Guardians of the Galaxy (Premium)

The Guardians of the Galaxy Premium, designed by John Borg and released in December 2017 by Stern Pinball, is a Marvel-licensed pinball machine built on Stern's SPIKE 2 system. It offered an upgraded feature set compared to the Pro model, aimed at players who wanted a more elaborate version of the Guardians of the Galaxy theme.

Gameplay-wise, the Premium includes a motorized-jaw Groot bash toy that locks balls for multiball, molded Groot arms, a Rocket figurine with coil-assisted gunfire recoil, and a motorized Orb mechanism that opens and closes to reveal an illuminated Infinity Stone. The machine's RGB LED pop bumpers, three diverter magnets, two spinning targets, and other target shots (standup, drop, and bar targets, plus a scoop) round out the playfield. It also includes speech and stereo sound effects for an immersive audio experience.

The machine's design and art include a powder-coated black wrinkle finish on the legs, hinges, lockdown bar, and side armor, along with a powder-coated steel bottom arch. As with the Pro model, a translite is used in place of a traditional backglass. RGB LEDs are used for playfield inserts, with general illumination available in red, white, or blue, plus an RGB LED on the front lockdown bar. At an MSRP of $7,899, the Premium sat between the Pro and Limited Edition models in Stern's Guardians of the Galaxy lineup.