# Episode 1187: "Kaneda's Kandid First Impressions of POKEMON!"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2026-02-14  
**Duration:** 26m 41s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-1187-of-150722747

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## Analysis

Kaneda delivers an extensive first-impression analysis of Pokémon Pinball, praising its aesthetic appeal, approachable design, and anime integration while expressing concerns about mechanical simplicity, layout depth, and the critical role of code/software to maintain long-term replay value. He positions the game as a deliberate strategic choice by Stern to create an accessible, low-maintenance title on a proven IP, predicts strong secondary market demand, and emphasizes that software execution will determine whether the game avoids becoming repetitive.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pokémon Pinball is the first Stern game on Spike 3 to properly utilize the larger screen with full-screen animated clips. — _Direct comparison to Star Wars and Walking Dead; Kaneda cites this as a standout feature in screen integration._
- [HIGH] The game has approximately 7-8 shots from flipper to flipper, significantly fewer than recent Stern titles like Harry Potter. — _Kaneda's direct observation of layout and explicit shot count; multiple comparisons to Winchester Mystery House and other modern games._
- [HIGH] Pokémon Company did not allow Stern to illustrate over their IP; all artwork is pre-illustrated by Pokémon artists. — _Kaneda explicitly states this observation about the design process and its implications for art quality._
- [HIGH] George Gomez has been living at the factory for the last three months to get the game over the finish line. — _Direct quote from Kaneda relaying conversation with Gomez; attributed to designer discussing production timeline._
- [HIGH] There is no 30th anniversary edition of Pokémon Pinball coming; the LE is the final special edition. — _Kaneda states he has spoken to George Gomez about this confirmation._
- [HIGH] Pokémon Pinball will not feature internet-based PVP; Stern is only working on local player-versus-player mechanics on the same machine. — _Kaneda cites webinar Q&A responses about Insider Connected capabilities and PVP functionality._
- [MEDIUM] Stern designed Pokémon to be low-maintenance and easy to manufacture, avoiding complex mechanics like drop targets. — _Kaneda's inference based on design choices; not explicitly confirmed but supported by detailed analysis of mechanical simplicity._
- [MEDIUM] Jersey Jack games look 'twice as expensive and twice as nice' compared to Stern machines, which now rank 4th or 5th in visual quality among manufacturers. — _Kaneda's subjective aesthetic comparison; reflects his opinion on current manufacturing standards._
- [MEDIUM] Location-exclusive Pokémon will be available at specific venues (Jack Bar NYC, Logan's Arcade, Pinball Expo, Pinball at the Beach). — _Kaneda infers this from Jack Danger's reaction during webinar Q&A; not explicitly confirmed but presented as likely strategy._
- [MEDIUM] Transformers and Sonic the Hedgehog are coming within 4-5 months, with Back to the Future also targeted for 2026. — _Kaneda cites conversations with industry figures (Barry mentioned for Back to the Future timing); represents near-term roadmap expectations._

### Notable Quotes

> "Stern Pinball has made the most adorable pinball machine of all time. This thing is just cute. It's like a little kid and makes you want to walk up to it and pinch its cheeks."
> — **Kaneda**, early
> _Establishes Kaneda's core aesthetic assessment; sets tone for positive-but-cautious analysis._

> "Is it revolutionary in the design category? No. Does it have the best artwork on a pinball machine ever? No. Does it have a magical mech we haven't seen before in pinball? No."
> — **Kaneda**, early
> _Explicitly manages expectations about mechanical innovation; frames the game as thematically rather than mechanically groundbreaking._

> "This is the first game since Stern has gone to the Spike 3 platform where the big screen is actually utilized in the right way."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Highlights a key technical achievement in screen integration; contrasts with Star Wars and Walking Dead execution._

> "If this game turns out to be ultra repetitive, all I'm doing is collecting Pokémon and there's 180 of them and how you collect them is always the same... it's going to get repetitive fast and I could see a lot of people selling these games after just a few months."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Articulates the critical risk: mechanical simplicity only works if code/software delivers variety and moments of magic._

> "Where are the moments of magic going to be in this game? And I think that's a really good question for every game out there."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Frames his core concern about the game's long-term appeal; applies broader philosophical question to pinball design._

> "The fact that we're spending $13,000 to $15,000 on a mechanical toy that is internet connected and it still doesn't let us connect to other machines and play against them is effing embarrassing."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Expresses frustration with Stern's lag in internet-connected multiplayer; positions this as a critical gap vs. Jersey Jack's roadmap._

> "I think this game looks really fun because it's Pokémon, because it's an anime in pinball form for the first time ever, and we're not sick of Pokémon."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Summarizes why the game works despite mechanical simplicity: IP freshness and aesthetic novelty carry the design._

> "You only need like 2% of them to want one. You only need like 1% of them to want one and then they still can't have an LE. That's why it's going to get crazy."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Predicts secondary market frenzy based on Pokémon fandom scale and LE scarcity; addresses audience fears about accessibility._

> "Pokémon, Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers, Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, Goonies. I mean, does it get any better than this?"
> — **Kaneda**, end
> _Positions Pokémon as appetizer in a historically strong IP slate; contextualizes game within broader 2026 roadmap._

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Kaneda | person | Podcast host; influential pinball media personality and analyst; known for detailed critical analysis and direct industry connections. |
| George Gomez | person | Lead designer on Pokémon Pinball; has been living at the factory for three months to finalize the game per Kaneda's conversation. |
| Jack Danger | person | Co-designer of Pokémon Pinball (dual-signed with Gomez); first time Stern has had two designers on a single machine; participated in webinar where location-exclusive Pokémon strategy was implied. |
| Pokémon Pinball | game | New Stern Pinball release in three tiers (Pro $6,999, Premium $9,699, LE $12,999); features 180+ original-generation Pokémon, Spike 3 platform, Meowth moving mech, Pikachu animated topper (Premium/LE only), animated backglass, location-exclusive collectible Pokémon. |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer; positioned by Kaneda as falling to 4th/5th in visual quality aesthetics compared to Jersey Jack, Barrels, Spooky, Dutch; strategy focused on accessible, low-maintenance, high-IP-value machines. |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Positioned by Kaneda as superior in aesthetic/build quality; developing real internet-connected PVP capabilities; rumored to be ahead of Stern on connected gameplay features. |
| Ed Robertson | person | Pinball community member; reached out to Kaneda requesting first impression before forming his own opinion. |
| Insider Connected | product | Stern's cloud platform for machine connectivity; used to track collected Pokémon progress across machines; does not yet support internet-based PVP as of webinar. |
| Spike 3 | product | Stern's latest pinball hardware platform; Pokémon is cited as first game to properly utilize larger screen capability. |
| Winchester Mystery House | game | Recent Stern release; used by Kaneda as comparison point for mechanical complexity, shot variety, and drop targets (which Pokémon lacks). |
| Guns N' Roses | game | Jersey Jack title that Kaneda owns; described as having 'no flow, a lot of clunk'; used as contrast to Pokémon's playability feel. |
| Zombie Yeti | person | Stern Pinball art department head; Kaneda speculatively credits artwork layout and design but is uncertain if Yeti specifically handled Pokémon design. |
| Barrels of Fun | company | Pinball manufacturer; positioned by Kaneda as having superior visual aesthetics compared to Stern. |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; positioned by Kaneda as having superior visual aesthetics and vibrant color palette compared to Stern. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | game | Upcoming Stern title; expected within 4-5 months; features character selection (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles) and potential location-exclusive collectibles; Kaneda positions as stronger theme than Pokémon. |
| Transformers | game | Upcoming Stern title expected within 4 months; Kaneda refers to it as 'the coolest pin of the year' and describes it as stronger theme arriving soon after Pokémon. |
| Beetlejuice | game | Upcoming title mentioned in roadmap; Kaneda notes it will have more mechanical complexity than Pokémon with more shots and drop targets. |
| Goonies | game | Upcoming title mentioned in 2026 roadmap. |
| Back to the Future | game | Upcoming title targeted for 2026 release per Barry's statement to Kaneda. |
| Robin | person | Pinside administrator; implementing new policies to curb scalping by yanking listings and charging listing fees. |
| Killian | person | Kaneda's son (implied); Kaneda states he is getting the LE primarily to make Killian happy. |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Mechanical simplicity vs. software-driven replay value, Screen/display integration on Spike 3 platform, Aesthetic/build quality comparison across manufacturers, Internet-connected gameplay and PVP capabilities
- **Secondary:** Location-exclusive collectible mechanics, Secondary market pricing and LE scarcity strategy, 2026 IP roadmap and competitive positioning
- **Mentioned:** Pokémon Company IP control and approval process

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.62) — Kaneda is impressed by aesthetic execution, anime integration, and IP freshness but expresses significant concerns about mechanical depth, layout innovation, and software execution risk. His sentiment is positive toward the game's approachability and charm but cautious about long-term appeal and value justification. He frames the game as a strong strategic choice by Stern but acknowledges it will disappoint players seeking mechanical complexity or innovation. Final tone is optimistic based on IP strength and incoming roadmap titles.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Location-exclusive Pokémon collectible strategy at specific venues (Jack Bar NYC, Logan's Arcade, Pinball Expo, Pinball at the Beach) intended to drive foot traffic and create long lines similar to Pokémon Go mechanics. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda infers from Jack Danger's reaction during webinar Q&A; positions this as 'coming' rather than speculative.
- **[competitive_signal]** Stern's visual aesthetic now ranks 4th or 5th among manufacturers, behind Jersey Jack (described as 'twice as nice'), Barrels of Fun, Spooky Pinball, and potentially Dutch/Lebowski/Alice. Games 'still just look like a Stern' aesthetically. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda's subjective but detailed comparison based on direct observation of multiple machines; reflects broader community perception trend.
- **[design_philosophy]** Stern deliberately designed Pokémon for low maintenance and ease of manufacture, avoiding complex mechanics like drop targets in Team Rocket area. Game is 'almost right there already' for Costco version without additional work. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda's inference based on mechanical simplicity, lack of moving parts, stationary targets instead of drops; explicit statement about Costco-readiness.
- **[market_signal]** Pokémon LE expected to command significant secondary market premiums due to scarcity (limited production run) and enormous Pokémon fandom reach. Even 1-2% conversion of millions of Pokémon fans creates unsatisfiable demand. (confidence: high) — Kaneda's analysis of IP reach (Pokémon channels with millions of followers) and LE scarcity; no units currently available on Pinside indicating immediate sellout.
- **[personnel_signal]** Pokémon Pinball is the first Stern machine ever dual-signed by two designers (George Gomez and Jack Danger). Gomez reportedly spent last three months at factory to finalize game. (confidence: high) — Kaneda's direct attribution to Gomez conversation; explicit observation that this is unprecedented for Stern.
- **[product_strategy]** LE model features purple armor with artistic engravings, animated Pikachu topper, shaking Pokéball, left-side scoop integration, and mirrored backglass translite; Pro loses animated Pikachu, Pokéball shake mechanism, and left-side scoop accessibility. Premium/LE get Pikachu animation and movement. (confidence: high) — Kaneda's detailed breakdown of tier-specific features and what Pro owners are losing; direct observation of design elements.
- **[product_concern]** Team Rocket target area should have featured drop targets for more satisfying gameplay but opted for stationary targets instead, reducing mechanical engagement. Lack of 'moments of magic' in mechanical design; ball routing doesn't introduce novel interactions. (confidence: high) — Kaneda's direct critique based on visual analysis and comparison to classical pinball design; explicit statement about drop target satisfaction.
- **[product_strategy]** Stern's 2026 roadmap includes Sonic the Hedgehog (4-5 months out), Transformers (4 months out), Beetlejuice, Goonies, and Back to the Future. Sonic and Transformers positioned as significantly stronger themes than Pokémon; Back to the Future targeted for 2026. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda cites conversations with Barry and other industry figures about timing; multiple titles confirmed for near-term release.
- **[rumor_hype]** Sonic the Hedgehog featuring character selection mechanics (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles) with potential linked-game or location-exclusive gameplay integration; could include internet-connected PVP features that Pokémon lacks. (confidence: low) — Kaneda's speculation about Sonic's potential gameplay systems; not confirmed but positioned as emerging capability for Stern platform.
- **[technology_signal]** Stern's Insider Connected platform lacks internet-based PVP capability; only local multiplayer on same machine is being worked on. Jersey Jack rumored to be further ahead on connected gameplay features, positioning Stern as behind on this critical feature. (confidence: high) — Webinar Q&A responses cited by Kaneda; explicit criticism of $13k+ internet-connected machines lacking true networked play.
- **[licensing_signal]** Pokémon Company maintained strict control over artwork; did not allow Stern to illustrate over IP. All artwork is pre-illustrated by Pokémon artists, resulting in cohesive, high-quality visual package but limiting Stern's creative freedom. (confidence: high) — Kaneda's explicit statement about IP control; contrasts this to traditional Photoshop drag-and-drop design on other licensed games.

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## Transcript

 Oh, welcome everybody to Canada's Pinball Podcast. Happy Friday night. Ed Ed Robertson just hit me up and he's like, where is Canada's Pinball Podcast first impression show? He said he can't make up his opinion about the game until he gets my opinion. So here's my opinion from a top-down view. After looking at Pokemon Pinball all day long, I have to admit, I'm a little bit exhausted. I feel like I've been talking about this game all day. I've been waiting for the featurette video. I don't know where it is. Here's my overarching take on Pokemon. Stern Pinball has made the most adorable pinball machine of all time. This thing is just cute. It's like a little kid and makes you want to walk up to it and pinch its cheeks and just smile and throw it up in the air. $13,000 machine up in the air and just jump on this machine and have a good time. Is it revolutionary in the design category? No. Does it have the best artwork on a pinball machine ever? No. Does it have a magical mech we haven't seen before in pinball? No. Does the ball do anything that we've never seen the ball do before? No. That being said, it's Pokemon. Everything about this game is just Pokemon head to toe. And so I've seen a bunch of videos today. I've seen the gameplay. I jumped on the webinar. I've just been absorbing as much as I can of Pokemon pinball. And I'm looking at it right now. I'm on Naps Arcade. I'm looking at the LE. It is a gorgeous LE. There are things I'm still wondering about with this game. I want to talk about what I like about Pokemon, some things I don't like about Pokemon, and some things I hope they work into the game. This game is going to release around code .80. They said there is a lot in this code at launch that will keep everybody excited. I think they know this game is going on location right away. So you can't drop this game out in the world and it's a barren mess. So first and foremost, what I really like about this game is just how well an anime translates onto a pinball machine and into a pinball experience. There's just something about seeing the high-res animated clips of Pokemon up there on the big screen. I think this is the first game since Stern has gone to the Spike 3 platform where the big screen is actually utilized in the right way. In Star Wars, we didn't get full screen clips. In Walking Dead, we also did not get full screen. So this is like really the first time I've seen Stern utilize that larger screen in a way that just works so well. and seeing all of that Pokemon footage up on that screen is really, really cool. And they don't overcrowd it. This is a thing that Stern has a tendency to do. Too much going on at once on the screen. Stuff is interrupting stuff too much. There's too many windows trying to convey too much information. So I really do love anime in pinball. I hope this is just the beginning of more themes of this nature and of this category. I hope we see more anime movies in pinball and we can start to make some of the more adult themed anime stuff as well. And I think it works. You know me. I want Akira. Ghost in the Shell. Fist of the North Star. Stuff like that would do really, really well. And then you look at all the Disney animated films and features that have not been in pinball yet. We've had Toy Story, but we really haven't had a true iconic movie like a Frozen or a K-pop Demon Hunter in a pinball machine done right. Toy Story, all muted clips. If we can really take some of those animated movies we love, I think that would carry us through the next five years of pinball alone. because I think everybody is just tired of all the dad rock, all the Marvel, all the stuff we just keep getting over and over and over again. And that is the other thing. The thing I love about this game, it just feels original. It's a category we haven't seen before. The art package on it, hand it to Stern Pinball by the Pokemon company. They were not going to allow Stern pinball to touch or illustrate on top of their IP. I like that. I like it because unlike traditional sort of drag and drop Photoshop, this is already illustrated. So when they're laying out the design of this game, everything that is illustrated is illustrated already by the best Pokemon artist. So as I'm looking at it right now, it just looks so good. I love the colors in this game. I love when I look down at it. It's also not over the top. It's not jarring. There's not too much happening in this game. And I think they did a brilliant job on the design and the layout of the art in this game. So kudos to whoever did that. I'm not sure if it's Zombie Yeti, but they deserve a very big pat on the back. I'm looking at all three models of this game. Another thing I really like about this game is the Ellie model really stands out. Heads and shoulders above the other two models. And this is what Stern has needed for a really long time. And I hope Jeremy is taking notes. You have to make the Ellie look much better than the other two models. Seeing the Ellie with the purple armor just looks really, really good. One thing that's a little weird to me, though, is the purple armor. The color of the purple is not the same color blue as what is silhouetting the Pokemon logo So I just a little curious why they didn pick the contour color of the Pokemon logo to be the armor color But I will say maybe they were just going for a little bit more contrast and it looks really, really good. Actually, now that I'm looking at it now, the purple that they are using for the armor is the purple from the master ball, the master Pokemon ball that is on the shooter rods. So that is why I think they went with the purple, but the expression lighting, you've got the cutouts on the side of the armor. I also like that Stern didn't try to do too much on the last couple of games. They've put these weird like stickers or cutouts on the armor by the button. They didn't do that here. We're going to have nice artistic engravings running along the side of the armor and it just looks really good. Now, another thing I'm waiting to see is the final version of the armor. In all the videos at the Stern Media Day, it wasn't the final version. They were just stickers. Also, it says in the features matrix that the trans light is going to be a mirrored back glass. I don't think it was mirrored at Stern. So all the people taking content, we're not seeing a mirrored back glass trans light. I think it is going to be mirrored though when we get the final production version of the game. Okay, so I love the LE. I love the artwork on the game. I love that we have an anime pinball machine. I love the colors and the layout of this game. Now let's talk about this fan layout to flipper game. I like that it is simple. I like that you can clearly see what to shoot. It is just left to right. We've got like one shot, two shots, three shots, four shots, five shots, six shots, seven shots, around seven or eight shots in this game. That's not a lot. This is where I think people are going to get caught up on this game a little bit. This is, you know, coming from what we've had from Stern recently, coming from a game like Harry Potter, coming from other pinball machines, there's a lot less to shoot at in this game than some of the more modern games we've been playing. For some of you out there, that's going to be heavily concerning. Like if you put this game next to a Winchester's Mystery House, which has a really unique layout, has a lot more shots, has a lot more going on with like, I think four flippers in that game. And there's like drop targets. There's a lot more movement. this game next to that. I guarantee you when we lift the hood on Pokemon, we are going to see a very, very barren game underneath the playfield. I just don't think there's going to be a lot underneath there. I think you're going to see a lot more in Winchester, a lot more in Beetlejuice. You know, when I'm looking at this game and you're seeing a lot of that action up the middle, the Meowth balloon that goes up and down, which I think is really cool, which is really the only moving mech that interacts with the ball. You're going in that area and you're hitting the targets that are sort of in a triangle pattern. But here's the thing. It really does feel like Stern obviously wanted to make a game that was very approachable, a game that everybody could walk up to and play. And for some of you, that is not going to cut it. For some of you out there, it's just not going to work. There are other people out there, though, that are big pinheads that are like, well, it reminds me of Attack from Mars. It reminds me a little bit of Medieval Madness. I would argue this game doesn't have maybe the same like wow moments mechanically as Attack from Mars and definitely doesn't have the wow moments or nearly as much going on physically as Medieval Madness, but it's gonna be a game where you are not gonna struggle to sort of know where to shoot and you're not gonna struggle finding these shots. I was watching gameplay video. It doesn't look like the ball times are super, super long. It does feel like it's easy to start a multiball by just shooting the ball up the middle. But you know Stern wants that. They want to make a game where it's not overly impossible to start a multiball, to hear jackpot. And having not played the game yet, I'm not sure yet if that's going to feel too easy, if that's going to get boring over time. I think what's going to be a necessity for a game like this, where the layout is so approachable, where the layout is going to be very easy for a lot of us out there who play a lot of pinball, they're really going to have to rely on Tanyo and the code being where that replay value happens, where the modes really change up the game in a fun way, where the personality of this Pokemon pinball machine comes to life. They're really going to need that. This cannot be a game, and I mean this. If this game turns out to be ultra repetitive, all I'm doing is collecting Pokemons and there's 180 of them and how you collect them is always the same and it's just the same thing over and over and over again. It's going to feel like you're chopping wood. It's going to get repetitive fast and I could see a lot of people selling these games after just a few months if that's what the game becomes. Now, I don't think it's going to become that. I think they're going to add more variety into this game. They've got so much to pull from the source material. You know, collecting Pokemons is one part of it, but then there's all the other side things they can do with the code and other objectives that can make this game a lot of fun. Because what this game is going to need is simply this. It's going to need what every other pinball machine needs to be great. It's going to need moments of magic. and that is the thing. I don't know yet, looking at this game, if it has moments of magic. Like I'm not seeing the ball do anything that it's never done before. There's not some crazy way to ball save. There's not some crazy mech that's never been in a pinball machine before. So I just don't know. Where are the moments of magic going to be in this game? And I think that's a really good question for every game out there. If I were to ask you where the moments of magic in Godzilla are, you can name a bunch. Same with Jaws. I mean, Jaws to me is probably the most modern Stern that has so many moments of magic that is mostly software driven. Jaws is an interesting layout, but it's not the craziest layout. There's not a ton going on in Jaws, but it's really the software that makes Jaws such an epic experience. But yes next to Pokemon it seems like there is a lot more shots a lot more going on a lot more interacting with the ball I just love the Pikachu up there I love that they've got him like over 80 custom call outs by Pikachu in the game. I love that he moves, he grooves in the premium and the LE version of the game. I think you're going to miss that in the pro version. Will modders be able to make a Pikachu that interacts with the game? I don't think so because I think what's going to happen is Stern is going to code it with a special chip probably so that he follows the ball and the gameplay in the premium and the LE. And the pro is always going to have to run on different software because there's just like switches and other stuff that's not in the pro version of the game. But overall, as I'm looking at it now, I mean, it just looks like a really fun game to shoot. I think a lot of people are pressuring me to be like angry about it, but we knew it was going to be this. You know, sometimes in life, if you know something's going to be some way and you know why they made it this way, you can either ask yourself, would I rather be in a world in which there is no Pokemon pinball or would I rather be in a world in which we get this fun, colorful Pokemon game and it's going to be fun for all? And I think Stern is going to code it so that it is also enjoyable for the pinball demographic. I know that George worked really hard on this game. I was just talking to him. He basically said he's been living at the factory for the last three months to get this game over the finish line. And I know some of you are like, wait, what? Where? What was so hard to do? But man, it is. It's not as easy as people think. And there's a lot that goes into a game like this with a license holder like this, where every little thing needs to be approved by them. It's not just like the shot geometry and the mechs. Everything that's in this game, they need to approve and feel good about. I do think the mouth mech is really awesome. It looks really fun. I love the magnet underneath him. But the pro owners of this game are definitely getting a lot. What they are losing, they are losing the Pikachu that is animated. They are losing the Pokeball that shakes. I could see someone making a Pokeball that shakes as a mod. There's also the area on the left side that the ball can sneak into that is not available on the pro version of the game. the ramp doesn't open up to a scoop when you collect the pokemons on the pro that's probably the worst thing to lose because you're not going to be able to add that and it's just that sensation of you're collecting the pokemon by shooting into that scoop which i believe goes into a subway you're not going to have that you're not going to have that so you know how i feel it's like i'm in on an le i'm going to get this le and i think standing over this game is going to be refreshing coming from Guns N' Roses, a machine that has like no flow, a lot of clunk. But I will say when I look at this game right now and when I was looking over my Guns N' Roses tonight, Jersey Jack games still look twice as expensive and twice as nice. Stern games just don't look like they're on the same level anymore. They don't look like they're on the same level as Jersey Jack, as barrels of fun, as spooky pinball. They really are now like the fourth nicest looking pinball company. Maybe fifth if you add like Dutch and Lebowski and Alice. I don't know, man. There's just something about Astern. They still just look like Astern. And do I see $13,000 here? No. Are these LEs going to go for well over $13,000? Yes. The more the world wakes up to this game over the next like few weeks, the more people are going to want them. This thing's going to be spammed all over the internet. The Pokemon channels have millions of followers and they're going to see this stuff because you got to remember that. Imagine if millions of people that are into something see it. You only need like 2% of them to want one. You only need like 1% of them to want one and then they still can't have an LE. That's why it's going to get crazy. It's hard to tell the night like what the secondhand value is on an le because there's not a single one for sale on pin side robin's ruined it for everybody now to see the scalping price like everyone's afraid to scalp on pin side because he's going to yank those listings down or charge you this high fee now to list the game but i think this game is still going to go for a lot i'll talk about that in a minute and after watching this game for a long time today and i was looking down at it and i can see I can kind of feel like what people are going to say about it. Just looking at it. The one thing that I felt must have been one of the driving forces over at Stern when they made this game was simply that they wanted to make a game where nothing would really break. There wouldn't be anything that required much maintenance in the game. And I say that because as I look at that upper area of the game with all the targets where Team Rocket is, those should have been drop targets. There's just something so much more satisfying about hitting a drop target and knowing you've got like six of them there and you've knocked down four and two remain and you're trying to aim for them. Something about them just being stationary targets that is just a bit boring. And so I wish they would have put some drop targets there. Just more action. Just more action from the game itself. There's just not a lot. And I think the reason Stern did that. I just don't think they want this game to break. This is just not going to be a game that's going to require a lot of maintenance. It looks like a game that's going to be easy to make. I think Stern needed a game like this. Easy to make. Nothing to break. An IP that's the biggest in the world. They're going to sell a ton of these. They're not going to have a problem moving units. They've confirmed there is no 30th anniversary coming. This is it. There is no other edition of Pokemon coming down the road. I've spoken to George Gomez about that. So for those of you lucky enough to get an LE, I think your games are going to be worth a lot of money. I think this is going to be one of those times where even though the game is simple, I think there's just always going to be so many Pokemon fans that are going to want the LE of this game. To me, this game, in terms of the long-term enjoyment, it's all going to come down to the code. And when I sat through the webinar, I'm still a little bit worried that Stern isn't as far along as they should be with Insider Connected and connecting their games. So someone asked the question will you be able to go on Insider Connected and battle other Pokemon trainers And the answer was no But then someone asked will you be able to do PVP like player versus player And they said we working on it Now what I think they meant by that is player one will be able to battle player two or three, maybe on the same machine at the same time. Or maybe player one starts a game and then player two starts game. I don't know how they're going to do it, but it's not going to be over the internet. So I'm not going to be able to battle Neil McRae. It's just not going to happen. I think they need to work on that because I think Jersey Jack Pinball is about to come out with real PVP. I think they're about to have internet connected games where you're playing with your friend at the same time. I think they might even have it. So imagine this. Imagine how amazing this would be. Talk about replay value. Talk about changing pinball gameplay forever. Imagine if I have a Sonic the Hedgehog and so do you. And the way it's gonna work because they've got Sonic and Tails and Knuckles and all the main characters, you get to pick your character first. So I'm Sonic and you've got the same machine and you're Knuckles. Imagine this, if there's like a five minute speed challenge where our games start at the same time and we each have five minutes to battle each other to see how many points we can put up before the time is up. Once pinball crosses the Rubicon and allows us to do this with our machines with each other, it's going to change everything. Look at video games. Nobody goes on to Call of Duty really and plays the story mode in any of those FPSs. It's all about connected play. Pinball is still stuck in the stone ages. The fact that we're spending $13,000 to $15,000 on a mechanical toy that is internet connected and it still doesn't let us connect to other machines and play against them is effing embarrassing. You know, just collecting badges is like 20 years ago on Xbox. Now you could see it in the webinar. The big plans for this game are gonna be all about how Stern really makes it entertaining to collect those 180 Pokemon. It's not gonna have like save your game as you go through like D&D or like Venom, but you're definitely gonna collect your Pokemon. They will go into your Insider Connected and I think you'll have them. Now, the big question I have is this. What happens when you collect all the Pokemon? How do you keep the game exciting and entertaining then? So I still have a lot of questions. I wanna be completely honest with each and every one of you right now. I think this game looks really fun because it's Pokemon, because it's an anime in pinball form for the first time ever, and we're not sick of Pokemon. It's original looking in its art form. It's original looking in its execution at Stern in a lot of ways. That being said, nothing happening in terms of like the layout is gonna blow any of us away. It's not. It's not intending to do that. Even when I was looking at it, I'm like, well, they're really not gonna have to do much work to get a Costco version of this game ready. It's really almost right there already. And I think because of that, I think there's going to be a decent amount of people really trying to tear this game apart. And it's unfortunate, but it's going to happen. I'm already seeing it on Pinside. There's those like people have to come in here and call this game empty or call it a joke or call it lazy. All the things they're going to call it. And of course, they're going to compare it to stuff that was like loaded. Right. I mean, put this game next to a Pirates of the Caribbean. Put this game next to even like Avengers. I was just looking at Avengers. I'm like, look at all these things, all these ball paths, all these mechs, all these loop-de-loops, all these magnetic things. This game does not have that. I do wish this game had about two more things that you shoot that really made the ball do something wild, a little crazy, a little fun to just watch it go from A to B. It just doesn't have that. And nothing I say is going to make that materialize. And so that's why I think the software is going to have to dial up the fun like never before to make this a long term thing for you operators out there. You know, location play. You don't really care that much about that because I think and you could see it in Jack's eyes when someone asked this question. What they're going to do is they're going to make Pokemon that are only available at specific locations. so you might have to go to Jack Bar in New York City to get that specific Pokemon or you might have to go to Logan's Arcade you might have to go to like Pinball Expo or Pinball Up The Beach to get a specific Pokemon we know that's coming that's going to be fun it's going to create long lines just like Pokemon Go whenever we travel and we know there's an exclusive Pokemon in that machine waiting for us everybody I'm exhausted this game looks fun It's not blowing me away, but I'm getting this game because I know it's going to make Killian happy. It's also going to make me happy. It looks like the game itself will make me feel like a better pinball player than I am. Thank you, George Gomez. Thank you, Jack Danger. I think the first Stern machine ever that's dual signed by two designers. The majority of people are enjoying what they see. The majority of people, I think, are having a good time with this launch. And that's what this hobby is all about, variety. Think about it. In just four months, people, we're getting Transformers in just four months. So this is an awesome appetizer to what will be, I think, the coolest pin of the year in Transformers. That's what I'm hearing. And Sonic the Hedgehog. I think we might get Sonic in four months. So in like the next four to five months, Sonic the Hedgehog and Transformers. We are in the best year for themes in such a long time. I spoke to Barry today. He said back to the future this year is what they are aiming for. So Beetlejuice, Goonies, Sonic, Pokemon, Transformers. I mean, does it get any better than this? Kaneda out. Pokemon! Gotta catch them all! Gotta catch them all! Gotta catch them all!

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 4d0db321-ad34-4fed-b173-b6701604c59a*