Dedham, MA
Hey all! I played this game on location and absolutely LOVED it. For those of you who own is, do you consider it a good purchase? Are you glad you did it? Because I'm seriously considering getting one.
(Topic ID: 300250)
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Halloween (Blood Sucker Edition)
Spooky Pinball, 2021-
Halloween (Collectors Edition)
Spooky Pinball, 2021
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Halloween (Standard Edition)
Spooky Pinball, 2021
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Quoted from John-Floyd:No regrets here. Was concerned a little bit before it arrived, but now that I’ve played it I like it a lot. And it’s Only going to get better over time.
How has the reliability been? Some of the comments above about updating code have me concerned. The one on my location seems to spend a lot of time broken.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Where is there one on location? I’m not too far from Dedham.
I'm in Florida this week. The one I'm playing is at Arcade Monsters near Orlando, unfortunately.
1 month later
I don't think gender really matters in this statement. Getting my husband hooked on pinball has been great for my marriage. Star Trek TNG and Godzilla are more his things his thing than mine, but it meant it was an IP he was interested in playing. The result was him playing enough to actually want to compete.
Quoted from Nightmare:Happy Wife Happy Life. Do whatever it takes to keep her interested in Pinball.
Quoted from delt31:Ok so can we get past the shooter rod drama Bc it’s bringing this thread down. I suggest we move on as all points have been made at this time.
Seriously. I'm just here to enjoy other people getting their game while I wait for 303 to come up.
Quoted from Gotfrogs:Just got my invoice from Nitro for 242!
Great news! 303 is coming!
Quoted from GreenMachine19:Just got mine on Friday. Been playing all weekend. Just incredibly beautiful game. Love the video clips and sound. Really enjoying the code so far. I have 1.04 right now, just picked up a new 32gb thumb drive. Game really makes you get better at aiming and shooting. Different modes really having you shoot all over the play field. Just an amazing total package. Only a few small issues, mostly adjustments. Switch arms that stick up too high and hang up the ball. A couple of weird anomalies, again nothing major. Booted today and the right flipper wouldn’t flip. Checked the leaf switches in test, all register. Power cycled game, right flipper works again. I have some ball hangups in the trough, ball not coming out on the first or second attempts sometimes, probably another switch arm sticking up too high or misalignment. Biggest issue is I have this small black line in the middle of my display. I emailed it in. Can’t get the display off because it seems the torque was set a little too high on the drill driver and the carriage screws that hold it in place are stripped so I can’t remove all the nuts, they just spin. Threads in the middle of the screw are gone. ( I got 2 out ). Have to figure out how I’m going to get that apart with out damaging anything. Probably gently pull up while loosening hopefully grab some threads to back out. Otherwise very happy with the game. Has that one more game appeal. Shaker really shakes the room. Getting that shot on the upper playfield is really satisfying. Callouts are great. Would rather hear more from the girls than Dr. Loomis in the future. Don’t regret not getting butter, yeah it would be nice, but the decals are beautiful too.
Green, what number are you? I’m 303, so curious how much longer it will be.
Quoted from jakedistel:Did you receive an options email yet? I'm 257.
I haven’t. Have you?
Quoted from JesseJames23:I’m 317. I heard from Bug it shouldn’t be long!
Our machines will be like puppies from the same liter!
Quoted from SpookyBug:Morning Everybody! Been seeing lots of people ask for more gameplay footage and streams. Been working on getting a small little recording studio set up in my spare bedroom, thought I'd share some gameplay for everyone to watch.
Definitely still have lots to learn for recording gameplay, will get more cameras and mics set up, get rid of that echo. Hope you all enjoy!
Really enjoyed this video, I had watched it on YouTube this morning before seeing this thread - which means it’s hitting the YT algorithm correctly. If you don’t mind me commenting on your setup, I think your mic is the weakest part of it.
You have very unique commentary! Make it easier for us to understand it!
Really looking forward to seeing more of these!
Quoted from SpookyBug:Yeah the echo was pretty appalling I must say Definitely gonna get that taken care of. My next question for everyone is should I try to mount a camera focused on just the two upper playfields, or set another one more at player pov looking up the playfield from the flippers?
Pinball content on YT is hard because it’s innately vertical. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a great setup.
I am of the opinion less is more, because you can really only perceive one thing at a time. Three feeds is plenty. I like the table vertically of the left, but with the host centered and the main subject on the right. The HDMI out of the screen should go above the host.
The host really is the key part, IMHO. Emphasize that more than anything. MarvLoco and SDTM are good because they are likable people and have well lit setups.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:IEP and Deadflip are the gold standard for me.
Deadflip has a gorgeous setup technically. But he tends to ramble. I am not going to watch an hour and fifty four minute video with no editing!
Quoted from Jediturtle:90% of the negativity is herd mentality and the fact that there seems to be a large portion of the population these days that thinks it makes them cool to tear someone or something apart. The louder they cry on a public platform, the more attention they get. It's nauseating. Are there some legitimate concerns? Sure...there always is with every game. But the current negativity towards these games is pretty ridiculous and largely driven by a few individuals who seem to have some sort of vendetta against Spooky.
The layout is very unique and fun to shoot, even the upper playfields which I'm not usually a huge fan of. There are more shots than the vast majority of games released. The code is deeper than it gets credit for, and uses the entire playfield(s) in some creative ways. The art is GORGEOUS. The A/V assets are well used, especially the sounds and music which put a huge smile on my face as a fan of the theme. It's a really great game all around, no matter how many people want to dispute that. Sure, everyone has their own opinions of what makes a great game, but this is FAR from the trainwreck some would lead you to believe. Even taking all emotion and preference out of the equation, it's a solid game.
Are there some bugs? Sure. Could it use more code? Yup. Are there some quality control issues? Yup. Every single manufacturer has the same issues. Spooky has straight out demonstrated progress on every one of these issues. Not just talk, action. Is it as fast as everyone would like? Nope. They are a TINY company...a fraction of the size of the big boys, so yes, it's going to take longer in some cases. But they have shown real progress on every issue. People have been hired, bugs have been squashed, code continues to be added.
Bottom line is they deserve a heck of a lot more grace, patience, and trust than they have been getting lately.
I think the pandemic is making all of us a bit crazy, TBH.
Coming from the game development world, I see Spooky as an indie developer, whereas Stern is AAA. You have to expect a few rough edges, but the benefit it you have a team that put their heart into everything you see.
My distributor, PinballSTAR wrote me today, asking if I wanted butter on my Halloween cabinet. it’s $1000.
What do you all think? Is it worth it?
Quoted from Jediturtle:Not springing for the butter is literally my only regret about Halloween. The decals look great, but the art is so damn good that as a huge fan of the theme, I should have gone for the best. I would say if you are a big fan, and consider it a bit of a showpiece in your collection, go for it. If it's "just another machine" for you, and it will just be shoved in the middle of a line up anyway, maybe not.
YOU SOLD ME.
Quoted from JesseJames23:I’m in the same boat… I think I decided against it. If you damage or scrape the cab it’s not fixable… due to it being clear coated. But they’re beautiful cabinets.
I have no kids, which is why I have money to buy pinball machines, haha. Not worried about it getting scratched.
Quoted from SpookyLuke:HUGE NEWS GUYS!!! Big congratulations to Spooky's own Corwin "Bug" Emery for bringing home the victory at the Iowa State invitational! I can't begin to tell you how much this guy puts in the work for you every day 7 days a week!
[quoted image]
Congratulations, @spookybug! Can’t wait to see your video telling us all about it!
Quoted from MK6PIN:Got email today from Morgan asking for cab choice....264!!! Butter all the way....
303! Cannot wait!
As long as we’re talking code updates, can I voice what I suspect will be an unpopular opinion?
I just flat out disagree with the philosophy that code updates should pile more and more gameplay into a pinball machine to satisfy the hardest core players.
There’s a sweet spot to a fighting game roster. The original Street Fighter II had 8 players to learn. Everyone my age knows every move for every character. Compare that to the latest Tekken has FIFTY FOUR players. I’ve played the game since 1993, and I don’t have a deep understanding of half my matchups.
I don’t want more and more stuff. I just want what’s there to shine. I want to deeply understand every single mode, rather than have a shallow understanding of 30 modes.
I have Godzilla premium. A change in the latest code tweaked your first ball to only require one ramp to be hit instead of two. That’s a good example of what a code update should accomplish - it polishes what’s there and adds to your flow state.
I mean this respectfully, but I honestly don’t understand what some people are expecting. A whole new game?
Quoted from SLRage:I respect your opinion (no cats here) but.... My pet peeve are people who treat pinball machine ownership as some sort of fine art collection. These things were built to be played not looked at. I know they are expensive but they are Toys and they take up a ton of real estate. If ya got em play em and no I would not get rid of a house pet based on having a pinball machine.
It’s a similar thing with car collection. Nothing is sadder than a garage queen. I feel so strongly they are meant to be driven and enjoyed.
1 week later
Quoted from JesseJames23:Awesome! I’m 317. I’ve got to be getting close. I have a spot ready also. [quoted image]
We have really similar tastes. TMNT and JP here too.
Both these games piss me off, but I will never sell them.
1 week later
2 weeks later
Quoted from toro1966:#320 - told to expect my butter in a couple of weeks. If it was a standard, apparently, it would have shipped now. Can't wait!
#303 here. Also got butter. Also in holding pattern.
1 week later
Quoted from SpookyBug:Hey everybody! The new code is officially out, so you can all go get your Don't Fear the Reaper goodness. Play the hell out of it and get us some feedback!
PS, if we don't answer for about 3 hours it's cause we're seeing The Batman
I guess you already know this, but it’s excellent!
2 weeks later
Quoted from JvdS:So this group discusses numbers and leadtimes, nice…..getting bored…..
Anybody has something nice to say or show?
We'd love to. But until we get the machine, what is there to say?
3 weeks later
Mine got here today! I will be gushing about it later, but first, a few setup questions.
A. What is the right angle for setting up this table?
B. Do Spooky Machines come with a coinbox? Mine didn't.
C. My box with accessories came with a ton of spare switches and parts. Other than tilt bob, balls and legs, that's all the machine needs - right?
If I could offer a perspective of how I see Spooky and some of these issues people are pointing out, like powder coating?
I collect classic Porsches. If you want a perfect, trouble free car, go buy a new Honda. If you want something exotic like a Lotus or an Aston, you go in understanding that they are hand built by a smaller team. If you can’t accept panel gaps, hard to find parts and occasional issues don’t buy an Aston.
My Spooky table came today. It’s not quite square, and the subway will require some tweaking. I knew to expect those kinds of issues going in.
You don’t have a Toyota. You have a Lotus. It’s rare and more interesting.
You can feel however you want, but that’s how I see it.
Quoted from SLRage:At this point I feel bad for Luke. He seems like a great guy who may be in a tough spot. I’m sure he know this issue is unacceptable but at this point the ship has sailed. There is no easy “fix” for this one guys.
There is. It’s what we do with cars and powder coating parts you touch a lot.
You spray occasional clear coat on it. I use an HPLV gun, but of the side armor I’ll probably just tape it off and use my airbrush. Make sure you let it dry two days before touching.
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:Not sure how long you've been in the hobby, but all pins are hand built. And 1250 is a pretty big run. Spooky has not been the plucky, little start-up for a long time.
I didn’t say pins weren’t hand built, I said Astons and Lotuses were. It’s an analogy.
I genuinely mean this with no pretext or sarcasm. If it upsets you, I get it. $9000 is not a small amount of money. You’re entitled to your feelings. I would never dismiss that.
Just saying, I knew I was signing up for boutique pinball. It’s right there in their slogan! If that framing is not helpful for you, feel free to ignore!
Quoted from SLRage:Okay not “easy” for Most. I respect your opinion but….You also mess with cars as your hobby. Most of us Play pinball as ours.
Hand to god, I’ve restored a 1986 Porsche 911 Targa and I’ve restored a 1993 TNG machine. The skill sets are exactly the same. Trace faults, solder new components, disassemble mechanisms to diagnose failing parts.
Everyone in this hobby could very easily become car mechanics. Most better than me, because I’m not good - just stubborn.
Applying rattlecan clear coat is dead simple. Now, the powder coating prep leading to the problem in the first place? That’s hard. I can see where the surface prep went wrong.
I suspect they need to adjust the temperature settings too - because it doesn’t look baked all the way. Metallic powders are really hard to do well.
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:I would use 2k spray paint clear. It’s auto grade and will hold up better than store brand. A respirator mask from Amazon is not expensive at all.
This is great advice. You don’t need to get a full on respirator for rattle can clear coat - though obviously it’s better protection. It’s required for HPLV though. I would definitely go with a good 3M N95 at a minimum.
Also, don’t forget surface prep - the most underrated part of painting. Rub it down with alcohol and use a microfiber cloth. If you want to go the extra mile, I like this brand quite a bit.
https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-pre-painting-prep.html
The last three years have taugh all of us to appreciate our lungs more, no?
Quoted from Roostking:So in your mind it's acceptable to buy a new Porsche and have shitty paint job after a hundred miles? Man dealerships love people like you easy pickins.
You don’t buy a classic Porsche from the dealership, it’s from a 3rd party. And a new Porsche is not made by hand like an Aston. There’s no need for personal insults.
Quoted from Lostcause:What about a ceramic coating, I did mention it but nobody picked up on it. Much easier than clear coating.
Just an example, will it stop the issue? https://www.carboncollective.com/product/platinum-wheels-ceramic-coating/
Ceramic coating is drastically less durable than clear coat.
I feel like we’re all so focused on quality control issues (which is fair. My machine crashed four times today) that we’re not talking about what a great piece of game design this is.
I’ve never played a game that felt so tense, but also fair. When I mess up and drain in Halloween, it’s my fault. They really make this feel like survival horror.
I do find the orbit shots very difficult to consistently hit, but hopefully time in the saddle will make it better.
Quoted from radfordian3505:Patrick mine has had ZERO Problems and I'm #159 so don't let them scare you. I have had to only readjust my top playfield flipper and mine has about 600 plays and I can make any shot with ease.
Any tips for hitting those orbits consistently? And the lowest lock on the hedge?
Quoted from Mudflaps:This is intentional. It’s intended to warn new players that the ball will exit from the right inlane.
SpookyBug Bug with 1.06b. Extra ball from two modes complete. Started Hedge Multiba and the mode kept spitting out extra balls with unlimited ball saver. I spent a few minutes in multiball and finally it stopped spitting out extra balls.
This happened to me today too.
Quoted from Rascal-911:I am assuming it is a code bug, but I thought I would give it a mention. Halloween has been solid after a little tweaking, but last night during hedge multiball it went into a loop and felt like multiball wasn't going to time out. After awhile I just let all the balls drain and it changed back but then developed a new error where the right lifter stayed up and stopped a ball at the right inlane. Shut down and did restart and things were back to normal again.
I am assuming this is more buggy code, but wondering if anyone else has never ending multiball yet.
Such a great game, I hope the next code fixes a bunch of these errors.
This is exactly what happened to me. I’m running 1.06b.
Quoted from SLRage:The good Waaaaaaaay out ranks the bad.
This. Look, mine came without a coinbox or the topper parts. It has to be reset several times a day if played heavily. Balls get stuck more than any pin I own, including my TNG machine.
But it’s still a FANTASTIC game. I have zero regrets about purchasing.
So, my Halloween machine is freezing like crazy, at least once a day. When it’s been sitting a while, and you start a game this happens.
I wrote Spooky today asking for help and didn’t get a response. Do any of you have any ideas? Seems electrical in nature.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Power cycle is the only option until they fix the bug unfortunately. This is a major concern of mine since mine is going on location.
I don’t see any way this game could be playable on location in my opinion. It’s too prone to failure, and the last thing you need is the public wailing on it.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:It’s gonna kill at my location. Lots of horror fans and metalheads around here. I’ll just tell the staff to power cycle it twice a day and I’ll do some stuck ball trap prevention. Didn’t seem like the HWN I played at Jackbar had any problems other than the powder coat thing. Played great actually. Anyway…I’m sure it’ll be addressed in future code
I mean, I bought mine because I played it at Arcade monsters and freaking loved it. Then I kept driving back to play it every day. It’s a fantastic game.
Just saying it’s not a super reliable machine. I’m not even talking about the power cycling - Balls stuck, infinite multiball bugs. I just think a lot would go wrong.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Well, luckily I live right down the street from my location. I have all brand new Sterns there now that are headache free. So if I have one game in the lineup that I think is cool and I need to spend a bit more time with well…I can live with that.
You’re in Rhode Island? I’m in Dedham, MA, so you’re just 20 minutes away! Which location is yours, if you don’t mind me asking. Maybe Frank and I will drop by!
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:PIZZA J !
967 Westminster St
Providence, RI
We’re got STH JP DP GZ TMNT AIQ GOTG Rush and Mando. All clean and playing very well, come on down and check it out. Great food and excellent beer program!
Also,
-NEPL ( New England pinball league)
starts up Sunday May 8th 6pm
-Belles and Chimes women’s leagues meets every second Tuesday 6pm
-CRAP league (Connecticut and RI area pinball haha) begins in July on Monday nights.[quoted image]
I don’t know. It will be hard to sell my husband on an evening of pinball, pizza, and beer. Let me see what I can do, haha.
Couldn't help but notice that Spooky Pinball did not have a Wikipedia entry. Just a link to a defunct webpage. So, I took the liberty of creating one. Obviously, this is just bare bones before fleshing it out.
Want to expand out the Halloween entry. Is there anywhere with more information about the development of the game, and other verifiable information one could reference on the site?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spooky_Pinball?venotify=created
Quoted from BriannaWu:Couldn't help but notice that Spooky Pinball did not have a Wikipedia entry. Just a link to a defunct webpage. So, I took the liberty of creating one. Obviously, this is just bare bones before fleshing it out.
Want to expand out the Halloween entry. Is there anywhere with more information about the development of the game, and other verifiable information one could reference on the site?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spooky_Pinball?venotify=created
And now I get to fight the Wikipedia editors. Need to flesh this out. We’ll get it there.
Y’all, there is precious little out there about Spooky. SpookyLuke and @spookybug, you need to do more press about your games!
Anything fellow Pinsiders can point me to showing the history of Spooky or coverage of the games would be appreciated.
Quoted from NC_Pin:Those pictures definitely look like wear/rub. If you look in the darker areas you can see larger spacing between the hammered gold areas.
I have dealt with powdering coatings in the past, but I am not an expert. It almost looks like a curing issue. Pretty clearly the areas where there is contact with skin. Kinda like the oils in the skin are softening the top coats and allowing the powder to wear/rub. If earlier versions are not doing this I would argue that this is a QC issue. Something isn't right with the powder coaters 1) powder 2) prep 3) equipment.
I have a powder coating oven I use while restoring Porsches. It’s definitely a curing issue.
Quoted from Mudflaps:Adult mode = Lynda flashes her hoots.
Once you’re clear of the upper playfield, you’ll need to complete some standups and the ramp. She’ll do her thing once you complete the second to last shot.
If you’re busy trying not to die, the associated callout is, “See anything you like?”
Great mode
The irony of it being called adult mode, when it seems aimed at 13-year-old boys, haha.
Uh, y'all. Something is *seriously* wrong with my Halloween machine when I wake it up after a few hours. I captured this video, and when I opened up the backglass to record the logs - there was a very strong electrical short smell. Not solder, but something just acrid and burning.
Spooky, y'all can read my posts here. I'm not a hater or unreasonable - but Halloween in this state feels like a fire hazard. I've written you guys support email - and it's taking multiple days to get responses. When I do - my questions are not being read carefully enough to get answers to them.
We're beyond "run the update" (which it doesn't need.) I need some real help with this.
Quoted from Betelgeuse:My best guess would be that you burned up a servo somewhere. This is a common issue with Spooky games and creates a strong acrid smell. On the old PinHeck boards, this could also cause lockups and other strange issues. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same thing here.
Interesting. The game functions fine after a reboot. I wonder if that’s something the logs would be able to report?
Quoted from SpookyLuke:I will give our service guy a call and let him know! I'm guessing he's having a bit of trouble figuring it out as it appears to he a super odd issue. If I had to take a guess I would suspect a bad barrel plug powering the PC in the backbox. No worries we will get it fixed up!
Thank you, Luke. I love the game, and I know you guys are working very hard. But when you’re talking about an electrical short and the smell of something burning in a new machine - we need to get it sorted.
I have a copy of the logs immediately after this video. Just LMK.
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:I doubt anything in a can is going to be a long term fix except for maybe Max 2K. At a minimum it probably needs to be a two part automotive clear or better yet a clear powder coat.
Background: I restore Porsches as a hobby and have a powder coating oven in my workshop.
I don’t know if you’ve ever sanded off a single layer of clear coat, but it takes a while. I have every confidence a good, thick coat can stand up to years of fingerprint oil.
I’m not going to powdercoat more clear coat because this seems like a curing issue and I think it could affect the surface texture.
Quoted from underlord:So how does one cure our bars and rails? Or just clean them with soap and water and add clear ourselves? Yes I’ve painted, but not at a pro level.
You’d have to bake it more which requires a powder coating oven. I don’t know the settings or powder composite they used, and wouldn’t guess. In powder coating small differences of degrees really matter and you can make it worse.
Clear coat is the way to go, IMHO.
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:I'm going to let my powder coat guy make the call. I've used him for years with good results. All I know is Spooky keeps spraying them with clear and the problem is still occurring. Last I heard is everything is getting 3 coats of clear and Spooky still can't claim victory. I'm surprised you didn't go with two part clear if you have access to automotive paints. The actual manufacturer recommends a clear powder topcoat for this product. I'm not sure if that is still an option since Spooky is sealing these with spray clear. I do agree, I think the original problem is mostly a curing issue. My rails are a little tacky which tells me something is wrong with the application process.
No snark, but I’m not precisely what you mean by “two part clear.” When you mix clearcoat for an HPLV gun, there’s a ratio for how shiny/matte and how viscous you might want to make it so it flows well. But that’s primarily for matching other body panels and making it blend, or using reducer to make it flow more easily at low pressure for more control.
It’s not like a product with that ratio predetermined is crap. And, let’s be honest. This is a pinball machine that sits indoors - not a Honda Accord that will sit outside for decades. You’re just trying to add a protective barrier.
If you have a powder coat guy that is willing to try it, more power to you. I’m not particularly good at it. Please let other people know the temperature/times he’s baking for if you get a good result!
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:Two part paint is just referring to a product that requires a hardener to be added. You don’t get that in a rattle can (except for Max 2k). It is a far more durable product that is better suited for the wear and tear pinball armor will see. There is roughly 9” of surface area per side that constantly gets abused while the game is being played. In my opinion there is only 2 things that can take that kind of abuse for sure. That would be stainless steel and smooth or textured powder coat. I am really on the fence about any spayed clear coat. That being said, the one with the best chance of working would be something with a hardener added.
Oh! You’re talking about *activator* for the catalyst. That makes sense.
Yeah, having that happen from an HPLV gun could arguably be ideal - but it also has downsides. I won’t get into all of the drawbacks as this is not an automotive restoration board. But it just seems like overkill IMHO.
Biggest problem with HPLV clearcoating are fisheyes, dust particles and the like. 2k Rattlecan is not a bad product. It’s consistent, and assuming you’re doing light, quick coats - the odds of dripping are minimal
Quoted from TheFamilyArcade:Hey everyone, when the playfield is up, for maintenance, how tall is it compared to other manufacturers? Sterns in particular.
My basement ceiling is low, and with JJPs, I can’t even raise the playfield vertical without lowering the game. I experienced his with DE G&R too. But Srerns are fine, I’ve been able to raise the playfield vertically on Sterns.
Is Spooky like a Stern, or is it taller with the playfield raised?
Thx.
As tall as sterns. Lower than the topper.
3 weeks later
2 months later
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:15 hours till the pinside top 100 resets. If you haven’t already go give this game a fair review. It helps the decision making process for people who are considering buying a game or spot. I’m personally loving this game and I can’t believe it isn’t at least top 25 at this point. Everyone in the forums are always clamoring for more mechs, more toys, more shots, more modes, more wizard modes more more more. This game has MORE than any other offering from any manufacturer if you ask me.
I’ve already given it an EXCELLENT review!
2 weeks later
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:You have to be willing to tech your own game with the companies advice. He doesn’t sound like he wants to try. It has always been my advice that if you do not want to learn how to fix / maintain pinball machines than you should not buy pinball machines. It is very unfortunate that his game is experiencing problems. But it’s also nearly impossible to guarantee that nothing happens to a pin while being shipped. Ie: loose connectors, intermittent connections etc. It doesn’t sound to me like this buyer has gone through and reseated all connectors, checked voltages with a MM or anything to attempt to diagnose what is happening. I guess maybe he shouldn’t have to? But pinball is always pinball and it’s always hard and complicated. Especially with games that are packed to the gills with unique mechs. Perhaps he should have started with a simpler game. Just my assessment of the situation with the information provided here by the buyer. In hope it gets resolved without having to pay money for return shipping. If I were closer I’d go take a look myself.
I unfortunately agree with this. It’s pinball. Things will break. You’re going to have to learn it at some point.
Quoted from djsolzs:The old Its Pinball argument. Pinball companies love hearing this. Things will break and we dont have to take responsibility for it because the consumer already has the expectations that these games will break. What if the consumer did NOT accept this as a standard business practice in the pinball world
Dude, I understand the frustration. My Halloween buying experience with Spooky sucked. It came missing parts, the CPU had to be swapped, they had to update code to fix an issue my game was having. I had to 3D print parts to house them correctly. My paint came off the lock bar and had to be re-clear coated.
You don’t have to tell me these machines are not arriving in the shape they should. I’m sorry it’s happening, genuinely.
The fact remains, if you’re going to own a pinball machine - you will have to learn this stuff eventually. I think you’d be smart to take advantage of Spooky’s service team who will walk you through the basics.
Quoted from PanzerKraken:Folks need to understand the difference of being able to fix machines, and faulty hardware going bad on new machines.
"oh you should know how to fix it" doesn't excuse the company who just sold you a new machine and parts breaking down or not working within few days of taking it in.
Problems need to be brought up, they need to be yelled out from the mountains as this is how you get visibility and how stuff gets fixed. The mentality that "it's pinball, suck it up" just lets the problems go untouched. Then folks go on boards and wonder why company X keeps doing Y.
No one has asked that spooky or any of these companies personally send one of their techs over, they just are asking for some damn support. Even a location operator is not gonna buy a new machine and go "oh well" when stuff breaks down right away on their new expensive purchase.
You expect people to keep paying a premium for your product, don't try to say "boutique" lets them get away with things.
I've had only good experience with spooky at least, but let's not trash other people problems and burdens as some kind of user error or waving away continued problems some might have
Literally no one is saying Spooky shouldn’t make this right, or that they shouldn’t do a hell of a lot better. I love Halloween, but they are flat out failing on quality.
The things I went through getting my machine up and running are not things you should be asked to do.
My only statement is, “This situation is unfair. It’s unreasonable for Spooky to put the burden on you. But the best available BAD course of action is to work with them on the phone to check the basics.”
Quoted from Lpilot1:Dude, I’m a pilot for a major airline, but I don’t know sh1+ about fixing an airplane. Your argument has no validity. I guess I should take my Tesla back since I don’t know how to work on an EV, and I don’t plan on learning how to.
Teslas are specifically manufactured so you can't work on them or buy parts. Though, RichRebuilds here in Massachusetts sure has made some great content trying!
Quoted from Lpilot1:Simply not true. Some things yes, but not all.
My point is just because you don’t have the knowledge to be able to fix something doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t own it.
Gotta say, dude. I restore Porsches in my workshop. I do know my stuff. It's true that it's nearly impossible to get parts for a Tesla and that documentation and support is nearly nonexistent compared to any other manufacturer. Door cards? Windshields? Batteries? No, no, and no.
This is just simply true. And that's before you even get into the shenanigans with software.
Onto the point, I suppose you could have no maintenance skills and own a pinball machine. If you're willing to pay someone $150 an hour to come to your house and wax your table because you're lazy, haha.
Quoted from Lpilot1:Fair enough, and yes I’m lazy. I’ve never paid a tech $150 an hour. Now for a massage, sure. Lol!
I mean this genuinely as a question, but I was at the Warbirds museum this weekend - and got to talk to the pilot of a freaking F-4 Phantom on display (Vietnam era fighter-bomber.) That dude talked my ear off about the maintenance of his aircraft.
Do most pilots not take an interest in that stuff? Or are commercial aircraft such a specialized product that the pilot doesn't have a meaningful role to play like in the Vietnam era?
Quoted from Beechwood:I bought a brand new Chevy truck about 17 years back. Only brand new vehicle I ever bought. At the time was $57K (US). 2 months in, with about 500 miles, I went shopping on Christmas Eve to get my four kids presents. I turned the key off and pulled it out and the damn thing kept running. I was like WTF. On Christmas Eve? Needless to say, even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
I had to wait 3 days because of the holiday to get the situation corrected. It sucked at the time but to this day I drive a Chevy with 240,000 miles on it and it just keeps going.
I wish I had a point but I just would like people to acknowledge shit goes bad sometimes. If Spooky starts turning a blind eye, that's when we all have problems.
What a great story. The prices on that era of truck have SKYROCKETED because people want them without all the electronics and other headaches. You could probably sell it for your MSRP.
3 weeks later
Going to be interviewing SpookyBug on Rocket tonight over on Relay.FM! Interview is mostly going to be about Spooky and the process of developing Halloween - but if you have questions you’d like asked, leave them and I’ll see what I can do!
Quoted from BlueRiverLore:He came home!
[quoted image]
This explains so much about why he keeps coming back.
2 months later
You literally don’t have to tell strangers about how horny you are.
I wanted to stop by to mirror what everyone else is saying about the code updates, they are extraordinary. I feel like the random character selections are very pixelated, but a fun treat. The animations are fantastic, I love the new clips. It feels like a whole new game.
Halloween is still my most played game in my collection.
Quoted from Lopa:I love the idea of the avatar, to make it better they should make it so that certain modes would be boosted based on the avatar. It could just be a randomized bonus with a rarer avatar that has a better bonus.
For example:
Michael Meyers, 2x bonus on sanitarium mode.
I like this idea. It would make different Strats viable, rather than hitting the same modes.
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