Does anyone know how many Houdini's were manufactured?
(Topic ID: 183206)
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Houdini
American Pinball, 2017
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For those of you that ordered a power supply upgrade... how did you go about getting the $150 credit? Did you have to order the upgrade and then wait for a code? Or did AP issue you a code, allowing you to bulk order everything at once?
Took me a while to get Houdini set up... but, wow, I'm totally blown away by the game and the overall build quality. I'd played Houdini several times on location, but that example was poorly maintained. This probably help feed my impression that AP had its heart half-in pinball (perhaps aimlessly stumbling along...). I think some of that came from constant comments by Kaneda, slamming the company for just about everything.
To start, the cabinet is JJP level if not better. High-quality materials from top to bottom. The finish on the decals is beautiful. Art is beautiful. The attention to detail in the art and how it aligns with features of the cabinet... beautiful. The backglass and LCD integration are simply stunning.
The playfield is loaded... lots of fine touches. Anything but cheap.
Gameplay? Love it. Challenging. Shots are tight but findable. Unlike ACNC (which I also own and many have compared to...) you can get some really nice flow and combos going relatively easily.
I'm totally stoked to have this game in-house.
My only complaint is the sound quality of the speakers. It falls slightly short of the rest of the game.
Gotta say: Awesome job AP. What a first game. Can't believe how much hate it's received! Lame.
You have a new fan!
Quoted from pinballinreno:You can play with the settings on the amp a little for some sound adjustment.
You can add a sub via the amp.
You can add a bass speaker to the cab.
The amp its behind the monitor.
Add a bass driver to the cab? You mean cutting into the wood?
The only physical adjustment I think I need to make are with the pops. They aren’t a sensitive as they should be
Quoted from MightyGrave:Grab a cheap passiv Car Hifi Subwoofer in a Case. That works great for me and it's easy to Install. And it's about 50 bucks only.
Did you mount it to the underside?
Quoted from MightyGrave:It's in a Subwoofer in a case and stands under the cabinet in the Floor. I can Post a picture tomorrow.
The Bass ist deep and fits perfect with Houdini. For me it's a Must have
Please do
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:If your on Day 1 or 2 don't worry about the pops yet. I found mine to loosen up over time, kind of like a new motor, give them a 100 plays to work them selves in, then reevaluate.
This is actually a HUO machine, not NIB.
I’m sure the leaf switches need to be adjusted.
Two adjustment questions:
1) is there a way to adjust the location of the image on the theater display on the playfield? Mine is slightly cutoff on the left side.
2) Any tips on dialing in that dogleg right shot that’s to the left of the key shot (through the pops)?
Mine successfully hits the stage 1/10 times. Not sure if my playfield’s pitch. I’m guessing it’s between 6.5 and 7. My playfield is slightly slanted to the right (I need to level that... been having too much fun playing the game 
Quoted from rosh:The game shipped with a small circuit board with buttons on. That can be attached to the small display to adjust it.
If it is falling short of the stage, might be due to the higher pitch. I assume the well struck balls are the ones that hit it. While it is not 100% kind of shot, 10% is certainly too low. You can try to tweak the angle a bit, but not a lot of room for adjustment without then hitting the pop and you need to remove a ramp and a plastic to get to the screw to loosen it and try to adjust it.
Thank you!
Quoted from pinballinreno:12.23.19 i believe.
The latest release
The biggest success was in finally getting a decent balance between playfield pitch, stage rejects and ramp shots.
I know that i said that the ramp was just a decoration before lol.
But i now know that it can be dialed-in.
I just set the left flipper power so that from a cradled position, a clean shot barely makes it over without dropping thru the hole.
Still, drooping the flippers 2mm or 1/8" opens up the game dramatically.
I made the milk can shot fairly easily on demand.
Seems perfect!
Hmmm... the game I bought has 18.8.1 installed on it. It plays very stable.
Am I missing out by not playing later code (or beta code)?
I haven’t had a chance to update or dial in gameplay yet... busy!
Quoted from pinballinreno:Im running the recent beta code
Yes, I understand that. I'm wondering how outdated the code on my machine is, gameplay-wise?
Quoted from RobF:Fair point. I am playing with the settings as I received the game. I haven't looked at how the defaults were changed. In either case, my feedback to AP would be that I would prefer to continue playing after the final mode than have the game end. Maybe I am in the minority on this, I dunno.
I think the only game in my collection that ends is TNA (maybe GB on the new code? I don't remember). And that makes sense because once you blow up the last reactor, that's it. There's nothing else to do. And I think the last reactor blows you up too, so there you go.
I think it’s a let down to make it to the end of any game... every WPC I’ve beaten, I always have that “that’s it?” Feeling.
Quoted from rosh:The game shipped with a small circuit board with buttons on. That can be attached to the small display to adjust it.
If it is falling short of the stage, might be due to the higher pitch. I assume the well struck balls are the ones that hit it. While it is not 100% kind of shot, 10% is certainly too low. You can try to tweak the angle a bit, but not a lot of room for adjustment without then hitting the pop and you need to remove a ramp and a plastic to get to the screw to loosen it and try to adjust it.
rosh I attached the small circuit board to the mini monitor... I cycled through the menu system several times and didn’t see any sort of screen position adjust options. The image on my mini screen is pushed to the left... so the marquee lights on the left side of the screen aren’t visible.
Am I missing something?
Quoted from Davidus56:Boy do I disagree. I bought this NIB a while back. The lane shots are way too tight. I’m pretty decent, but playing this game is more an exercise in frustration than joy. It’s out of my collection now gathering dust in storage.
Put down the crack pipe, son!
Has anyone modded the inside of the trunk? This is incredibly picky... but that trunk is just BEGGING for a nice red velvet interior!
Quoted from zahner:I did a felt that’s the same color as the in the backglass. It’s lasted a year so far and looks factory. Kind of a periwinkle. Cheap to buy, adhesive backed sheet of felt cut to size. Simple.
Nice!
Quoted from zahner:I did a felt that’s the same color as the in the backglass. It’s lasted a year so far and looks factory. Kind of a periwinkle. Cheap to buy, adhesive backed sheet of felt cut to size. Simple.
I ordered purple adhesive velvet and it arrived today. Feels substantial to the touch... I'll get it installed and take a few pics
Quoted from meSz:No it's not unfortunately. Installing the upgraded Power Supply, being that you just bought yours you should have upgraded one so no worries there and/or the EOS won't make a difference on the flippers. Supposedly the next software update was to address this but reading the post from those that are testing the BETA have noted the issue still is there.
I'm ignorant to the flipper issue... so, this question has probably been answered. But, is this something that some games have and others do not? Or is it universal across the board?
I've owned my Houdini for about 3 weeks or so and I don't think I've experienced it. But, perhaps I'm just not familiar enough with the game?
Quoted from brenna98:I’m testing a upgrade to give the coils more consistent power during heavy power usage.
So far the results are very good! I’ll be working on a kit and instructions for this simple upgrade very soon.
Has Oktoberfest had similar flipper power consistency issues?
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:This is the correct answer. The game level is INCREDIBLY important; perhaps more on this game than any other. If your floor is perfectly level, you can screw the levelers all the way in. The game is designed to be played at about a 6 degree pitch, not the 6.5 many other games are. If you want to set it up at 6.5 (mine is about 6.2), boost the rear levelers obviously, but ALSO drop the flippers a tiny bit; about 1/8". This makes the milk can shot makeable again.
Really? This game can’t be jacked up to 7deg pitch?
Quoted from pinballinreno:Ball moves too fast.
Lots of stage rejects.
I have my game at 6.2
Flippers drooped 1/8"
Left flipper power up one notch from the right
Something like 24R, 25L or there abouts.
Probably lower if you have strong wall power.
wonder if the same is true of oktoberfest
Quoted from pinballinreno:Ball moves too fast.
Lots of stage rejects.
I have my game at 6.2
Flippers drooped 1/8"
Left flipper power up one notch from the right
Something like 24R, 25L or there abouts.
Probably lower if you have strong wall power.
What's the most stable code?
Quoted from pinballinreno:The current beta is pretty good.
I've only had my game up and running for a few weeks and have been busy selling some machines, so haven't devoted a ton of time to dialing it in. I need to get the pitch down, because I think I'm close to 7-deg.
I just looked at the code it's running: 18.8.1
wow.
It runs extremely stable. I haven't noticed any issues. That said, I wonder how much has changed in the game between 18.8.1 and the beta code????
Quoted from Chopper36:Thanks for the tip will try without first just will go buy the sliders.
You can buy the furniture slider discs that are about 4 1/2" wide. I used those on carpet before we refinished our game room. Unfortunately, the weight of the game is hard to overcome. You're going to get indentations, the slider helps to spread out the weight.
Quoted from wesman:Source on your felt?
Definitely want to do this too..! Nice work!
It’s a bit of a PIA to install because of cutouts, etc. I used this from amazon:
0E697AEB-3958-4F6D-848B-63D9E9E113FA (resized).jpegQuoted from wesman:Ooohhh. You don't still have those handy do ya? Measurements would be great!
No, I made them small enough to almost fit, then inserted into the space aligning one vertical and one horizontal edge. Then creased the other two edges with my fingers.
So, it was all an approximation. Those pieces of paper were reused several times, then trashed.
If I did it again, I’d remove the trunk from the game.
One tip: when affixing a panel, remove a 1/2 inch of the backing (bend it back so you can grasp the paper) and lineup that sticky edge first. The. Reach behind the material and remove the rest of the backing as you smooth it out.
I did the left side with two pieces (rather than one), in order to get around the trunk lid rod. Also, colored screws with a purple paint pen. Looks great from the player’s perspective.
1 week later
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:WOZ has come and gone twice in my house. I figured I' was missing something, so I got it a second time. It's great for a little while, but was not a keeper for me. Super deep ruleset, tons to do - 2 mini playfields! I just could not get into it. Houdini remains...
WOZ, for me is the greatest game I’ve ever played. Love it. I’ve owned mine since ‘14 and it would be the last game to go. Houdini is a really cool title, I’m enjoying owning it thus far!
AP is the closest thing to JJP, in terms of build. JJP still feels more substantial in the hands to me (when playing)... and the color changing LED Light shows are quite a few steps ahead of AP.
AP has a really good thing going - not knocking them. I really appreciate their commitment to quality and interaction. They give you a TON for the coin.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Totally agree. Maybe not re: WOZ. I want to like it! It just hasn’t clicked. Most of my games are kind of a “horror” theme so perhaps that’s part of it. Houdini is much more engaging for me for some reason. You are spot on about the AP build quality! It’s like night and day between their games and my 1 Stern..’
The difference between AP and Stern is night and day. I will say that my original AC/DC Prem feels like a tank... but that’s a build from yesteryear. The modern stern build wreaks of cheapness.
AP is paying attention. They’re giving buyers all the niceties they dream about... for some reason, pinball voices (such as Kaneda) have formed opinions from a far with bi actual real world experience. Too bad a voice like that can damage a brand.
We need a mod maker to make a kick-ass 3d-molded... or some sort of metal/faux metal replacement for the American Pinball sticker on the upper part of the backbox. That's just begging for something that doesn't look so cheap. Actually, that's the only part of the two AP games that I'd change (physically speaking).
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Gatcha....the problem.
Getting American Pinball's permission.
It's a little surprising that they went to such great lengths with the build quality, but opted for a cheap bubble sticker. Ultimately, doesn't matter. But you'd think someone in the design or marketing department would have put their foot down.
1 week later
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Correct. Either the original fix which was the supporting PS, or the later single rectangular box PS
So the Cap flipper fix shouldn’t be applied if you only have the original power supply?
Quoted from bobukcat:brenna98 can give you the official answer on this because I've not tested that scenario but the OG unregulated ~55VDC power supply does have two large caps on the output already. In fact, at the suggestion of AP, those caps are what I'm actually using as the buffer on the blue bank of coils in my game since I had already ran new wiring up to that bank (through the interlock switch). I just disconnected the output from the transformer, secured it, and used some diodes to make sure that the caps were isolated to that bank. Because the issue still happens with the old power supply even only powering that one bank (my initial trial) I suspect that additional caps may help but again, I've not tested it.
I’m confused as to why some Houdini owners experience flipper issues and others don’t
Quoted from pinballinreno:In my opinion you need it.
As well as the EOS switch kit.
But thats just my experience, take it for what its worth lol.
Get the Knocker if you dont have it!
EOS kit for folks with upgraded power supply? Or anyone?
Quoted from Chopper36:No this is not happening, a ball always loads up at the shooter rod, had several trunk multiballs and no rear catapult, it just doesn't seem to be a part of my game.
Pull the glass and experiment
Quoted from Chopper36:I did test it with a ball, after I raised the setting it works like a champ. The problem is that after the trunk shot is made the switch opens the door to the subway everytime. So no balls are entering the upper catapult, basically useless. Played multiple games and tested with glass off but the trunk bottom door always opens after trunk catapult shot is made.
Somethings not registering
Quoted from Trindawg:Anyone here have a shaker motor for sale and/or a knocker? I’ll be joining the club SOON and I’m gonna want to mod this baby up. Also, what’s the sound like on this machine ? Speakers sound good? I need some feedback on it. Thanks !
Go to AP’s website. They sell them there
2 months later
3 weeks later
Quoted from RipleYYY:so strange you've said that, as here's my son :
and more seriously, we're just around top 1000, nothing incredible
I hope there's lightning flippers on that puppy!
2 weeks later
Quoted from rosh:We are finding that some sticks that are fat32 don't have partitions the way the linux OS and he update code is expecting. Dave Brennan recently got a bunch of brand new USB sticks that had the issue. We found that a basic re-formatting on windows, would not resolve it, but we do now have some instructions for formatting on windows, that seems to solve the problem.
How do we identify the proper stick?
Looks like they are meant to go under the upper edges of your sling plastics to protect from chips and cracking.
Quoted from pinballinreno:Lol, good luck on this....Its pinball!
I was thinking the same thing.
1 week later
Can someone that dropped their flippers down pls take a picture?
I dropped mine. While it has opened up the shots, I’m still hitting the post on the milk can shot. So, hoping to benefit from a view of someone else’s dial-in and take the guess work out of further tweaks.
Quoted from MrFancy:I’m not sure a picture would be that helpful since it’s such a small distance and the perspective would change how it looked. The width of the flipper rubber is about 1/8”, so the way I have mine is that is you’re looking straight down the flipper rubber is as close to edge of the hole as it can get without overlapping.
Ok. And I dropped mine down, but not quite that far. I’ll play around with it
Quoted from pinballinreno:2mm droop is near perfect
So the top (long) edge of the flipper rubber is 2mm below the guide hole?
2 weeks later
Quoted from Freddykaboodle:Nothing like a pinballs eye view
[quoted image]
Someone needs to make a cool mod to replace that lamp post plastic!
Wow, I am loving this game. @rosh, your code is a masterpiece. Hats off to you, you have gone above and beyond with this one. So many elements that mesmerize and challenge, wonderful transitions as you move through the game. Spectacular!
Two wishes: (1) I think the spinner sound effect could be presented with a tad more volume. The sound, itself, is nice, but I think a little more kick to the volume would connect it better and give the spinner a little more feel. And (2), as someone previously mentioned, the left orbit double switches need some sort of sound effect when you shoot to the left.
Tech question: I can’t get my knocker to work. It’s on in the menu, I think it’s hooked up correctly. But, notta
Quoted from bobukcat:Is the fuse for it installed on the add on board on the side of the cabinet?
Yes. Fuse is installed
Quoted from bobukcat:Won't fire in coil tests either and does it have 48-55 VDC present on either lug of the coil when the coin door is closed of the interlock is pulled out?
It's not firing in coil tests... I'll check to see if voltage is present
Quoted from 27dnast:It's not firing in coil tests... I'll check to see if voltage is present
It's a power issue... specifically: wiring. So, just need to sure everything up. 
Rules/lights question...
The chain links in the lower playfield light up as you complete various tasks, correct? For example, if you complete a combo mission, a pink link gets brighter?
How about the light in the pad lock (lower playfield)... that doesn’t seem to coordinate with lock is lit?
Quoted from rosh:The lock inserts serve two purposes, each lock represents the wizard mode for that set of chains and will flash in the appropriate color when the wizard mode is qualified.
The two locks closest to the flippers will light the Trunk MB color when balls one and two are locked.
If both are needed, it will alternate between them.
Got it... and I'm correct about the chain links?
2 weeks later
Quoted from parsonsaj:I just spent some time installing a few mods on my Houdini. I have to give a shout-out to Hdmike444 and his most excellent eye blocker mod! If you have a Houdini and do NOT have this simple mod, you are really missing out. His store ad has some before and after photos of how the eyes look with this mod installed. I can say from experience that those photos do not do it justice! It is great for the eyes to actually look like eyes, and not just random round blobs of color!!!
Sometimes, it is the simplest (and cheapest) mods like this one, or Pinmonk's colored inserts for Imdn or Deadpool, or the pharoah eye blocker for Imdn, that make even more difference than the more elaborate and expensive ones.
I did a DIY eye mod on mine. Definitely ads a nice touch to the look!
1 month later
Quoted from zahner:Thanks to Dave Brennen from API for sending me a thumb drive with the download. Worked great. I didn’t want to have these other solutions not work and me left with a 250 pound brick. Now I can can try to pull the download on to another thumb drive and not worry because I have a backup.
Excellent service as always.
Just as an FYI, I was having similar issues with large file downloads on my Mac... it would download about 250mb and then give me the operation failed notice. Turned out to be my virus protection software. Once I turned that off, download was simple.
5 months later
Quoted from HarryReimer:Pinballstar has them in stock, Joe Newhart is a stand up guy.. Highly Recommended
I second that! I've bought 4 games from him... great distributor and super good dude.
Although, fair warning: He *is* a Yankees fan. 
1 month later
Quoted from rosh:I recommend 25v as well, and I would replace the one for the 12v at the same time, I’ve had that one blow.
Does the 12V section have the same 2200uf caps as well?
Quoted from bobukcat:Dave posted a video on replacing those caps a couple pages ago, I thought I marked it as a key post but if not I will shortly.
Edit: I did make it a key post and here's a link to it: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/american-pinball-houdini-thread/page/264#post-6552604
Yes, thanks. I saw that last night. Super helpful!
Quoted from Markharris2000:I was in the Houdini club in early 2020 and at the time pretty active on this thread, but moved some newer machines in and had to sell it to make room. I never got the stunning machine out of my head, and am now considering grabbing a NIB one again.
Rookie mistake. You're forgiven.
I'm fairly sure some distributors have Houdini instock... but it seems like they pop up on the used market quite often!
Quoted from bobukcat:Clearly I have not had enough coffee yet this morning! Sorry for the slight.
Lol… no need to apologize. I’m no expert mind you. But I have just enough gear to be dangerous!
Are you guys running the woofer off the 2.1 amp in the backbox? Or replacing that with something more powerful?
@JGALTR56, how’s it sound?
Quoted from Jgaltr56:Existing 2.1 amp. Sounds as good as you could expect from a cheap amp. I don't think the soundtrack has much in the way of low frequencies to begin with
I guess I was asking… is it a significant upgrade over the original speaker array?
Quoted from pinballinreno:So it will do either 4 or 8 ohm.
Which is best? 4 ohm is pretty common on pinball machines.
I imagine 4 ohm speaker would draw more current and maybe proper for the factory amp without overheating too much.
8ohm is going to be easier to drive
Quoted from Markharris2000:I was in the Houdini club in early 2020 and at the time pretty active on this thread, but moved some newer machines in and had to sell it to make room. I never got the stunning machine out of my head, and am now considering grabbing a NIB one again. They say it's "pre-order", so not sure if a batch was already received or still to be made, but glad to see NIB machines are still flowing and that Josh is still updating code! I am assuming that the NIB batches contain the new power supply and flipper capacitor upgrade, but do they add the much debated EOS switches too?
I suspect a new Houdini will be landing on my doorstep before too long....
FlipNOut pinball has a NIB Houdini in stock…
Quoted from Markharris2000:Just looked at their site and it says 'pre-order' only now. I sent Zach a note, but he may be out of stock. Worth a try, otherwise I can wait....
He said on his podcast that they had one in stock…
1 week later
Quoted from zahner:Nothing is showing up for sale for me
Also, why would one consider changing from a blue to red solenoid for the flippers? I’m not experiencing any issues presently
I’m wondering the same thing…
Quoted from MightyGrave:I would Like to Change Them to See If there is an improvement. Can you provide us a list which coils are Changed in the Late production Games?. That would bei pretty awesome thx
Go into the coil settings in your game and look.
Quoted from Markharris2000:I am thinking that another run will happen in first half of 2022 since there are a bunch of distributors with 'pre-orders' being taken, but I have been striking out on finding a NIB unit in stock anywhere. Called around and I didn't find anyone with a mchine ready to ship.
Time to find a different christmas present! LOL
FlipNOut had one… what happened?
Quoted from Markharris2000:The graphite bob weight slides on to the swinging wire and is tightened using just the wing-nut. The higher you place it, the more sensitive to tilting. No need to over-tighten it. Some folks leave it off completely (as shipped).
Don't leave it off... that's like leaving training wheels on!
Quoted from Wildbill327:I turned on the stage kick out on my Houdini and it works about 80% of the time and it’s pretty cool IMHO. The ball under the stage just forces the trapped ball back and if it has enough momentum it rolls out of the front stage and down the playfield…if it doesn’t go back in the hole.
Where in the settings menu do you turn it on? When does the kick out feature get used?
2 weeks later
Quoted from Platypus:That looks neatly done, Those 6" holesaws can be unweildly. It doesn't appear that you added a grill or some other sort of protection under the speaker.
My remote passive sub works fine. not super boomy but adds depth to the sound.
The grill is arriving tomorrow
Quoted from pinballinreno:what ohm speaker did you use?
I see that there are 4 ohm and 8 ohm subwoofer speakers offered at pinball pro and fidelity.
GRS 8SW-4 4ohm speaker. Parts Express
Here’s my take: the sound quality on this game is its Achilles heel. The addition of a larger driver in the cabinet is ok, not great, largely because mid-range frequencies are largely missing from the overall presentation.
Adding a woofer isn’t an absolute must, IMO. Yes, it’s better than no LF driver, but it’s not a game changer.
Quoted from NoQuarters:Installing a grill in a pinball machine is a crazy idea. You could start a fire ! Best to grill outside.
Got the grill installed!
2 months later
Quoted from scbill88:I adjusted the scoop to a 3" radius instead of the 2/2.5 that was factory...It is so much smother now and shoots to the left flipper...much better.
Did you reshape it using 3” pvc? Can you detail how you did it?
Quoted from scbill88:I know you need at least 6 balls in for the machine to start up. Can you have extra? Today the scoop kept on clicking as if "searching" for a ball. After a few clicks there was another click from a different location then a short "rolling sound" and then the ball pop out of the scoop. This has actually happened a couple times.
If I add and extra ball or two will it help alleviate the issue, or will I just end up with an extra ball in the trough?
only 6.
Are your balls magnetized? If they are, they might be getting caught up in the trough causing your game to search for a missing ball..
Quoted from scbill88:Just an update because it just happened and i got a Tilt warning jiggling the machine to clear it. When it falls in the magic shop hole (not sure of its official name),
it gets kicked to the scoop to come back up to the play field. That coil is actuating but it must not be hitting the ball. It's all happening under the play field so I'm not 100% sure whats going on, but after some aggressive jiggling I can here it hit the ball and a second later the scoop pops it up. Another option is that it is constantly hitting the ball but the ball is just falling back down. Not sure what the mechanism is here.
I bet you have magnetized balls…
2 weeks later
Quoted from Andyzola87:Was looking through the image gallery and don’t see that many people have changed out the T-molding on the back box for any other color. I saw a few with pure gold trim but found this one on pinballlife.com’s website last week and ordered it to see how it looks. I felt like the back box was too dark with all black, so I think this helps. What do you guys think?
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Looks great!
1 week later
Quoted from bobukcat:Rumor is that after the upcoming last run of Houdinis in it's current form even the deluxe models will be changed dramatically including black powder coating, removal or modification of the molded plastics and all games will be in the same kind of cabinet designs. That may mean that OKT and Hot Wheels will be in the same style as Houdini or Houdini won't have the same style it always has had. I'm very disappointed that they are going away from color specific powder coated trim for the deluxe models, that seems like a real negative if true.
Makes sense from a cost perspective
1 week later
2 months later
I’m
Quoted from fixintoplay:Thanks for the referral. I'm on the fence used vs NIB. Warranty is nice -- I'm impressed with AP customer service comments. But I'm concerned NIB may not have all the design updates/improvements posters talk about here: I'm having difficulty keeping track of them all. Then there's the question of what a used one will need. I get the sense from this thread that Houdini has a bit more issues than average, both new and used?
Any upgrades you’d need to make (in the off chance your used game needs it) are simple to implement. I wouldn’t sweat it
1 week later
Quoted from MT45:You know, when I got the game (spring 2018) I struggled with it. Liked the game for sure but found it a challenge
I spent more time with it and along with playing other challenging games (JP), the shots finally got easier
Joe Balcer gold
It’s also a game where setup is crucial to the experience… shot makability is dependent on it.
There’s a Houdini near me on location. Playing it isn’t a great experience…. Night and day from the one I’ve spent time tuning at home!
4 weeks later
Quoted from PinJim:Man, my game had air balls like mad. I toned down the flipper strength a bit last night and it helped. Going to keep playing with it, but so far, seems to be better anyhow.
I’m enjoying my game, just wondering if or when I’ll get better at the tight shots. And forget the milk can shot…..
You need to flop your flippers and the shots, especially milk can, really open up.
Here’s what mine look like (note right flipper is lowered a tad more than the left)
41C65F2F-E263-44AD-924D-9C290A57C87D (resized).jpeg
Quoted from pinballinreno:Yes, lowering the flipper angle 1/8" or 2mm will make the milk can shot repeatable and open up the game.
I recommended this early on.
I am interested in the aluminum bats.
Im hoping to hear that making the ramp repeatably will happen with these new metal bats.
This would be a true game changer.
If this is the case, in spit of my reservations, Im in.
Didn’t notice my typo… I meant “flop your flippers”
6 months later
Need some tech help.
Left flipper, left sling, lower catapult have all stopped working. Fuses on the board that the flippers connect to are all good to go. Where else should I be looking?
Quoted from bobukcat:Do any of the rest of the "brown" solenoids work? If yes then you probably have a broken power wire that daisy-chains between the ones that aren't working, if no it's almost certainly a blown fuse on the PD-16 board or a that board is not getting power to it, etc. [quoted image]
Found it… disconnected connector.
1 month later
Quoted from big-c66:I’ve been thinking about getting a Houdini. I’ve gotten to play 2 times on one month’s back and liked it. Is it a deep or say a good rule set that you don’t get tired of and a lot of different modes to go through. I have right now GHOSTBUSTERS MUNSTERS PREMIUM TMNT. GUARDIANS. I was thinking it would be a good one in my line up what’s yall thoughts.
Go with your gut - IMO, once you get it set up correctly, this game is incredibly fun. Probably the the most underrated game in the last 10 years… but, it’s great!
Quoted from Ceemunkey:I've owned a few games that genuinely surprised me at how great they are (usually a surprise because it's a non-Stern that isn't hyped up to ridiculous levels). Houdini is definitely one of them. It's a great game to have in a line up - it's refreshingly different, has some lovely shots and the catapult never gets old. The toys and sculpts put most pins to shame, and the code gives you tonnes of stuff to do, there's magic trick modes, film modes, Jail hurry ups, 3 or 4 multiballs and a number of wizard modes. One thing I would also say for sure - please don't pay attention to people saying the game's shots are too tight, because pretty much everything on this game is perfectly makeable. Except the milk can mini loop - holy hell that shot is IMPOSSIBLE!
The only thing it desperately needs is a subwoofer - I thought the sound quality was pretty bad without one (and there isn't one installed from factory). The music/sounds themselves are great and a sub really brings it out.
Agree on sound quality… I cut a driver into my cabinet. Works great
Quoted from PinJim:I’m going to ask what I think is an obvious question. Should the spot lamps partially glow at times?
My trunk spot lamp wasn’t working, so I switched it out. But I noticed that in test mode, a few of the LEDs on the spot lamp were illuminated when I wasn’t activating the lamp. It does fully illuminate in test mode when activated.
Then I noticed that the other spots seem to have a similar behavior while in game (when they aren’t being fully illuminated). So I assume that’s normal?[quoted image]
I don’t think so… are spotlight lamps 12v?
2 weeks later
Quoted from pinballinreno:My game is sold!
What an amazing game, what an amazing team that produced it!
I had the time of my life sorting my game out.
The endless support from API has made the game world class.
Im sure I will miss it.
Just doesn’t seem right not having you as an owner.
That’s it. I’m quitting pinball!
3 weeks later
Quoted from Sirgubster9:Got all green lights in test menu now thank you. Hey should there always be a ball in this little lock spot? I used to always have one there and now I updated my game and it went away.
[quoted image]
No, a ball doesn't always need to be there.
Quoted from usafstars:HI All, just joined the club this weekend. The game is amazing and underrated, couldn't stop playing it...btw, wife is really digging it too.
Question for the club, is the shaker worth it and during game play when is it incorporated?
Thanks
Yes, shaker is worth it. Great integration
Quoted from HarryReimer:The part wasnt available online and no one responds to me at [email protected]
Seems like quite a few people are complaining American's communication these days. Definitely not a good sign... they used to be prompt and super helpful.
Quoted from bobukcat:I'd expect Hot Wheels to stop relatively soon just because it's an actual license they'd have to renew, the other games don't have that issue and they presumably could keep building them as long as there's demand. Two games a year is a pipe-dream for A.P. at this point though.
David Fix recently said they renewed the HW license.
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