Nah...staying with the LE. Really looking fwd to having a pin signed by Seth.

They've been using full service rails on Pros again for a while now. The pegs did not go over well.

I finally, after 5 years, ditched the pegs on metallica and put in pbl service rails. Best 50 bucks I've spent on pinball in awhile

Switched when Keith brought us the revelation that was Iron Maiden. Ever since then.. rails for all (new designs)!

If the pro had the death save post and lighting upgrade option I think I’d go for it. Right now, I’m on the fence.

Why would you switch based on flow? It’s not faster than a premium. They are the same. You don’t have to flip the upper playfield flipper if you don’t want to. (although it looks great).

And with the deadpost you’ll be back in action faster than waiting for a new ball to launch. So the Premium/LE are arguably faster models. The trim you pick should not be based on flow, but budget and features. They flow the same.

Thats exactly where I am at also. I have pin stadiums on my other games and I love them, and I have never seen the stern lighting in person, so Im sure I would be happy just doing the pin stadiums, but the death save is really cool, and I love the stupid sculpted alien(that probably costs $5 lol). Im struggling to make a decision! The price difference is hard for me to wrap my head around, almost 10k just seems nuts.

No your right, I'm trying to talk myself into a pro to save the money!

You are correct.
Mark Silk.

Came across a 1 year old loserkid podcast with Ed Robertson from Barenaked Ladies, who was instrumental in the making of the Rush pin with Stern. He is a big pin guy. He starts talking about how he has this original idea for a music pin he wants to make that he has sketched out, where the band drives around as if on tour, except more similar to Scooby-Doo because they are battling monsters instead......

That seems so familiar but I can't put my finger on it.....

I wonder if he ran that idea past Stern execs a little too loudly when he was there lol

On the LE stream, Tanio said Brendon Small did the voice of the Alien overlord.

Here's the voice actors he called out by name (spelling may not be correct on all these):

DJ#1
Bob Mathe

DJ#2
Jerry Thompson

ROADIE
Brian Headley

Foobot
Andrew Mantesse

The Overlord
Brendon Small

Pro Gameplay Video

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1753917134

Brendon Small should push for a Metalocalypse or Dethklok pin. Spooky might bite on that one. Glad to see Stern continues to work with him!

Watching the Pro replay and noticed that, on the mode song selection screen, New Orleans displays All My Life on screen but it's playing I'll Stick Around. I'm sure it'll get sorted, just found it amusing. This game looks so so so fun.

The Pro is great! It doesn’t have to be smoother than the Premium to get it. I like that score-wise it does not hurt you to get the Pro. You typically also don’t get all the drop targets and other mechanical features. This is just the deadpost, upper pf, magnet under the Overlord, and the 2 plastic toys. The pro also has a kick-ass translite. There’s no wrong way to go on this game. It will feel complete.

I noticed that too! It was noticeable real early when someone paused on New Orleans. Then every time later when someone scrolled over that city, I thought I could see the error again. Good catch!

I have an LE coming. Staying tuned on the pro post imagine if you can make it work! Wow!! Mod!!!

If this pin was made my wife and daughters would demand it. I would be happy to add it!

The more and more I watch these streams makes me want this pin even more. It’s so sick! Love me a premium with a pro tran.

I thought that too! It even already has a neon border around the top. Lots of cool things you could do with that when triggering from the loops and targets up there. On it!

You see maybe a few rainbows a year. When you do, that's a special day. Magic is everywhere.

cool game, will be getting a Pro and will be doing some neon mods for that

already a world under glass but room for some nice classy upgrades

Pro is so loaded and fun, having a hard time justifying a $6k upcharge to the LE. Maybe IMDN and FF Pros instead.

Stumblor! Huge fan of your stuff! I promote all your mods to my friends in pinball. The idea to replace Area 51 would be amazing, and probably the most eye catching thing to replace. With so many Premium and LE models being sold for this game I can see this being a fantastic mod. I heard from my distributor this is a super popular game so far, so that hopefully bodes well for some fancy mod support! I also think a small light up UFO over the left ramp would be awesome! Something short enough to let you see the upper playfield, but maybe has a light that projects down over the ramp. But again, ill probably get anything you make so design at will!!

In all fairness the overlord shakes interactively.lol.

Brutal Legend would work as a rock pin said it before if done in that style.

Thanks so much Andrew - really appreciate that.

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Yeah I saw it and I was like, whelp! I could instantly see that neon buzzing around following the ball during the loop shots, and there are loads of other cool lighting features on there that could be riffed on also. I feel guilty automatically going into mod guy mode because actually I am SO amped for this game, and couldn't be happier for Jack and the team at the reaction to it. I just don't think I've ever seen a game with this much flow. What an amazing time to be enjoying this hobby!

Looks like a fine machine.
Very well done, even excellent as a first effort.

Foo Fighter's music comes off as "heavy metal for moms" to my ears.

You may win the day in here for downvotes with that one sir, congrats! (Wait. I do actually know a surprising amount of moms that have massive Dave Grohl crushes… interesting)

I'm buying the pro so I can have $2,600 to go toward a maiden pro and deadpool pro this summer fall. Would I prefer them all in premium? Yes, but I would rather have all 3 then 2. Once my kitchen is full I will start upgrading to premiums.

Shreds it all day long.

I watched the pro stream last night and rewatched some of the LE stream this morning. The Premium/LE is very cool and I do like the features but the Pro is the winner for value for sure. I don't really see anything game play wise or advancement wise that you really lose on the pro except the dead post which it sounds like will be available for separate purchase later. The upper playfield is really well done and looks fun but the Area 51 multiball is also available on the pro by hitting the right ramp multiple times. The Overlord sculpt is awesome but with the 3D model already being put out for printing the only thing you will miss is the spring motion and the magnets underneath him which don't seem to do anything but bash the ball around for visual effect. I would LOVE to see something where the Overlord can suck your ball in with his magnet ray or something on the Premium, maybe in a later code set.

Anyhow, I am still getting my Premium because I think as the code matures it will be the better version to own as far as gameplay goes and JD did say he designed the game as the Premium and then went in and decided where to make changes to the pro to keep as much cool stuff in there as possible. He definitely succeeded and made one of the best Pro models in the last few years.

Man, what a great game.

Davey,

Based on your awesome work on Godzilla, that Area 51 building absolutely has your name all over it and has me thinking of what amazing stuff you could do with it! I am also so amped for this game! Had just bought a Scooby Doo thinking that was my one purchase for the year, and then I saw this game and had to get it too! If you go for it, please sign me up for the mod, if there such thing as a preorder sight unseen.

This is the best explanation for this music. I love FF and I've been trying to explain how it sounds to others who ask, and this is what I'm going to start saying now. Thanks!

Agreed on value. I don't know if there's 3k worth of add-ons here. HOWEVER:

I have as much fun on the pros as I do the premiums for almost every Stern I play, and on most of those games I even prefer the pro for the flow of the game. Stern has routinely put in an extra mech to make the premiums stand out, which adds "pinball moments" but it doesn't enhance gameplay. And once you go through that moment the first few times -- which is awesome -- it loses its luster and only becomes awesome again when you watch someone else see it.

Godzilla's building is really cool, but I'm well past the point of "awe" and more annoyed than anything as I want for it to crash so I can get back to playing already! Same with JP T-Rex eating the ball, or AIQs tunnel, etc. None of these things enhance gameplay, but they do create great pinball moments. Some people want that in their machines but I find them more annoying in the long run.

Then you talk about GOT Premium, and now you have an extra feature that enhances gameplay. That upper level is a "must have" imo. Completely changes the game and it doesn't get boring. That's a feature that doesn't create a pinball moment, but it also doesn't get boring. That's the kind of feature I want from an add-on stand point.

My wife and I had the stream up on the giant TV in our living room. Before the reveal, I told my wife "unless it's like GOT that has an upper playfield, I think the pro will suffice". Lo-and-behold, FF has an upper playfield, and imo it doesn't seem to take away from the flow of the game at all. I want that extra gameplay experience. The death save post (is that what we're calling it) also enhances gameplay. Gotta have it. The premium is the winner here. Those two things will never get old.

So the pro is def out for me. This is one of the few games that the premium will enhance gameplay for every single game that is played on it, and I won't ever get tired or bored of it.

Everlong played at Walmart yesterday.

This is hilarious and made me lol as the kids say. Made my morning- thank you!

Would have been never at CVS or Walgreens

Would have been better at CVS or Walgreens

I definitely wouldn't be unhappy with a Pro - leaning that way!

Haha it's like you're writing my obituary! Ah well, aren't we lucky that we've been served two absolute bangers on the trot.

Won't open a list until the promo thread is created - but massively appreciate the vote of confidence, thankyou. We have a pro arriving soon at "Gonzo Towers" as it's affectionately known (our main UK podcaster) so at least I'll get to have a bit of a look at it in the short term, but somehow I've got to find a way to convince our UK distro Phil to bump me up the LE chain of command. Doesn't he know who I am?!

If the deadpost is available to add onto the pro, I will greatly consider buying the pro over the premium. I can live without most of the other stuff or I can add in sufficient mods.

Just wanted to let everyone know, out of respect and courtesy, that I plan to win the Project Pinball Charity raffle for the FF LE. Apologies to anybody else who made the same plans without knowing this in advance.

Cheers!

Nothing about FF is "heavy metal". The best description for it isn't mom rock. It's mid 90s to mid 2000s radio rock. There is no need to try and shorten it any further or dig at it any further. FF are a huge band that found most of their success on the radio and on the road. They aren't a cult metal band with an underbelly following from rock sub-culture where enthusiasts dwell.

They are radio rock mostly from 95-2005 with a few additional hits from 2005-2015. Not only did an entire generation grow up listening to them but lots of FF songs were featured in games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero (series). Millions of people also grew up playing their songs as well.

Maybe you didn't but millions of others did. This isn't a mom band as much as you want it to be.

Same. If I could get a Pro with a deadpost I'd probably have already put a deposit down. But since they locked it behind the Premium and knew EXACTLY what they were doing I've held onto my money. I'm not justifying $2600+ more for a Premium for a deadpost, all the other parts are pretty unjustifiable. The only single thing that irritates me about the FF pin is that the Pro playfield has the freaking deadpost artwork on it at the bottom... but no actual deadpost. This is a clear indicator that there was at some time, indicating that the deadpost would be on all models but it was yanked off the Pro later for 'reasons'.

Ugh....it's the little thing that ppl don't catch that drive me nuts. The Van is render backwards on the rightside of the cab vs. All the other images we've seen. I asked stern on their FB page if the van was lefthand drive.........instantly deleted

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Well if you want to get precise, technically it's a robot and there's no steering wheel shown...ALSO IT'S NOT REAL.