(Topic ID: 207919)

Stern Star Wars Topper

By challanger1128

6 years ago


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  • 1,279 posts
  • 224 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 months ago by SerenityNow
  • Topic is favorited by 50 Pinsiders

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You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider yelobird.
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#10 6 years ago
Quoted from Psw757:

Yeah - no kidding where is the damn topper and shooter!

Sadly Im betting they are holding this most wanted toy as a minor reveal at the Texas show in March. Would grant them a bit more flare at the show but dam I want that thing and hope it lives up to the hype!

4 weeks later
#16 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

A projected hologram would be cool...but does this tech exist for consumers? I think expectations may be a little too high. Unless we live in a galaxy far, far, away.

Pretty sure it exists in fact they used a projector topper on BM66. Looks Awesome to!

#18 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

I don’t think a projected image of a stationary bat shadow is what was meant by a “projects a real hologram”. Yes, the bat signal looked cool for BM66, but a stationary shadow of Princess Leia would not go over well. Even a color projected stationary Princess Leia wouldn’t go over very well IMO.

Depends on what shes wearing.......

Actually I think it could be pretty cool. Imagine the Same R2D2 as shown in the mystery shot. R2D2 projecting Deathstar images to the ceiling/wall like the movie. I would be in.

#21 6 years ago
Quoted from J85M:

An animated projection would give a pretty close hologram effect, could easily have the video clip of Leia projected onto a wall or possibly some sort of acrylic?

Lets just say if Stern doesn't do it The Mod Couple will.... I to like the projection into a clear acrylic look from R2D2. That would be Sweet.

5 months later
#94 5 years ago
Quoted from ASOA:

September 9 2018
Release date for the topper.

Is that hot tip from the same person that told you MBr is coming with new code? Lol

#97 5 years ago
Quoted from ASOA:

That's the date Stern has told Distributors. Take it easy there fella!

Lol I was just ribbing you.

1 month later
#125 5 years ago

They said design was Fully approved and will be in production for sale soon.

#143 5 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

YES!!! Possibly for some super awesome add ons or upgrades in the future?!?!?!?!
Or maybe just heat vents like everything else electronic.

Don’t be silly. Those are droid testical cooling vents to keep the bearings chilled. Duh!

3 months later
#238 5 years ago
Quoted from modfather:

Should I make a topper for this game ? I have thought about using a nice helmet and decking it out with cool lighting...etc. Maybe Darth Vader , White Stormtropper and/or Boba Fet. Make a base, backlight the eyes, front light the face, do some trim , decals...whatever. I can figure something out. I know Bladerunner needs 3 SW toppers for his games. Nudge, Nudge....

Please OB1-Modfather save us and Make a Topper for this game already! Star Wars 65 will be out before Stern gets this out. Please do it!

9 months later
#346 4 years ago
Quoted from GAP:

Great American Pinball is now taking orders for Star Wars Toppers. These toppers are now going into production and we have our first few. We should be getting more in in the next 1 to 4 weeks. This is a limited run of 500 with a plaque. (See pic) Once they run out they are gone. Stern's MSRP is $750.00 due to limited production. $25.00 to ship. Your topper will ship in the order it was received.
Thanks
Great American Pinball
Order now!!!!!!!!!
https://www.greatamericanpinball.com/product-page/star-wars-topper[quoted image]

Your the man always Mike. But WOW Stern is goofy shooting for $775 for That topper!!!! Even if it made you sandwiches there is No way its worth that kind of loot! Odd direction they took with this one in my opinion.

#354 4 years ago
Quoted from GorillaBiscuits:

$750 for that piece of crap? A rotating decapitated R2D2 with no art and a plaque certifying you as a sucker? OK then!

1 of 500 suckers though! LOL

#425 4 years ago
Quoted from Vino:

I want to see this thing in action.
Wish it served a drink.

There have been Many posts showing it in action. Look through the photo gallery of this thread. Not much to see, head goes left, head goes right, pay the man $800 done. lol

#489 4 years ago
Quoted from Psw757:

I think they only make X amount of any topper. This is the first time they are announcing it up front. Now Stern reaps the reward not the distro.
I’m sure Stern saw what some of the Distros did when AS, GB, Beatles and Kiss toppers started getting scarce. All were selling well above original MSRP by various large Stern distros.
I don’t like what’s going on but the market seems to be allowing it, look at all the want adds for these now quietly discontinued toppers.

Have to agree. Hunting for a Beatles topper was like a holly grail. Odd that they do this as you would think toppers are basically printing money.

#515 4 years ago
Quoted from Psw757:

What is really messed up is nobody has been able to produce current pictures of all sides of the newest version of topper.
For $775 there should be some pictures by now. Wtf?
Is the hologram projected now in the correct spot or not?
The one with the screw head is the older version if I’m not mistaken.

Thats because Nothing has changed from the front/rear picture or videos already posted over a year ago. Does nothing more nothing less with the exception for a sequential number on the back. All rightfully said this was crazy at $500 now at $750 it's just goofy. My only Guess is they will in short order drop the price back to $500 and All will say "What a Great deal!!" lol Smart play marketing Stern....

11
#519 4 years ago
Quoted from HighProtein:

I wonder how it'll look on the comicbook art versions!

The comic book topper version comes out in 2035.

#620 4 years ago

With all this forbidden anxiety about this topper it’s actually swaying me to want one now... lol. Definitely a spendy purchase but I admit price aside it does look nice and love the effect.

-1
#656 4 years ago
Quoted from John_I:

This is why Steve Ritchie likes the original themes. Dealing with Disney on licensing sucks. Look at the Black Knight topper vs Star Wars. If anything, the BK topper is more intricate at $300 less

If Only that put that saved 300 into the BK game and upper Playfield it might have been a better game. Probably not...

3 weeks later
#906 4 years ago
Quoted from mbelofsky:

It appears my Christmas has been mostly Star Wars and mostly R2D2. I continue to play my Star Wars pinball with the topper installed. I have always enjoyed the game and now enjoy it more with the integration of the topper into the game play and attract mode. My Deadpool topper is kind of interactive with the hand moving up and down. But this is just the best integration, so far, that I have seen for a topper. I am glad I got the topper.
(The small R2D2 in the photo is a miniature Hallmark ornament about 2" x 2". It does not light up or anything. Just looked regal.)
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Looks awesome. For what it does I think it looks great personally. Just may take the plunge and order one. Thanks for sharing.

1 month later
12
#1015 4 years ago

Joined the "how do you justify that" topper club! lol Picked it up today built last week. Not a scratch and worked perfect out of the box. I avoid thinking about what I paid for it but must say it is really F'n cool. Did do like a previous poster mentioned and moved the LE plate to the right side of the speaker panel. Not sure if they are going in order but #447/500 is checking in. May the force be with you!

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#1018 4 years ago
Quoted from Oneangrymo:

Is that for the light bleed from under the topper?

Appears to be. For me, with the height of the topper I didn’t really see much light bleed but a creative simple solution no doubt.

1 week later
#1053 4 years ago
Quoted from j_m_:

I'm glad you enjoy it. unfortunately, I think that stranger things falls way short of what stern could have done with the license and severely cheaped out on the BOM. I've played one and after putting 400+ shots (over 9 games) on the demigorgon and managing only a meager 3 successful hits (and I'm not the only one complaining about this as well), I believe I'm allowed to have an opinion.
am I supposed to be sorry that my opinion isn't in line with yours?

And this opinion means what again in the SW topper thread??

#1061 4 years ago

OK hate to confess this but a few weeks ago installed this beautiful topper, spun and greeted me working perfectly. Today not so much...... Turned on the game room to tune a CFTBL and hear some crazy loud grinding down the row. Sure enough R2 is parked looking at the wall with what sounds like a bag of bolts in a blender in his head. Umphhhh. Guess I get to do a lobotomy this week after a call to Stern. Dam I was rather liking that little guy.

13
#1062 4 years ago

Heck with it. Im inpatient with OCD his head must come off!!! As I suspect and have seen posted my bet is this will not be the last R2 that needs a lobotomy. As posted like others my New R2 topper worked then simply stopped and sounded like a coffee grinder. Yes it sucks to have to fix but it is what it is. Below is a step by step how I fixed mine. Not including taking him down and photos all in this took maybe 15 minutes to fix. Extremely easy to do with minimal at best mechanical knowledge. Fix yours or wait weeks for Stern to do the following repair.

1. Remove (2) Philips head blue screws from head. The front snorkel plastic thing is Also a large nut. You need to grab it firmly with your fingers and unscrew it like a cap. Don't use tools or you will certainly scratch it up.
Looking at the I believe 3rd picture you can see the issue. The mini setscrews Stern used to lock the drive roller to the motor simply were not tight and the roller walked up the shaft until it caught the opto fingers. Doing so kept it in a continious drive as it could not move and could not signal the opto it was done.
2 Not needed but to get the roller off I removed the (4) star nuts on the opto ring with a 5/16" nut driver. (or wrench).
3 Remove (if not already fallen off) the rubber collar drive wheel. Uses a 1/16" set screw 2 places.
4 I STRONGLY suggest removing the mini set screws and applying a dot of Blue Loctite to the threads. No way would I want to keep doing this!!! Loctite and put screws back in drive roller.
5 Put drive roller back on motor shaft and align rubber roller so it is centered on aluminum drive ring. Make sure roller is Not pushed against motor housing!
6 Before tightening set screws in drive roller maker certain ONE of the setscrews it positioned to hit the center Flat of the motor drive shaft!! This is where I think Stern went wrong. Tighten the other setscrew.
7 Replace Opto ring and 4 star nuts.
8 Put R2 head back on reverse of step 1.
9 Re-install topper on game and smile for a job well done!!

Let me know if there are any questions.

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#1064 4 years ago
Quoted from RockfordReplay:

Nice write-up Yelobird.
Guess our R2s will need a spec-check. That motor spins, stops, then reverses over and over and over. If those screws are not locked; R2 is doomed.

Correct. If the drive roller floats up as mine did (and others) between the opto fingers it will simply keep running and driving as it cannot find home. Worth a tune up if it happens or to keep it from happening. Mine is now running beautifully again chatting his little head off. Lol

#1067 4 years ago
Quoted from Oneangrymo:

why the heck did they put the plaque on the back? This has to be designed by some intern at Stern.. damn you intern.

Where would you put it on the front? Its all embossed or holes. Like my photo I put mine on the front of the game, looks nice there in my opinion.

#1075 4 years ago
Quoted from beelzeboob:

Got my topper. Works fine except when R2 tries to do a 360 (at the end of the game and in certain parts of the gameplay). He gets stuck and I'm stuck looking at the green light on the back of his head while the motor keeps whirring until the programming tells him to do something else. Then he returns to the home position. Anybody seen this or posted a solution? I'll take him apart if I absolutely have to...I mean, that IS why I spent $750 to get him, right?
PS - Everyone complains about the loud motor, but I actually think that's a sound effect because...you know...he's a droid and all.

Yes I posted a step by step to fix this in this thread. Rather simple except having to take the unit down again.

#1077 4 years ago
Quoted from drjeff112:

I getting ready to throw this piece of junk in the dumpster!! My R2 topper arrived broken. Installed it. It spun 1/4 turn upon power up then got stuck with loud metallic noise and then never moved again. Called stern. Shipped it back for repair. Got it back in the mail supposedly fixed. Reinstalled it yesterday and ITS STILL BROKEN!!!! Right out of the box again !!!! This time the little guy didn’t even give me any movement. Lights up and sounds good but doesn’t move. I took off the head and checked for the fix shown in this thread but that’s not the issue. The roller is in perfect position. (See pictures) The motor just doesn’t work. Checked and reseated all the jumpers on the 2 node boards in the topper and still nothing !! I’m really fed up. Gonna call stern tomorrow and ship it back again. There’s no way they plugged this into a machine and quality checked it when they had it! I have installed this twice now and it’s still sucks. Piece of $750 junk !!!![quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

That sucks. Is the metal tap moving cleanly between the opts if you rotate by hand?

#1082 4 years ago
Quoted from drjeff112:

PS - if I tried to get my money back who do I contact? Stern or the distributor I bought it from? I got mine via eBay from Great American Pinball. When I called GAP I was told to deal with Stern. I spoke with Chas and he sent me the first return for repair sticker. Not sure who I should ask for a refund.

Yeah, as this is no longer a repair request it’s a return I would just contact Mike at GAP.

Side question, you said if you rotate by hand the opts align. Is the roller turning then? And if so do you see the shaft turning with it? Just making sure the set screws are locked to the motor shaft. Hope you get this resolved.

1 month later
#1132 3 years ago
Quoted from John_I:

Basically here are the two most common issues with these toppers that can cause them to fail. One is the position and heat shrink on the light socket leads shorting against the case. And the second is the clamp that holds the motor can loosen and allow the motor housing to spin and short out the node board. If you feel comfortable removing the cover, these can be easily inspected and fixed. To me it is best to inspect for these before ever installing it in the first place. First remove the R2D2 head noting that the third screw is actually hidden as one of R2's projectors. Then remove the entire cover. Inspect the leads on the LED sockets and make sure the heat shrink is shrunk down and has adequate coverage and turn/bend the leads so the are further from contacting the case or anything else metal. Next find the clamp holding the motor in place and tighten the heck out of it. This is a $750 toy, so proceed at your own risk.

Or it’s the drive gear as written up in post 1062. Still works great.

1 month later
#1150 3 years ago

Looking at the picture gallery of this thread (top) all the ones including mine have 4 screws.

#1152 3 years ago
Quoted from Pinhead1982:

Yeah, I kinda knew that already.. R2 is working at the moment.. just pisses me off that Stern can’t sort their QC out..
Machine and toppers made for a cheap as possible, with employees that don’t give a fuck!

Sorry, seemed like you posed this as a question just trying to help.

1 week later
#1166 3 years ago
Quoted from D-Gottlieb:

Does anyone not agree that this toy is a complete piece of overpriced junk? If anyone really is convinced that this is a value priced quality product, please step up.

Love ours. Completely disagree.

#1176 3 years ago
Quoted from Darscot:

It is interesting that everyone responded emotionally. I think D-Gottlieb is making an objective observation. Both points of view can be correct and valid.

Seems like everyone simply responded with their opinion. I for one don’t need anyone’s justification on what I purchase or appreciate.

#1178 3 years ago
Quoted from Darscot:

That is the exact point I was making. Every single response started with Love or I love, I hope we can agree those are subjective opinions. D-Gottlieb was clearly being objective in his opinion. Objectively its hard to argue this topper is worth the money, subjectively of course it is. You for one have nothing to get defensive about I was simply pointing out you are both right. If your going to disagree at least use the same type of argument.

You really are reading Way to much into this. I nor was anyone defensive to you or his post. Would it help you feel better if we say “we really like it a lot” instead of love it? Asking if we agree it’s “an over priced piece of junk” seems like trolling with stupid bait to me.

2 weeks later
#1205 3 years ago
Quoted from JonCrox:

Sorry, to be clear I though they were all sold out and I wouldn't pay that much for one anyway, I was wondering if someone had made something similar as a mod for less money that still interacted with the game like the official topper? I'm guessing not, so I was wondering what others have done instead as a topper?

If you look at the image gallery of this thread you will see several alternate toppers others have done. None interact.

1 month later
#1217 3 years ago
Quoted from Pinball_Syd:

Hey Zac,
I’m a bit confused here?
I tried to buy one of these toppers about a month ago and they were sold out everywhere. Maybe one or two still showing as available from remote suppliers web sites. I had assumed that all 500 limited edition topper had sold out.
Now there’s “new stock available” and a few distributors appear to be restocked. Does this mean Stern only trickle fed an initial run but are still rolling these out, while sticking to 500?
Same goes for the JP topper, supposedly limited to 250 build and also supposedly sold out within two weeks.
Is this part of sterns campaign to create hype around limiting supply? Inflate prices on flea bay? Trickle supply chains ? Give people a taste? Keep them guessing? Justify high prices? Am I going to miss out? Really... if I don’t buy one now am I going to miss out?
We can’t expect distributors to all
have the answers. It’s also understandable that production is Going to be a bit weird in times like these. I’d like to hope that anyone who wants one doesn’t have miss out, or falls pray to the chumps selling them on flea bay for $999 It’s a chunk of huge change and some people probably need time to save up, deliberate throughout the factory defect issues? sell their one of their organs or take up a paper run (sorry they don’t do those anymore) just to be able to afford one.
Anyway... just a bit of food for thought. You may know something most others don’t.

Because they were out of stock does not mean Sold out of the run nor did I see them announce that. Seems like they just followed business 101. Build 500 of something they are not sure will sell or build several batches at intervals dependent on sales interests. May not be available at the moment we want them but if there is demand and they have not reached the 500 odds are they will make more.

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