Playing John Wick Pro (Stern 2024)

TL;DR

John Wick Pro gameplay stream reveals solid shot design but cumbersome mode start mechanics and ball control issues.

Summary

Key Claims

• John Wick Pro requires hitting the briefcase three times to qualify a mode start

  high confidence · Host explaining core game mechanics during gameplay; repeated confirmation by multiple players

• The Car and Winston are the primary multiball locks on John Wick Pro

  high confidence · Host and Isaiah discussing lock mechanics; confirmed through repeated attempts to hit these targets

• The game has significant ball hop issues over the flippers

  high confidence · Host states 'The ball is hopping a lot over the flippers'; Brian says 'this game is brutal'; M. Carter in chat confirms 'this game is brutal'

• Mode startup takes too long and could be made easier via code update

  medium confidence · Host speculates: 'They might update it so that hitting that shot, hitting the scoop, counts towards progress. I feel like that would make it a bit easier.'

• The Premium Edition translite is superior to other versions

  medium confidence · Guest Allison comments on translite quality: 'It's the better of the trans lights. It is. It's the bestest.'

• Enemies on the playfield increase mode and multiball scores

  high confidence · Host explains: 'Enemies increase your mode scores. Enemies increase your multi-ball scores.'

• The game has a lower playfield feature

  high confidence · Host demonstrates lower playfield play: 'The lower playfield... I just hit three shots off of the same flipper'

• Isaiah Rodriguez was born in 2001

  high confidence · Isaiah states: 'Isaiah Rodriguez, 2001. Now you guys know everything about me.'

Notable Quotes

• “No guns in there the game... There ain't no guns in there the game... It's great that there's guns... No guns, no guns.”

  Host@ 31:02 — Running joke about the irony of a John Wick game without guns; reflects players' observation that the IP's core identity (weaponry) is absent

• “This game is brutal.”

  M. Carter (chat)@ 2:51 — Reflects community sentiment on difficulty; corroborated by host's own comments about ball hop and flipper control issues

• “Does this game know Kung Fu? Yes, it does.”

  Host and Brian O'Neill@ 8:42 — Reference to John Wick's hand-to-hand combat skills; suggests thematic alignment with gameplay elements

• “It takes a long time Tee'd Off start a mode.”

  Host@ 16:19 — Direct criticism of game design; suggests potential balance issue in early code

• “Because it's more the ability Tee'd Off start the game than Tee'd Off start it. It's a big deal.”

  Isaiah Rodriguez@ 29:33 — Commentary on barrier to entry; suggests mode qualification mechanics may be too gated

• “I like the shots. They feel super fun Tee'd Off hit. Not a big Wick fan, as I've never seen the movies, but now I want Tee'd Off.”

  Meta (chat)@ 45:59 — Positive feedback on shot design appeal despite unfamiliarity with IP

Entities

Signals

• ?

  product_concern: Multiple players report significant ball hop issues over flippers, suggesting potential physics tuning problem or ramp angle design flaw

  high · Host: 'The ball is hopping a lot over the flippers'; Brian: 'this game is brutal'; M. Carter in chat: 'this game is brutal'

• ?

  gameplay_signal: Mode startup requires hitting briefcase three times before play begins, creating unnecessary entry barrier that host suggests could be eased via code update

  high · Host: 'It takes a long time Tee'd Off start a mode'; speculation about future update to count scoop hits toward progress

• ?

  design_philosophy: John Wick game lacks guns despite IP being gun-centric, creating running ironic commentary throughout stream; thematic disconnect noted as design constraint or choice

  high · Repeated jokes about lack of guns; host: 'There ain't no guns in there the game'; culminates in 'Zero out of ten. No guns'

• ?

  code_update: Host speculates that Stern will likely issue code update to ease mode startup difficulty, suggesting early-release balancing concern

  medium · Host: 'I feel like they're going to definitely make it easier'; 'They might update it so that hitting that shot, hitting the scoop, counts towards progress'

• ?

  gameplay_signal: Players consistently praise shot design and feel; multiple references to satisfying mechanics despite frustrations with physics and mode startup

  high · Meta (chat): 'I like the shots. They feel super fun Tee'd Off hit'; host generally positive about shot layout