KISS

Date: 6th May, 2015

Hot on the heels of their promotional video, Stern today put out their official press release giving details of the game, along with information and pictures from the three different versions.

All three have a lavish artwork package by Kevin O'Connor - who did the artwork for the original Bally Kiss game - full of rich blue, purple and red hues, offset by the yellow flames.

Playfield artwork
Playfield artwork

The cabinet artwork is very similar across all three models, with the same design but the use of colour variations to differentiate them.

The Pro, Premium and Limited Edition models
The Pro, Premium and Limited Edition models

The translite design appears to be identical on the three variants with the exception of a differently-coloured outline to the KISS logo on the Premium. The LE uses a real mirrored backglass rather than a translite, while the LE also gets red cabinet trim over the regular charcoal powder-coat finish on the Premium and Pro.

The Kiss Pro model
The Kiss Pro model

The Pro model's playfield
The Pro model's playfield

The Premium model
The Premium model

The Limited Edition model
The Limited Edition model

The LE playfield
The LE playfield

The LE's red trim and steel apron
The LE's red trim and steel apron

In terms of the game's audio, the game features custom speech from both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from Kiss, backed by ten of the band's tracks.

  • Black Diamond

  • Calling Dr. Love

  • Detroit Rock City

  • Deuce

  • Hotter Than Hell
  • I Love It Loud

  • Lick It Up

  • Love Gun

  • Rock And Roll All Night

  • Shout It Out Loud

As to what's actually on the playfield, a spinning disc under the head of Gene Simmons throws the ball back to the player Tron-style. This area is also used for virtual ball locks in the Pro, whereas in the Premium and LE, the head stores locked balls and spits them out of the mouth at the start of multiball.

The Demon (Gene) shot
The Demon (Gene) shot

The Starchild (Paul) enclosed area features four S-T-A-R targets and - on the Premium and LE versions - a controlled drop target to reveal a hidden saucer.

The amplifier and action model are also LE-specific features
The amplifier and action model are also LE-specific features

Behind the Paul Stanley model in the picture above is a multi-layered plastic stage which forms part of another Premium and LE-specific feature.

The right ramp contains a diverter which can open to send the ball to a staging-point on the back panel.

The right ramp diverter
The right ramp diverter

A moveable magnet behind the back panel then moves it, Mist Multiball-style, across from the right ramp to the multi-layer stage on the left, where it is released.

The ball travels across the back panel
The ball travels across the back panel...

...and arrives at the stage
...and arrives at the stage

The other main variance between the Pro and the other two models relates to the K-I-S-S targets on the left side of the playfield.

The K-I-S-S targets
The K-I-S-S targets

These are stand-up targets on the Pro, and drop targets in other versions.

Finally, apart from the playfield art and feature grid layout, there are two more throwbacks to the Bally version of the Kiss theme. One is the bumper cap design.

The pop bumper caps on Kiss
The pop bumper caps on Kiss

The other sits just above the flippers and is the bonus multiplier, including the 2x bonus and the 'colossal bonus'.

The bonus inserts on Stern's Kiss
The bonus inserts on Stern's Kiss

The bonus inserts on Bally's Kiss
The bonus inserts on Bally's Kiss

Here's a full list of all the game's features across the three models. Click on it to open a larger version in a new window.

The Kiss feature matrix
The Kiss feature matrix
(click to enlarge)

Along with the pictures came Stern's press release about their new game - the first game and the first press release from the company's new factory in Elk Grove Village.

Stern Pinball joins the KISS Army with its release of KISS Pinball

World’s Leading Maker of Arcade-Quality Pinball Games and KISS’ Global Brand Management Firm Epic Rights Announce Newest Addition to Rock Collection

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – May 6, 2015 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball machines, and Epic Rights, KISS’ global licensing agent, jointly announced today the availability of a new line of Pro, Premium and Limited Edition KISS pinball machines, honoring one of the most influential and iconic rock bands of all time.

Formed in 1973, KISS is recognized for unique face paint, stage outfits and cornerstone personas known as: “Starchild,” “the Demon,” “Catman,” and “Spaceman.” KISS rose to popularity in the mid-1970s with their elaborate live performances and theatrics, including fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits, and pyrotechnics. KISS is highly regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time with worldwide album sales exceeding 100 million records. KISS has an unprecedented 28 gold albums to date, the most of any American rock band.

Stern Pinball’s KISS pinball machines reflect the energy, excitement, and experience of a live KISS concert. Players will experience10 famous KISS hits in the concert arena playfield and embark on an exhilarating experience ultimately becoming elite members of the KISS Army.

Players score points and finish game objectives to fuel the audience’s energy and excitement. Higher scores amp the experience – the higher the energy level, the bigger and louder the show – resulting in a KISS concert experience like none other. Players are awarded for completing game goals with a variety of in-game front row seats, backstage VIP access and fun multi-ball modes that thrill players of all skill levels.

The game is built on Stern’s new SPIKE pinball platform, which includes an upgraded high-fidelity 3-channel audio system over 3 times more powerful than previous generation pinball audio systems.

KISS Pinball includes an amazing array of modern and retro features to appeal to players of all skill levels:

  • 10 famous KISS hit songs: Deuce, Hotter Than Hell, Lick It Up, Shout It Out
    Loud, Detroit Rock City, Calling Dr. Love, Rock & Roll All Night, Love Gun, Love It Loud and Black Diamond
  • Custom speech from Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons
  • Full-color high-intensity animated LED music lights
  • High-fidelity stereo sound effects and music
  • Original Gene Simmons/Demon head molded toy
  • K-I-S-S spell-out Drop Targets
  • Blood-Spitting Demon Bass Solo player experience
  • Fire-Breathing Demon “God of Thunder” Multiball Event
  • Flying Starchild “Love Gun” Multiball Event

“Partnering with rock royalty like KISS is a natural for us,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball. “The KISS legacy is admired generation after generation by fans worldwide – KISS’ legendary songs and performances will create an extraordinary pinball experience for players of all skill levels.”

“We are always seeking avenues to expand the KISS brand experience, and the new line of KISS pinballs from Stern are an ideal extension of the brand, providing an immersive KISS experience for consumers of all ages, “said Lisa Streff Executive Vice President, Global Licensing, Epic Rights.

Pricing and Availability:

  • Pro Model: $5,995 MSRP

  • Premium Model: $7,595 MSRP

  • Limited Edition Model: $8,795 MSRP

KISS Pinball is available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.
Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games, merchandise and accessories. Recent Stern titles include WWE WrestleMania, The Walking Dead, Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, The Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more!

All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. A broad range of players enjoy Stern’s games from professional pinball players that compete in high-stakes international competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time.

To join the fun and learn more, please visit www.sternpinball.com.

About Epic Rights:
Epic Rights is a full service global branding, licensing and rights management company dedicated to building celebrities and entertainment brands via its broad global network of retailers, licensees and agents. Working with a roster of top clients and brands, Epic Rights’ services includes licensing/branding, music merchandising, social media management, VIP ticketing and fan clubs. Epic Rights also oversees sponsorships and endorsements, digital archiving of all creative/photos/media assets and manages worldwide e-commerce for its clients in addition to providing in-house legal resources for trademark registration and audit management. Epic Rights is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

For more formation, visit: www.epicrights.com.

We'll be back with much more on Stern's new Kiss pinball, right here at Pinball News.


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