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SDTM Episode 104: Stranger Things Pinball: First Impressions & Gameplay

Straight Down the Middle·video·32m 41s·analyzed·Dec 31, 2019
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TL;DR

SDTM first impressions: Stranger Things has excellent layout but early code needs work.

Summary

Jon and Greg from Straight Down the Middle provide first-impressions gameplay and commentary on Stern's newly released Stranger Things pinball machine (2019). They praise the layout's smoothness and unique shot sequences but critique the early code (v0.6466) for lacking callouts, music variance, and visual polish. They discuss the challenging Demogorgon toy mechanic and overall machine design, comparing it favorably to classic designers like Steve Ritchie and John Popadiuk.

Key Claims

  • Stranger Things shipped simultaneously to distributor warehouses and location operators on the same launch day

    high confidence · Jon explicitly notes this as unprecedented for Stern: 'when they announced this pinball machine they were at distributors warehouses and on location. Same launch day exactly. Can you beat that?'

  • The game runs version 0.6466 code at release, which is very early

    high confidence · Jon states: 'this is .6466, something like that. Very early code, so we've got a long way to go.'

  • The Demogorgon toy has a mechanical issue where the spring mechanism causes the ball to bounce out if it doesn't enter perfectly

    high confidence · Greg observes: 'it's almost like he feels like he's made of rubber or something, and he's got some springs. So it's almost like when it goes to go in his mouth, if it doesn't go in perfect, then it'll hit.'

  • Brian Eddy was on hiatus from pinball for 20+ years before returning to Stern for Stranger Things

    high confidence · Jon: 'Brian Eddy, he was on a hiatus from pinball for 20 plus years, right? He comes back... employed by Stern for the last two years, and this is his first step back into pinball.'

  • The game lacks sufficient callouts, music variants, and light shows compared to the scope of its licensed IP

    high confidence · Greg: 'it doesn't seem like there's decent code because it's missing so many call-outs, it's missing so much of the music variants. Light shows. Yeah, you don't have a lot of that going on.'

  • David Harbour (Hopper actor) provided voice callouts and video assets for the game

    high confidence · Jon: 'you get the actual actor that played Hopper on the series itself doing the call-outs and video assets.'

  • The playfield layout features 12 main modes and 5 demo modes

    medium confidence · Jon states this but with slight uncertainty: '12 main modes, 5 demo modes. You're going to hurry up.'

  • The layout feels like a hybrid between Steve Ritchie's flow and John Popadiuk's surprise shot design

Notable Quotes

  • “I backed out, and then he called me, and he was like, Greg, I unboxed it. I put a handful of games on there. I did not want to stop.”

    Jon (recounting his buddy's pitch)@ 3:03 — Captures the immediate viral appeal that convinced a skeptical buyer to purchase the game.

  • “The shots don't go where you think they're going to go, so it's kind of surprising, not to the point like Whitewater is.”

    Greg@ 18:44 — Key praise of the layout's design philosophy — surprising but not disorienting.

  • “My favorite part of this game, Stranger Things by Brian Eddy and Stern Pinball, is the layout.”

    Jon@ 18:01 — Establishes the layout as the game's strongest element early in discussion.

  • “It's odd to me that out of the box, I think Deadpool was further along, but this still feels like it's got a lot more than that original Deadpool code.”

    Greg@ 23:05 — Acknowledges paradox: early code feels less polished but more feature-complete than Deadpool launch.

  • “If they fix the Demogorgon, because the Demogorgon killed it for me... when I first put that first game on there, I was like, oh my God, dude, Zach Sharpe is right.”

    Greg@ 24:01 — Confirms the Demogorgon toy as a critical pain point affecting overall enjoyment.

  • “This is like 3.0 Guardians of the Galaxy... You're going to have 12 main modes.”

    Jon@ 28:52 — Projects future potential by comparing depth to Guardians' evolution across code versions.

Entities

Stranger ThingsgameBrian EddypersonJonpersonGregpersonZach SharpepersonStern PinballcompanyMike VinacorepersonDavid Harbourperson

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Straight Down the Middle implementing new content format: gameplay first-impressions with live commentary and rules discussion

    high · Jon introduces format: 'we show you how the game plays. We show you features of the game. We talk about the game live here'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Community has positive reception to layout design and Brian Eddy's return despite early code concerns; Demogorgon difficulty is noted pain point

    medium · Greg references Zach Sharpe and others validating layout quality; multiple mentions of Demogorgon frustration across players

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Brian Eddy's design approach represents hybrid of Steve Ritchie's flow/speed and John Popadiuk's surprising shot routing

    medium · Jon articulates: 'This feels to me like a Steve Ritchie with that flow and that speed matched up with a John Popadiuk'

  • ?

    licensing_signal: David Harbour (actor) provided voice callouts and video assets as part of licensed IP integration, with hosts noting video clips are too short

    high · Jon: 'you get the actual actor that played Hopper on the series itself doing the call-outs and video assets. I want to see a little more longer video assets'

  • $

    market_signal: Stranger Things represents one of Stern's biggest IP licenses (most-viewed streaming program globally) with substantial market expectations

    high · Jon: 'This is one of the biggest licenses Stern Pinball has probably ever gotten. This is a big license, most viewed streaming program in the world'

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.098

0:00
The weight is over. A revolution in LED lighting for your pinball is finally here. Fully customizable, full spectrum lighting from Penn Stadium Lights. Order yours now at PennStadium.com.
0:27
Let's kick this shit. I want to stop! No more. Hey guys, what's happening? Straight down the middle of Pinball Show. My buddy Greg and myself have not been together for a while. Thanks for the patience for a new episode. But this one's special. This one we are going to show you guys something a little different. We've not done this type of thing before. A lot of people said they want gameplay from us. So we're going to give you guys some gameplay of Stern Pinball's brand new 2019 release of Stranger Things. But it's not just gameplay. This is literally first impressions. The very first time putting my hands on that game, you get to see the first one. We're doing all three games. We played three games. We're the best of three. You get to see the first time that I played three games on this. So don't judge too much. We haven't played this game all that much. I might have put five games on it at my house. And he talked me into it. I did. I wasn't going to buy it. What did I tell you? I backed out of it on him, which he bitches about. So I was really hesitant. But I backed out, and then he called me, and he was like, Greg, I unboxed it. I put a handful of games on there. I did not want to stop. You've got to buy it. I'm bringing it to your house. Yep. It's coming. Bringing it to your house. And you know what I did? I said, do you have mid $5,000, $6,000? And you're like, yeah, why? I'm like, well, I'm bringing this game with me. It was a shakedown. Yeah. We're going to unbox it. You're going to keep it. And you're going to love it. And so here it is. So we're going to go over the gameplay. And then we're going to come back to us. So you guys can see how Greg and I played the game and experience it. The sights, sounds, and smells. Not the smells.
3:44

medium confidence · Jon: 'This feels to me like a Steve Ritchie with that flow and that speed matched up with a John Popadiuk, where it looks like you know where this ball is going, but then you hit an orb and it turns into a wire-form ramp'

  • Comet Pinball is developing aftermarket LED headlight kits for pinball machines based on user demand

    high confidence · Jon reports: 'Comet is Ryan and them over there... they actually wrote and they said... we're thinking about maybe putting together some of those head lighting kits so that people stop asking us how to do it'

  • The game's playfield layout is sparse compared to recent Stern releases like Star Wars

    medium confidence · Greg: 'This is honestly since Star Wars probably even the most barren for the Stern games... the Premium Edition is the same way.'

  • “It feels like it's telling a story. I love that kind of game.”

    Jon@ 27:58 — Highlights the mode-based narrative design as a core strength.

  • “I literally woke up this morning still terrified that you were bringing me this game and I was going to have to pay that much for something that I did not want... But I do not regret the process.”

    Greg@ 28:39 — Demonstrates a sentiment reversal from initial skepticism to acceptance after hands-on play.

  • “It's like the birth child of a John Popadiuk and Steve Ritchie.”

    Jon@ 25:13 — Establishes canonical comparison linking Eddy's design approach to legendary designers.

  • “This feels very different than any other game you've really played... Something feels different about this entire game.”

    Greg@ 28:26 — Confirms the game's distinct identity despite being a Stern machine.

    • Jerry Thompsonperson
    Ted C. Haleperson
    Steve Ritchieperson
    John Popadiukperson
    Eric Meunierperson
    Dennis Creaselessperson
    Chuck Workperson
    Comet Pinballcompany
    Straight Down the Middle: a pinball showorganization
    Texas Pinball Festivalevent
    Pin Stadiumproduct
    Deadpoolgame
    Guardians of the Galaxygame
    Star Warsgame
    Pirates of the Caribbeangame
    Netflixcompany
  • ?

    community_signal: Brian Eddy returning to active pinball design after 20+ year hiatus, now employed at Stern for past two years

    high · Jon: 'Brian Eddy, he was on a hiatus from pinball for 20 plus years... employed by Stern for the last two years, and this is his first step back'

  • ?

    announcement: Stranger Things officially released by Stern Pinball (2019) with simultaneous distributor and location availability

    high · Jon confirms simultaneous launch to warehouses and locations on same day, unprecedented approach for Stern

  • ?

    product_strategy: Stranger Things playfield noted as sparse compared to recent Stern releases, with significant mod community opportunity for custom toys/moldings

    medium · Greg: 'This is honestly since Star Wars probably even the most barren for the Stern games... This is open for mod makers'

  • ?

    product_strategy: Comet Pinball developing aftermarket LED headlight/sidelighting kits as response to user demand, with pre-packaged strips and extensions

    high · Jon reports Comet reaching out to develop kits: 'we're thinking about maybe putting together some of those head lighting kits so that people stop asking us'

  • ?

    product_concern: Demogorgon toy has mechanical spring issue causing ball rejection on imperfect entries; requires code or mechanical fix

    high · Greg describes bouncing/spring mechanism; Jon suggests code-based solution (require 3-4 hits instead of single perfect shot)

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Greg's sentiment reversed from hesitant/skeptical pre-purchase to satisfied post-play; cites layout quality and code potential

    high · Greg: 'I literally woke up this morning still terrified... But I do not regret the process'

  • ?

    technology_signal: Early code release (v0.6466) lacks expected callouts, music variants, and light show effects typical of polished launches

    high · Greg: 'it's missing so many call-outs, it's missing so much of the music variants. Light shows... you don't have a lot of that'

    • All the gas in all over the place. That's right. We'll come back. We'll give our first impressions of Stranger Things.
    3:51
    That'd be okay. Alright look, fun is skill shot. So the skill shot, roving targets, whatever. That's not very fun. But if you loft it into that scoop, that's a super skill shot. Ooh, that's a fun one. We're gonna go for that.
    4:13
    Drop birds will murder you. I always try taking them out during my falls. Look at that! Oh, that is shocking! That's my favorite shot. Then that one. Oh! Love that one too. Whoa! Those are wide inner orbits. It's weird. Yeah. That is really odd feeling. That's a really good shot. That is really odd feeling. Like kind of nice. Yeah, that inner orbit to the outer orbit. That's what I call it. Oh, boy. Oh, man. Oh, ain't it, Bally Brickchip? Those are murder, man. Player two, you're up. How's the pitch and everything feel? See, it didn't qualify. Oh! See, I can... Keep going. They're gonna do that in code, I bet. On that scene. Can't keep going? Not too much. Really? Oh, we did. Is it re-level? Yeah, ain't bad. No. Get out of there.
    5:48
    It's so addicting to go for those things, but they're just they're chump shots Well, I understand how that branch made it over there now. That took me a minute. Like in pictures to...
    6:02
    Let's do it. Oh, I knew it! I knew not to go for that And this is a game that I found it almost needs to be broken a little bit because like the first 10 games on it, things are stiff like the draw targets.
    6:21
    Oh, so this is upside down. You gotta get all four draw targets down, they're worth good points. But the hurry up is so short, it's already almost done. Ah. Holy shit. See, that's it.
    6:41
    So why'd those pop back up? You gotta get it down twice before... Oh, you're playing with fire. I like fire.
    6:52
    Look at all that spinner. Juicy. Oh. Nice. Now it's ready. It's primed. We're gonna get it in that counter. It's not a good... Oh.
    7:09
    Spell of protection, ball save. I forget you're pretty good at pinball. It's not looking that way. There it is. There she is. Oh, it already lights up or something. The red. I was like, I want to light that hole.
    7:32
    Oh, boy. It ain't amazing. Where's it come out from? Good luck. Oh, my God. Put it right in that fucker's mouth. There it is. It's not bad. It's like you said, it's challenging. It's when you hit it too hard, you're getting too much speed. Yeah, you can't. It's satisfying. It'll work at it. Now, the next time you go for it, it'll probably take like 20 shots. He softer than what I thought too I think they code in some reactions whenever you hit him because I know that there I think there a switch that registers a hit
    8:18
    You haven't even started mode yet. There's a mode, Morse code. It's off of season two. Right side of season two, left side of season two. Damn it.
    8:33
    Oh, it didn't catch it. That block? Yeah. It didn't earlier either. Oh, I love it. Mystery is lit. It's going up, though. It's going up. It's almost like it's releasing it immediately.
    8:48
    Ooh, man. Nice job. See, look, you're spelling out. Oh, you got a spell. Yeah, each mode's like that. It's cool. Like, you're searching for stuff, or you're trying to... Nice ball, man. So does it to you, just like briefly, going over the rules, does it feel very 90s to you? No. No? Not like shoot the orbits? Well, that setup is. Like the bikes is a certain mode, that's a certain mode. So the layout of the code is, but it's the complexity in those rules as well as the number of modes. See, you have to get through five Season 1 modes, five Season 2 modes. Those are five modes as well. And what's cool is you get through the first Demogorgon, so you got through the first one. The second one, when you go to get it, when you start him, it'll be a two-ball multiball. And I don't know if it goes three, four, five-ball multiball. I don't know how that works. And then you've got to get, like, Brian Eddy stuff, you've got to get all five of these main ones to get to the final showdown. One of them is a five-way car. I'm withholding judgment. Withholding judgment.
    10:07
    Give me that loft, baby. Nope, it's closer. Really? Okay. Woo! I'm going to let that one go. Jealous of my demogorgon. fudge! Now that feed is wicked from that right? It's almost like the guy doesn't go out long. The spring is so tight. You like him tight? You know why I bring the multi-spring? Break in a little bit like your mom. Hey! That's what you get. That's what you get, Mr. 49 mil.
    10:51
    Ooh! See it doesn't play like a regular fan layout. Everything is somewhere different. It doesn't. Your lock is just great. It's hungry. I hit it twice! You got two locks. You need a third lock. Jip me. Booger! Oh, what a snaggy. Whoa! Alright, so you're ready for that second Dim Dory. second Dimitri, you know, totally fucking botched it. Oh, see, mate, you were set up. I was getting too. You were set up for that. You were set up for the multi-ball. I got to still to flip happy and not you still killed me. Oh, baby, get in there. Takes one ball. Three ball many. There we go. A little upside down. All right. Oh. Oh, shoot. Let's try that again. Oh, that was sweet. Yeah, see, that... Yeah, that feed is...
    12:03
    Oh, no. You're right. Like, the drop targets... God, I knew it. Why do I keep going for that thing, man? I was going to say, you're right. The drop targets are brutal, but they're not that bad. God.
    12:21
    All right. When I blow up this game is when I stay away from the drop targets. I hit the drop targets during my ball save, and then I'm going to ran for it.
    12:30
    Hmm, we've got to put another one on there. We're going to do one more. I agree. Chromit, Brassit, Black Nicolet, Candy Chromit, Powder Coated. The possibilities are endless at pinballplating.com.
    12:43
    Your pinball machine deserves the best. At Comet Pinball, you'll find the best variety of LED products with the best quality LEDs. and most importantly, at the best price. Your collection is begging for an upgrade. Order yours now at CometPinball.com. Check out Pin Graphics for the latest and greatest in pinball enhancements, power blades, blade skins, pin blades, and even more. Visit PinGraphics.com now to see what's available for your pinball machine. Okay. All right, Boney. So, who wants to go first? We can go together in unison. like a tandem, like an ice skating tag team!
    13:28
    Alright, let's first impressions when you walk up to the machine. Does it get the check mark for, that's a pretty machine. Yeah, it's not bad. It's actually a little prettier. The ambiance is a little better than what I thought. Lighting was good. Some purples in there. I like that. The purple's nice. The purple's not maybe a little overdone. A little dark maybe? A little dark, but you can see it. But I got this one in front of a window. So, but it's still not bad. Um, art is quite a bit better than what I thought it was going to be. It is. It's good. Back glass. I actually did not like the pro back glass. Did you not? No, I didn't. I liked the premium. The premium was my favorite of all. But it's actually, again, not bad in person. So I'm not mad at it. You're not mad at it. No, I'm not mad at it. You know, yeah. I mean, honestly, the art and everything. It's a little too purple.
    14:15
    I can't get enough purple. Last time I said something was a little too red. Got my ass handed to me. so I'm a little hesitant to call it a little too purple. A little too much purple.
    14:24
    But no, it's not bad. What's yours? I think it's pretty. It fits the bill. It looks like Stranger Things to me. I like the splashes of color. I'd rather have more color than not enough color. Yeah. So I'm good with that. Of the art packages, as we've seen video and photos of the Premium LE, I think I tend to like the Premium LE options a little better just visually. Agreed. And I'm really interested to see how that screen projection mapping works, but I was Presently surprised that whenever I heard it's not going to be a projection screen So you're just going to have a decal one decal up there it frightened me Yeah, but if you're going to pick a decal that decals that decals perfect looks good And it doesn't obstruct everybody thinks oh, it's right in the middle of the playfields gonna obstruct I don't find it obstructing anything really still to see the pops the ramp all of that stuff like with aesthetics, and this isn't art-based, but I do wish, and this is something obviously our mod makers, I think that honestly this game is the most open game for mod makers and secondary people on the market. Yeah. Just from an aesthetic standpoint, not necessarily mods. If nobody right now is making Eggo pop bumper caps, that's a fail. I don't know the bicycles. That's the only thing that I feel like it's missing is it doesn't grab... I actually think a lot of the pen is missing this from first impressions and taking a look at it, it's really missing that 80s feel a lot. You get it in the colors, obviously, some of the stuff on the DMD, but it's very early on. But play field-wise, you just don't have anything that screams... You're wanting more 80s and assault, rather than that sci-fi, high-color saturation type feel. It's nice to have the Demogorgon, and I'm not advocating, and I don't want the flat plastics like you had on Deadpool and some of that stuff, but I would have liked some more toys. Moldings? Moldings, yeah, different things on there, a few 3D things, maybe a little more Ghostbuster-ish. Oh I see Stay puffed get the Slimer Yeah yeah not just a Demogorgon because everything else there really nothing there This is honestly since Star Wars probably even the most barren For the pro? For the pro that I've seen. Honestly, the premium is the same way. You just get projectors. Oh.
    16:34
    But projector mapping or a molded toy. Yes, if it does good. Magnets that hold the ball in the back. Oh, yeah. No, I'm not complaining about that. I'm just talking about aesthetic questions. I'm an aesthetic senior. We can always add molds. That's what I'm saying. This is open for mod makers. That's a good point. Yeah, they can really load this thing up. So we know that Brian Eddy, he was on a hiatus from pinball for 20 plus years, right? He comes back. He's done Medieval Madness. He's done Attack from Mars. Before that, he did The Shadow, which I prefer over the other two games. He coded games, Indiana Jones, some Black Rose action. He's got his hands in a lot at the Bally Williams. He goes into mobile gaming, I think. Mobile gaming. He comes back 20 years later, employed by Stern for the last two years, and this is his first step back into pinball. He gets a dynamite, just world-renowned license. This is one of the biggest licenses Stern Pinball has probably ever gotten. This is a big license, most viewed streaming program in the world. So he gets that. And when we see pictures, we see video, we see a very fan layout. Yes. Very much fan, and everybody thought, this is very much Attack from Mars 2.0. Yes. So as we're talking about gameplay and layout, my first impression is that this is very far from anything Medieval Manus or Attack from Mars. The shots on this game, minus the ramps, the ramps you know where they're going to go visually, but every other shot, Greg, goes in totally different directions than you would expect it to. My favorite part of this game, Stranger Things by Brian Eddy and Stern Pinball, is the layout.
    18:07
    Yeah, I mean, the layout is good. I think I was expecting something. Good? Yeah, it's good. Left orbit spinner to the rear? It feels, everything feels good. I think the layout, I think that I had a different impression. I think I was expecting something that was more shadowish. I was expecting something a little, that mixed things up and really changed stuff up a lot, which it does. It's odd. I'm very confused in this because, like Zach said, it's like a basic fan layout. The shots are all super smooth, but they're actually really unique shots, especially that left orbit to that ramp, but then the way the normal right ramp drops off, everything around that Demogorgon, like Zach said, the shots don't go where you think they're going to go, so it's kind of surprising, not to the point like Whitewater is. It looks like a horseshoe in the middle of the playfield, but neither one of those do a horseshoe. No. So it's kind of surprising. It still feels somewhat basic. It's basic, but surprising.
    18:59
    Okay. If that makes sense. At least that's the way it feels with three games on it. It feels like a Stern pinball machine. Yes. but super smooth it is so smooth shots are not ridiculous there's a lot of air balls from the drop targets as drop targets often do they're brutal the drop targets right in the middle are so addictive to hit because you want to get that ramp down but they will murder you and the Demogorgon so I was discussing this with somebody and I do think that it still needs some work and that's all code but you know Attack from Mars it's just simply hitting a spaceship but when you hit that spaceship and it goes crazy and you've destroyed and everything's going on Like, that's intense. Like, it feels, it grabs you every time. As simple as it, even Star Trek Vengeance. Oh, yeah. Feels the same way. And I think that this needs that added to it to really make you want to hit that thing. But, surprisingly enough, it does make me want to hit it more than I thought. You kept going for it, knowing that it was going to kill you. That brings me to the only major critique, shot-wise and everything. Okay. is that Demogorgon is very difficult to hit. Correct. And after three games, but about 95 shots on that Demogorgon in the second game, I tried to just, especially because we're doing first impressions. The first game you nailed it. Yeah. Right in his mouth. Exactly. So I was trying to really pay attention to what was going on. And at first, because of that first game, and I hit it in there pretty easy, I thought, okay, it's just got to be a soft shot. but I think it's almost like he feels like he's made of rubber or something, and he's got some springs. So it's almost like when it goes to go in his mouth, if it doesn't go in perfect, then it'll hit.
    20:41
    It'll hit. You want it stiffer when it's going in his mouth? Yes, he springs a little bit, and I think it.
    20:47
    You want it stiffer when it goes in his mouth. Okay. All right. Well, you get what I'm saying. Just watch the replays. Yeah, I think they can maybe fix that a little bit. I think so. But I think it needs to be because it is overly frustrating. Some people are calling for this. I think there's a switch that detects hits on that, even if it's an in-the-mouth hit or not. Some people are calling for, let's do like a 3-4 hit defeats him. Yeah, do more hits. Single shot in the mouth, done. Exactly. And then you don't have to worry about reworking the mech. You don't have to fix what's wrong with it. You get some lighting effects, maybe some shaker effects. And I'd be fine with that because I still want to hit it. Yeah, it's still fun to hit. It's out of control. Yeah, I like that he moves, and I like the softness when I hit him. So, honestly, I think that is a better fix to that. And, again, code. Yeah. Maybe. I think so. Is there a switch? Because he registers when you actually hit him. I think there is a switch that registers, but it's just not really coded much. This is early code. Very early. For a release. Now, the one cool thing, I think it's .6466, something like that. Very early code, so we've got a long way to go. one of the cool things that CERN Pinball did that in our time in the hobby hasn't been done before is when they announced this damn pinball machine they were at distributors warehouses and on location same day exactly can you beat that no now would you rather would you rather would you rather have that and grow with the code or would you rather them have a one month wait after release to make the code a bit more fleshed out which one do you want I'm mixed this or that I'm mixed because this is the problem I have with this machine. It's got decent code.
    22:22
    There's going to be a lot in there. There's decent code already, but it doesn't seem like there's decent code because it's missing so many call-outs, it's missing so much of the music variants. Light shows. Yeah, you don't have a lot of that going on. That usually comes towards the end because you need the game to function first. Yes. You need all the modes coded first. Exactly. And the little details. I agree, but it's not code-bearing like Deadpool was necessarily when Deadpool came out. Or Batman 66. Guardians was a little weak. I'd like to see somebody get through all those modes. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's just that it feels a little boring watching it. Playing it, it's not as bad. But watching it, that's why I was hesitant to get it. I watched the stream. I thought the stream looked like it sucked. I felt boring. You know what's odd to me, though, as we're talking about code now? It's odd to me that out of the box, I think Deadpool was further along, but this still feels like it's got a lot more than that original Deadpool code. Oh, I agree. like when you play it isn't that strange though oh I completely agree it's like I said like playing it it's not boring it doesn't feel that way but watching because you don't have those action moments you don't have the call that's like kill him you know shoot in his fucking mouth or something you know you don't have any of that you don't have the at least we got Hopper though yeah that's one of the coolest things in this game you get the actual actor that played Hopper on the series itself doing the call up and video assets I want to see a little more longer video assets because the video assets that you see now they cut off super quick. I want to see just a little bit more. But as you're progressing through the modes, and you'll see the more you play, as you're progressing through the modes, more of the story is unveiled after each correct shot. I like that. This has a very good basis. If they fix the Demogorgon, because the Demogorgon killed it for me. Actually, when I first put that first game on there, I was like, oh my God, dude, Zach is right. The second game, having to beat that Demogorgon. You were like, he's just a son of a bitch. Yeah, I was like. But, if I'm playing the alternative here, It's not like the whole game shuts off and you have to hit that. No. You can still qualify locks. You can still qualify nodes. You've still got a lot to go for. But it just that you see him there and you like I want to hit that mother You so bad This game feels to me and I was telling somebody else this because the left orbit to right ramp is one of the funnest smoothest shots Takes you by surprise. The right inner orbit to the left orbit, again, like you were alluding to, buttery smooth. Even the right orbit that goes up, hits the pops, and comes back out, very reminiscent to Eric Menier's Pirates of the Caribbean to the left. How it goes up, comes back down. Spinner shot is fantastic. Even the saucer skill shot, that little loft that's supposed to go right in there. Yes. Oh, that feels really good. This feels to me like a Steve Ritchie with that flow and that speed matched up with a John Papaduke, where it looks like you know where this ball is going, but then you hit an orb and it turns into a wire-form ramp, and you're like, what the hell is going on? So it's like the birth child of a John Papaduke and Steve Ritchie. Eddie, if you take offense to that, I'm sorry. He's like, that son of a... That is what it feels like. It's almost like Brian Eddy, Dennis Creaseless said it. He has perfected the fan layout. But now he takes that. And tweaked it. Yes, he tweaked it. Made it different. Contemporary. Because I actually like that saucer. I was kind of worried about that saucer. But I like the saucer because to me, oh, it's a safe spot. Another shot. And it shoots it up the play field rather than back down like a scoop or something. Exactly. Because I like it because then it's like, okay, I'm going to clear out a couple targets up there that I need cleared out when I hit that saucer. But like I said, it gives me a little bit of a peace time. Oh, yeah. Because it's actually kind of a fast game. It's super flowy. It's very fast. So when I hit that saucer, it gives me a breath. I want to see more light show. Yeah. This game deserves one of the biggest light shows in pinball. I think with Mike Vinacore, I think with Brian Eddy, with so many people working on this. Lonnie Rock. With three people's heads into it, I don't think they're going to fail us. No. Brian Eddy, by trade, is a software guy. Yeah. He just said it. It's just so early, but actually it doesn't feel like it's a .64 code. That's actually exciting to me because I'm like, if that's what we're getting in .6 something, eh. Yeah. It's like Elvira. I'm like, man, this game's going to be deep. I don't know if I like waiting for it, but I'm not mad at it. There's enough there to play. What about the sound? We've talked about the live show. We've talked about it. Sound is very good. Sound's pretty good. Again, it just needs more. It needs more. It definitely needs 80s music. People keep doing that. See, I'm hearing a lot of lasers that I really love. The spinner sounds really good. Yeah, but you need some variance in that music. That's what during the stream. We usually start the quarter hunt. That's what I'm saying. The quarter hunt. The change of the entire music is different during that. It needs a little more variance in the game within modes. I'm actually excited about the code. Not to go back on. Who does the sound? I think it's Jerry Thompson. Jerry. I don't know, though. Don't quote me on that because I don't know for sure if it was Jerry. I know that, was it Ted Hale? I think Ted Hale did some of the original scores outside of that main original score. But I think it's him. But I think that there's a lot that can go on with that. I'm just excited because this is a mode-based game, number one I love. It's an assets-based game, and you feel like you're playing the story. So when you start the Will, the one mode where they're trying to get the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer out of Will, and they heat it up, they heat up the room. but every correct shot you get there's a thermometer that gets higher and higher. The Morse code that we were playing. Oh Morse code that was fun You're trying to fill out your Morse code Monster Hunter you're trying to collect each shot collects a different utility for this monster. It feels like it's telling a story. I love that. I agree I love that kind of game In closing I will say this about it to kind of sum it up while it feels like a stern and it shoots like a stern it feels not to the point that Jurassic Park is, but it feels very different than any other game you've really played.
    28:19
    No? It does. It does feel different. The whole ambiance, everything with it, even if there's code safety. But when you see a fan layout, you wouldn't think that. No, it feels very different. Something feels different about this entire game. Brian Eddy's back, in my opinion. Yeah, it's nice. Brian Eddy is back. I'm not mad I bought it. I'll take this layout over a lot of layouts that we've seen here in... I literally woke up this morning still terrified that you were bringing me this game and I was going to have to pay that much money for something that I did not want. Just wait, man. But I do not regret the process. I can already see where this is going code-wise. And remember how much we love Guardians of the Galaxy. Yeah. This is like 3.0 Guardians of the Galaxy. It really is. It's going to be that much. Yeah, I agree. 12 main modes, 5 demogorgon modes. You've got hurry up. And it kind of feels like Guardians in a sense if I was going to do that just without all the tight shots. And not so many shots. Now, dim a gorgon hole. Gorgon hole. Bam. You got your gorgon hole. My gorgon hole is a little tight. It kind of looks like it. I got to edit that in there. All right, so there you have it. A little bit of a new format here. We show you how the game plays. We show you features of the game. We talk about the game live here. Then you get to learn whether or not you like the game there, Greg. I've put a couple games on it. But what do you think about Stranger Things by Stern Pinball? I think it's a great game. here, then you get to learn whether or not you like the game there, Greg. I put a couple games on it. But what do you think about Stranger Things by Stern Pinball? Comment down below!
    29:44
    Sorry. sttmpinball at gmail.com if you want to email us, tell us what you're liking, what you're not liking, what you want to see next. Some of these poor guys don't want to see any more of Cary Hardy.
    29:55
    Poor Cary Hardy. I still love Cary. I think he does great work. He's so creative. One of the most important things right now that we need you guys to do. You, right there. We need you to vote for, straight down the middle of Pinball Show. It is Twippy season! Third annual Twippy Award. Twippy season! For YouTube. Don't vote for us for everything. No. Because that's ridiculous and stupid. We're on YouTube. Yeah. YouTube. Vote for us on YouTube. Not podcast. Not streamer. It's streamer. You can vote for him. Chuck Wirt. Chuck Wirt streams. Definitely Chuck Wirt streams. Yeah, you can vote for Zach Minney on podcast. No, stop. He does a podcast. I do this week's Pinball Podcast. Whatever. He also has got all that streaming over there and flipping out. Flipping out pinball streaming with Ken Cromwell and them boys. That's right. But no, don't vote for us for Topper and Game of the Year and stuff like that. Or any of that other stuff. For Straight Down the Middle, YouTube. Also, you can follow us on Facebook. You can follow us on Instagram. No, you can't. Not on Instagram. We've never created it. Facebook. What else do we got? Do we have anything else? No, that's it. That's it. We're basic. We're simple. Basic. We're simple. And then also check out Chuck Wart. Check out Kerry Hardy. check out flipping out pinball for a brand new pinball machine or escalera check out our sponsors some of our sponsors too at the beginning of this video in the midway through this video check out them too well pin stadiums on i think i'm gonna add pin stadiums to my stranger things i think so just the uv flashers how cool would that be i want it dark so uh check out oh tpf last thing tpf end of march get your tickets now get your hotels now and see greg and i host the third annual twippy awards and try to sit don't yell at us or anything I do have one more exciting thing too I don't know if I'm allowed to say this No I'm only the one three did blow up I'm actually terrified Okay so I'm going to light the head on this guy If I keep it I want to play some more games I want to make sure I'm going to keep it I'm going to light the head on this guy And if you guys look back on our Facebook Oh you've got to do purple I might do blue on this one Ice blue I've got ice blue So Comet reached out to me We did a video for Comet is Ryan and them over there They're great sponsors of ours and they actually wrote and they said hey Greg do you care if we use you know we're thinking about maybe putting together some of those head lighting kits so that people stop asking us how to do it since you released that video and showed yours so be on the lookout for those from Comet Pinball Man that they'll have you actually some little kits with the strips and extensions and everything you need to light your heads It's like a featured STTM product It is. STTM inspired Oh Jesus
    32:27
    Something with a slingshot, you're rolling out the out in our gig. I'll try to cradle you with my flipper, it was all in vain. It was all in vain. Baby, baby, baby.