Transformers Limited Edition on the Line at Stern Pinball; Sonic the Hedgehog & Transformers First Impressions; Dune Topper Update

Knapp Arcade·article·held·Jun 28, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.022

TL;DR

Transformers (LE) in production, Sonic hits 1,300 sales in 3 days, Dune topper delayed to September

Summary

Knapp Arcade reports on three major pinball developments: Transformers (LE) is now in production with positive location playtests; Sonic the Hedgehog launched with 1,300 units sold in three days and is ramping to 25 games/day; Barrels of Dune topper is delayed one month to September due to design refinements. The article includes first-hand gameplay impressions and production insights from industry events.

Key Claims

Jersey Jack Pinball sold 1,300 Sonic the Hedgehog units over the first three days
high confidence · Jack Guarnieri (JJP founder) stated this at Under the Glass Launch Party event on 6/28/2026
JJP is ramping Sonic production to likely 25 games per day
high confidence · Jack Guarnieri statement at Under the Glass event
There are currently 131 Transformers Pro machines on location across the United States
medium confidence · Knapp Arcade citing Pinball Map data, with caveat that actual number likely higher
Transformers Limited Edition machines are now being manufactured at Stern
high confidence · Stern Factory Friday video showing designer Elliot Eismin playtesting a fresh LE
Barrels of Dune topper is delayed approximately one month and now expected to ship in September
high confidence · Barrels of Fun blog post update on their website
JJP will probably build more Elton John machines given demand; they retain the license for another couple of years
high confidence · Jack Guarnieri statement at Under the Glass event
JJP will never build Pirates of the Caribbean again
high confidence · Jack Guarnieri statement at Under the Glass event
Sonic is being produced on JJP's second production line in tandem with Harry Potter
high confidence · Jack Guarnieri statement at Under the Glass event

Notable Quotes

“The game shoots fantastic. The layout is outstanding. And as everyone has been saying, the code is great.”
Knapp Arcade @ Transformers first impressions section — Positive gameplay feedback on Transformers that counters early Optimus controversy
“The initial Optimus controversy has taken away from what I think is one of Stern's best recent games.”
Knapp Arcade @ Transformers discussion — Suggests early controversy may have hurt perception despite strong game quality
“I bet that sales momentum picks up late like it has for a number of Stern games in the past, such as Stranger Things, once people realize how fun Transformers is.”
Knapp Arcade @ Transformers analysis — Historical pattern prediction about Stern game sales cycles
“The topper is undergoing some final changes and re-tooling as we didn't like the way some of it was working.”
Barrels of Fun @ Dune topper update section — Explains one-month delay in Dune topper release schedule
“Jack stated that JJP sold 1,300 Sonics over the first three days.”
Jack Guarnieri @ Sonic the Hedgehog section — Major sales milestone for JJP's Sonic launch
“The massive upper playfield is almost like a second game all by itself.”
Knapp Arcade @ Sonic gameplay impressions — Key design feature observation about Sonic's playfield architecture

Entities

Stern PinballcompanyJersey Jack Pinballcompany Barrels of Funcompany Transformers (LE)game Sonic the Hedgehoggame Dunegame Elliot Eisminperson

Signals

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product_launch: Transformers Limited Edition now in active production at Stern after Pro phase; video evidence from Factory Friday
high · Stern Factory Friday video showing Elliot Eismin playtesting fresh LE
?
gameplay_signal: Strong first-hand positive gameplay feedback on Transformers despite prior Optimus controversy; playfield layout and code praised
high · Author states 'The game shoots fantastic. The layout is outstanding. And as everyone has been saying, the code is great'
?
business_signal: JJP ramping Sonic to 25 games/day; running second production line alongside Harry Potter
high · Jack Guarnieri statement at Under the Glass event
$
market_signal: Sonic the Hedgehog achieved 1,300 units sold in first three days; strong initial demand
high · Jack Guarnieri official statement at launch event
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product_concern: Transformers Pro machines have cosmetic plastic issues; Soundwave and Dinobot plastics need replacement
high · Author's first-hand observation: 'the Soundwave and Dinobot plastics definitely need to be replaced'
?
manufacturing_signal: Barrels of Fun's Dune topper delayed one month; retooling required due to design concerns with original prototype
high · Barrels of Fun blog post states 'about a month late from the original schedule' with September ship date now expected

Transcript

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News Transformers Limited Edition on the Line at Stern Pinball; Sonic the Hedgehog & Transformers First Impressions; Dune Topper Update k knapparcade June 28, 2026 One of the main ideas behind this website has always been get the pinball and arcade news out before it gets stale, so I've been making an effort to increase the number of Weekend Update articles I do. I suspect that will continue as my boys get older and I don't know what to do with myself lol. Hopefully it gives everyone some fun poolside reading for the summer. Let's kick things off today with talk about Stern Pinball's latest game, Transformers: More than Meets the Eye. As is usually the case, Stern kicked off production of the game by building Pro machines for operators to get them out on location and into the public's hands. According to Pinball Map, there is currently 131 locations across the United States that have Pros on the floor, and I'm sure that somewhat understates the actual number. Impressive! I actually had a chance to play what I believe was the first Transformers on location in New Jersey yesterday at Under the Glass Pinball in Red Bank, NJ. I saw that another one was just put on the floor at another one of my favorite local spots, Rock Fantasy in Middletown, NY. I really, really liked it. The game shoots fantastic. The layout is outstanding. And as everyone has been saying, the code is great. There was some aspects of the Pro that I didn't like...the Soundwave and Dinobot plastics definitely need to be replaced, but overall the game was great. I want to play it again. I definitely see a trip to Rock Fantasy in my future. I have not had a chance to play the Premium / LE yet. Hopefully I will at some point. The initial Optimus controversy has taken away from what I think is one of Stern's best recent games. I bet that sales momentum picks up late like it has for a number of Stern games in the past, such as Stranger Things, once people realize how fun Transformers is. As I mentioned, Pro machines were on the line at Stern, but according to their regular "Factory Friday" clip it looks as though Limited Edition games are being made now. In the video, we see Transformers' designer Elliot Eismin play testing a fresh LE. Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Download the video instead. A look at the current Transformers pins on location: Pics of the game on the floor at Under the Glass: Next up we have a sneaky update on Barrels of Fun's upcoming topper for its Dune pinball machine. I almost missed this one because they never shared it on social media. I only found it because I was looking at Barrels' blog post on its website about its upcoming fun Pinball Cruise. It was their blog entry before that. According to the post, the Dune topper is "progressing nicely." Barrels had to make some final changes to its design because they didn't like the way the original prototype was working. They shared two new videos of the updated topper in action, which I have embedded below. As a result of these changes, Barrels is about a month behind its original schedule for the topper's release. They now anticipate that the finished toppers will ship to them in September. !Advertisement Ad 1 of 3 "Dune Animated Topper Update! Fellow Fremen! Development on the Dune animated topper has been progressing nicely and we want to share an update with you today! The topper is undergoing some final changes and re-tooling as we didn’t like the way some of it was working. Below, you will be able to check out two videos showing off some basic MOTOR and LIGHT TESTS which show the ability of the topper itself. This is NOT what the final choreography of these elements will look like when integrated into the machine, but we thought you might find it interesting to see how much we will be able to dial in the speed, motion, and timing of the worm and moons. For the worm, it will be undulating before you see it appear above the sand dunes and continue that motion until it is below the line of sight of the dunes. The moons will move independently but very slowly as timed with the day / night sequencing in the gameplay. The smaller moon will move faster and cross in front of the larger moon. The sky and sand dune colors will match your game’s day / night cycle and the sand dune lights will be turned down so they gradually change color from day to night just as the in-game lighting does now. These videos might look a little silly with the current uncoded choreography, but, again, these are just tests we want to share as we continue making progress on the development of this detailed topper. The lower fascia is also a test version and will be streamlined more as well. Currently, we anticipate these will ship to us and arrive in September so they are currently about a month late from the original schedule. Although the retooling has cost us some time, we believe the adjustments we’ve made are going to make this complex, but impressive topper, a memorable must-have addition to your Dune pinball experience! Thanks for joining us on this journey!" Worm Move - YouTube Tap to unmute Worm Move Barrels of Fun Pinball Barrels of Fun Pinball Moons Move - YouTube Tap to unmute Moons Now onto the game that dominated the headlines last week, Jersey Jack Pinball's Sonic the Hedgehog. Yesterday morning, my friend Rob and I headed south to the fantastic Under the Glass Pinball Speakeasy in Red Bank, NJ for their Launch Party for the game, featuring none other than JJP founder Jack Guarnieri and the game’s legendary designer Steve Ritchie. Under the Glass had two sessions to meet Jack and Steve, hear them talk about the game and get a chance to play it. Here’s some new details from their talk...Jack stared that JJP sold 1,300 Sonics over the first three days. The game is on the Company’s second production line, being made in tandem with Harry Potter. They are ramping up Sonic production to likely 25 games per day. Jack also mentioned that given demand for the game, at some point they JJP will probably build more Elton John’s. They still have the license for another couple of years. They will not, however, ever build Pirates of the Caribbean again. The Sonic festivities aren’t over. Under the Glass is hosting its Launch Tournament for the game this afternoon (Sunday 6/28) from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. I had a chance to play several games on Sonic today and I thought that it was fantastic. The massive upper playfield is almost like a second game all by itself. My friend Vic VP actually filmed our first 4-player game on Sonic. I’m not going to say who won, I'm Player 1 in the video below...the one with the highest score lol. Under the Glass is a must visit in beautiful Red Bank this summer. The street right in front of their arcade is closed to traffic and filled with amazing restaurants and bars. Here’s a boatload of pictures from the event and that gameplay video. Enjoy! Sonic Pinball Gameplay LIVE from Under The Glass - Knapp Arcade, Vic\VP And Mike Fokas - YouTube Tap to unmute Vic\VP Vic\VP New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement. Contact knapparcade@gmail.com today Posted 20 minutes ago k About knapparcade Site administrator Comments (0) Please sign in to join the conversation. No comments yet Be the first to share your thoughts on this post! Related Articles Transformers Limited Edition on the Line at Stern Pinball; Sonic the Hedgehog & Transformers First Impressions; Dune Topper Update 20 minutes ago A Look at Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog on the Production Line; No Matrix or Top Gun Pinball & More 2 days ago Jersey Jack Pinball Reveals Next Game - Sonic The Hedgehog 2 days ago Subscribe to Updates Get the latest pinball news, blog posts, and event announcements delivered to your inbox Subscribe !Advertisement Ad 1 of 3 New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement.