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Spider-Man Pinball: Is Stern's 2007 Classic Worth It?

The Skill Shot·video·8m 56s·analyzed·Jun 11, 2026
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.016

TL;DR

Stern's 2007 Spider-Man by Ritchie: iconic design, JK Simmons audio, variant strategy mirrors '90s comics.

Summary

Ryan from The Skill Shot reviews Stern's 2007 Spider-Man pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie, licensed from the Tobey Maguire trilogy. The video covers the original 2007 release (featuring JK Simmons voice work and Bone Saw mode) and the 2016 Vault Edition (redrawn with comic art, different voice actor, Electro replacing Bone Saw), drawing a parallel to 1990s Marvel variant cover strategies. The machine scores 87/100 and is positioned as a stable investment with strong resale value ($4,000-$5,500 original; $6,000-$7,500 vault edition).

Key Claims

  • Steve Ritchie designed the Spider-Man pinball machine released in 2007

    high confidence · Ryan (The Skill Shot host), explicit attribution at start of design section

  • Stern produced approximately 5,000 units of the original 2007 Spider-Man

    high confidence · Ryan states '4,600 standard units and just 500 of the black versions for the hardcore collectors,' totaling ~5,100

  • The 2016 Vault Edition was only the second vault edition ever made in pinball history

    medium confidence · Ryan: 'they did something that had only been done once before in the history of pinball. They brought it back and called it a vault edition.' Specific claim about uniqueness but no other vault edition named.

  • JK Simmons recorded original dialogue for the 2007 machine but was replaced by a different voice actor in the 2016 Vault Edition due to license loss

    high confidence · Ryan details the licensing change: 'without the license, the Vault Edition shipped with a different call outs by a different voice actor. The original JK Simmons recordings are only in the 2007 original.'

  • Bone Saw McGraw (Randy Macho Man Savage) is the only wrestler to appear in a non-wrestling themed pinball machine

    medium confidence · Ryan: 'As far as I know, Macho Man is the only wrestler to appear in a pinball machine that isn't a WWF themed pin.' Qualified with 'as far as I know' indicating uncertainty.

  • Original 2007 Spider-Man machines trade between $4,000 and $5,500; Spider-Man (Vault Edition) between $6,000 and $7,500

    medium confidence · Ryan provides current market pricing data for both versions

  • Stern used variant cover strategy identical to Marvel's 1990 Spider-Man #1 debut, creating black/silver exclusive variant for collectors

    high confidence · Ryan draws explicit parallel: 'Stern ran the exact same playbook. They produced 4,600 standard units and just 500 of the black versions for the hardcore collectors.'

  • The 2007 original has movie-based artwork; the 2016 Vault Edition features comic book art

Notable Quotes

  • “There's an Academy Award winner doing the call outs on this machine.”

    Ryan (The Skill Shot) @ 0:00-0:15 — Opening hook about JK Simmons' Oscar recognition and exclusive dialogue work for the pinball machine

  • “Richie has been designing pins for over 50 years. And through the 80s and 90s, he defined the era.”

    Ryan @ ~0:45 — Establishes Steve Ritchie's legendary status and career longevity

  • “One thing I love about this hobby is that pinball actually encourages you to make a machine yours.”

    Ryan @ ~11:00 — Reflects on pinball culture's unique approach to customization vs. collecting conventions; shows community values and philosophy

  • “The original JK Simmons recordings are only in the 2007 original. Some collectors have actually built mods to put the JK Simmons audio back into the vault machine.”

    Ryan @ ~10:30 — Documents community mods and creative responses to licensing-driven design changes

  • “It's a stable investment. You can buy this game, enjoy it for a couple years, and easily get your money back out.”

    Ryan @ ~13:45 — Market positioning of Spider-Man as a financially sound collector/operator purchase

  • “More than 15 years after its release, it's still one of the most popular superhero pinball machines ever made.”

    Ryan @ ~15:15 — Affirms longevity and sustained market demand for the title

Entities

RyanpersonSteve RitchiepersonJK SimmonspersonRandy Macho Man SavagepersonTodd McFarlanepersonSpider-MangameSpider-Man (Vault Edition)game

Signals

  • ?

    product_strategy: Stern's 2007 Spider-Man employed dual-release strategy with standard and rare black/silver variants, explicitly mirroring Marvel's 1990 variant cover practices to drive collector FOMO and repeat purchases

    high · Ryan: 'They produced 4,600 standard units and just 500 of the black versions for the hardcore collectors' and 'Stern ran the exact same playbook' as Marvel's 1990 Spider-Man #1 variant strategy

  • $

    market_signal: Spider-Man machines show stable secondary market pricing with Vault Edition commanding premium ($6,000-$7,500) over original 2007 ($4,000-$5,500), suggesting strong demand and value retention

    medium · Ryan: 'an original 2007 machine in good shape trades between $4,000 and $5,500. And the newer 2016 Vault Edition runs between $6,000 and $7,500. It's a stable investment.'

  • ?

    licensing_signal: Loss of Tobey Maguire trilogy license between 2007 original and 2016 reissue forced replacement of JK Simmons voice work, Bone Saw mode removal/character swap (Electro substitution), and artwork redesign to comic book style

    high · Ryan: 'When Stern released the Vault edition of this game in 2016, they no longer held the Remy movie license. Because of that, there were some major changes.'

  • ?

    community_signal: Spider-Man collector community has created mods to restore JK Simmons audio to Vault Edition machines and add custom Spider-Man figures to playfields, demonstrating active customization culture

    high · Ryan: 'Some collectors have actually built mods to put the JK Simmons audio back into the vault machine' and personal examples of mounting action figures with double-sided tape

  • ?

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:01
There's an Academy Award winner doing the call outs on this machine. There's a WWF legend hiding in one of the modes. They made around 5,000 and then 9 years later they did something that had only been done once before in the history of pinball. They brought it back and called it a vault edition. Stick around and I'll explain a cool connection between these comics from the '9s and the different versions of this pinball machine. I'm Ryan. This is the Skillshot. And today we're talking about Spider-Man. >> Can Spider-Man come out to play?
0:40
This is a Steve Richie machine. And if
0:40
This is a Steve Richie machine. And if that name doesn't mean anything to you, go back and watch last week's episode about the Black Knight. Richie has been designing pins for over 50 years. And through the 80s and 90s, he defined the era. Fast forward to 2007 and Richie is at Stern when they secure the license for Sam Ramy Spider-Man trilogy. The theme for this game comes from the Toby Maguire Spider-Man trilogy. The game launched in 2007. The same summer Spider-Man 3 hit theaters. It may not be the best Spider-Man film,
1:16
but it made for a great pin because all the villains were here. Green Goblin, Doc O, Sandman and Venom. Beat all four villain modes and you unlock Battle Royale, Spider-Man's wizard mode. Right in the middle, you've got Sandman. He sits behind a motorized drop wall that cycles up and down depending on the mode. When it's up, the center is blocked. When it drops, it opens a dangerous shot into a hidden target bank. Over on the right, we have Doc O and his fusion malfunction magnet. depending on what mode Doc is in. Sometimes it will release the ball and other times it'll hold on to it until you knock it off with a second ball to start a multiball. On the left is Green Goblin flying high on his glider above a bank of targets. You'll hit those targets to qualify your goblin modes. And right next to him, you've got the two Venom ramps. It's a fun layout, and every shot has a clear purpose. The game has those four easily recognizable Spider-Man villains. But who is this Bone Saw guy? That's a deep cut, even for a nerd like me. It turns out Bone Saw McGra is the wrestler Peter Parker fights in a cage match in the original 2002 Spider-Man movie. >> You're going nowhere.

high confidence · Ryan: 'this machine has artwork from the Tobey Maguire trilogy. The Vault Edition has some great looking comic book art.'

Stern Pinballcompany
Sam Raimiperson
The Skill Shotorganization
Tobey Maguireperson
Marvel Comicscompany
Deadpoolgame
Guardians of the Galaxygame
Avengers: Infinity Questgame
Iron Mangame
Black Knightgame

gameplay_signal: Steve Ritchie's Spider-Man design emphasizes flowing ramps, inner loops, and satisfying upper flipper rewards; every playfield shot has clear thematic/mechanical purpose (villain modes, motorized Sandman wall, Doc O magnet, Goblin targets, Venom ramps)

high · Ryan: 'On shots, the Steve Ritchie geometry really shines here. The flowing ramps, the inner loops, the satisfying upper flipper reward' and detailed breakdown of each toy/shot's gameplay function

  • ?

    product_concern: Loss of movie license forced removal of beloved Bone Saw mode (WWF legend Randy Macho Man Savage) and replacement with Electro, demonstrating how licensing changes can degrade game content and collector value perception

    high · Ryan: 'Bone Saw was also removed and replaced by Electro, which makes sense because Electro is the more recognizable villain from the Spider-Man comics' due to license loss

  • ?

    historical_signal: 2016 Vault Edition represents only the second vault reissue in pinball history, establishing a rare precedent for bringing back classic licensed titles after license expiration or redesign

    medium · Ryan: 'they did something that had only been done once before in the history of pinball. They brought it back and called it a vault edition.'

  • ?

    content_signal: The Skill Shot uses structured 'flip score' rating system across five categories (shots, code/depth, theme, build quality, resale value), demonstrating emerging YouTube pinball review standardization

    high · Ryan delivers final ratings: shots 18/20, code 17/20, theme 18/20, build quality 17/20, resale value 17/20 = 87/100 total

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Spider-Man demonstrates tight thematic alignment where major playfield toys directly represent cinematic moments (Sandman sinkhole, Doc O magnet, Goblin glider), and all four film villains are featured as progressable modes

    high · Ryan: 'For theme, every major toy directly represents a cinematic moment. The Sandman sinkhole, the Doc O Magnet, the Goblin's Glider, a whole syndicate of villains teaming up against Spider-Man. 18 out of 20.'

  • ?

    collector_signal: Black/silver variant produced at only 500 units vs. 4,600 standard editions creates artificial scarcity and collector desirability through deliberate production ratio targeting hardcore buyers

    high · Ryan explicitly parallels this to Marvel 1990: '500 of the black versions for the hardcore collectors' vs. standard units, mimicking comic shop exclusive strategy

    • 2:28
    You're going nowhere.
    2:28
    You're going nowhere. >> When Peter was still trying to win
    2:30
    When Peter was still trying to win
    2:30
    When Peter was still trying to win surprise money before learning that with great power comes great responsibility. Bonesaw was played by WWF wrestler Randy Macho Man Savage. As far as I know, Macho Man is the only wrestler to appear in a pinball machine that isn't a WWF themed pin. The mode is a switch frenzy. You've got to hit 100 switches in 40 seconds. It has the same frantic feel as the fight between Spider-Man and Bone Saw in the movie. Rip the spinner, get into the pops, and that's how you defeat Bone Saw. There's one more thing that makes this machine special, and you can only hear it. Hey, this isn't a spectator sport. >> That's JK Simmons, who played Jay Jonah
    3:13
    That's JK Simmons, who played Jay Jonah
    3:13
    That's JK Simmons, who played Jay Jonah Jameson in every Remy Spider-Man movie. He came into a recording studio in 2007 and laid down original dialogue specifically for this pinball machine. >> You're fired, right? You're on fire. I
    3:24
    You're fired, right? You're on fire. I
    3:24
    You're fired, right? You're on fire. I need you. Come here. >> When Stern released the Vault edition of
    3:27
    When Stern released the Vault edition of
    3:27
    When Stern released the Vault edition of this game in 2016, they no longer held the Remy movie license. Because of that, there were some major changes. All the shots are the same, but this machine has artwork from the Tobey Maguire trilogy. The Vault Edition has some greatl looking comic book art. Bone Saw was also removed and replaced by Electro, which makes sense because Electro is the more recognizable villain from the Spider-Man comics. Also, without the license, the Vault Edition shipped with a different call outs by a different voice actor. The original JK Simmons recordings are only in the 2007 original. Some collectors have actually built mods to put the JK Simmons audio back into the vault machine. One thing I love about this hobby is that pinball actually encourages you to make a machine yours. The balls even have spiderwebs etched into them. And I've added these little Spider-Man toys all over the playfield. These are just action figures mounted with double-sided tape to put more Spider-Man into the Spider-Man pin. In a lot of collecting hobbies, you're encouraged to keep everything in the box. Don't play with the toy. Keep it original. Pinball is different. In pinball, you add the action figures. You take off the legs and have them powder coated a different color. You make it yours. And rather than penalizing you for it, your fellow pinball nerds come over and fawn over the mods and little tweaks you've made. At the start of the video, I promised to explain the connection between the two versions of Stern's 2007 Spider-Man Pinball Machine and the Comics on My Wall.
    5:09
    When Stern released this game, they put out two models. This standard edition and another with a rare black and silver color scheme. The dual release wasn't random. It was a direct nod to the '90s comic book culture I grew up with. Take a look at this Spider-Man number one from August 1990. It sold a whopping 2 and a half million copies. But it didn't reach that number by accident. Marvel achieved this by pioneering variant covers. This yellow version is the newstand edition, while the black and silver variant was exclusive to comic shops. They even printed gold and platinum editions in an effort to get collectors to buy the same book multiple times. and it worked on me at least twice. Stern ran the exact same playbook. They produced 4,600 standard units and just 500 of the black versions for the hardcore collectors. Having these books on my wall is a great reminder of that era. This specific copy actually sat sealed in its original 1990 poly bag for nearly 30 years until I sent it away to be graded during co. It captures Todd McFarland, the legendary artist who popularized spaghetti webbing at the height of his powers. McFarland is the guy who drew those hyperdetailed twisting webs that redefined the character's look. Before him, webbing was just simple lines. McFarland turned the webs into an art of their own, filling every empty space on the page. And now I have the Spider-Man pin next to my childhood comics as part of my own little Spider-Man shrine. Maybe I'll add some webs. So, that's Spider-Man. Now, let's give it a flip score. On shots, the Steve Richie geometry really shines here. The flowing ramps, the inner loops, the satisfying upper flipper reward. 18 out of 20. On code and depth, you've got four villain pass, five timed modes, fun multiballs, a great wizard mode, it's intuitive and easy to understand, and it's fun to execute. 17 out of 20. For theme, every major toy directly represents a cinematic moment. The Sandman sinkhole, the Doc O Magnet, the Goblin's Glider, a whole syndicate of villains teaming up against Spider-Man. 18 out of 20. For build quality, the SAM platform is great, and original 2007 electronics and motorized sand walls are still running strong on location today, 17 out of 20. For resale value, an original 2007 machine in good shape trades between $4,000 and $5,500. And the newer 2016 Vault Edition runs between $6,000 and $7,500. It's a stable investment. You can buy this game, enjoy it for a couple years, and easily get your money back out. 17 out of 20. That's a total flip score of 87 out of 100. A solid A minus. If you want a Marvel themed pinball machine, you've got plenty of great modern options. Deadpool, Avengers: Infinity Quest, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. But if Spider-Man is your favorite character, Stern's 2007 Spider-Man remains one of the strongest licensed games they've ever built. And if you can find a clean example at a fair price, don't hesitate. More than 15 years after its release, it's still one of the most popular superhero pinball machines ever made. Subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode where we're going on an adventure with a mystery pinball machine. There's a digital book on the playfield. The voice acting comes from three Oscar nominated actors. It's based on a film trilogy. And there's lots of gold. Think you know which machine I'm talking about? Drop your guess in the comments. and I'll see you next week on the skill