Game Of Thrones Limited Edition Pinball By Stern

Players can win valuable random awards and features with Reel PopsTM, a fun new software mechanism, by playing the Pop Bumpers and spinning three virtual spinning reels on the display. When three identical symbols line up, the player is awarded the prize shown on the reels. Earn Gold and spend it on needed weapons and features. An Action Button is featured on the front molding for the largest array of interactive play features ever seen in a pinball machine.

In HBO's Game of Thrones pinball, you begin a game by picking one of Westeros's seven families vying for the Iron Throne: Stark, Lannister, Greyjoy, Baratheon, Martell, Tyrell and Targaryen. According to Dankberg, "the goal is really to either conquer all the other families or, at some point you can team up with other families to fight other families and whatnot. The ultimate goal of the game is to get to the Iron Throne."

Stern worked with HBO on the project (Dankberg describes the show creators as "enormous pinball fans"), even recruiting Rory McCann, who plays Sandor "The Hound" Clegane in the HBO show, to shout at you as you play, over the sounds of a very angry Drogon toy.

Like all recent Stern releases, there will be three versions of Game of Thrones.

The Limited Edition version will feature a "Khaleesi" art package with Daenerys Targaryan and her allies depicted on the machine in a hand-painted art style. This version of the game will feature an elevated playfield with full-sized flippers, and an animated dragon to fight. It also features an Iron Throne to lock balls for multiball.

IGN:

• There are video modes controlled by an extra button on the lock bar which Dankberg describes as "8-bit ... kind of a throwback thing ... almost early '80s retro-looking."
• Lannisters will love that there is a gold-collecting mechanic which allows you to spend what you've amassed to achieve your goals. In-game economies are uncommon in pinball.
• The animated dragon in the LE version has a kickback under it which blasts the ball back at the upper playfield flippers when hit. The animation differences for the dragon toy are described by Dankberg as follows: "The LE has a smoother motion and another motor that moves the dragon up and down. So, as you're battling the dragon, he's either going to flap his wings, raise up and down, [or] antagonize you."
• A "Sword of Multiball" locks balls on the right ramp return. To let the balls out of the lock, a sword-like gate opens and chops a ball off like a Night's Watch deserter's noggin.
• Game of Thrones pinball will not be available in digital form at launch, but Dankberg says they are working on digitizing Stern games from the past and present with FarSight Studios. The ultimate goal is to one day co-release a digital and physical version of a pinball machine.
• Pinball classic Medieval Madness was recently reissued and was being assembled in the Stern factory while Game of Thrones was in production. Both games feature similar themes, and, according to Dankberg "a lot of guys who worked on Medieval Madness [reissue] are working on this game, too."