Monsters is a Stern Pinball game released in January 2019 featuring a monsters/horror theme with artwork by Christopher Franchi. Designed by Dwight Sullivan, John Borg, and Christopher Franchi, the game is notable for its two-flipper layout, simple shot progression, and lower playfield multiball mechanics. The title received mixed reception—praised for exceptional artwork and arcade play but generally not sought after for home ownership—and has been largely overshadowed in competitive and casual communities despite receiving multiple code updates.
Monsters pinball will have lower playfield on Premium and LE models but not Pro
Stern will not officially comment on Monsters until January release
Monsters pinball features Zap button mechanic with nine stackable super jackpot modes
Pinball game in basement playroom; player building combo meter with apparent familiarity with machine
Stern pinball machine mentioned as boring in worst Spike-era games discussion
Stern game by Dwight; cited as intentionally shallow rule set designed for accessibility; received criticism despite being designed that way.
John Borg-designed game referenced as having one of the few effective 180 ramps in modern pinball.
Stern pinball game; cited as example of good black-and-white design execution
Jersey Jack Pinball game with obtainable but unclear wizard mode rules; compared to Alien's more understandable design
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Recent Stern release mentioned as example of game host doesn't prefer but knows another will come soon
Stern pinball title with poor theme execution; designed by Dwight Sullivan; criticized for layout and theme mismatch
Rumored Stern Pinball game, qualification dependent on execution
Unreleased Stern pinball machine (rumored); playfield leaked via photos from European distributor showing; features Zap button, super jackpots, lower playfield on Premium/LE models; expected January 2019 release
Stern Pinball game; available in Pro/Premium/LE variants; praised for playfield design and shot quality but criticized for simple rules and lack of code depth
Stern pinball machine visible in manufacturing at Stern Factory during stream. Multiple units in production shown.
Stern Pinball game compared as design precedent regarding premium/pro tier feature differentiation
Used as reference point for scale of mini flippers/ball in Avatar's Crab lower playfield
2019 Stern Pinball release
Spooky Pinball game by Christopher Franchi mentioned as example of his varied artwork
Pinball game with a cat character referenced in costume contest; known for artwork by Christopher Franchi
January 2019 release; praised for great art; fun to play in arcades; not generally desired as home ownership; multiple panelists confirm excellent artwork.
Stern pinball game; code V1.11 released; described as receiving 'impossible' code updates twice this year
Upcoming Stern Pinball game featuring monsters theme; playfield images leaked; expected to launch late 2018 or early 2019
Stern Pinball game in production, expected reveal week of January 2-7 or at CES show (January 8-11); leaked manual found in Primus shipment
Game that Ian prefers in competitive context despite not enjoying casual play; appreciates geometry subtleties and stacking mechanics for spot/grandpa rule exploit
Recent Stern pinball game designed by Dwight Sullivan, John Borg, and Christopher Franchi; features two-flipper layout, no ball save, simple shot progression, lower playfield multiball
Only Spike 2 cornerstone ranked outside Pinside top 100 (ranked 103); shallow rules and no ball save at launch caused backlash
Spooky Pinball game with Christopher Franchi artwork; Bug describes it as 'my favorite pinball art package of all time'
Spooky title; Mike references coming one shot away from multiball start during tournament play
Pinball game; host demonstrates unconventional playing technique using belly for charging shots
Two-flipper fan layout referenced as frequently played game with simple shot progression
Pinball machine; host mentioned having leaderboard placement on Insider Connected system.
Hosts' game; ranked among personal favorites for art package by Franchi
Referenced as alternative title for buyers seeking classic games
Spooky Pinball game with Frazier artwork; ranked among Kaneda's three favorite Frazier art packages
Example of dramatic secondary market price drop from $16-17k during COVID to $9k
Stern pinball machine recently unboxed by Martin; has Pro model with code update capability
Stern title with topper available at $425