Stern Pinball Arcade first impressions

[DA5ID]

It's okay. The DLC options were confusing to me as well rushing to get ready for work.

hmm good catch, I didn't see it this morning when I was impulse purchasing while also trying to make a fiscally responsible decision.

 

[Xanija]

I also got the bundle pack 2 because that is the only way to get mustang (not sold as standalone).

There is a DLC for Mustang for $9.99 standalone.

ac/dc standalone in $20? -that must be a mistake

I noticed that as well. I notified Mike about this. I think it's either a wrong description (LE instead of Premium or anything like this) or the pricing is wrong here.

Last last thing - ghostbusters is in the interface with a coming soon! (no whoa nellie)

Whoa Nellie has been confirmed to me by FarSight.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I think AC/DC Premium's standalone price of $19.99 is a pricing error. It should be $9.99 like Star Trek and Mustang.

Looks like those LE editions are limited to the retail version, after all. Sucks for me because I'm all digital this gen, I'm not buying that disc.

This is all very confusing and bare-bones. Old tables seem the same, lighting is messed up with no options, no Pro Mode options, confusing DLC. LEs limited to retail. This is a pretty terrible release, I hate to be all doom and gloom.

I will wait for iPad release. That is my primary TPA platform and the lighting effects on PS4 are bad, anyway. Might actually be brighter.

 

[DA5ID]

There is a DLC for Mustang for $9.99 standalone.
Whoa Nellie has been confirmed to me by FarSight.

yep on mustang - i really didn't see it as an add on this morning and thought I had to buy the bundle to get it - my bad

ghostbusters table is in the table menu ready to go soon - i am sure whoa nellie will be coming - just less soon

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

AC/DC's pricing is most likely an error. Premiums should be $10, not $20.

 

[Heretic]

if i dont see considerably more excitment in the next 24 ill be alittle surprised, maybe its that modern sterns dont have that nostalgia? personally im looking forward to machine ill probably never get my hands on and going down the rabbit hole with those crazy complex rulesets

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

if i dont see considerably more excitment in the next 24 ill be alittle surprised, maybe its that modern sterns dont have that nostalgia? personally im looking forward to machine ill probably never get my hands on and going down the rabbit hole with those crazy complex rulesets

I'm excited. I'm just darn jealous that PS4 gets all the fun first instead of Steam.

Oh wait. GearVR had it first.

 

[neglectoid]

https://www.twitch.tv/voovoof streaming the stern app

 

[Xanija]

Just got confirmation the price for AC/DC standalone is wrong and should be $9.99. The price will be updated in the coming days.

 

[zmcvay]

if i dont see considerably more excitment in the next 24 ill be alittle surprised, maybe its that modern sterns dont have that nostalgia? personally im looking forward to machine ill probably never get my hands on and going down the rabbit hole with those crazy complex rulesets

I'm having such a blast with Star Trek I haven't even really given AC/DC much play yet. The lighting is a big problem, but I've got it at least tolerable by making a different picture profile on my TV for just this game. Even so I can only just make out the Starship toy in the back. I'm not the best person to comment on any physics differences, but they seem fine to me. The big improvement I can see from TPA is that the sound seems much better. Probably the difference of directly emulating the sound rather than recording it from the machine. I'll have to try the TPA redos as well later, but I'm enjoying myself so much I'll probably talk myself into picking up Mustang as well instead of waiting on the Steam release.

 

[StrakaC]

Purchased both bundles. I only played Star Trek so far. Fun game but my goodness way too dark. I can't find where to adjust the brightness.

 

[dtown8532]

While these are not perfect, here is a some comparisons for ACDC and Star Trek. Please keep in mind that my screen captures by my phone accentuate the brights more than what you see IRL. ACDC isn't too bad but Star Trek is WAY too dark. And the flasher effects on both tables are pitiful. I don't get this. CV (in its first form before FarSight f'd it up with their newest update) looked really good. The neon was bright. Very dynamic against the rest of the table. What the heck happened? They can do so much better. And I don't want to hear "console limitations". Bull Sh!t. If Uncharted can look like it does, why can't they recreate a pinball machine to look real? Oh, and one other thing. FarSight can sh!t can that stupid "arcade" selection menu and its stupid announcer. Didn't they learn from the old Williams and Gottlieb collection that this was a waste of time and resources?

 

[Gorgar]

I for one loved the voiceover guy from the Gottlieb and Williams collections. The one in this game is a different voice, but I welcome him as well. Mustang!

 

[PeacemakerPIN]

While these are not perfect, here is a some comparisons for ACDC and Star Trek. Please keep in mind that my screen captures by my phone accentuate the brights more than what you see IRL. ACDC isn't too bad but Star Trek is WAY too dark. And the flasher effects on both tables are pitiful. I don't get this. CV (in its first form before FarSight f'd it up with their newest update) looked really good. The neon was bright. Very dynamic against the rest of the table. What the heck happened? They can do so much better. And I don't want to hear "console limitations". Bull Sh!t. If Uncharted can look like it does, why can't they recreate a pinball machine to look real? Oh, and one other thing. FarSight can sh!t can that stupid "arcade" selection menu and its stupid announcer. Didn't they learn from the old Williams and Gottlieb collection that this was a waste of time and resources?

Yeah. I miss the PS4 version of CV before it got all messed up.

On topic, the way the light reflects on the ball in SPA looks wrong. It looks better in TPA.

 

[dtown8532]

Here's a couple positive things.

If you change your TV to VIVID, it looks better. Not a perfect fix but works well. I, like most people who value a proper look, set their TV's to cinema, but it just looks too dull in SPA.

Also, the sound is top notch. Much better than TPA. Crank it on the head phones!

 

[PeacemakerPIN]

Yep. Audio is amazing on SPA. Crystal clear.

I would be wary about those television settings, because going back to TPA might make a person go blind with the contrast. (Well for the tables that were not messed up)

They really should fix the contrast highlights on the steel balls.

 

[dtown8532]

No matter what settings you use the ball looks dull. I've played some Mustang and will say it looks the best of the three. Hopefully this is a sign for tables to come. But, yes, you have to crank up your TV settings to make this game look right.

 

[Trackball]

Yeah, I have a new appreciation for the Brighten Ball option on the PC version's config utility.

I'm one of those people that, on certain tables, always uses an alternate ball, because it makes it easier to see on my monitor--until I discovered that option, at any rate.
Obviously I have no problem seeing the ball on a REAL table.

Still, man, the sooner this comes to PC, so I can change the lighting, the better.
I'm lucky--my birthday was earlier this month, so I had some extra money to get the PS4 version to tide me over.
AC/DC and Star Trek are really fun, though. Never played one of either in the wild.

Oh, and I can verify that they fixed the music and sound on Last Action Hero in the SPA version. The AC/DC tunes are back!

 

[dtown8532]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No. They didn't. Just wasted 5 bucks hoping they did. The AC/DC tune is still butchered.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

Oh, and I can verify that they fixed the music and sound on Last Action Hero in the SPA version. The AC/DC tunes are back!

What do you mean, the sounds were fixed? Quite curious, since I do not yet know how LAH plays on SPA.