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Stranger Things Pinball First Impressions

Cary Hardy·video·19m 38s·analyzed·Dec 23, 2019
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.023

TL;DR

Cary Hardy analyzes Stranger Things pinball reveal; favors Pro over projection-equipped tiers.

Summary

Cary Hardy provides a detailed visual analysis of Stern's newly revealed Stranger Things pinball machine across its three tiers (Pro, Premium, LE), focusing on design choices, feature differentiation, and concerns about Stranger Things (Premium/LE)/LE projection system. He expresses preference for Stranger Things (Pro) model due to longevity and reliability concerns, critiques the fan-layout playfield design, and raises questions about plastic ramps and the projector's performance in lit venues.

Key Claims

  • Stranger Things (Pro) model is the best choice for longevity compared to Premium and LE variants

    medium confidence · Cary Hardy opinion based on photo analysis; concerns about projector durability and cost of replacement

  • Stern's photographs are heavily saturated to make colors appear more vibrant than they are in person

    high confidence · Cary Hardy explicitly states this is intentional by Stern to compensate for dulling effects of photography lighting

  • Stranger Things (Premium/LE)/LE projector is approximately 26 inches from the playfield surfaces

    high confidence · Zach Sharpe interview response about projector specs

  • The game features custom voice call-outs from the actual actor who plays Hopper

    high confidence · Zach Sharpe interview confirmed actor provided voice work for custom speeches

  • Music features the main theme plus 20 other tracks inspired by composer Kendall Hale

    high confidence · Zach Sharpe interview response

  • There is no video mode in Stranger Things pinball

    high confidence · Zach Sharpe interview explicitly states 'No, there's not currently a video mode'

  • Stranger Things (Pro) model may sell better than Premium/LE due to appeal and value proposition

    medium confidence · Cary Hardy prediction based on visual analysis and streaming concerns

  • Stranger Things pinball will not stream well without proper lighting and camera positioning

    medium confidence · Cary Hardy prediction/speculation about broadcast quality

Notable Quotes

  • “pro is the way to go. And I think that's a good thing in a way. That Stranger Things (Pro), in my opinion, is probably going to be your best bet when it comes to longevity for this machine.”

    Cary Hardy@ 2:17 — Core thesis of video; reflects concerns about Premium/LE feature reliability

  • “can you honestly tell me that that looks good this looks like the game whenever it was in the prototype phase when art wasn't available”

    Cary Hardy@ 4:24 — Critical aesthetic assessment of projection system output in photos

  • “As with any projector, the brighter the room, the lighter the images, but the projector is pretty bright because it's only about 26 inches away from the surfaces. In an ambient arcade or home environment, the images show up really well.”

    Zach Sharpe@ 11:11 — Developer addresses lighting concerns about projection performance in various venues

  • “I've never been a fan of a fan layout... I don't own a fan layout game. And I don't know. That's just something I guess I've realized about myself is that I don't really cater to those types of games.”

    Cary Hardy@ 16:46 — Personal design preference critique; questions if Brian Eddy 'played it safe' with layout

  • “I will give you props, Stern, for innovating and trying new things. I get you on that. So I'm all up for it. please continue to span out and try different things”

    Cary Hardy@ 15:25 — Balanced critique acknowledging innovation while cautioning on execution

Entities

Cary HardypersonStern PinballcompanyStranger ThingsgameIGNorganizationBrian EddypersonZach SharpepersonLonnie D. Roppperson

Signals

  • ?

    product_launch: Stern officially reveals Stranger Things pinball with exclusive coverage on IGN; three-tier pricing structure (Pro, Premium, LE) announced

    high · Stern has officially revealed their Stranger Things pinball machine with IGN exclusive; pricing structure confirmed with LE at $500 premium

  • ?

    design_innovation: Premium/LE editions feature projector that maps animated art onto playfield centerpiece, ramps, and targets; mounted approximately 26 inches from playfield

    high · Multiple photo angles show projection system; Zach Sharp confirms projector distance and brightness specs in interview

  • ?

    product_concern: Critic raises durability concerns about LED projector replacement costs and cosmetic impact if projector fails; questions how projection surface will age under gameplay wear

    medium · Cary Hardy explicitly states: 'a year or two down the road, this more than likely an LED projector goes out. And you have to buy a new one... small little portion goes out and the game is still functional, but just cosmetically very bland'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Stranger Things features fan-layout playfield with straight shots up ramps; Brian Eddy's design choice questioned as either safe design or licensing constraint

    medium · Cary Hardy critiques: 'This is obviously a fan layout... I really wish Brian would have done a more obtuse layout... did he do that because it was playing it safe?'

  • ?

    product_concern: Machine uses plastic ramps instead of wire form or metal; cost differential between options unknown to reviewer

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.059

0:00
what's up guys and welcome back to my channel where I talk and do everything pinball so that sounds interesting to you then hit that subscribe button down below so stern has officially revealed They themselves have officially revealed their Stranger Things pinball machine. And as per usual, they have given the exclusive to IGN. Cesspool of advertisements. I'm telling you, when I'm on this website, I cringe, but I'm also very thankful for Adblocker because I don't know how much money they give Stern for an exclusive on these things, but I assume it's got to be a lot because they have so many advertisements that would be bombarding you if you didn't have an ad blocker going. And I'm waiting for the day when IGN finally implements that thing I see on a lot of websites that just completely keeps you from looking at their content unless you disable your ad blocker. I wanted to begin this video by letting everyone know in advance that every photo that you're going to see has been altered. now when I say that not by me these photos have been highly saturated there is obvious proof of that but like this is they do this on purpose just to make it much more eye-popping than it actually is because the the lights that they use to photograph these machines really dulls down the color so I understand why they do it but just so you know that these games are going to be a lot brighter and poppier than they're going to be in person in these photographs. Just like every other Stern, there's going to be three tiers, your Pro, your Premium, and your LE. LE is going to consist of $500. Price of these games is actually only, I want to say, like $100 more than your typical machines that have been in the past on a standard three-tier model. Let's start with the Pro model. Now, and I'm also going to tell you this right now, pro is the way to go.
2:17
And I think that's a good thing in a way. That the pro, in my opinion, is probably going to be your best bet when it comes to longevity for this machine. So what are you missing by not getting the premium or LE? You're not going to be getting the projector that projects animated art onto the playfield portions of the game, such as the whole centerpiece, as well as the ramps and your targets. Then you are also not going to be getting the telekinesis multiball locking system, both of which I'm perfectly content by not having. But we'll dive further into that in a little bit. So let's look at the pro model first. Here we have the whole centerpiece with the ramp down to show us what the art looks like. So instead of getting a projection, we're going to be getting a static image, like a decal or whatever you want to say, onto this back portion right here, as well as the ramps. And honestly, I think that looks a lot better. Picture of the playfield. I want to say the playfield art is consistent with all three models. We've been through the fact that they have chosen to use plastic ramps. I don't agree that that's what they should have used but it's it's whatever here's an image right here with the center ramp up basically the laboratory image right here there's not really much to say about what I'm going through here because it's all pretty much the standard pictures of what you see nothing's different they're just from different angles I mean the only real question I have on this machine and I haven't read yet what it does or how you access it but there is a shooter lane trough that's back here in the very back of the machine and I don't know how it gets fed. The pro doesn't give me a clear image of how that whole system back there works so let's move on to the next tier and see if we get something there. Here is the limited edition. Now take a look at that guys can you honestly tell me that that looks good this looks like the game whenever it was in the prototype phase when art wasn't available i mean and i get it i i'm not looking past the fact that this is innovative they have they are trying something new i understand that It just to me whenever you basically putting all your bang and buck on this projection system now Whereas the Pro you guaranteed for it to at least look very appealing Whereas, let's say for instance, a year or two down the road, this more than likely an LED projector goes out. And you have to buy a new one. And it may be only $100 or $200. But the fact remains is that small little portion like that goes out on your game. Then the game is still functional, but just cosmetically very bland. All you have is white ramps. And we also don't know how this material is going to be when it comes to getting dirty or banged up and how it's going to look over time.
Mike Vinikour
person
Bob Stevlicperson
Kendall Haleperson
Jack Dangerperson
David Harbourperson

medium · Cary Hardy states: 'I don't care for the plastic ramps. I would really like to know the price difference between the plastic ramps... is it like a $5 to $10 difference, or is it like a $100 or $200 difference'

  • ?

    operational_signal: Projector performance in bright arcade/barcade environments questioned; developer confirms brightness is good in ambient lighting but concerns remain about day-lit locations

    high · Zach Sharp: 'the brighter the room, the lighter the images... In an ambient arcade or home environment, the images show up really well.' Cary Hardy raises concern that many barcades don't dim lights enough

  • ?

    content_signal: Prediction that Stranger Things may not stream well without proper lighting and camera positioning; suggests Pro version more suitable for broadcast

    medium · Cary Hardy: 'I don't think that this game is going to stream very well... without the proper lighting and positioning of the cameras'

  • ?

    licensing_signal: David Harbour (Hopper actor) provided custom voice call-outs for game; audio includes seasons 1 and 2 only

    high · Zach Sharp interview confirms: 'they've also got the actual actor for Hopper to do the custom voice speeches' with content from seasons 1 and 2 only

  • ?

    product_strategy: Pro model excludes projector and telekinesis ball lock; maintains static decal artwork instead; positioned as entry-level with potential longevity advantage

    high · Clear tier breakdown: Pro has static art/no projector/standard locks; Premium adds projector; LE adds telekinesis lock and cosmetic enhancements like powder coating

  • $

    market_signal: Stranger Things pricing only $100 more than typical three-tier Stern machines despite new projection technology; LE commands $500 premium

    high · Cary Hardy: 'Price of these games is actually only, I want to say, like $100 more than your typical machines that have been in the past on a standard three-tier model. LE is going to consist of $500'

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: Upside-down feature triggers randomly in gameplay; players must make specific shots to return to normal world; mirrors show mechanic

    high · Zach Sharp: 'the upside-down works just like it did in the show... it happens randomly... specific shots that you need to make in order to get back to the real world'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Reviewer expresses mixed feelings: appreciation for innovation but concerns about execution and practicality; Pro model preferred over Premium/LE despite LE having more features

    high · Cary Hardy concludes Pro is 'the way to go' and states about Premium/LE projections: 'I think it kind of falls short... conceptually, yeah, pretty cool. But overall and in practice'

    • 5:39
    These are just some concerns. there's something more to think about guys and why i'm leaning more towards the pro that's what it looks like with the center ramp up images of both sides this has got the the art blades right here but the playfield layout and the art on the playfield is the same signed by brian eddy the designer of the game so this is something i'm curious about also because i couldn't get a good look at it but as you can see right here this is a ball locking mechanism you're going to have this rod that comes up to keep the ball from going down the ramp this is going to be hopefully on the pro models as well so you're able to hit this ramp and lock a couple of balls for a multi-ball and this is when we get a better idea of what's going on back here in the back this looks like the ball comes over here and maybe rests and eventually can be fired out.
    6:43
    Can't really get a good image or an angle on how that is loaded. I'm going to assume that it gets loaded by hitting directly under the Demogorgon after you knock the drop targets down. So that probably goes directly in this way, hits that back wall and feeds down into this trough or out hole, eject hole, whatever you want to call it. And then eventually it fires out of the right orbit. So this is a different angle.
    7:15
    And we can see it looks like, yeah, it looks like it feeds the right orbit and vice versa. So I guess that's something to think about.
    7:29
    This angle is really throwing me off. you have your saucer right here this is a better angle than what we got on the video you can see that you've got art on these targets so it looks like the projector doesn't reach that far so let's talk about the playfield art i don't see a problem with it i mean it's fine there's a crap ton of inserts on this game it's not exactly clip art it is posterized i would say is essentially the term i would go and use for this type of art it's Basically, it's been altered to where it doesn't look exactly like clip art. This is pretty... It's okay. It's not horrible. It's not fantastic. But it's sufficient. I don't have a major problem with it. It's one of those where it's not going to win an award, but it shouldn't be dogged on. And the last three images here are to show you what the telekinesis ball looks like with one, two, and three balls on it. And from a complete overhead view, and of course you get this plum powder coating with the armor and side rails and legs on the LE. I don't think you get it on the premium. Cabinet artwork wise, this is your limited edition. Highly saturated. You can see the differences with the armor having powder coating on it with like a plum powder coating. Looks alright. This is your premium artwork. Premium looks good. This is what we saw in the trailer, but we didn't get to see the actual cabinet. We just got to see the back box and side of the back box.
    9:17
    yeah looks all right and you have your pro probably the least appealing of the artwork i mean i guess i'm content with what looks like on the back box right here and the side of the cabinet and even a little bit on the front of the cabinet but i'm not too fond of the back glass for the pro if I was going to get this machine which I not if I was going to get this machine i would redo the back glass on the pro to this i mean yes this includes season three which is not going to be included in this pinball machine it's only going to be seasons one and two but i mean that may or may not throw off the motif but i'm just saying that looks pretty awesome and especially in comparison to what we are getting here which i don't care for honestly now there's an interview that was done with zach sharp and a lot of the questions get asked here like how does the projector work and where is it mounted does it work well in lit rooms is it an on and off the shelf projector or custom so these are some concerns that were definitely brought up with the leaked reveal and that was how is this game going to work in a well-lit room not everyone has the same environment when they play pinball i personally like to play my games in a dark room so if i were to get this machine then i would have no issues more than likely because my room would be dark but you have a lot of locations out there and barcades and stuff like that that do not typically have their lights turned all the way down for you to see inside the machines. And that's brought up in his answer. As with any projector, the brighter the room, the lighter the images, but the projector is pretty bright because it's only about 26 inches away from the surfaces. In an ambient arcade or home environment, the images show up really well. Will the game feature clips and audio from all three seasons? Are there custom voice call-outs? Yes, there are all of those, but only for seasons one and two. And they've also got the actual actor for Hopper to do the custom voice speeches. This is something that I want to say I just heard recently that they didn't believe that that was the actual actor. I forgot his name. I feel bad. I should know it.
    11:53
    It's mentioned somewhere on here. But they got the actual actor to do custom voice for the game, so that's pretty cool. The main music theme will be featured in the game, obviously, along with 20 other tracks that are inspired by the talented Ken Hale. Is there a video mode? What isn't? No, there's not currently a video mode.
    12:17
    How does the upside-down work into gameplay? He states that basically the upside-down works just like it did in the show. it happens randomly you're not going to know when it happens but when it does happen there are specific shots that you need to make in order to get back to the real world so who did the playfield led the code and did the art so brian eddie was the designer for the playfield lonnie ropp led the code and rule design and mike vinicore helped out in the rules design and balance bob steblich did the custom art package for every model of the game, but it was really the whole stern pinball of mechanical engineers, programmers, video artists, musicians, and art support that made the game possible. This is showing you the top-down differences between the pros and LEs and premiums and stuff like that. Now, this is the LE, obviously, and I like how they have photoshopped in the images on these drop targets and stuff like that to give you an idea what it's going to look like with it being this bright then you have your what model is this one this is the pro without the projector and now honestly like i said i believe the pro is the way to go on this one guys i mean if you disagree with me fine let me know give me some insight on why you believe the premium and Ellie is the better choice for this game. So yeah, I'm kind of curious to see how this game plays. I want to say the rumor is that we should be getting a stream possibly tonight from Jack Danger. He will more than likely be playing the pro version if I had to put my money on it. If he plays the premium or Ellie version, I will be surprised. I just don't think that this game is going to stream very well. Prove me wrong. By all means, prove me wrong. I have no problems with being wrong. This is merely me on the outside looking in, suggesting that this game is not going to stream very well without the proper lighting and positioning of the cameras and everything. My other prediction is that the Pro will sell, more than likely, pretty damn well. I see this game as being something that is going to be pro But there are still some questions that I do not have answers for I would like to get a better visual matter of fact on one of those pictures i should have an answer to one of my questions well it looks like on the pro we still have that plunger that should lock a ball so even without your telekinesis ability up here to lock your ball you should still be able to lock balls up here on the ramp for a multi ball so you're just not going to get the visualization of 11 telekinesis wise locking the balls up here. It's a cool effect, but I can live without it. As far as the projection portion goes, conceptually, yeah, pretty cool. But overall and in practice, I think it kind of falls short. So I will give you props, Stern, for innovating and trying new things. I get you on that. So I'm all up for it. please continue to span out and try different things and I'm hoping that maybe that you will learn a lot from this machine that your future games will incorporate something maybe a little bit more, I don't know, integrated with the game. So going strictly by images what are my final thoughts about this game? Let's talk about just aesthetically art standing back looking in the premium i believe has the best art package cabinet wise of course the pro model is less appealing to me especially in the back glass play field art is fine no issues with it now when it comes to design and layout i'm i've never been a fan of a fan layout This is obviously a fan layout when you've just got straight shots all the way up here like this. Just like, two, two, two, two, two, eight shots to choose from. I've always kind of fancied the games that have a play field that's a little bit more obtuse.
    16:43
    I mean, none of my games back here are a fan layout. I don't own a fan layout game. And I don't know. That's just something I guess I've realized about myself is that I don't really cater to those types of games. I don't really care for them as much. So with that being said, I really wish Brian would have done a more obtuse layout, something a little more, I don't know, closer to the shadow. That was one of his games that I really loved. And the layout wasn't too strange or anything, but it wasn't a fan layout, that's for damn sure. I'm just wondering if this particular shot layout, although very similar to successful games that he has done, did he do that because it was playing it safe? Like he knew that these shots were going to work, you know, or was he forced to play it safe due to the licensor? I can't talk about music because there's not really much of it that's been inside photos or anything. We've had the trailer, which is essentially just the music main theme, which I love. So we'll see more about that later. As far as the visuals and everything like that, that's going to be down the road. So all I can really judge on is what I can see. So my feelings on this could totally change once I see it get played. So like I said, these are just my opinions on photographs and for what we've seen so far. I don't care for the plastic ramps.
    18:18
    I would really like to know the price difference between the plastic ramps that they chose to use and if they would have gone to a wire form or metal. Just so I know. I mean, we're talking like, is it like a $5 to $10 difference, or is it like a $100 or $200 difference kind of thing? I just, I need to know. So I'm pretty sure this video has gone off a lot longer than I wanted it to be guys And that's why I'm going to bring it to a close So what do you think about the Stranger Things pinball machine from Stern? Let's just leave the show out of it Okay, just as the machine by itself What do you feel about this machine? Let me know down in the comments section Let's have a discussion on this By all means guys, give me that thumbs up And if you haven't already, do not forget to hit that subscribe button down below That way you can be notified of whenever I upload something for your viewing pleasure. Until next time, peace out.