Venom (PRO) Pinball - I Played It

Cary Hardy·video·12m 11s·analyzed·Oct 5, 2023

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.028

TL;DR

Venom Pro criticized as worst bang-for-buck base model due to stripped playfield and poor code onboarding.

Summary

Carrie Hardy shares a critical first-impressions video of Stern's Venom Pro pinball after playing it at two locations. She argues the Pro model is the worst value base-tier game to date, criticizing its barren playfield design, poor onboarding/code documentation, and lack of kinetic satisfaction. Hardy contends the Premium model is the only viable home ownership option, while acknowledging the game may perform well initially on location routes.

Key Claims

Venom Pro is the worst bang for buck Pro model to date
medium confidence · Hardy opens video stating this is 'probably the worst bang for buck pro model to date' based on her experience playing 26 games with highest score of 647 million.
The playfield has almost no kinetic satisfaction and is designed to keep players from watching the ball
high confidence · Hardy states: 'This game is literally designed to keep you from watching what the ball does after you make a shot. Either you make a shot and it coming right back at you or you make a shot and they are launching a ball into your in-lane.'
Stern released a promotional video with Dwight (coder) and Brian Eddy (designer) explaining how to play Venom, which is unprecedented
high confidence · Hardy explicitly mentions: 'This even includes a video put together by stern that includes dwight the coder and brian eddie the designer telling you how to play this game... They've never done a promo video like this for any of their other games not to my recollection.'
The code does a poor job assisting casual players on how to progress, requiring external resources like YouTube tutorials
high confidence · Hardy states: 'the code does a horrible job at this time assisting you on how to play this game' and 'There are more video tutorials on how to play this game than there are on food fighters right now.'
The Pro model only changes code; the Premium changes actual mechanical elements, representing a major design fail for the Pro
high confidence · Hardy emphasizes: 'Choose your host, change the game but the only thing that's going to change on the pro is the code... When you have a game and the slogan is Choose your host, change the game but the only thing that's going to change on the pro is the code.'
Venom will do well on location initially but players will stop playing once they beat Null
medium confidence · Hardy predicts: 'I think it's going to do very well in the beginning. And once these players learn how to play it and they eventually make it through and defeat Null, I think a lot of them are going to be done.'

Notable Quotes

“This is probably the worst bang for buck pro model to date.”
Carrie Hardy @ 0:00-0:10 — Opening statement establishing the video's critical stance on Venom Pro's value proposition.
“This game is literally designed to keep you from watching what the ball does after you make a shot.”
Carrie Hardy @ ~4:00 — Core criticism of playfield design philosophy—ball doesn't provide visual/kinetic feedback that pinball players value.
“I personally, and I know I'm not the only one, that likes to watch the ball do something cool. Not on this game.”
Carrie Hardy @ ~4:30 — Articulates the missing appeal factor for casual and engaged players.
“Have you ever heard the term hot dog down a hallway? Do you see the problem here?”
Carrie Hardy @ ~6:00 — Visceral criticism of the center ramp horseshoe design as overly wide and uninviting.
“I may be crazy but I do not feel like a machine should rely on me to do homework and watch third-party materials like youtube tutorials in order for me to progress in this game.”
Carrie Hardy @ ~7:00 — Core complaint about code onboarding—game expects external learning resources.
“They've never done a promo video like this for any of their other games not to my recollection at least.”
Carrie Hardy @ ~10:00 — Acknowledges that Stern felt compelled to create educational content, a signal of complexity/onboarding issues.
“Choose your host, change the game but the only thing that's going to change on the pro is the code.”
Carrie Hardy @ ~20:00 — Criticism of marketing promise not delivered on Pro tier—mechanical elements exclusive to Premium/LE.
“The pro model for me at this time is a big no.”
Carrie Hardy @ ~21:00 — Final verdict on Pro ownership viability.

Entities

Carrie HardypersonStern PinballcompanyVenomgame Venom ProproductVenom PremiumproductDwight Sullivanperson Brian EddypersonFood Fightersgame

Signals

?
community_signal: Stern created official promotional video featuring coders and designers (Dwight, Brian Eddy) explaining game rules and progression, unprecedented approach suggesting complexity/onboarding issues.
high · Hardy notes: 'They've never done a promo video like this for any of their other games' and attributes it to Venom being first with level progression mechanics, but criticizes that game should self-teach.
~
sentiment_shift: Content creator expresses frustration with game's forced progression/RPG-like endgame structure where players complete wizard mode and stop playing, reducing long-term engagement compared to traditional endless replayability.
medium · Hardy notes: 'I would be more inclined to continue playing Venom past beating Null if it was fun to shoot' and references her RPG gaming experience where beating the game ends play.
?
competitive_signal: Venom Pro optimized for location/tournament play (fast turnover, flashy artwork, quick lock system) at expense of home collector experience and casual player joy, creating tension between operator and enthusiast markets.
high · Hardy states: 'The Venom Pro is going to be a great game on location and for tournaments' with fast gameplay and high turnover, but lacks fun factor for long-term ownership.
?
design_philosophy: Core game design philosophy inverts typical pinball appeal—intentionally designed to prevent players from watching ball movement after shots, instead showing video transitions and launching next ball immediately.
high · Hardy states: 'This game is literally designed to keep you from watching what the ball does after you make a shot' and criticizes the constant video stingers interrupting flow.

Topics

Playfield design and kinetic feedbackprimaryCode onboarding and casual player accessibilityprimaryPro vs Premium tier differentiation and value propositionprimaryLocation/operator performance vs home collector experiencesecondaryVideo integration and digital vs mechanical gameplay balancesecondaryStern marketing and promotional strategy for complex rule setssecondaryTournament vs casual player design philosophymentionedProgression systems and end-game replayabilitysecondary

Sentiment

negative(-0.72)— Hardy is critical throughout, calling Venom Pro the worst value Pro model, criticizing playfield design, code onboarding, and lack of mechanical satisfaction. She acknowledges it may work on location but expresses strong personal disinterest in ownership. Tone is frustrated but measured and evidence-based rather than purely dismissive.

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.037

I played Stern Pinball's Venom Pro Model in two different places and I got two different experiences. One place was bad and the other was... this is probably the worst bang for buck pro model to date. what's up everyone and welcome back to my channel where i talk and do everything pinball and a special thank you to the over 8400 of you out there that decided to hit the subscribe button down below now i say i played in two different places because my first experience on the first location was pretty bad and i was like man i don't want to put this all i want to put this experience all on just this one game i was like i want to give this game as much of a fair shot for my first experience and to give you my i played it video with me at least trying to say to you that i tried i really did so before i begin let me get the disclaimers out of the way and that is number one this is not a review this is merely my current thoughts and opinions and experience with the game and number two i'm well aware that the code is not complete 0.92 i want to say just dropped and number three according to insider connected i have 26 games total on this and my highest score is 647 million so take all those little tidbits and let that be your salt to sprinkle across this video but i got a feeling that the video is already going to be a little salty as it is. Anyways, the Venom Pro is going to be a great game on location and for tournaments. It's got essentially everything an operator could ask for. You've got the flashy artwork to draw in the interest of the crowd, as well as fast gameplay that's going to essentially lead to fast game times, for the casuals at least, causing you to have a high turnover, more quarters in the games to continue playing. But for how long? That's the real question. The Pro may have that quick lock system or fast lock system, but it's completely barren of anything interesting to shoot at. There is almost no kinetic satisfaction. Don't scratch that. I mean, for whatever reason, that center ramp was pretty fun to hit. But it will lose its interest and fire over time because you're going to find it pretty easy to repeat over and over again. And I'm going to assume I like it because it's one of the only few times you get to see the ball do anything. This game is literally designed to keep you from watching what the ball does after you make a shot Either you make a shot and it coming right back at you or you make a shot and they are launching a ball into your in I mean, I personally, and I know I'm not the only one, that likes to watch the ball do something cool. Not on this game. The moment your attention is drawn to watching the ball go up a ramp or onto a wire form, it's already launching another ball into your in-lane for you to shoot. I mean, these quick locks, they lessen the stop and go of the game, but there's still plenty of stop and go due to all the video transitions and stingers throughout the code. I would rather the quick locks be removed and you'll give us that center ramp that moves up and down. This would have given me more reason to switch hosts and it would have made that center shot much funner to shoot towards. Because as it sits on the pro, you've got a giant big old open horseshoe to shoot at. Have you ever heard the term hot dog down a hallway? Do you see the problem here? Yeah, that hallway is like bizarrely huge. That right side of the horseshoe typically feeds to the peak of your right slingshot, causing it to bounce which in my opinion kills flow and i'm sure a lot of you would argue it adds chaos to the game i mean to each their own does the game shoot well yeah for the most part but is it fun not if you don't know how to play the code which brings me to my next point the code does a horrible job at this time assisting you on how to play this game i mean unless you want to read through the 31 pages going over the rules and why haven't i done that because i'm not a fucking nerd maybe i'm crazy but i do not feel like a machine should rely on me to do homework and watch third-party materials like youtube tutorials in order for me to progress in this game i mean not everyone can play this game while they have the machine's coder telling you what to do i'm looking at you joel i made a point to not watch any videos on this game before i played it for the first time i wanted to go in as an actual casual to the fullest extent as someone would experience it for the first time on location but it wasn't until like maybe halfway through my 26 games where I got info from a particular person at one of these locations that informed me on how to progress and that's where I actually started to get into the game but I know I cannot be the only one there are more video tutorials on how to play this game than there are on Foo Fighters right now i mean this even includes a video put together by stern that includes dwight the coder and Brian Eddy the designer telling you how to play this game instead of a mode-based game we have these things called paths each host gives you a different path toward the end of the game okay so if i start with eddie brock you'll see that there's various lights out here there's a yellow there's a blue and then there's a white and there's three lights down here white yellow and blue same pattern so if i make a yellow shot they've never done a promo video like this for any of their other games not to my recollection at least i'm sure some of you out there have seen one before but not to my knowledge and of course the argument's going to be it's because this is the first game that they've ever had any kind of like level progression and saving progression and stuff like that but say progression and picking up where I left off wasn't the problem. Me going into a multiball and it telling me to choose which partner I would like to have for my team up, but then not giving me the information on what each one of those particular characters is going to do for me, that's a problem. And now we go straight into Mayhem multiball. We're going to take Sleeper as the team up. What Sleeper does is it will add more time to battles, but it also acts as our add-a-ball And how the hell do you know that? For a multiball, which you will see in the left-hand corner. Oh, after you choose your character, it lets you know what they do. Oh, in the corner, too, right there. Oh, it's so obvious. Another issue I had on the first location I stopped at was that the ball would sometimes bounce off of the right wire form whenever the buck launches it over there. It would bounce off and land on the playfield, which honestly isn't that big of a deal. unless when you go into the scoop it puts you into video mode which essentially kills your flippers for you to play the video mode then the ball would launch up the buck bounce off the wire form onto your play field and then drain okay then whenever the video mode ends the game thinks that you just lost your ball and starts tallying up your end of ball bonus so once i got a better idea on how to progress and everything it was at that point where my only goal was now to just beat null so i can say that i beat the game and not have to play the pro model anymore which is why i mentioned earlier that this game would do well on location but for how long because with players having the ability to pick up where they left off i feel is going to give this game a short shelf I mean this is coming from someone that plays RPG games. Once I beat it, I'm done. But I would be more inclined to continue playing Venom past beating Null if it was fun to shoot But the Pro is so stripped of fun that I believe that the Premium is the only way to own this game and enjoy it long term So chances are when it comes to location plays, I think it's going to do very well in the beginning. And once these players learn how to play it and they eventually make it through and defeat Null, I think a lot of them are going to be done and hopefully the code will progress to where it actually does more on assisting players on how to play this game or maybe that's going to be part of extending the life of the game is just by making people figure it out like the old days wait I just remembered that uh I didn't read the apron card that's on the machines especially on sterns that typically gives you information on like how to play the game at least a little bit to kind of get you going i don't recall ever like looking at that apron card so chances are there's probably information on there that would have helped me in the beginning i'll play it more at expo and get a better idea but bottom line is the game fun to shoot I mean it's not horrible but it's also not great either I mean I have no interest in it Now the premium on the other hand could be a game changer No literally the game changes on the premium Which I feel is the biggest fail for the pro When you have a game and the slogan is Choose your host, change the game but the only thing that's going to change on the pro is the code and one of the reasons i play pinball is because it's tactile mechanical and we live in a digital world guys and pinball is like my escape from that digital world so the pro model for me at this time is a big no have any of you guys played venom yet and if you have let me know what you think about the game down below but here's a challenge tell me without using the word fast and i swear to god if you start talking about stacking and combos and all that other tournament nerd talk i'm gonna fucking scream Outro Music