Not possible. Try and run the prem/LE code on a pro and the game doesn’t work at all. I know because I’ve accidentally done it done it before. Haha

You can still run Shrek code in Family Guy & vice versa! Games play perfectly with the other’s code...funny thing to see.

Lord knows I tried to help you.

Oh I know but stranger things and rick and morty had to come before dialed in!

Epic quote.

Interesting that a narrow body can affect the flow much. With AFM you get time to enjoy the loops and ramps more but one thing I noticed was the left loop to right ramp shot.... It goes so fast you cant really enjoy it. There are some interesting feeds about this game, but its really all about the projector. If that helps the mainstream then its been a good effort. The code and repetitive LCD images are painful at this point tho. Not sure I can see that getting better TBH.

Just like the 90s, maiden and JP2 are clear examples as to what makes a great pinball... UNIQUE PLAYFIELDS. Not bagging anyone who likes this game (never have done in the past either) but ST appears to only be about the theme and the projector.

I have a LE reserved and will decide to take delivery of it after I see some Prem/LE videos.

My main concerns:

1) Lonnie being the main coder. When's the last time he coded a great game?

2) Fan layout. Very much like AFM, but those layouts in my opinion do not hold well long term in a home use environment

3) Projector. Based on the Stern trailer, and even thinking about how projection looks, this is going to be very questionable. Projectors need very little ambient light to give a good picture. Dark room or not, the playfield/backglass/LCD are going to light that whole thing up. I predict many people will be disappointed with the projection quality being washed out. Just watch the trailer and especially the ramps, clearly the person playing is in a total black room. The ramps and everything looks very washed out. Picture it in a lineup in a dark room with all your other pins.

This game could have also been a great candidate for using the mag-slings like they did in Ghostbusters. Imagine during Telekenisis multiball having magnets flinging everything around, even something like how Dialed In does it.

Love the theme and am hoping I'm wrong.

Guardians

This is not true at all. Unique playfields don’t make a great game. How many WWEs have you seen or how great is RZ?

Much better to have a copycat PF that works. Metallica, Iron Man, AFM etc. Star Trek, SM etc. are not unique. Yet they are great pins.

I admit I've never played that game or even research it. I'll look into it. Been out of the loop for a while.

It’s terrible. Not sure why it was brought up as a great game. Weird.

When was the last time you played it? it was very rough to start but is a fantastic game now. The stock audio isnt great but the rule set is, and with clelands sound mod it a really really good game.

You do realize None of your listed concerns will be erased with a Prem/LE video so why are you still interested? Such a confusing justification.

It's terrible. The code is awful. It is so uninspired mash up of shoot the lit shots with movie clips. So bad.

I thought Tim was responsible for fixing that one?

You make a great point, however you got what you paid for then though right? I don’t feel like we are getting what we are paying for with some of these Stern games that are coming out today. I was excited about stranger things and between photos and video stream the game just does not scream $6-$9k. I got rid of Elvira for the same reason bought it like a fool because I’m an LE buyer and love Elvira. When it arrived and I started getting plays in I was disappointed in how plain it was. Maybe once I get to play Stranger Things in the wild Ill change my mind and buy it used.

Should be plenty for sale in the marketplace at bargain prices if this were true, you hardly see them come up for sale.

It's fair to look at the Pro version of this game and think...”that’s it?” I had the same reaction to GoT and BKSOR Pros. Both fun, but not a lot there. This game doesn’t even have any of Stern’s infamous flat plastic standup figures.

Do we all remember how they cheaped out on having a throne in a machine called Game of THRONES? They had to be shamed into adding it to the Pro.

It’s worth criticizing them on fair points.

I wonder how soon LE will be on the line since stern said they’ve been making pros for weeks now.

Here's a mod idea for the pro. Textured/molded Hawkins lab clip ons for each side of the projector area, could light up or be interactive as well.

I don’t know - but when I played it, it was just a bunch of disconnected modes with horrible bobaleebobo voices. Did Cleland hire Bradley Cooper to redo the custom callouts?

A video of how the projector looks either washed out or not, and the people commenting on how it looks in person. That's the main concern I guess, I just read that Lonnie is being helped by a team rather then himself, so that gives promise on the code.

Interesting thing it was mentioned Guardians been a good game with Lonnie code. I also just looked up who designed that and it's a Borg design. So maybe it takes a Borg designed playfield to improve Lonnie's code.. hopefully it all comes together with Brian Eddy's playfield design and experience. With that said, I feel it can be cleared up in a video as gameplay of the LE may feature newer code.

Apparently it takes other people bailing him out on code.

I think the best thing to come from stranger things pinball is RobT , kpg , and even Rarehero are back! Lol

I think Rare came back for Rick & Morty

Hi Rob,
It’s good to see you back!

You guys need to play GOTG with the latest code a lot got added since the start. Modes have changed got cherry bomb multiball. Especially try it with the cleland code the music he added makes the game kick ass.

So glad to see you guys back!

Looks like a really fun game even though Ive never seen the show...

I was gonna send you help until you reported/tattled on me. LOL

Only the first two. The other one? Was he gone?

Was it a total rewrite? What made it better? I really hated how you picked modes at ball launch...I like a little build up and gameplay before I start an event - that’s far more satisfying. Are modes still a video clip that plays independently while you shoot colored lights? Whether it’s bad acting or Cleland’s replacements, unless the modes actually feel satisfying to shoot with your shots actually doing something, I can’t imagine it being much better than it was.

I'm with ya. I refuse to buy a game at these astronomical prices that have plastic ramps with plastic ball returns. I understand making the ramp entrance and first 1/3 of it plastic (common) but not the entire ramp. Metal habit rails could have been used on Stranger Things premium / LE and still preserved the projector feature. This is simply yet another cost cutting move.

The first thing my cousin (a fellow pinball fan) said to me tonight at a Christmas party about Stranger Things is why in the hell did Stern put plastic ramps on the game.

Lol !!! Stern knows what they're doing with the theme that's for sure.

The thing about Stranger Things pinball is let's be totally honest:

1) Is it going to be a Top 10 pin? Absolutely not.

2) Is the playfield sparse and not nearly as cool as recent Keith Elwin game? F**k no.

3) Is the code going to hold a candle to anything Lyman can do? Hahahah c'mon

I think we all know that going into this.

But in all honesty, themes matter in pinball. My kids won't touch my existing machines except for Metallica, rarely anything else I've owned. Same with my wife.

But when they heard there's a Stranger Things pinball? They couldn't care less about Lonnie code or sparse playfield this and that.

It's.A.Stranger.Things.Pinball and they want it. Outside of us diehards looking for the next Top 10 pin, there's others who just find amusement with the fact they can relate to the sounds, music, and recognizable names of modes and crap like that. Makes it fun for those who aren't pinnerds like us and that's why I want it

Couldnt disagree more. MET, IM, ST, SM are you kidding me? Its the theme that people like rather than them being great playfields. Sure WWE was a flop but the best games ever made were in the 90s where every game was diff. Your effectively saying the TAF, WCS, BSD, WH20, CFTBL etc etc etc would be just as good if they were on the standard MM/AFM/MB fan layout... You can stick with your slack copycat lack of innovation playfields and l'll go with a design that is innovative and unique to the game.

The "main" reason that JP and Maiden are top 10 is due to the playfield. Those games clearly would not be as good if they were on the met/im/tf/st/sm etc etc layout.

Does the Prem or LE have metal wire forms/ramps (Like STLE)? I hate plastic

Nope

the only positive aspect of a plastic ramp is that the balls last longer (won’t scuff as much as on metal ramps/returns). Having said that, give me metal ramps all day every day.

Just can’t stop thinking
“ shoot the orchid “
“ shoot the orchid”

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Might get scolded for this, but it’s out of this pin or the SW Home Pin. I’ve played the SW Home Pin and loved it. But I gotta play this first before a decision is made.

So just got done hosting a killer Christmas Eve party (best time of the year - Merry Christmas pinside) and I'm catching up on this absolute disaster of a thread. Holy shit. What a mess. Here's the deal.... Coming from a guy buying Stranger Things and Rick and Morty.....

- it's so obvious why this game is getting a ton of shit. The layout is not innovative. It's rinse and repeat afm.

- the projector is going to disappoint. Stern knows it and doesn't even know how to stream it. If they did it wouldn't have been the pro to kick it off. Ultimately it shows video on another screen while you already have video on the lcd. It doesn't change the way it shoots like DP what so ever. Oh and it looks like shit when it's off.

- here's why it's going to be awesome (I'm in on a pro and a huge fan of the show)..... It's AFM meets stranger things WITH better code.

Done.

You don’t know this has better code than AFM. AFM is a Lyman masterpiece. Strangey Thangs is currently unfinished.

It's a deeper coded game than afm. The current code they showed yesterday demonstrated it's basically AFM..... One of the mini wizard was a play on. Total annilihation.

Oh and it has over 40 modes..... It's going to be a deeper AFM per Brian Eddy

I'll take that

GOTG is the bomb bro. You need to check your taste level

Play SW Premium also before that decision

It’s worth noting this projector thingy could end up being an expensive lesson....big investment in a pin with a innovative feature someone may have dreamt up over a crate of beer
Buyers will be the unpaid field bench testers
I see it now, dedicated forum setup for Premium/LE Stranger Things buyers constantly fcuking around with the projector........
Not like Stern will help you out based on recent form, customers service response will get crickets...and they’ll be 5 machines later down the production line.
Good luck gents

What are you taking about? I called them Monday about a 13 yr old machine of theirs and they were very willing to help.

Selective help I guess.
Funny how they are willing to help you and your 13 year old pin but won’t help people with new Pins.
Get yourself over to the ongoing playfield issue forum.

I am also someone with a not so perfect JP playfield. And yes, not so much dialogue about that getting fixed