Pricecheck: Stern Indiana Jones

jrivelli

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So, I can easily read the boston pin or pinsde prices. My biggest question here is this. A lot of sterns lose their value in the first few years, mostly due to being released at such insane prices. I am wondering what people think about a Stern IJ for 3,800$? It has full LEDs and a subwoofer in it as well. I feel like that is top dollar and only going to dip down a bit from there. It just doesn't have that build quality or depth that some of those heavy hitter bally/williams have in my opinion. Thoughts?
 
So, I can easily read the boston pin or pinsde prices. My biggest question here is this. A lot of sterns lose their value in the first few years, mostly due to being released at such insane prices. I am wondering what people think about a Stern IJ for 3,800$? It has full LEDs and a subwoofer in it as well. I feel like that is top dollar and only going to dip down a bit from there. It just doesn't have that build quality or depth that some of those heavy hitter bally/williams have in my opinion. Thoughts?

IJ4 is the worst game Stern ever made. The only reason it has any value is due to a good theme. LEDs and a subwoofer won't save it. In fact, LEDs probably make it worse like most shitty LED conversions. :)

$3800 can get you a GOOD Stern like TSPP, LOTR, FGY, POTC....hell, it might not even cost you $3800 to get one of those!
 
I would say it is probably a $3000 pin with the LED and subwoofer. They usually sell in the $2800ish range unshopped and off route.

Brian
 
It just doesn't have that build quality or depth that some of those heavy hitter bally/williams have in my opinion. Thoughts?


If that is your opinion, then why even bother with it. I got mine NIB and it does well in my line up. I also disagree with rare hero on it being stern's worst game. To each his own.
 
do you think theyll stay artificially high due to lower production numbers? Theres just not many out there because ops arent buying and operating them

It's a 2008 release - Ops were still buying new pins ...moreso than today, it seems. I've seen a bunch of IJ's on route ...it was the 2009 games that ops truly said "NO WAY" to ...CSI, 24, NBA.

I've heard different rumors on how many IJ's were made ...some are really low like 700 ...I find that number hard to believe - but who knows.

The bottom line is - there's a superior IJ game out there for fans of the theme, so the Stern game should NEVER even be close in price to that one.
 
If that is your opinion, then why even bother with it. I got mine NIB and it does well in my line up. I also disagree with rare hero on it being stern's worst game. To each his own.

Hey, an opinion's an opinion. Here's why I think IJ sucks

-Almost no inserts on the playfield....a reflection of its lack of depth
-Rules consist of "shoot this 20 times and watch a movie scene....then shoot this 30 times and watch another movie scene"
-The "Map Room" area's a total waste of playfield space, and the flat Cairo Swordsman that swings out is really lame
-The opening and the balls spilling out is cool...once or twice. It's an easy, wide open shot to start it...thus making it somewhat unsatisfying.
-Scoop placement is bad. A shot to the right orbit always ends up in a scoop
-At the end of the day it's BORING.

Stern's other "simple" games like Iron Man, Avatar, NBA, BBH, Stones - are so much more fun due to better rules, action, and flow that all mesh together for a better overall experience.

...in my opinion. :)
 
Hey, an opinion's an opinion. Here's why I think IJ sucks

-Almost no inserts on the playfield....a reflection of its lack of depth
-Rules consist of "shoot this 20 times and watch a movie scene....then shoot this 30 times and watch another movie scene"
-The "Map Room" area's a total waste of playfield space, and the flat Cairo Swordsman that swings out is really lame
-The opening and the balls spilling out is cool...once or twice. It's an easy, wide open shot to start it...thus making it somewhat unsatisfying.
-Scoop placement is bad. A shot to the right orbit always ends up in a scoop
-At the end of the day it's BORING.

Stern's other "simple" games like Iron Man, Avatar, NBA, BBH, Stones - are so much more fun due to better rules, action, and flow that all mesh together for a better overall experience.

...in my opinion. :)

I hate it. Absolutely full on hate. It was on location near me and I bitched to the op ( a friend) and got it pulled. He sold it not long after because he hated it too.
 
Thanks guys, really good info and opinions here. Tough to go either way on all sides
 
Well - love or hate - opinions aside, there is a fact here: it's not a $3800 game.

^^^^ THIS. No where near a $3,800 game and it is the worst modern Stern game...by a mile. The best part of the game is the translite or cabinet art. If IJ4's theme was Roller Coaster Tycoon instead, it would be a $1,500 game already. It is that bad. A complete and utter waste of a perfect theme for pinball and everyone involved in the development of it should be embarassed.
 
^^^^ THIS. No where near a $3,800 game and it is the worst modern Stern game...by a mile. The best part of the game is the translite or cabinet art. If IJ4's theme was Roller Coaster Tycoon instead, it would be a $1,500 game already. It is that bad. A complete and utter waste of a perfect theme for pinball and everyone involved in the development of it should be embarassed.

What a pin SHOULD cost (based on our love/hate for them) and what they DO cost are two very different things.

It good condition, its a $3000-4k pin right now. All. Day. Long. Last 3 locally that I know of (not retail) went for $3700...
 
What a pin SHOULD cost (based on our love/hate for them) and what they DO cost are two very different things.

It good condition, its a $3000-4k pin right now. All. Day. Long. Last 3 locally that I know of (not retail) went for $3700...

$3,000 pin...sure, $4,000 pin...you would get laughed at here in the midwest.
 
Alot of hate for this pin, and I never get it.
Around here it can sell in the 2800-3000 unshopped.
My "opinion", and the same opinion of many that are regular at my place, is that stern IJ is one of sterns best pins. I like it alot, even more so then the spiderman, these people that come to play the IJ pick it over playing the transformers or tron LE's, batman, family guy, avatar, pirates, or LOTR. I am not really in that same boat, but I do love it.
TSPP, now that is a pinball I hate, one of sterns worst. God that game sucks.
I also hate williams IJ.
Bottom line is if you really like the game, buy it. If you only kinda like it, save that kind of money for the pin you think is really awesome.

^^^^ THIS. No where near a $3,800 game and it is the worst modern Stern game...by a mile. The best part of the game is the translite or cabinet art. If IJ4's theme was Roller Coaster Tycoon instead, it would be a $1,500 game already. It is that bad. A complete and utter waste of a perfect theme for pinball and everyone involved in the development of it should be embarassed.
 
TSPP, now that is a pinball I hate, one of sterns worst. God that game sucks.

What about it do you hate? The variance of the playfield, multiple shots, real sounding voices, incredibly deep rules?

But seriously, just curious.
 
What about it do you hate? The variance of the playfield, multiple shots, real sounding voices, incredibly deep rules?

But seriously, just curious.

Casual players will always like a game like IJ4 over TSPP. TSPP has too much to do, too much skill and knowledge involved to do well. With IJ4, it does alright on route because the theme is good and it is mindless pinball...no skill required what-so-ever. Just bash the ark or have the ball fall into the scoop coming out of the bumpers. I will even play an IJ4 on route if there are not other options because I love pinball, but I would *NEVER* consider owning one. Just way too simple and incomplete. It's literally like they put the ark in there and said, "that's cool enough right? We can just quit now."
 
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Not sure really, I used to really like it. Just started to dislike it more and more over time.
A great rule set is great and all, but if the shots and flow dont ring your bell then the rules dont mean crap.
Glad to have gotten rid of it.
Got rid of my TZ for more or less the same reason, really liked it(still do like the theme and toys) but the shots and flow didnt do it for me.
When it came down to playing, i would tend to never turn to TZ or TSPP, games like BK2K, dr who, T3, demo man, addams is what ended up getting played the most.

What about it do you hate? The variance of the playfield, multiple shots, real sounding voices, incredibly deep rules?

But seriously, just curious.
 
Not sure really, I used to really like it. Just started to dislike it more and more over time.
A great rule set is great and all, but if the shots and flow dont ring your bell then the rules dont mean crap.
Glad to have gotten rid of it.
Got rid of my TZ for more or less the same reason, really liked it(still do like the theme and toys) but the shots and flow didnt do it for me.
When it came down to playing, i would tend to never turn to TZ or TSPP, games like BK2K, dr who, T3, demo man, addams is what ended up getting played the most.

I think it is more fair to say you don't like stop and go games. You seem like a big fan of System 11 games where there is no DMD animations, not much stopping, just constant ball movement of some sort. Which is totally cool. However, saying TSPP sucks bad...not cool :p
 
S i m p s o

I had the Simpsons and could not stand it as well - Here is my review as to why I disliked it so much -


"Ok - I played about 60 games of The Simpsons Pinball Party - It just wasn't for me there are Five main issues that I didn't like -

1 - When you hit the loop that goes to ottos bus the ball is held and you get the quote "Your the coolest Otto" This is completely useless and kills the flow. My opinion is it just should have been a rollover switch and flowed right back down to the flippers. (This would have made a huge improvement in my book)

2 - When you make it up to the living room the delay in getting the ball back in play is way to long how many times do i need to see the animated homer looking through the box. Other animations through the game that are very good and unique you don't see because you are concentrating on the ball.

3 - If this is your only game and you have friends over to play a few games the ball time is so long that everyone looses interest waiting for their turn. The family also doesn't want to play a 4 player game for the same reason. ( To me pinball is supposed to be fast and exciting allowing you to compete with your friends and family for the high score side by side)

4 - Spelling Simpsons when homer is attempting to guess what you are spelling get old fast especially when you do it multiple times on one ball and you get to simpson and he acts like he doesn't know what its going to be when you had just gone through this a few minutes ago.

5 - The TV modes/ missions can be confusing you really need to study the rules to understand what you need to do to complete the mode. I personally would have liked some verbal cues or specific lighting as to what I should be aiming for.

On a side note the jokes at moes are good like the hugh jass etc... but once you have heard them a few times it looses its fun and humor for me kinda like watching reruns.

Another area that to me could be improved is the speed the ball returns from the living-room down the monorail. Maybe a steeper incline or a different ramp type.

There are allot of good features also, I do like the stacked modes and it does get allot more fun when you get the couch multi ball and the itchy and scratchy multi-ball together.

The Play-field artwork is perfect (Very Colorful and tons to look at)

The voice work is very good.

Alien Invasion is really great ,reversing the flippers is awesome."
 
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