When you open top of box you will see yellow paperwork with instructions.
Everyone does an unboxing different.
I like to lay the whole box down and lay a couple packing blankets under box and area it will slide out on to. Open coin door and pull out onto blanket. I was lucky and had a few friends on hand. Group had been waiting for days and had a unboxing party.
There's a data east style hex wrench/key, this locks head. Only one cable harness from head to lower cab. No head bolts. The lock is a great idea borrowed from long ago.
Remove glass, there's some foam in pops and trunk, remove. Turn on!
Go to menu, eject balls, go to coil Settings, set trunk catapult power. Comes at 25 factory, out of box i only had to move it to 26.
Button it up, press start!
Enjoy....deep rules, tough game, still kicking my ass with personal couple hundred games in.

Go to API cockpit service menu, then Settings (not Tests), then Coils to adjust coil strength. Check the manual for instructions on how to adjust coil strengths. Section 3-10. Manual can be downloaded from the support section of our website.

Rosh,

Have you given any more thought to adding a setting to adjust the mode difficulty such as extending the time to complete? Certain podcasters this past week went out and played the game with 1 minute average ball times. They speculated that the game was not approachable by average players on location (I'm paraphrasing). Houdini has developed a reputation that it is brutal. Brutal is good to a point but I wonder if that growing reputation is going to hurt sales. I love the rules and I'm having a blast. But it is frustrating that the mode times are so short making it hard for novice to intermediate players to make progress into the game.

Hopefully you are considering the suggestion and keep up the great work!

The developing reputation has me thinking of canceling my order......I'm an average player at best and don't think frustration equals fun.

Glad to hear it! I’m almost done with it actually - some GREAT poster are in there which may end up on our walls soon...

It looks like instead of adjusting the TIME for the modes, Josh allows adjusting the DIFFICULTY in the modes. See the Feature adjustments and lower the mode values if you want it to be easier. Nothing wrong with that for the home user, thats why the options exist.

For example:
Handcuffs in Handcuff Escape The number of handcuffs multiplied by the number of pops per handcuff determines the level of difficulty.
• Handcuffs needed represents how many ‘levels’ are in the mode.
At each level, Houdini throws a pair of handcuffs/chains out from behind the display.
• Options: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
• Default: 6

Drop this to 4 to make it easier. Looks like every mode has an adjustment.

It's plenty fun. If you suck at making the shots, you'll activate plenty of SEANCE multiball, which is entertaining in and of itself.

That would be a mistake.
Ive owned a lot of pinballs, this is perhaps one of the best ever. Everthing gets easier with practice.

JIM Z I’ll take your spot man

Will you miss a few shots and possibly lose control of the ball? Yes, that happens frequently if you go for more dangerous shots. I thought about getting rid of it after the first few games in my house, but then I started getting better, changed to easier settings, and went for safer shots.

Personally I bought the game because it’s hard. I sold a scared stiff to get it, and I don’t regret that one bit. I was looking for a challenging game with deep code. Houdini definitely fits that bill. Now I do agree that some of the shots are a little to tight, But I’ve learned to adjust and the feeds are usually pretty forgiving and it feels good when you finally do nail it.

I wouldn’t cancel your order, it’s a fun game

Edit - I still do want the setting to adjust mode timers though. With the shots being tight, it takes a few attempts and by that time, the time is running out. It would in my opinion help the game to be approachable like was mentioned before

Thanks, I hope one shows up around here I can play.

And me right behind you if you dont take it.

Really, only 2 stage modes have an adjustment. Most of the Feature settings have to do with the Houdini letters. However, your suggestion is a valid option. The down side to that approach is that the modes are pretty simple in the number of steps to complete. Most have only 3-4 shots to complete. Unlike my Stern sitting next to Houdini that requires 8 shots to complete each mode and unlimited time to complete each mode.

Here are some valid options to make the game modes more approachable for mere mortals...

* Allow the timer to be adjustable to 60 seconds (maybe the easiest solution because the clock already goes to 60)
* Allow the timer to reset on a made shot
* Allow the timer to ratch back X seconds on each made shot (that would be a cool mystery award!)
* Make the "Add Time" add more seconds or reset the clock
* Give each mode it's own setting to make easy, medium or hard (default)

I would love to see a setting to the Milkcan mode easier for sure. I doubt I'll ever get that mode completed without some way to advance the shot (besides the magic target advance thing).

This is what I'm worried about! This is what some influential podcasters are saying. I thought it worth mentioning here.

JIM_Z, it is a freaking awesome game. It is not Ghostbusters brutal. It is not unfair. I never feel robbed. You are going to brick shots until you start getting the shots dialed in. The good news is that while the game is very challenging, it is very forgiving in other areas. The layout is tough but Balcer really designed a cool game.

That's a great comparison. Ghostbusters is frustrating. Houdini is not anywhere near that level of frustration.

Since we are talking about books about Houdini. Here is one about a good friend of Houdini's named William Robinson. Robinson was the most famous magician to die from the Bullet Catch. Robinson had little success as a magician until he re-imagined his persona as Chung Ling Soo, the Marvelous Chinese Conjurer. Robinson and his wife lived their public lives as Chinese! Talk about cultural appropriation!

After Robinson died, Houdini started to practice the Bullet Catch. Magic historians now believe that Houdini did perform the bullet catch but it is unclear whether he actually did. Houdini's friends had been pleading with him not to attempt the trick.

Any of Jim Steinmeyer's books are fabulous...

Chung Ling Soo (resized).jpg

This is my favorite book on magic history called Hiding The Elephant - again by Jim Steinmeyer. It gives away some of magic's greatest secrets without giving too much away. The book covers the greatest advancements in illusions from the Black Art principle, to Pepper's Ghost (the principle used in Ghostbusters and Dialed In pinball machines) to Houdini's Elephant Vanish. A great read!

Hiding the Elephant (resized).jpg

Last awesome magic history book by Jim Steinmeyer - The Magician and the Cardsharp... Dai Vernon is the father of modern, close-up magic (think David Blaine, not Copperfield). Dia Vernon invented hundreds of tricks and sleight of hand moves - the greatest innovator in card magic. This is the story of a legend about a card sharp that could deal any card from the middle of the deck. Basically, a card cheat that could not be detected. Dai spent much of his life, cruising the back rooms of bars and illegal gambling houses to find if the legend was real. Great story!

magician and the cardsharp (resized).jpg

Not even close. My Indy is more frustrating

Thank you so much for that!! I learned about Dai Vernon from a documentary about Ricky Jay, who is one of my idols, but I’ve never seen much about Dai Vernon.

Odd, I feel like this shot is getting more difficult or the flippers moved, but probably I have no skill

Yes. I listen to all feedback and give thought to it. Sometimes I will react right away and change things, sometimes I let it simmer to see if it makes sense to me and/or how it might make sense to do it, and sometimes I just throw it in the bit bucket. You will have to wait until the next release notes are published to see what I've done with the various 'input' that I've gotten.

New code still coming late next week?

Is milkcan multiplier timed? I have advanced the multiplier only to have it drop back down to a lower value or disappear completely while still on the same ball. Not sure if this is a bug or feature.

Also curious if anyone sees the right flipper lose strength when magnets are activated. I tied turning on boost, but still see the issue.

Thanks

Thinking that you should give the man a break, although there are some small issues Rosh listens and reacts and incorporates many suggestions. If we are too needy this could result in longer waits for updates and as far as it goes we didn't have to wait years for the first. With more games going out the minor short comings will be apparent and I'm sure quickly resolved ...
Patience!

I have read all these reviews of how hard the game is. I played 2 games at a non-AP booth along with another guy who played 2 games also. It was painful listening to all the audio hints, but before you point this out you can change all that yada yada. Not as a festival participant.

It didn't feel fun. Usually you know right away.

That and some of their assembly techniques would steer me clear of this title.

No Loctite(r) on switch screws? Add a shaker and it will disassemble itself in short order. And other things. Sorry A-P but these are objective observations.

Just my $0.02 of course

Has anyone had to take one apart ? I usually prefer to take the backbox off newer pins so I don’t damage them (sooo heavy!). WOZ and TH were an absolute breeze in about 20 minutes - DI was more like a nightmare several hours long. I got it, but it would be good to know which Houdini will be.

I got my email that my Houdini is ready to be built with art blades. The shaker motors from API are not available yet. Hopefully, all the items you all brought up will be addressed in my game when I hopefully receive it before the Allentown show.

I just bought a Ghostbusters Premium and Star Wars Premium and I added the Coin Taker shaker motors. Does anyone have a shaker motor installed yet? I assume it is well integrated into game play and I will miss it if it is not there.

There is nothing you have stated that I experienced or agree on.
But to each his own...

Stern isn't doing loctite on many (most?) of their screws, either. It's not like this is some huge industry standard and AP is bucking the trend.

I hate Star Trek LE. Isn't fun. Usually I know in a few minutes. Does that invalidate all the people who love it? No.

Agreed ... Actually checked his collection as to what he was comparing it too!

sounds like the switch isn't working check it out in switch test. Need help call me. 833.API.HELP

JJ from game ecxhange Colorado said it was a 6-8 week wait at Texas pinball festival. Little better then 3 months.

Here is a link to the manual https://www.american-pinball.com/support/
Don't for get to check your games to stay with the newest code 18.2.27
FYI. there are some cool new things being added to the code from what I overheard LOL.
See ya @ MGC

Pincades
API Dist.
JT

Starting from when?

i would imagine from when you call him and tell him you want one?

is there a 'match' when the game is over?

Not yet, coming soon. ~~~~fin~~~~

Yes, each level is timed. If you advanced more than one level, when the timer hits it will fall back a level. A small milkcan on the left side of the screen shows the 'timer' for the multiplier. It is on my list to add settings so the timer can be made longer than it currently is and I may certainly change the default as well.

There are only a handful of wires that go from the head to the cabinet (two USB cables, power cables for computer and amp, connection for the backbox LEDs, I think that is it) and I believe just 1 that goes from the head to the playfield (cable for the mini-display). However, access to where wires plug in is not super easy, and you may have to remove the monitor assembly to be able to easily remove and re-attach them. Even if you do have to remove the monitor, it won't take very long to do it, as the bracket is just removing two screws and loosening four others to remove it. Should be closer to the 20 minutes than hours.

Looks like my Houdini is on a truck and should be here Thursday. I can't wait to play the game that Joe and rosh have put so much hard work into.

This is the best thing I’ve read all day. I had to cut cable ties, open the computer case and Unsolder things to do Dialed in, so this sounds like a breeze!

Yup ... just got the same heads up from Larry at Flippin' Out. Super excited! Ordered on 12/5 and receiving on 4/5. Nice job American Pinball!
120 days!

Let’s get some over to the east coast Guys...

Yes PLEASE! Wish I ordered in December instead of June......One lesson I learned in this cycle having ordered Many dozen games in the past. Joe is Awesome but ordering from the Largest distributor only means his Line is Longer. Just an observation. It is fun to pester him at all hours though. All good as long as CGC doesn't drop the title (we assume) before my some day Houdini call. Then Mr Flippen Larry will be on speed dial and put Houdini in the maybe some day pile.

Let´s get some over to Europe

Well worth the wait !

Part of being big is getting lots of different options though; he offers basically every manufacturer - and AP is still launching this bird. I get it, just WISH we had one on the way. And it is! Luckily I can go up about 10’miles away and play one, I am grateful for that and all the other games they have there.

That place helped me decide to buy DI, which I do not regret for 1 second

Mine arrirved yesterday and it got quite a work out...it took me a bit to get started...I set everything up correctly cleaned and installed 6 balls...hit start, a ball popped into the shooter lane followed by a immediate end of ball bonus...ball popped out for ball 2, same thing. After a bit of head scratching I emptied all the balls so I could raise the playfield but realized there was a 7th ball...where did that come from? Replaced 6 balls and played non-stop for nearly 8 hours...loving this game!

Is there a captive ball anywhere that you didn't install ?

LTG : )

Has anyone successfully attached a sub woofer to this game? Audio sounds a little too "tinny" for my liking, needs some oomph!