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Stern's Transformers G1 game showcases ambitious design, deep code, and seamless theme integration despite cutting the transforming Optimus toy.
Elliot Eismin did not know he would be working on Transformers when developing John Wick; he found out after completing that game.
high confidence · Elliot directly states: 'No, I found out after. There was a bit of a gap between when I finished WIC and when Transformers started.'
The transforming Optimus Prime toy was cut from the final design due to reliability issues that would have negatively impacted on-location gameplay.
high confidence · Elliot explains: 'it was just a reliability issue and that was going to be unfortunate. People walked up to the game and it's just kind of stuck and now it's like it kind of ruins the moment a bit.'
Elizabeth Davey had significantly more development time for Transformers compared to John Wick, which allowed her to write much of the ruleset before physical playfield design was finalized.
high confidence · Elizabeth states: 'I had more time in this game... I wrote a lot of the ruleset before the design was first designed' and 'I got a lot of the game done early on. Like before we had had inserts on the playfield.'
Hasbro was exceptionally collaborative and approving, with no major design ideas requiring rejection or restart due to licensing constraints.
high confidence · Elizabeth notes: 'We never had to tweak our ideas or have to go back and be like, oh, we started work on this thing, but now we can't do it, so we got to restart. So there was nothing left on the cutting room floor.'
Transformers game features five main missions, each with three difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard) that scale with Energon Cube collection.
high confidence · Elizabeth explains: 'There's five missions and those are your main modes and each mode has three different versions. There's the easy, medium, hard.'
The game includes a two-player versus mode (in development) where players compete using left/right flippers and an action button, inspired by fighting game mechanics.
medium confidence · Elizabeth states: 'That's only in two player. There's no way of playing that on your own... it kind of stink. It's really fun.' She notes it's 'still in underdevelopment' with rule changes still being tested.
“G1 Transformers is my dream theme. And for me, it got to a point where I actually had George Gomez Transformers and I was going to re-theme it because I thought we were never going to get a G1 Transformers.”
Enzo @ ~0:04:00 — Establishes the speaker's emotional investment in the theme and frames the announcement's significance to longtime fans.
“I definitely said I want to be a little bit more ambitious with this one and not be as safe, I guess, because I felt like WIC was just like learning how to do shots.”
Elliot Eismin @ ~0:05:30 — Reveals design philosophy shift between his two major projects, indicating growth and creative risk-taking.
“It is probably the best theme integrated game that Stern's done in my opinion.”
Enzo @ ~0:08:00 — High praise for thematic integration, placing Transformers above recent iconic releases like Star Wars and Pokémon from a fan perspective.
“I have shelves of mechs that didn't make the cutting, you know, didn't make it. For whatever reason, we always try to put the best reliable mechs in the pinball machine that we can.”
Elliot Eismin @ ~0:16:30 — Contextualizes mechanical design tradeoffs and establishes that reliability trumps feature ambition in final products.
“My first idea is almost that never the right one. Everything from a simple mode like Transformers Multiball... All five missions as well, like I touched it maybe three times each to get it fun and right feeling.”
Elizabeth Davey @ ~0:44:00 — Reveals iterative design methodology and commitment to playtesting—emphasizes that initial concepts undergo extensive refinement.
“We didn't let it stop us from, you know, there's a Starscream mode and it's just a bunch of Starscream because Starscream's funny.”
Elizabeth Davey @ ~0:53:00 — Shows how thematic content decisions are made—choosing fun/character over mechanical completeness; acknowledges Decepticon content despite Autobot-only alignment.
“I wanted that ramp to feel great every time you hit it... I don't want people to be gated by that shot.”
announcement: Official reveal of Stern Pinball's Transformers G1 licensed machine with designer and code team presenting at industry events.
high · Elliot and Elizabeth from Stern are publicly discussing the game in detail, including design seminar presentations at Northwest Pinball Show.
design_innovation: Transformers G1 features unprecedented level of theme integration including G1 cartoon call-outs, original voice acting, musical numbers, commercial break interstitials, and sprite animations.
high · Enzo praises it as 'probably the best theme integrated game that Stern's done in my opinion' and describes watching Saturday morning cartoon recreations with cereal nostalgia.
design_philosophy: Elliot deliberately chose ambitious, non-safe playfield design for Transformers (avoiding fan layout) to appeal to both new players and 40-60 year old core collectors while differentiating from recent mass-appeal titles.
high · Elliot: 'I want to be a little bit more ambitious with this one and not be as safe'; Enzo notes layout is 'different' and risks reward-oriented compared to Pokemon/Star Wars design.
licensing_signal: Hasbro functioned as exceptionally collaborative partner with no design rejections, providing extensive brand guidelines and approving all game concepts without requiring cutdowns.
high · Elizabeth: 'We never had to tweak our ideas... Hasbro was just super, super positive about the game... they gave us everything we wanted, and more so.'
product_concern: Transforming Optimus Prime toy was cut from final design due to reliability issues that would cause on-location machine failures and ruin player experience.
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Enzo was shown early marketing materials (likely an Optimus Prime shirt worn intentionally by someone at Stern) that hinted at the Transformers announcement a year prior to the interview.
medium confidence · Enzo recalls: 'A year ago looking at this going, that SOB is wearing an Optimus Prime shirt... I gave him an answer... you did that intentionally. I did.'
The game's code complexity grew from having more development time and early ruleset planning, with Elizabeth uncertain about having similar time allocation on future projects.
high confidence · Elizabeth: 'No, I had more time in this game... I don't know I'll have as much time on my next one... it was a lot of effort. I don't want to have to work that hard again.'
Elizabeth Davey @ ~0:48:00 — Demonstrates game design philosophy prioritizing accessibility and feel over difficulty gating, ensuring difficult shots aren't required for progression.
“Instead of a drink holder, we should have a cereal bowl holder on the side of the pinball machine.”
Elliot Eismin @ ~0:33:00 — Illustrates the nostalgia-driven design success; references the theme's emotional resonance with Saturday morning cartoon audiences.
“Nostalgia for me is the key to successful pinball. I've always said that. I think it's a fantastic way of doing business.”
Enzo @ ~0:07:30 — States the core strategic principle the Transformers design leverages—licensing iconic IP that evokes specific generational memories.
“Let's make one good game instead of two okay games.”
Elizabeth Davey @ ~0:52:00 — Justifies the decision to commit fully to Autobot experience rather than splitting development for both faction playstyles; reflects design focus philosophy.
high · Elliot explains prototypes underwent extensive testing, with shelves of mechs that didn't make final cut due to reliability; transforming toy specifically abandoned to prevent stuck/jammed states.
gameplay_signal: Game features five main missions with three difficulty tiers each, tech spec system with dynamic shot multipliers, five combiners leading to multiball, three Dinobot variations, and untimed modes providing significant replay value and strategic depth.
high · Elizabeth provides detailed ruleset explanation covering missions, Energon Cubes, tech specs, combiners, Dinobot area, and 'One Shall Fall' ball-3 mode with variable scoring up to 200 million.
design_innovation: Game employs 'rule of five' structure where five color-coded tech specs map to five missions and five combiners, with random game-to-game variation requiring players to adapt strategy and playfield analysis each game.
high · Elizabeth: 'Even though you have a strategy, you're going to have to be light on your feet and be able to pay attention... Each game is random which color is going to be associated with which shot.'
personnel_signal: Elizabeth Davey gaining significant industry recognition as emerging design talent; Enzo predicts she will become 'a pretty big thing in pinball' despite male-dominated hobby, praising her coding approach, interviews, and passion.
high · Enzo: 'I think you're going to be a pretty big thing in pinball, which is huge because obviously you're female as well, which is very unique in a male-dominated hobby.'
market_signal: Transformers G1 positioned as major IP license targeting specific generational demographic (40-60 year old nostalgic fans) rather than mass-market onboarding, contrasting with Pokemon and Star Wars strategies.
high · Enzo notes layout appeals to 'pinball crew, people my age, 40 to 60' requiring 'risk reward and unique' design; Transformers positioned as 80s nostalgia play vs. new-player-friendly Star Wars/Pokemon.
community_signal: Strong positive community sentiment with multiple content creators (Ralph, Kerry, Joel) having played and praised the game; widespread enthusiasm based on thematic authenticity and gameplay depth.
medium · Enzo notes Ralph, Kerry, and Joel all provided positive feedback; describes watching streams of players getting competitive in 'One Shall Fall' mode; anticipates high streaming interest.
design_philosophy: Elizabeth emphasizes extensive playtesting and iteration on each mode (touched 3+ times per mission) with focus on fun factor over initial concepts, rejecting early ideas in favor of emergent solutions.
high · Elizabeth: 'My first idea is almost that never the right one... all five missions... I touched it maybe three times each to get it fun and right feeling. So yeah, a lot of care.'
gameplay_signal: Design philosophy avoids skill gating on difficult shots; side ramp (hard to hit) provides regular combiner parts but isn't required for progression due to alternate tech spec route, ensuring casual players aren't blocked.
high · Elizabeth: 'I wanted that ramp to feel great every time you hit it... I don't want people to be gated by that shot... you get two parts per third tech spec.'
content_signal: Game generating significant media interest with YouTube reveal videos watched repeatedly by fans, Northwest Pinball Show presentation coverage, and planned streaming events with competitive players.
medium · Enzo watched four-minute reveal trailer '10 times... just took me back' and mentions planned Ralph weekend stream; game discussed extensively across pinball media platforms.