Game of thrones

I don't know man, I think Bally pretty much nailed it.

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I've heard many people say unsolicited that they feel like playing Star Wars pinball is like playing a generic pinball machine with the Star Wars movies on the TV in the background. Playing the game doesn't feel much like a Star Wars game. Outside the Death Star toy and a bobblehead Tie Fighter, nothing on the game represents Star Wars. The clips are the main theme integration in the game and they are great quality, but when playing you can't look up to appreciate many of them. Having the two ends of a single semi circle shot account for two major locations in the films is unnecessary, they should be important independent shots. Endor, another huge location, is just one of the easiest ramps in all of pinball to hit. Three huge locations in the universe and important shots in the game, but none of them feel or look very important or special, even the Death Star shot unless you are playing a premium or LE. The only location that feels like it is somewhat important and a little unique is Tatooine and that is the one shot you never really shoot for the way the game is designed. It's getting better, but at especially at first I felt that original statement was true. Lightsaber duel for instance is a great step in the right direction, by integrating the movies with unique gameplay and custom video during the game. The game is fun, the code is good and I have no doubt it does well on route based on title alone, but the theme integration is a big miss IMHO.

I figured, just ribbing you

Then why did you buy BM66?

Biggest recent disappointments were SW, GB, GOT, and Mustang.

To learn my lesson one more time. Hopefully the last time...

And actually it did nail the theme. The theme from 50 years ago... 50... 50 years! Is that what pinball is now?

It's funny - Gun Smoke instead of Gunsmoke.

If you never have - download the original radio series with William Conrad. That shit was real back in the fifties.

Super Mario Bros

At the rate we're going there will be another Gunsmoke pinball machine coming out in the next couple years.

Happy u think so, but most of the "old school" games bore me....

Yeah, but we're talking about when it was new. Bally was the shit. It wasn't old school then. Well the theme was ten years old, but that's recent by today's standards.

What is old now is just about every recent theme. I don't think we should even call it "modern" pinball anymore. Until it actually is.

Batman 66
Stern Star wars

Why? It's clear that they pick a theme, slap it on a design. Through a few toys in and worry about what to actually put in it gameplay wise after its released. Then somehow try to tie the theme into what they made. Otherwise games would be released mostly finished. Not with place holders and missing modes.

No direction ahead of time. So no real theme integration. The machine does not tell a story. Or progress logically throughout the story.
It feels more like of a commercial for the theme. Or a cut and pasted trailer.

Stern needs to get teams of people together. And let them work on a single game. Start to finish. Not multiple games at once. Hash out ideas of what to put into that game. Before it's built. And then design the game around those ideas and impliment code in it virtually at the same time.

All this can be done digitally. Before they even make a prototype.

Maybe they do this already. But if they do, WTF?

There are people designing 1 off games with better theme integration and more fluid code that the #1 pinball designing company in the world.
Again WTF?

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Ok I can agree with your assessment. I guess I don't really think that deeply about it. I'm more like OMFG it's star wars sounds when I hit shots and movies on the screen!! When taking it a step deeper as far as theme integration I can see how many could be disappointed.

Stern: Playfield art/them integration. GOT, ST, SW. I'm NOT disappointed in game play though.
Stern: GB Just can't get over that wide flipper gap. Love the game but to many SDTM.

This.

Not only do they pick outdated themes, but if you buy one, then it just becomes an unplayable piece of ugly furniture until they decide what rules to implement if any at all. And by then, if you are like me, you are tired of looking at it and over it.

It just shows how stupid we can be, myself included for getting excited over a colorful empty box and handing over our hard earned dollars for them.

I aint playing that game no more.

sw was a big disappoinment for many people. the le especially, nothing really different than the premium. current owners will disagree but we expected alot more especially with the le. that tie fighter on a spring sucks, the death star lol a big fat joke. some 50.00 wireform loop and different art and 3 different backglass big fn deal. le epic fail!
so color dmd is the primary focus of new games ? please go back to a orange dmd!

If only. 3 different translights. No backglass.

WWE

For me Hobbit, but not only the pin; the movies themselves were horrible. I thought maybe the pin could make up for it.

SW. The least amount of mechanical theme integration since RFM. Not a single magnet on a game about using the force (removed from design because of cost). Biggest disappointment is how many rave and rave about it being the best game ever which will ensure future pins with less and less are sure to follow.

Hands down, Jetsons, epic fail. Why did tbey even bother? Had high hopes, cabinet looks good, thats about it, nice cabinet.

Starwars, still kind of want one though lol..

The public got what the public demanded and the rest as they say is....... history.

Star Wars isn't a bad game but it doesn't really feel like Star Wars. It feels like a racing game (Getaway 3?) reskinned as Star Wars.

That is why I'm disappointed. No real theme integration (zero magnets for force effects). The game itself is solid. It just doesn't feel like Star Wars.

24 - for one of the best show's ever on tv, the pin drops the ball big time. No custom speech from Jack Bauer. It just feels so generic and dissconnected from the theme. If any game deserves TWD custom sound treatment it's 24.

X-files - bought this being a huge fan of the show. Problem is the gameplay just does not hold up to other games at the time. Sound is bad. Rules are not great. And the build quality was also poor. Horrible home game that did not last long for me, and I really wanted to like it.

I mean, the game sucks, but I thought the integration with the theme was actually pretty thoughtful on WWE.

I’m really getting sick of the Star Wars stuff. Data East/Sega/Stern is obsessed with that theme. Love the Data East one! The theme is just unappealing and overrated to me.

X 10000 this

Sorry if your a Star Wars fan! It’s cool if you like the movies but I just see it everywhere though.

Game of Thrones. That title was a stone cold lock for me, but when they revealed the lame playfield art and uninspired layout, it was suddenly a pass.

Star Wars was also a disappointment, but it wasn't a dream theme for me like GoT.

I agree. The GOT art is super bland

It's this one for me. It's not that bad. Just could have been so much better.

66 ways they could have made this game better.

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Wow, all this talk no one has mentioned TBL! Simply for the fact it hasn't been delivered as promised.

Dirty Harry.

I'm a big Clint Eastwood fan. A big Dirty Harry fan.

It's a pretty good game. But when I saw the pastel colors on the cabinet sides, I was like what the "F" ?

LTG : )

Wait a minute they made a Big Lebowski pinball!

Stern WrestleMania. The ring gimmick up top was a whacky thought that just doesn't work well in my opinion. So bummed, I am a huge wrestling fan! And to top it off, the code doesn't save it.

Austin Powers

South Park

Shrek (but note, not Family Guy, just Shrek for being Family Guy in a green cabinet)

Jetsons

Nah, they made like 15 of them.

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Evel Knievel. The one game that would obviously have ramps. NO RAMPS! THERE ARE NO RAMPS ON AN EVEL KNIEVEL PINBALL MACHINE!!

Spoiled kids and their toys.

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Disagree....the code makes a world of difference...WWE is hands down better then WWF...

The Rolling Stones

Both versions.

Dominos. I remember when they had good pizza.

Seriously! I was just having a conversation with my brother about this the other night. They used to be the best pizza you could get as far as delivery. Now they just suck! What happened?

I hope Domino isn't as disappointing. I ordered one last week.

I agree they had some nice games, but have you played any circa 2010+ games or owned any?...owned any JJP games? they clearly have taken pinball to another level.

Cyclone.

I'm expecting foul weather and instead I get Ronald Reagan on a roller coaster and a clown. I mean WTF?