And of course you can get one of these from Jesse as well!

straight out of my favorite chapter of the pinball bible!!
amen!!

When are they planning to actually offering this to the public? Did they mention anything about dates?

Pin looks awesome, but I prefer Jpops version, too bad that wasn't the design. Did they drop Jpop and really didn't want to associate themselves with him?

I would like wider entrance of ramp and the mini loop beside, I would not like to spend my time shooting the post in a game (yes I know, play better?) and a more colorful playfield. I really liked the previous one in this way. Just some suggestions

Actually, I was right - when I said it wouldn't make it based on the description of it literally being unwired at the time. No coils, nothing. But these guys pulled a bunch of all-nighters to do the impossible. So, major kudos. The only thing I was wrong about was underestimating their ability.

Yes the current Houdini game has nothing to do with Jpop, but the first, unplayable, that was designed by Jpop, and that version I liked visually a lot more because it has a 90s feel to it. The current Houdini design is also cool. I even emailed the dudes at American-Pinball about buying one and got no response....

I don't know the details of Jpop making a prototype model, did he pitch the idea to those guys? They bought the idea from him? I saw a few large threads here but nothing with details.

catapult in action

I wonder how many cycles it will take for that coil to wear down enough that it weakens to the point of slamming the ball into the front of the chest instead.

I'm guessing they thought of that and that you can adjust the power in the settings maybe?

Quite a bit cooler than the levitating ball thing, even if it did work...

There will be settings to adjust power. We are in the process of doing testing around its performance under heavy use and over time. We also have tracking on the success rate, which at TPF was approaching 95% and that was on close to 500 throws. I've also added code that you still get credit for the lock (when that is the purpose of the throw), even if it misses.

will this be at MGC this weekend??????

I'd say there is a decent chance Houdini will make a limited appearance at MGC on Saturday. If it does, it will be just one machine and we will have it on 2 ball play to try to give as many people as possible a chance to play. I'd like to avoid one ball play, since be a real bummer for someone to wait in line and get a house ball. Of course if we find ball/game times are too long, we will change that. I've considered adding code that if you first ball is more then X minutes, you don't get a second ball, but probably won't have time to do that and properly test it.

it was 0 for 3 for me Glad its being worked on and the code will award locks for misses, that is a smart addition. I'm sure its not easy task to get tackle. Did you notice any variables to the misses, like the longer the game had been on (i.e coils got hotter for being played non-stop) it missed more? Or is it just pretty random when it didnt make it?

Look forward to my next chance to play it. Will you guys be bringing it to the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown in Denver?

This pin looks great and the catapult idea is awesome.

Yeah it would be great to hear the real story of why they helped him. What the real deal was. You know they got scammed so the total truth would just be great to come out.

Does anyone know the hardware the game is using?

As that was first question asked in which they seemed to be starting from scratch and didn't have an answer either.

So even more of a major accomplishment in four months if it's all there own boards.

What about just a simple game-time limit? 5 minutes and then dead flippers & "Thanks for playing."

2 minutes...

I agree, visually it did look good but who wants a pinball machine that looks good but plays like a Magic Girl? I sure don't and I think the Houdini be AP looks different but good in its own way.

That's the way mustang was coded for it's introduction at the Chicago Auto Show. It kept the lines moving.

One of the machines at TPF had a bad power supply, that ultimately crapped out and we replaced with a spare. That one was not consistent until after we replaced the power supply. It was making us crazy as to why one was hitting it nearly every time and the other could be great 10 in a row and then come up totally short or totally long. Never going to be 100%, but I think we will be happy if we are consistently over 90%.

I'd hate for someone to be in a really cool mode and suddenly have the game crap out. But certainly an option we can look at.

I think that is a little too short, I want folks to get to see the catapult in action or the stage mechanism, which has a curtain that opens and closes and once inside the ball can disappear and/or appear. It is also where the primary modes get started, including straitjacket multiball (and for anyone who gets that at MGC or other shows we are at, you have to go for the hanging/inverted version).

Joe spent time looking at how to make the original playable, but ultimately decided it was best to just start over. There were parts of the original art I really liked and some parts no so much (like not really looking like Houdini). Ultimately, completely starting over on everything made a lot of sense, there was just too much baggage otherwise.

Game is running on the multimorphic board set (e.g. p-roc), with all inserts being direct wired RGBs.

How about if the game goes longer than 3 minutes, it ends when the ball drains?

I think the game looks awesome...and Josh providing info and repeatedly chiming in is making the evolution of Houdini until I can buy one in a box that much better.

That is what I had mentioned above, just not sure I have the time to implement and test before MGC, have a few other things higher on my list.

I understand wanting a bit longer, but with the math of 5 minutes per person.....It's 50 minutes per only 10 people....

Huh?
What?!!
The ball flies through the entire machine into a box?!
And all you guys want to know if it starts to wear over time?!
That is awseome!
Wow,it is like medieval madness catapult but it doesn't need a ramp,Josh mind tricked the ball into thinking there is a ramp hahaha.
Awesome
I think we can expect a lot from Josh,he makes crazy things man..
You kick ass..in a few years you might even be on my level if you work real hard

About the same time it will take for Aerosmith's lock shot to do the same.

Hi Rosh,

I hope you dont mind an opinion.

It deals with timed play.
I love safecracker, and a Timed mode, with the ability perhaps to add time, fits right in.

Say, Water Torture Mode.....How Long Can you Hold your Breath?
This is a timed mode, where even players, like they did at shows, could toy with holding their own breath!

Straight Jacket, Handcuffs too.....Best Time to Escape Awards, Extra Time to Escape...

Just Brain farting.......

That's only if 10 people have the skill to last the full 5 of course.

... that's 36 games per hour (using three machines) x 10 hours a day times over 2.5 days = 900 games played, if people average the entire 5 min. 3 min per game is a likelier outcome, so even if you set timer for 5 min max per game, you would see 1,200 plays over a show weekend.

I hope you will bring this game to Pintastic new England. Would love for us New England pinball folks to see and play it. I am sure some of the collectors up here might have a major interest in this game too.

We are working through our show schedule and that is certainly one we are looking at. Our goal is to do our best to get to the bigger shows in each region of the country and certainly down the road we would like to get Houdini to the other side of the pond.

I would love to see it and I am sure many people for New York, Mass, CT, Nh, and Maine would make the trip as well....

Don't forget the Canadians. Pintastic is 5 hours from the Canadian boarder.

Just heard that Houdini is going to be at Pin a Go Go!!!!!!

Can't wait to see it in person.

Will you guys be bringing it to pinfest in allentown? It's the biggest show on the east coast it's like Texas, but for us east coasters. Really a shame if you guys wouldn't be there?

I can't wait to give this a go on Saturday at MGC. I am still amazed how much of a 180 american pinball did by hiring the right people and completely redoing this theme from scratch in such a short time since Expo.

HHHHMMMMMMM Who will be bringing it there?????????

Just some troublemaker we know, who is going to show up at our offices earlier than I would like

At MGC will be set to one player, one ball, but if that ball is less that X seconds you will get a second ball. Have not decided on X yet.

60 seconds

After a long discussion I was out voted, and it will be one player, two ball. We of course could change that based on what we see happening.

Northwest pinball show in June please!

10 year anniversary

Likely

Okay, that settles it - going to Pin a Go Go for sure this year!!