Stern Pinball at SDCC 2024

For several years now, Stern Pinball has hosted a pop-up arcade at San Diego Comic-Con. A few dozen of their pinball tables are made available for free play to visitors, and those who have a Stern Pinball Insider Connected account could score a special badge for playing at least one game at the pop-up. I was able to stop by the arcade while at Comic-Con 2024, both to get demos of Stern’s two latest tables, Godzilla - 70th Anniversary Premium Edition and John Wick, and simply because I love to play pinball myself.

The Godzilla pinball machine puts you in the role of Godzilla himself, and challenges you to fight your way to becoming King of the Monsters – the goal of the game is to smash your way through cities until you face an ultimate showdown with Mechagodzilla. The table is a tribute to the classic Godzilla movies, so the art work features the classic man-in-a-suit Godzilla and not the CGI version appearing in theaters these days. If you ever watched the classic movies, you’ll recognize the versions of Mothra, Rodan, and Anguirus in the game, and will really appreciate the classic Godzilla movie clips that play on the video screen while you’re playing. I even caught a glimpse of Minilla on the screen – that brought back childhood memories of Saturday afternoons past. I also appreciated how kinetic the table is, including a bridge that sways and cracks and building which collapses down upon itself.

If you follow Stern, you’ll know that the Godzilla machine is not entirely new, but in honor of Godzilla’s 70th anniversary it’s gotten the Special Edition treatment. In a tribute to the classic black and white Godzilla movies, the cabinet and backglass have been redone in classic black and white greyscale, as well as the graphics on the table. The black and white table, works really well with all of the chrome on the rails and other hardware, and the use of red font really makes the text on the table stand out. I’m used to seeing pinball tables that are almost a cacophony of colors, so playing the silver ball on a silver table makes for a unique experience.

Also making its SDCC debut was Stern Pinball’s newest table, John Wick. This pinball machine draws upon the entire film franchise for inspiration, challenging players to complete jobs for familiar factions while working their way towards taking on John Wick’s “Special Assignment”. The table features iconic locations from the films, including the New York Continental and the Circle Club, and is surrounded by a lit New York City skyline that evokes the atmosphere of the city at night. Other iconic features on the table include John Wick’s car (which can be bashed by the ball to spin into a drift), a weapons locker that pops open when hit, and the Blood Oath Marker. Contracts. The screen will also reflect the action on the table – as you attack enemies with the pinball, you’ll see John Wick attack them on the screen.

If you’ve joined Stern’s free Insider program and have scanned into a John Wick pinball machine, you’ll receive notifications of when a new contract becomes available in the game. These are limited in time and in number, so once enough players complete a contract, it’s gone. And you don’t have to own the game to compete – find a table at your local pub or bowling alley and you can join in the chase. And if you’re not sure where the closest John Wick pinball machine is, the Insider Connected app will help you find it.

I enjoyed playing both tables, Stern does a great job of making pinball machines that play fast and frantic, but don’t feel unfair or unapproachable. Pinball noobs will feel like they can make some progress, while those who’ve since they’ve been a young person have played the silver ball will appreciate the challenge of progressing through all of the missions. If you don’t have the Insider Connected app, I encourage you to download it and find your local tables.