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Top 5 sterns?

Spadge

Spadge

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So, I'm about done with my collection and expanding it further will depend on (a) space (b) great machines.

I've concentrated on classics, which are in top nick, from the Bally-Williams era; Twilight Zone, Indy, STNG, Fish Tales, White Water, Addams, Totan, AFM, Monster Bash, Scared Stiff, Medieval Madness (Remake).

Modern era, I've got AC/DC premium, The Walking Dead LE and LOTR. Also got a GNR but not the biggest DE fan.

Given any additions would likely be Stern (depending on how Dialled in turns out over time) as I had a Hobbit and didn't enjoy it, and I just don't fancy Woz.

So what are people's fave sterns?

Mettalica, Iron Man, Star Trek, Aerosmith, Ghostbusters? Where do these rate in the line up? I really like my TWD LE and AC/DC and my only gripe with Stern is the build quality on some.
 
Personally I like LOTR, SM, Tron, ST, IM, Met & TWD, and could do with an AC/DC one day. But I know there are also some hidden gems if you can look past build quality and artwork, like Stones, Avatar, WPT, TF, Xmen.

The SAM system and beyond just has more gameplay nuances and detail to learn that anything from the WPC era.

Haven't had enough time on GB to be honest, or Batman (either).
 
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This is probably a lot easier to answer than trying to name my favourite top 3 machines of all time.

I have to be biased towards my collection at the moment, top 5 in no particular order would be

Metallica Prem/LE
Tron (on the wish list to own)
AC/DC Premium
ST Pro is fine, LE light show is awesome though
GB would go for Premium if given the choice again

Honorable mention for TWD Premium
 
Ghostbusters is right up there for me and I only have the pro. Tron too if you like the theme/music. Metallica probably my number 1 if you can afford a premium, not so sure about the pro, and I don't even like the music. Aerosmith I haven't played personally and looks fun but I think we're talking 1 trick pony.... Load the toybox, start multiball... Repeat. I'm sure there's more to it than that but watch any game play vid and that's what you'll see everyone do ( just my uninformed opinion, have not played it).
 
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kevlar said:
Ghostbusters is right up there for me and I only have the pro. Tron too if you like the theme/music. Metallica probably my number 1 if you can afford a premium, not so sure about the pro, and I don't even like the music. Aerosmith I haven't played personally and looks fun but I think we're talking 1 trick pony.... Load the toybox, start multiball... Repeat. I'm sure there's more to it than that but watch any game play vid and that's what you'll see everyone do ( just my uninformed opinion, have not played it).
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the Pro is very, very good.
 
1 TWD LE/Premium
2 TSPP
3 LOTR
4 Tron - modded Pro or LE
5 ST LE/Premium

POTC and IM just miss the cut, and I think MET will be in there one day but I've only played it a couple of times.
 
Jonwolf said:
The stern Star Trek LE would be my choice - would look great next to the STNG


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I'd have to give it some play, feels a bit odd having 2 so close in terms of theme, I'm not star trek nut, but loved STNG from back in the day.
 
Spadge said:
I'd have to give it some play, feels a bit odd having 2 so close in terms of theme, I'm not star trek nut, but loved STNG from back in the day.
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The LE looks beautiful, have to admit missing the one I sold (not far away though).
 
Spider man
Star Trek
Ac dc
Lotr
Twd/ iron man


Had twd for two years, and currently very popular it seems, it's good but hyped hence why I swapped mine ,

spider man is a very good game and not given as much love as it deserves,

Star Trek i also love the gameplay and theme.

Ac dc I have only played at shows and friends, just got one and in time may well rise to the top of my list,

and Lotr because it's deep and a great looking pin with a great theme.

Iron man is brutal but my go to pin for a quick blast
 
You've already got the two I'd choose first: TWD and AC/DC

Definitely try Iron Man before you make a decision.
 
Spider-man. Brilliant game with sublime rules and sound.
TWD. Lyman at his peak.
Star Trek. Great shots (Steve Ritchie) and surprisingly deep rules. Very good game.
LOTR. Beautiful and deep. Takes you on a journey like no other game.
Transformers. Dismissed on Pinside but there is a very good game in there. It has terrific sound too. Really tough too which is good if you are a decent player.

Notable mentions to AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, WPT and GOT (hardly played it but REALLY liking what I have seen of it).
 
1. SM (it's a masterpiece)
2. AC/DC Premium
3. TWD
4. LotR
5. Tron LE

Really enjoying playing GB, with more time could squeeze on to that list. And definitely the most underrated Stern, Avengers is a complex, very good game that very few people have given any time.

And for good measure -

1. Star Gazer
2. Nine Ball
3. Quicksilver
4. Seawitch
5. Lightning
 
Ghostbusters
Spider-Man
The Walking Dead
Elvis
KISS

Have also played Pirates of the Caribbean, Metallica, AC/DC, Avengers, X-Men, Iron Man, and probably forgetting some. Newer Stern's are all over Chicago.

I prefer the heavy metal ones to the comic book ones for game play. I say that and I hate heavy metal.
 
Tough ask.

1. Aerosmith LE/Premium. New screen just leagues ahead of dmd. LE/Premium upper p/f has a real purpose in getting 2 times scoring. Many ways to play and score.

2. IM. Intense, brutal, quick.

3. KISS. Rules are better than people think, although could do with the promised update. Makes you sing along as you play. ' I wanna rock n roll all night'...;)

4. TWD. Intense, brutal, great use of p/f multipliers. Rules are great but go off in tangents in a way.

5. MET. Crank it up modes are awesome. Cam feel a little wood choppy getting there though.

Others close to top 5 are AC/DC, TRON, Sopranos and SM.
 
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Haven't played very many of them at all, but I highly rate them as games, way more than I expected given the reputation Stern seemed to have:
  1. Tron Legacy - Though I love Tron (the original film) to utter bits, I didn't go in with high hopes with this because of Legacy. I hammered it hard last weekend at Play Expo Blackpool, and now I want one. Just sublime.
  2. Game of Thrones - had no real idea what I was doing when I played it, but I love the table layout and I love pinball best at both extremes - ultra-polished, simple and fast; or depth for years. I could see myself owning this one.
  3. Metallica Pro - Wasn't hugely impressed with it the first couple of times, but recently it clicked with me and it's amazing. The theme is also right up my alley.
  4. Wrestlemania - you know what, for the bad reputation this game has, and for how slow it plays - I found this a lot of fun and when I go past the service station on the M6 that has it, I always pull in to feed it some quids.
  5. Ghostbusters - Rating it low because I haven't played many Sterns, and I only managed one credit on this at Tilt and it drained me ridiculously fast. I'll need to give it more time to review it, but it looks to have potential. Anything that fast/hard works for me.
Honourable Mentions (read: the only other Sterns I know)
  • AC/DC - Perhaps I expected too much given that it's from my lord Steve Ritchie and that it has an awesome reputation, but I didn't really like this layout from my play. I think I would rate it higher with more play and I love 'composition' multiball rules, but I really disliked the center pop bumper exit that has a tendency to fly SDTM. While beating the crap out of Tron (don't worry, it fought back just as hard) at the Play Expo, I heard many verbal complaints from casual players on the AC/DC next to it complaining about that center drain. Layouts like that are one thing for players that are happy to move the machine and are on board, but it's such an anti-new player trap. I don't like to see that kind of stuff. Compare to the Metallica table which whenever I see it, has new players coming back for repeat credits and taking selfies with it, and being pleased with their scores! All because Met has few 'cheap' drains and a lengthy ball saver - and an easy-to-discover first multiball. These things matter!
  • Rollercoaster Tycoon - I tried to love it but it wasn't easy. Maybe playing a version of the game that had working pops and the music turned on/working would help a lot (that's Blackpool for you!) but I couldn't find the flow with it. I think with a re-write of the software it would be better.
  • Batman/Spiderman - good games but I couldn't place either above any of my five.
 
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