# It's Growing on Me....

**Source:** Cary Hardy  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2020-12-18  
**Duration:** 11m 20s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxjQpAQVosE

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## Analysis

Cary Hardy revisits his initial aesthetic criticisms of Led Zeppelin pinball after community pushback, apologizing for lack of gameplay detail in his previous video. He clarifies mechanical misunderstandings (pop bumper feeding, spinner lane routing), maintains concerns about the Pro model's missing wire ramp and its impact on flow, and analyzes the playfield Zeppelin toy as functional design rather than purely aesthetic. He plans a full gameplay stream the next day.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Pro model is missing a wire ramp from the upper flipper's center ramp shot that exists on Premium/LE versions — _Hardy repeatedly emphasizes this removal as a cost-cutting or Premium incentive strategy, citing his previous video analysis_
- [MEDIUM] The playfield Zeppelin toy is hollowed out and functionally part of the playfield design, not just aesthetic — _Hardy analyzes video footage showing the ball appearing to bounce into/through the Zeppelin, suggesting internal ramp structure to contain ball on the wire ramp_
- [MEDIUM] The upper flipper can make the center ramp shot according to official game description, but video footage doesn't visually confirm this — _Hardy notes the game states the shot is 'makeable by every flipper' but the video never demonstrates the upper flipper making this shot_
- [MEDIUM] The Pro model's missing wire ramp creates flow problems because the ball will slide down and feed toward the outlane instead of returning smoothly — _Hardy describes plunge sequence differences between Pro and Premium models based on video analysis_
- [HIGH] The Premium model features lazy artwork because the same album image is used throughout the entire cabinet and translight — _Hardy explicitly states this criticism in the context of art package quality across Pro/Premium/LE variants_

### Notable Quotes

> "My main complaints on this game as of right now is the aesthetics."
> — **Cary Hardy**, Opening
> _Establishes Hardy's primary initial concern and frames the video's purpose_

> "I don't like that they have removed the wire form from the pro... there's only two options or reasons why they would have done that one is cost... or just to entice people to get the premium"
> — **Cary Hardy**, Mid-video
> _Core design criticism of Pro model tier strategy; questions manufacturer decision-making_

> "That is one of those shots throughout the game... that is the antithesis of flow"
> — **Cary Hardy**, Mid-video
> _Describes the upper flipper center ramp shot as disruptive to overall game flow_

> "I could be completely wrong here guys, but I'm just going by what we can see because they never show this in the video. They state it, makeable by every flipper, but they never show it."
> — **Cary Hardy**, Late-video
> _Expresses uncertainty about upper flipper capability while noting lack of video evidence_

> "I apologize in a way on my previous video that i didn't go over enough of the gameplay and to as much detail as i have in my previous uh go-throughs of games"
> — **Cary Hardy**, Early
> _Opens video acknowledging criticism of his previous video's lack of technical depth_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Cary Hardy | person | YouTube content creator focused on pinball analysis and gameplay, hosting upcoming full playthrough stream |
| Led Zeppelin | game | Stern Pinball machine being analyzed; available in Pro/Premium/LE variants with significant mechanical differences between tiers |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Led Zeppelin; subject of discussion regarding Pro model design decisions and feature tier strategy |
| Pinside | organization | Pinball community forum where Hardy references discussion and community sentiment about Led Zeppelin aesthetics |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Led Zeppelin playfield aesthetics and art package quality, Pro vs Premium vs LE tier mechanical differentiation strategy, Playfield flow and shot routing analysis, Upper flipper center ramp shot feasibility and design concerns
- **Secondary:** Community sentiment and reception of game aesthetics, Content creator methodology and video analysis depth

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.45) — Hardy begins with aesthetic criticism but shows warming to the game's design. Maintains technical concerns about Pro model flow while acknowledging Stern's engineering elsewhere. Apologetic tone about previous video quality, but confident in mechanical analysis. Overall: cautiously optimistic but with specific design reservations.

### Signals

- **[design_philosophy]** Upper flipper center ramp shot geometry and feasibility unclear; official description claims it's makeable by all flippers but video footage never demonstrates this capability, raising questions about actual shot viability (confidence: medium) — Hardy notes: 'they state, makeable by every flipper, but they never show it... the geometry for it just from the angle of it and what i'm looking at it doesn't look like it's going to be able to be made'
- **[design_philosophy]** Pro model missing wire ramp from upper flipper's center ramp shot creates flow problems and potential durability issues; appears to be tier differentiation strategy rather than technical necessity (confidence: high) — Hardy states: 'I still am hammering this in stone that i do not like that they have removed the wire form from the pro' and analyzes cost vs. Premium incentive reasons
- **[design_philosophy]** Playfield Zeppelin toy appears to be functional design element (hollowed shell with internal ramp structure) rather than purely aesthetic feature, serving ball containment purpose on wire ramp (confidence: medium) — Hardy's frame-by-frame video analysis showing ball appearing to bounce into/through Zeppelin, combined with observation that Zeppelin doesn't move when hit (suggesting it's a shell)
- **[product_concern]** Premium tier art package criticized as lazy due to identical album artwork used across entire cabinet (backbox, sides, translight) without variation or original design elements (confidence: high) — Hardy explicitly states: 'the premium artwork is lazy even though it's the art album lazy because it's the same image throughout all of the cabinet on every side and trans light'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Hardy's initial negative aesthetic reaction to Led Zeppelin is softening after community engagement and deeper analysis, evidenced by repeated phrases like 'growing on me' (confidence: high) — Multiple community comments quoted showing people saying the art package is 'growing on me,' and Hardy's reflection that he may have been too harsh initially

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## Transcript

My main complaints on this game as of right now is the aesthetics. Alright, let's go through Pinside here and see what everybody's thinking about Led Zeppelin today. You know at first I thought it looked bad, but it's starting to grow on me. Oh my god, Stern knocks it out of the park again. Why are people harping so much on this game? They haven't even played it yet. This art package sure is starting to grow on me. Yeah, the look of this game is really starting to grow on me. Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern, Stern. If you don't like it, you don't buy it. I don't know why people are complaining so much about what this machine looks like. I think it looks good. I mean, is it me? Am I not seeing something that these people are? Maybe I should put a little more effort into it. Maybe I should give it a second chance. Maybe it will grow on me. It still looks like what's up guys welcome back to my channel where i talk and do everything pinball so if that sounds interesting to you then hit that subscribe button down below i'm gonna try to make this video pretty quick because i don't need to extend this video any longer than it needs to be one because we're gonna get the entire playthrough and playing of the game tomorrow so i just want to i don't want to say clear the air but at least let it be known that i i apologize in a way on my previous video that i didn't go over enough of the gameplay and to as much detail as i have in my previous uh go-throughs of games but that video was primarily just discussing the art and just the aesthetic because that was my main issue with this game as of right now and there's comments and people say like you you haven't even played it that doesn't matter because the video is about the aesthetics i've stated in the video that majority of my issues with the game is what it looks like at this point no i haven't played it i'm quite aware of that i'm not dissing the gameplay but doesn matter how it plays if i still saying that the game visually doesn stimulate me so now that i have like discussed the aesthetics and everyone is aware that i don really care for it very much when it comes to the pro where i understood that yes it the album artwork and everything like that but i don't like it the premium artwork is lazy even though it's the art album lazy because it's the same image throughout all of the cabinet on every side and trans light so in the le um just the blue does not go well with the art in my opinion so let's talk about what we can see so far on the gameplay and i mentioned in my previous video a couple of tidbits that after looking through the video footage actually thoroughly one i need to apologize for making a couple of mistakes on what i thought the game was doing mechanically and flow wise because and i felt stupid because i'm like the video even tells me in words what's going on in the game i for whatever reason just didn't read i was more just staring at pretty images and stuff like that so what i want to clear up is how the pop bumpers are fed so the pop bumpers are fed through your right orbit at the very top of that play field there is a controlled gate that controlled gate will either allow the ball to go into the ball lock area at the very top of the play field or direct your ball into the pops now that also goes for the spinner lane that's over there to the far left of the game that will actually orbit all the way around to feed your upper flipper those are things i think those are the only two that i could think of right now that i got completely wrong whenever i was talking about the game i still am hammering this in stone that i do not like that they have removed the wire form from the pro that is i don't even i just don't get that the there's only two options or reasons why they would have done that one is cost but i just don't see that as the primary thing i want to say they probably removed that ramp just to entice people to get the premium i mean how much do you think that ramp then the wire form cost to them i mean let's just say a hundred bucks i know it doesn't cost that much stern don't even try to tell me it does let's just say it cost a hundred bucks i'm pretty damn sure the people out there that would like to have a pro would pay the extra hundred bucks to have that installed. That's the only other, those only two options cost and to get people to get the premium. So that game has more flow because from what I can see so far, that shot is the antithesis of flow That is one of those shots throughout the game Everything looks to be nice and good and flow and returning right back to you except for that one shot that that upper flipper has and supposedly the upper flipper is going to be able to make that center ramp shot i'm going to have to see it tomorrow we're going to hopefully see it the video states that we're able to make that center ramp shot with every flipper so i'm going to assume obviously that includes the upper flipper but as of right now i'm not seeing the geometry for it just from the angle of it and what i'm looking at it doesn't look like it's going to be able to be made and if it can be made a lot of the weight and momentum of that ball is going to be slamming the left side of that ramp now i've had plenty of games when the ball does that you're going to have loose weld over time and it's going to damage the ramp. I could be completely wrong here, guys, but I'm just going by what we can see because they never show this in the video. They never show that upper flipper make the center ramp in this video. They state it, makeable by every flipper, but they never show it. I'm going to go through the video again for the premiums and the pro and everything just to make sure I'm not wrong on that. And if I am, then I'm going to edit this shit out of the video, but that's what it is on that. so I want to say that's my main thing because that wire form missing from that shot you're adding a whole level of like why because the you can play it looks like also at the beginning of the video you plunge and your um skill shot is either going to be l e or d for the the lead portion of it and you can do a full plunge directly into that slot like you would shoot for the upper flipper so you can plunge directly in there to hit that stand up target or your upper flipper can make that shot so that's going to be kind of interesting to see on the premium that you're going to be able to plunge directly up there and have it flip and smoothly go right to your right flipper that's pretty cool i like that on the pro on the other hand what's going to happen is that you're going to do a full plunge it's going to go up there hit that target slide down and go to the right side of your play field possibly even towards the out lane depending on how well leveled your game is the other thing i wanted to note on this game is that people i've seen a couple of people talk about the lead zeppelin the actual physical zeppelin on the playfield about you know they could have done this or why isn't it not here or why is it there or whatever I'm thinking from what I can tell in the video that this zeppelin is not just aesthetics this is actually part of the design due to the nature of how fast that ball comes flying off of the ramp When it does its 180 and comes down to the wire form, it looks like that Zeppelin is hollowed out. And there may be some sort of like, you know, something inside of that that allows the ball to just go right back onto the wire form. Because it looks like the ball goes up into the Zeppelin at some point. like it bounces up in there or it shoots out and kind of like curves down so there may be like you know a ramp or some sort to keep the ball contained in the wire form that's what i'm seeing on the video by all means um i should be able to show you a portion of that at least and unless of course uh a certain someone tells me to take it down due to copyright bs but uh let's see here okay so right here this is the portion of the video i'm talking about the one minute mark let me fast forward one step at a time and you can see how the ball bounces up like it's like right there that looks like it's in the zeppelin i mean this is all about you know uh perception right here what we got going on but that's what it looks like so it swings around there so fast because you don't even see this zeppelin move or anything from it being hit so that tells me that it's definitely like a shell of sorts it's like just empty it's not like a solid actual blimp but so it's not just aesthetics guys that blimp is actually due to the design so there's that portion just to take note i have no doubts that this game is gonna shoot well it's just a matter of how well on that one shot god that it is seriously just sticking me like i feel like that's going to be just a it's a big mistake when it comes to the flow for this game mate i could be completely wrong we're going to find out tomorrow i'm going to bring this video to a close that doesn't need to be that long because this video is almost going to be pointless this time tomorrow anyways. So, there we go. Once again, I apologize for not having better information in the previous video, but hopefully this gives you guys something to munch on before the stream tomorrow. Tell me what you think about the game in the comments down below. Until next time, guys. Peace out. Outro Music

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: e5f797ec-c584-40ad-8eeb-7a2b00244bc1*