Theme really sucks for me, but those pics of the PF show what could be a great layout. Looks interesting to say the least.

Look forward to playing it and might even own one for a while but the theme kills any chance of it being a long time keeper.

While I have no interest in owning one (not a wrestling fan) I'll definitely give it a try on location. The layout looks cool. Hopefully some interesting modes and rules are created for it.

At first I thought "This is just another Mustang type pin with a promotional vibe" but I don't think so now. There appears to be a lot more going on feature wise in WM versus Mustang. The ramps are metal unlike Mustang pro and the ring toy is much more interactive then the Gears drop target area.

Who is picking the themese at Stern?

Mustang.... Mwa, ok... I understand that its probeble a Ford Stern deal. But wrestling....?

That was popular in 1980, for kids, and men in tights.

Unbelievable.

Here's my take...

I was a huge wrestling fan in the 80's and up till the early 90's. I don't watch wrestling at all anymore. I think that this could be a really successfully themed pin if they incorporated the old with the new.

I think there's 2 ways to do that. 1 could be a RIBION style where instead of traveling around the world and into a new mode, you travel to a different era of wrestling. An era with McMahon and Jesse the Body being the Announcers or Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse. Then you complete that mode and go to another random era of wrestling where Jim Rose and King Lawlor are the announcers. And on and on you can go with 6 - 8 different modes/era's with their respective announcers and wrestlers and big bouts.

Or, you can make the game work in a pre start mode like TFLE Combo where you can choose your era before you start the game and you play the whole game in that basic era.

Or, maybe they it could do a combination of both. But for me to really love this pin, you have to have the old school era along with TONS of call out from the original voiced announcers and wrestlers which they could pull from old interviews etc.

My $.2 cents anyway.

Need pics first but i'll take an LE.

Wow, and there hasn't been a picture released yet.

If it's actually a decent game, I'd spend $2k on one in 15 years.

Can I change my vote in the poll after seeing the playfield pics?

Perfect theme to get a new generation introduced to pinball. I would buy one to put on route. This will make a killing at kid/teen themed places.

Hope they did their homework to make sure it fits through the front door of a doublewide.

LOL, Raw has been a top 10 viewed cable show in the US for 20 years.

Never heard of Attitude & Monday Night War Era i guess?

Could this possibly be a twisted joke? I'm really having a hard time accepting this reality.

What's next "The History of Folk Music"?

So, because its a usa top 10 tv show, it must be a good theme?

LMAO.

So because you don't like it, it must be a bad theme?

No, because on about 95% does not like it. Do you even read the forums? Most of them dislike it that much, they make fun of it. Because its such a bad theme, almost hilirious.

Scroll up for the poll....

Well, perhaps wrestling is bigger than you realize?

Sure, it is CERTAINLY not a theme for everyone...but the market is huge. I was astounded to see how gigantic the WWE brand really is...

I really, truly thought this was a joke that I wasn't in on. This seems like a lot of post just to pull a prank.

Gentlemen, the forums have spoken.

I can't speak for Europe, but I have never, ever, met anyone with interest in wrestling, and I haven't seen it promoted anywhere when I have been around in nearby countries...

But they must make an educated guess before spending millions I'd say... The theme is a stinker for me, but I can see myself getting riled up shouting stupid shit at the machine and having a blast. It does require the play to be great, and I really like the playfield so far.

Now... What this machine also REALLY needs is a proper alternate translite, and a space between two other machines to hide the art.

This theme should have been done during the "Attitude" Era.

I'm intrigued to see what the HULKster LE version looks/plays like though.

Thats weird cause you own a Wizard of Oz.

Yes but I do not follow Lemmings mentality.
I heard the "Mustang sucks" comments all the time. Despite that it's a good pin...

Given the choice between a good layout and a good theme, I take a good layout 100% of the time.
(I love my WPT pin and I hate Poker...)

I trust John Trudeau. He acknowledged working for Stern is not easy. Now with Mustang's experience I am sure he designed a great pin. We will see how the code develops.

But keep bashing this game, please. I am not in the Stern NIB business so I hope to find a cheap one HUO if I like it.

Make an ECW LE edition and I'm in on a used one

I might hold out for the Premium version

My brother is a professional wrestler and it's popular all over the world. He's constantly traveling the world to wrestle - England, Japan, Australia, etc. Whether this translates to pinball sales - who knows...but I think in certain areas this will do very well on location. The 400 Hulkster LEs will easily sell out to hardcore wrestling fans.

Possibly, and most likely - Stern seems to think so too.

I just personally don't know any areas where this would be a hit. But that doesn't mean it won't be.

I'd have to hold out for the VE, when they load up the art with scantily clad chicks. I have a no scantily clad dudes rule in my home, so this version is most certainly out.

Voted no because of theme. I am interested in how it plays but yeah - half naked, roided dudes oiled up and play fighting is not my thing. That said, I am not into a lot of the recent themes for different reasons. I wonder how many people that are complaining about the new wrestling theme would of purchased it if it was a different theme. It gets pretty expensive trying to buy every new pin.

Actually, yes it DOES matter quite a bit. Not only does THAT matter, about a year after the game is released and the code is all finished, THAT will matter quite a bit as well. I can answer the question with some certainty in roughly one year and 3 months.

If you think that the theme of a pinball is so important that it can determine whether or not you will spend ~4500 for it, you may have a pinball problem. You know, like gambling?

If you are a true fan of "wresting for entertainment value", you wouldn't want to support a game that YOU think isn't fun to play, right?

Game exchange has nice pictures on the website.

Layout looks kind of cool

The smart move would have been to keep the playfield clear of WWE stars, just have generic style like ST then you could easily change the whole game to classic WWF or whatever and cater to us old timers who witnessed the first ever Royal Rumble and would have payed for an LE if the likes of RRpiper, Iron Sheik, and so many more from 80's and early 90's were represented. Major hit for Stern. Still, I look forward to trying this pin and its nice to see Stern adding something new to design and gameplay with the TWD and now WWE.

My bro doesn't really like Pinball so...yeah. lol.

Ever been water boarded? I'm guessing not...

I'd be all over this but I'm saving my money for their Slim Whitman pin. Slim was one of the best-selling and most influential artists in country music history.

Zero desire. Who watches fake wrestling that has an IQ above a sea cucumber?

Really lame choice. It would be nice to see a pin that is not themed to a movie, car, tv show, product, etc.

Remember those days?

The Zamfir pinball will be better...no wait, the Roger Whitaker pinball!

Oh hell no.....

Not a wrestle fan but still a better theme than WOZ for me

I'm in. This will become the rarest pin ever.

Theme sucks. I'll drop a few quarters in one to play, but would never buy one.

Mike

attitude era LE and 80s era LE and I am in!

http://www.ifpapinball.com/player.php?p=24766

I don't really expect it to be the same guy but it did catch my eye one day.

Oh, what might have been....

th-635.jpeg

Since wrestling is basically redneck theatre, maybe the redneck voice actor guy callouts will actually be appropriate this time!

I am NOT a wrestling fan at all, but this layout looks awesome. Not the same old crap. I love how the wrestling ring has kickers that you activate with the flipper buttons. Seems kind of like the magnets on TZ are used as flippers. Innovative idea. Its only too bad that Williams didn't stay open long enough to realize John Trudeau's Aces Escape the Bermuda Triangle pin. Would have been epic!