I installed your video mod three years ago. It's still going strong! I think it's one of the best pinball mods ever made. Now that three years have elapsed, I've been wondering whether or not there is a way to improve it's responsiveness. What I mean is, have it so when the game goes into attract mode or mega-menu or whatever, the mod instantly detects it and plays the corresponding video (as opposed to a taking a few seconds). I have a lot of experience with RPi, but haven't looked into whether or not it's feasible to fiddle around with the mod. Any thoughts on that?

Got any LEDs installed? Initial thought is ghosting.

Strictly my opinion, but in this game I think multiball is pretty well done. The first thing I like about it is that the frequency is about right. You have to earn it (spell FILM, then make a shot to start the feature). I'm not a fan of pins where multiball is too easy to start and happens too frequently. The second thing I like is that it's not a flail-fest. There are only two balls. That gives you some semblance of control on a playfield layout that is fairly tight... and you need that control because you can't afford to lose a ball... and if you do, it's not super difficult to restart.

I installed MikeD's mod after going through two holograms (the original one turned blue, and the IPB repro one eventually delaminated and got blurry). For what it's worth, MikeD's mod allows you to choose "Standard Mode" where videos appear for various events in the game (Multiball, Move Your Car, Mega-Menu, etc) or "Hologram Emulation" which behaves like the original hologram. His video of the swamp creature looks so much like the original hologram, I find it hard to tell the difference. The main difference is that it looks great, bright and green like it should be!

First and foremost, as others have said, level the bowl (with respect to gravity). Then there's the switch. Ah yes, the switch. I fiddled around with a reed switch for a while and never got it to work. I believe you need more than just a cheap reed switch. Specifically, I think you need an assembly that consists of a reed switch with magnets. Williams used something like this in CV, NGG, CC, and other games. That assembly (20-10293) is unobtanium. Meanwhile, I put in a switch with a flat actuator. It works great. I generally get 6 switch triggers and a total of 9 revolutions before the ball drops.

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Interesting coincidence... I replaced the left diverter habitrail micro switch in my Shadow with one that has a long, flat actuator, just like I did in the Creature bowl

It's a sealed assembly that contains a reed switch and a magnet. Essentially a "metal sensor".

https://www.marcospecialties.com//images/products/20-10293/large.jpg

I always wondered if there's a vulnerability in MikeD's mod where you can corrupt the SD card simply by powering down the game at the wrong time. So far it hasn't happened in my game (after 3 years).

Nicely done. Looks a thousand times better!

Swapping out the Pi sounds like a good next step. It almost sounds like the SD slot is flakey, or something else on the Pi is marginal.

I like Pinball Life’s 4-SMD LEDs for the CREATURE letters. I tried incandescants and various other LEDs and they weren’t bright enough to make the letters stand out.

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The quality here is a little rough (iPad motion stills converted to an animated GIF) but gives an idea of the relative brightness...

Motion-Still-2018-10-07 (resized).png

This iPad photo is overexposed, but you get the idea...

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Yes, except the capital C takes two. I just remembered something though... I don't think they're anti-ghosting LEDs. So if you just plop these LEDs in without doing something to eliminate ghosting (LED OCD board or a patched ROM), there's a chance you'll see ghosting.