Archived 2026-10-06 from
https://arcadeheroes.com/2026/09/03/stern-pinball-special-preview/.
Article text (Arcade Heroes, 'Arcadian', 3 Sep 2026), page chrome removed. Hands-on preview of Stern's Fallout (Keith Elwin): character select with stats, vaults, junk, shop (buy or steal), V.A.T.S./Fat Boy, magna-flip vault playfield, 200,000 Bethesda assets, relies mostly on the TV show.
Stern Pinball has officially unveiled their latest and grandest design yet, taking Bethesdas popular Fallout series and putting it under the pinball world of glass. I was fortunate enough to go to Chicago for the reveal time to check it out in-person, which will give you a much more detailed look at a new pinball game than is usually provided. Major thanks to PrimeTime Amusements for sponsoring my trip so that I could do this.
Fallout is a series that started off as a PC game back in 1997 as a post-apocalyptic RPG set in an alternate reality of a world that never left the 1950s culturally, but continued the Cold War until the nukes finally obliterated much of the planet in 2077. Bethesda have been the stewards of the series in modern times, turning it into a first-person shooter with RPG elements with Fallout 3, and following up on that with a few other home gaming titles. It was turned into a TV series for Amazon Prime, where they are currently developing season 3.
One question thats been on everyones mind is which version of Fallout? would this game be based upon. All of them is the answer, although if there are any specific elements from the first two games, I didnt see them (although I havent played them, so maybe there is and I missed it). Stern received over 200,000 game assets from Bethesda to work with though, which means that there was more for them to use then they could reasonably put into the game.
From what observed though, it relies heavily on the TV show, while throwing in game elements where it makes sense, such as when you use the Fat Boy and buy items in the shop.
As you can see from the video above, there is a lot to live up to here. George Gomez, Sterns Chief Creative Officer, said that this is their most ambitious and mechanically articulated game ever, which combined with the rest of the design, looks to achieve that.
Led by Keith Elwin, the entire team are fans of the original games, and it shows. They havent done anything to reinterpret what they think Fallout should be, instead crafting a game that captures the unique world in a way that fans can appreciate. Keep in mind that licensors get all the final say in what direction games should go (hence no guns in John Wick), so if its missing something you think is crucial, then you can direct your ire towards Bethesda, but the love for Fallout really comes through in what the team has achieved here.
Fallout Limited Edition
Before you ask, George, who had met Todd Howard at an Xbox event a couple of years ago, which is where this all got started, was not aware until recently that Fallout celebrates its 30th anniversary next year. He said that there arent any discussions on them doing an anniversary edition of the game, although I do imagine that if this performs exceptionally well on the market, then that will change. The LE is limited to 770 units, and that really does fit the bill of an anniversary edition though.
Fallout Premium Edition
When you start, regardless the model, you get to choose one of three characters: Lucy, Maximus, or The Ghoul. Each comes with their own unique stats that affect gameplay (Lucy: Familiar with vaults so they are easier, +1 perception, +1 luck; Maximus: +2 seconds per fusion core level, +1 strength, +1 Agility; The Ghoul: Killing radroaches builds hp, +1 endurance, +1 charisma). The ball then launches up a ramp, where the skill shot is based on whether or not the right-side Nuka Cola target is lit when the ball hits it. This means you have to time the plunge, which as I observed, is when the left NC target is lit.
From there, your task is to explore vaults, collect junk, battle enemies, complete missions, and get the best score that you can. Per the website: Experience the shows story from the perspective of Lucy MacLean, The Ghoul, or Maximus. Enter the Vault to discover the horrors of Vault-Tecs past, present, and future. Find Wilzigs head to discover the secrets of Cold Fusion held within.
This is an intermediate level game, so if youre a fan of Fallout but not familiar with pinball, then youll need to give it some time and play to get the best feel for it. At least for myself, who is nowhere near pinball wizard status, some of the shots take practice to nail consistently. I did watch several wizards at play on it though and they were able to keep a ball in play for a good 10-15 minutes much of the time (one guy managed to get around 623 million points on his first ball. It wasnt his first play, but he sure knows mean pinball).
The PIP Boy is the star of the toy show here, having been designed by The Wand Company; they are the creators of those real PIP Boys that you can wear on your left wrist if you so desire. Unlike most toys found in pinball machines, these are made out of die-cast aluminum and have real working dials, which Keith said you can adjust if you remove the glass. This also has a high contrast, high rez green display that shows pertinent info during play.
The Pro has a similar layout, but lacks the two additional playfields that the Premium has (yes, that has three total). Both games have the same PIP Boy sculpt, as well as a spinner+drop target with a Nuka-Cola bottle cap, a Deathclaw sculpt, and a third inverted flipper (up near the PIP Boy). The Premium adds a kickback function to the Deathclaw, a Vault door mechanism that is literally a miniaturized version of the one on the TV show, and a cool Fat Boy ball launcher that can hit targets on both horizontal and vertical points (it can miss too).
As mentioned with the Premium having three playfields, the two additional platforms are one that occupies the upper right side of the game, then a mini-playfield under the main one. The upper field has targets that can be shot with the Fat Boy (which can work in conjunction with the VATS targeting system if youve got that activated if you dont, then you have to manually aim, and thats where you can miss).
Accessing the lower playfield is done by opening the vault then getting a ball inside. This then activates a pretty cool play mode where you are inside of a vault and you control a self-contained ball there-in by using the flipper buttons. Instead of physical flippers though, this is entirely controlled via magnet, i.e., its all magna-flip. As a side note, there are six vaults(I may be misremembering that number as I think there are more or there will be more) to explore in the game, where you can also collect junk (certain items that give you stat boosts or bonuses). You can also buy or steal items in the store stealing activates a hurry-up, but from what I saw, no one managed the shot in time.
Unfortunately, my lack of skill meant that I didnt get to experience these specific Premium additions, although I did get the vault open once and did a couple of multiballs. There are a few of the latter in the game, and they are fun, I think getting up to six balls at once. The code seemed quite mature, something that others mentioned; Joe at Indie Arcade Wave said it felt like code 1.0 instead of a 0.88 that Stern had done in the past. I have been critical of that myself in the past, so seeing both this and Transformers launch with more robust code is quite nice. First impressions are everything, right?
That said, there did appear to be a few things missing: Insider Connected wasnt operating for it yet, where youll be able to collect things and build characters much like you do in Dungeons & Dragons. While they are on the playfield right above the flippers, neither I nor anyone I observed unlocked one, so it seems thats still to come; it also felt like the kickback feature for the Deathclaw bash toy wasnt working on the Premium yet. Keith also mentioned jokes a few times, but I didnt catch many either in my own play or watching someone else (although the volume wasnt super high I couldnt understand what was said in some scenes that played on the screen). These arent major though, so I think theyll probably have them all ready, either by the time the first units hit the street, or soon afterwards.
I mentioned that there is an LE; they had one on-site, but moved it to another room and were giving special 20 minute screenings. I think my name was on the list to get that, but its possible they called me when I wasnt in the room or after I had to leave to catch my flight. It looks fantastic, and Bethesda will have one, if it hasnt arrived at their offices already.
Because Stern went to town on the mechanics and design, plus the pressures of inflation that havent turned into deflation, this is coming in at a higher price than other machines in Sterns arsenal. Pros will go for around $7,299; Premiums are around $10,699; LEs at $13,999 (thats MSRP some distros might have other prices). Accessories are not ready yet, but will be soon.