without talking to the design team, and charge a lot of money for it. You can continue to defend firewood with legs if you wish.

I do not share this opinion alone. Here are some quotes from a pinside ratings thread:

-danodavis:"Very disappointing considering the license. Comes off as a paint-by-numbers shooter that was rushed out."

-drfrightner: "My issue with this game is simple. Great theme and not enough effort to incorporate the theme into the game itself."

-RobT: "I own it. Don't care for it. Rules don't mesh well with the layout. Shots do feel good and satisfying to hit, but the pin just isn't much fun. I don't like the implementation of the rules. Gets repetitive."

-middaleman: "I hate middle buttons and video modes. This game PROMINENTLY features a middle button and a video mode. It's dependent on the middle button and the video mode. Boo."

Yes we should be playing pinball not an arcade game. I know stern needs to justify the expense of Spike2 and the LCD they implemented kicking and screaming."

-stf_dnx: "I'm a big fan of Ritchie's tables, but this one looks like a lazy licenced themed pin. Uninspired PF, with poor design. Maybe it becomes nice after you really dig the rules... Myself after a dozen plays, i just did not find any fun at it. Animations are great, sound is what it should be, that's about it.
I guess this can be an option for SW fans, but as we are talking pinball, I have to agree this is one of the worst table recently produced. At least, you can play for free when you'll find one routed, because players usually leave it before they use all of their credits..."

-konghuster: "Pro just has nothing on play field. Game is still fun, but there is zero wow factor here. I like playing, but will never buy this one. Good to play a few games on location, but if buying, premium is way to go. The shots were a little tight, and the layout was very basic. You're definitely playing the LCD and sounds on this title, and nothing really on play field to interact with ball. A let down for sure, but still fun on location."

Too little of nothing. You wanna change the art and some code tweaks on the higher end models then sure, but at least keep the playfield features on the lower end models the same so they are not lacking.

Quoted from Trogdor:

Where did you go, OP? Seems like you have over 40 pinsiders that don’t agree.
I agree. I love Star Wars, loved DE Star Wars, I can’t stand this Stern version- pro or whatever I’ve played on route. I’ll take the comic book edition for decor, though. I think it is more a function of how the DE version is ingrained in our brain. Hear the music, hitting flippers- should hear a ball whipping around a wire form and a tie fighter flying by- or whatever that was. That pulsing alarm siren- shoot the troopers!!
Stern version- aim for mode start LCD, hit squarely and watch ball go straight down the middle. Flush! and repeat.. I’ll keep trying it- unless there is a DE in the place.

I could not have said it better. No doubt DE SW needed a code re-write. But is now shines and comes out on top of them all.

Could it be that between the licensing of Batman66 and Aerosmith combined with the cost to design and implement the SPIKE2 system, coupled with the price of the licensing alone for Star Wars, there was just not any funds left? I mean LCD's are expensive these days.....

Oh...and I forgot to mention......With such a complex ruleset, I do not see myself or my friends lugging around an encyclopedia / iPad pro / or Laptop to be able to figure out how to play the game. If that was the case, mobile library's might become a thing again.

10
#48 3 years ago
Quoted from Fordiesel69:

I do not share this opinion alone....
-drfrightner: "My issue with this game is simple. Great theme and not enough effort to incorporate the theme into the game itself."

Yeah, you guys sound like you'd get along together.

#49 3 years ago
Quoted from TheLaw:

Yeah, you guys sound like you'd get along together.

Ouch.

#50 3 years ago

I owned Star Wars and enjoyed the game, but there is a part of me that was extremely disappointed? This was not Stern’s or Steve Ritchie’s best foot forward. The layout was a poor man’s ACDC Pro.

Promoted items from the Pinside Marketplace
$ 9.00
Cabinet - Other
Mooshue's Market
Other
€ 160.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Pino Pinball Mods Shop
Toys/Add-ons
From: $ 35.99
Cabinet - Other
Bent Mods
Other
$ 7.95
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
ULEKstore
Toys/Add-ons
Wanted
Machine - Wanted
Bay Shore, NY
$ 49.99
6,250
Machine - For Sale
West Chicago, IL
6,200
Machine - For Sale
Carl Junction, MO
From: $ 399.95
Lighting - Led
Pin Stadium Pinball Mods
Led
$ 50.00
Playfield - Protection
Duke Pinball
Protection
$ 26.50
$ 44.99
Cabinet - Shooter Rods
Pinball Shark
Shooter rods
$ 49.99
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toys/Add-ons
$ 19.95
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
ULEKstore
Toys/Add-ons
€ 130.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Pino Pinball Mods Shop
Toys/Add-ons
$ 8.00
Cabinet - Other
Mooshue's Market
Other
From: $ 649.95
Lighting - Led
Pin Stadium Pinball Mods
Led
$ 39.00
From: $ 7.50
Playfield - Protection
Pin Monk
Protection
From: $ 99.99
Cabinet - Other
Lighted Pinball Mods
Other
$ 69.99
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toys/Add-ons
$ 6.00
Playfield - Protection
Apron Envy
Protection
From: $ 50.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Lermods
Toys/Add-ons
€ 55.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Pino Pinball Mods Shop
Toys/Add-ons
5,500 (Firm)
Machine - For Sale
Alexandria, VA
From: $ 10.00
$ 69.99
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toys/Add-ons
From: $ 64.95
Cabinet - Sound/Speakers
PinSound
Sound/Speakers
$ 19.95
Cabinet - Other
Pin Monk
Other
$ 22.95
Playfield - Plastics
RGP Models
Plastics
Hey modders!
Your shop name here
There are 133 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 3.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-wars-pro-insulting-?hl=dakotamike and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.