Stern Pinball has opened its latest major licensed release: Fallout, a machine that combines Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic universe with characters and imagery from the television series. A hands-on look in Chicago offered a closer impression of its rules, toys and two cabinet configurations.
PrimeTime Amusements sponsored the trip to the reveal.
Fallout’s world comes to pinball
The Fallout franchise began as a 1997 PC role-playing game set in an alternate future shaped by 1950s culture. Its timeline leads to the nuclear devastation of 2077 after the Cold War escalates. Bethesda later took the series in a first-person shooter and role-playing direction with Fallout 3, followed by several other home releases. The property has also become an Amazon Prime television series, with the producers currently developing season 3.
Stern’s answer to the question of which version of Fallout the machine represents is effectively all of them. The game draws most visibly from the television adaptation, while folding in recognisable game elements such as the Fat Man weapon and the shop system. Stern received more than 200,000 assets from Bethesda, far more material than could reasonably fit into one pinball game.
A substantial, character-driven rule set
Chief Creative Officer George Gomez described Fallout as Stern’s most ambitious and mechanically articulated game to date. Designer Keith Elwin led a team familiar with the source material, and the machine treats the licence with care rather than trying to reinvent its identity.
At the start of a game, players select Lucy, Maximus or The Ghoul. Each character changes the experience through different bonuses:
- Lucy: vaults are easier, with +1 perception and +1 luck.
- Maximus: gains +2 seconds per fusion core level, plus +1 strength and +1 agility.
- The Ghoul: killing radroaches builds health, with +1 endurance and +1 charisma.
The opening plunge leads to a skill shot involving the right-side Nuka-Cola target. Timing determines whether that target is lit when the ball reaches it; during the hands-on session, the left Nuka-Cola target was lit for the observed plunge.
The broader objective is to explore vaults, collect junk, fight enemies, complete missions and build a high score. The game’s story follows Lucy, The Ghoul or Maximus into Vault-Tec’s secrets, including the search for Wilzig’s head and the mystery surrounding Cold Fusion.
This is an intermediate-level machine. Fallout fans who are new to pinball should expect to spend time learning its shots, while experienced players can keep the ball alive for long stretches. Skilled players observed during the session commonly lasted 10 to 15 minutes, and one achieved approximately 623 million points on a first ball. The hands-on score here reached roughly 92 million.
Premium and Pro features
The PIP-Boy is the visual centrepiece. Designed by The Wand Company, the unit uses die-cast aluminium, working dials and a high-contrast green display for game information. The dials can be adjusted after removing the glass.
The Pro and Premium share the main layout, PIP-Boy, Nuka-Cola bottle-cap spinner and drop target, Deathclaw sculpt, and raised third flipper. The Premium adds two playfields, bringing its total to three. It also includes a Deathclaw kickback, a miniature Vault door based on the television prop, and a Fat Man ball launcher capable of attacking targets across horizontal and vertical angles. Its shots can still miss.
The Premium’s upper playfield sits to the right and includes targets for the Fat Man. Players can use the VATS targeting system when it is active, or aim manually. The lower playfield is accessed by opening the Vault and sending a ball inside. There, magnetic control replaces physical flippers in a self-contained magna-flip mode.
The game includes multiple vaults to explore; six were cited during the presentation, although the final number was uncertain. Junk items provide stat increases or bonuses. The shop allows players to buy or steal items, with theft starting a hurry-up mode that requires a successful shot before time expires.
Several multiball modes are included, with play reaching as many as six balls at once. The code appeared relatively mature for a new Stern release and was described at the event as feeling closer to version 1.0 than the company’s earlier 0.88 launches. Some elements were not yet active during the preview: Insider Connected progression, character-building features and the Premium Deathclaw kickback appeared to be unfinished or unavailable. Some audio jokes were also difficult to hear in the venue, where the volume was not especially high.
Limited Edition details and pricing
The Limited Edition is restricted to 770 units. There was no discussion of a separate 30th-anniversary edition, despite the franchise reaching that milestone the following year. The Limited Edition’s production run gives it a similarly commemorative character.
Stern’s official Fallout game overview highlights the machine’s mechanics and design. The listed US MSRPs are approximately $7,299 for Pro, $10,699 for Premium and $13,999 for Limited Edition. Accessories were not ready at the preview but were expected later. Distributors may set different prices.
Hands-on verdict
The Chicago reveal also included a factory tour led by Stern employee Kyle. The production facility was notably clean and organised, offering an interesting view of how the machines are made.
Fallout is a deep, character-led pinball game with strong flow and a large amount of mechanical activity, particularly in the Premium model. It rewards practice, but its theme and accessible character selection give newcomers a clear way into the rules.
It is too early to know whether Fallout will reach the long-term popularity of machines such as Godzilla or Pokémon. However, the licence, substantial feature set and early demand from operators and machine sellers give it a strong starting position. Readers comparing home entertainment options can also browse RETROCADE’s virtual pinball machines, review the arcade machine buying guide, or explore the wider arcade news and gaming blog.
For pinball fans, the result is a thoughtful adaptation that celebrates the source material without requiring prior knowledge of it. The Premium’s three-playfield design makes it especially notable, while both versions offer a substantial challenge for home players and operators.
Leave a Reply