To the guys that want a Pokemon pinball more power to them .
From what I've heard kids are into claw machines and winning cheap crap .
I don't know how it would go , when I was a kid I was into arcade machines , it wasn't until I was in my teens I really got into pinball .

I have a friend that runs a bowling alley and said kids will spend $15-20 bucks on redemption games to win a 50 cent cheap toy.

Pokémon isn’t a theme just for kids though. I played Pokémon blue/ red a ton when I was a kid with my brother having blue and myself red. It was released in 1998 here meaning if you played it at release when you were 10, you’re now 34. Young in the pinball owning world but not a kid playing redemption games.

I think people are underestimating the nostalgia some people have for Pokémon and think that Pokémon is a newer franchise than it is. Sure it would be targeting a younger audience than most themes but not just kids.

This exactly! Plus Pokémon never went out of style for kids since 1998. It’s been evergreen for almost 25 years. I get if you are 40+ that you think it’s a dumb kids theme. But if you are 40 and under you’re most likely thinking it’s a no-brainer.

It is the biggest media franchise in the world. It would do just fine in pinball.

Don’t underestimate the power of the Pokémon franchise, it’s not a “kids” theme. It’s millennial era pop culture. You may not like it, but so many do.

Just need to go out and find your old Game Boy!

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Folks mentioning band pins, but with how poorly Rush and LZ seem to have done do they really want to risk it? As for why those two seem to just sit around in stock and unsold at distros while Maiden keeps selling out each time without problem?

I think my feelings against it stem from when I was arrested in the Bahamas and the native policeman told me "You're going in the pokey, mon."

Lol

Who said Rush was poorly done? Rush is a great game!

Few Rush pros may still be around but it pretty much sold out.

Top 15 game. Fantastic game.

What are you talking about?

Rush is a good game that doesn't have mainstream appeal. LZ feels like an empty box. People are buying IM for the great game, not the theme.

Rush will be like IM going forward - will keep pulling in players over Rush fans

Just make a megadeth already!!

I love Ghost In The Shell! I was only watching it again this week.

The series has sold almost half a BILLION units since the start. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet have sold over 10 million copies in a month. That's not a "small minority." And Scarlet/Violet it did this despite being pretty poor entries in the Pokemon pantheon. The series is also inter-generational now since it's 25 years old. A "gotta catch 'em all" Pokemon pin with insider connected would be a huge, ongoing success on locations worldwide.

RUSH has done very well. LZ, not so much. Your dists may just be down to regional tastes or asking too much.

I just think there isnt enough "speed" in the music to really match pinball "speed" It doesnt have to be heavy metal obviously, but when playing those 2 pins, I feel like im just playing a pin with Rush or Zep happens to be playing aling. Metallica/IM(although IM isnt really a music pin) on the other hand...

The music just doesnt translate well. IMO

No one, I said it's been selling poorly. I mean it's regularly available from most online distros. My local two distros also have had stock for almost the entire year. One has had a machine in stock for over a year and has told me how both LZ and Rush are slow.

LZ is a turkey, local joint by work has had a couple units of LZ in stock for over a year now collecting dust. Rush is readily available which isn't a great sign, its not hard to find at all with both distros I know still stuck with units and just browsing online its still a fairly in stock machine compared to the rest of the stern lineup. Im sure its done better than LZ so far but it's not exactly doing gang busters.

Both games are fantastic and entirely different. I just wish, as good as LZ continues to be, that Steve Ritchie was allowed to go with his vision for the game.

PS - Sales have nothing to do with how good a game is. Case in point: Stranger Things.

I still can't believe they made a LZ pin. What the hell where they thinking?

Rush is going to be ranked higher than what people expected over time. I like Rush musically, but don't love them. The game, I absolutely love, it plays fantastically and every time I see it in the wild I feed it money.

I wish the old Sega pinball games did that on boot. Such a missed opportunity. Whenever I boot my JPLW I sing it!

Rush took a very long time to finally get into the Hall of Fame, so it's only fitting(logical?) the pin be on a similar trajectory.

A lot of people have it backwards in here.

Rush is a trash fire. Shots are garbage. The feel is horrible. And the stupid double scoop don't even get started on that thing.

LZ isnt that great, but damn y'all. It's way better than Rush. Like, it's not even close. LZ is better in every aspect of pinball play. And that's saying something because LZ isn't really all that great.

Wait, did someone say GI JOE?!

Paging @romulusx.

Rush is an amazing game with some of the best code that’s ever came from stern. I never really listened to them either, it’s not the theme, it’s got flow and the rules are god tier.

Like most modern pins, the code is what keeps me coming back for more.

Aside from both being music pins, I don't think there's a point of comparison between LZ and RUSH. RUSH is just a better pin all the way around. And it doesn't have a naked sculpt in need of a mankini on the PF.

LZ_Icarus_Mankini (resized).jpg

I just threw up in the back of my mouth. This is absurdity.

But point of order, Rush does have a naked dude on the playfield..... but he's more cool like Terminator and doesn't have wings facing you, flexing a ball sack. No mankini needed.
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Hahahahahaha that banana hammock!

Wow, if JD does a Pokemon game, I’m totally selling to buy it. I haven’t played a game since Gold/Silver, but man I love that franchise for nostalgia.

That being said, if Steve Ritchie did a Harry Potter, it would be an instant sell for my wife.

I've seriously toyed with the idea of selling them as a mod. I think they're hilarious, too.

If DeadFlip is doing Pokemon, he will be Stern's golden boy for a long time. It'll make Godzilla sales look like WWE sales by comparison and absolutely destroy all comers on routes, especially if they integrate with the actual Switch game(s) in addition to each other through IC.

The fact that Zombie Yeti is doing art and Tanio is on coding just sweetens the prospects, IF that is indeed what they're on.

I might have to get 2 Pokémon machines because of Anima night at my bar location.

There would definitely be two color variants of the LE, if they're aping the property properly for maximum revenue generation (red/blue, gold/silver, scarlet/violet, ruby/sapphire, etc).

How about Pokémon machine with the Pro, Pre, and LE each having a card on the apron exclusive to each trim level. Gotta collect em all!

The Topps card dude at Stern is way ahead of you, fam.

Pinball is subjective is all. RUSH, and LZ are awesome games. Think about this-what other games are currently available to buy right now like Godzilla, Star Wars, GOTG, etc. Lots of good choices right now. Well my distributor still has LZ available and other titles are sold out for months. So what? Is that an indicator on what game is better? Guys doubting Led Zeppelin as a good theme or an empty box really have no clue. Makes me think they are the same guys wanting a FOO Fighters. To me Foo Fighters is lame and not pinball worthy. Many people think Deadpool is one of the best games. For me it plays clunky with Katana ramp, do not care for art, do not care for a Funko toy as main toy(hate Funko Toys in general) and it just never got me excited. Does that mean Deadpool is a dog because I do not like it and can't relate? No everyone thinks it is great and my opinion is in the minority. Calling LZ an empty box is just silly talk. If you can't relate to the music that is understandable, but if you do relate it makes the game pure joy.

What I like about where we are currently is the amount of choices we are being given. This is awesome! We have multiple manufacturers competing for our business. So last night I was playing a game on my virtual machine-Space Ramp and it had me thinking about what American Pinball may be coming out with in regards to Galactic Tank Force. The sounds/music and theme could be really stellar(hoping for some TNA style tunes)
I am excited for 2023 and having to decide what games are appealing to me.

(BTW-the combos on this game are epic!)

LZ pro is an empty box. Richie games have great flow but this seemed like the license cost killed the whole BOM

Yes, an empty box with 3 metal ramps, 3 bank of drop targets, a 2 bank, 3 bank and 4 bank of stand up targets, a spinner, 3 pop bumpers, a stand-up target with a jumping toy, 3 flippers, LCD and a killer rule set with killer music. LOL

So it’s like Rush if you removed half of everything including the fun?

No, it's like Rush if you removed 1/2 the brick shots that go straight to an outlane or STDM. haha

That's not my experience at all. Guess I'm lucky.

I’m not 100% confident but word on the street is that actor (that plays the kid) just moved into a new house in the neighborhood! I’ll follow up…

I was disappointed at first with LZ. After playing it a few times and better understanding the rules the game is a lot of fun with lots of flow. The shots take some time in learning which does take away from the flow at first for newer players. Once you learn the angles the combos are very exciting to hit.

But not enough for you to own it?

I do own it. Go look at my posts in the LZ owners group.

Three words describe Led Zeppelin:

Rock N Roll & Flow

If you do not like rock and roll and monster flow-LZ is not for you(hold out for FOO Fighters)

What's up with the Elwin 007? Anyone hear what price and when we will see? This launch with 007 has been interesting to say the least. As more time goes on so does my fading FOMO for 007. When I played the Pro recently I did not like the position of the ramps. It felt like trying to hit the orbit spinners on the very edge of the flipper stroke. Need more time on it-but it did not grab me.

Then add it to your Pinside collection list.