<1y  7,650 64

Giving this its own thread to see if others can make this happen now that I can give a method of reproducing it 100% of the time on my WOZ machine with 5.05. Try this on yours running 5.05 and report if you can make it happen, too!

UPDATE to the Weird Witch Skill Shot/Hurryup bug that can happen at game start in 5.05!

Okay, had this happen again today and was able to pay closer attention. Turned the machine on. As SOON as the screen came up with the scarecrow I started pressing “START” to begin a game. It took three presses before it registered (three slow press and holds). When it finally DID register, instead of the witch animation that normally starts a game, I got the orange “Skill shot” animation and 5,075 points, THEN the ball launched up from the trough to be launched. This clearly shows it’s a program bug and not a loose witch switch because there was NO mechanical action before Skill Shot was displayed, and the witch start game animation never played.

This event also locked most of the playfield lights on the right to green, as well as the lights in the state fair area. The rest of the lights were all locked to various colors.

EDIT: I can reproduce it! From power on, start pressing and holding then releasing Start slowly in succession as soon as Scarecrow shows up. this time it took 4 presses before the game started, and I got the glitch to happen instead of the witch animation to start the game! It also messes up the lighting in different ways most times.

EDIT2: 100% reproduction rate with the above method.

EDIT3: After getting it to happen whenever I did this, and not happen when I didn't, now I can't get it to happen. Maybe the machine is too "warmed up" now (it was off all night before I first tried this)? I guess I'll try again in the morning after it's been off all night again.

Is the witch on the screen, with the countdown frozen when this happens to you? The 5000 is from the skill shot (you didn't do) and the 75 is from the witch switch (you didn't hit). Also, when you get this do some or all of the lights freeze or turn a solid color if you play that ball?

I think this is probably the same bug I'm talking about, but you can eliminate that it's an overly sensitive witch switch by going into switch test mode and hitting the playfield with your hand to see if the witch switch activates from vibration (it shouldn't). IF it doesn't you're probably seeing the same bug I'm talking about with the 5,075 points before you do anything.