Domino Pinball: The Walking Dead Remastered LE

Neil McRae / Great British Pinball Podcast·video·1h 5m·analyzed·Jan 18, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.022

TL;DR

Neil McRae demos Walking Dead Remastered, analyzing mechanical tweaks and mixed feelings on new callouts.

Summary

Neil McRae provides hands-on gameplay and initial impressions of the Walking Dead Remastered LE pinball machine from Stern Pinball. He discusses mechanical changes including ramp modifications, new posts for difficulty adjustment, and updated voice callouts, while noting some design preferences for the original callouts. He also mentions technical issues with his machine and touches on code enhancement plans from Stern.

Key Claims

John Borg made the tunnel shot easier by moving the pops and possibly the ramp.
medium confidence · Neil McRae citing what Borg said about the tunnel shot changes in the remaster
The left ramp feels very different from the original game; the CDC ramp is definitely different.
high confidence · Neil McRae's direct observation during gameplay of the Remastered version
The new callouts are different from the original, though Neil prefers the old callouts.
medium confidence · Neil McRae's subjective preference after playing the Remastered version
Stern has big plans for enhancing the code on Walking Dead Remastered.
medium confidence · Neil McRae stating what he knows about Stern's plans for the game
The ramp no longer has an air ball protector and is easier to hit.
high confidence · Neil McRae's direct observation of the mechanical changes on the Remastered machine
Neil's Walking Dead Remastered LE arrived earlier in the week (Monday) with speaker/special light issues.
high confidence · Neil McRae discussing his recent delivery and technical issues with his unit
Mark Greer Elliott at Stern helped Neil locate a settings option to fix the speaker/light issue.
high confidence · Neil McRae thanking Mark for the assistance during the stream

Notable Quotes

“So, John Borg said he made the tunnel shot a bit easier. Um, so I guess he's moved the pops, but he might have moved the ramp as well, which might make arena easier.”
Neil McRae@ 24:05 — Directly attributes design changes in the Remastered version to John Borg's work
“I definitely do not like the new callouts. I'm sorry. I want to just do something cuz Game over for you, man. I prefer the old call outs.”
Neil McRae@ 26:56 — Clear statement of preference regarding voice work in the Remastered version
“I think the riot shot hasn't changed really. The thing is, it was definitely a version of the game where I heard better call outs. I don't know which version, or maybe I imagined it.”
Neil McRae@ 30:27 — Expresses uncertainty about voice callout variations across code versions
“I think they've got quite a lot of code to do on this game. Um I know Stern got some big plans for enhancing the code.”
Neil McRae@ 48:05 — Indicates ongoing development and future code improvements planned by Stern
“I like the art. different from what I was expecting, but my sense was is that um it would look better in person. I didn't think it was awful, but it looks better in person. It looks awesome in person.”
Neil McRae@ 49:26 — Positive assessment of the artwork after initial skepticism, noting in-person impact differs from photos
“I think the art team have done a great job on this. Oh, and again, I'm not saying that the original did a bad job. I just think it was quite brown.”

Entities

Neil McRaeperson John BorgpersonMark Greer ElliottpersonWalking Dead Remastered LEproductStern PinballcompanyEvil DeadproductSpooky PinballcompanyGreat British Pinball Podcastorganization

Signals

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product_launch: Walking Dead Remastered LE began shipping to customers; Neil received his unit on Monday of the week the stream aired
high · Neil states 'I just got this uh earlier in the week. Monday.'
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design_innovation: Remastered version features modified ramps (left ramp particularly different) without air ball protector, easier to hit, with new posts added for difficulty adjustment
high · Neil observes: 'the ramp here... doesn't have the air ball protector, and it's a lot easier to hit' and 'they've put some posts in to change the difficulty'
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code_update: Walking Dead Remastered includes updated voice callouts, but community preference mixed; some uncertainty about variation across code versions
high · Neil states 'I definitely do not like the new callouts' and expresses uncertainty about hearing different versions
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product_concern: Neil's Remastered unit arrived with non-functional speaker and cabinet special lights; issue resolved with settings adjustment
high · Neil reports 'my special lights, both speakers and the cabinet ones aren't working' and later Mark Elliott provided the fix location
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product_strategy: Stern has announced plans for significant code enhancements to Walking Dead Remastered post-launch
medium · Neil states 'I think they've got quite a lot of code to do on this game. Um I know Stern got some big plans for enhancing the code'

Topics

Walking Dead Remastered mechanical and design changesprimaryVoice callouts and audio quality in the RemasterprimaryArtwork and aesthetic improvements in the RemasterprimaryCode updates and future enhancements planned by SternsecondaryTechnical issues and support from Stern staffsecondaryComparison with original Walking Dead and other Stern titlessecondaryGameplay difficulty and shot difficulty adjustmentssecondaryHardware durability issues in modern pinball (Evil Dead launcher bracket example)mentioned

Sentiment

neutral(0)

Transcript

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Hello. Hopefully you can hear me. That sounds about right. What do you think? Player one. So, let's see how that sounds. Player one. How does that sound? Can you hear me? [screaming] Player one. Okay. Dead features are lit. Oh man, you got bit. got one. I bet that felt weird, huh? Combo. It's raining outside. Right, let's see on this. My strategy is going to get the drops, go for some barnage, then go in all or lose the balls in seconds. Dead features are lit. That'll put some hair on your chest. Hey, Brash League. Oh, thank you for the raid. Sorry, I was just trying to catch up on something. How is everyone playing a little bit of Walking Dead remastered? Playing badly, I should say. He's dead as a door now. Hope your uh lunchtime break was good. Let me know how the audio is, folks, cuz I'm plugged into Spike 3 audio, which I've never used before. So, I don't know how my mixer sends are fairing. Dead features are lit. Come on. Yeah, I'm playing totally I've always played bad in a Friday night. Okay, let's keep playing. Player one. Hey, dude. The dead features are lit. Here Oh, come on. Help me on in here. Uh, Pixel Town. Yeah, I think they did. Um, I don't know. So, the ramp, this ramp here, um, first of all, you might notice it doesn't have the airball protector, and it's a lot easier to hit. Um, and I think they've come back for some more pushed this they've twisted this a little bit so you don't get so many straight down the middles. I haven't had a straight down the middle from this one in all the games I've played. Other than that, I don't think they've made any changes. Uh, they've put some posts in to change the difficulty. Don't think they were on the original game. Now you need to add difficulty to this game. The right ramp feels exactly the same to me. The left the left ramp's very different. No question about it. So the CDC ramp you'd never know the way I'm playing though. They're all dead. Ow, that was hard to watch. Yeah, I don't I doesn't feel that arena. The arena ramp doesn't feel that different to me. It might be, but it doesn't feel it. Definitely the CDC ramp's different. You like my voice, don't you? Couldn't resist. I mean, if they have moved um good thing they can't run. So, John Borg said he made the tunnel shot a bit easier. Um, so I guess he's moved the pops, but he might have moved the ramp as well, which might make arena easier. But arena feels just as hard as on this as the old game. No, I think Riot I just The problem is is if they make all these shots easier, they've got to find space. And I don't think they found any space significantly. So, I don't know. I'd love to get like an original I might get my my original in storage. Got one. So that's the first straight down the middle I've had. Look at you. Extra ball is lit. We're going to have to kill it. I definitely do not like the new callouts. I'm sorry. I want to just do something cuz Game over for you, man. I thought there was more call outs in the game. Ow, that was hard to watch. I prefer the old call outs. I'm going to say it. I know. Is the is it? But I I was sure that when I heard the crawls in Holland, they were different. Got him. Oh, started riot idiot. The call the sounds are okay. I just don't like the the calling. Well, actually, let me rephrase that. I don't not like the call outs. Um, we're almost there. I prefer the old call outs. I got your back. You hit the spinner. The lighted up. Sorry. I've just realized I've not got the game on the right. had to move the game back. Take the thing out. And the rest of the sounds are pretty much the original game. We've got a little bit more time now. Don't waste it. I think the riot shot hasn't changed really. The thing is, it was definitely a version of the game where I heard better call outs. I don't know which version, or maybe I imagined it. Are we going to kill some walkers or what? Oh, now that's got to go some bar. [ __ ] Am I running an old version of code? That'll put some hair on your chest. I bet that felt good, huh? Combo. One second. I just got to go charge my uh for I can't remember them what the call outs were. My um pretty sure I'm at the center the There was like I thought I heard like these just be like the old code. I was sure I was hearing new Nice. I'm only afraid of two things in this world. Walkers and people I don't know. Damn features are lit. Come on. Shoot the tower. It's pretty tough. Yeah, it's a tough game. I mean, the old one was tough. This one's tough. Um, doesn't matter. I'm I normally play better than this, but Friday night I'm usually shattered to work. I have to get up earlier. Had to get up earlier today. That's the biggest horde of walkers I've ever seen. Yeah. So, the scoring's twofold. So, I'm trying to hit these drop targets here because that likes the modes and the modes tend to be incremental in scoring. That'll stop them. God. So, I'm trying to So, I always start with barn. You keep hitting the barn shot and the score is kind of 1x and a half per shot. Hopefully, I can get barn going long enough that we can see it. Yeah, this very much is a game of when you get into a mode start I'm trying to have one decent game. I'm going to do this. So I always struggle with this last drop target. There we go. Features are lit. Dead features are lit. Lose the freaking bomb. Just a little bit. Player one. You still get straight down the middle, but they're nowhere. I don't think they're as bad as they were. Although I've seen on my game, I had it kind of set up really flat, so it was never that big an issue. That's what I hate about a new game with tight springs. The drops just don't go down if you hit them hard. They're all dead. That You got this. Hey, pop that guy. Not bad, man. Playing rubbish, though. Hopefully get one game in. I just got this uh earlier in the week. Monday. Actually, it's got an issue in that my uh my special lights, both speakers and the cabinet ones aren't working, which is a bit bizarre. Yeah, I haven't. Yeah. Well, well done, man. No, I did not know that was the option. Uh I did look for um an option, but I couldn't find it. Um, Guido Mark Greer Elliot Stern just pinged me and said it's in this bit. So, thank you for that, Mark. Really appreciate it. It looks so much better now, actually. I was like, when I was playing it yesterday, like something weird about this thing dawned on me. I was like, and I was like taking the cables apart and Not having much luck with these outlings, am I? Don't look like you're going to last very long. Yeah, I love the topper. I like the original one as well, which which I've got. I actually just got the Star Wars topper today, which is cool with C3PO. This is the first time the the topper arrived before the game, which is definitely a first. Got him. We're almost there. Hey, dude. The features are lit. Don't remember the outlets being quite as hungry on the old game. I need to go watch some of my streams from way back when. I got a YouTube channel with some of my streams from years ago. [laughter] That was mental. I haven't let him log in as well. Yeah, I think they've got quite a lot of code to do on this game. Um I know Stern got some big plans for enhancing the code. Just go for multiball. Yeah, I think I I have to say I so I like the art. different from what I was expecting, but my sense was is that um it would look better in person. I didn't think it was awful, but it looks better in person. It looks [ __ ] awesome in person. I think it seems like zombie yeti likes to get feels like he um Jeremy get gets a bit of stick that I think unfair and undeserved and he's such a nice bloke. I mean genuinely awesome guy. Sorry, I was um friend of mine's got a actually right now. So, my mate's got a Evil Dead. It's down. Um it's almost brand new. Literally arrived a few weeks ago. The warning board, something bad's happened. The warn board's gone and um they got more they got a new warning board, but it looks like there's more to it than just that, which I kind of expected. Um but my uh Walking Dead, my Evil Dead rather is down. Um come and get it, fighters. This the launcher, there's a there's like a bracket for the dual launcher that's where that holds the coils. Mine's snapped. And honestly, it's uh It's not the strongest part in the world. I was kind of shocked by how flimsy it is. I mean, I love the game. I love the spooky guys, but that is definitely going to be a problem for games. No question about it. I'm waiting for the set. I mean, my walking dead, my evil dead is down because of it. I can't play it at the moment. It's just there's no launch. Come on, corpses. Let's just do some Well, That was awful. Shoot. Didn't really want to do that cuz CDC, come and get it, fighters. Oh, that was [ __ ] I didn't get my extra ball because it bounced out. There we go. Looks like we got ourselves an extra ball. Oh man, you got bit. I got bit. That was awful. Great game. Oh, maybe not. So, I don't know. There's something weird about that. I think it's a Yeah, I mean I think it's a hard thing to um photograph a pinball machine. Well, beginning barn. Nope. Barn. Nope. Yeah, I mean with a like the environment here with the specialized are we going to kill some walkers or what? Top it's pretty decent I think. You got bit. Too bad for you. Cannot play [ __ ] today. One good game. I got you back. So tired though. You got a handle on the ball there. Brutal. Hey dude, the dead features are lit. I mean, the thing about the original game is is the art was well, I think it fitted the game well, but I don't think it was great art. It wouldn't be art I would pick, but I think they're all dead. The art team have done a great job on this. Oh, and again, I'm not saying that the original did a bad job. I just think it was quite brown. Come and get it, fighters. Come on. So the multi kills, if you get so far in a mode, you like the mlly kill, which is that yellow flashing shot, which I think I now lose ball to ball. Yeah, just a [ __ ] Um, Do not waste a bullet. Push the fire button to shoot the crossbow. [laughter] That was awful. right, that's it, folks. I'm playing like a chimp and I've got to get something. I'll be uh doing more this weekend. this and I just got lyman upgrade done on my Cactus Canyon. Um, so we might have a bit of a lying weekend. Yeah, why don't we do that? Let's do a bit of Batman, Monster Bash, dott walking dead. Uh, medieval. Well, medieval might be difficult. Metallica. Uh, what else we got here? This lineman. Uh, that's it really. Um, might do a bit of that this weekend. See you later, guys. Take it easy.