Autobots, Transform and Roll Out!

Transformers is a franchise that has been a frequent ask to turn into a pinball machine. The series’ first exposure to pinball was in 2011 when George Gomez designed a machine based on the Michael Bay live-action films, a classic fan layout with a few unique toys and gimmicks to spice up the gameplay. 

15 years later, Stern opted to return to the franchise, but this time used the original Generation 1 cartoon as a basis instead of the films, now with the SPIKE 3 system allowing them to accurately represent the original show. After being mentored by Gomez on John Wick in 2024, Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye marks Elliot Eismin’s second game as lead designer and departs quite a bit from that game’s more traditional fan layout, instead prioritizing narrower shots that lead to unique combo flow and a truly deadly arrangement of bumpers and slingshots on the playfield’s lower half.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye presents the player with five easy-to-learn missions, only 2 of which need to be played to access the mini-wizard mode, One Shall Fall. Players looking for substantial points can aim for stacking the missions with Dinobot missions started at the left orbit, the main Transformers Multiball, side modes started by rolling through the lit inlanes, or activating the playfield multiplier by shooting the lit captive ball. The machine has a few unique approaches to standard Stern rules, including only giving the player one add-a-ball per game, but allowing this add-a-ball to turn into a playfield multiplier with accurate shooting. 

Read on and learn how to approach this game that isn’t quite what it seems!

About Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye

The Autobots and Decepticons have waged war across the galaxy for eons, but have crash-landed on Earth. The robots reawaken 4 million years later and find Earth to be their new battleground, fighting over the Energon cubes that powered their previous civilization.

• Manufacturer: Stern

• Release Year: 2026

• Design: Elliot Eismin

• Code: Elizabeth Gieske, Mike Kyzivat

• Mechanics / Electronics: Robert Blakeman

• Animation: Tom Kyzivat

• Music / Sound: Jerry Thompson

• Producer: John Blakely

Playfield Overview

The playfield of Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye bears a striking resemblance to Jack Danger’s earlier designs for Stern, particularly Foo Fighters. Though the game has only one upper flipper and a standard bottom with two inlanes and two outlanes, the game compensates with a variety of shots that range in difficulty and send the ball to locations that aren’t obvious on first viewing. 

The first major playfield element is the left orbit, marked by the dinobot Grimlock. This left orbit shot is gated by two standup targets used to light dinobot missions, and shooting the left orbit feeds the ball to the upper right flipper at a controlled pace, allowing them to hit any of the three shots from it. To the left of Grimlock is a hidden slingshot that can make survival out of the bumper and slingshot area more difficult than usual. The left ramp is a reverse scoop that can be hit from either lower flipper, even as an early backhand from the left flipper, and sends the ball at a fast speed back to the left flipper. The final shot in this area of the playfield is the captive ball, which collects letters in BUMBLEBEE once the playfield X insert has been lit with hits to the right pop bumper.

Three shots can be made with the assistance of the upper right flipper. The side target, called the space bridge, can only be hit with a late shot from the upper flipper; this is also where mystery awards are scored after enough bumper hits, where extra balls can be earned, and where balls can be added during multiball. The side ramp is a very difficult ramp that requires a strong shot for the ball to make it fully around, but is heavily rewarding as it collects Combiner parts and is used in all multiballs as the super jackpot shot. A sculpt of Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader, is located above the side ramp, comparable in function to the captive ball on John Wick; the target below the sculpt increases the main multiball jackpot value, or lights the lock if it isn’t currently lit. To the right of Optimus is a VUK that can be hit from either lower flipper, which locks balls for Transformers Multiball and acts as a bailout shot that sends balls to the right flipper by default.

The center spinner is in a similar position to the center spinner on Foo Fighters and can be hit from either flipper, but shots to it from the right flipper more consistently feed the upper flipper to set up the space bridge or side ramp shots. To the right of the spinner are a 3-bank of drop targets blocking a large scoop and a sculpt of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. Shooting the scoop sends balls into the same area as the VUK described earlier, and the scoop can be hit from either lower flipper. Megatron also has a built-in cannon that can fire the ball across the playfield onto the left ramp on the Prem / LE model, but on the Pro model, this cannon acts as a ball lock that diverts the ball to the upper flipper for follow-up shots. This cannon can be fed by shooting the right ramp, the steepest shot on the game, which feeds the lower right flipper if it isn’t loading the cannon. The right orbit is simply the mirror image of the center spinner and can only be hit from the left flipper. Further to the right on the playfield are the cassette target, used to light Soundwave modes and cash out cassette combos, and the game’s sole pop bumper, used to light mystery and the captive ball towards playfield X advances.

Scattered across the playfield are 7 standup targets. Two gate the left orbit, one is near the side ramp, one is near the center spinner, two gate Megatron’s scoop, and one is near the right ramp. These targets are all used to light Tech Specs at the major shots, used to start a mini-wizard mode called Tech Spec Mania or multiply their respective shots once missions have been completed. Hitting a standup target errantly can send the ball out of control, so be on guard if you happen to hit one of them accidentally.

Getting Started with Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye

• Skill shot – soft plunge to the upper flipper and hit any lit shot. The most valuable skill shot is the space bridge which scores 8M and 10 seconds of ball save.

• Missions – shoot the Megatron scoop to start a mission selected using the flippers before hitting the scoop. Autobot Run – combo mode. Microbots – ramps / drop target mode. Solar Needle – standups / captive ball mode. Prime Target – left / right ramp mode. Golden Lagoon – shots build spinner mode. Hit Megatron after making enough shots to score the final blow, complete the mission, and enable 2x scoring at any shot while Tech Spec is lit there.

• Shoot the spinner to collect Energon cubes. Energon makes the next mission easier if the player opts to use one. If they don’t, completing the mission will “rust” the next mission and make it harder to complete but more valuable.

• One Shall Fall – Play two missions to light the mini-wizard mode. Hit purple shots while avoiding red shots to weaken Megatron’s defenses, then hit the Megatron scoop to score the final blow hurry-up.

Dinobot missions – shoot the targets near the left orbit to light the left orbit to start one. Dinobot missions run alongside all other modes. The goal is to hit lit shots to light the left orbit for dino jackpot. War – lit slingshots/bumpers. Island – 2-ball multiball, switches light jackpot. S.O.S. – shot locks in objective, hit that shot repeatedly. Collecting 3 jackpots in any Dinobot mission lights Dinobot Desertion.

Transformers Multiball – 6 VUK shots will start multiball. Hit a shot 2 times to light that shot for jackpot (red/white inserts). Having multiple jackpots lit will multiply the next jackpot scored by the number of jackpots available. Score 3 jackpots to light the side ramp super jackpot.

Add-a-ball during multiball – shoot the space bridge to add a ball. While the ball is being held there, shoot the captive ball to start 20 seconds of 2x scoring. Playfield X cannot be brought into multiball.

Combiner Multiball – shoot the side ramp or collect tech specs to score Combiner parts. Each Combiner has five parts to collect. Once 3 Combiners are completed, shoot the space bridge to start Combiner Multiball. Hold the action button or shoot the spinner to land on a Combiner you’ve completed, then score jackpots at major shots followed by a super jackpot at either upper flipper shot.

Inlane side modes – complete the Megatron drop targets, then roll through a lit inlane to light their side mode after hitting that lit inlane 2 times *without* hitting the lit inlane on the opposite side. Autobot hurry-up starts at the left ramp & lights center spinner, side ramp, and right ramp for one-time hurry-up scores starting at 15M. Starscream frenzy starts at the right orbit and makes all switches worth 100k for 30 seconds.

Tech Specs – hit standup targets to light tech specs. There are five colors of tech spec. Collecting 3 of each color will start Tech Spec Mania 3-ball multiball. Tech specs also multiply certain shots after completing missions & advance towards Combiner parts. 15 tech specs lights extra ball.

Playfield X – shoot the captive ball to spell BUMBLEBEE and start 2x scoring after enough lit shots have been made. 3x if stacked with the add-a-ball 2x scoring during multiball.

Mystery – the only way to relight certain features like playfield X or left outlane ball save. Enough bumper hits will light the space bridge for mystery.

Countdown to Extinction – on the last ball, draining down the right outlane will give the player 15 seconds to hit the right ramp and continue the game.

Skill Shot

Skill shots are a great way to adjust to this game’s difficult upper flipper shots. Even if a ball enters the plunger from a ball save, the player can “outrun” the plunge and send the ball to the upper flipper. Plunge the ball softly to the upper flipper, then hit either Optimus, the side ramp, or the space bridge directly after plunging. The points and ball save time added increase based on the difficulty of the shot, with the max value being 8M & 10 seconds of ball save.

There is also a secret skill shot that is less reliable but can give the player a good early lead if they happen to make it. Plunge softly, but instead of using the upper flipper, catch the ball on the right flipper. Then, hit the left orbit where Grimlock is and make any upper flipper shot from it. The secret skill shot is worth 15M & 10 seconds of ball save.

Missions

All five missions are started by hitting Megatron’s scoop. The first two missions of a game only require one shot to the scoop, but subsequent ones require more. The player doesn’t have to hit all three drops to access the scoop; in fact, if they don’t, they are rewarded by the drop targets not resetting once the scoop is hit. Using the flippers before starting a mode will select the next mission that starts. Playing 2 missions will light the right ramp for One Shall Fall mini-wizard mode. Finishing all 5 missions will light extra ball and light the lock VUK to start Rescue Optimus mini-wizard mode.

There are three types of missions: energized, normal, and rusted. Normal missions are the default and are the first to be described in each section. Energized missions can be accessed if the player earned an Energon cube by hitting the spinner and are easier to complete but score less on average.  Rusted missions can only be accessed by completing a normal mission, then opting to play the rusted mission the next time one starts; these are much more difficult but score way more than any other mission type. After completing the required shots for any mission, shooting Megatron will score the final blow and apply a shot multiplier to any playfield shot while Tech Spec is lit there. Scoring the final blow is not required to complete the mission.

The five missions, from top left to bottom right, are:

• Autobot Run: Combo mode. The five-shot sequence to memorize in this mode is center spinner – left ramp – right orbit – left orbit – side ramp, as each shot will be worth 3x. All five shots listed above are required to light final blow. If energized / normal, there will be other shots lit that score 1x. If rusted, only the shots listed above are lit, but score 4x if made as combos.

• Microbots: Drop target mode. Hit a ramp to raise a drop target, then hit the drop target (without hitting one that isn’t lit) to advance the mode or hit another lit ramp to increase the drop target multiplier. 3 lit drop targets are needed to light final blow. If energized, any drop target counts. If rusted, only the left ramp will light drop targets and only for 6 seconds at a time.

• Solar Needle: Standup targets / captive ball mode. Hit two lit standup targets to light the captive ball to advance the mode, while avoiding red targets that reduce the value. 3 lit captive balls are needed to light final blow. If energized, only one standup target is needed. If rusted, three standup targets are needed, and all major shots will reduce the captive ball value.

• Prime Target: Ramp combo mode. The left and right ramp start lit; if the player combos the ramps, they score 2x. Hitting Optimus will increase the base ramp values. 6 total ramp shots are required to light final blow. If energized, targets near the ramps also count. If rusted, only one ramp lights at a time but the combo multiplier increases with successive shots.

• Golden Lagoon: Spinner build mode. Shoot solidly lit yellow shots (left, right, and side ramps) to build the per spin value of the center spinner. Score 25M from the spinner to light final blow. If energized, only 10M is needed. If rusted, 60M is needed, and only one solid yellow shot will be available at a time, but the spinner value will increase much faster.

One Shall Fall Mini-Wizard Mode

One Shall Fall is lit at the right ramp as soon as the player has started two missions and exited the second mission. The player doesn’t need to start this mode right away, as playing further missions will help increase the value of final blow and add more perks to the mode.

The mode starts by displaying the final blow value (based on stored Energon, rusted missions played, and final blows scored during missions) before explaining the mode’s rules and the perks acquired from each mode that was started before One Shall Fall. The mini-wizard mode is played as a 4-ball multiball where all shots start lit purple to deal damage to Megatron, while red shots, including targets, major shots that have been hit too many times, and drained balls, deal damage to Optimus. The perks described above reduce the number of red shots lit or make it easier to deal damage to Megatron.

Once Megatron’s health gauge is lowered all the way, the player can make one last shot to Megatron’s scoop to score the final blow hurry-up. Hitting white arrows while the hurry-up is running will add 10M to the value, but also reset the drop targets, making it tough to maximize this value unless the player quickly hits white shots in succession. Once the final blow is scored, the mode ends and the player returns to single-ball play.

Dinobot Missions

Dinobot missions are comparably much tougher to complete, but the player only needs to complete one mission to access their mini-wizard mode, Dinobot Desertion. To start a Dinobot mission, hit the two standup targets near the left orbit, then hit the left orbit while the orange arrow is lit to start a mission. The upper left slingshot changes the lit mode.

The goal of each Dinobot mission is to score 3 Dino Jackpots, lit at the left orbit after completing the required objective in each mode. The required objectives for each mode are:

• Dinobot War: Hit 5 randomly lit slingshots to light dino jackpot. This can be either lower slingshot, the upper left slingshot, or the bumper, but only one is lit at a time. Good to bring into a multiball due to these shots being out of the way.

• Dinobot Island: 2-ball multiball, good for utility. Collect 50 switch hits (primarily by ripping the spinner) to light dino jackpot. Hitting the orange arrows, which start at the left ramp and center spinner, will add a ball. Once the mode ends, the player can light further dino jackpots at every threshold of 50 switch hits.

• Dinobot S.O.S.: The objective for this mode changes based on the first shot you make: a standup target, drop target, orbit, or bumper. Hitting 3 more of the same shot you hit will light dino jackpot.

Transformers Multiball & Add-A-Ball

The main multiball is easy to access, only requiring a total of 6 shots to the lock VUK which can be looped if the player can consistently hit the shot from the right flipper. For later multiballs, Optimus must be hit a few times to light the lock VUK; even if lock is already lit, Optimus hits will increase the base jackpot value by 250k. Multiball can be started during any mode, but the player can only start playfield X at the captive ball *before* the multiball starts.

Transformers Multiball lights all major shots to score awards; first a Decepticon (purple) award, then an Autobot (red) award, then finally a jackpot (red/white). To maximize the jackpot scoring, players should qualify multiple jackpots at the same time, which will increase the jackpot multiplier based on the number of jackpots currently lit. Collecting 3 jackpots will light the side ramp for super jackpot, worth the base value of the previous jackpots scored.

The add-a-ball rule is unique to this machine. Hitting the space bridge shot during any multiball (excluding combiner multiball) will add a ball to the multiball and reactivate the ball save for a short time, while holding the ball at the post. If the player knocks the held ball into the space bridge target, 2x playfield will activate for 30 seconds and the ball will release. The player can turn this into 3x playfield if they bring the captive ball playfield X into the multiball before starting it.

Tech Specs, Combiner Parts & Combiner Multiball

There are five Combiners that all have five parts to collect. To earn Combiner parts, shoot the side ramp, or collect enough tech specs of a certain color. Completing three Combiners will light the space bridge shot for Combiner Multiball.

Tech Specs are the “TS” inserts lit around the playfield. Hitting a standup target of a specific color will light a shot to score that color of Tech Spec. Tech Specs also multiply the shots they are lit at, if the player has lit that shot for shot X by making the final blow in a mission. Collecting 15 of any Tech Spec will light extra ball, while collecting 3 Tech Specs of all 5 colors will start Tech Spec Mania, a utility multiball that can help with collecting Combiner parts. Tech Spec Mania cannot run with any other mode.

Combiner Multiball starts once the player has completed three total Combiners, then shoots the space bridge. If the player presses the action button, they can cancel the multiball until they complete another Combiner. Shooting the spinner or holding the action button will start the Combiner grid spinning; the goal is to get the grid light to land on a Combiner that has already been collected. Once the grid light stops, jackpots will be lit worth a base of 8M (9M with 4 Combiners, 10M with all 5). Hitting two jackpots will light the side ramp and space bridge shots for super jackpot worth 2x the jackpot value, add a ball (based on the number of completed Combiners), and reset the process.

Inlane Side Modes

Completing the Megatron drop targets will light the inlanes to advance towards starting a side mode. Side mode qualification works in a “tug of war” style where rolling through the left inlane will move the icon further to the left, and rolling through the right inlane moves it further to the right. Therefore, if the player is indecisive about what side mode to start, it will be tougher to access them. The player must commit to which side mode they are more consistent with.

The two side modes are:

• Autobot Hurry-Up: Started at the left ramp after getting the icon all the way to the left from left inlanes. Three shots are lit to score hurry-ups starting at 15M: the side ramp, center spinner, and right ramp, and the hurry-up value resets with each shot made. The second time this mode is started, the hurry-up starts at 25M, and the shots change to the left orbit, side ramp, and right orbit. This mode can be great for some quick points, if you can hit all three shots quickly.

• Starscream Frenzy: Started at the right orbit after getting the icon all the way to the right from right inlanes. This is a standard “fast scoring” mode where all switches are worth 100k until the mode’s 30-second timer ends. Generally, this mode is less valuable in single-ball play but has its utility; bringing it into a multiball can help get the score flying.

Playfield X

Hitting the lit captive ball will add three letters to Bumblebee’s name and eventually start the captive ball flashing for 30 seconds of 2x playfield. If the captive ball isn’t lit, hitting the bumper twice will light it; and if the bumper isn’t lit, mystery award will relight it.

There is a hidden way to get 3x playfield active on this game, that requires the add-a-ball to be used during any multiball. If the player brings 2x playfield into a multiball and shoots the held ball at the space bridge to start 2x playfield, then 3x playfield will start and reset the timer to its max of 30 seconds.

Mystery Award

Hitting the bumper enough times will light the space bridge for mystery award. If the mystery award is lit, it is well worth aiming for it, as the player can only qualify one mystery award at a time and the awards on this game can be quite substantial. Mystery is the only way of increasing the bonus multiplier, and the only way to requalify the multiball add-a-ball, the captive ball playfield X, and the left outlane ball save. Mystery can also give more typical awards like 5M or advancing tech specs / Combiner parts.

Countdown to Extinction

If the ball drains down the right outlane on ball 3, all hope is not lost, as the player will have 15 seconds to shoot the right ramp and continue the game. Shooting the right ramp before time runs out will hold the ball before releasing it to the upper flipper. A consistent way to handle this feature is to soft plunge the ball to the lower right flipper, post transfer over to the left flipper, and then shoot the right ramp.

Noah’s Strategies

• “Outrunning” the plunger by plunging the ball before the game does can help a lot with control on this game. The player can use this to either hit the side ramp, space bridge, or ignore the upper flipper entirely to catch the ball on the lower right flipper.

• Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye is a very well-balanced game in terms of scoring, so this is a game where it pays to create your own strategy based on what shots you find the most consistent and what missions you find the easiest. My usual strategy is to play & complete either Autobot Run or Prime Target first, while qualifying Transformers Multiball by making 5 shots to the lock VUK. Then, I will play Solar Needle with the multiball, curing the rust with the Energon cube scored after enough spinner hits. If I can get 2x scoring from captive ball running during this time, I will start it before I start the multiball. Afterwards, I will play One Shall Fall, then focus on playing the rusted version of the mode I didn’t play (either Autobot Run or Prime Target). If the spinner is juicy then I will more actively consider Golden Lagoon as a scoring option.

• Make sure you can consistently hit or recover from missed shots to the side ramp. Missing the side ramp often results in the ball bouncing between the bumper and slingshots and can lead to the quick end of a ball. Nudging upwards from a missed shot has been the most consistent way to save these balls. Alternatively, nudging when the ball hits the bumper can help prevent the ball from heading towards the slingshots.

• Megatron is best handled using the right flipper, and the 5M Megatron trickshot award for hitting Megatron with a clean shot between the left and right drop targets can add up quickly. If you need to hit him from the left flipper, cradle the ball, then align the ball with Bumblebee’s leg above the left flipper before flipping.

• If the mystery award is lit, aim for it. Further bumper hits won’t help light the mystery until the one you scored is collected, and the mystery award is the only way of lighting some features in the game after they have been used.