John Borg Pinball Machines Ranked

John Borg has built one of the most interesting catalogues in modern Stern pinball.

His games range from heavy metal to science fiction, superheroes, horror and rock music, and there is a very clear evolution in his design style when you look across the whole catalogue.

This is our ranking of John Borg's machines, based on a combination of gameplay, design, long-term appeal, overall reputation and the impact each machine has had on modern pinball. With two particularly interesting new releases still evolving, this is also a ranking that could change quite a bit over time.

1. Metallica Remastered

This is where we'd put Borg's best work right now.

Metallica Remastered takes an already excellent machine and gives it a second life. The new presentation, updated software and modern hardware make the game feel considerably more complete without losing what made the original so good.

It also says something important about John Borg's designs: some layouts are good enough that they can be revisited years later and still feel completely relevant.

For collectors who love the visual side of the machine, the Metallica Remastered Pinball Mods give the cabinet plenty of room for further customisation.

2. Metallica

Before the Remastered version, there was the original Metallica.

And it remains one of Borg's defining machines.

Fast, aggressive and packed with music, Metallica feels like a pinball machine that was built around the band's personality rather than simply having Metallica artwork put on top of a generic game.

It's one of those machines where the theme, sound and gameplay all push in the same direction.

That combination is difficult to get right.

Borg got it right.

3. Rush

Rush is one of those games that gets better the more you understand what it's trying to do.

The music is obviously a huge part of the attraction, but the machine has a very distinctive rhythm of its own. It feels fast and energetic without simply becoming chaotic.

And visually, it's a great machine to customise.

The Rush Pinball Mods collection includes everything from WizBlades and model-specific WizPanels to WizBats, WizDoors and other details that can extend the band's artwork throughout the cabinet.

For Rush fans, it's a very satisfying combination.

4. TRON: Legacy

There are pinball machines that look good.

And then there's TRON.

The blue, orange and black colour palette remains one of the strongest visual identities Stern has ever put on a machine.

But the game isn't just beautiful.

It's difficult, fast and extremely precise, with a layout that rewards players who are prepared to spend time learning it.

The TRON Pinball Mods collection has some particularly nice options, including WizBlades, WizPanels and the model-specific WizAprons.

The result is one of those machines that can look spectacular even when it's sitting switched off.

5. Iron Man

Iron Man represents a very different side of Borg.

It's brutal.

The game doesn't give you much time to get comfortable before it starts demanding accuracy.

That aggressive style became an important part of Borg's identity, and you can see elements of it in several of his later machines.

Iron Man might not have the same reputation as Metallica or TRON today, but it's an important part of understanding how Borg's design style developed.

And for players who like machines that punish mistakes, it remains a fascinating game.

6. The Walking Dead / The Walking Dead Remastered

The original The Walking Dead has always been one of Borg's more demanding designs.

It's unforgiving, fast and capable of ending a good game very quickly.

The Remastered version is particularly interesting because it gives us the opportunity to see what happens when Borg's original design is revisited with modern technology and updated software.

It's still too early to know exactly where The Walking Dead Remastered will ultimately settle among Borg's machines.

But we think it has the potential to become the stronger version of the two.

We've already included it among the Hardest Modern Pinball Machines Ever Made, and the new version certainly hasn't made the game any less demanding.

If you're looking to customise it, the The Walking Dead Remastered Pinball Mods collection is the place to see what's available.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy is perhaps one of the more underrated games in the catalogue.

It's colourful, funny and full of Marvel personality, but underneath all of that is a machine with plenty of depth.

It doesn't have the same reputation as Metallica or TRON, but it's a very enjoyable Borg design and one that can easily become more interesting the longer you play it.

It's also a machine with an enormous amount of visual material to work with, which makes it a natural candidate for customisation.

8. Star Wars: Fall of the Empire

This is the one we're least confident about.

Not because we think the machine is weak.

Quite the opposite.

Fall of the Empire has serious potential.

The problem is that the game is still evolving. The code isn't finished, and it's difficult to compare a developing machine with games that have already had years of refinement.

So we're deliberately putting it here for now.

It could move.

It could move quite a lot.

One thing we're already very excited about is the visual side. The machine was one of the first to receive our Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Holographic WizBlades, and the holographic finish works particularly well with the futuristic artwork.

We've also covered the machine in our Best Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Pinball Mods article.

For now, ninth.

Ask us again when the code is finished.

9. X-Men

And finally, X-Men.

This is an interesting machine because it comes from an earlier stage of Borg's career, before some of the characteristics that would later become strongly associated with his work had fully developed.

It's aggressive, fast and unmistakably Stern from that period.

It may not be the first Borg machine we'd recommend today, but it deserves its place in the catalogue.

Without X-Men, the evolution towards the later games becomes much harder to appreciate.

The Evolution of John Borg

That's what makes this catalogue so interesting.

You can almost see the progression.

X-Men and Iron Man show the earlier, more aggressive side.

Then come machines like TRON, Star Trek and The Walking Dead, where Borg's layouts become increasingly distinctive.

Metallica and Rush demonstrate how naturally his style works with music.

And then Metallica Remastered shows what happens when one of those designs gets another chance with modern technology.

Now we're watching The Walking Dead Remastered and Fall of the Empire develop.

Neither has necessarily reached its final form yet.

And that's why, for once, we're quite happy to admit that our own ranking might look very different in a year.

That's part of the fun.