Stern’s The Beatles, released in 2018, is a joyful celebration of the most famous band in history, and this Platinum edition is one of its luxury tiers, dressed in premium finishes for collectors. Conceived by Joe Kaminkow with design by Stern’s chief creative officer George Gomez, it was built as a compact, approachable tribute rather than a sprawling rules monster, pairing a classic four-flipper layout with a spinning disc, twin drop-target banks, and the unmistakable music of the Fab Four.
The game leans into nostalgia and accessibility. A skill-shot menu rewards a precise plunge — a short plunge to the star rollover, a medium plunge looped with the upper flipper, or a daring shot through the gap at the top of the loop. The heart of the scoring is the three sets of drop targets, spelling FAB, FOUR, and 1964 (the year of Beatlemania’s American explosion); clear all three on a single ball and you light an extra ball that dances around the inlanes. There’s a friendly bit of strategy for the last ball, too, where you can dial up “All My Loving” before plunging to launch straight into a two-ball multiball.
Bright, melodic, and unpretentious, the Beatles Platinum is a machine designed to put a smile on a casual player’s face while still giving regulars reasons to chase those drop-target completions. For fans of the band and collectors who appreciate a clean, music-forward Stern in its most lavish trim, it’s a delightful tribute that lets the songs do the heavy lifting. All you need is love — and a good plunge.