From Stern of the union address:

Elvira – For all Elvira owners, please make sure you have updated your game to the most current code version (v0.95.0) released last month. Be on the lookout for a new code coming very soon.

Peanuts

Will
This be the final code update/ do you know what will be included? Just curious because the more I see out of this machine the more I want to buy it!!

Nobody knows. Based on previous updates, this will be an incremental release - each previous one has been .93, .94, .95, etc. They've been pretty packed with features though

New code .96 and stream by Jack Danger tonight!

V0.96.0 - Jun. 9, 2020
======================

- DIRECTOR'S CUT was not giving out awards on the DROP TARGET. This has
been corrected.
- DIRECTOR'S CUT was always raising the DROP TARGET on every shot.
This has been corrected.
- The gargon scream that was requested (sometimes) for hitting the spinner
during TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE was quieting the speech. The speech is
now allowed to run uninterrupted without being quieted.
- Do not allow speech from video clips to interrupt when Elvira is talking
during a pop-up.
- Removed the long period of silence between speech calls at the start of
MAKE-OUT MAYHEM, SCREAM TEST, and RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.
- Changed the color of the player score to WHITE when the player matches
and the lightning bolt strikes the score.
leaving them that way for the start of the next game).
- Darken GI as progress is made throughout GAPPA ANGRY.
- Added new video clips for DIRECTOR'S CUT awards/levels/total.
- Rework NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD background lamp effect to show advance
shot in a more pronounced way.
- Only add moon for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD background during stage 2
and later (dark scenes).
- Rework TRAILER TRASH background lamp effect to point out shots better.
- Added a sound effect for completing a level of the FREAK FRYER.
- Avoid requesting sounds/speech in video clips during GAPPA ANGRY when
remaining jackpot shots awarded as a result of a sneak-in to the TRUNK
LOCK.
- Added lobster popup to TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE.
- Added earthquake popup to GAPPA ANGRY.
- Rework scoring for some of the HAUNTS: MANOS, NIGHT, TEENAGERS, BRAIN,
MANSTER, WEREWOLF.
- Fixed message on background display effect for final shot during NIGHT
OF THE LIVING DEAD. Since only the final shot was lit, displaying the
value of the next (normal) shot alongside that was confusing.)
- Clean up colors for main UI screen:
- BALL IN PLAY: light gray.
- CREDITS: green when >= to start a game, light gray otherwise.
- SCORES: purple for LE/SLE, red for PREMIUM.
- Added a background to the initials screens for HIGH SCORE TO DATE.
- Added pop-ups to MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE (valley lodge, debbie,
catfight, killing me, etc.)
- Fixed TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE to not award the spinner shot
immediately for the next stage (due to the spinner already spinning)
when the last SHOT for stage 1 (SKELETONS) is the right loop.
- Add shaker motor effect to the saucer drop for TEENAGERS FROM OUTER
SPACE.
- Changed default SHAKER MOTOR from MINIMAL to MODERATE. Changed shaker
motor setting for COMPETITION MODE from MODERATE to MINIMAL.
- Added new video clips (from I EAT YOUR SKIN) for POOL PARTY.
- Clean up adjustment text so it fits on the display.
- Added Katrina (deadhead) to the Deadhead Family Crypt.
- If a HAUNT award is given out on the center (house) ramp, do not give
out awards (DIRECTOR'S CUT start, GAPPA ANGRY start) in the HOUSE LOCK
immediately after finishing a HAUNT.
- Change menu colors in diagnostics: PREMIUM=RED, LE=PURPLE.
- Increased the tempo of the GAPPA ANGRY tune after each ball is locked
and the player advances to the next level.
- Changed CRYPT START lamp effect RGB lights to green instead of white.
- Added a lamp effect for CRYPT FINAL SHOT.
- Added total effects (with speech) for CRYPT PHASE 1, 2, and 3.
- Cleaned up and tightened up the CRYPT intros. Allow the start effect
to terminate early if the intro (name) speech has been requested
successfully and has ended, otherwise play the entire video. Shorten
most intro video (via earlier speech) by 3 frames.
- Added a MANSTER clip to DANCE FEVER.
- Do not request character-specific speech all of the time for the
deadheads; mix it up sometimes with ELVIRA and VAMP speech.
- Added speech to CRYPT intros.
- Fixed a timing issue with requesting sounds/speech for the CRYPT
intros.
- Reworked more crypt speech. Separate into HIS/HER/THEIRS for
MALE/FEMALE/DOUBLE-HEADER.
- Removed the RGB arrows and jackpot lights from the GARGOYLES GONE WILD
start lamp effect, as this can run when the ball is not being held.
- Added the ability to fire the ball out of the CRYPT VUK using the FIRE
BUTTON to defeat the last deadhead during the CRYPT PHASES.
- Added a setting to limit the number of times the ball can be fired at
the 36-24-36 targets using the lockdown button to defeat the deadhead
and complete a CRYPT PHASE (in case the CRYPT VUK is out of alignment).
Once the player attempts too many shots without hitting the flashing
targets, the crypt mode is finished at the CRYPT VUK as before.
- Added taunt speech/animations for the deadheads immediately before the
player is allowed to fire the ball from the CRYPT for the final shot to
defeat the deadhead.
- Added crickets for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD when taking too long.
- Changed the color of the house RGB arrow to WHITE when it is lit for
the final shot so it stands out better.
- Implemented the RAY GUN for most modes.
- The RAY GUN for the SECRET ROOM modes has not been implemented yet.
- Press the LOCKDOWN BUTTON to use the RAY GUN.
The award applies to whatever is being displayed in the main TV.
The award is affected by the following adjustments:
RAY GUN AWARDS CRYPT FINAL SHOT: (DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award the final shot
for the CRYPT modes.
RAY GUN AWARDS HAUNT ADVANCE SHOT: (DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award an ADVANCE shot
for the HAUNTS.
- ex. For TBTWD, when set to YES, the DORIS shot will
be awarded immediately and the HAUNT will advance to
the next stage (death scene). When set to NO, the
NON-DORIS shots will be awarded until only the DORIS
shot is left. The DORIS shot cannot be collected
using the RAY GUN when set to NO.
RAY GUN AWARDS HAUNT FINAL SHOT: (DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award the final shot
for the HAUNTS.
RAY GUN AWARDS TRAILER TRASH FINAL SHOT: (DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award the final shot
for TRAILER TRASH.
RAY GUN AWARDS DIRECTOR'S CUT LEVEL: (DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award levels and
advance to the next level for DIRECTOR'S CUT.
RAY GUN AWARDS SUPER JACKPOT: (DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award levels and
advance to the next level for DIRECTOR'S CUT.
RAY GUN AWARDS GAPPA ANGRY LOCK: DEFAULT: NO)
- Set to YES to allow the RAY GUN to award LOCKS during
GAPPA ANGRY.
- Added new video clips (from LADY FRANKENSTEIN) for POOL PARTY.
- Reworked device errors so they are stored properly in non-volatile
RAM.
- Added haunt-specific video clips for trailer trash. The clips show
the name of the film (HAUNT) on the film reels during TRAILER TRASH that
are associated with the HAUNT that was most recently completed.
- Added flipper button sounds to the ATTRACT MODE.
- Removed the DEADHEAD from the display during BONUS so he won't be flying
around all over the text on the BONUS screen.
- Added Zombie (deadhead) to the Deadhead Family Crypt.
- Blink the CRYPT PHASE light when there is a DEADHEAD active on the
display during CRYPT PHASE.
- Added more speech to THE WEREWOLF OF WASHINGTON HAUNT.
- Added more speech to TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE HAUNT.
- Added more speech to THE BRAIN THAT WOUNDN'T DIE HAUNT.
- Added more speech to THE MANSTER HAUNT.
- Reworked speech for the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD HAUNT. Spaced out
speech calls so they are not on top of one another. Removed redundant,
duplicate calls (molitov, stand next to your fire, etc.) so it is less
awkward-sounding.
- Added speech for THE DEAD RETURN.
- Added ELVIRA POP-UPS to completing the levels during DIRECTOR'S CUT.
- The HAND OF FATE wheel speeds up after all of the awards have been
collected.
- Fixed an issue where multiple awards would be given out for hitting the
right 3-bank targets during SUPER HAND OF FATE.
- The MANOS WHEEL is now displayed on screen when the SUPER HAND OF FATE
start display effect runs.
- Removed the MANOS WHEEL from the display during BONUS.
- Added sound effects and lamp effects for SUPER HAND OF FATE.
- Improved the load time for the TOP LANES display effect (the alligator
biting into the inner tube) so there isn't such a long pause when it is
first displayed.
- Added a lamp effect for SUPER HAND OF FATE start.
- Blink JUNK lights of JUNK that was collected when TRUNK MULTIBALL is
started.
- Blink JUNK light of JUNK that was collected when a ball is locked in the
TRUNK.
- Added a setting (default is ENABLED) that keeps GAPPA ANGRY from starting
during a HAUNT.

HA! This is why people are going to luv this game forever.....code is getting so fun and so deep

Good Lord that’s a huge update. And a new deadhead!

It looks like 2 Deadheads were added. Zombie and Katrina.

This is astounding! This update list is longer than the complete set of code on most games! (Um, Munsters...)

My SD card on Elvira failed a few days ago so I decided to make a video on how to burn (flash) a new SD card. For anyone experiencing this issue, I hope this helps. For the record, I love this game and can’t wait to play the new code released today. Lots of good updates.

Just my luck. We get new code while I have the house diverter disassembled and am having trouble getting it back together. Humpf!

this is interesting - I thought the games where identical...

SCORES: purple for LE/SLE, red for PREMIUM.

I want purple!!!

and huge update sir_tankalot - thanks!

And if that doesn’t work, we will have confirmation that there is a hardware value that can be used to determine model type.

What is this hardware value you speak of?

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I have been trying to put up videos as often as I can and I am always asking myself, “I wonder if anyone else is having this issue.” If the answer is yes, I always try to make a video to share with others. My son doesn’t play nearly as much as I do but throws down some monster games out of nowhere then walks away to play fortnite for 4 hours I’m looking forward to entering him in a tournament sometime soon. He keeps asking.

Man, this game is special and it’s not even done. I love all the subtle touches and polish.

My only minor complaint is mechanical. The new dead head mode requires you to shoot the coffin targets with the lockdown button... but if you’re stuck with an underperforming mech, the ball kind of dribbles out and you’re stuck.

I’ve adjusted it three times and I’m batting about .500 with hitting the targets.

Is it my imagination, or has the new code update made the game play faster?

Ive been in the hobby 10+ years and this has by far been the most satisfying and enjoyable pinball buying experience I've ever had. Thank you!

Wow. What a download. Good job Lyman and Stern!!! Game is coming along for sure!! Glad i got this game.

There’s a setting to disable it - somewhere in the read me it mentions this

A buddy mentioned to me that Lyman is now being put exclusively on these boutique games. This is great as an additional “exclusive” but I can’t imagine it’s great for morale. Additionally, Lyman isn’t going to want to work forever.. he needs to be mentoring the other guys to make sure they are thinking for the future; how he plans rules, light shows, etc. what I wouldn’t give to work for Stern and learn from him..

Just watched the stream, Silly question but is Gappa the final wizard mode? Or will they be adding any other major updates? This game looks incredible

I’m not sure Lyman needs to do more for any company at this point. He is simply the best at his craft, working at his meticulous pace, and probably doing just fine.

Great update!

Does the crypt shot go through a power meter or something to shoot the targets? Cuz if you just hit the button and it works or not on its own that's kind of silly.

THIS GAME IS AMAZING. THE UPDATES ARE AMAZING. LOVE IT!

Lyman should be Senior Vice President of Pinball Code. He should over see and train all coders. He should help develop the rules and oversee coding of all games. His talent could benefit all Stern games. If he is like me he also wants to be hands on, so maybe as the SVP of PC he can cherry pick 1 title a year that is all his.

Just speculation on my part but a R/O value somewhere that the code can use to determine if a game in SLE (like the logic in Batman 66), an LE or Premium.

If running LE code on a Premium results in purple menus then there is probably no hardware flag.

It's not so much a matter of mentoring others - it's a matter of *finding* more Lymans.

Lyman was already a top-notch programmer long before he started working in pinball. He put the real work into every line of code he wrote and relentlessly ferreted out and squashed bugs as soon as any appeared. He simply would not stop until everything was right. No cutting corners.

But although he wasn't working in pinball at the time, he was a very important something else: a world-class pinball player. Lyman totally *gets* pinball. He knows with an incredibly high degree of certainty what will be fun and what won't. As such, he doesn't waste time on the latter and then have to throw it all out to start again. Well, OK - there are circumstances where the powers that be send everyone down a dead end every once in a while and you have no choice. But Lyman won't wander down such a path knowingly on his own. He spots and detects problems early, be they in rules or mechanics. And he was able to do all of that long before he wrote his first line of pinball code.

Simply put, a great programmer can program anything given enough time to figure it out. But which would you rather have working on pinball games: a great programmer who is just learning pinball on the job, or a great pinball player who is already a great programmer? THAT is why Lyman is now the *Lyman* of pinball.

There is a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince, I heard when I was just starting my career fresh out of college that stuck with me to this day. It essentially says "If you want to build great ships, do NOT hire a bunch of engineers and give them materials, tools, and instructions on what they need to do to make a ship. Find skilled craftsmen who love the sea."

Lyman loves the sea.
Elvira's House of Horrors is Lyman's latest luxury liner.

This game IS amazing and the update today is simply awesome. LOVE this game and just keep playing it! A small detail and I hate to say it, but I wish the score color could be changed back to white or some other contrasting color (in a menu or something), I'm finding purple a bit hard to read when quickly looking up as it blends with the background. My eyes are old!

Just so you know, I did let Lyman know that purple blended a bit too much into the background. I'm not sure if I like it the way it is now. Maybe if the font outline was white instead of black? Or give us LE owners an option to change it to red (or white) if we don't like purple. I don't think there is a setting now for that and I did not look and did not see anything mentioned in the code readme file.

Rob

I agree. The purple is a little hard to read.

Is the rotating turret integrated in any kind of gameplay yet ?

Yep. It has been integrated in to "house party" mode for the last couple of updates. I think it spins in Gappa mode as well.

I really hope we eventually get support for the physical knocker.
But I wonder if in place of that we just get the topper integration.

I think the final wizard mode is when you sell the house for Elvira, as that's the primary overall theme - using that 1 "special" target that doesn't get used for the rest of the game.

It's part of the add-a-ball during House Party and each side represents a Super during Attic Attack Multiball.

Shhhhhh...don’t tell my game it has a knocker installed.

5CA48218-A017-461E-B6E1-C65C48D1A282 (resized).jpeg

Now that the VUK is an in game skill-shot it needs to be made reliable. I didn’t really care before but now it needs to be accurate and consistent since installing the new code. No offense but the repairs I have seen so far done on this mechanism don’t give me a warm fuzzy. I’m going to take a crack at it an let everybody know the result. At first inspection I noticed this when I took the VUK out and laid it on my work bench. I think this is the main reason why these are inconsistent. My first thought is to make an insert that will attach to the base of the VUK to center the resting ball better. As of now the resting pinball is not centered with the plunger at all. More to come and advise / recommendations are always welcome.
20200609_185233 (resized).jpg

Yes, please let us know what you discover. I’ve kind of given up on that mech, which is too bad.

Are there still any Elviras in stock anywhere? I’m hoping to be picking one up soon

A gentleman never kisses and tells!!

I have both, pretty different but the strategy behind minor villains and their perks is almost impossible to outmatch. Imagine Elvira as Batman 66 level code but shoots better than batman

I had both. Batman 66 is gone and not missed. Personally, I think Elvira is deeper. YMMV

Jason @ classicgamerooms has them. He sells both on ebay and direct.

Have you tried the stern fix where you re-drill holes, etc? It made me cringe hearing about it, but I literally did it yesterday and it blasts across the table 100 percent of the time now. Before it would take 3 or 4 tries to even dribble out of the mech.

I actually lowered the power to 225 and it STILL blasts across into the targets. It made a night and day difference.