| 1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stern_transparent.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350:Stern's current logo.]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | Stern is the name of two separate but related American companies known for manufacturing [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade]] {{Pinball}} and VideoGame machines. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | '''Stern Electronics''' was started when the Stern family, led by former Creator/WilliamsElectronics' president Sam Stern, bought and renamed the troubled Chicago Coin pinball company in 1977. Though overshadowed by competitors Creator/WilliamsElectronics and [[Creator/MidwayGames Bally/Midway]], Stern was fairly successful in the pinball and jukebox industries. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | When video games became popular in TheEighties, Stern entered the field by licensing games from Creator/{{Konami}} and creating their own games. Their first in-house creation was ''VideoGame/{{Berzerk}}'', an instant hit that grabbed players with its MachineMonotone voice. Stern's other video games (including ''VideoGame/{{Scramble}}, Pooyan,'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tutankham}}'') were only moderately successful, however. Their pinball line fared no better, partially because Stern almost completely avoided licensed properties, unlike their competitors. In the wake of the UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, the company left the arcade industry in 1985, and the pinball assets were acquired by Creator/DataEast. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | '''Stern Pinball''' was started in 1999, during the implosion of the arcade pinball industry. Gary Stern, son of Sam Stern, was serving as the President of [[Creator/{{Sega}} Sega Pinball]] when the company decided to close the division; he bought the assets and spun it off as Stern Pinball, bringing it full-circle, as Data East's pinball assets (the old Stern) had been bought by Sega. At the same time, [[Creator/WilliamsElectronics WMS Industries]] closed its pinball division to focus on casino gambling; this effectively left Stern Pinball as the world's only major pinball manufacturer for over a decade, and many notable pinball creators started working for Stern as a result. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Today, Stern Pinball continues to thrive on a modest but steady market, producing around a dozen new LicensedPinballTables a year. While they sell well to bowling alleys and game centers, the majority of their pins are bought by individuals and collectors; Stern produces [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition multiple limited versions]] of their games to cater to this crowd. Although they no longer have the market entirely to themselves, Stern Pinball is well positioned to remain the market leader for the foreseeable future. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | !!Pinball machines produced by Stern Electronics (pre-1985) include: |
| 16 | [[index]] |
| 17 | * ''Pinball/{{Ali}}'' (based on the boxer UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli) |
| 18 | * ''Big Game'' |
| 19 | * ''Catacomb'' |
| 20 | * ''Cheetah'' |
| 21 | * ''Cosmic Princess'' |
| 22 | * ''Disco'' |
| 23 | * ''Dracula'' |
| 24 | * ''Dragonfist'' |
| 25 | * ''Pinball/{{Flight 2000}}'' |
| 26 | * ''Freefall'' |
| 27 | * ''Galaxy'' |
| 28 | * ''Grand Prix'' |
| 29 | * ''Hot Hand'' |
| 30 | * ''Hypnox'' |
| 31 | * ''Pinball/IronMaiden'' (no relation to the [[Music/IronMaiden heavy metal band]]) |
| 32 | * ''Lectronamo'' (gameplay video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=04ceoFowEuM here]]) |
| 33 | * ''Lightning'' |
| 34 | * ''Magic'' |
| 35 | * ''Memory Lane'' |
| 36 | * ''Pinball/{{Meteor}}'' |
| 37 | * ''Nine Ball'' |
| 38 | * ''Nugent'' |
| 39 | * ''Pinball/{{Orbitor 1}}'', Stern's last pinball. |
| 40 | * ''Pinball/{{Pinball}}'' ([[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer no, really]]) |
| 41 | * ''Quicksilver'' |
| 42 | * ''Rawhide'' |
| 43 | * ''Pinball/{{Seawitch}}'' |
| 44 | * ''Split Second'' |
| 45 | * ''Stampede'' |
| 46 | * ''Pinball/StarGazer'' |
| 47 | * ''Stars'' |
| 48 | * ''Stingray'' |
| 49 | * ''Trident'' |
| 50 | * ''Pinball/{{Viper}}'' |
| 51 | * ''Wild Fyre'' |
| 52 | [[/index]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | ---- |
| 55 | !!Video games produced or distributed by Stern Electronics include: |
| 56 | [[index]] |
| 57 | * ''VideoGame/{{Amidar}}'' (licensed from Konami) |
| 58 | * ''Astro Invader'' (licensed from Konami) |
| 59 | * ''Bagman'' |
| 60 | * ''VideoGame/{{Berzerk}}'' |
| 61 | ** ''Frenzy'' |
| 62 | * ''Cliff Hanger'' (laserdisc game - based on ''[[Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro The Castle of Cagliostro]]'' and ''[[Anime/TheMysteryOfMamo The Mystery of Mamo]]'') |
| 63 | * ''Pooyan'' (licensed from Konami) |
| 64 | * ''VideoGame/{{Scramble}}'' (licensed from Konami) |
| 65 | * ''Turtles'' (licensed from Konami) |
| 66 | * ''VideoGame/{{Tutankham}}'' (licensed from Konami) |
| 67 | [[/index]] |
| 68 | |
| 69 | ---- |
| 70 | !!Pinball machines produced by Stern Pinball (1999-present) include: |
| 71 | [[index]] |
| 72 | * ''24'' |
| 73 | * ''Pinball/{{ACDC}}'' |
| 74 | * ''Pinball/{{Aerosmith}}'' |
| 75 | * ''Pinball/AustinPowers'' |
| 76 | * ''Pinball/{{Avatar}}'' |
| 77 | * ''Pinball/{{The Avengers|Stern}}'' |
| 78 | * ''Pinball/AvengersInfinityQuest'' |
| 79 | * ''Pinball/{{Batman|Stern}}'' |
| 80 | * ''Pinball/Batman66'' |
| 81 | * ''Pinball/TheBeatles'' |
| 82 | * ''Big Buck Hunter Pro'' |
| 83 | * ''Pinball/BlackKnight: Sword of Rage'' |
| 84 | * ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' |
| 85 | * ''Pinball/{{Deadpool|2018}}'' |
| 86 | * ''Pinball/ElvirasHouseOfHorrors'' |
| 87 | * ''Elvis'' |
| 88 | * ''Pinball/FamilyGuy'' |
| 89 | ** ''Pinball/{{Shrek}}'' |
| 90 | * ''Pinball/{{Foo Fighters|2023}}'' |
| 91 | * ''Pinball/GameOfThrones'' |
| 92 | * ''Pinball/{{Ghostbusters}}'' |
| 93 | * ''Pinball/{{Godzilla|Stern}}'' |
| 94 | * ''Pinball/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2017}}'' |
| 95 | * ''Pinball/HarleyDavidson'' |
| 96 | * ''Pinball/HighRollerCasino'' |
| 97 | * ''{{Pinball/Indiana Jones|Stern}}'' |
| 98 | * ''Pinball/IronMaidenLegacyOfTheBeast'' |
| 99 | * ''Pinball/{{Iron Man|Stern}}'' |
| 100 | * ''Pinball/{{James Bond 007|Stern}}'' |
| 101 | ** ''James Bond 60th Anniversary Limited Edition'' |
| 102 | * ''Jaws'' |
| 103 | * ''Pinball/{{Jurassic Park|Stern}}'' |
| 104 | * ''Pinball/{{KISS|Stern}}'' |
| 105 | * ''Pinball/LedZeppelin'' |
| 106 | * ''Pinball/TheLordOfTheRings'' |
| 107 | * ''Pinball/TheMandalorian'' |
| 108 | * ''Pinball/{{Metallica}}'' |
| 109 | * ''Pinball/{{Monopoly}}'' |
| 110 | * ''Pinball/TheMunsters'' |
| 111 | * ''{{Pinball/Mustang|Stern}}'' |
| 112 | * ''Pinball/{{NASCAR}}'' |
| 113 | ** ''Dale Jr.'' |
| 114 | ** ''Grand Prix'' |
| 115 | * ''Pinball/{{NBA}}'' |
| 116 | * ''Pinball/{{Pirates of the Caribbean|Stern}}'' |
| 117 | * ''Pinball/{{Playboy|Stern}}'' |
| 118 | * ''Pinball/RipleysBelieveItOrNot'' |
| 119 | * ''Pinball/RollercoasterTycoon'' |
| 120 | * ''The Rolling Stones'' |
| 121 | * ''Pinball/{{Rush|2022}}'' |
| 122 | * ''Pinball/SharkeysShootout'' |
| 123 | * ''Pinball/TheSimpsonsPinballParty'' |
| 124 | ** ''Pinball/TheBrain'' |
| 125 | * ''Pinball/TheSopranos'' |
| 126 | * ''[[Pinball/SpiderManStern Spider-Man]]'' |
| 127 | * ''Pinball/{{Star Trek|Stern}}'' |
| 128 | * ''Pinball/{{Star Wars|Stern}}'' |
| 129 | * ''Pinball/StrangerThings'' |
| 130 | * ''Pinball/StrikerXtreme'' |
| 131 | ** ''Pinball/{{NFL}}'' |
| 132 | * ''Pinball/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Stern}}'' |
| 133 | * ''Pinball/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' |
| 134 | * ''Pinball/{{Transformers}}'' |
| 135 | * ''Pinball/TronLegacy'' |
| 136 | * ''Pinball/TheWalkingDead'' |
| 137 | * ''WWE Wrestlemania'' |
| 138 | * ''Wheel of Fortune'' |
| 139 | * ''World Poker Tour'' |
| 140 | * ''[[Pinball/XMenStern X-Men]]'' |
| 141 | [[/index]] |
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