Stern Pinball has been in the pinball game for almost a hundred years. Their product has evolved in that span incorporating innovative design, upgrading the technology, and partnering with popular franchises.
At this year’s CES we spoke with Stern Pinball CEO Seth Davis about working with some of the biggest names in pop culture today. The designers combine their knowledge of both pinball and whoever they partner with.
“[I]t really is knowing a lot about pinball and immersing themselves in the franchise in the IP and just getting really intimate with everything in the franchise,” Davis said. “The good news is they’re all pop culture fans so generally, anything we work on is something they’re usually pretty familiar with to start with. But the depth of familiarity gets a lot deeper when you’re work on it and trying to understand every different aspect for the super fan.”
The company provided hands-on demos of their most recent products. The first of which was The Walking Dead Remastered. It has been more than a decade since the original came out so Stern Pinball thought it would be a good time to release an upgraded version. It incorporates the SPIKE 3 platform, and has a larger 18.5 inch full high definition display compared to the old 15.6 inch dot pixel screen.
There are other improvements in the audio with now separate speakers, the lighting effects, and new RGB rollover switches. Moreover, the artwork and sculpts have been updated while also other new sculpts and rules have been added. The well walker specifically stands out and serves as an excellent target. The crossbow device has also been changed to provide increased precision and gameplay flexibility. The Walking Dead Remastered feels like the original but with more.
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire is the other featured pinball machine. It takes players back to the original trilogy. There are tons of gameplay aspects themed to the final two films. Take down an AT-AT by activating a spiral ramp that mimics a snow speeder using its tow cable. Escape from Cloud City using the center jump ramp to jump into hyperspace. Enter Jabba’s Sarlaac Pit or try to destroy the Death Star II. So many great features but the most fun might be Yoda using the force (via a magnet) to save a ball from entering the drain. Plus, all the action is narrated by C-3PO from original dialog recorded by Lucasfilm for the game.
The Stern Pinball The Walking Dead Remastered and Star Wars: Fall of the Empire are currently available.
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