@Jason
the reason I asked if you had played other Sterns is that Stern games ‘feel’ different to Bally/Williams (and probably your old Gottlieb)
I own 6 Stern games. Monopoly and Ironman feel very lightweight, where Lord of the Rings and Spiderman seem to feel more ‘solid’

Even the sounds are different to a B/W
(I am thinking of installing a sub-woofer in a game and see how much of a difference it makes)

So I was wondering if the different ‘feel’ had colored your judgment?