Back in black and loaded for bear — this is Stern’s 2012 AC/DC in the ultra-rare Back In Black Limited Edition, an approximate run of just 300 machines that stands among the most sought-after configurations of Steve Ritchie’s high-voltage rock classic. It comes fully armed with the deluxe toys: the moving bell, the rotating cannon, a shaker motor, a lower mini-playfield, a TNT detonator with a moving handle, flashing Tube of Fire LEDs, moving band members, and the AC/DC Rock N Roll Train. For the collector, this is the machine cranked all the way up.
Beneath the black-and-gold livery beats the same brilliant Ritchie design. Every multiball starts at the right ramp, with Tour, Jam, and Album multiballs earned through the loops, ramps, and target banks. The bell is the heart of the scoring, lighting and extending stacked two-times and three-times windows the more you ring it, while the cannon rewards a thoughtful player who aims it at the bell over the AC/DC targets and defaults to the safe left loop when opting out of jackpots. The three “Hell” songs send you down to that lower playfield via specific shots, and the shaker motor rumbles through every big moment, making this LE a full-body rock experience.
The Back In Black LE is AC/DC pinball at its most collectible and complete — scarce, loaded, and utterly thunderous. Ring the bell, detonate the TNT, drop to the underworld, and rock till you drop. With only around 300 built, finding one is a genuine event, and playing one is pure high-voltage joy. Let there be rock.