Got this pin on order. Who has mirror blades installed instead of sideart ? Would like to see it.

I'm in the camp of LE buyers that was very happy to learn of the production side art switch after the flyers had been printed, though I must admit that the Premium now seems somewhat unbalanced art wise. I think the best choice for the LE head art would have been a picture of the Dynamic Duo on one side and the Terrfic Trio on the other.

Two of the three major women in my life are librarians, so I wanted it both ways. If I was getting the LE I wanted the "mistake" version of the LE; if I was going to wait for the code and buy a Premium later I wanted the Premium depicted on the flyer.

That said, I think your comment on "a little too much Batgirl" is really "not enough Batgirl in the game in relation to the art". The most glaring omission in game play (so far) is the relative lack of Batgirl in game play. Keeping true to the series would mean that Batgirl would only appear when playing Season 3 (can overlook the appearance in Villian Escape) but right now only the minor villians are tied to seasons.

I see three obvious ways to fix that:

1) if you started a major villian for a second time or after completing a season 3 minor villian already completing villian you would get a season 3 episode with the major villian with Batgirl transformation / Batgirl Cycle exit sequence replacing the Batphone/Batcave exit orange shots when starting a villian.

2) Batgirl is prominent in the remaining Season 3 minor villian modes.

3) There is a special Batgirl mode unrelated to a specific villian (like Bat Turn mode).

Batgirl was primary reason for Season 3, so, as great as the game is turning out, it will be notably incomplete without some significant appearance of Batgirl during game play other than the cameo in VE and make the prominence of her in the artwork somewhat head scratching.

I will contact Marco...see if they have any restock pending.
The BG in that alt translite....I dunno...she just looks kinda skanky.
I need some real Yvonne Craig to satisfy my BG fix....

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100% agree! The last minute change by Stern IMO really leaves the PRE and LE machines unbalanced. Especially on the Pre. There's just WAY too much Batman and Robin all over. And I think those custom translites on eBay would look atrocious on a BM66.

I've had a LE translite on order with Marco for almost 2 months. I really don't see them getting these in stock. Every LE has been sold. I don't see Stern shipping these to Marco to sell on the secondary market. Stern is very protective on replacing LE parts and they are next to impossible to get unless you have a damaged part on your LE/SLE and can prove ownership.

I agree with this, but recommend deleting "would" and "on a BM66".

Sorry don’t have any closeups at the moment. I’ve had both. Mirrors strongly preferred as there is just so much side wall.

Installed 0.87 on loc game. 30-40 games and not one hiccup.

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The hate goes back to some early drama with the game, some totally unrelated to game play. (1) The additional price of BM66 as a boutique game and no pro version angered a lot of people on Pinside, who felt priced out of buying one, which also resulted in at least 3 early BM66 hate threads, maybe as many as 5. I can't remember exactly, but there were and probably still are some bitter people out there, including the typical Stern haters. (2) Additionally, Stern in an effort to make the game an anniversary game moved it in front of Aerosmith and released it far too early, probably a year too early in retrospect. There wasn't time to refine the engineering (left ramp, Batmobile attachment, etc). Gomez also promised updates every couple of weeks which worked at the beginning and end, but then Stern went dark on game code this past Summer to Expo. This resulted in not one, but two botched Expos for the game due to incomplete code, and quite frankly the giant code silence over the Summer and second Expo debacle scared the crap out of some of us who owned the game. (3) There are play aspects of the game that some people just don't like. Some early complaints were the open playfield, long shots, ringing bat phone, and slow spinning rotisserie. Personally, those don't bother me, but I will agree that the left orbit is tight and results in lots of rejects. I equate that, kind of, to the Gem shot on Tron. I love both games, so it's just extra challenge IMHO.

However, after last Expo, the code updates started to pour in, and over the past 6 weeks the game has blown the roof off in fun and code depth. If Lyman adds Batgirl as a mode and Villain Taunting on the playfield TV, or something along those lines in future updates, BM66 will bump Lyman's TWD code transformation out of the number 1 spot. It's close already and probably already there in some owners' minds. The theme is nostalgic, the LE truly is limited, and the license agreement seems to have included everything: 120 episodes of video clips, sounds, music, call outs, and even personalized call outs by Adam West and Burt Ward.

Oh, and it's a great game to mod and add toys too. There are so many ways to pretty up the game, plus lots of great owners in this thread who have released their own mods and shared ideas with the whole owners club. I've bought cool mod stuff from at least three other owners in this thread and I'm not finished yet.

The only people STILL hating on this game are the ones who haven't played it in the last 3 months or so.

Thanks! Looking good with mirror blades

For me, this is one game that I feel Stern actually nailed the siderail art decals. Not so for Star Wars.... For I believe $90? I believe their decal package should be considered. They carried the art very well and again probably wrong but I believe the playfield artist also had a hand in designing these side decals. I like that OEMs like Stern and API are stepping up with higher quality upgrade details. This game in my opinion really benefits from art or even from mirror blades to incapsulate the beautiful art of this playfield.

Anybody had the machine reboot on bookworm? I was 700M+ into the game and almost done and it was in this mode, machine froze and then rebooted. We need a better trap rather than REBOOT! Could you at least have it go to game save if the code freaks out instead of reboot? UGHHHHH! And I was going to compliment how much better the entire game play is now on .85.......

Latest code is .87 is that what you meant or are you actually on .85 still?

I think there was another report of a reboot during Bookworm mode. It would be nice to have it not reboot the system, but that might be the only option depending on the fault cause.

Possible this is the known issue with spike machine power supplies and not software. If the spike power supply voltage drops a little too low (usually in a multiball or some other high-load situation), it has been known to reboot spontaneously. Check your voltage output and crank the pot in the power supply to give yourself a smidge more cushion (you usually have 10% tolerance to work with) to prevent this.

Ok I re downloaded .87 code on my wife’s Mac and the new code installed no problem.

I received my cliffy shooter lane protectors last week, I am getting ready to install. The protectors have 2 sided tape on them, I thing I’m gunna lay a coat of wax down before I install them Incase I ever need to take them off.

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According to a couple of podcasters, it’s now pronounced “Bat-suey”

Like Chop Suey. But with Batman.

rd

Lol...oh no!

Not so sure that explains it. I played the same way for many games on the last two updates and zero reboots but now .87 has failed 3 times for me.

More stuff happening with the new software, so maybe slightly increased load at specific times. If your power supply is on the edge, it doesn't take much to trip the watchdog and that node watchdog circuit is (too) sensitive.

I think people can hate how stern approached this game (2X price for bobbles and bolt ons on a reskinned pin, code blackout early on etc) but love the game.

I'm certainly no fan of sterns approach on this pin but I grabbed a mint HUO for hundreds under NIB and love the game immensely.

You're going to hurt yourself if you keep trying to pat yourself on the back about your purchase.

Many disagreed with the Boutique model with the SLE, etc. but the "2x" is misleading, there was never a code "blackout" and only haters and those not paying attention would call Batman 66 a reskinned game.

Clearly bare bones initial code and the long delay before the recent updates had an impact on sales as those that might have been interested in the game waited out the code.

Stretch out before you engage in such mental contortions next time, you're likely to pull something...Only fanboys can pull off such incredible stunts!

All kidding aside, I think we just see it differently and thats totally fine. I'm glad I waited and had no skin in the game but totally understand why those who dove in heads first have a different view.

OK silly question...
I'm thinking of purchasing a NIB Premium. Having never bought NIB before, would I need to get it through my local distributor, like in the old days, or am I free to get it anywhere I like?

If you buy from any authorized Stern distributor, you'll be fine. But unless you have a good reason not to, I'd go with my local distributor.

Get it wherever you want.

Heck no! I Love my local distributor #GAP as a great business and friend but I do not normally purchase from him. Buying from an out of town distributor will Skip the state taxes etc which add up to Several hundred dollars. Shipping cost from your local is the Same as someone from say Chicago so you don't win there either. Buy out of state unless you Must have it today and they stock it. With that said, I Know Mike at #GAP (Great American Pinball) has them in stock and while he does not have huge flexibility on used games his NIB prices are Kick ass! Consider giving him a call, Super great guy and straight shooter. Best of luck!!

I love this game, but I honestly fall somewhere in between you and pinfactory2000 on how B66 was released. I was an early adopter like most of us and felt pretty annoyed by Stern locking in deposits prior to revealing the game, then not allowing gameplay at reveal, which turned out to be because it didn't have any code and would continue to lack anything but basic code for about a year. This coupled with the complete lack of communication from Stern really felt like we were left out to dry. I know many in this group kept the faith, but I wasn't one of them and the whole thing left me pretty bummed about my NIB purchase. Now, much later, Lyman has done wonders, the game shines and it's not even done. But, for me, all is not forgiven and I've filed this experience away when considering NIB Stern purchases in the future.

Can't wait for mine to arrive! Shipping alone takes 3 weeks to Europe for the next run.

I’m not sure the last version of code I played. It was back in December. Game is cool. But really, besides the main objectives of the game (jailing villains) and the handful of mini villain modes, what’s the big deal? The LCD integration and Adam West/Burt Ward callouts?

From a rules perspective, why is this game better than LOTR, or SM for example?

You make a great point. I skimmed over the "early blind deposit" brouhaha, probably because that was during a period I was away from Pinside. I was paying attention again around the Expo reveal, but didn't have a deposit down on an LE (by then I had missed out).

I was resigned to getting a NIB Premium down the line after seeing what happened with the code and I was fine with that. But when I had an opportunity to get an "extra" LE Stern shipped my distributor, I didn't hesitate because I knew if I didn't say yes, someone else was ready to. If I had put down a deposit in August I would have still gotten the LE, but would have been far more annoyed. When I bought my game I had the benefit of knowing what had happened with Batman from August - January which is hindsight most SLE/LE buyers didn't have.

As far as future NIB Sterns, I've been clear in a number of threads that two things must happen before I will consider buying another new Stern - (1) Lyman must be allowed to finish BM66 as he sees fit and (2) release code has to be far better than what it was on Batman. Before Batman, I was almost certainly an Elvira LE buyer. Now I'll wait until those two conditions are met. If that means I don't get an LE, it may mean I just skip Elvira. And if I do that, my next NIB is more likely to be a JJP game.

Well, the LCD integration and callouts certainly elevate the game and with the ability to use any audio/video from the series it may end up being the best theme integration of all time, but what makes the game "better" is that the game play puts you in actual episodes of the series as you work toward capturing the villians.

Villian is sighted/qualified, Commissioner calls Batman, Bruce and Dick head to the Batcave, Batmobile exits the Batcave, the Dynamic Duo engage the villian, figure things out, get trapped, there's a cliffhanger and escape and multiple escalations until the villian is captured. Which parts and how much depend on your skill as a player. Yes, there is a "formula" for progressing through each villian but even when it's the same, the video makes it different.

Add in unique modes like "Bat Turn", incredible stacking options with the unique channel changing concept where you decide what you see while your playing and the variety of the minor villian modes make this a far more engaging game than SM. Not sure it's fair to compare it to LOTR because, though it's a great game, LOTR can't compete for the total experience.

But if you don't really like (or know) the theme, Batman may not be better to play than either of the games you mention.

I got to a mode tonight where there were fireworks or something similar on the screen.

What mode is that?

I think that's the one where they are fighting in the dark. It has been confusing from day one.

My memory is fuzzy and I didn't keep the Many graphs made back then but I believe it wasn't until late December that New code (of any value) started rolling out? Very true, if your only experience on BM66 was Pre-December code it was rather bland at best. Now however it has and Is shaping up to be a masterpiece of sorts and rather quickly I might add. Maybe like a good wine this one just needed more time for Lyman to decant? Or maybe the constant graphs and public outcry did it? lol None the less, while All pinball is personal taste I strongly suggest giving the newest code a try before passing judgement. Lucky for me I was a Late LE adopter so it felt painless but for others........not so.

There's a lot of risk reward, insane stacking of up to 5 separate modes/multiballs/sub-modes, made manageable with channel changing, currently 4 villains and 6 (?) minor villains with more to come, bat-turn mode, currently 3 multiballs, plenty of multiplier possibilities. Code is not only deep, but very clever.

LOTR is deep, but strategy wise I cant really comment. Doesn't seem nearly as clever as B66, even at this stage.

B66 really benefits from knowing what you are doing.

Anyone have a link to a good video with the latest code? No good ones on YouTube

I put this up last night...and I tilted on ball 3...ugh.

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Mic drop!

How are you guys getting these scores. I dont consider my self a bad player and im on stock settings but my personal high is 450million

The key is to play through the whole main villain modes. Last night, I put up around 900 million on Riddler and 850 million on penguin. Go for as many multi-balls as you can get. I put up 133 million on Shame. On ball 2, I had a 539 million bonus...don't ask me how I got it.

On villain escape and batusi multi-balls, I just killed it as well.

I can't believe I tilted on ball 3...I would've loved to have known what my bonus would've been.

I don't know exactly but ive see. People put up bilions on just penguin. Also when you start a villian and shoot the penguin scoop then make the orbit to the mystery hole is it confirmed on all villians that it makes that mode 2x?

Yes to the 2x.

Also try to time the playfiled multiplier with a multi-ball.

If you can, get Mr. Freeze completed. He freezes all the timers.

Do you know if there's a setting to reduce the number of shots required to defeat a minor villain? I thought I saw something while scanning through the settings recently.

More importantly, it makes the next phases of the mode worth +1x as well. So instead of penguin being worth 1x, 2x, 3x ,it's worth 2x, 3x, 4x. When you layer shot multipliers and/or playfield multipliers on top of that, it's a big deal.

I've started just finishing any major villain as fast as I can if I didn't get the 'to the Bat Poles' combo. It's almost not worth it from a points perspective.

A well-played Penguin is worth more than playing each first scene of each character and getting the SJP on Villain Escape mode.

Are you waiting long enough? Sometimes it does sit before starting the update.

There's a note about this update not unpacking on Win7 machines properly with the built in windows zip extractor. Unpack with free 7-zip program instead and try again.

Or download on a Mac, I had the same issue and downloaded the code on my wife’s Mac and it worked fine.

From a previous post...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/batman-66-official-club-thread/page/170#post-4210943