SDTM: This Or That? 2025 Pinball

Straight Down the Middle·video·21m 49s·analyzed·Jan 19, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.029

TL;DR

SDTM hosts 'This or That' comparisons of 2025 pinball machines with community submissions.

Summary

Greg and Zach from Straight Down the Middle host a 'This or That' comparison video where community members pit pinball machines against each other. They debate newer 2025 releases like Metallica Remastered, Uncanny X-Men, Evil Dead, Jaws Premium, and Jersey Jack titles against classic and upcoming machines, discussing gameplay, theming, and value propositions across different price tiers.

Key Claims

Metallica Remastered is 'proven straight out the gate' with full code by John Borg and Metallica music integration
high confidence · Greg discussing why he chose Metallica over X-Men for reliability and established quality
Evil Dead is 'jam-packed' and more feature-rich than The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and America's Most Haunted
high confidence · Greg praising Evil Dead's content density compared to other Spooky titles
Greg owns a Metallica Remastered Premium in his home and chose not to operate it commercially during the holidays
high confidence · Direct statement: 'You own Metallica? Yeah. You bought it? Yeah. In your house? Yeah. You're not even operating it? No. No, I refused to operate it 'cause I wanted it through the holidays for myself.'
Jaws Premium is being compared favorably to Godzilla by some community members
medium confidence · Zach noting: 'I'm noticing some people are claiming they think it's better than Godzilla. I'm not there yet.'
Jurassic Park Pro's backglass design is disliked by hosts compared to other Jersey Jack offerings
medium confidence · Greg stating: 'I hate the backglass on that Jurassic Park Pro'

Notable Quotes

“Metallica is proven right now. Lighting and code—you got full code by John Borg. Metallica music—yes, it's just a rocking good time. Whereas X-Men is still progressing a little bit.”
Greg @ ~5:30 — Explains preference for established game quality over newer releases with ongoing development
“There's a 95% chance, maybe higher, that Metallica is the better game, and I'm not even played Evil Dead yet. However, I'll take my chances on Evil Dead at this point.”
Zach @ ~11:00 — Demonstrates willingness to bet on unproven Evil Dead despite acknowledging Metallica's superiority based on track record
“Evil Dead is just so jam-packed. It's so—it's so beautiful.”
Greg @ ~8:45 — Expresses strong enthusiasm for Evil Dead's feature set and design quality
“I have a hard time owning Pros unless I really prefer them.”
Greg @ ~18:00 — Explains preference for Premium and LE tiers over Pro models in purchasing decisions
“It shoots fantastic. I love the way it shoots.”
Zach @ ~27:30 — Praising James Bond 70th Anniversary's mechanical flow despite aesthetic concerns

Entities

Straight Down the Middleorganization Gregperson ZachpersonStern PinballcompanyJersey Jack PinballcompanySpooky PinballcompanyMetallica Remasteredgame Uncanny X-Mengame

Signals

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event_signal: 'This or That' format generates high community engagement with targeted submissions from industry insiders and enthusiasts
high · Multiple community submissions noted as 'from industry,' 'anonymous person in industry,' with hosts acknowledging format popularity
?
competitive_signal: Jaws Premium positioned as competitive with or superior to Godzilla by emerging community consensus, though hosts remain non-committal
medium · 'I'm noticing some people are claiming they think it's better than Godzilla. I'm not there yet because I don't—you're better into the rules of Jaws'
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design_philosophy: Jurassic Park Pro's backglass aesthetics criticized as dealbreaker compared to other Jersey Jack offerings
medium · 'I hate the backglass on that Jurassic Park Pro. So it's like, that's what that's what I'm gonna have to go'
?
licensing_signal: Hosts acknowledge Jaws Premium's appeal driven significantly by theme/licensing ('I'll buy it back. I hate—I hate. I sold mine... I love the theme of Jaws. It's going to be hard for me not to want that')
medium · Discussion of secondary market behavior driven by IP appeal rather than gameplay
$
market_signal: Evil Dead strong sales momentum ('We got some coming. Yes. Uh, we got a lot coming. Yes. Been a great seller. Yes.') indicating strong market demand for Spooky's new title
high · Greg's statement about Evil Dead inventory and sales performance

Topics

2025 Stern Pinball releases (Metallica Remastered, Uncanny X-Men, Jaws, John Wick)primaryJersey Jack Pinball titles and value propositionprimarySpooky Pinball's Evil Dead vs established titles comparisonprimaryPro vs Premium vs LE tier purchasing decisionsprimaryGame design philosophy: proven code/music vs emerging contentsecondaryGameplay mechanics (shooting, flow) vs theming preferencessecondaryUpcoming unreleased titles (Harry Potter, King Kong rumors)secondaryHome collection vs commercial operation considerationsmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.72)— Generally enthusiastic about 2025 releases, particularly Evil Dead and newer Stern/JJP titles. Some critique of specific design elements (Jurassic Park backglass, some games criticized as 'not that great') but overall tone is supportive and engaged. Community participation seen as positive.

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

let's kick this [Music] [] Greg you love these videos my favorite these people love these my favorite I like doing these videos they're heavy at it not crazy not crazy about that for the you know juice and the squeeze I appreciate appreciate your work but everybody loves this or that and we' got a lot of games to do this or that last time we did like sixth mon ago so we've got all kinds of different see you bring it on yourself pile this big ass list you do it on yourself the people want to know they want to know and for those of you who are not familiar this or that is a simple concept done in other Industries as well but we've made it our own for pinball you pick one scenario and you ask us uh would you take this or would you take that simple as that some this game or this game some are compounded two games or this one game this it used to start off very simple when we first started this where it would be one game against another game then it started well but cash had these two games and it would given this yeah so it's it's evolved into a [] show now in 2025 we're going to jump right in with some of the newer games uh and this one is starting off nasty just and I told people try stump us we going to start off with a hard one this is by ping guy ping guy said this or that Zack and Greg Stern pinballs Metallica remastered okay or St pinballs Uncanny X-Men oh and oh that's a mean one so I'm going to tell you right oh damn so I'm I'm one's proven Straight Out The Gate one's Metallica for me I know I know like you said though what put you over the edge um so like my my I it's like exactly what you said Metallica is proven right now um L and cod you got full C John Borg to Metallica music yes it's just a rocking good time to where as X-Men is still progressing a little bit we don't ultimately know what X-Men on KY X-Men will be yeah we know the foundation but yes because that's that's my only thing it's just but again Metallica is the rinse and repeat sort of thing in a Senseo yeah to whereas X-Men is not really that that way um but I still think lectur me the other day you've got to get into the Crank It Up modes it's not just starting one it's getting through all of those you think it's so easy you get through all of yes but I just I just go from a right now like I like a rocking good time um I know Bob Seager what do you mean a rocking good time oh listen I told you this story didn't I not to Branch off cuz I don't people get mad when it Branch off in story so listen I was we were riding down the road one day and um I was talking to to Chelsea about how that when I was a kid I was like I'm such a weird that when I got a Walkman we were talking about retro stuff when I got a Walkman because uh pretty woman was on and I was like I had [] Roy Orbison cassette was my first cassette on my wman yes but and I said and I had Bob Seager I said I was a giant Bob Seager fan so listen to this so as soon as pretty woman went off yeah [] Bob Seager came on swear to God yeah I just dude I said I'm going to buy a lottery ticket I'm so freaked out right now because I was like I was like all time rock and roll like all the time like I just were crazy on both of them like I love Roy orbon and the fact that those I feel like Bobby B I know you know when I was your age my mother told me not to get a tattoo of Roy Orbison what mama don't know but what mama don't know won't hurt her but I was just but but at that point I my grandma was Raising me so like she just listened to older you know what I'm saying SE the devil but the fact that that [] came on back to back I mean she just watched my face and I wouldn't shut up about it for like an entire day Seager like Randy Travis rolling bones I love I'm going to go with uncy X-Men I knew you would I just something about the way that game shoots and Metallica you know me I've been critical about Metallica As a game I like it and I jam out and there's no better like it gives me so much endorphins whenever I'm jamming out cu I love the music yes pinball Metallica Made Me Love Metallica music It's usually the other way around for people I love Metallica but uncan xman has more of the mode stuff like well and it's just the shots are so much more unique and different like I mean it's you're not going wrong with either one of those but they're just very different games very very different games if we stick to Spooky Pinball's new baby Evil Dead okay would you take evil dead or take Chainsaw Massacre in America's Most Haunted No Evil Dead over those two you your quantity guy yeah but no I mean's fine but it is what it is Tex chainsa is cool like I like it it's flowy game but dude Evil Dead is just so jam-packed it's so it's so beautiful like no evil that's easy so that's easy to me yeah Metallica remastered premium okay or Evil Dead this comes from Cliff Blandon Cliff you bastard see so here's here's the hard thing cuz then back to a game that's not out yet that we haven't played a lot we flipped a little bit but like what we said in previous videos you own metallic yeah you bought it yeah in your house yeah you're not even operating it no no I refused to operate it cuz I wanted it through the holidays for myself I was selfish what are you going with I'll go first on the next one I want to hear what you got Metallica remastered premium or Evil Dead just because I have not flipped about the same price Evil Dead God see that's where the trouble comes in because you take of how jam-packed evil dead is I think right now just because I haven't flipped Evil Dead really um I might have to go with Metallica I think there's a 90 90 oh I'm sorry bugging Luke I love you guys there's a 95% chance maybe higher that Metallica is the better game and I'm not even played Evil Dead yet however I'll take my chances on evil Deb at this point yeah I mean fast forward I own this game we got some coming yes uh we got a lot coming yes been a great seller yes I'm going to take my chances and I may be wrong because I do really like Metallica but if you're asking me right now I just want to take my chances well I know what I'm getting with Metallica what you Metallica oh you want to go the new you're taking that's what I thought you were going because I know what I'm getting with but it's like he said D you really look at what you get even not playing it this next one came from an anonymous person in the industry we always get and I always tell the CU some of the creators of pinball like this or that's they like pitting things up against one another and they're pinball Enthusiast but they don't want to telling people tell them what to buy oh tell oh oh because they're not yeah yeah to so this is from an anonymous person I'm this person has a couple they said Uncanny X-Men or Joel's premium oh Joel's premium okay so no just easy to me okay at this point yeah Jo's premium yeah I I still like it's a great game it's so unique but I I waiting I'm waiting that's a tough like when people pick these brand new games against games that have been out for so long that's a very like it's a very I won't say it's a tough thing but it feels it's very lopsided it's it's not you know what I'm saying it's a very lopsided thing it's it's hard I love the theme of Jaws it's going to be hard for me not to want that in my game room because of Ln because of the theme tell you I hate I hate I sold mine I I'm kind of like I'm I'll buy it back oh yeah I'm notely some people are claiming they think it's better than Godzilla I'm not there yet because I don't you're you're better into the rules of Jaws I'm not yet but yeah all right it's a good game though that was a that was a good one Anonymous person MH that's good though okay this one's coming from Misha goldsman Misha goldsman he or she says I think it's she but uh they say Metallica remastered Le they they want to see what we're doing with Metallica Fight and J's premium okay so that's the two Darlings right now at Stern yeah or on KY X-Men Pro Jurassic Park Pro and John Wick Pro so you get three Pros or two premiums comes out about the same Metallica rem or no it's a Metallica remastered Le oh and the Jaws premium or the three pros John Wick Jurassic Park uncanny you guys know where I'm going I have a hard time owning Pros unless I really prefer them uh so I'm going Jaws premium and Metallica remastered Ellie that's definitely right I think I go so you want me to tell you what kills it for me what which one kills it for you so John Wick adds it like at John I'm like still love John way what kills it for me is Jurassic Park Pro that's tough cuz that's T-Rex yeah I want the T-Rex cuz otherwise if you eliminated that UNC Pro you can definitely oh 100% you go that Pro it's fun it's great um so that John Wick Pro is fun it's the freaking and I hate the back glass on that jassic Park Pro so it's like that that's what that's what I'm GNA have to go the two premiums and the only reason I'm going the two premiums is one of them's an Le the premium Le cuz you prefer the LA artwork on the Metallica too yes so I would have to go I might have to follow suit with you on this more where normally I would go the the three games um but I just I can't do a dret park Pro remember all you've got to do is comment down below uh in the comment section um and then tell us what you would have went a lot of and if you haven't subscribed yet please subscribe share this video that would be super super we need a a good goal this year oh how many videos we do or subscriber goals subscriber we need to get I'd like to get to 20,000 oh yeah we do that we could get on a run again okay all right yeah we'll do it let's take it over again yeah okay this is New Year resolution this is maybe the same Anonymous person in the industry maybe not they said Brass Tack straight up jjp Avatar or Elton John Elton John Elton John one's a theme that and one's a theme that I like yeah I'm still going but John is [] cool I mean yeah the same person said fine Elton John cuz I knew the they okay fine elt John or the Lin so they want us to kind of go Elton John or iron ma Maiden oh I see what you're saying Iron Maiden I love Iron Maiden music and I know that I know I know I know I know how much more of a machine Elton is than what Iron Maiden is I don't know about that but no I'm just saying from like a like lighting and and Pizzaz and it being out and J in a jjp game but dude I love Iron Man I love I'm saying the band I love I love the game I love the way it Sho johnen all right his second game okay was that Jurassic Park yeah Jurassic Park premium or Elon John I'm go my God I'm going Jurassic Park yeah Jurassic Park premium got to what do you do next Avengers Avengers I would take Elton over Avengers El over Avengers Godzilla then we're into Godzilla yes Godzilla yeah Godzilla yes the next one's tough cuz then that puts us JS that's Jaws or Elton jaw and I know that we've talked Jaws so high up so I know jaw is Jaws is jaw I I think I'd have to go Jaws jaws would be my longer term keeper I'm trying to look at it from that as I'm playing El more right now yeah you love Elton I and you should you should it's a great game but is that all miss one what James Bond 70th Anniversary oh I'm still going Elon I would go Bond I like the way that shoots I don't like the look of it that much but I like the way no it's not it's kind of tacky looking actually just not special looking no it's not but it shoots fantastic I love the way it shoots still going down that was a nasty one this is uh our buddy Dylan Dylan Ki hello Dylan you one hell of aozi hello Dylan you're grow up that's a doozy hello Dylan last step is a dooy that was a some old people tell Groundhog Day oh you know I'm not that movie my what I know I know I like it but I'm just not like can't watch it repe watch it repetitively I can't watch it over and over Phil Phil Connor am I right or am I right all right sorry Dylan uh Godzilla premium or jaw's premium so we're we're pitting a pitting that one or a Ghostbusters Vault no Ghostbusters Vault but it depends on what the vault is if it's just a a oh if it's an LCD Vault that's not even fair cuz it's not made it's not fair but it's what I would have to go with I just love Ghostbusters I do too like I do I I'm going to say if it is simply Ghostbusters premium mhm oh [] that's tough cuz I really like ghost a good game regardless it is but Godzilla is the best it is but Ghostbuster still Shoots Great and it's Ghostbusters and it's got great artwork I'm I'm Ghostbusters I think I am too Ghostbusters that's crazy Misha goldsman says I'm back [] Evil Dead and Scooby-Doo okay so the spookies or Elon John and Avatar oh Evil Dead and Scooby Avatar or Elton John and Avatar so we can kind of look it evil dead or Elton Scooby or Avatar see I'm not wild about Scooby but I'll take it I'm kind of the same place with Avatar and Scooby I know that's I like both themes I know they both aren't my favorite games but they're solid games and then elner Evil Dead Evil Dead we just don't have enough time on quite yet I'm so I'm going to go like you in this aspect just because uh theming theming is a lot better A little bit more me I think I'm going to take my chances on the Evil Dead and Scooby uh primarily theming cuz I know Elton is a fantastic game Avatar I just don't care much about I know it's beautiful it's just theming I I I I think I know I think I think I got to go the the spooky pair they're doing good this time that's a tough one it is tough I got to do spooky but see Avatar it's still a good theme for you um you love the way Elton plays if they're CES I'm going Elton and Avatar oh that's my compromise I can see that you got to give me my CES cuz they pretty the top of the top because I think Elton will shoot better than Evil Dead and that's not to slight Evil Dead oh no it's just Elton John shoots really really good yeah I could agree with that I could see that I might be wrong though Evil Dead might be special special I know all right Jeff epner he's got a hell of a one here uh oh he says how about this the next Richie release and Harry Potter or Dungeons and Dragons and the next elwin release all sight unseen so we've seen dungeons so we know what that looks looks like but we don't know what elwin rumored maybe King Kong versus Richie's Speedy Flow game and Harry Potter man Harry I'm going Harry Potter and Richie if Ellen has King Kong but still Harry Potter even if somebody botches Harry Potter it's still Harry Potter but still Keith elln yeah I'm going Harry Potter just in yeah cuz it's Harry Potter Harry po you can't come George Gomez wanted to mess you up CG bone this is specifically for you taals from the Crypt and Lethal Weapon 3 or Terminator 2 oh oh and T the Crypt and Lethal Weapon 3 over T2 yeah T2 is not that great of a game okay it's true it's solid but it's not like no the other two are great games there's more to do in T2 than lethal weapon yeah but Lethal Weapon is still just so much fun you just love lethal weapons do I do like I wanted a restor ter to cuz it's it just it's nostalgic it's Arnold it means like not because it's like the best game of all and the we but that's uh from the other George and still the two for two for one and cuz Tes cryp is great get off there this is a dirty one by Dan Donell that's his kids uh Dan Donell said jaw's Pro okay or Venom Le oh watch out now cuz that's that's that's a nasty one you call me crazy but I'm going to go the Venom you're crazy I I might because it looks real pretty it does and Jaws I almost need the upper play field but I'm going Jaws oh I go V retro Jango our favorite Speak oh he's got a good one Metallica remastered LA or Lethal Weapon 3 Last Action Hero and Tales from the Crypt oh I'm going all three over over Metallica easily easily dude those are all great games those games are so Stellar I'm going those oh they're so good all right so this is these are the ones that uh people kind of poo pooed last year okay John Wick Ellie or Venom Ellie this is from Chris John Wick I'm going Wick I'm surprised you went so quick with I love I love you love Venom I do love Venom but Wick's Wick's cool man it's Keo it's I know it's a sexy machine too it glad hand 20 2215 we know why got a whole full okay Jaws Pro or John Wick Pro oh I think I still go Jo probably joh wi Pro really yeah I still think that Pro is cool I like it I think you're smoking on that one I could be Brian Cosner said battle of the Dual themes okay you going Looney Tunes and Shrek or Texas chainsaw and Family Guy so the family Looney Tune Shrek oh Tex chaina and family guun come on I like the themes better on the other ones really I love Shrek as a theme and I really like Looney my kids would million per go with Shrek tcm's just so dirty looking it is and Family Guy I like that theme too but I I'm not Looney Tunes is what kills it for me I want to say Looney Tunes and Shrek oh nice I just there's something I like about the animation and stuff H yeah okay I get it I get it Shrek could probably do a good remake this is one I'm pitching to you ready okay because I'm getting into Sega now oh this is the Sega battle uhoh Batman Forever okay Independence Day okay Apollo 13 and Space Jam or Baywatch Star Wars Trilogy X Files and twister oh that's your first set the first set over Baywatch and twister I love Baywatch Twister's okay but uh the the problem lies like yeah Batman Forever is a good game G flowy game uh Apollo 13o it's pretty good pretty good yeah it's pretty Space Jam space Jam's pretty good I own space jam now I know nice one look really ni if any of you guys have home use only Sega games any of the Sega games reach out to us yeah seriously but we want nice no we want like nice like G how did these survive yes what the hell how do have no sugar Lane that's what we want well we're going collect yeah it off with bumper straight down the midle you had with the slingshot you're rolling out the out again I triy to cradle you with my flipper it was all [Music] in baby