The Pinball Thread

[Jeneki]

The Predator Pinball (Pinball Brothers) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzH7b1DJ4ZU

Not the best reveal video. I found a few other vids that show the cast from the 1987 film at least.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Eeeh, I'm not impressed. Their artwork often looks like some semi-professional photoshop job...

here's a gameplay video, which also failed to excite me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nVVn6C-EJc

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

So, any of you going to UK Pinfest late August?

I'm gonna play the shit out of their King Kong and Godzilla machines...

[Jeneki]

I noticed in the most recently posted gameplay, the muiltball "Get to the Choppa" no longer shows a close up of Arnie's face and has a different dubbed voice. Guess they couldn't get the rights for him.

Which means an unofficial mod will surely put it back in lol. Similar to how every Stern TMNT machine I've played has the unofficial mod that replaces video with the 80s cartoon.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

I noticed in the most recently posted gameplay, the muiltball "Get to the Choppa" no longer shows a close up of Arnie's face and has a different dubbed voice. Guess they couldn't get the rights for him.

Which means an unofficial mod will surely put it back in lol. Similar to how every Stern TMNT machine I've played has the unofficial mod that replaces video with the 80s cartoon.

You're thinking about buying the predator pinball?

[Jeneki]

Nah. There's a lot of pinball locations near me, so one will show up somewhere. Easier to get a few plays in that way.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

I only (barely) have the space for one pinball machine; right now it's Creature from the Black Lagoon, but I'll probably sell it soon so I can afford a Godzilla.
Let's talk about our favourite machines! I haven't even yet played Godzilla, but it has an incredible reputation and looks amazing, design- and artwork wise. What I have played quite a bit is White Whater, about which I love almost everything (not a fan of the midi tunes that machines from that era have, though; I also don't like this about Creature's soundtrack). Attack from Mars, Indy, and Baywatch (Sega's best machine IMHO), in no particular order, are some more of my favourite machines.

[Jeneki]

Jaws 50th Anniversary (Stern) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evJlg5M6vXM

Cosmetic variant to Jaws pinball, similar to Godzilla 70th. No play differences. As a side note, lmao at that tiny sticker used to indicate 50th anniversary.



Some favorite pins:

For EM games, stuff like Prospector (1977) or Grand Prix (1976), where you build up separate bonus lines and cash them out in different ways.

Early solid state, Gorgar (1979) is quite fun and has good variety with how the different shots power up.

Guilty pleasure, Data East WWF Royal Rumble. Probably my favorite 'nostalgia' table due to the voice sound and music, "Yeah yeah ooooooh yeah!"

80s style, Monte Carlo. Unconventional layout but interesting mechanics with how you build up before the ball locks to spin and win, and the special timed shot is super hype. Vector pinball also has some interesting ball lock mechanics and is quite a challenge to pull off.

90s style, High Speed II The Getaway, as the multiball and red line mania are pure adrenaline. Also Star Trek Next Generation, which is very brutal but addicting, as well as hitting the right nostalgia marks.

For total hype fun factor, Black Knight Sword of Rage. It's the only pinball I've played where battles really feel like battles. Sure there are plenty of tables where you 'fight stuff', with more complex layouts and shots all over the place, but the simpler layout in Sword of Rage feels more like I'm aiming attacks as enemies move about. For example, the way the sand worm scurries back and forth before getting stunned by a hit, chopping off hydra heads to remove a shot, the danger of attacking the Black Knight directly or getting flailed, etc. I prefer the pro version (no upper playfield) as the premium version slows down the fighting a bit. Quick and brutal game, it's basically a knife fight in a telephone booth.

Favorite modern overall, Iron Maiden. Love the modes, shots, loops, difficulty balance, everything about it feels great. Godzilla is also great, but leans more towards longer play sessions.

[it290]

My faves are Monster Bash and Attack From Mars. Nostalgic fave is Space Shuttle, I played the crap out of that game as a kid. I've only ever owned one machine and it's a Taxi.

[Jeneki]

Pin-Bot is coming to Pinball FX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZeT53VY8Nc

Edit: Two more announced, Taxi and Who Dunnit. Will be sold as a 3-pack with the above, similar to the other Williams collections.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Looks like someone bringing in a 1/3rd scale electro-mechanical based prototype pinball game to this indie game event in Osaka, Japan on 8/10/2025: https://gamepavilion.jp/games-202503/1- ... nary-star/

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[DJ Incompetent]

I found a location test playable of (Barrels of Fun) Dune at ULEKSTORE'S Pinball and Classic Arcade in Monroe, MI in a spooky dead mall. Film scenes with a wartermark "pending licensing" was funny. The table has vibes and atmosphere. But the sound and rule direction wasn't there. Could still be being built.


I like 90s solid state stuff with that high-tension Data East sound design. Last Action Hero or Jurassic Park come to mind.

[Jeneki]

I found a location test playable of (Barrels of Fun) Dune at ULEKSTORE'S Pinball and Classic Arcade in Monroe, MI in a spooky dead mall. Film scenes with a wartermark "pending licensing" was funny.

Was this recently? Dunes started showing up at locally, and no longer have the pending license message on the video. Supposedly the latest code added some extra modes; the playfield has lights for all the modes but only part of them have been coded so far. Unfortunately, two out of three Dunes I've tried so far had mechanical issues on the left ramp / ball lock hook thing. I hope Barrels of Fun has good support in place.

In other news, Costco is selling a "home edition" of Stern Star Wars pinball for around 5k USD. The photos I've seen look like a different playfield setup than the 2017 pro/premium versions. Most of my local players seem to agree that these are junk to avoid, but I have no experience with them. The cost is definitely an eyebrow raiser, considering what Stern Pros go for.

[Sweatlord_STG]

My problem with pinball is that I find it much harder than video games. I never feel like I'm in control of anything. Whenever I ask people what I should have done to avoid losing the ball, they tell me I should have just given the table a nudge, but it never works when I try. So while bare survival seems very challenging, making the ball go where I want (due to the missions) is even harder. Also, mostly I don't know what I'm supposed to do in the first place, while it seems obvious to the pros around me, who tell me "now you have to hit this spot here three times before the time runs out, then this will open up and you have to shoot that" etc

[PC Engine Fan X!]

My problem with pinball is that I find it much harder than video games. I never feel like I'm in control of anything. Whenever I ask people what I should have done to avoid losing the ball, they tell me I should have just given the table a nudge, but it never works when I try. So while bare survival seems very challenging, making the ball go where I want (due to the missions) is even harder. Also, mostly I don't know what I'm supposed to do in the first place, while it seems obvious to the pros around me, who tell me "now you have to hit this spot here three times before the time runs out, then this will open up and you have to shoot that" etc

Just like with anything else, the ol' adage of "Practice makes perfect," -- that lil' nugget of wisdom applies to the "real world" electro-mechanical based pinball machines from the likes of Stern and the competition. Take for instance, the classic EM-based "Theater of Magic" pinball machine circa 1995 from Bally, it deals with a female magician and her hidden tricks "up her sleeves" -- lock the first two balls behind the black box and shoot the third ball onto the center of the black box to activate multi-ball play with 3 balls out on the playfield. Easy as pie if you know how to pull it off, time & time again, to really boost up your overall scores.

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It's been said that no two EM-based pinball machines are alike due to the slightest differences of the placement of each bumper post, rollover chutes, ramps, etc. when being installed at the factory manufacturing floor level -- how cool is that?
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PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Jeneki]

One of the local guys is a top-20 ifpa player (competitive pinball). He recommends starting with fundamental flipper skills, learning how to control the ball and get it to stop on a raised flipper. From here you can hit shots more consistently using the same timing.

In shmup terms, this is like picking up Dodonpachi as a first shmup and learning tap dodging, bullet herding, point blanking, etc as fundamentals, instead of jumping straight into full chaining for score.

Some terms to look up and find tutorials on youtube:
Live catch
Drop catch
Dead bounce
Post pass
Tap pass
Alley pass

The best way to practice is at a location that has a door fee and then games are on free play. Otherwise putting money in the machine to practice ball passing or whatever would suck, as it takes a long time to figure out.

[Sweatlord_STG]

One of the local guys is a top-20 ifpa player (competitive pinball). He recommends starting with fundamental flipper skills, learning how to control the ball and get it to stop on a raised flipper. From here you can hit shots more consistently using the same timing.

In shmup terms, this is like picking up Dodonpachi as a first shmup and learning tap dodging, bullet herding, point blanking, etc as fundamentals, instead of jumping straight into full chaining for score.

Some terms to look up and find tutorials on youtube:
Live catch
Drop catch
Dead bounce
Post pass
Tap pass
Alley pass

The best way to practice is at a location that has a door fee and then games are on free play. Otherwise putting money in the machine to practice ball passing or whatever would suck, as it takes a long time to figure out.

Good stuff, I'll look into it, thank you!

[m.sniffles.esq]

You can do well on most modern tables by just getting the ball to correct flipper, and making the shot.

However, doing things like dead bounces (when the ball is headed to the wrong flipper, not flipping, so it bounces to the correct flipper) can be tough because you have to fight natural instinct. When the ball is headed towards whatever flipper, you want to press that button.

THIS is where video pinball comes in REAL handy, as you can use it to sort of re-wire your brain without spending $100 in quarters. And since video pinball's physics are now about the same as wood and steel (more or less) you'll also be able to get the same results of doing these things on actual machines (more or less)

[Austin]

It's been said that no two EM-based pinball machines are alike due to the slightest differences of the placement of each bumper post, rollover chutes, ramps, etc. when being installed at the factory manufacturing floor level -- how cool is that?

That's basically any pinball machine, not just EMs.

[it290]

If you can, I'd also recommend trying to find a table somewhere that has tilt disabled. Helps a lot with learning how to properly nudge if you're not at risk of tilting every time you do it.

[Sweatlord_STG]

You can do well on most modern tables by just getting the ball to correct flipper, and making the shot.

I actually find the modern tables (mostly Stern) a lot harder, even for bare survival, compared to the ones from the 80s and 90s.

It's been said that no two EM-based pinball machines are alike due to the slightest differences of the placement of each bumper post, rollover chutes, ramps, etc. when being installed at the factory manufacturing floor level -- how cool is that?

That's basically any pinball machine, not just EMs.

I think that's also why scores are never compared online or in general, right? Each score is always tied to its respective unique table (unlike video games where we do compare scores online if the same version was played with the same settings/under the same conditions).

One of the local guys is a top-20 ifpa player (competitive pinball). He recommends starting with fundamental flipper skills, learning how to control the ball and get it to stop on a raised flipper. From here you can hit shots more consistently using the same timing.

In shmup terms, this is like picking up Dodonpachi as a first shmup and learning tap dodging, bullet herding, point blanking, etc as fundamentals, instead of jumping straight into full chaining for score.

Some terms to look up and find tutorials on youtube:
Live catch
Drop catch
Dead bounce
Post pass
Tap pass
Alley pass

The best way to practice is at a location that has a door fee and then games are on free play. Otherwise putting money in the machine to practice ball passing or whatever would suck, as it takes a long time to figure out.

Haha true. I have a friend with a few tables at home but mostly we play arcade or console stuff.

There are actually quite many tables where I reside, scattered across different public locations. But most of the old ones (90s) are not taken care of, so it feels like a rip off to play them. It's just obvious that they are left in the open because any money put in means a little profit, while the owners don't care about providing a proper setup. I despise that kind of attitude. Mostly it is obvious that a certain part of the table is not working or missing, but even if it isn't, you wouldn't be able to tell unless you know that kind of table inside out. Also some of the locations are bars with loud music playing so the table is basically muted when you play it. It's just always disappointing so I stay away from those. It's a shame.

[m.sniffles.esq]

I actually find the modern tables (mostly Stern) a lot harder, even for bare survival, compared to the ones from the 80s and 90s.

That's what I meant by 'modern'. Anything that uses ramps as the primary means of scoring (as opposed to a gottlieb wedgehead or whatever where ricocheting into bumpers and drop targets, and nudging through gates to spell "GO GO" or "HOT ROD" are pretty much the only manner of accumulating points)

[Austin]

I actually find the modern tables (mostly Stern) a lot harder, even for bare survival, compared to the ones from the 80s and 90s.

They are not. The issue is more so a lack of experience.

Modern games can come off as seeming harder because the ball moves around a lot faster. It can be difficult to react if you're not used to it. That's where basic flipper skills and understanding the layout of the game comes into play. And practice, of course.

When you learn some basic flipper skills and understand the flow of a specific machine (like, on Godzilla, right ramp feeds right flipper, left ramp feeds left flipper), you can keep the ball alive much longer just by making safer shots. On older games there is significantly more randomness and luck involved. Especially games with tiny flippers. Yes, the ball moves slower, but you'll find yourself having decent games a hell of a lot less often, even if you're a high level player.

I think that's also why scores are never compared online or in general, right? Each score is always tied to its respective unique table (unlike video games where we do compare scores online if the same version was played with the same settings/under the same conditions).

Exactly. A score achieved on one machine isn't necessarily a fair comparison to another because of differences in physical machine setup. Also, if one has access to the coin door of the game, who's to say they aren't taking the glass off the machine and triggering everything by hand.

In terms of hypothetical setup differences between machines, some operators will remove the outlane rubbers from the posts, or just take the posts out completely, which creates a much larger gap for the ball to drain out of on the sides. The tilt mechanism can be hairpin tight on one (you basically look at it and it tilts, heh), but not even installed on another (you can throw the machine five feet and nothing happens). The game can be stupidly steep on one machine (ball can barely make it up the playfield), or flat on another (the ball flies up ramps, but is slow/floaty on the way back down). Other aspects affect the difficulty of a game. Do the pops activate? How active are the slingshots? Are the flippers weak? Etc., etc.

All that's not even considering things like software settings, which are usually very nuanced. You don't just have general "easy, medium, hard" like you do in the typical console game, but that level of nuance for most individual gameplay features in a game.

[Sweatlord_STG]

Also, if one has access to the coin door of the game, who's to say they aren't taking the glass off the machine and triggering everything by hand.

HAHAHA that would be pathetic!

Thanks for all the information, Austin. I appreciate it.

It's a shame that in my area there are hardly any tables older than from the 90s because for instance once I played that table called "Laser War" (Data East) and it was lots of fun.