Batman (Standard Model)

The Batman Standard Model, released by Stern Pinball in 2010, is a lower-priced variant of Stern's 2008 'Batman' machine, featuring fewer playfield toys and different software. Designer George Gomez has stated that despite sharing a theme with the original, it plays as a completely different game. Reportedly, only about 48 units were built as a marketing trial for sale through select Costco Warehouse retailers -- Stern's Gary Stern referred to this cost-reduced version as the 'Standard' model, distinguishing it from the original 'Pro' model.

The game was designed by George Gomez, with artwork by Kevin O'Connor and Margaret Hudson, dot-matrix animation by Mark Galvez and Tom Kyzivat, sound by Ken Hale, and software by Lyman F. Sheats Jr. and Lonnie D. Ropp. Its centerpiece playfield toy is Scarecrow's Crane, a mechanical crane with a spring-attached pinball that players can hit with the ball in play.

As a Licensed Theme superhero machine based on Batman, the Standard Model brought the Caped Crusader's world to a wider, more budget-conscious audience through the Costco trial. Its low production run of roughly 48 units makes it a genuinely scarce find among Stern's modern-era output, distinct from the more common Pro version of the original 2008 game.