By popular request! I have finally got around to putting together a video of how the MP3 Trigger V2 was used in Ghostbusters to integrate the music, sounds and quotes into the game. I have had a lot of questions on how this was done and it's a bit difficult to explain through text, so I hope this helps. I have tried to cover everything, but I am sure there will be some details I missed, so please ask if you have questions. The game is still in a constant state of flux, so please excuse the crudeness of some of my work. This is a 2 parter...

Part 1

Part 2

Thanks!
-Brian

Thanks! I hope this is what everyone wanted to see.

Thanks schmoo! I checked out your Angry Birds, very cool! What's the next project you are working on? Doing this retheme was so much work I'm not sure if I ever want to do it again, but I'm glad I did it once!

Thanks Shawn! I was hoping you would see this as I know it was something you were interested in doing.

I know this idea has been thrown around, but I haven't seen it done yet.

The Cherry micro switches are great because the actuators are insulated from the circuit. You don't even have to worry about shorting something. Still, depending on the actuator and bracket, these can get a little pricey as well. Fortunately I was able to get a big handful of assorted ones from John Dayhuff at the Ohio show that year for $1 ea. I also was able to track down those leaf switches on clearance for around $0.50 ea!

*bump* for the afternoon crowd.

I really appreciate the comments guys and girls. You make it all worth while. I'm thinking we will see a surge of custom games and things will be developed and improved to make it even easier to build your dream machine.

Thanks for helping promote the game 'down under', swinks! Yes, I've noticed.

It really wasn't TOO bad installing the switches. The rollovers were pretty quick and easy. Once the switches were installed it was easy to play around with the sounds and move them around. I have to say the system has been very reliable. I really haven't had to make many adjustments over thousands of plays. As for the power strip, I just have it plugged into the service outlet. I'm sure this could be tapped into the cabinet switch as well.

Not exactly. I did get the game before deciding the theme, though. The theme was chosen in part because I had a lot of really good ideas on how the Flash Gordon playfield layout would work for Ghostbusters like the upper playfield being the top of the building, the inline drop target Slimer lane and the big blank space for the Ecto toy. Though, when I was looking for a game I did want to avoid anything with an alphanumeric or dmd display as it would require a lot more know-how and work to re-theme the display content. I was exclusively looking for an early solid state title that just had generic scoring. Fortunately most of my theme ideas were 80's movies.

-Brian

You can't mix the two. I accidentally shorted a trigger switch to a game switch at one point and it immediately blew the game fuse. Fortunately no damage to the MP3 Trigger.

The top layer of the playfield is mylar, so it's pretty bulletproof. The vinyl layer with the art printed on it is underneath that. Before diamondplating, lots of games just had large sheets of mylar covering the playfield. I know people have successfully clearcoated over an overlay before, but it shouldn't be necessary and it could be problematic.

I've been cleaning the playfield like any other playfield, a small amount of Novus 2 and a coat or two of carnuba paste wax. It still looks as good as new. I haven't really had to do much cleaning though as it's basically a fully shopped game.

Brian

You are a class act, Ryan. It's been a pleasure working with you. I know you have what it takes to do a great art package, so I hope this helps complete your vision!

Actually, I mentioned it in this thread. FG just sort of fell in my lap before I knew what theme I was going with. It was a perfect because it had generic scoring displays and was a highly regarded, if difficult game. It was also cheap as dirt and the playfield was completely blown out. The theme was finalized in part based on the playfield layout.

It's not too frustrating for me, but it does kind of suck when somebody else is checking out the game and keep losing their balls before they see what everything does. Otherwise, it's a great 'one more game!' machine.

-Brian

Thanks! The game is still running strong. I just had it out at the Ohio Pinball Show this past weekend.

Wow. Thanks for bringing back some memories. It's hard to believe it's been nearly 10 years since I did this re-theme. Honestly, I haven't attempted any custom pinball work since then, so I haven't been paying very close attention to the tech side of more recent homebrews. I'm sure there are now better ways to do nearly everything I had done. I know the MP3 Trigger has largely been succeeded by the WAV Trigger, which can play multiple audio tracks at the same time and has a more customizable interface. Also, the rise of the Arduino microcontroller has completely changed the landscape for those who can write code. Adding custom rules, light shows and game features is no longer an impossible task. From what I have seen so far, I think the Meteor 2021 project is a great example of what can be done today with these tools...

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/meteor-2021-new-code-for-stern-meteor-1979