Quoted from LTG:Game looks great. I'm not much of a player, but it strikes me as a better version of Metallica.
LTG : )™
You sold me. I love Metallica!
(Topic ID: 104025)
Linked Games
The Walking Dead (Pro)
Stern, 2014
Topic Gallery
Just my 2-cents....
I love everything about this except.........
I would like to see more innovation in toys.
The effort made to have his guts show, is about it.
When we were chatting among other pinheads, a great suggestion came up.
Much like BBH, where the deer moves, or MB, Drac, or Mick, in RS I would have loved the walker to come closer to the flippers in increments....if he gets too close....before you bash him enough...."he eats you" The music and thrill of a Zombie coming at you, would have been similar in Developed costs, and been much more exciting.
Now you have the prison, Bash the doors, bash the head...all that real estate. Does the ball go into the prison? I would hope thats a lock area, with great sounds and lights, like you are battling a zombie. Maybe the Zombie in there is bashed backwards, or has different Zombies, that rotate for different awards...i am a toy guy on my pins, and a few touches, to make this unique, and gain some
of the "stress" of Zombie battling, would have been my dream....but happy to see it made regardless.
Beauharnois
too bad we couldn't hear anything.
code seems very very basic, when will stern understand that a good code before putting the machine out in public is important?
heard a machine will be over here in one week, can't wait to try it out and see for myself.
Lockport, IL
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:Much like BBH, where the deer moves, or MB, Drac, or Mick, in RS I would have loved the walker to come closer to the flippers in increments....if he gets too close....before you bash him enough...."he eats you" The music and thrill of a Zombie coming at you, would have been similar in Developed costs, and been much more exciting.
Actually one of my early ideas was re-purposing the BSD Mist Multiball feature in this sense. I was thinking you could have two "zombies" moving across the playfield, each toward a different outlane. You have to hit them in time to get the ball, otherwise it carries the ball to the outlane and drains it.
To that end, if you had a magnet on a track that could "park" near the outlanes when not in use, they could be user controlled with a second set of flipper buttons to pulse on, and they could serve a second function like the magna-saves in the BK, JL, SF, Pharaoh games.
Could be innovative and retro all at the same time.
Quoted from beatmaster:When will Stern understand that a good code before putting the machine out in public is important?
As soon as they stop selling out all their LE's within days of them going on sale. 
First off, thanks a lot to the OP for posting the video!
My initial though was "SHUT THE HELL UP STAR TREK!!!".
I agree with others that there seems to be a bit too much pop bumper action. Need more flow to the game. Ramps seem tougher to hit.
I also completely agree that they MUST change the "prison multiball" voice. That is horrible. It doesn't fit in the game at all. It sounded horrible in Mustang. Even worse here. For the love of God Stern, please change that voice and never use it in this game. It may fit in BBH but not TWD.
Quoted from beatmaster:when will stern understand that a good code before putting the machine out in public is important?
it isn't important to all the day one le buyers so why should this be important to stern? 
Quoted from DrStarkweather:Couple people mentioned sound and I think thats where Im most skeptical on this one. Tron's sound package was spot on, and I think Walking Dead needs a tone like the show. Maybe the announcer from 'Previously on Walking Dead' would work?
The "Prison multiball!" and "Well hell, it looks like we got ourselves a splitter!" callouts are HORRIBLE. I don't want to hear Hillbilly Carnival Barker, I want to hear TWD.
But who knows, the Lars and Kirk callouts in Metallica are pretty bad too, but the rest of the audio is great. I guess cross my fingers? 
Dots are fantastic though. 
Utrecht
Just got home and watched my own videos. The one I uploaded to youtube was shot with a digital camera and looks a lot better than the one with Gary flipping the game. Besides the sounds from IMVE and ST there was also a lot of noise on the showfloor from the next door neighbor with their inflatable stand.
The ramps may seem steep, but are doable. I had very few balls not make it all the way round. When the ball comes back they're very catchable, or they hit the slingshot first. Most stdm drains come from the prison magnet.
In the youtube video the player actually does stack Prison MB and Well Walker MB, which explain the 4 balls in play. unstacked Prison MB is 3 balls, unstacked WW MB is 2 balls.
The music in the video is indeed pretty crappy, but from what I could here the soundtrack is pretty cool. I was hoping to shoot a video with better sound when the show closed, but in order to get people to leave they had to cut the power and wouldn't turn it back on.
I did play IMVE as well, which has weaker slings than TWD. That could just be a setting, or the contacts may need adjusting. TWD as I played it is a very fast game which is mostly played at the tips of the flippers. A lot of shots come back at the tips, which makes it quite challenging. As I'm not familiar with the TV show I can't judge how authentic the voicecalls are. They didn't bother me. Not even after playing 40+ games today.
The current software seems to be far enough along to keep novice and average players at the game. After playing the two MBs I found the game focusses more on the other games / objectives. The small yellow inserts light up in various combinations. Didn't figure out yet what they do / accomplish.
I didn't see any RGB lightng in the pro. The head in the prison does not move and you can't lock balls in the prison. In fact there is no locking balls at all. Spell PRISON or WELL and after another shot the mode starts. Then you have to shoot all the red arrows to start Prison MB, or shoot the Well Walker 6 times to start WW MB. At least, that's what it looked like to me.
I've seen some complaints about the ball being too much in the popbumpers. Basically that's the only place on the playfield where you can catch your breath as the rest of the game is fast, fast ,fast. The right loop shot goes through the pops into the loop, the left loop most of the time ends in the popbumpers, so no chance of looping that. Both ramp shots are very loopable and each rampshot has combo shots aligned to it. I put in a couple of high scores, with the highest being 54M. Love the 2 X Playfield Value feature, but don't know yet how to start that. EB is lit when killing 7 walkers, which basically is making every shot in the game once. I did spot a small 'bug'. The EB shot feeds the ball back to the shooterlane. However, if you drain when EB is lit and plunge the next ball it automatically awards the EB. I also had a few times that I started one of the Multiballs by just plunging the 2nd or 3rd ball.
So is it a fun game? Well, if I didn't like it I don't think I would have played it 40+ times 
Thanks for the info. I have possible trade offer for one (an LE) and am on the fence a little bit. My last NIB was STLE and I've loved it but told myself I wasn't going to get another but I may just go ahead. Tough decision.
Quoted from dgoett:Really? SIGN ME UP! Metallica is awesome!
I own 3 Borg games, so I'm sure I'll love this one, too.
Tron and IM are two of my all time favorite pins. Borg designed them both.
He also designed my least favorite pin that I've owned: XM.
No guarantees just because it's Borg.
Quoted from Alphajerk3000:Has there been any confirmation: is there any dialogue from the show at all?
Confirmed a while ago. No dialog from the show.
Quoted from unigroove:I've seen some complaints about the ball being too much in the popbumpers. Basically that's the only place on the playfield where you can catch your breath as the rest of the game is fast, fast ,fast. The right loop shot goes through the pops into the loop, the left loop most of the time ends in the popbumpers, so no chance of looping that. Both ramp shots are very loopable and each rampshot has combo shots aligned to it.
This is consistent with what I posted before. Flow actually seems very good. Lots of people complaining about the pop bumper action, but like you said, that's about the only thing that ever even slows the ball down. Honestly, the last thing that I'm worried about is pop bumper action.
Quoted from Rarehero:Confirmed a while ago. No dialog from the show.
I thought it was only confirmed that there would be no custom VO from anyone associated with the show?
Quoted from HENSBROOKER:TWD artwork looks really cool. But I think, after seeing the vid, this game does not have a significant re-playability... (read: boring)
Go find a video of early ACDC or Metallica code and then rethink that post.
Quoted from zucot:I thought it was only confirmed that there would be no custom VO from anyone associated with the show?
No dialogue from the show, confirmed. That's why the flyer only mentions the music.
Quoted from Aurich:No dialogue from the show, confirmed. That's why the flyer only mentions the music.
Got it. Can't win 'em all I guess.
Sydney
MEH hardly amazing am a big Borg fan have 2 in my collection but I am underwhelmed by those videos. Don't have the budget for an LE, don't see any need to race out for a Pro. At $7k for a Pro here better off waiting a year or so for decent code and picking one up for 5 to 6k, and if I am wrong and it's the worlds best game then there is no chance of missing out if production runs of AC/DC are any indication.
Quoted from unigroove:after playing 40+ games today.
I've owned games that I sold after less than 40 games. So it must be fun.
The LE is going to play so much different than this game. I predict that the magnet in front of Wellverine will turn it into a very fun and unpredictable bash toy. Crossbow should be pretty cool as well. Would I have liked to have seen something cooler done with the jail? Absolutely, but I still think all the ingredients are there for a really fun pinball experience. I'm just damn glad Lyman is steering the ship on this one.
Quoted from Rarehero:Confirmed a while ago. No dialog from the show.
Quoted from Aurich:No dialogue from the show, confirmed. That's why the flyer only mentions the music.
Confirmed: I'm out. I got really excited by this game, and I had quotes to buy one. I was just waiting to see what they did. Seriously, I don't care about the rules at this stage of the game because I know it is just in its infancy. Even seeing the gameplay didn't worry me that much because I realize what a skilled programmer can do with a game (for an example see AC/DC). But the theme had to be delivered. I was even fine with no custom callouts. But nothing from any of the actors? Without that it really is just a generic zombie theme (except for the AMC all over it). 
Moorsele
Quoted from DaveH:Confirmed: I'm out. I got really excited by this game, and I had quotes to buy one. I was just waiting to see what they did. Seriously, I don't care about the rules at this stage of the game because I know it is just in its infancy. Even seeing the gameplay didn't worry me that much because I realize what a skilled programmer can do with a game (for an example see AC/DC). But the theme had to be delivered. I was even fine with no custom callouts. But nothing from any of the actors? Without that it really is just a generic zombie theme (except for the AMC all over it).
I too am discouraged by the fact that there are no voice clips from the show. It's not a deal-breaker for me, but it seems like an odd decision by Stern.
Quoted from rai:I'm not sure if I like how much the ball may be in the pops... Can kill the flow if the ball is in the pops too much.
Agree.
I too am worried that too many shots lead to the pops. I watched that player doing a lot of watching and waiting for the ball.
The better fan layouts have (diverters?) that sometimes allow for nice flow (orbit shot), and sometimes flow-kill by sending the ball into the pops.
Once again, we are seeing "Safe pops". It's part of Stern's winning formula in 2014.
-mof
Quoted from unigroove:In between all his appointments Gary had time to show his favorite new pinball book: PINBALL by Santiago Ciuffo (available on http://www.pinball-magazine.com)
Great pic! Thanks! 
Quoted from dgoett:WAY WAY too many clear/white inserts on the playfield.
3 color LE GI will help but aren't there only a few full color inserts on the LE?
true, but on the pro you can change the led's or put color filters under the inserts to change the color.
you can also put some nice color leds for the GI
Quoted from iceman44:I F ing love it! 3 minutes of video? Come on people!
Another pin that needed an Lcd, calling Mike!
Yes the Well Walker is too big I think, have to judge when I get my hands on it but I can see a mod on that one. Looks like it will be real easy to replace.
RGR, beers on me down under brother, shoot us a nice video for the weekend!
I have several cool ideas in mind
I just have to get a machine here in the workshop and see what makes the most sense. Right now I’m leaning towards a colorized DMD or maybe a modified Prison toy that incorporates an LCD. The obvious choice is to do something similar to ACDC above the right ramp (like a Scared Stiff Zombie head pile). We’ll see – need a game first.
Quoted from gweempose:I too am discouraged by the fact that there are no voice clips from the show. It's not a deal-breaker for me, but it seems like an odd decision by Stern.
Not having at least character audio clips from the show being it is licensed is a bit odd but like I said I hope Pinball Browser works. As far as it goes for flow I have a feeling with the extra magnet that the flow may differ from the pro, the only slowing of the game might be loading the crossbow, bashing bicycle girl might be the same as the barn zombie.
Not a deal breaker for me, I'm still in and if I don't really care for it I'm sure TWD maniacs in my family still will so they will have a title that they all enjoy and play.
Quoted from dgoett:WAY WAY too many clear/white inserts on the playfield.
3 color LE GI will help but aren't there only a few full color inserts on the LE?
According to the feature matrix, arrows and star rollovers are the inserts with full RGB. It looks like there are at least five arrows...which of the inserts are star rollovers? The two near the skill shot?
Quoted from cleland:With Pinball Browser and youtube links like this it shouldn't be too hard to replace speech with lines from the show.
» YouTube video
Exactly, and video clips as soon as Mike figures it out!
Quoted from DaveH:Confirmed: I'm out. I got really excited by this game, and I had quotes to buy one. I was just waiting to see what they did. Seriously, I don't care about the rules at this stage of the game because I know it is just in its infancy. Even seeing the gameplay didn't worry me that much because I realize what a skilled programmer can do with a game (for an example see AC/DC). But the theme had to be delivered. I was even fine with no custom callouts. But nothing from any of the actors? Without that it really is just a generic zombie theme (except for the AMC all over it).
Wow, a WD pin and no dialog at all from the show?? Very disappointing.
Considering Norman Reedus has done at least 1 video game (that I can think of), I just don't get not having him or anyone else from the show do any of the voice work.
That being said, I'm still really looking forward to getting my LE and killing some walkers.
Even if this pin whistled Dixie out of its ass I'd still love it! Theme awesome, artwork great (LE for me), theme integrated into the layout as well as Ac/dc, and the icing on the cake is Lyman.
I can see immersing myself into this pin like no other, with an ice chest of my favorite cold and chilly's….does it get any better than that? 
You would have thought that Stern would have learned a lesson from the whole Avengers debacle. It just doesn't make any sense to secure such a kick-ass license and then not incorporate any of the actors' voices into the game.
Quoted from DCfoodfreak:In the end I think theme does trump game play
I think so too. I'm saving my criticism until I see the pin in person and play it. Not gonna take a chance though and buy it without 'touching and feeling' first.
Mike in Kentucky
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