Stern Pinball officially released their latest masterpiece last week, and Pokémon fans can’t get enough of it. There are three variants available: the Pro for $6,999, the Premium for $9,699, and a super-rare Limited Edition with a run of 750 units for $12,999. This full-sized machine packs the excitement of catching critters into every flipper flick.
Pro receive the basic package, which includes a playfield full of ramps, spinners, bumpers, targets, and other features, as well as vivid, action-packed Pokémon artwork showcasing the original Kanto crew. Simply place a silver ball in the illuminated, spring-to-life Poké Ball on the playfield for a chance to catch one of the 182 Pokémon accessible from launch, ranging from Bulbasaur to later generation characters. The Premium ups the ante with higher-end artwork, improved acoustics, a gorgeous new backglass, and an interactive electromagnet that amps increases the ball-defying sensations even further. Meanwhile, Limited Edition owners get a lot more, including a mirrored full-color backglass, emotion lighting that pulses with Pokémon effects, shaker motors and anti-reflective glass, and a signed certificate, as well as that digital badge to show off on your Stern app.
- Stern’s new The Uncanny X-Men pinball games feature Wolverine, Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Beast, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey...
- Battle a 3 dimensional sculpted mechanically animated Sentinel embedded in the playfield that changes states based on player actions
- Experience an innovative new playfield layout from designer Jack Danger that features several new crossing shots and ramp designs with an all-new...
When you start playing, you’re placed in one of four biomes: forest, water, mountain, or desert. Hit the appropriate shots to find wild Pokémon and scan them with the Pokédex optic; you’ll need it to catch them. If you nail the illuminated Poké Ball ramp, you’ll have another Pokémon to add to your squad (link your Stern Insider Connected account, and all captures will be saved to a persistent Pokédex on your phone). Pikachu, the animatronic cheerleader, comes to life with each hit, tail wagging all the time as you create your team from your favorite starters such as Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and the electric mouse.
Don’t expect to have your cake and eat it too; Team Rocket will soon crash the party, and their Meowth-shaped hot air balloon swoops in to launch a frenzied multiball in which you’ll be on the back foot while attempting to keep your captives. Combine this with your progress in the biomes, meet the training objectives, and you’ll be qualified to play the story modes, which include the starters’ adventures as well as a rival Gym Battle for good measure. Add in multiball action and you’ll be in the midst of a jackpot frenzy, all while a large HD screen shows anime sequences and the original theme tune.
Once you’ve completed all four biomes, you’ll be able to enter the Pokémon Arena, where you’ll face off against a succession of progressively difficult opponents, like Pikachu v Raichu, Charizard vs Lucario, and more. The top players will compete for the wizard mode, which pits them against Giovanni himself. Stern’s SPIKE 3 electronics keep the shots coming quickly, and there’s plenty of strategy to be gained with rock-paper-scissors type advantages added to the conflict. A Grass-type Pokémon will send your Water-fighting foe packing, piling up points.
The whole cabinet measures 55 inches wide, 27 inches deep, and 76 inches tall, weighs around 250 pounds, and is ready to transport directly into your house or arcade. Expect updates to add new Pokémon to the mix over time, keeping things interesting and exciting.
