Metallica (Premium)

Pinside rating

This game received 639 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.694 /10

8.694

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks 1st in the game group "Metallica". The group itself ranks #16 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.684

Artwork: 8.628

Sounds/Music: 8.511

Other Aspects: 8.719


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 6 of us have rated this game.

9.049

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Found 334 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 334 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 13 of 14.

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9.096/10
10 years ago
The code is perfect and the lightning is the best in pinball. The layout is fun and the toys are great. But it doesn't give the adrenalin rush for me like other games.
8.840/10
10 years ago
Im so addicted to this machine, has great long ramp shots, awesome multi ball at regular intervals with some of the best music to go with it. Love the inline targets and the moveable snakes head.........great use of the hammer and some rest lighting when you light up Sparky.......all in all a great machine which I will be adding to my collection very soon.
9.860/10
10 years ago
Defiantly my favourite Stern title. I'm not a huge Metallica fan but the music works well on this game and the original art work is A1 in my book. Great toys on this machine also, the Sparky multiball is a blast. I really can't get enough of this game.
9.280/10
10 years ago
This game has a lot going on for it. The playfield is layed out with several things to shoot at. Very fast moving game that keeps the player on his or her toes. Code is not finished but when it is , it should be one of Sterns top games. Its a keeper in my collection.
10.000/10
10 years ago
So Niiiiiiiiiiice pinball.

Updated with V 1.5 to 10/10

I am Fan of the band, and i love the nearly perfect complicated rules
6.880/10
10 years ago
Some of the smoothest ramp shots and all metal! Layout, toys and lighting placed well. For some reason toys looked cheapish (like TSPP feeling) shiny plastic. Great ideas on the hammer, snake and cross but they didn't have that elegant feeling like Hulk toy in AVLE or the train in AC/DC. Good game for Metallica fans but if not one harder to relate. AC/DC music quality much better for some reason. I wanted to rock out to enter sandman and just couldn't. Good game by Stern and Borg.
9.716/10
10 years ago
Need a code update but each time i see, play and listen it, i make a big woaaa. The greatest stern for me by far.
9.180/10
10 years ago
Metallica is a really fun game, with clear shots that make a lot of sense. The artwork is delightful. This game is likely to stay fresh for a long, long time!
9.572/10
10 years ago
I actually got to play a prem in the wild. It was fast and forgiving, the ramps are fairly quick on the return, good shots to the spinners, but the loops both feed to the bumpers not actually looping around to the flippers which sorta kills the flow. I like the 4 different multiballs, I played for about 2 hours. MET has really good artwork its a nice drawing machine. The easiest mb to get is the cross mb, and coffin is the hardest to get as it takes roughly 25 shots to activate it. The mystery shot is hard to hit, and has hard kick out to control. If I had $6500 I would try snag one.
8.185/10
10 years ago
Metallica is the new pinball from Stern and it's another title that gets released and then the software is finished as time marches on. With this in mind, I am writing this review with the "earliest" version of S/W to hit the streets on the pro model.

The Pros:
Some The toys on this game have functionality built in mind. I never thought I'd see a more righteous electric chair multiball show, but Stern may have beat TAF at it's own game. The ramps and orbits feel great. I can't remember the last time I saw a game with INLINE DROP TARGETS! Whoooo-Hoooo! I love inline drops! the left MB-Creech lane is a tough shot.

The Cons:
Half-baked software is the standard issue in pinball these days. I guess I can't be too disappointed (to hell with that, on-site testing and QC should be done BEFORE the game hits the streets!) and should be grateful that new pinball games are coming out at all. 10 shots and a bank of standups that would make any Fan-Man proud. You get to choose 1 song for your entire game. I guess it would be cool in a 4 player game to use it as a queue to who plays next... unless everybody loves to listen to Master of Puppets. The snake toy is cool, let's hope it can take a pounding on location. It's right in the middle of the table and is going to bet bonked all day long. The mystery kicker is accessed more easily through the slings than it is by an aimed shot. This game suffers from the "Limited-Edition-Gotta-Haveit-Titis". I like the gameplay as much (or maybe even a touch more) on the Pro Edition of this table. Think... Tranny-Formers! Don't get me started on that silly hammer...

The Takeaway:
I have a nickname for this game. Metallica, I dub thee: "AC/DC Lite". We shall see how time, S/W updates and mileage fare for this table.

"Hey Shawn, that's a nice Metallica T-Shirt you're wearing."
"Thanks man, I borrowed it from a friend."

Update - 7-26-13:
The more I play this game, the more I like it. This game is a bit of a throwback as far as not being as deep as other games from Stern as of late... but so what! This game is fun! Rules still are being worked out, but this is alright with me. I'm just gonna let my 'Tallica wine age real fine! Scores for gameplay updated accordingly.

Update: 9-12-13 I think that the Pro plays as well if not better than the LE/Premium. Both games play better with updated code.

Update v3: With the new code, this game plays much better than it did before. Tourney play still dictates lots of Sparky before anything else, but the inclusion of the Crank it up modes makes a HUGE difference in the playability and strategies involved in this deck. The Longevity of this deck went through the roof. A great game to have at home. Scores upgraded accordingly. Not so hot on this table. The Hammer. I see these things break down and stop a game dead in the water on location ALL THE TIME and adds no game to the game other than the novelty of "oooooh... Lookit that hammmaahh!". Compare this to the lower PF on AC/DC (which almost never breaks) and is a big part of the gameplay. I also have to say that the lighting package on this deck with the strings of LED's on the sides of the game make you feel like you are at a rock concert. My advice, put the LED kit on your Pro.

After watching "Some kind of Monster" I'm gonna try really hard to forget what whiny sniveling douchnozzles made this music. When does the Motorhead pinball game come out?

Update v4:
This game is a great playing game. The ruleset is incredibly well done and requires skills to collect the big scores. Crank It UP can be an all or nothing affair, and at the same time also means that you can come back from almost ANY deficit! The animations are great and while you don't always have to know the rules to have a great game, it certainly helps. After a while I have to admit, the art package is really great. Dirty Donny knocked this one out f the park. Stern should consider hiring him for more projects! A really solid game that has a few flaws that are minor in comparison to how well this plays and stays true to the theme. I still don't like the band... so what. I'll play this great game with headphones on listening to whatever I damn well please!

Update v5:
This has to be my most "updated" review now. The more I play with people who know this game, the more the nuances and strategies become more apparent and learning how to make Crank it up a real priority. One of the things I am really beginning to like about this game is that you are never "out" If you can get to crank it up and play it well, you have a very good chance of you making the game a winning score. Getting all 4 to The end of the line... yeesh. That's a lot of work. Learning how to maximize your lit shots to get to CIU as quickly as you can is an imperative. This also means that you have to utilize the entire PF and always have your doublers in mind for the big whammy scores. I am starting to really love this deck. I still see people "lucking" their way into big scores, but the knowledge of game rules on this table will definitely increase your baseline results. This is always a good thing. Thank you John Borg and your team of merry men!
9.495/10
10 years ago
Kinda interesting on how the rating system works. A couple of my favorite games end up with lower ratings than other pins when truly answering the questions honestly.

While comparing the current code (1.16) I'd have to say it's one of Sterns best attempt in a long time to get a game out with enjoyable code.

Sparky and the hammer are awesome..i'm sure the timing issues with the hammer will be cleared up with future updates
8.712/10
10 years ago
Stern has knocked it out of the park again!!!! Metallica is another great pin that is certainly a favorite of many owners already. Great song list, but I wish Whiplash was included.
9.100/10
10 years ago
After putting in a lot more time on this pin and the latest update I have changed my rating. Once again, there is no question that it is a step up from the Pro but I have a hard time paying that kind of money for what I believe are not significant differences. Besides the lighting, the key differences with the Premium/LE is the grave marker that rises from under the playfield, the Hammer of Justice with a magnet that drops the locked balls under the playfield, and the snake with a moving mouth. These are nice features but I don't believe worth the additional money unless money is not an issue. The overall game play is very fast (like the Pro), challenging, and enjoyable to play - at least in my opinion. Great pin with the recent software update and it should get even better with the expectation for more updates.
9.760/10
10 years ago
Game is fast, fun, awesome flow, intuitive shots, great lighting effects, cool toys, original beautiful artwork of great quality, and we can assume the rules will only get better. It's a rush to play, and the multiballs mesh the music changes into gameplay in very well. Add the pinnovators kit for a real sound rush! Best Stern release in forever...
9.401/10
10 years ago
Metallica has shaped up to be a must have music pin. Fan layout has long shots to keep gameplay smooth. The mouth to the awesome metal-etched ramps are very tight, similar to Borg's own Tron Legacy. Overall clean design with little clutter. Very fast orbits, combo-able ramps, along with Snake/Mystery kickers firing back pinballs like missiles; makes for a very fast playing pin. Code since release has had several improvements, with game being primarily a multiball fest. Game rules ask for a requisite amount of specific shots to qualify for "Crank it Up". In "Crank it Up" the game rules will ask for certain fun things, themed around four songs; completing them all will let you go for the wizard mode based around Death Magnetic's "End of the Line" song. Cool light show & amazing dot matrix animation! The art package is outstanding! Dirty Donny's entire package: from the cabinet, playfield, and version translites; to the actual design for Sparky (who you electrocute via repeated shots), is nothing short of incredible. The mentioned Sparky bobble-head toy is awesome, as is the drop-target covered Puppets grave marker. Hetfield and company provide some entertaining sound clips, while music volume is lowered when triggered (in order to not trip over songs). The Premium/LE model contains a grave marker that ascends, as well as a center magnet that lowers the pinball into an under-playfield casket (once the Hammer of Justice comes down onto it). Both unnecessary to gameplay (in the case of the hammer, an annoyance as some of the playfield view is diminished), but very cool to look at. Metallica's biggest sin is the implementation of the music itself. While AC/DC chose to innovate music license pins by having song choices alter game rules (each song has its own high scores listings), Metallica uses all 12 hit songs as simple soundtrack fodder; which you can do already with your gameroom iPod/stereo/etc. The game has more in common with Guns n Roses than anything in some ways too, with certain songs starting up during modes (Master of Puppets for Grave Marker Multiball, Sad But True for Snake Multiball, or End of the Line for the wizard mode). LE and Premium models have the machine rate a bit higher than the Pro, for the cool factor (rising grave marker, open/close snake mouth, and hammer of justice that smashes your ball into the coffin lock). Metallica code updates clearly went a long way to improving the experience and game now comes close to Borg's best title Tron Legacy. Overall, pin is now favored by general pinheads & metalheads (who already liked the game before). You'll have fun with Metallica.
9.503/10
10 years ago
Played a premium and was blow away by it. Lots to shoot for, nice integration of toys and magnets, four multiball modes, good ramps, excellent lighting and light effects, and, well, the music is good if you like Metallica. Fortunately, I went through a Metallica phase in my youth and the music strikes a nostalgic cord. My general strategy was to shoot sparky, get multiball. Take down the grave markers for another multiball. The try to shoot for the hammer/snake for their multiballs (never got all balls locked in the grave). Occasionally shoot a ramp if it was lit. I liked the magnet/hammer toy -- neat effect. Game flow was excellent. Could hit many shots on the fly, capture ball as needed to make a specific shot, and had no problem passing. Only complaint was the translite. Staring at a bunch of old white guys is not my thing. Also, I'm not much of a fan of road rat art, so the other translites aren't much better IMO. I did notice more than the normal amount of air balls, which can ruin a good game if they hop into a drain. Even not liking the artwork, this one plays so well and was so much fun it is one of the top pins I would own. Since I played the first version of the software, I can only imagine it getting better and better.

Update: as the code has improved, so has my love for this game. Many strategies to use which may be changed in the middle of a ball depending on what shots you are making. Also, I love the strategy that some multiballs can be stacked, while others cannot. The only complaint that I have is that it takes a while for the game to "get going" (takes an incredible amount of hits to get any multiball going), but when I have a great game, I want to play again immediately to repeat the feeling. A lot of fun, but sometimes it feels like it is too much work to get the fun started again.
9.620/10
10 years ago
Love the artwork so much. Lots to shoot for and excellent rules. Ride the lightning mod changes this game to be even better than originally designed. Fun game to add lighting mods.
8.776/10
10 years ago
Best artwork on a pin in a long time. Great Music and extremely fun.
7.972/10
10 years ago
Played this several times at PNPAS I don't buy into the hype! I like metal, but too much open playfield not enough "stuff" and the lack of contrast in the overall color leaves you washed in light blue. The action is fast! Sound was good but got redundant after a time. A disappointment.
8.404/10
10 years ago
Metallica Premium is indeed a fun pin to play. When it's code is finally done I would most likely raise my rating of it, but for now, there are no band member modes, no wizard modes, just a set of four multiballs and one miniwizard. The music in the game isn't controlled/meshed with the game nearly as well as ACDC was. The callouts for some reason just don't seem to fit to me. Some of them work very well with the game flow, but others sound like some dork in the theatre commenting about a movie he's watching. Loudly, and annoyingly. The artwork is awesome though and I can only hope Stern creates more pins with artwork like this instead of just dithered photos swiped off the licensed material.
9.320/10
10 years ago
Played this game last night at my friends house, the game has great flow, good ruleset, thou I am hoping more code changes are in store. The snake shot is the most satifying shot on the game IMO, but the game it super fast, sometimes too fast as the slingshots are so powerful the ball sometimes jumps into the outlanes. I am not a huge Metallica fan but the theme is fun and music is good and if attached to a great sound system I am sure would really up the experience. Overall one of the better Stern entries in recent years. Updated for 1.5 code, very nice update
8.048/10
10 years ago
Played this last week at Joystix Arcade. The game is good but needs code updates to be great. The hammer does block the sparky shot a bit and the snake shot seemed to be a pain in the butt. Overall a great effort...not quite to AC/DC yet but has promise to be better.
9.508/10
10 years ago
New code is boss.
9.680/10
10 years ago
Update - Many code updates have now made this one of the best games ever. Hammer works great, has some awesome effects with an external sub. 4 mini wiz modes, excellent stacking and much more variety in sound/speech/dots. I picked up an LE and revised cab and backglass ratings to reflect (prefer this over the regular premiums). /update

--

As it is now, Metallica Premium is a good, but not groundbreaking game. Rules are a bit light at the moment, and hammer problems prevented me from even seeing Coffin MB over 2 days of play. Band members' speech is just bad, and while the musical selections are pretty good, the quality of the music reproduction isn't. On the other hand, the playfield artwork is top notch, and the cab/bb on the road case edition is better than they looked in pics. Sparky is an awesome toy, and the light show is great. Playfield layout offers a good variety of shots, but no upper flipper is a downer, and it's YAFL. Speed is OK, but nothing compared to Tron. Snake rejects are no fun. Mystery hole desperately needs sound+lamp code before eject.

Overall, a work in progress, much like this rating. Will revisit when the game is finished.
8.920/10
10 years ago
The hand-drawn artwork pretty much sold a large handful of these games before the game was even played....many would like Stern to go back to this type of art package moving forward. Dirty Donny, the artist, did a bang up job.

As a fan layout game, there are many shots to hit, my favorite, and maybe most deadly are the inline drop targets. I am so glad Stern dug this feature from the grave to use in the game, pun intended. With several toys in the game, there was no way this game wouldn't be a blast to play....

....and then the code featuring the CRANK IT UP modes came along and pushed the game to a new level. You aren't trying to rinse and repeat the same shot over and over again, like defeating castles in MM. I know it is still basically the same as now you are going for 4 different toys to progress, but with earning credit through orbits and other shots, it really makes you think about the risk and reward for hitting every shot the further you go along.

Having to hit the "Mystery" hole on the far right is no easy task when you have the added pressure of it being lit for CRANK IT UP. Mr. Sheets really out did himself when setting the rules for this machine.
There are 334 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 13 of 14.

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