If you're a decent player, JP is just a fantastic game to shoot with more interesting shots than Stranger Things. Casual and lower skilled players will have more fun on Stranger Things basic layout, easier shots and center drop targets and demo shot. I'll play Stranger Things when I just want to shoot the ball around and combo ramps back and forth. I play JP when I want a real challenge.

The story in JP is more interesting to me than seeing the same clips of those Strange kids over and over. I can't wait for my UV kit to arrive so I can then sell or trade the game away.

Interesting take. JP has felt like an easier shooter to me--lots of brutal drains in STh if you miss your shot, or off of the drops/demo.

I have more fun and get further in the game by ignoring the drops and just let them get hit when they get hit.

I can see where if you don’t like kids, STH might not be the game for you. I love playing through the modes. Seeing 11 break that bully’s arm never gets old.

I’m an ok player. I have both JPLE and SThLE side by side and I find they are very different. For me, STh is an easier shooter and simpler game. I usually always get to TI1. I get to TI2 about 30% of the time. I’ve gotten to Final Showdown twice since owning it(about 6 months now).

I’ve never gotten to Escape Nublar in JP since owning it(about 22 months) although I’ve gotten to VC about half a dozen times. The flow is very different on JP. You can do a 7-way combo on JP without ever hitting the same shot twice. There are only 4 combo shots that come back to the flippers on STh.

On STh you have demos, Demodogs, and missions. 4 mini wizard modes(if you count the TI MBs) and 1 wizard mode.

On JP you have Trex modes, paddocks(rescues & captures), control room modes, chaos mb, and raptor mb. 3 mini wizard modes, 1 wizard mode, 1 ultra wizard mode(when dinos ruled the earth).

I like both but I think JP is more of a keeper. STh may have to make room for Mando.

I basically traded JP prem away to get STh prem and never looked back. I loved the shots on JP but the gameplay did nothing for me, if that makes sense. Some of the shots were definitely harder on JP but misses on STh are punished exponentially more IMO. Both great games but I enjoy Stranger Things much more.

Those hex posts are just securing plastics down. It's an odd choice, but that how Stern did it. Totally normal.

Looks like I’ll be joining the pro club here in the next few weeks. Besides Cleland’s mod, what are the best mods for the game? I saw Mezel mods was working on a lit arcade sign. Is that still being made? Any insight is appreciated.

I’m a big fan of Pinwoofer. The Cleland sound mix is awesome and this brings it to life.

And obviously the UV kit. Lots of us are waiting on Stern to build these. I’m going with the Premium kit for my Pro to get the metal apron, so then I’ll have to add lights for the triangles.

Stern UV light kit for sure. My pro has the premium and also added a couple of lights underneath to lite the plastics in the apron.

Titan glow in the dark rings go great with the UV kit as well.

Stern D&D die shooter rod looks cool too.

Stern topper has cool lighting effects as you progress through the game. A bit costly though.

Pinball Monk flipper coil cooling fans are awesome for long games.

I'm preparing to make available my attract mode videos mod that also has a great game over slideshow, "Twist of Fate" song and a theme song remix replacing the main gameplay track.

Main gameplay remix (sick beat drops at 1:10): Most games you won't hear that far into the main track due to entering modes, etc. But why not have interesting music while waiting between balls when you refill a drink or wait for the next player?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hX9HRzUEW7L4gsSz7

Game over followed by the attract mode videos (video at the very end of the song rotates through all the videos. So next time around it will show the next video, not always this Chips Ahoy clip):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gRm91hNwp9QB8aTf7

I think this mod is fantastic because it makes the machine more interesting when sitting in attract mode, not to mention ending the game on an upbeat, fun, let's play this again vibe - instead of depressing music and dialogue. The game is dark enough already, at least end the bleak game on a high note and wanting to play again.

Thanks everyone. The pro I'm buying fortunately has the UV kit already installed. Anyone know what happened to Mezel's lit arcade mod?

Yeah, I don't get Stern not lighting the apron on any of these models. That should come standard on any pin as far as Im concerned.

I like that ending. Could this be used in conjunction with Cleland's sound mod? Maybe replacing his ending with your videos and music? Can the other part be added as well? I'm a newbie so don't know yet how all this works...

No, it's one code or another, no mixing unless someone does the mixing.

Sorry, but that dubstep-disco mix sounds awful to my ears.

There’s no way I’m going to change Cleland’s “Strange Impalas” game-over music with the kids’ dialog, it’s the best part of the game for me.

I like the video additions but I wouldnt want to lose clelands mix, his game over track feels like its meant to be there

Also that dubstep doesnt fit the theme in my opinion

I find having attract mode videos way cool. Been doing it for all the Stern games I get my hands on.

I added my videos to Clelands mix first. But I couldn’t take hearing the kids talk at length at the end of every game. I also didn’t like the remix he used as the main theme because of an early pause the music has. So just made those two tweaks for myself.

anyone managed to get their stranger things le lockbar replaced?

Yeah, I put that there for me to have some music I enjoy even if it is a remix of the show's theme. You would rarely reach the 1:10 mark of the song when the dub kicks in though. Once you start a mode, upside down, demodog or gorgon, that mode's music starts. Then when you're out of the mode, the main track starts over. You'd have to be having a lousy game to shoot around for over a minute without triggering another mode's music.

I'll sometimes trap up and wait for that part of the song so I can hear it a little when playing.

The videos are awesome, music does tend to be personal taste tho. Id prolly throw what youve done on my game and give it a whirl if it becomes available. The videos with clelands mix would be awesome for those of us that are married to the dialog ending.

PoMC I guess I don’t understand why you would put so much energy into changing a game that you said yourself you don’t like.

My 22-year-old son brought some friends over last night, mostly his age. They were all pretty much glued to Stranger Things, especially the girl. And they had an informal rule that nobody would press start while the “Strange Impalas” / D&D party dialog was going.

My son said “They should make a Dungeons and Dragons pin!” And I said, they did, it’s a system 11. “What was it called?” Uh, Dungeons and Dragons…

*Bally 6803

You’re right, it was a Bally! But I remembered the year right - 1987. I regret that I passed up a chance to buy one of these for a song (compared to today’s prices). It would have looked great sitting next to Stranger Things.

00F7C96A-3C97-4E31-BE8B-A92EA10B992C (resized).jpeg

596E7216-70D8-4644-86F8-A85D918C7A47 (resized).jpeg

I enjoy modding with pinball browser. And I said I don’t like the theme. The game itself is perfectly fine.

I can make a version of mine, all stock music and replace the game ending music with that dialogue. The audio track in that location plays during a mode and also at game over. I didn’t like having it play during the game mode, even if it’s not a frequent mode I trigger, and then especially at game over. That’s a lengthy track and I hated hearing kids talk for a minute after my game ended.

But apparently that dialogue is an iconic moment of the show for fans? Easy enough for me to replace and I’ll give the option of that track or Twist of Fate.

Hey PoMC I'm willing to work with you if you want to offer another option?

Personally I like what PoMC did and I was never a fan of the current ending. Wouldn't want to lose Clelands work though on mine. Hope you guys can do a mash up!

The beauty of Pinball Browser is that anyone with a laptop can create any mix that they want, with no programming skills required. I’m currently swapping out just a few of the callouts in Cleland’s epic TWD mix, to make it a little more pinball-show-friendly (it will be in the tournament area).

I think a mix of cleland’s sound and PoMC’s video would be choice!

I think Cleland's mix is amazing. I'd probably want the original theme back at the beginning, but that's about it. But I didn't put all the time and effort in, so it's not my choice so I keep my mouth shut and enjoy what I've got.

I have owned my Pro since the month it came out (January 2020 iirc). I have probably played the game over 1,000 times myself. It's my favorite modern game, and I still love playing like the day I bought it. This title is an absolute long-term keeper.

Got mine mid Jan 2020, it will never leave. Just rolled 4000 games on mine. I've got probably 3500 of them lol

Damn, your other games must be feeling jealous

I’ve bookmarked the callouts and music in Pinball Browser - this took several days. Now that everything is labeled, there’s no need to ask for special images - just grab the Stern code or Cleland’s code, sync the bookmarks and go crazy with changes. In software terms, any mix is a “fork” of the Stern code base. There’s nothing wrong with forking a fork, or combining 2 forks. In a perfect world, this would all be on GitHub and we could share this stuff freely.

TLDR: Pinball Browser is easy to use, and more people should learn to use it. And if you use any mix, please consider donating $5 to Pinball Browser, so that we keep getting updates to it.

Thanks for the tip! Wouldn't want to "fork" things up

Did a lot of tweaking this weekend -- I was convinced that my actuator arm had too much slop in it side-to-side, and I was able to get the ramp out enough to get access to the allen key head below to the piece of on the right that allows the arm horizontal movement but restricts vertical, and I tightened it down a bit. Then readjusted the ramp, pushed my shim in even farther behind it.. And now I get like 70% locks on the wall. Better than it was, and rejects tend to still lock rather than scream down the ramp. I need to video it in slow mo to determine what's going on I think. I'm certain my ramp is pulled forward of the wall, but it still seems to lose momentum on the transition, yet it's def not being pinched.

Anyway, I wanted to share that I followed suit and added the clear center targets and lit them from below with a blue LED strip and a custom bracket I 3d printed. Whoever did that a few pages back was right -- you can't capture it in a photo but it looks AWESOME. The flames on front, the glow below. It doesn't wash anything out from the projector imo, highly recommend it.

Thank you chuckwurt - I was able to get all the projector images tweaked with the coin door interlock in, didn't realize it was cutting all voltages.

Also, a note on the pinstadium UV/light kit that came with my game -- It works pretty good.. my first exp. with pinstadium which typically I've scoffed at. However, with out it - man the game art is pretty damn dark I realized. However they completely wash out the ramp projections. I blocked out the last 1' of lights on each side and it made a HUGE difference for those projections. Pinstadium should have put in the extra time to design these better for the game, you can hardly see the "jackpot lights" and other effects with them stock. I am ordering the UV kit from stern as well, and I think I will try a dual install as I don't think the pinstadium UV side quite lights up all the artwork like it should. It DOES light up the ramps in a nice blue glow though, which the UV kit won't do.

Stern UV is a must have. Wouldn't bother with pinstadiums on STh.

+1 on the ramp cover. When I pulled it out of the packaging, I thought what a joke. But I'll be damned if it didn't take me from around 50% to 100%. And *only* after moving it all of the way to the left.

yeah, Stranger things gets the vast majority of play still. Looking to get an avengers premium so maybe that will change a bit soon

Yeah I wasn't understanding the ramp cover and how it would help -- but it's def. not slid to the far left, so I will try that. Love to get to at least 90%

yeah -- if this game hadn't already had them they aren't something I'd normally buy.. but given that we still don't know when the UV kits are going to ship, I'm happy to at least have UV for upside down for the time being.