I haven't actually watched any video of this game until now, I have to say it looks really impressive! The sound and atmosphere is really, good, video and sound from the movie are nicely integrated, looks like a lot of good shots and a nice flow. I was anticipating something a little more amateur hour. Surprisingly it doesn't really stand out that there's no Sigourney in the game...Hey I guess YOU are supposed to be her so it kind of works.

On the con side, the game has typical late-model widebody stupid outlanes (I'd like to see the widebody trend go away like it's 1981), and the playfield kind of has that late 90s Sega look to it.

If this game proves to have a fun ruleset, and proves to be reliable I could see it and the manufacturer carve out a nice niche for itself. The modular flipper is a very nice idea and great for location repairs. Just pop one in and bring the old one back to the shop.

Hilton invited me over to check out Alien last night and I managed to get a couple plays in while I was there and also take a few pics and video. Here are my initial impressions.

Looks: This is one of the most stunning games I have ever seen in person! pictures don't really do the game any justice. The green lit up cabinet panels give the game an eerie and cool look. The EL lit inner side blades also looked awesome and would be a worthy upgrade for people ordering a standard. I also think Aurich's playfield art fits the game perfectly and looks great! I like that it's not too busy and doesn't overpower the game. It's dark and eerie and gives you just the details you need. The LED lighting in the game really catches your eye and is utilized to its full potential. Everything is full color changers and it seems well coded to match the rules and the gameplay. The toys in the game look well made and don't look like "toys" at all. Everything seems custom and high quality. This doesn't look like a game that was put together with a calculator as Jack would say. The Xenomorph head was glossy black and just looked awesome! These toys clearly didn't come off the shelf at Walmart. As an overall package I think this is one of the coolest games I've ever seen. It probably does help though that I love the theme though!

Gameplay: I look forward to playing many more games once this is on route but after playing my first ball my first words to Hilton were that I want one! I love Stern games but after a while many of them seem formulatic. I didn't get that impression at all from Alien. I loved that the layout was unconventional and felt different. The shots definitely took some getting used to but were smooth once you got the hang of them. I also can't remember the last time there was a game with 4 flippers on the main playfield that had unique shots assigned to them. I really enjoyed how the game played and the little intricacies of the layout. The hidden lane that returned the ball to the lower right flipper was my favorite. I This game is like a breath of fresh air and combined with a theme that I love really makes it intriguing to own.

Software: Hard to say much with only 2 plays but the modes that were coded in were a lot of fun and showed some creativity. I liked that a mode like Acid burn punishes you for hitting the wrong shots. In the finding Jonesy mode you have to track down the target with an orange LED and it moves around the playfield quickly. It looks like the game also keeps track of things like combos and has quite a few multiball modes. I look forward to figuring out more as I put more plays in.

Overall I came away extremely impressed and this game jumped to the top of my most wanted list. I will likely order one at some point (once these start shipping in quantity to homes and I sell a game or two) but at least for now I can enjoy playing one on route. Thanks Heighway and Madison Pinball for making this possible!

Thanks for the writeup Mike! Sounds like Heighway has a winner on their hands.

Great point about the 4 flippers each having unique shots. That's a big draw for me. Each of the two upper flippers has 2 unique shots which I don't think has ever been pulled off before.

Couldnt agree with you more, Hilton!

My opinion is just mine, but after 45 years of collecting pins, Aliens stands
out above and beyond my expectations in forward direction for an exceptional pin!

I cant say anything more that hasnt been said, except the "bar" is now raised, and
all pinheads should be thrilled!

I took a few short videos last night and have them on Youtube for anyone interested in checking them out:

This is a quick one with the lights off to get a better feel for the great lighting:

what is the list price again?

Question: Do the loop shots always go into the pop Bumpers or are there control gates at the top?
Just looked like in the video Mike posted the ball would always go in the Bumpers.

I may have to put this game in my collection. Looking great.

Ok base price?

Dang Hilton! Next time we talk on the phone we r gonna have to talk about your route and this game!

6,450 for anyone else wondering.

A few pics to share from the game. The pop bumper caps really look incredible in person. Such great detail.

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nice to see a sub-$7k price point. Hope they sell a lot of them.

Yup. I think $6450 is without the 27" backbox option and without shipping cost for the SE.

How tall is the machine with the beacon lights up there?

You'll love it Tom! I know both Tim and myself are seriously considering buying one. This is going to be a big seller for Heighway. Once people play it the orders are going to flood in!

Well done Hilton, gotta make time to get there and play it!

Just curious after watching the new gameplay videos does it shoot a little like The Shadow with the orbits and inner loop?

Not sure, but the orbit doesn't go to the upper flipper so I don't think so.

Center-post between the flippers? Without it, the video would have lasted 1/4 of the time?
I question the center-post.

In the video, the player doesn't seem to nudge the machine very much, but instead makes use of the center-post.

I'm not familiar with this type of play... None of my games have center-posts.

It's annoying when you have a new machine with a center post, play it to death then drop back onto another machine without one and watch the ball going down the middle on purpose!

This just moved to the top of my wishlist.

The game looks great, I would consider ordering one whenever they finally become available in dealer stock (I'm guessing 9+ months away at least?). The biggest thing for me is that it's not another cookie cutter game and it looks to be a good value.

Congrats!

Looks like a great game!

Yes. Me too. When Cointaker has them, I'll pick up....

Ball times are short, there's 6+ balls in that video, it's edited together to give a glimpse of more modes. Dave Sanders has already discussed the need for the post, I'm sure you can take it out if you really want to

Boom boom immersion

I will be watching this tread. im looking forward to playing it whenit's available. I'm off all weekend maybe saturday?

Being able to rapidly switch your play style / muscle memory between a game with a center post and one without is a great skill for competitive pinball, and just fun otherwise. I was just thinking the other day that I'd wished someone would make a new game with a center post again...

Cool and I just saw Dead Flip Monday stream thanks for organizing that. Look forward to it.

I thought it was great bang for the buck (by todays standards anyway). Best deal out there right now for NIB.

so the light up sidewalls an add on or is that factory normal?

because those were not on any of the versions i've played, but either was the head that eats the balls. Glad they ditched the queen in the box for the head.

Pretty excited for this AND the fact that I've never seen Madison's Pinball Chops!

The graphic blades are standard, lit up are LE (can be added to standard). The alien head was always there. The queen in a can was replaced by the mini LCD.

I think the mini LCD was a wise switch. Will be far more useful to the game.

I warned you about that word!

how much more is it for the light up version over the regular, and do they light up enough to see, over the GI's because the GI's seem really bright in general.

Only thing I'm a bit disappointed in is the lack of flashers. Some white flashers creating a strobe effect would really make it feel like the movie. And add some umph to the xeno grabbing the ball.

Probably wouldn't be too difficult to add a couple wired to go off with the xeno head I suppose. Modders... start your engines!

even better would be yellow/orange flashers that do the beacon effect like they do in batman forever. make it feel like they are rotating around like construction lights. Would fit so awesome.

I don't recall exactly, but I think it was $200.

I do like flashers as well. I'm not sure why they opted not to have them, but as stated, I'm sure they can and will be added in the aftermarket. At least something to strobe that alien head when its eating the ball. The good news is that we wont have to add a color DMD, mini LCD, or blades. So we can use those funds elsewhere.

I think we'll find more uses for it after more play testing too, it's got the advantage of being software upgradable to be more dynamic and flexible later on if we have new ideas (and we already have some that we haven't implemented yet).

It's a widebody. Ain't gonna "shoot" like shadow.