Buying games for your family and friends is always a mistake. Nothing is gonna force these people to like pinball.

Buy what ya want!

Very true. Good thing I want what they want.

Win/win on this one

Of course pins are objective based in practice. But just like you said, objective = score, which the vast majority of any casual player I’ve talked to or encountered that plays a handful of times each year, do not care about. Hence the need to have a mode that wipes out the scores in favor of objectives.

Plus there already are separate rulesets on most modern pins. I don’t see the harm in simplifying this even further for different casual or party modes in a home setting.

So I just finished watching season 1, yeah I don’t have much time for TV so I’m a bit far behind. Does the game have magnets throwing the ball around the playfield. The magnet in the back I saw in one of the videos doesn’t really count. Is there an upside down mode of any sort in the game? Would be cool if the lighting could change to reflect an upside down mode and you fight past Demigorgons. I could see a cool video mode for the game too. A mode where you have to hit things to spell “right here” could be cool. A Christmas lights mode. Lots of possibilities.

It's a stunning game...bought it NIB in 2004 and my son and I still play it often. I've never been to Valinor (the ultimate wizard mode), but the mini-wizard modes are really satisfying. Highly recommend if you can get your hands on one. Since they did several runs, the prices are pretty modest.

Thankfully no.

Yes.

Agree possibilities are endless. Magnets Would have been great. Houdini magnets make the ball possessed. Would have been cool here

I'm different than most here. I wasn't interested when it was first revealed via trailer/pictures. Looked kinda boring, few toys or innovations. I changed my mind after the Jack Danger stream because of the lights, colors, sound effects and smoothness of many of the shots (and I don't have a "fan layout" pin in my collection). It was also non-stop play, it seems. Very few stoppages like JP2, sheesh. What I don't get is why anyone is extra excited over the premium or LE? Seems to me like the main difference is the projector and a magnet ball holder in the back. You can't really see the magnet holder in the back, so who cares about that and the projector would project...what? The same stuff as on the screen (that I rarely ever look at). I'm not sure I get the hype over a projector. So it's gonna show me stuff on a small screen during my gameplay?! Who cares. I really don't see the excitement over the additions, especially at the higher price tag. That said, I still wanna play it before I decide on the Pro or not.

Well, I think that's exactly it, the projector projects at the playfield which you ARE looking at.

not quite the same, but many games do prevent you from trapping up in an effort to kill timers and get to wizard modes by pausing timers during traps.

Projector also projects on other objects - drops, ramps, stand ups therefore changing what are usually just static. For example timers on the targets, words on the drops, arrows on the ramps. Imo that’s the best thing about the projector. Agree that projecting on the screen is just another screen. But it is easier to see it when playing.

The screen can also be turned in to buildings or locations by the projector. If it’s true projector mapping, the idea is for the projector to change the object into something different.

For good reason, lots of folks are excited to see the projector. This could be amazing or a dud. Interested to see it myself!!!!

Wait....what? You’re not a Stern employee already?!?

I'm sure their quota of yes men is already full.

I think I'm in the minority as someone who actually likes the Pro. Been wanting a Brian Eddy game for a while now (AFM is one of my all time favorites, just could never afford one). Now we get a Eddy game with an actual relevant theme, at sub $6k pricing? Super excited for this. Looking forward to seeing how the code evolves over the next few months. If it's a winner in the .90 code build range, I'm in.

Levi would have to give up Pinside if he was..

The premium has Physical ball locks which are nice and this one holds them on the backboard like magic lol ...up to 3 I believe. Also the bash toy has some action and moves which is nice. Then the projector sld be a neat effect and really immerse you into the game more so since you rarely have time to look up at the lcd screen. I hope it works well and is coded well as this will really make the game shine if done right. I love afm and this layout is very similar with some nice additions like the far left shot/scoop that then launches it at the inner orbit. I like the game has 4 ramps and the left orbit shot to ramp is nice. Game has great flow and constant action . I also believe balls can be locked behind the drops and in the left mystery shot area. Only shot I dont love is the right orbit as I believe it only leads to the pop area? Or can it open up and make full orbit shots like on afm after u hit the shot enough? Overall I believe it will be a nice game once the code gets up into the .90s and if you enjoy the show the game sld be a winner. Also we have another new pin which is awesome...such a nice time for our small hobby

Also the pro sld be able to be bought for under 5600 shipped as I know folks who were getting jp and prior pro pins for 5200-5500 shipped to them.

It always feeds the pops due to the ramp for the left orbit blocking it off.

No locks there. This is just a lane like the ACDC pro bell lane with a one way gate in the middle that feeds the saucer that spits into the left orbit.

I saw a few sets of optos here so I figured it cld hold a few balls. Looks like just a up post and not a scoop .

O ok.. that kinda stinks ..wld been nice of the ramp cld raise so it cld been full orbit. Still game flows nice even this being like that.

You can see a up post and few sets of optos like 2 balls cld b held at some point . Guess will see as code develops at what all can be done as lots of optos in the center area guess to detect different hits and stuff. Hopefully theirs a dirty pool feature also. Screenshot_20191225-020559_Facebook (resized).jpg

Looks like a longer throw opto that can detect behind the drop targets so hopefully dirty pool is a possibility.

This is the #1 rule of home collecting.

Can't agree more with these sentiments. AFM is the most approachable game there is for new players as it invites new players to simply shoot in the middle to make progress. My wife tolerates it too but I had to sell that clunker of a remake. I was eventually going to get a real one but I think Stranger Things will do me just fine with a cherry on top. I have a dark corner in my game room and I simply chose not to listen to the the doom mongers.

And trust me, there will be a cow!

Whoa, suddenly all the snarky undertone is gone.

Star Wars is the best recent game for forcing the action. That ever-expiring multiplier really punishes holding the ball for very long.

Is there a gobble hole on the playfield behind the drops? Not sure how dirty pool is even possible here if it's just the demogorgon mouth that's only accessible with the ramp down and is a shot above the playfield level anyway.

Seen the term “dirty pool” a lot over the last few days! What’s that mean haha? Besides someone that has a dirty swimming pool.

Thanks!

Dirty pool is possible the same way it is for AFM. Sneak a slow roller back there as the targets reset. If done I multiple times already but no dirty pool is in the code yet. Just sits there until ball search.

Dirty pool I think is what can be done on AFM. It has a gobble hole behind the bank of targets. So if you can leave a ball behind the raised bank, hitting the bank will knock it into the gobble hole and circumvent the rules.

Not sure how it can be done without a gobble hole but maybe the opto beam break works the same on Stranger Things to progress?

Bingo. And it’s a scoop in AFM FYI. Gobble holes drain the ball.

In the stream the ball got caught several times behind the stand-ups. It cycled them pretty quickly to release them, way quicker than ball search - 1 second maybe 2 -, so I think they can detect that situation and have in their code already addressed it.

Speaking of Gobble holes, Stern could totally reuse the Demogorgan mech if they ever decided to make a pin based on the movie Teeth lol

Teeth (resized).jpg

Can somebody clarify, did all Stern titles just go up in price by $100 or was it just Stranger Things?

Yeah good point. It’s quick and not a full ball search.

All Stern except Elvira and Beetles went up $100

Where are the accelerators? Or were you just chopping wood?

Haha. Accelerators. We need to use this term more.

I'll admit I have been really against the stern machines NIB due to the poor playfield wrinkling dimpling cabinet corners etc on a lot I have seen.
But...I love this theme and AFM as well so it could actually make me buy one.
I am being sincere here...do you think it is worth buying a spare playfield, getting it professionally cleared and beefing up cabinet etc on this game?
Or just strip the NIB and get it done off the bat?
A friend said Stern have fixed playfield issues can anyone tell me who has seen one of these now in the flesh if the playfield is dimpling, wrinkled etc off the bat?

Thankyou

I don’t think stern will sell spare playfields but if that will put your mind at ease, I say go for it.

No, just play.

Pretty sure they will sell you a spare, but IMO it’s overkill. Very unlikely you’ll have a problem and for home use you won’t come close to wearing it out.

Cabinets are not a problem recently as they’ve been using all ply and Williams style cabinet brackets (at least on PreLe’s - can’t comment on Pro’s).

Pros have them too.

In the feature matrix one of the differences of the pro is a plastic bottom arch vs steel. What arch? Anybody maybe got a picture what is meant?

Thanks!

I was rewatching the stream a little today cause I didn’t get to pay close attention the other night, but someone asked if their if dirty pool is possible and they all laughed and said they weren’t going to give away everything in the stream and people would have to find out themselves. The way they talked about seemed like it was something that was going to be implemented in the code but isn’t there yet.