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The Pinball (digital and physical) ERA |OT| Full Tilt
- Thread starter Shaneus
- Start date
It is nice. And I have not looked yet is Hot Ham's updated list with logos updated into the op and if not are you going to add it?Can we agree that Bally-Midway had one of the greatest logos?
(Ignore the machine it's actually plastered on, lols)
It's updated but we hit the character limit. We need to figure out what to do about that.
I might make one big infographic with all of that information and a timeline
That would be nice also. My engagement has always been from the playing but you and a few other posters now have me interested in the history and Table Designers.
It's a lot like video games, you know? You learn to pay attention to who made what because it helps you find other games you might like.
It's also cool to see how the game has evolved and how designers have influenced each other and made certain features standard. There's also this whole engineering aspect. And just like how video games have a good or bad "feel" to them based on certain player feedbacks and psychological tricks, you'll find the same is true for pinball based on the specific geometry of the table and the lights and sounds that accompany shots.
I also think game design is interesting in any medium, though.
Newly released photos and write up on the Iron Maiden pinball table - http://m.ign.com/articles/2018/03/2...-revealed-first-images-and-details-from-stern
It *is* based on the shitty cell phone game license!
But honestly, the layout looks really fun!
Design & Ruleset: Keith Elwin
Lead Coder: Rick Naegale
Premium & LE
- Interactive sarcophagus ball lock
- Motorized secret tomb entrance
- Controlled middle pharaoh laser-cut metal ramp, raises to reveal the underworld scoop
- Dual sensing Newton ball
- 2 custom Eddie sculpts
Lead Coder: Rick Naegale
Premium & LE
- Interactive sarcophagus ball lock
- Motorized secret tomb entrance
- Controlled middle pharaoh laser-cut metal ramp, raises to reveal the underworld scoop
- Dual sensing Newton ball
- 2 custom Eddie sculpts
It *is* based on the shitty cell phone game license!
But honestly, the layout looks really fun!
It seems generally based on the mobile game license, but way less then it could have. I'm quite relieved, actually. All Eddies all over the place and none of the extra fluff characters from the mobile game except for one in one spot.
Honestly, it does what I always hoped a Maiden pinball would do, which is having a bunch of different themed Eddies with artwork styles from many different albums and it's got that in spades.
It's got Powerslave in the middle, which is rad, the Somewhere in Time stuff near the flippers, some Piece of Mind stuff, and some Number of the Beast stuff.
I'm just not seeing any Seventh Son stuff on first glance, but I'm sure it has to have something in there.
edit: yeah it's on the side bumpers. Lots of other little versions of him all over too.
This is pretty great.
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I don't know shit about Iron Maiden or Eddies but I'm glad if the fans are happy.
I figured we could compare IM:LotB with Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle since everyone seems to want to do that:
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast
Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle
Alice Cooper is benefitting a bit here from the natural lighting & setting.
Personally, I find AC much more aesthetically appealing. I love the moldings, they give the game a lot of character. The upper playfield has a lot going on, too.
That said, it also looks very empty, just like all Spooky tables, for the lower 2/3 of the playfield. But that could be an illusion of the design.
IM looks like a rainbow barf of garish colors and business by contrast, but the art is still quality. Unfortunately, the inserts look like generic Stern inserts which always lend a sense of samey cheapness to their games IMO. Still, the layout is pretty cool looking and I'm loving the ramp shot through the bumpers ala Congo. That inner left orbit looks fun, too.
What do you guys think? I'm not particularly a fan of either band, so for me it's all about the pinball action. With AC only getting 500 units it will be much harder to find and I'm sure Iron Maiden will start popping up everywhere soon.
I'm not well versed enough in the gameplay aspect to judge that, so I'll just comment on the visuals.
Not a huge Alice Cooper fan, but I do like his stuff and horror themed tables, and that looks cool. He just doesn't have nearly the catalog of stuff to reference, so it's easier to make it cohesive visually. I'm looking forward to both, but obviously Maiden much more.
As a Maiden fan, I would have wanted either:
a) A machine based on one specific album/artwork because each one is themed differently. This is the only way you'd have something cohesive visually, but fans will be disappointed if some of their favorite versions of Eddie are left out.
or
b) A massive compilation of every Eddie and album artwork, reference, etc they could possibly cram into one machine, with nods to all off them and accompanying music to hit upon each style. It's probably going to be a visual mess, though.
This is clearly the latter, and I think it's awesome. I think it's exactly what Maiden fans would prefer given the choice of only one table. People are used to seeing all this stuff being thrown at you at concerts like the backdrop being changed to match the song, and people with a gazillion different T-shirt variations off Eddie.
In the center the different Eddie heads with the accompanying song next to it is a great touch, and it sounds like each goal with be themed with the music and screen. That's how you do it.
The crappy thing about the mobile game is that they had to create a bunch of enemies to fight, which never existed, but this table art just has tons of Eddie and the Beast as the main baddie to defeat and that works. There will probably be some of those extra characters in the video panel, which is fine as long as they aren't on the table.
So yeah, maybe not for everyone visually, but I think Maiden fans will really appreciate it. This table alone is going to get me going back to some local pinball bars.
Side note, I saw Alice Cooper open for Maiden a few years back, and the stage shows are a huge part of the show, and they were ridiculous. These two are great band picks in that regard.
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FWIW, according to Elwin on the latest C2C the game is actually based off some comic, which I guess the mobile game was based on as well.
But I'm calling it here (and I'm probably not the first): I really don't dig ZombieYeti's style. This in particular just looks far too busy and cluttered, and while I prefer the layout of Iron Maiden, going by aesthetics and even song choice I'd much prefer Alice Cooper.
But I'm calling it here (and I'm probably not the first): I really don't dig ZombieYeti's style. This in particular just looks far too busy and cluttered, and while I prefer the layout of Iron Maiden, going by aesthetics and even song choice I'd much prefer Alice Cooper.
I like ZombieYeti's work on Ghostbusters more than what I'm seeing here with IM. While you could definitely call Ghostbusters busy and garish, the game had a better color palette and more visual cohesion (altgough this might have more to do with where Stern placed the inserts).
Definitely digging Jeff Zarlow's work on Alice Cooper more, which is still visually bold and striking but a little more subdued.
You know, I thought Stern had turned a corner with Ghostbusters and Batman 66, but Aerosmith, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and now Iron Maiden all leave me cold on visual design and general aesthetics.
GotG and SW are both aggressively bland disappointments, but at least Star Wars is pretty fun. GotG is... meh. But I still need to play a GotG Premium before I render final judgement.
One thing I'll say is that the Iron Maiden Pro looks like one of the best Pros in a long time, quite feature-packed. Doesn't seem as gutted as some of the other recent Pros.
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Almost has a comic book feel, which works fine for me. I think it's great.
Let's look at the last 10 Stern machines:
Game of Thrones - shit art, great shooting game
Wrestlemania - Average art, photoshop, plays interesting enough (I actually like the shots)
KISS - Great art, average Borg game
Spidey Vault - Great art, classic Steve Ritchie
GB - Busy, ugly art (IMO), nice colours though. Don't like how it plays
Batman 66 - Rush job art, don't like the feel of how it plays
Aerosmith - Don't like DD artwork. Plays like a Borg.
Star Wars - Art and feel are both cheap
GotG - Decent enough, bland art. Plays like a Borg.
Iron Maiden - Meh art, great layout
Just once I would like to see them nail everything, but I guess hands are tied when creating licensed-only titles. Let's see what happens with Black Knight 3000, crossing my fingers. Personally, I'd love to see Stern go for something TNA-esque, create a basic 80s-feeling game that looks badass and is packed with features.
I love Ghostbusters and Batman 66 but I know I may be in the minority on the latter.
Not sure how you can say the art is rush-job, I think it's some of the finest they've ever commissioned.
This is all hand-painted
Love the details, too
Going back to Iron Maiden, the layout may look familiar to some of you nerds.
Keith Elwin is (was) an amateur designer when, in 2015, he began working on a homebrew pinball machine based on the cartoon Archer. He got all the way to a working whiteboard, which was taken to expos in 2016, but work stopped there.
In 2017 Elwin was hired by Stern and, lo, it seems all that hard work didn't go to waste after all!
Archer:
Iron Maiden:
A few tweaks here and there, such as a more interesting wireform shape, some new art and voila! Archer reborn.
Now, certainly we don't know how the code differs, probably substabtially, but it's good to know a cool design didn't go to waste.
If the game plays as good as it looks then we can all be happy that Stern has a great new designer in their stable.
I know a lot of folks here will be dismayed that the Archer license wasn't pursued, but the general consensus seems to be that Iron Maiden is the more requested theme. It's been a dream theme for many for years and, despite Archer's popularity, Iron Maiden will probably sell better.
Hey, at least Zen made an okay Archer table in Pinball FX!
Not sure how you can say the art is rush-job, I think it's some of the finest they've ever commissioned.
This is all hand-painted
Love the details, too
Going back to Iron Maiden, the layout may look familiar to some of you nerds.
Keith Elwin is (was) an amateur designer when, in 2015, he began working on a homebrew pinball machine based on the cartoon Archer. He got all the way to a working whiteboard, which was taken to expos in 2016, but work stopped there.
In 2017 Elwin was hired by Stern and, lo, it seems all that hard work didn't go to waste after all!
Archer:
Iron Maiden:
A few tweaks here and there, such as a more interesting wireform shape, some new art and voila! Archer reborn.
Now, certainly we don't know how the code differs, probably substabtially, but it's good to know a cool design didn't go to waste.
If the game plays as good as it looks then we can all be happy that Stern has a great new designer in their stable.
I know a lot of folks here will be dismayed that the Archer license wasn't pursued, but the general consensus seems to be that Iron Maiden is the more requested theme. It's been a dream theme for many for years and, despite Archer's popularity, Iron Maiden will probably sell better.
Hey, at least Zen made an okay Archer table in Pinball FX!
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Lol I was literally just going to post that.
Btw, Zack Sharpe is playing so shit is gonna be lit.
Watching this stream and good god, the game looks incredible in action. And tgis is the Pro!
The reverse upper flipper orbit shots are so cool. Game looks like it as awesome flow.
Really exciting for this one, guys. Looks better than anything they've done in a long time.
Honestly, the music works well here, too. Very pumpin'
The video UI is awful. The text is extra awful. This is one department Stern needs to work on, all their games have awful LCD presentations and this one is really ugly. The gradient on the shitty font!!
The reverse upper flipper orbit shots are so cool. Game looks like it as awesome flow.
Really exciting for this one, guys. Looks better than anything they've done in a long time.
Honestly, the music works well here, too. Very pumpin'
The video UI is awful. The text is extra awful. This is one department Stern needs to work on, all their games have awful LCD presentations and this one is really ugly. The gradient on the shitty font!!
I guess I haven't seen any of these with the video display, but I guess I was expecting too much. :/
Then again:
Maybe it's fitting.
Jersey Jack's have been pretty greatI guess I haven't seen any of these with the video display, but I guess I was expecting too much. :/
Then again:
Maybe it's fitting.
I'm guessing Stern does those themselves and doesn't outsource them?
It's too bad they couldn't contract the mobile game devs, because their animations have been pretty solid, even if the art style is more cartoony. That's what I assumed they would look like since they used the subtitle. I'd probably prefer an old dot matrix style display over that.
It's too bad they couldn't contract the mobile game devs, because their animations have been pretty solid, even if the art style is more cartoony. That's what I assumed they would look like since they used the subtitle. I'd probably prefer an old dot matrix style display over that.
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I mean literally rushed, Franchi has said he had a very small amount of time to work on the machine. Can only imagine how much better it would've looked if he had more time!
It's not the worst looking machine (and out of all those machines, it'd be the one I'd most happily have sitting in my collection), but it could've been improved upon I reckon. Don't ask me how though!
I definitely think they over priced that game because it was limited. Every model is a bout $2000 more than it should be. Lotta plastic.
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Is it not available anymore? I can't see it to stream on the DF Twitch page at all :/
Edit: Danger said on the DF FB page that there's no VOD. Motherfucker. I assume there's no other way to download it?
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Well i'm sure footage will be available soon.
Game looks really fun. I'm pretty stoked about it.
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There will be, but not the same footage at all. So no Zach/Keith playing, and a different explanation of rules.
Actually a bit pissed about this.
You live in Australia right? Well, maybe they'll post some archives later.
That sucks tho
I've got good news, finally got at my gpa's pinball and while it was buried so I don't have pics of mine yet, I can identitfy it as a William's Pit Stop
Here's some pics from the web, I'll try to get some of mine in the next week(dad's been setting up his new office wound up behind a safe)
Should be the perfect machine for learning basic maintenance on... although it probably hasn't been serviced in 30 years
Here's some pics from the web, I'll try to get some of mine in the next week(dad's been setting up his new office wound up behind a safe)
Should be the perfect machine for learning basic maintenance on... although it probably hasn't been serviced in 30 years
The angle of the flippers is also really crazy. No inlanes and slings are everywhere. That game looks brutal.
As far as I know all the lighting and electrical works, except possibly the flippers and the ball catch, and overall it's just a matter of long term use, so need to replace all the rubber(a few of the rail rubber have broken and fallen off) and it could definitely use a wax and some paint resealing. Are you saying it'll be a difficult table to maintain? Or just that it's a great table to start with? It'd be great to get good enough to be able to do basic maintenance on pins if I wind up with a local place I frequent that doesn't get theirs maintained often enough.
Well it's been years since I've tried it, but it's designed to be 2 player competitive with a progression gimmick. Each player is a racer and there's different ways to progress throuh the 14 slot track, with each player being tracked. More laps you make more points you get, and it keeps track of your laps. So you either get more laps than the other player or the score is a tiebreaker.
Now I know you guys love a good story, so here's the little bit my grandpa remembers. During the 60/70's he did a lot of investment properties along with real estate development. Early 70's he had a bowling alley through some deal or another, the machine was there, he liked and took it home and put it in the basement. My dad and aunt then kids would bring their friends over to play, although my grandpa being who he was left the coin slots active and my dad and aunt got some of the money from when they'd play with friends.
I played it bit when I was younger, but it was in storage a few years, and I've traveled a lot the past 10 so I haven't played it much. I really hope I can fix it up, and hope you guys can lend me a hand in finding the references I need. I'm hoping to pull it out from behind the safe next week
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Basically, maintenance on electro-mechanical machines are a whole different ballgame to anything electronic. Because it's all gears and spinning things that go clunk, you have to be able to trace the whole way through the process what could be faulty. Conversely, with a solid-state machine oftentimes it'll just wind up being a faulty connector or something.
I believe once an EM is up and running they're actually lower maintenance than newer machines, but getting them working in the first place could be a little more difficult. Do you know how long it's been in storage for? I think it's only if it's been out of use for decades where it might be hard to fix everything. Only a few years since it's worked/been played should be a little easier :)
It's been played at least once every year or two. It always fires up. But my Iittle sis said last time she fired it up a flipper wouldn't work. Like I said biggest thing is replacing all the (likely original) rubber components that have just worn out
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Anyone wanting more insight into Iron Maiden and Stern themselves would be wise to listen to the latest Head 2 Head Pinball episode, as they interview Zac Sharpe. I think it may have even been a little more informative than Nate's interview with Elwin (on C2C).
Oh, that's all? That'll be easy then!
That's what im hoping. Although like I said, flipper motors and ball catch might also need repairs' and some paint has to be resealed. Along with a good waxing of course. How hard would fixing the flippers be?
The Last Jedi is finally coming to Pinball FX/Zen Pinball
Two tables, one based on the film in general and one based on Luke's Island.
Youtube trailer:
As always with Star Wars on Zen the voice ivers are sound-alikes. Not sure if the music is from the film.
No Solo table, lol. No one cares about that movie.
This doesn't seem to be coming to Nintendo Switch
There are no Star Wars or Marvel tables on Switch and The Last Jedi doesn't change that. You'll note that there is no Switch logo in the trailer like there was for Jurassic Park Pinball. Seems that Zen's licensing agreement with Disney doesn't cover Switch.
Two tables, one based on the film in general and one based on Luke's Island.
Youtube trailer:
As always with Star Wars on Zen the voice ivers are sound-alikes. Not sure if the music is from the film.
No Solo table, lol. No one cares about that movie.
This doesn't seem to be coming to Nintendo Switch
There are no Star Wars or Marvel tables on Switch and The Last Jedi doesn't change that. You'll note that there is no Switch logo in the trailer like there was for Jurassic Park Pinball. Seems that Zen's licensing agreement with Disney doesn't cover Switch.
The first Star Wars table that really grabbed me was Star Fighter Assault, that one's great.
Over time my favorites have been Empire, Rebels (never even seen the show), Clone Wars (likewise).
Other tables I think are pretty good are ANH, First Order, Droids. Boba Fett just hasn't clicked for me and I think Masters of the Force is way too busy. The rest are somewhere between decent (RotJ, TFA) to meh (Han Solo, Rogue One) and Vader is just bad.
Wow, some licensing agreements are really friggen stupidly written out. Why would they ever specify they can release the tables on only Windows/Mobile/Sony platforms and leave out Nintendo?
Why not just say in the license "gaming platforms" which the game runs on? Even if they didn't have a product they were supporting at the time on Nintendo, it's not a huge leap of logic to imagine they might at some point and should just throw that in there with the rest of them to cover their bases...
Well even if that 60fps patch ever comes out the game is still going to be neutered compared to Mobile and the other platforms, Switch owners just can't win lol.
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