Stern

Star Wars (Pro)

Pinside Rating

This game received 383 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.649 _/10

7.649

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks 3rd in the game group "Star Wars". The group itself ranks #51 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.153

Artwork: 7.73

Sounds/Music: 8.128

Other Aspects: 7.6

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 4 of us have rated this game.

7.134

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This title is part of group: "Star Wars"

Star Wars
(Pro)

Star Wars
(Premium)

Star Wars
(LE)

Star Wars Comic Art
(Pro)

Star Wars Comic Art
(Premium)

Found 167 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 167 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.936/10

43 days ago

MRS

Msteakhaus

Pinside+ Addict

6y 30,650 19 12

Played and intended to rate the 2019 comic book pro so will now be on a quest for this older machine and will rate it accordingly. Unless someone can just delete this (couldn’t figure out how to).

My bad.

Msteakhaus edited previous rating on March 07, 2024.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.853/10

85 days ago

JSD

JD58337

Pinside+ Frequent

Fairfax, VA

<1y 30,400 17 2 31

I REALLY wanted to like this game because it’s one of my favorite themes. I tried and I tried and I tried but it just drains so quickly and the tie fighter multiplier is just awful. Anything that takes me away from the playfield in the middle of a game is just not acceptable. I’m sure this game goes deeper but I just won’t ever see it.

9.600/10

3 months ago

SIL

PinBrawls

Pinside+ Frequent

Fort Lauderdale, FL

<1y 26,900 12 2 6 1

Very underrated game due to it's difficulty. Once you get the hang of it and understand it's game play, it's a real fun game.

PinBrawls currently owns this game.

7.760/10

3 months ago

WHB

Rudedog1961

Pinside+ Frequent

<1y 41,150 5 45 2

I only got to play this game for about 20 minutes. I did like it and will probably purchase a premium for my collection

8.563/10

3 months ago

DEF

Defcon_5

Pinside member

Wien

1y 13,250 3 1 13

This game needs time to be understood. The longer you tinker the better it gets!

6.861/10

4 months ago

MSL

SantaEatsCheese

Pinside+ Pro!

Crofton, MD

5y 209K 9,620 6 85 1

I have a Star Wars pro and had a lot of time on a Star Wars LE.

It's a great game but...

The over emphasis on the action button kills it for competitive people. There is a roaming multipliers button that kills it for some. Essentially you press the action button to activate the multipliers (turning them green) and press it again to turn them red, move them with the flipper buttons, and press the action button again to activate the multipliers in a different spot. I always put the multipliers in the death star spot as I don't care for that functionality. The multipliers are always on, and build up to 40x. So you can end up in a situation where if you get the multipliers up to 40 (happens on its own) and you hit the video mode with the multipliers activated you are pretty much guaranteed the grand champion score. There is alot of emphasis on taking your hands off the flipper buttons and moving those multipliers around, or hitting it repeatedly in "tie fighter" mode to activate a multiball.

Now I really like the game, but hate that function. If you are repeatedly going after the high score and/or competitive, the game can be less a function of who can aim/control the ball better and more about who can take their hands off the flipper buttons and hit the action button the fastest.

What it does excel with is asset utilzation and immersion. If you want to play a game and try to get to the wizard mode by completing all the requirements, and ignore the multipliers it can be a great game.

The one mode that people complain about is the "escape from bobba fett" mode as its not very evident how to activate it. Also if you are competing for a high score some modes are worth more than others, so people tend to go for the same modes over and over... also, the big toy is a "tie fighter on a spring" unless you have the premium with the hyper loop that makes the Death Star shot harder or the exploding death star that you'll be lucky to see one game in 10.

I still like it, but its not perfect.

SantaEatsCheese currently owns this game.

8.520/10

6 months ago

MFB

mikebarr

Pinside+ Frequent

Rehoboth Beach, DE

1y 28,650 15 4 15

Few games have grown on me the way SW has, and I think it might be the single most underrated modern game in this list. Part of the reason is probably the subject matter, as I believe expectations were set super high, making it hard to ever live up to them for many. As a game though, it has a lot to it, with cool missions and fun shots, albeit some similar ones. The theming is fun though it blends modern play with nostalgia very well. This is one I would like to own at some point.

mikebarr has this game on the wishlist.

9.260/10

6 months ago

JCC

Jesse-is-great

Pinside member

Tallahassee, FL

<1y 40,800 120 3 30

Star Wars (pro) Is a very cool game. I played it with an estimate of 370 times! My average score is 300,000,000 and my high over 2,250,000,000 and I get a mode and TIE Fighter multi-ball on almost every game! When someone is not playing, it shows the beginning of a new hope, the empire strikes back, and return of the Jedi ?.

8.412/10

7 months ago

DRD

DrDrain

Pinside member

9y 42,900 57 159

Star Wars is one of my favorite SPIKE 2 games.

The layout is very nice and the ramps flow similarly to Star Trek's ramps. I think those are the most satisfying shots as well. In terms of toys this version is inferior to the Premium. Although the LCD screen, the static Death Star and the Tie Fighter are still very good looking toys. But the missing Hyperspace loop which is essentially a toy makes the Pro inferior to the Premium version. It is still a decent looking game and the plastic ramps really don't make a difference to me.

The ruleset is nice and there's a variety of different modes to play which makes this machine very replayable. I often tend to return to this game when I see it on location. It's just so much fun to play.

In terms of artwork this is one of Steve Ritchie's best looking machines of the last 20 years. I really like the look of the playfield. It looks ideally themed for a Star Wars machine.

All in all this game is very underrated, with a nice flow, nice toys and a gameplay that is pure fun for everybody who enjoys Star Wars. Even if the Premium is the better version this game is still very good. I think this is a good challenge for players of any skill level.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

6.985/10

8 months ago

???

Damon143

Pinside member

Unknown

14y 24,250 1 4 30

Like the theme and the sounds and scenes from the movies. I can’t get past the feeling that the playfield feels empty. Shots feel pretty good just wish it had more.

4 Pinsiders flagged this.

4.785/10

9 months ago

DRJ

Pin_Sanity

Pinside member

Palm Desert, CA

5y 25,500 3 16

Played it blind, mechanical issues where ball gets stuck in that upper mid pocket scoop thing. Unclear rule set. Stuttering feel to progression of game. Not playing again any time soon.

7 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.228/10

9 months ago

DRB

han_solo

Pinside+ Frequent

<1y 21,150 4 1 8

My first love. This game can be hot and cold (a lot of drains) but when you're hitting the shots, I've never had a better time playing pinball. Hitting death star at the end of a mission is so satisfying because it can be so finnicky. When everything lines up, the ramps and orbits are so buttery smooth and just feel great. It can be incredibly frustrating when the machine isn't tuned, but it's still a gem of a machine.

Scoring is one major downside. The multiplier system means that scores can vary wildly depending on how skillfully you move the arrows around the playfield. It definitely rewards skill, but can make lower scoring games feel a bit disappointing when you play well. Still, if you're just looking for a fun game, I'll never pass on a chance to play Star Wars!

han_solo has this game on the wishlist.

7.712/10

11 months ago

???

LanternShark

Pinside+ Frequent

Thousand Oaks, CA

<1y 20,300 2 2 7

Rented for 2 months, kids loved it, I never really got exited playing it.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.812/10

1 year ago

EKS

PanzerKraken

Pinside member

Boynton Beach, FL

2y 70,550 3,065 7 47 1

An odd machine, lot of it just feels ugly and bland. Gameplay wise it's a fast game that has a lot of punishing rebound areas that make it a machine where you can easily regret your shots with how fast stuff blasts back at you. The rules I found to be just needlessly complex with the character abilities and skill bonuses. The score multipliers are just a bit over the top in how fast scores can almost randomly explode. Even folks not knowing what they are doing will see the game blow up with massive points and they will not know why cause of how liberal the game is handing out multipliers left and right. Scoring just feels so so random at times cause of it.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.740/10

1 year ago

TMM

RadDad247

Pinside member

2y 35,250 10 52

Huge fan of the IP. It's a tough one for us new players, but the more you play you learn it. It's really fast. Wish it were slower. Some shots are punishing and rewarding. Can't really enjoy it without needing to level up your pin skills. The minigames are cool. The light speed ball movement is a cool payoff.

RadDad247 edited previous rating on December 30, 2023.

8.692/10

1 year ago

MAB

Mabalzitch

Pinside member

Salina, KS

4y 18,500 6 8

Difficult pin for new players due to the speed and u-turns. (Average ball time of 42seconds and average game time of less than 3 minutes on location) The sound effects and use of the action button make for an emersive experience. I wasn't a fan until I started getting better at anticipating the ball movement and understanding the rules. The multiball light shows are fantastic. It definitely requires time and skill to unlock the potential of this game, but it's very rewarding when you are able to land massive points on the 40x multiplier.

Mabalzitch currently owns this game.

8.840/10

1 year ago

???

Kabball

Pinside+ Frequent

North Vancouver, BC

1y 34,650 327 10

Very fast challenging pin that makes me mad while not being to stop myself from playing it over and over and one more game for hours. Beautiful and fast, just lacking in the toy department even for a pro it feels simple on the playfield.

5.511/10

1 year ago

???

griever

Pinside apprentice

1y 6,250 23

This machine is uninspired and boring. Rather than being a pinball table borne out of the Star Wars universe, it's a bland table slapped with generic dressings from the original trilogy, giving off an impression that it was designed by people who had seen the movies but weren't truly passionate about them. Modes, which each consist of 3 short scenes capped off with a multi-ball, are accompanied by short clips from the films that do little to set the tone or bring you along the adventure with the characters. Instead, your gameplay is narrated by a generic in-game announcer who sounds entirely out of place. Nothing in this game exists to hype up the player's excitement, which is a disappointment for any pinball table and doubly so with one that carries a theme such as Star Wars.

The game features 7 main shots of varying difficulty, and while hitting them can feel satisfying and lead to a nice flow, some of the feeds back towards the flippers can be overly frustrating to deal with. Specifically, hitting the inner loop or receiving the ball back from the scoop can send it screaming towards the middle, demanding aggressive moves to keep the ball in play each time one of these shots is made. An additional shot is the Tie Fighter standup toy, the purpose of which is to begin a mode where the player is asked to take a hand off of a flipper and rapidly hit the button on the lock bar to destroy Tie Fighters, receiving bonuses such as a Tie Fighter multi-ball at certain counts and ultimately serving as an unwelcome gimmick.

The primary objective in this game are the modes, which are tied to different worlds (and the Death Star) and each have 3 phases that must be completed before playing the final phase which is a multi-ball. The scoring on this game is heavily tied to the multiplier, which is increased and refreshed by hitting the target bank under the small in-field screen. While this seems like it had the potential to be interesting, in practice it invites the strategy of attempting to get into a multi-ball as quickly as possible in order to attempt to max the multiplier before taking it into a particular mode which isn't pinball at all, but rather a generic and not very fun video mode.

Overall, the game feels clunky and unrefined and lacks sound and animation to draw the player into the Star Wars universe and create an immersive experience.

griever edited previous rating on October 17, 2022.

3 Pinsiders flagged this. 4 Pinsiders starred this!

8.860/10

1 year ago

JFA

JakeFAttie

Pinside member

Los Angeles, CA

2y 72,550 905 3 27

Super fun but also super fast and hard. This is probably Steve Ritchie's last truly great pin (though I hope he makes another classic) and is very true to his Flow style. I love the IP and though there are so many great Star Wars machines, this is probably my favorite. Not sure it would be right for a small collection though because it's just too hard and would probably turn off newcomers.

8.211/10

1 year ago

TCL

Tommy_Pins

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 77,050 720 12

As a Star Wars fan, when this game was released, I was underwhelmed and had no desire to play it. The playfield looked empty, art looked bland and the toys/mechs weren't very interesting.

Fast forward 5 years, I found a decent price on a pro model and pulled the trigger. I was very surprised how fun this game is. It's a pure shooter, and you can hit most shots from either flipper. It's fast and can be very unforgiving at times. It's got flow and hitting shots on the fly is very satisfying. I think this game is great for the home, if its not dialed in, it can be a chore to play. The multiplier is actually pretty fun when you figure it out and the rules are great. I like how modes do not time out, making you complete them before advancing. There is also several multi balls, and choosing your character and perk is nice.

The sounds and videos make up for the lack of toys/mechs in my mind. The lighting is also great and matches the tone of the game perfectly.

If you play this on location somewhere and are disappointed, try it again in the home environment before you write it off.

10.000/10

1 year ago

DMP

falcon950

Pinside+ Frequent

Hemet, CA

4y 40,300 159 4 15

I feel like I'm in Star Wars when I play this game. Love it!

falcon950 currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

10.000/10

1 year ago

RWH

Gumby510

Pinside member

Las Vegas, NV

5y 43,800 401 4 17 1

I’ve played this game on location over the years and walked away feeling meh. Got a really good deal on a pro recently and I will say holy crap this game is really good. Some games are meant to own and this is it. Super fast fun and great assets. If your a Star Wars fan or even on the fence on buying don’t you will not regret it. Sorry for the positive review I’m telling you this game is that good.

Gumby510 has owned this game in the past.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

6.199/10

1 year ago

MRG

ArtPylon

Pinside member

Boston, MA

11y 45,800 61 5 35

Pretty uninspired game in terms of layout, ruleset and artwork especially considering how much there is to work with in the star wars license. Maybe they were limited on the assets that could be used. But, the layout is also boring. The playfield art is basically just blue.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.908/10

1 year ago

???

curban

Pinside+ Frequent

Seven Valleys, PA

5y 83,800 1,073 38 16

I own a SWpro and it will never leave my collection.

I grew up with Star Wars and am a huge fan of the original trilogy. Theme integration on this machine is amongst Stern’s best

I believe the shots are all very good. The multiballs are all excellent. The modes (and mode variety with selectable characters): 1) fit the theme perfectly, 2) are easy to understand for beginners and still a challenge for more experienced players, and 3) are fun.

The shot multipliers add nice strategic element. They impact scores a lot, and I can understand how this can be frustrating if you don’t know how to use them…but…just learn to use them.

Star Wars music and the made-for-the-pin music and sound effects are all very good.

I have the original art (not comic book). I appreciate the perspective that there could be more artistic expression in the art…but it’s still mostly images from the movies and posters that I fell in love with 40+ years ago, so I wouldn’t want it changed.

curban currently owns this game.

7.304/10

1 year ago

RAR

SchematicChaser

Pinside member

Modesto, CA

2y 41,750 1 5 122

Like the game, but not a fan of the LCD blocking the upper play field Not seeing what is happening in the pop bumpers.

SchematicChaser edited previous rating on June 20, 2022.

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There are 167 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 7.

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