What sucks you have to drill out the rivets that hold it in place. I then screwed the new batmobile into mine. I just drilled two pilot holes into the bottom of the new batmobile.

Received my topper today!! Thanks so much Allen!

What insert did you end up triggering off of?

I decided to use the left rear GI for the Alfred plastic. Just wanted to show the family it working in attract mode. Not sure what I am going to do yet.

Looking for a Batman SLE, local is preferred
I am worried about shipping such a beautiful piece so local helps! Chicago area, If you have one and maybe considering selling it or maybe even trading it for a few pins or downgrading to the premium Batman 66 plus cash let me know! I am a serious buyer located in Chicago! No worries

TonyScoots why? you already have a beautiful game.

Thank you

I love this game and it’s really is my grail pin! I want it bolted to the floor! It’s the most beautiful pin made

Joined the club this week.
A beautiful LE with 126 lifetime plays!

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Absolutely beautiful, Welcome to the club, Love the LE

In another forum there has been discussion on Bat66 being a “clunkfest”, which is not true, as older and newer versions play differently. Here is one person’s experience:

“Newer Bat66 models are definitely not a “clunk-fest”. Proof, owning both the first Bat66 2016 production model and the Catwoman mid 2019 model. They play differently. Yes all machines play differently, but comparing the 2, there are slight adjustments made on the layout that make the newer model much smoother in game play. For example, better placement on left orbit of wire coming off the CAT LEDs, to allow the ball smooth sailing past that point. Old left ramp has no wire attachment holes, new ramp has holes in the ramp left side midway up to maintain wire from making the ball clunky as it goes up left orbit. Newly engineered Joker targets that do not bend and bind up together on the V shape points as the old ones do. Stern completely re-engineered those targets. Newly engineered magnet in front of those target that maintains better action, with less visible markings like the first design are just a few of the examples. Better more rigid left ramp wire form engineering with no flex movement, as the old one does. Ball smoothly snaps back to left flipper at higher velocity, simulating better the Batmobile leaving the Batcave with jet engine firing like on the show. An older machine could be easily outfitted with these adjustments and others made to make Bat66 a smooth shooting “no clunk” playing machine, like the newer models.

New high quality more solid plywood cabinets on 2019 models, not the light MDF particle board like the old ones. Solid plywood makes a difference in overall gameplay and feel. Stern changed all their cabinetry from Munsters (2019) onwards to much higher quality. You can feel the difference in game play between the two, from the old almost “tinny” sounding and feel the old one has. Remember Stern made Bat66 for many years and heard lots of complaints on clunky-ness, so why wouldn’t they make these un-announced changes on all the newer models they were making just to stop the support problems? Car manufacturers do revisions all the time on the newer models, to lessen consumer blowback. I’ve studied these both side by side pretty closely. 2016 model and 2019 models, are quite different if you look closely.”

All you that have the newer models, since 2019, consider hanging onto them, as they are superior to the old ones play wise and quality. Topper on SLE and LEs are the only feature that’d be nice to have. Other than that, stay with what you have as a much improved offering of the fab Batman 66 machine.

I have old code 1.05

It doesn’t have IC code but my pin came with the hardware for IC, is there any reason to or not to update?

I would got with version 1.06. thats the last Lyman update and it doesn't have insider connect stuff. The scoreboard only shows the player that are actually playing. Version 1.08 show all 4 player regardless if they are playing or not. 1.06 and 1.08 have the same rule sets, but version 1.08 has updated insider connect.
If you are going to hook up the insider connect stuff, then go with the latests version. 1.08

Do you have a copy of 1.06 ?

Would like a copy of 1.06 also if anyone has it.

Same

Wait Batman 66 code is now at 1.08?

Yup

Sorry everyone....i made a mistake. I was wrong. version 1.05 is the one you want if you dont want IC

Im still at 1.05 cuz I don't want IC on my pins. Plus the score layout for a 1 player game on the LCD is just dumb.

I was wrong 1.05 is the one you want

Again, my apologies for any confusion. Code version 1.05 is the version I'm using that doesnt have Insider Connect. I believe this was the last update Lyman did before he passed. If I understand correctly, not much has changed in the way of rules and game play since then. Changes have mostly been for Insider Connect. Here are screen shots of what I'm using.

V1.05.0 - Nov. 7, 2019
======================

- Joker #2 switch will no longer complain in the tech alert, as some games
were made without this switch.
- Fixed the size of the "HOW TO PLAY PINBALL" video clips in attract mode
so they fit properly inside the TV.
- Reversed the top lane lamps for skill shot so they now follow the flow
of the ball.
- Added compensation for game features when the shooter lane switch is
not working. Inhibit right loop and left loop switches from being scored
when the shooter lane switch is bad (the skill shot switch is used for
backup).
- Added SLE speech.
- Added support for the coin door interlock switch.

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What you’re saying is that I’ve got to stop lusting after the SLE in the marketplace as my December build Insider Connected Premium is vastly superior. I’d have to be nuts to fork over an additional $20K for a couple of cabinet decals, a topper, and a downgraded play experience. So why can’t I stop looking?!

Great write up! Very informative. Thanks!

Congrats such an amazing game, had my LE since new and is still may fav game. Plays smooth without any issues.

Bicyclenut gave me the 1.05 spk file(thank you). That’s for the update vs the full sd card image. I am running 1.08 and I know you can’t downgrade in code. Does anyone no a way I can use the spk file or do I need the whole sd card image? Hope this makes sense.

If I am out of luck no huge deal.

It’s being reported by someone that there is a rumor about 2 different versions of Batman existing. Well it’s not a rumor, I’m actually that guy reporting it and it’s fact. Love Bat66 which was the very first game that got me into pinball to begin with. The day my Batman 66 arrived, I recall going to a local restaurant, seeing a pinball repairman working on some pins there. I walked over to him and said I was the proud new owner of Batman66 and asked him what he thought about the machine. He replied, “you mean you purchased that piece of s… box of lights”? Being a newbie I was devastated and didn’t realize there was not much code in the machine at the time, until meeting him. He blasted my new treasure into a million pieces. Upon going back to our restaurant table my whole family turned and asked what the pinball expert thought of my new purchase? With sad face I repeated that he said it is a piece of unspeakable SH.. (manure), lol.

To my surprise I came upon a local arcade later that week to find they had purchased a Bat66 SLE and I was in love with my purchase all over again. Wished I could have acquired one of the 80 SLEs Stern made. I’ve been able compare the SLE with my 2016 premium many times. They are pretty much the same, other than stickers and topper. Both play somewhat clunky, tinny sounding and feel lightweight in comparison to my 2019 Catwoman version.

Having both iterations of Bat66 at home, I realize 2016 model plays quite differently to the newer version made in 2019. Beginning with the Catwoman model, all Bat66 versions from that point onward play without the “clunkiness” of the 2016 to 2018 versions. I’ve studied them both well and see there are subtle differences on the PF. Even on the underside of the PF there are differences in tooling there too.

The good news is, an older model can be retro fitted like the new versions, except the cabinet. Although that could be replaced as well, if you wished to go that far and had access to the stickers or pulled off the outside cabinet art or just left it on the wood and put solid plywood in the bottom and back of the machine that are not finished anyway, along with metal bracing. Would make a quite a difference in the overall play and feel of the game.

Stern’s turning point began in 2019 with the Munsters, which upped their games in a major way as far as material quality goes in many areas of their builds. The old black sprayed thin MDF press board cabinets were all upgraded to solid beautiful thick plywood. Stern did not mention this to anyone, but any observant person could see this upon close inspection. Compare the cabinet of any Stern pre 2019 and you’ll see the difference I’m talking about.

Having spent my career involved with manufacturing on a world scale, I sent a letter to Gary congratulating him on the new improvements. He shared my letter with all his factory people, as a proud turning point moment for Stern manufacturing. These improvements were not only in the joinery, but the corners had metal bracing too! As I stated, my 2016 Bat66 cabinet was light, tinny sounding and feels like you could easily toss it around. Whereas my 2019 new cabinet joinery is much heavier, tight and has a solid feeling with tinniness gone. Cabinetry does make a huge difference in overall game play and feel. Combine that with better mechanics in quite a few areas as I mentioned in a post above and the clunkiness from the cabinet is now gone from all Stern Bat66 machines built from 2019 onward. Thought this is a bit of interesting Stern Bat66 history to share with everyone. What an awesome game Batman 66 is, no matter which version you may own!

So Mid 2019 and up and the new ones ?

I have a 2018 build date and happy with it. What adjustments can be made on the playfield, if any? Can’t mess with the cabinet. Doesn’t feel much lighter than my GZ.

Yes any Batman 66 from 2019 plays superior to the 2016 - 2018 models. I’ve extensively played my 2016 premium, 2016 arcade SLE and my 2019 Batman 66. 2019 to present date play circles around the early models. Much improved like car manufacturer's do on newer year model versions of the same car model. Making unannounced mid model tweaks and changes happens all the time with all industries. Another example is Sony PS5, unannounced mid model changes under the hood galore. Nintendo switch mid model changes under the hood and on the outside has had unannounced mid cycle changes too. This is not a hypothesis about Batman66, Stern made lots of tweaks and changes on the game mechanics for much better performance than prior versions played. We’d all hope they continue to improve future models of any game as feedback comes into the company. Why would any company continue to put out a product that many felt played clunky?

Could you share some photos of the subtle differences you speak of?

I have a last run of BM66 and have an issue. When I press the left flipper button to allow the plunge to continue all the way around to the left flipper, the ball instead hits the left sling. I saw a video about Elvira with this issue and was solved by moving the ball guide inward a bit there is a screw to loosen and room to make this adjustment with the screw bracket.

I looked at my BM66 and can not move the ball guide inwards without drilling the PF.

Does anyone have a suggestion that I could try to make the orbit land on the flipper instead of the slingshot?

This is mine from October 2018. Is this the cheap feeling plywood your talking about?

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Yes, that’s it. That bottom piece in your photo is not plywood, its cheap MDF or press board. That’s why they painted it black to hide the inferior product. Contrast that with the 2019 Batman 66 cabinet build, which has no black paint, because they proudly want us to see its first class solid real plywood! The feel and game play is different on all Stern machines going forward from 2019. Tinny sounding lightweight flexible press board is now a thing of the past, unless you buy pre 2019. big turning point for Stern quality and Gary knew it. Plus all those black painted cabinets are loaded with smelly VOC’s the 2019 machines are free from. You can smell the difference opening a pre 2019 and a post 2019 by taking a big whiff, lol.
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Look underneath a pre 2019 and see the big difference from this underside.

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Will you post a photo of the underside of the PF of your 2018 Bat66 machine? Here is the underside my 2019 Bat66 for comparison.

Gary mentioned on more than one occasion that Batman 66 was a very expensive BOM and difficult to build. Can easily see why with a study of that major turntable mech. Batman is so underrated with all the tech wonder on that turning mech marvel on its own. So much there!

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Did the signed West card only come on the LEs? I’ve seen some Premiums with West signed cards and some without.

Some premiums had the signed Adam west card and some of the Catwomen had signed Julie Newmar
From what I know

Yes. I heard they had about 500 Adam West signed cards in total. So 80 went for SLE'S, and 240 for LE's. That left about 180 to be randomly distributed to premiums.

I heard all of the Catwoman edition games came with a signed Julie Newmar card. Has anyone seen a Catwoman edition that didn't include a signed card?

Compare for example, prior 2019 joker targets with these newly engineered 2019 targets. If I were to take the top off, you could see the changes a great deal better, but don’t want to tear it open, lol.

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oh ok, I didnt think all them had signed JN cards, but youre probably right. Didnt some of the last B66 have signed JN cards at the end of the run?

Here’s my signed Julie Newmar Catwoman card.

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heres a fun thread on the cards:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/post-your-batman-66-trading-cards#post-5045532

Here is my card.

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Another fun list is the thread with pics of some of the 120 Bat-Gadget LE machine plaques.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/batman-66-le-episode-and-gadget-list

Franchi created art representing 120 unique bat gadgets from the show to be used on 120 of the 240 LE machines. There were also 120 episode themed plaques for the rest of the LE's, but the art on those wasn't Franchi and not as inspired. I wonder who has the "Instant Bat Ray Alphabet Soup Dryer"?

I've bugged Franchi multiple times about making a poster print showcasing all 120 gadgets so everyone could appreciate all the cool gadgets he drew.

The closest he came was making a set of art blades that had many (but not all) of the gadgets. I think he only made 4 or 5 sets of these.

Maybe if more of us bug him about it, he'll finally release something that shows all 120 gadgets (and their wacky names too) in their full glory. I think if he sold a limited set of signed bat gadet prints at TPF, they'd sell very well.

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love it! thanks for sharing

Found these in the archives. I don’t see the differences yet

Like I said, we’d have to pull the tops to see the differences. Your topper sure does look awesome! Wish Stern would at least do another run of the villain topper.

I wonder if we could get Franchi to print some of those Bat Gadget side art blades?

Don’t forget that playfields were having issues in 2019, many Catwoman editions had clear buildup and chipping. Early JP games had this issue as well, and Stern modified the art around the slingshot posts to address this. I didn’t see much difference between my first pre 2019 BM and then the late run BM before Catwoman other than reinforced cabinet edges.

Is this something you added, is there a playfield protector!

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Yes, installed a PF protector.