Author Topic: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review  (Read 58279 times)

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Offline Retropin

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #30 on: March 05, 2016, 03:10:59 PM »
Just found a Pro version of this on site and plugged $4 into it for a 2 player game.

Has to be one of the most hum drum games ive ever played... it is incredibly lack lustre.

$8000 to buy....

I walked away after $4... walking dead alright

Offline GORGAR 1

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Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #31 on: March 06, 2016, 08:38:57 AM »
Here's a Stern video about the making of The Walking Dead :) most of the design team featured :) This title is one of there best games ever made and highly desirable!
https://www.facebook.com/sternpinball/videos/10153953558179244/

Offline Boots

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #32 on: March 06, 2016, 10:25:01 AM »
Just found a Pro version of this on site and plugged $4 into it for a 2 player game.

Has to be one of the most hum drum games ive ever played... it is incredibly lack lustre.

$8000 to buy....

I walked away after $4... walking dead alright


I've played the LE and I like it but I have heard some bad reviews on the Pro.
Has anyone here done a direct comparison?

Offline GORGAR 1

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Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2016, 10:46:19 AM »
Just found a Pro version of this on site and plugged $4 into it for a 2 player game.

Has to be one of the most hum drum games ive ever played... it is incredibly lack lustre.

$8000 to buy....

I walked away after $4... walking dead alright


I've played the LE and I like it but I have heard some bad reviews on the Pro.
Has anyone here done a direct comparison?

I once owned the pro and it's an awesome game :) never played the LE but I've heard the opposite where LE owners said the toys aren't worth the extra coin go the pro :) but that's pinball everyone has a different view on games.  When I sold my pro I could have sold another 5 :) crazy popular.

Offline pinball god

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #34 on: March 06, 2016, 02:01:52 PM »
The premium/le has this cross bow thing that seems to trap the ball on the apron and you have to shake the hell out of the game and go through ball searches. Its a real deal breaker for me. Also I find a lot of air balls especially flying off the ramps that also ruined game play for me. This occurred more times than not.
Still loving my Metallica Premium

Offline Caveoftreasures

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #35 on: March 06, 2016, 05:20:44 PM »
Pro is faster. Played the LE as well & never had a issue with the cross bow shot after playing it 20 plus times.
Maybe that LE needed an adjustment ?

I like the artwork on the Pro. Red and gore zombies work a lot better for the artwork but both models are awesome.
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Offline Retropin

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #36 on: March 06, 2016, 06:42:46 PM »
I just didn't get it... not sure why this is meant to be a great game.
Single bumper 2 ramps and nothing much more to shoot for.. wheres the game?

Offline pinsanity

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #37 on: March 06, 2016, 07:06:57 PM »
The premium/le has this cross bow thing that seems to trap the ball on the apron and you have to shake the hell out of the game and go through ball searches. Its a real deal breaker for me. Also I find a lot of air balls especially flying off the ramps that also ruined game play for me. This occurred more times than not.

That crossbow mech was defective from the beginning. Had a mate in the US with a similar problem so you are not alone in that observation.

In the end he had to disassemble it from the machine and send the entire crossbow mech back to Stern for a replacement.




« Last Edit: March 06, 2016, 07:09:15 PM by pinsanity »

Offline pinnies4me

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #38 on: March 06, 2016, 09:03:31 PM »
Being a fan of the show I had high hopes for this one. Only played the LE so not sure if the cut down pro is different,  but pretty ho-hum.
“If you wanna escape, go up to a pinball machine. There’s a magic button on the front that takes you to a world under the glass and makes the the rest of the universe disappear.”

Offline oldskool1969

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #39 on: March 06, 2016, 10:55:03 PM »
It is not a crossbow! it is a " frikin lazer cannon" but on AP it is much cooler  %$%
If it isn't broke, it isn't pinball.

Offline Caveoftreasures

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #40 on: March 07, 2016, 12:07:02 AM »
It makes it sooo much better if u love the show and love zombies.

The Pro plays real fast & loose and that's why killing zombies at a fast rate is soo much fun.
Cranked up, the game is soooo much more entertaining. I love the Pro. It's a looker and a fast player if u give it time and learn the game objectives. The DMD animations are very very good.

Play the game where u can hear the callouts loudly and study the game rules & it comes alive achieving things in order but being such a fast wide open game, that's the challenge.
Lit up in the dark, the Pro transliteration and playfield looks great.
Substituting a few bright white LEDs on the Pro to a few colour changing LEDs is the go.
Change about 20 percent in different locations and again, it is even better.
The topper lit up is unreal.

Diverse titles across the collection makes it fun for everyone that visits and the more new Sterns the better in my books. If you like Borgys style of scoring, this also helps.
Cranked up, it becomes a cool horror show of gore.


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Beware of Stalkers & Walkers when playing The Walking Dead

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Offline Retropin

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #41 on: March 07, 2016, 09:59:59 AM »
Oh I don't mind the show... we normally wait for the series to come out on DVD and watch them over a few weekends.
Yes - the playfield lighting really misses the mark on this game. Why Stern would consider all cold white inserts on a game that is based around blood and rotting flesh is beyond me. It would have looked far more visually appealing if it had deep red upper PF going through to a deep green at the apron. When they make a game that is based around entering the pearly gates of heaven, stark white lighting would be the way to go... not zombies.

The game retails in Australia at $8100.. im assuming that this is not including delivery, so lets call it $8500 delivered.  Its a chunk of cash.

Unfortunately, its not a chunk of pinball. Its so scaled back to basics that you have to use quite a bit of imagination to elevate this to anywhere near exciting. In all honesty, its a bit of a lemon...... my 15 yr old son who played it with me thought it was dull and boring.

Had it retailed for $3995 you could tell yourself that's the price you pay for a basic machine and you get what you pay for.
At over $8K you are either telling yourself its something that its not... have more money than sense or are happy with anything so long as it has flippers and a ball.

Its a great theme that fails to deliver.

Offline Cow Corner

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #42 on: March 07, 2016, 02:21:20 PM »
The show was good but it has gotten to the point of jumping the shark in season 6, plot lines are getting stupid.
The game is good but not brilliant, there are heaps of better games around.
Played the LE and the Pro and I prefer the LE.
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Offline Caveoftreasures

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #43 on: March 07, 2016, 04:42:58 PM »
John Borg told me the bright white LED lighting on the Pro is to simulate the floodlighting at the Prison etc etc.

If the Aus dollar was at its ACDC levels the Pro would be $6300 to $7000.
Alas the shit dollar has pushed it to $8100 with shaker.
Allow $200 to $300 delivery if charged for a repeat buyer.
Those are MAX RRetail prices.
If u have a many year established relationship & u are a repeat buyer who drops off the cash & doesn't need a tax invoice, like any industry, the pricing gets better !

Haven't watched the show for the past 18 months so will have to get the latest release DVDs and have a look.

But you have to admit, if u like zombies, The Walking Dead Pinball is the zombies collector treasure of treasures.

Just don't play it too late at night or u will attract the Walkers !
Behind every garage door could be a pinball collectors
"Cave of Treasures" 55 in my collection

Into  Stern -JJP - Cars , Road Bikes- Jet Skis - Star Trek n Sci-Fi & Electronics    
Beware of Stalkers & Walkers when playing The Walking Dead

My 7yr old son Hunter is my best mate in the world !

Offline Strangeways

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Re: Stern "The Walking Dead" LE Review
« Reply #44 on: March 07, 2016, 05:41:42 PM »
The premium/le has this cross bow thing that seems to trap the ball on the apron and you have to shake the hell out of the game and go through ball searches. Its a real deal breaker for me. Also I find a lot of air balls especially flying off the ramps that also ruined game play for me. This occurred more times than not.

The crossbow is a hindrance when working (1 in 10 games) - I think the Pro is a better game as it does not have the crossbow.

The problems we have seen on most LE's is that the crossbow can't find home and then gently moves forward, blocking the ball from entering the assembly. When it does work, you press the button on the LDB and there's a delay before it fires (button works perfect in test and woodbury mode). Most of the time the ball flies out of the crossbow (late) and belts into the bash toy or a post rubber and ends up SDTM. Even if it worked 100%, I still think is an addition that offers nothing to the game. A pointless "extra".

I just didn't get it... not sure why this is meant to be a great game.
Single bumper 2 ramps and nothing much more to shoot for.. wheres the game?

What code did the game have ? Early code was a complete catastrophe, and later code is much much better. Two ramps shots are great. Prison multiball is a blast, and the well walker mutliball is dead easy. Cascade multiballs, and "kill" as many zombies as possible. The game is "violent" - just look at the blood splatter detail on the clear plastic protectors all over the playfield.

I gave this game plenty of time to grow on me, but I was impressed straight after the first code update (Magnet SDTM issues).

The show was good but it has gotten to the point of jumping the shark in season 6, plot lines are getting stupid.
The game is good but not brilliant, there are heaps of better games around.
Played the LE and the Pro and I prefer the LE.

Stopped watching after Episode 4. Completely lost direction. Meaningless violence rather than a good old fashioned "horror" show. No storyline, just a boring co existence with Zombies. I'm sure there will soon be a scene like "American Werewolf

Vikings, Sleepy Hollow and The Originals has gone way past TWD - and none of those are considered Horror TV series.

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