Breaking Down the Nitty Gritty: Learn About How Pinball Machines Are Made

Monster battles, an alien invasion, and the endless destruction of cities all around. It's been 23 years since the release of SEGA Godzilla and this time around, Stern is bringing the King of the Monsters back to the pinball community, a much beefier and mightier Godzilla than its predecessor rising out from its deep slumber to let us know who's in charge. Considered one of Stern’s most anticipated titles of the year—with plenty of Youtuber endorsements from the pinhead community and Limited Edition models selling out within just days of its official release—it isn’t hard to see where the hype for the Stern Godzilla comes from.  While it always does feel fun to play the hero and save the day, Godzilla is quite the opposite: destructive, territorial, and here to remind both humans and monsters that Earth is his playground. After all, who needs to care about consequences when you’re King of the Monsters? We certainly don’t have a problem with that! The trailer and gameplay perfectly encapsulate this feeling right off the bat, starring MVP designer Keith Elwin as we get a sneak peek into how players will be thrown into the chaos of the Godzilla universe from the moment they start playing. In fact, we were surprised—and pleasantly so—that the Stern Godzilla seemed much more mechanical than most modern pinball titles we’ve seen in a while, especially when compared to the recent release Led Zeppelin. [caption id="attachment_10758" align="aligncenter" width="1440"] Stars of the show: Elwin and the crew bring in new interactive mech features such as the collapsible bridge, Magna Grab, and 5-level interactive collapsible tower to emulate Godzilla's rampant destruction across the city.[/caption] The various moving parts and mechanisms that were used to emulate the destruction of the city and Godzilla’s monster battles gave it a kind of complexity that hasn’t been seen for some time in pinball. It is decidedly old-school, but we think it works well for a title like this where being able to physically interact and see the physical changes in the playfield allows you to truly let you feel like you are Godzilla himself.  Of course, game complexity and interactive features are quite typical of an Elwin game as Keith Elwin has always been known for designing his titles with deep rulesets and gameplay complexity that challenges even veterans.  However, it’s always done in such a way that makes unlocking or completing challenges quite satisfying rather than frustrating. Also, it’s what makes pinball games in general endlessly replayable, so we’re practically bouncing off our seats at this point in anticipation for the first batch of units that ship out in October.  After all, videos only do so much justice compared to experiencing the gameplay for yourself!  It’s also quite interesting to note that Stern decided to base the game on the original Toho Godzilla rather than its western counterpart. Players will even have the option of choosing either Japanese or English audio when they play, which brings the immersion of playing this fan-favourite monster to the next level. For us, it’s considered a refreshing take on a franchise that has become increasingly westernised while also paying tribute to Godzilla’s origins, showcasing actual footage from the first 10 Toho movies where Godzilla was first conceptualised.  Stern Godzilla will also be pinheads’ first real look into the new Stern Insider Connected system, an online system that allows players from all over the world to connect to any Stern pinball machine and collect their achievements online for future bragging rights and cool rewards from your local community.  Now you get to bring your progress and achievements with you wherever you go! [caption id="attachment_10757" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A new feature for future Stern Pinball machines, the Stern Insider Connected system will let you share achievements and challenge other pros from across the globe![/caption] Stern Pinball is the gift that keeps giving, especially towards the steadily growing pinball community that exists in Singapore and other parts of the world.  It’s things like this that remind us why digital games will never be able to fully replace analogue games like well-crafted mechanical pinball machines. The Stern Godzilla is clear proof of this, taking the pinball community by storm by reminding us of the good times while giving us a title that is sure to become a classic for the decades to come.  The Stern Godzilla Pinball Machine is placed in store for viewing and appreciation. If you're keen on viewing, WhatsApp us and we can setup an appointment in-store with our Pinball expert to walk you through this stunning machine. Otherwise, feel free to explore the other Pinball Machines in production today. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get all the latest news and even exclusive invites to product launches, sent straight to your mailbox.

One of the last major pinball manufacturers left in both US and the world, Stern Pinball has been picking up business in the entertainment world over the past few years. Follow the people of Tech Insider as they do a factory tour of Stern and get down to business on the ups and downs of the pinball industry, nostalgia culture on Stern's recent upshift in the market, and their ultimate goals for the future.

Does pinball seem fun to you at first glance, but you’re hesitant because you’re not sure exactly how it works? How do the pros make it look effortless to make high scores on the leaderboard while you’re struggling to make the ball go exactly where you want it? Well, look no further, because I’ll be throwing out all the slang and jargon to give you the most basic guide on what you’ll need to know to start your pinball playing journey.    Understanding How They Work   Just like what Sharpe mentions in the video, mechanical pinball machines can seem particularly daunting toward potential new players, especially with all their ramps, sounds, and flashing lights. Fast from the get-go and without an easily accessible manual to actually tell you the tips and tricks, this actually causes a lot of newbies to shy away from trying their hand at pinball after the first few tries, especially in social settings like arcades and bars.  But despite the chaos that is presented on a pinball machine’s playfield, there is actually an order to the chaos rather than just being ‘pure, randomised luck’. Just like any other kind of sport or game, you can teach yourself how to control the game’s pacing. Similar to your own arms and legs, you should think of the pinball machine’s flippers as an extension of yourself. Rather than spamming the flippers to make sure that the ball doesn’t fall into the gutter, use the flippers to ‘capture’ the ball. This will enable you to slow down the game’s pace while allowing you to make more precise shots for where you would like the ball to go on the playfield. Once you’ve mastered how to use the flippers (or at least gotten a hang of them), you can then move on to the next step.   Mastering The Playfield Every game comes with a set of rules, and pinball is no different. But what makes it different from other sports or arcade games is the fact that these rules are usually specifically tied to the theme of the pinball machines themselves. As such, all pinball games are distinct and unique from one another due to these different rule sets.  Therefore, while it might be impossible to truly ‘master’ the pinball machine, learning the fundamental and most basic parts of the playfield is a great way to figure out most, if not all, pinball machines intuitively.   Slingshots: These are the side bumps just right above the flippers. As the edges are usually covered or made with an elastic material, they give the ball an extra bounce when it comes in contact with them.    Target banks: Usually one of the first things you’ll notice when playing, target banks are placed around the centre of the playfield and are usually ‘word’ targets on most modern pinball machines that are activated when your ball rolls over them. These targets are usually a way to earn extra points or trigger certain modes on the pinball machine that would not activate in any other situation.    Chutes: Like a trapdoor or secret access room, hitting your ball into a chute will usually take it and ‘transport’ it to a different area of the playfield. For more experienced players, you can use the chute to access different or difficult-to-reach areas of the playfield that cannot be accessed by normal means to score more points.    Jet bumpers: Hate em’ or love em’, hitting jet bumpers can help you score points will giving the ball more velocity as it bumps between them for a faster and potentially more chaotic gameplay experience.   Ramps: No pinball machine would be complete without ramps. They’re also a good way to earn some big points while directing the ball back to your flippers so that you can control your shots better. While this isn’t an active feature on the physical playfield, all pinball machines have different modes or objectives that are aligned with the machine’s theme. Whether they are general or secret modes, triggering and completing them can usually give you a big point boost. And if you’re skilled (or lucky!) enough, you should always try to trigger the multiball mode for maximum points!    Tips & Tricks To Sharpen Your Skills Once you’ve mastered all of the above, it’s time to learn what separates newbies from pros. For this, there is no better way other than learning from the best. An active and experienced pinball player even to this day, Thomson highlights the top 5 skills you’ll need to become the master of the ball.   As all playing guides go, these pointers are just the basics that you will need to master to be on the way to becoming the next pro pinball player. Even if it might seem difficult at first glance, we assure you that once you’ve gotten the hang of them, you’ll gain a newfound appreciation for a beloved game that has been around for decades.  If you like this article and are interested in learning more about how to play pinball, you can check out this full playlist by Home Leisure Direct or take a look at the rest of our pinball articles right here!   At The Men’s Cave, we review, curate, and strive to provide quality content and inspiration on the coolest games from all around the world. If you enjoyed this article, why not show your support by signing up for our newsletters (at the bottom of the article) and we will keep you updated on the latest insider articles from all around the world!