On Saturday 11/30/2024 I flipped for the first time Metallica: Remastered (Stern 2024) LE. Think it was like #410 of 500, but wasn’t too focused on that. I was curious how/if this Remastered version improved over the original Metallica pinball from 2013.
My detailed first thoughts are below. I played 11 complete games, including one game that was over 200 million and, at least for a short time, had me #1 on Next Level Pinball’s list. It wasn’t a Grand Champion (GC) score on the game, but it was the #1 score on the game.
Before we get to my first thoughts on Metallica: Remastered after flipping on location, if you enjoy what follows and want to read more then:
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B. here are some other detailed thoughts after playing articles I’ve written:
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- The Uncanny X-Men (Stern 2024) Premium Detailed Thoughts after Flipping On Location
- Pulp Fiction SE (2023) Detailed Thoughts after Flipping On Location
- John Wick Pro + Premium (Stern 2024 v0.81 code) Detailed Thoughts after Flipping On Location + Show
- Labyrinth (Barrels of Fun 2023) Detailed Thoughts after Flipping On Location
- Looney Tunes (Spooky 2024) Detailed Thoughts after Flipping On Location
Metallica: Remastered LE Detailed First Thoughts After Flipping on Location
MIXED – Theme
There are some that don’t like music pins, but I’m not one of them. I like music pins in general. Metallica is a good band and they are very much deserving of their own music pin. The problem? They already have one, created in 2013.
Stern’s idea is that they are going to remaster pins from 11 years ago versus making a brand new pin for a different artist/band? That’s my central problem with this theme. I’m not against it existing, no, but wish they would have made a Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Van Halen, etc theme pin instead of updating an existing game from 11 years ago.
Getting past that, the theme of Metallica and Sparky in an electric chair is a great one for a pinball machine. They have updated Sparky in this new version and he looks cool. Add in some great Metallica music and this one just smokes.
LIKE – Playfield Design, Mechs & Toys
Sparky has been redone and updated, sitting in the electric chair and he looks good. There are two skulls, one on each side, on the slingshots by the flippers that mock you while the ball drains. I had some problems making shots at first, bricking on the more distant ramps or not completing them, but a few games in and I was hitting them with much more accuracy and power. Sparky jiggles and shakes when you hit the chair and there is a magnet that sends the ball in random direction, adding to the challenge.
The hammer pounds the ball near the center of the playfield, locking the ball underneath the playfield. It’s a cool effect and at first I was like: hey, where did that ball go? Then I watched it go underneath.
It’s been awhile since I played the original Metallica game, but it came back to me fairly quickly in the new game. I like the playfield updates as far as mechs and toys.
MIXED – Translite, Side and Playfield Artwork
The LE? I like the color scheme. It seems to riff off their first album, Kill ‘Em All and it fits well.
It would have made much more sense for the Premium to be blue, to match Ride The Lightning, Metallica’s first full length album, but no, instead we get …. green.
I strongly, strongly dislike the color choice for the Premium — the one the vast majority of the world will see on location — a color Metallica almost never uses: green – at least from what I’ve seen in pictures and videos – and already wrote about my visual distaste in great details separately here: Holy Sleestak, Metallica: Remastered – Wait 1+ hour at Pinball Expo to play game that’s been out for 11+ years!
Now, the playfield.
My biggest issue with the playfield art, in fact the entire game on the playfield, is there just seems to be too much grayscale. There is an absence of color even with the expression lights (which are like taking color and washing them across dull colors (fugly browns, tans, off colors). I wanted more expressive color in the experience, not expression lights. It reminded me somewhat of Godzilla 70th, but not quite that grayscale.
Even a lot of the backglass animations are black and white, which is annoying. Why weren’t those in full color? Why was this choice made? The black and white text and images are crisp and sharply rendered. I like the animations, I just don’t care for them being in black and white. The scoring in particular is amazingly sharp. It might be the easiest to read score display of any SPIKE 2 Stern to date. I love how legible it is, but found myself wanting it to be more colorful.
That’s my single biggest takeaway playing: that it all looks great until you play it and then you don’t feel it’s very vibrant art-wise. Instead, it’s very ordinary. Too ordinary. I like the 2013 playfield art better, both in play and from a distance.
LIKE – Plunger / Skill Shots
Although it’s a standard plunger, you’re going full plunge on this one, which fit, but is a bit cliched. You plunge up to the top and try and match the blinking lane. There are other skill shots and I feel with time I’d get more into learning and shooting for them. Nothing extraordinary, unusual or creative here.
LIKE – Gameplay Flow
I’m close to loving the flow on this game. It really shoots well, the loops, the targets, the snake shot, although I did get the ball stuck a couple times to the right of the snake mouth. I don’t remember this from the 2013 game, so this seems new.
The targets were a bit stiff, needing adjustment on the springs to be tighter. I would hit the target hard and the target wouldn’t fall, but lighter hits and it would fall. These are minor adjustments and not really a knock against the game, but on the QA/QC from Stern manufacturing. They need to check the drop target springs better.
These things aside, this one has some real speed to it. It’s not brutal fast like John Wick at times or too much compression in the bottom third like X-Men, but it’s a nice kind of smooth fast feel. The fairly open to back layout reminds me fondly of Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast, a pin that I own and enjoy very much.
LIKE – scoring
This is a medium to high tier scorer (see: Ranking Stern Spike 2 Games by Scoring Tier +Took 900+ days to score over a billion). I was able in the first few games to hit a 200+ million score. Given, it’s not really my first ever few games, because I’ve played the 2013 game, but a billion+ score seems very doable on Metallica: Remastered. I’d put this one as a slightly better scorer than X-Men, way better than John Wick, but not as high scoring as Jaws. Would compare Metallica similarly scoring-wise to Venom.
LIKE – LCD movie assets and callouts
Was hoping for plenty of Metallica live concert footage and here it is. I mean, this is perhaps the single biggest reason to buy this game for current Metallica fans: the video clips, the music and band callouts. This pin just oozes modern day Metallica.
Say that again: modern day.
I’m in the Metallica fan group that prefers the younger Metallica, the band that had the freaking amazing Cliff Burton on bass. No disrespect to their current bassist, Robert Trujillo, but he’s not the wonder of nature that was Cliff Burton (RIP). What’s missing from Metallica are any older video clips showing the band when they were at their nastiest, raw power. I saw them in concert on the Ride The Lightning tour and they were something incredible to see. Would have been awesome in this pin to have something from that era of the band.
There are a ton of band callouts, from the current band, which is awesome. I don’t think other than the previously mentioned mostly black and white on the animations to note here, because the live footage is great. It fits the modes and songs chosen and everything I saw was extremely well done. Kudos here.
LOVE – Music/sounds
As a fan of the 80s era Metallica, there is enough of that music here for me to sink right into. I’m not as big a fan of Metallica in the 90s and beyond, and they have added modes for the new 72 Seasons album for those that are newer fans, but there are plenty of older songs to choose before launching the ball that you don’t need to worry about that. I was — still am — a mega fan of Metallica in the 80s.
As for sounds? All great. I could hear the music and sound very clearly. I’m sure for those that upgrade the LE sound, they can get even better, if they want, but I really dug the music and sound on this game. Very well done.
Yes, some could nitpick the song selection. Would it have been cool if the game included some original, exclusive Metallica music? Perhaps some rare B-sides or outtakes or live recordings? Sure. I think that’s perhaps the only miss here, but maybe that can be added via code updates down the road. Correct me in the comments if there are some exclusive songs I might have missed. I would love, for example, to have seen something like a Cliff Burton bass solo from back in the day. I realize Burton is long gone, but can always wish.
Instead, Metallica: Remastered is focusing on Metallica circa 2024. I get why that’s the focus, but for fans of their early days, there isn’t much besides the music to remind just how great this band was when they first started out.
DISLIKE – Lighting
The expression lights don’t do much for me on this pin.
I know, I know, we’re supposed to just love Stern’s expression lights, but they don’t really do what they look like they do in person on this pin.
The lighting in general was merely OK to me. I have been spoiled by competing pinball company lighting that I feel most Sterns are weak in this department, including Metallica. Heck, check out the majestic lighting sweeps of Avatar (JJP) or Godfather’s mobster gun mode red and then play Metallica: Remastered. The lighting is average. JJP GnR is so much better lighting-wise than Metallica it’s not even worth comparing.
Stern needs to step up lighting in their games. They are behind the lighting curve and it shows new game after game. The lighting in X-Men, however, is noticeably better than Metallica. Jaws lighting is subpar. John Wick lighting and X-Men are better than Jaws (the worst) and Metallica (second worst) of 2024.
I think a big part of the problem is that the playfield art color doesn’t reflect well with the lights. It’s not a pleasing mix while playing. Underwhelming.
What about the UV lighting? This is something that really stands out on Stranger Things, but you need to have the pin in a dark room to enjoy it.
I guess when/where I played this wasn’t a factor? I was excited about seeing these UV effects but the room was too well lit to notice and/or enjoy any of this special lighting feature. Think I need to play this in a darker room someday to get that blacklight effect of the UV light. That looks super cool in videos but in person I couldn’t really see it. This would definitely make the game coloring pop if I could see this, it would change from a “dislike” to a “mixed” or maybe even a “like” if it was as visually exciting in person as it looks like in video and photos. Unfortunately, I didn’t experience any of this when I played so can’t factor this into my actual play experience.
Instead, it was like I was seeing constant flashes and strobe effects. Stuff that would make somebody flash sensitive to light pause. Playing the game at times is a bit like walking through a stream of flash bulbs going off in a red carpet walk line. Overdone, excessive flash effects border on irritating, not enjoyable.
LIKE – Additional Game/Video Modes
There are a bunch of modes in Metallica, all fun to play. It is one of Lyman Sheat’s better coded games and they have built upon with Raymond Davidson hired to implement new code on top and around it.
Speaking of Sheats (RIP), there is a nice tribute to him mentioned in the game. It is nice to see him get posthumous credit for his great code work on this game.
From my first plays, these updates seems to have worked well. It’s an update where care and concern was clearly in place not to ruin what made the original game fun to play, and mostly enhanced it. For anybody worried about that, those feelings are quickly negated. For all intents and purpose, gameplay-wise, this is an upgrade from the 2013 version.
Would love to have seen some more video modes added, however. Something like what Team Elwin has done with Jaws. It seems like most other teams avoid putting in video modes and that beautiful LCD is just ripe for video modes. Imagine creatively if they put in a game like Jaws: The Revenge, 8-bit style, with an older Metallica mode playing both pinball and a video mode? Wow, that would just knock everybody out. Alas, nothing cool creatively like that here. A miss, so far, but there is time to add something amazing like that down the road when they make it to complete 1.0 code.
The current code is v0.93, not 1.0 code, as the final wizard mode isn’t implemented yet, so a stink eye from me on that. How do you release a Remastered game, a game 11+ years old, Stern, without full, complete code? Come on.
It’s bad enough that games that cost north of $10,000 – this LE is $13,000 – releases in an unfinished code state, but to pile on that it’s supposed to be a updated, remastered version of a game 11 years old and it’s still not finished? I don’t get why Stern would do this.
Also, why isn’t this Metallica using the new Spike 3 system? That’s a whole other enchilada to chew on. Why would Stern release a remastered version of any older games not using their absolute newest Spike system? The answer is probably that Spike 3 isn’t ready yet. I don’t really think it would have hurt anything to wait on Metallica: Remaster release until Spike 3 was ready. Unless Stern just didn’t feel that X-Men could carry out the rest of 2024 and they wanted to make a huge splash at the 40th annual pinball show in Chicago.
Seems like marketing won out over doing the right thing for their customers on this one. Disappointing.
LIKE – Connected features
Despite Stern’s recent miserable upgrade to IC (see: Stern Horribly Upgrades Insider Connected – please revert!), Metallica: Remastered sings with plenty of achievements. You’ll hear that sweet sound as you rack up achievements quickly. Some of them are very easy to attain. Nobody but Stern does achievements, badges, quest and goals as good as this. If only we could more easily track them, like we used to do, Stern? Please. That said, if you’re an IC fan, you’ve got all the goodies here.
There’s even an unboxing badge for Metallica like they did for X-Men. It’s too bad Stern didn’t roll these back to prior IC new in box games, but those that buy one of these, yeah, you’ll get that badge.
DISLIKE – Pricing
I don’t like the pricing for Metallica: Remastered.
In fairness, I don’t like the pricing for any new Sterns these days and have a suspicion in 2025 prices will be going even higher.
It’s not just Stern, it’s Jersey Jack Pinball, Spooky, American, most modern pinball machines are overpriced. It didn’t stop me from buying two new in box Sterns in 2024, so take this complaint about pricing with a bit of eyeroll, but think I’m in the majority that think despite Stern making advancements in manufacturing, they haven’t passed many of those savings onto their customers.
Am far and away not alone in thinking that modern pinball games are too expensive (see: OPINION: Active, Interested Buyer: New in Box Modern Pinball Prices are 20% (at least) Too Expensive)
Overall early feelings – Not interested in buying, am interested in playing more
It’s time to grade this beautiful machine. Despite everything written above and what follows, this is a gorgeous looking machine from a distance. You walk up to it and it’s like: wow, this is high quality. I enjoyed playing it and will play it again.
I don’t, at least at this time, want to own one of these.
The vast majority of LEs are out of my price range, it’s not just this one. Pretty much any game that costs more than $10,000 is out of what I’m willing to pay for pinball machines, so the premium version would likely be my only interest and I do not like the green, so that’s probably a no.
Is this a good time to insert that pinball scalpers suck? Am not a fan of any game scalpers. Some bought up the 500 only to try and turn around and gouge others $5,000 for this game on Pinside as of this writing.
Sure hope those sit a long, long time, but something tells me that huge Metallica pin fans will pay it. Not me.
Honestly, I’m a bit more interested in owning the 2013 version of Metallica, even if that’s not quite as amazing to look at from a distance. The price on that game might fall precipitously now that this Remastered version is out.
The 2013 version just throws me back more to the original Metallica game than the new version does. I’m not saying Metallica: Remastered isn’t a good game, it is and it’s fun to play. It’s an improvement in several areas, but there are parts about the original game that I just like better. Dirty Donny’s artwork and lighting notably. Maybe I’m just being nostalgic and not logical here, but it is what it is.
Grade: B
My first thoughts grade for Metallica: Remastered puts this higher than The Uncanny X-Men (B-), but the truth is I think X-Men is more creative and feels fresher to play. The problem with X-Men is the same problem as John Wick: rushed out early code and some design issues they are working through. Eventually, I could see Metallica: Remastered dropping beneath The Uncanny X-Men, if they get the X-Men code right, anyway. Then again, Metallica: Remastered code isn’t finished either, so who knows which comes out on top.
Metallica: Remastered is not really a fair comparison to other new games right now. I’d rather play X-Men when it’s dialed in than Metallica, but Metallica is easily a better game right now than X-Men and Venom, and a much better game than John Wick. I like playing Jaws more than Metallica: Remastered.
Here’s how I’d rank the Stern Pinball game releases since Venom:
- Jaws
- Metallica: Remastered
- The Uncanny X-Men
- Venom
- John Wick
Stern needs to stay away from Marvel for awhile and dare I say, be very sparing with more Remastered games. I don’t want to see a bunch of Remastered games. A few, sparingly, here done right and well (this one is done pretty well) makes sense.
I’d rather see new games with new themes we haven’t seen like Jaws. And with the same type of creative zeal as Jaws. That said, Stern has several good games like Metallica they could do this Remastered thing with and get some mileage and sales. I just wish the pricing would be reflective of the original pricing, sans inflation, not the current pricing. Dream on, I know.
Have you played Metallica: Remastered? Are you wanting to? Want to comment on my first thoughts playing? Sound off in the comments below.