Of the games I own Stranger Things is still the king. Getting close to 5k games played on mine. AIQ premium comes in second. We have a rush in league and I just can't get into it. I'm not a fan of band games in general but something about this one just does not click with me. Godzilla is good, my buddy owns one so I've got a lot of plays on it, but I'm glad I bought AIQ. Love that game.

This is why the best advice for what to buy comes down to play play play before purchase.

Yeah my friend just got a AIQ premium, wasn't impressed. I was just talking to him about it this morning because when the modes start, I have no clue what I am suppose to be doing on it.

I like the Hulk spinner shot the best.

Yup, different strokes for different folks, I can't get into deadpool but lots of people seem to like it. I like AIQ and Led Zeppelin a lot, some people don't like these games. Rush is just ok for me.
There is a barcade near my house i go to, they have 8 games.
Godzilla
Rush
Mandolorian
Led Zeppelin
Iron Maiden
Deadpool
AIQ
Star Trek.

Just from my observations when I am there, Mando and AIQ seem to be the least played.
Godzilla, Iron Maiden and Rush being the most popular.

In case anyone has this issue, adjust the auto plunge power level. You can avoid it going into the drops and problem solved

Alright so I’m gonna do it…

If i decide to do so, how does adding Insider connect work on a game with a UV kit, seeing as how both kits come with an apron? Would it be recommended to buy one of the alternative mounting kits for the coin door?

It is up to you, many people have mounted them in the cut out already in the UV apron or in the coin door. Just remove the player card to verify you have a rectangular cut out underneath.

If you d go with the coin door option, the mount I sell works very well.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1295-gotfrogs/05778-metal-stern-insider-connected-qr-code-reader-coin-door-mount

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Great video Zak. Nice work…as always!

First of all, just finished season 4. Damn good season.

Second, I think it would be awesome to do a seasons 3 and 4 mod. Left side season 3, right side season 4. Replace clips and music from the 2 later seasons.

I was really hoping Stern would do a DLC package that would do exactly this. Insider Connected seems like the perfect way to do it.

But anyhow, I might download pin browser and tinker myself!

Really glad I nabbed a premium when I did.

So i finally have alittle time to get an insider kit installed on my stranger things pro. I have the uv kit installed and therefore the new uv apron. It apparantly has a square cutout already in the rhs triangle side for the qr code scanner, which is covered over by the artwork sticker. I really don't want to lose the artwork on it and also the stock stern insider artwork they give you is bloody horrible!!!

So i thought i'd mount my scanner in the rhs apron area, like the premium apron has a cutout for. But what to do about a custom apron insert??. So, i have come up with this, which i'm going to get made as a thin plastic with cutouts and screw holes for the scanner. There will be some cutting of the apron needed underneath, but should look good i think

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They made one it is in thingverse! You need a 3D printer. Someone in 3D printers was selling them for a while, don’t know if they still are?

Yeah I have zero use for insider as it is. New content, mini games, a new mode, that sort of thing would be a lot cooler.

Good idea. Running Up That Hill has been added to Cleland's Get Me Out mode. I know how to swap out music now but still haven't figured out video.

It would be cool, though, to swap out the video from Get Me Out for scene clips from season 4 when Max is with Vecna in the Upside Down and escapes. With the right video and audio clips, it would be pretty seamless for that mode and a perfect match for the Running Up That Hill music.

Quick question - does anyone know what this is?? I think Stern accidentally sent it to me. I asked for the left ramp stickers and received those but then this showed up from stern…only game I own is stranger things. Also it didn’t come with any papers.

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I’m at a lake house by myself this week, and I was already planning to add my tweaks to Cleland’s mix. I accept this audio/video challenge.

Ended up trading a GZ premium for this game and was initially very reluctant to do so. GZ is fantastic and worthy of the praise, don’t get me wrong…but any regrets quickly faded after getting it home and putting a few plays on it.

I have a feeling this is going to be the favorite among visitors, just a visually stunning package

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Does anyone have replacement slingshot plastics? Bonus points for the UV ones. I just got a premium and I went to change all the rubbers out, go to unscrew the bolts for the plastics and the person who owned it before, cranked em too tight. Released the pressure and snap.
Would rather not have to buy another UV kit for those.
Thank you!

I designed one and posted some instructions a while back:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/3d-printing-sharing-thread-lets-better-the-hobby/page/32#post-6712543

Hi gang. I apologize if this has been covered before, but I'm installing a set of "CLIP" plastic protectors on my ST Pro, and I have these two rectangular shaped protectors that I can't identify a location for.

Does anyone know where they go? Maybe they're Premium/LE specific?

Thanks in advance for any info..

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It’s impressive but a bit too much of an action figure play set vibe for me

Nice! Are your thoughts similar for the Get Me Out mode? Any other tweaks you are contemplating?

Yeah, probably for something like that I figured. Thanks Zach! I'll stuff them in the coinbox.

I did a bunch of tweaks last year on 1.02 and bookmarked hundreds of callouts. Unfortunately Stern reshuffled the audio scripts, so it will take some work to put those back in on 1.05. Mostly I replaced instructional speech with show dialog. For example:

0x2C1 - Hopper: Left outlane ball save is lit
> Joyce: This thing has had Will long enough!

From the site I bought the set they state:
“ The set includes 2 plastics that can only be used on Premium/LE models.”

These two are indeed the ones they refer to. They are for the back panel on the prem/le as seen in the video Zach posted.

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That is the one I was talking about! Lol

Thinking about trying to join the club. Might have a Rush LE to trade, less than 50 plays.

Or maybe I’m just overreacting to binging on season 4, haha.

Depending on the Premium (assuming that’s what you want) you may actually have to add money to that deal

3 premiums sold on Pinside in 2022 so far. 12750, 13500, and 14000.

To clarify - I’m not strictly looking for a trade.

And yes, I realize this game is hot right now.

Not sure I’m 100% sold on it, I’ve never played one.

So definitely would have to add cash to a Rush LE…crazy times indeed

I had a Rush premium briefly, and so far definitely prefer Stranger things. Theme definitely puts it over the top for me

I do love the theme a lot more than Rush.

Art is a wash for me, the UV kit looks great but that expressions lightshow is no slouch.

My real worry is that over the long haul, ST won’t hold up when it comes to shots/layout and toys.

Rules I’m not sure. ST looks like it has less to do, but in Rush I often have no idea WTF I’m doing.

Won't hold up like AFM? Because its essentially AFM 2.0 rethemed.

So much of the pinball community is just group think and regurgitation. Hate Bandwagon vs Shill bandwagon. Go play pinball, it's supposed to be fun. Make your own opinions. Sth is probably my favorite game to play and it doesn't hurt my feelings if it's not anyone else's. Different strokes.

I have my modded Stranger Things Premium up on marketplace.

Powder coated armour - Purple with speckles on legs, coin door, rails, hinges and speaker panel and clear shooter lane protector.

Shaker motor

Stern Topper

Stern Insider

Upgraded UV kit

Teflon leg levelers

Stern Side Blades

Extra Decal set

Trade list
Williams:
Addams Family, Attack from Mars - Bally Original, Shadow

Stern: Ghost Busters Prem/LE, Star Trek LE/Premium, Tron LE

Stern Pros: Star wars, Dead pool.

I may accept other Williams/Stern titles as well. 2 for 1 trades accepted as well.

Yep. Fell into this trap towards the end of 2020 when i could have had one for around 7k and passed bc of the narrative surrounding it. Learned a lesson there

Ha, I remember having a chance to buy a NIB Premium for $8500. But I’m still happy with my $6200 pro.

I have both games, and I think I can summarize. Rush is deep and wide. Once you get the rules under your belt, you can really go deep, and string together multiballs pretty easily. STH is more “wide and shallow” - but it’s REALLY wide. You have 12 regular modes, 5 demogorgan modes (with MBs), 3 Demodog modes, 3 MB modes and 3 wizard modes - that’s 26 freakin’ modes! Contrast that with Rush’s 6 song modes, 6 MB modes and 3 wizard modes.

Having said that, I prefer the rules for Rush. I like being able to use a different “neutral” song every time, I can string together MBs more easily, and the extra balls require more focus to earn.

Both are top 5 pins for me, so fortunately I don’t have to make a decision. They’re very complementary.

There just weren't that many Stranger Things made compared to most modern titles. This is particularly the case for premium/LE's.

I have 10 pins, many including GZ premium rated in the top 25. Stranger Things is my favorite game and has been for months now. It just has that one more play factor regardless of how its toys compare to its other contemporary colleagues. The lighting and audio are top notch and the demigorgon mouth ramp shot is the most satisfying in pinball, way more so than the AFM's center shot.

The series and theme are also Netflix's biggest ever. I see the game holding up very well over time.

The ball popping off the ramp on a missed shot and smacking the glass is a disconcerting sound, but i imagine something normal given the nature of the shot?

I paid 4800 for my pro, Ill have an LE one day and i might not sell my pro

Only bolted to the floor game we have!

Just my 2 cents as new to the club. I have all types of games but I love my Sth Pro. I bought a Pro on purpose because my wife and I visited a pinball museum earlier this year, they had just got a Mando Premium and were raving about it, and that it was special because it was the higher end model as well. We played 2 games on it and were bored even though we loved the series. It was OK because I love pinball but it just felt a bit robotic and fixed to me with the pendulum swing and motorized ramp. They had a Stranger Things Pro there and at the same time I was playing it I was explaining to my wife that the Premium had the telekinesis magnet in the upper left and projectors but all the while the gameplay was so good, and the playfield was awesome, wide open! So it didn’t matter to us and the finicky things I’d heard about didn’t matter either as they weren’t an issue at all. Everything worked perfectly like the Demogorgon shot, etc. I think we ended up playing like 10-12 games on it and came back to it at the end of the couple hours we were there but ironically, didn’t play Mando again.. so when I got my Stranger Things, I just wanted that exact model. I’m sure all models are great but loved that the Pro was an option in this crazy market. It is crazy though, just topper, shooter rod and art blades are another thousand and if adding all the other mods like uv, shaker, armor (if you can find them) plus all the other mods even before the medysinal mod is another 1,000 easy so believe anyone who got in on a Pro early, it’s worth double that, easily. It’s a Great game, especially with the Cleland sound mod which has the whole soundtrack. I don’t see too many for sale in the marketplace either and it wasn’t easy which might be a good sign, that probably means people aren’t selling them because the game is fun and no reason to sell it.

I feel fortunate I snagged my LE NiB for $8700 about 1.4 years ago. I feel I got a bargain!

Game is gold now!

dunno if I can ever sell now. Maybe if it hits 30k after season 5