Episode 45: Walking Dead Pinball Returns for 2025 - But Should You Care?
The Flipside Pinball Podcast
35 min
Summary
Walking Dead Remastered gets mixed community reception on technical upgrades but divided on art, price, and lack of show clips.
Retro Ralph, host of The Flipside Pinball Podcast, provides a live, unfiltered first reaction to Walking Dead Remastered (Premium/LE) announcement after avoiding all prior coverage. He discusses the new Spike 3 platform features (larger 18.5-inch HD display, external cabinet expression lighting, motorized crossbow, well walker solenoid enhancement), art package updates, and audio improvements. Community sentiment is mixed: some praise the technical upgrades and new features, while others criticize the colorful art direction (perceived as mismatched for the dark theme), lack of show video assets, high pricing, and overall value proposition compared to alternatives like Metallica Remastered.
Highlights
- Walking Dead Remastered features a new modular cabinet lighting system with internal and external expression lighting on all versions.
- The game includes a larger 18.5-inch full HD display with true color depth powered by Spike 3 technology.
- The well walker has been enhanced with a solenoid for active mechanical movement instead of passive ball-strike response.
- The crossbow mechanism now features a motorized ball-firing system with an encoder.
- Custom audio callouts include voice work from Merle and Michonne characters.
- The art package does not appear to feature foiling, which Stern associates with premium feel; foiling is not explicitly mentioned in marketing.
- Walking Dead Remastered lacks video show clips from the TV series, relying instead on custom animations.
- Only ~500 Limited Edition units are being produced.
- Stern's Spike 3 audio system has improved power handling compared to Spike 2, making default audio more acceptable without mandatory upgrades.
The Walking Dead Pinball is officially back, remastered, polished, and ready to take another bite out of the hobby! 🧟♂️ But does this game really need a second run? In this video I give my initial reaction and honest assessment of Stern Pinball’s Walking Dead Remaster. We dive into what’s new, what’s changed, and whether this legendary zombie-themed machine still earns a spot in today’s crowded pinball lineup. The original TWD is a modern classic for a lot of player, brutal gameplay, high stakes, and some of the most chaotic moments in pinball. But with so many new releases and remakes hitting the market, the question is… do we need this right now? Let’s talk gameplay, code, art, sound, and where this remake fits in an era of high-end pinball, boutique machines, and constant new drops.
In this episode
Beetlejuice
Spooky Pinball
Evil Dead
Spooky Pinball
JAWS
Stern
Lord of the Rings
Stern
Metallica Remastered
Stern
The Walking Dead Remastered
Stern
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