So, I Played the Transformers Pinball Machine...

Cary Hardy·video·19m 57s·analyzed·May 30, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.027

TL;DR

Cary Hardy reviews Stern's Transformers pinball: fun game, but immobile Optimus Prime disappoints fans.

Summary

Cary Hardy provides a hands-on first-look review of Stern's new Transformers pinball machine after playing it at the factory. He praises the game design, code potential, and audio featuring original voice actors, but criticizes the decision to make Optimus Prime a static toy rather than a moving/transforming element, noting this is a significant disappointment for fans despite not affecting core gameplay fun. He recommends the Pro model over Premium/LE and expects strong code updates from lead programmer Elizabeth Geeski.

Key Claims

This is Elliott Eisman's sophomore game design, following John Wick
high confidence · Cary Hardy stating documented facts about game credits
Elizabeth Geeski is lead on code for Transformers, her first lead game after assisting on Jaws and D&D
high confidence · Cary Hardy reporting confirmed credits from factory visit
Optimus Prime was planned to move/transform but this was pulled within the last month before release
medium confidence · Cary Hardy citing evidence from trailer videography showing Optimus Prime in down position, indicating late-stage changes
The Pro model played significantly better than Premium/LE despite identical layouts
medium confidence · Cary Hardy's personal gameplay experience comparing scores 'hundreds of millions better' on Pro
Transformers code will progress faster than Pokémon due to licensing complexity differences
medium confidence · Cary Hardy's analysis comparing red tape between Hasbro and Pokémon licensing
There are significant ball rejects on the ball lock to the right of Optimus Prime
medium confidence · Cary Hardy reporting mechanical issue observed during play testing
Peter Cullen and Frank Welker provide voice talent for Transformers pinball
high confidence · Cary Hardy confirming voice actor credits from official credits
Decepticons on the Premium/LE have moving mechs while Autobots are static
high confidence · Cary Hardy's direct observation of game mechanics during play

Notable Quotes

“Mods shouldn't make a game what it's supposed to be at launch. It shouldn't make a character what he actually is.”
Cary Hardy@ 2:02 — Directly addresses community expectation that Stern should deliver complete vision at launch, not rely on aftermarket fixes
“I do have more fun on this game than I did with John Wick... the layout is interesting. Every shot feels pretty damn good.”
Cary Hardy@ 2:20 — Positive gameplay assessment of Elliott Eisman's design compared to his prior work
“Optimus Prime used to move... there is a many reasons that go behind why they ended up making him just basically a stand-up toy that does nothing.”
Cary Hardy@ 6:26 — Key revelation about mechanical feature being cut late in development, central to community criticism
“Now we've got like, 'Hey, Lizzie's going to be on code. It's going to be damn good.' Just like I know when Jerry Thompson's on audio, I know audio is going to be good.”
Cary Hardy@ 14:44 — Establishes Elizabeth Geeski as an emerging designer with star power similar to veteran designers, predicting future demand for her work
“You've got a lot more code in this game than you do on Pokémon. And I can pretty much guarantee you that this code is going to progress much faster than your Pokémon will.”
Cary Hardy@ 13:33 — Comparative assessment of development velocity between two major Stern releases, positioning Transformers favorably
“I played so much better on [the Pro] versus when I played the premium LE... hundreds of millions better on my score on the pro... I don't have a logical reason behind that.”

Entities

Cary Hardyperson Elliott EismanpersonElizabeth GeeskipersonMike KibetpersonRobert BlakemanpersonTom KibetpersonJerry ThompsonpersonPeter CullenpersonFrank WelkerpersonKeith Elwinperson

Signals

?
product_concern: Ball rejects observed on ball lock to right of Optimus Prime; uncertainty about whether this is intentional or a design/manufacturing issue requiring attention before location deployment
high · Cary Hardy: 'I did notice there was quite a bit of ball rejects on the ball lock to the right of Optimus Prime... I did notice that there are some rejects a lot, but it wasn't enough to where I was like, "What's wrong with this game?"'
?
product_concern: Right ramp shot difficult to complete consistently; possible flipper fade or timing sensitivity affecting shot completion rate
medium · Cary Hardy: 'I wished I had trouble getting up that far very back of the playfield right ramp... seemed to get a lot of halfway up and not all the way down'
?
design_philosophy: Optimus Prime mechanical movement feature was planned but cut within the last month before release; evidenced by trailer videography showing down-position animation
medium · Cary Hardy: 'the photography and videography for the trailer could It literally shows at a certain point in time Optimus Prime being in the down position... something has to have had to have changed within the last month'
~
sentiment_shift: Strong community disappointment around Optimus Prime lacking movement/transformation despite price point increases since 2011; fans expect greater mechanical complexity at premium pricing
high · Cary Hardy: 'Prices are definitely higher than they were in 2011. You got to give us more bang for our buck and that's why I feel like that's also the type of feedback we're getting on this'
?

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:03

I got to play Stern Pinball's latest creation. >> Autobots, roll out.

0:28

What's up, guys? And welcome back to the

0:28

What's up, guys? And welcome back to the channel where I talk and do everything pinball. So, if that sounds interesting to you, then hit that subscribe button down below. So, it's now been a little over a week since I have played Transformers at the Stern factory with my fellow friends and content creators. And the game is called the Transformers more than meets the eye, I want to say. But is it more than meets the eye? Let's talk about it. So, before we get into my thoughts and feelings about this game, let's go over the facts. Game design is Elliot Eismin, and this is his sophomore game, first game being John Wick. Software, this is Elizabeth Geeski's and Mike Kibet, but this is Elizabeth's first lead game on. She's done Jaws, and she's done D&D with assisting. This is her first time to be lead on code. Engineering and mechanics is by Rob Blakeman. Animation done by Tom Kibet. Kibet, I always mess up his name. I apologize. Audio and music is done by Jerry Thompson. Voice talent, Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, which is obviously a big plus when it comes to this game. So, by all means, all of you that contributed to crafting this game, pat yourselves on the back. I think you have done a pretty damn good job. Like I said, this is Elliot Eismin's sophomore game, his first game being John Wick, and we all know how that turned out. >> Oh, the mod makers WILL CREATE

1:54

Oh, the mod makers WILL CREATE SOMETHING. NO. MODS SHOULDN'T make a game what it's supposed to be at launch. It shouldn't make a character what he actually is. Now, I was sure to compliment Elliot that I do like this game better and no, not because it's got guns or cannons in it or anything like that, but merely it's the design. I do have more fun on this game than I did with John Wick. I believe the layout is interesting. Every shot feels pretty damn good. There are some difficult shots on your upper flipper that's going to have to require a little bit better timing on my end. So, in regards to how I feel about like the Pro versus the Premium {slash} LE, I honestly, and I really can't give you reasoning behind this, but I loved the Pro much better than I enjoyed the Premium {slash} LE. And I don't know why. But, the Pro seemed to play much better in my opinion. I think the Pro is a very strong game. The Premium LE, you're definitely going to get some cool little things in there in regards to the Decepticons moving or shooting out balls. Very nice perks. But, I think the Pro is a very strong Pro. So, for you operators out there, I think it's definitely going to be a game that will build very well for you. I did notice there was quite a bit of ball rejects on the ball lock to the right of Optimus Prime. But, that's a very simple and like up the middle shot to make. So, you're going to be going for that quite a lot. But, I did notice that there are some rejects a lot, but it wasn't enough to where I was like, "What's wrong with this game?" but it was a little bit of a mhm, that makes the shot not feel very good whenever it's bouncing out of it kind of thing. I don't know if anybody else that played the game experienced that, but it did seem to happen quite a bit. Enough to where I was like, is it supposed to be like that or is that something that needs to be addressed? I don't know. We'll find out sure enough in the near future when these things start getting on location. In regards to how everything else shot, I do feel like I wished I had trouble getting up that far very back of the playfield right ramp. And I don't know if it was due to flipper fade or man, I just got to get that shot just right on the tip of the flipper or something, but I seemed to get a lot of halfway up and not all the way down. And when I did make it all the way up, it was almost like it almost just barely didn't make it, but then it would go in there. But like I said, when you make the shots, yes, they do feel good. The shot layout in general is unique, it's entertaining, but I will say if you are a Transformer fan, I do think that you're really going to enjoy this game. But mainly for you Decepticon fans out there. They have split this game on the LE down the middle when it comes to hell, the art like the powder coating, but also when it comes to the Autobots versus the Decepticons. Now, let's look at the game on the exterior when you on the LE model where you have one color is on the left and one color is on the right. That's not my favorite way to go about doing things. I didn't like it on the original Transformers and I do not like it on the LE. Personal preference, my OCD kicks in to where I'm like, ah, I don't like it. I kind of wish it was all one color. But I understand why they made the decision to kind of like, yeah, you know, one side is for Autobots, one side is Decepticon. Trying to give you best of both worlds to give you the feeling of colliding between two titans kind of thing. But again, when you're a Decepticon fan, you're going to be happy with this game in particular because all the moving mechs really do cater to the Decepticons. Whereas on the left side of the play field, where you have your Autobots, you're not going to be getting any movement or excitement when it comes to like mix. Just not going to happen. It's definitely they are catering to the Decepticons, unfortunately. And if you follow the history on this game as closely as a lot of the people that have their ears to the ground, then you will know that Optimus Prime used to move. It was in the plans for him to do something, for him to transform from his truck to the Autobots formation, and things just did not work out that way. There is a many reasons that go behind why they ended up making him just basically a stand-up toy that does nothing. Another Grogu and your Mandalorian kind of thing. Something big that just sits there and does nothing. Now, honestly, I didn't feel like I was missing anything, but I'm also not a Transformers fan. Is it a little disappointing that Optimus Prime doesn't do something? Yes. I think bare minimum, if they could have, and this is I don't think we're going to get the bare minimum because I think that this mech was pulled literally within the last month. Because the photography and videography for the trailer could It literally shows at a certain point in time Optimus Prime being in the down position. What? So, something has to have had to have changed within the last month before this release to where it was like, uh he's just going to have to be a stand-up bash toy. And that's the direction that they went. But I think bare minimum, I wish they would have had more time to do this because I really do think they could have done this. One, I really do wish that Optimus Prime looked a little bit better, but again, I'm not a big fan, but I'm going by what a lot of people are saying when they see that, it doesn't look like Optimus Prime in their opinion. So, I guess mainly one, get an Optimus Prime that looks more like what we're accustomed to. And two, when it comes to movement and everything wise, I think if you could have implemented this and also kept it on the pro, it would have done much better when it comes to reception. And then just have Optimus Prime do some sort of movement, like from the waist up. Have it to where, you know, he can swivel left and right, maybe even move his arms. Kind of implement what you see in King Kong, that type of mech, into Optimus Prime. And even better, during those movements, have him and Megatron, which are literally side by side, have them have little conversations back and forth during your gameplay and stuff. I think that would have been very cool to while you're playing, making certain shots, Optimus turns to Megatron and says something, and then Megatron turns to him and responds back to it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but would that not be pretty damn cool? Like I said, I think that could have been bare minimum, something that would have been awesome to have, but I really do think that they did not have the time. And this whole Optimus Prime thing not transforming is a big deal to a lot of people, and I understand why, guys. It's because mainly it's nostalgia. And you have grown up or your childhood, this is your childhood that a company is taking and forming into something else that you're passionate about, and that is a pinball machine. I completely understand that. So, it's like, imagine someone taking a childhood memory that you love, and they don't do it justice. It's definitely very disappointing. You had John Wick that didn't have guns, and now you've got Transformers that nothing transforms. And I know their 2011 Transformers game didn't have that either. Rightfully so, but now we're in 2026 and expectations are definitely high. Mainly because of the price point, guys. Prices are definitely higher than they were in 2011. You got to give us more bang for our buck and that's why I feel like that's also the type of feedback we're getting on this is because you're asking this much money but it you didn't give us what we would really like to see. That is the reception. That is not mine because I don't really have that nostalgia and passion for Transformers. But I have seen and played the game whereas a lot of the people that are giving this type of feedback have not played the game. And I think that definitely once you play the game, will you be disappointed that Optimus Prime doesn't move? Yeah, it's going to be there. But is it going to be a make or break for the game when it comes to how fun it is? No, I don't think so at all. But I'm for sure going to be seeing a lot of people pulling out that Optimus Prime from the knees up and putting in a better looking one without a doubt. And it wouldn't surprise me if they were finding a way cuz there was a lot of talented people in this hobby, guys, in this industry that are going to craft something up that really does improve where Stern wasn't able to really meet the expectations. But I think Soundwave implementing him into the theme was like spot-on, very well done. When it comes to Megatron launching a ball, it's only maybe about 4 to 5 in guys. I mean, it launches the ball. I mean, it does a little bit of cool thing. Is it necessary in the game to where it's like, "Oh man, you've really got to have it?" No, it's just another cool little aspect for the premium, but they were able to implement him into the game. So, kudos to that. So, when you see Optimus Prime and then you have, was it Grimlock down there? So, the Autobots don't do anything. Only your Decepticons do. So, if you're an Autobots fan, yeah, I could see you getting a little upset and disappointed that your team doesn't do anything. Whereas the bad guys, or Decepticons, they're doing all the cool stuff. Like, well, what about my team? So, I understand the feelings that a lot of you have about this. The great thing about this is that you don't have to buy this. But, you can still go enjoy it on location. And I understand also, going back to what I just reiterate here, yes, you don't have to buy, but I understand why you feel so passionate and are upset that someone took your childhood theme and in your opinion didn't do it justice. But, luckily, I think where the mechanical fell short, I do feel that code is where this game is really going to shine for a lot of you out there. I think that we've got great things coming from Lizzy in regards to what all she's wanting to put into this game, just the things that she's talked about while we were there and what she's implementing. Definitely a fan now and very passionate about this and I think we're going to see some really cool, fun stuff. I mean, and that's the way it I look at it when if she's talking about the game, she's wanting to do things because that would be cool or that would be fun kind of thing, you know? It's not like, you know, a logical of like equations of like, oh, we need to do this because of this and that. It's like, no, I want to do this because that's going to be pretty fun. That's going to be pretty cool. And how she's telling us and how she designed or designed the code to do this because she's trying to like, you know, give you options or make you play a certain way type of thing. She's like, I did this because I would like you to go this direction or I would like you to go for this. I can't even reiterate everything she said, but all I'm saying is that that definitely you've got a lot more code in this game than you do on Pokémon. And I can pretty much guarantee you that this code is going to progress much faster than your Pokémon will. Not saying that Pokémon's not going to be complete. It's just that the the amount of red tape that is required on Pokémon versus Hasbro and everything when Transformers is night and day. You're going to get a lot of cool stuff much faster with Transformers. And I do think that Lizzie's going somewhere with what she's doing here. This is her first lead, and I can guarantee you this will not be her last. I think that this is going to be one of those things where it's like people are going to get excited when they hear and see that Lizzie's on code for a particular theme that they're passionate about because that's where the confidence is going to come into play and go, "Yes, this game is going to rock because Lizzie's on code." It's the same thing with Keith Elwin. When someone says, "Hey, Keith Elwin's doing, you know, let's just Fallout." It's like, "Man, it it's going to be a pretty damn fun layout because we all know due to historical data that Keith can design a damn cool flowing shooting game." And now we got like, "Hey, Lizzie's going to be on code. It's going to be damn good." Just how I know when Jerry Thompson's on audio. I know audio is going to be good. So, moving on to the audio of this game, and obviously having your main characters Megatron and Optimus Prime, having those actors do the voices and callouts is a major home run for this game. I think that is definitely a big two thumbs up in my opinion by getting them to come in and do all these callouts and intertwine them into the game. And of course, the audio, again, it's not hitting my nostalgia when I'm playing the game, but I do feel that those of you that grew up with this game, when you hear everything as you're playing it, that's where you're going to be like, "Okay, Optimus Prime doesn't move, but damn it, everything else is looking pretty damn cool." And when it comes to art, I mean, granted, it's a team effort like they said, but I look at this and I go, "That's Transformers to me." I I mean, I don't see anything wrong with it or bad or anything. I'm like, I look at it and go, "That That's Transformers. That looks like Transformers. I think it's very well done, in my opinion." I'm hitting my microphone. But, yeah, I I didn't see any problems with the art. I'm like, I look at it and go, "That's That's Transformers." And that's basically the bare minimum I think what a lot of people want to see on themes is when you see the art, it's like, "That's what it's supposed to be. That looks like Transformers." So, I'm going to say that the the the the team that did the art package for Transformers also did a pretty good job. I would have liked this game to be on the line for the tour. Once I heard that the game was not on the line, they're still doing Pokemons. Uh I didn't bother seeing the tour or that kind of thing. So, I think we are still about a week out or so before we start getting pros on locations. Again, I'm going to reiterate, for me, I think the pro I don't want to tell you that it's the way to go, but like for me, the pro just played better. And And I don't understand why because the layout is essentially the same for the premium LE versus the pro. But, I played so much better on it. We're talking like hundreds of millions better on my score on the pro versus when I played the premium LE. It was like I was all thumbs, and I don't get it. I I I don't have a logical reason behind that. I'm just telling you the truth from my experience on that. I do think if you settle, I'm going to use the word settle, if you settle for the pro without all the flare and the extra max, I think you are still going to get a pretty damn good game, especially for you like operators and locations out there. If you go for the premium LE, I think you're still going to get a great shooting game with some nifty little toys. I think if you're a super fan of Transformers, then you're going to want to go with the premium. Because I do think that even if you get the pro, there's plenty of toys out there on the cheap that you could put into this game and sadly, that would look better than what we've seen come from Stern. There's much better looking Grimlocks out there. There's obviously much better looking Optimus Primes out there. Uh so as far as Soundwave goes, on the pro you're getting a flat plastic. You could put them in there. I mean, I think a lot of people are going to do that. It's just like, yeah, that's what's going to happen. So, there you have it with my thoughts and opinions on Transformers from Stern Pinball. And like I said, I completely understand the criticism that you're giving out to those that are passionate about this theme in regards to Optimus Prime not transforming or even moving. Get it. Right there with you. But if you don't like it, the only way that they're going to like change in the future is if you don't buy. And I'm not telling you to not buy, but I can tell you that if you do buy, then you're rewarding the behavior that you don't like. The only thing that I would encourage you to do is that the moment these things hit a location near you, get out there, play it, develop a better opinion of it, especially if you've only seen the videos and the gameplay stuff online. Like get out there, play it, and then go, "You know what? Optimus Prime not moving is not that big of a deal." But again, since I'm not a super Transformers fan, then I'm looking at it at a completely different perspective here, guys. So, by all means, let me know in the comments section down below if you think that, you know, Optimus Prime isn't a big deal, is it a huge deal? What about my idea of just bare minimum have it kind of like, you know, King Kong where he moves on from the waist up and his hands can kind of move and having conversations with Megatron and everything. I thought that was kind of a cool idea. But, you know, oh well. Let me know in the comments section down below. We have got more stuff coming here guys in the pinball industry coming fast. Coming real fast. It's not too long now where we get things where I uh I'm looking forward to talking about. But, uh can't talk about it yet. But, that's all for now guys. If you would like to get in touch with me really quick, then by all means join the Patreon team. Links in the description down below. That's it for now guys. I will see you on the next one.