UK Machine Record
Stern · 2023 · at 15 UK venues.
Stern's Foo Fighters is one of the fastest and most energetic modern machines and has quickly become a favourite at UK pinball locations. Jack Danger designed it, and the game was developed with direct creative input from the band. Instead of trying to recreate a real Foo Fighters story, Stern invented an entire Saturday-morning cartoon universe in which the band are fighting the alien Overlord and his army of bots.
It is a genuinely fast game. The van, Area 51 upper playfield and multiple ramps combine into a layout that encourages you to keep the ball moving. The music is integrated into the rules, with 15 Foo Fighters songs appearing throughout the game.
It is also a good example of a modern machine where the theme and the game actually agree with each other: loud, fast and slightly ridiculous. Keep the ball moving; Foo Fighters gets much less forgiving when you start hesitating.
Written by Silverball
Silverball guide · Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters lets you finish a city across as many attempts as you like, and then quietly pays almost nothing for it. The whole machine is built around completing a mode first time, and around the preparation that makes that possible.
Played Foo Fighters enough to have an opinion? Write it up.
The flying saucer at the top right of the playfield, lit from underneath and sitting over its own lane.
The green alien across the middle of the playfield, with the OVERLORD insert directly under him.
The band logo above the flippers, ringed by tour cities as inserts: Austin, Seattle, Roswell, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, Dublin.
Written by Silverball
Strategy tips written by players on PinTips , not by Silverball. Best-voted first.
Left ramp is very backhandable.
Even if you've collected or missed the other skill shots the left crossover shot stays list for a skill shot combo sequence at the beginning of the ball. Shoot it then the upper loop or side ramp, and repeat for up to 6 shots.
Soft plunge into the drop targets to get one of the van modifications to boost your next mode, or go for bigger points with a plunge directly to the left outlane.
You can start Area 51 multiball while one of the Overlord multiball modes is running, but not the other way around.
To activate 2x Playfield, shoot the Right Orbit into the "Rock-O-Meter" lane 3 times. 40 seconds. Repeat during this timer for 3x Playfield.
Soft plunge to flipper for a free shot
Finishing Roswell gives you 2X on the left ramp the rest of the game.
Best mode combos are: LA / Seattle with Area 51, New York with Bot Frenzy, Sonic Radio with New Orleans. Great point scoring / MB building
The inlane Raygun Targets, when lit, allow a single 2x shot. Alley pass and hit both for a 4x shot. Relight via each side's inlane rollover.
Hit UFO captive ball a few times to light the action button, then hit the action button to spot a lit shot.
You can hold up to 3 UFO button charges (yellow = 1, green = 2, red = 3) and bring them into a mode or multiball.
Start with New York since you can progress using just the spinner.
Tips belong to the players who wrote them. Read them all, vote, or add your own on PinTips, a Match Play project.
No tutorials for this machine
We only list videos from a short list of channels we rate, and we never run a search to fill the gap — so most machines have none here rather than a page of whatever YouTube would have returned.
One reviewer's opinion, not a Silverball verdict, and not a guide to playing.
Stern Foo Fighters pinball machine 2 week review and mod upgrades | Initial thoughts and gameplayGonzo's Pinball Flipperama · 2023 · on YouTube
Stern Foo Fighters Pinball Machine | Unboxing | First Impressions | Gameplay | Playfield TourGonzo's Pinball Flipperama · 2023 · on YouTubeVideos from YouTube, curated from channels we rate. They belong to their creators, who aren’t affiliated with Silverball; links open on YouTube so the view counts for them. A creator who’d rather not be listed can get in touch and we’ll remove it.
Where a machine sits is Pinball Map’s work, not ours, find Foo Fighters near you on their map. Ratings, tips and tournament results here are ours.
