Code progress looks great.....man, I can't wait for this game!!
(Topic ID: 300250)
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Halloween (Blood Sucker Edition)
Spooky Pinball, 2021-
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Spooky Pinball, 2021
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Halloween (Standard Edition)
Spooky Pinball, 2021
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Quoted from SpookyLuke:NOTE this is not the full depth of the rules nor do we show mention everything in the game! Will be doing another video with the next update showing and explaining more!
Yes!!! ( and the whole topper is lit...was so worried, lol)
1 week later
Quoted from mnpinball:Just wanted to post here that I played Halloween for the first time this week with the newest latest code from October 1 and I must say my expectations were blown away and far exceeded above and beyond. This game shoots like butter and the stacked playfields are very well done, the shots feel great just an amazing game by the crew over there at spooky can’t wait for mine to arrive.
Nice addition of movie clips. So far so good.
Spooky keeps getting better. This one is the best effort to date!
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Too excited!!
Quoted from aeonblack:#154 checking in! Can't wait to play the game, but also happy to see constant code updates and whatnot happening as the games roll out.
Sweet!! Congrats, and the #'s are rising!!!
Man am I getting stoked for this one!!!!
I'm definitely watching HK and definitely going to like it (well, not sure about the last part). Easily amused w a decent horror flick, however.....
Quoted from brerspidur:#52 in its home. Still missing the knife plunger
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Sweet!!!!
1 week later
Quoted from Lostcause:I use 15” external sub that can drop to 16hz with high db, structure damaging bass!
No internal sub boxed or free space can come close, huge difference to the experience.
So yeah totally agree and I’m pretty much an expert
16hz out of a single 15" driver?!? Need a pic of that enclosure......that low causes body parts to lose predictability, lol. Not so sure I'd want or enjoy anything down there......
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Bass frequencies are non directional so a ported cabinet is not crucial. A speaker in closed non ported cabinet will have the effect of a limiter which would give the bass frequencies a punchier quality. As long as there is air in the cabinet and it doesn’t make the glass rattle I don’t see a prob with this design.
Porting, amongst other things, effects the excursion (movement) of the cone. So yep, no ports certainly could act as a filter of sorts......you know how long the sine wave of a 16hz signal is? Let's just say Loooong. Can't imagine where you'd have to put it in a room to actually get the effect.
No home audiophile here, but have coupled my share of cabs over the years in pro land....
Quoted from aeonblack:Is that pics of the bottom of Halloween? Did they, yet again, not put a sub box or a port hole in the cab? That's seriously the only thing i'm not stoked about on this game if that's the case. Can anyone else with one in hand confirm/deny this?
I've seen ventilation holes in pins, but never a port ( not really sealed as mentioned above). Does any manufacturer do that? Suspect the air volume in a Pin cabinet is way sufficient for the driver to beat it's little heart out....
Quoted from Lostcause:“ out of a single 15" driver?!? Need a pic of that enclosure......that low causes body parts to lose predictability, lol. Not so sure I'd want or enjoy anything down there.....”
Paradigm servo 15, I tested them down to 16hz and the room was bouncing. I had 2 of them in my cinema room but now use one in the pinroom and one in my lounge.
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Looks very cool....16hz? That's a 70' sine wave you got there....read some of the info and saw their "spec" sheet...certain it kicks ass, probably around 30 though....enjoy the early am though..off to bourbon myself..
Quoted from Lostcause:I have a bit of a headache this morning, hope you enjoyed yours
Yea...went into idiot mode a bit last night, deciding to do a nice double espresso of Death Wish before hitting the bourbon ( knowing I wanted to play the pins for awhile). Paying for it currently, lol
Quoted from Lostcause:Because there are people out there with an audience shit stirring, make your own minds up and don’t be so gullible.
Has there been a new pin released in recent memory that didn't have a bunch bail because of 1 reason or another? Don't think so.
Guess the more that do in front of me means the earlier I get mine....but no hurry regardless...
Quoted from Lostcause:Same here, had some KFC that helped!
Man, I tried to get as much water in my body as could be tolerated....helped some, but like the KFC idea!!!
Quoted from aeonblack:Yes...Spooky. TNA.
[quoted image]
Granted that is scotts prototype, so i don't know if they changed anything, but I highly doubt it.
Very cool!!! Learned something today....props to them for going at it!!!!
Quoted from kciaccio:Seems like the hobby is gaining traction by the day. Becoming more and more mainstream. I don't think people will be taking big losses on NIB anytime soon, that's just my take. I go into buying NIB expecting to lose a little as you should...I don't think buying Halloween sight unseen pin is a big risk these days. I will just sell down the line if I end up not liking it and wouldn't expect much of a loss if I do.
Would agree. Easily one of the safest hobbies to enjoy imho, regarding least fiscal impact. They are heavy and take up space however... 
Quoted from kciaccio:That's for sure. I got a pinball cart few months ago to save my back and the pinball machines..lol I also lost a spare bedroom to overflow...lol
Given you're "newish" to the hobby I have to warn you.....it only gets worse..... 
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:Remember how much people were pissing on Stranger Things when it came out? The owners are sitting pretty now, aren't they?
All these pinside pissers who haven't even played the pin can go fornicate with some farm animals.
Yepper....I started a poll to make sense of it all...of course it won't....
Quoted from rotordave:The whole “people are dumping Halloween” thing is so fucking ridiculous.
Currently there are 17 total preorders for sale. Out of 1250 spots.
= 1.36%
Compare with:
Mandolorian LE - currently 12 for sale out of 750.
= 1.6%
TMNT LE - currently 6 out of 500 for sale.
= 1.2%
Godzilla LE - currently 12 out of 1000 for sale.
= 1.2%
GNR LE - plenty for sale, hard to percentage as we don’t know how many they’ve made.
Numbers are totally in line with every other recently released machine.
As the figures above show, some people buy games on a whim, then flick them on. Sometimes for a profit. Sometimes not.
Remember those cheap Stranger Things and GOTG in the first six months of release? I got offered a near new ST Pro for $4500 at one stage. Nobody wanted them. Fast forward 18 mths, they’re not $4500 any more.
rd
Truth…..period.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:I predict prices go over deposit amount as time moves on and code matures. Maybe not as high as RaM spots but this game will become more and more desirable as Spooky works their magic. People just aren’t willing to hop in now, past fomo stage and as the game currently sits but that will change when the code becomes fleshed out.
Completely agree...I actually believe the game will eventually be one of their most desirable at some point given the huge theme fanbase. The code and assets will come....already pretty fun stream last night
Quoted from PinMonk:Yeah, I really like Karl's streaming screen arrangement and banter, too. Very easy streams to enjoy.
Agreed, and a monster player. Responding to chat’s while playing like that….crazy!!! I’ll never come close to that level of play.
Holding the flippers that long has to seriously raise temps I would think, but fun to watch in real time ( though waited for wood to start smoldering at some point, lol.)
Great stream, as excited as ever for this game!!!! (Really need PinMonk to work on wrist coolers for me though….every time I play AIQ I swear that my hands are going to fall off..
..)
Quoted from mbwalker:Corner of a BIG room.
[quoted image]
Bingo....
The standard " 20-20k" reference isn't even really accurate to reference ( though we " hear" with our entire body)
Lots of silk covered ( woven by virgins) double 00, bi-wired speaker cables sold, maybe still do, for thousands of dollars w plenty of spec sheets.
Gotta remember all we are capable of is converting electrical energy to acoustic energy....all starts at the wall. Kinda puts it all in perspective..
)
Quoted from SpookyLuke:I'm alive lol! We have been hard at it! Another killer Halloween code update coming soon with some things you have ALL been asking for!
We have nearly doubled the size of our crew. Couldn't be happier either as we have added many very good people to the team! We have settled into a daily rhythm finishing games. I believe we have tracked down and solved dozens of early issues and made improvements.
The new building specifically for final assembly and finish work has really helped. The crew are really loving having their own organized and well set up areas and plenty of room.
We will sit around 25 a week until Christmas and then bump up once again. I feel confident we will reach 40 games a week at our best quality to date next spring. We are feeling really good about our ability to deliver a great game to all of you.
Can't wait to keep adding content for another year to come! Bug will be doing some more videos to go with our code updates! Hope you guys are enjoying the game so far!
Echo the appreciation for great communication!!!! Certain you are taking care w the build, as the passion is very evident to this Pinsider. Michael will have a good home here!!!! Thank you!!!
Quoted from dnapac:Still early code…wait. For. It…He’s coming home. But, the glitches are welcome. This makes the game code better.
Little chance of it bricking on me regardless in final wizard mode….I have no delusions of my Pinball skill. My passion for the game and hobby are very strong….actual skills?…well…not so much ( some of these streamers just blow my mind)
Quoted from Morinack:Sensationalism used to be confined to the National Enquirer.
Today we are inundated with people becoming famous by posting how they can pee their pants in front of everybody.
Critics post reviews good/bad/indifferent to further their own name not the vendor.End of the day, don't listen to everything you read/hear on the Internet.
<end rant>
Couldn't agree more!!! The world we live in currently, however ridiculous it is.
Quoted from kciaccio:He seems to think this pin is doomed because code and animations will never be great...I hope Spooky proves him wrong...
Consider the source (or ignore 1 of the 2....certainly clears the lens quite a bit). Even a dead watch gives the correct time twice a day....doesn't mean it's relative to time at all.
Quoted from guitarded:BOTH are manufacturing Pinball Machines.
BOTH are developing Machines while manufacturing others.
But, yeah. Nothing at all in common.
Yep....and the third piece? Well...does none of either. Apparently provides entertainment for some (definitely in his own mind...fine for him I guess)...
Quoted from John-Floyd:New code update:
V1.02 (H78)
FIXED topper attract would play when in menu system and hitting flippers
FIXED volume changes now affect sfx channels in real time
FIXED mode select / store modes would start if available when ball search kicked in
FIXED annie combo mode player 4 ui was wrong
FIXED "Let Me In" was not awarding points for green targets
FIXED match sequence potential crash
FIXED combo mode can't be spammed from same shot over and over.. move around
FIXED diveted exit works with combo mode
FIXED hedge mode left ramp lights not clearing on end of mode
FIXED hedge ball lock indicator on left inlane is now working
UPDATE Bob/Lynda adult mode in standard settings
UPDATE judith animation sequence and added in missing audio/video
UPDATE counting bodies aniation order changed for second phase and end of mode
UPDATE counting bodies lights changed to purple instead of green
UPDATE skillshot lights now red
UPDATE removed diverter feature from asylum mode to eliminate confusion about the house flipper
UPDATE while in blood/spacium store all lights are killed except the right scoop which blinks
UPDATE tilt animation updated
UPDATE tilt warning lights now functional
UPDATE right scoop rampup time increased
UPDATE H78/UM removed flipper power settings
UPDATE if dropbank targets trigger hardware issue event, modes using drop targets are handled better
UPDATE internal changes to how text is positioned on display
UPDATE asylum intro updated
UPDATE More movie audio clips added throughout
Awesome, and just makes me chuckle about some the " rain on the parade" stuff above. Luke did say a year, right? My eyes are open, skies clear regarding how badass this game is gonna be.
Pinside gonna be Pinside....
Quoted from dnapac:So, the backglass glistens…seems to have small reflective pieces. Any of the other owners noticed this?
Spooky newbie here....do they use backglass or translight?
Would be cool if it was a mirrored backglass of sorts ( shiney knives, lol).
Did R&M BS have mirrored glass? Just curious...thx
Quoted from Ceemunkey:Wow this Bowen thing is so overblown. We've already seen 2 huge code updates by Spooky - apparently giving a lot of people here what they asked for. More clips, call outs etc... the code is coming along nicely and there's still so much to come.
Come on dudes, give them a break and see what they can cone up with! Passion speaks volumes - I think the finished product will be amazing when you know they will pour so much love and hard work into this thing. It's just really unfair to pre-judge the rules/code when there is much more to be implemented.
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Typical Pinside. Can't think of a single game/ company that hasn't experienced this type of scrutiny...feels overblown as the game seems to be progressing nicely, but just my opinion, and don't have my game yet for input beyond that.
Really very simple...if this is a deal breaker for you, release your spot, sell, whatever, and move on. This is just Pinball.
Not nearly as satisfying as finding a new angle to devalue their effort though I suppose...
Quoted from Cheeks:Like most things, I see both sides of this coin, and I don't think we know enough to judge either one...
Bowen is a great player, but do any of us know how good he is at writing rules? I honestly don't know where Bowen ended and Eric began with R&M rules. I think Bowen was always "contributor" to rules, not the sole/primary rules guy, but I could be wrong. To me his involvement would definitely help HWN/UM as tournament games, but I honestly don't know if he himself is responsible for making fun rules the way we think of Lyman, Elwin, etc.
That said, to suggest that HWN/UM will turn out amazing because Spooky will pour their heart into it doesn't make sense either. Sure they're passionate, but are the current rules guys any good at it? For better or worse, we don't know. If you hired me as your art director, I could try harder than anyone in the world, and operate every moment with passion out the ass, but it doesn't mean I could will the game into looking better than a kindergartener. That's not where my talents are, and we don't know yet whether Spooky's talents are in the rules dept. now either.
To suggest that this game has to be good because it's the same company that made R&M is like saying Munsters and <insert Elwin game> have to both be amazing because Stern made them both. Same company, different employees, different skills, different results.
Are concern and questions are appropriate? Yes
Do I wish Bowen were still involved? Yes
Are people over-reacting by dumping their games upon the Bowen news? Absolutely
As much as everything with Spooky code feels like amateur hour at the moment (bricking machines, video-clip-gate, "Bowen consulting on rules" but not really, etc.) you need to settle in for the long haul on any Spooky game before you know where you'll land. There's enough red flags with the personnel on this one to suggest it's more likely to end up like RZ than R&M, but I'm not pushing the panic button yet, and nobody else should be either. Guarded optimism or hopeful concern would make sense, but we all know Pinside doesn't operate like that. So I guess that means the sky is falling.
Well put, and summarizes things quite well ( though I actually like MunstersLE, lol)
Quoted from Frax:Which matters...how? People complained that the code was barebones when it came out. Hell, even the final product of Tron isn't particularly deep or interesting, but it fits the game. I've owned it twice, and played it so much on location that I'd gotten to Portal well before I owned it the first time.
We deal with the prices of the time. Do you think it's comfortable for me to spend 8000 on Ultraman? Trust me, it's not. At all. And I'd say there's about a 30% chance that I end up having to forfeit my game to someone else.
Having higher expectations because the prices have increased is a logical fallacy. It's already been demonstrated over the last few years that's simply NOT going to happen. There's nothing quantitatively "better" about Godzilla or Ultraman or Halloween because they're pushing 9k, it's entirely subjective. Mechs are still going to break, code is still going to be unfinished in a lot of people's opinions, and playfields are still going to wear and dimple. If someone chooses to not learn from history, I don't know what to say there......but again.....Pinside proved with JPOP and Deeproot that most people here have absolutely no intention of rubbing a few brain cells together to see the obvious.
The phrase you quoted vanished ( shocking).. Doesn't have shit to do with anything being discussed.
" Blind Faith" , " proven talent" statements/ questions? Got to be f'**king kidding me.
You are spot on, as are many others. Unbelievable ( actually normal on here for some time)...
Maybe we can hope the continued nonsense continues, and 
Spooky will stop posting...is this the goal?
How about letting them finish the game? What has been shown looks great.
Save the "care package, Rev x" (epitome of blind faith) shit for the appropriate thread.
Quoted from SpookyLuke:I am here! You guys have certainly laid out a tough one for me this time.
Nothing we do is ever intended to upset our customers or deceive them. The last thing we want to do is wake up and have people not like us or what we do. Bowen was consulted on multiple occasions about rules. Spooky Bug has pages of notes to show for it. We feel it is important to develope our in house team that work together on a daily basis. Our priority going forward are going to be staff that can be in the shop every day! So much behind the scenes that goes on that I wish I could show the whole picture.
A cool and exciting part as we progress with each game and sales is that money allows us to invest right back into our infrastructure and product. Now I could spend a week talking about the 1000 different directions capital gets pulled in pinball to create a great final project but I won't get into that.
I think we are coming along nicely on what is going to be a great game for you guys and our deepest code ever by the end. If you compare where ACNC was at this stage vs Halloween it's no contest!
A few weeks ago everyone was worried their would be no halloween assets at all and now we have 30+ approved clips. Also constantly adding real original audio and will continue to do so! Relax and enjoy the ride guys there are always good things coming!
Kudos on jumping in, and speaks volumes to your commitment to the community as well as your game!!!! The "he said, I heard, he told me" means absolutely zero to me personally. None of my business as to why he posted, and is no longer with you in whatever capacity. The only thing I could gather from the post " not my decision" in no way minimizes your efforts, but possibly amplifies them. He seemed to say kind things about the company, so heard nothing negative. Have no opinion on the situation beyond it doesn't shine a negative light on either of you, period.
This (imho) is your biggest, baddest theme to date, and scrutinized since day 1 (which is ok...a public forum). To think however, you deliberately shoot yourself in the foot is absolutely insane however.
Pre-order spots being dumped and people bailing? Happens on every single game (even started a thread on it)...reasons vary but generally $$$ is always at the core. People have agendas, egos to pump, whatever...call me a fanboy as I'm buying the damn thing and very excited about it!!!! What I've seen progress wise has been stellar, and your engagement even exceeds that.
Great things await...stay the course!!!!..(you already know... 
).....
Quoted from freakyvideoguy:#63 checking in here. Totally agree, I love the game so far, and the code update from Halloween just cements that even more. I have more more confidence then ever that this is going to be a homerun. If you bought this game because you love the theme (grail theme for me) and weren't looking for a quick flip, I would say you have nothing to worry about. If you are still feeling nervous, try to find it on location and give it a play and I'm sure you'll walk away feeling the same.
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Good grief...and next to Drac!!!! Nice, and glad to hear your enjoying the game and journey.....( oh wait, need to throw something negative in here.....that orange looks horrid reflecting off your ceiling tiles, lol... ...)
Quoted from metallik:That's profit taking there
Easy pickings there....don't believe for a second that some didn't already flip spots early in this 1 for profit either ("oop's I bought 2", and other $500 -$1k early grabs were common).
Every game, every time.
Quoted from metallik:Yup, I could have sold mine at least break-even at that time had I known Bowen was gone. I think that train has left the station, so guess we'll ride this thing to delivery. I'm in low 200s so will be able to dig in personally soon enough.
Me too..and you never know, you might find it to your liking. I've always respected your postings, even if not agreeing with some of them, across the threads.
Think I'm 230 something, so anxious to hear all the takes, though mine will be most important to me..
Believe you have every right to being upset if the game was purchased under perceived or implied/ conveyed notions. The good news is it actually could end up still being great, and certainly not going to take a bath if it wasn't what you'd hoped. Market is just too strong for these things.
Think I'll get mine, play/ flip in a couple years as when they're gone, they're gone ( kidding of course, as this thing really intrigues me... believe it's going to add it's own magic to my lineup and be a keeper).
Hope the journey w this game ends in a positive manner for you, regardless which path you take...............mark
Quoted from TheFamilyArcade:Special K’s pod was ludicrous today. Calling Spooky out for planning to take a year on the code, when he’s bought Stern that took 2 or 3 years to finish. Makes no sense.
Really wish I'd heard it (not)....really wish I cared or respected anything that he spewed ( definitely not). Got my fill years ago in here.....pass
1 week later
Quoted from John-Floyd:I’m happy with it and keeping it. Very unique and fun game. Plays much faster than I thought and the subways have grown on me! Wish the left side had some more variety and that’s my really only negative. It’s a beautiful looking game and It’s gonna get a lot cooler as the code progresses. Not going anywhere - Well done Spooky team!
Congrats, as I know you were pondering a bit...anxious for mine, and things will only get better.....
Quoted from Morgoth00:The Shape has arrived!
#88
Once again scheduled delivery for the afternoon and RL showed up at 9am lol. But I was ready this time...
[quoted image]
That armor coating looks better each time I see it!!!
Quoted from insight75:I think it's a wise investment. Good when working on the pins too to protect the armor. One little mess up and it will ruin your day... Just my opinion of course.
+1...great piece of mind. I've nicked 2 or 3 of mine before saying " enough us enough" .
For me, when I'm working on something, often have to raise/ lower the pf several times until I've accomplished my task. If the repair is a PITA, it gets me frustrated....that's when the mistakes happen...can't unsee it once the damage is done...
Changing out blades once pays for these...a must have..
1 month later
Quoted from miyagiPins:#237 and super excited!
#264 here...also starting to feel real!!
1 week later
3 weeks later
Quoted from zebpin61:#199 here, Spooky communication occurred over Christmas holidays so this may not be as representative but here goes: I got my butter/no butter email 12/21. The invoice email came 1/3 with a due date of 1/18 and I paid it the same day. Was notified my machine was ready to ship 1/4, rec'd on 1/7. Played every day since...
Sweet!!! Getting closer....
Quoted from RKip455:I picked up #219 today... 1/15/22. Was delivered on 1/14/22.
Whoa!!! I'm 264, so maybe February?
1 week later
Quoted from Lopa:I disagree pinball is absolutely fine art, mechanical art etc. I play the crap out of my machines but I still got a sexy butter Halloween because it looks so damn good.
Art isn’t just painting, some of the conduit runs I did as a wiremen were pure sculptural beauty hidden underneath ceiling tiles. I get your point in that some people take that stuff overboard with the “trailer queen” mentality.
Pretty much spot on post. Pinball, for me, is an amazing mix of art and science.
I buy and play the crap out of all my machines, let my grandkids slobber on them, etc. However, these are amazing " artforms" in totality, enjoying the game as well as maintaining it.
Appreciating the game in whatever way seems fine to me...I personally love playing, working on, and sometimes just staring at all of them.....
Anyone put the IPS screen upgrade in this game yet?
Just added to my R&M and major difference!!!
My game arrives tomorrow and wondering if the difference is that noticeable on this one?...thx
Quoted from Morgoth00:Not hard, but the ribbon cables can be finnicky
Agreed....a little tweaking and everything pretty straightforward. Such an upgrade over original, think I've gotta pull the trigger on this one too.
Quoted from Morgoth00:I did it due to all the darkness and being tall. Well worth it IMO. Original is shown with stock settings, could be made better by tweaking settings.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Good grief....dramatic difference!!
Quoted from JesseJames23:Congrats! Is your topper broken or just a bad angle
Not broken....I'm a miserable photographer ( as many have pointed out in the past, lol)
20220210_202546 (resized).jpg20220210_202555 (resized).jpgQuoted from metallik:There's more pumpkin pieces in the cashbox.
And so it is....I put in the disclaimer that I haven't dialed it in yet...
Quoted from tp:Embrace your
Doh!
Moment.
Nah...I would have found them tomorrow evening when I pop the top and start checking things out...my. back still hurts from getting it in place ( but now I'll put the damn thing on ... guilt trip)..
Quoted from Gotfrogs:I got my new LCD installed. The blacks look so much better. I highly recommend this mod.[quoted image]
Completely agree!!! Put 1 in my R&M, and now I'm sold....HWN showed today....just amazing!!!
A break for a pour, but WOW, this game is like nothing I've ever played!!! Serious, serious honeymoon phase at the moment....absolutely just pulls you in...with a quite unique, paced way....quite terrifying and fascinating at the same time. I know it's early for me, but really enjoying this ride.
Going w 7.0 currently to get things through the subways (calibrated inclinometer I use at work)...might back down to 6.8 tomorrow. What's the favorite at this point?
Whew, great job Spooky!!! Just an amazing, approachable game....thank you!!!
Quoted from Lopa:My game plays pretty flawlessly at 7.0
Quoted from jeffro01:I'm at 6.5 FWIW...
Jeff
Appreciate the input as I'm tinkering with some other aspects today.
Quoted from jk2171:Love reviews like this! I ordered Day 1 hoping Spooky would capture the feel of the movie. Sounds like they did an awesome job! Couple more months for mine still.
They really did an amazing job with this..easy to see and I've only had it a short time. The ball just comes at you in ways that aren't usual, deceptively fast in some aspects, then a weird calm in others (the word "startling" comes to mind). You absolutely can't take your eyes off the game if you want to get somewhere as it pulls you in. It really ties together great...anxious to give it another round this evening after this round of tinkering is done.
People ask for different, then when it happens, complaining starts. This game is different, but in a great way. Can't imagine someone not liking it, but choice is always good....
Admire the Spooky team, love the game, and suspect whatever negative vibe that might be floating out there will quiet over time. I don't listen to trash, basically despise FOMO early spot flips and pump-to-dump activities, so don't even know where the chatter might be coming from. Just noise to me (and there can be quite a bit at times).
I just really enjoy the hobby, and this game definitely scratches an itch that can't be achieved with any of my others..Spooky, fun adventure!!!!! (IMHO)
Quoted from Morgoth00:Great vid
Agreed, and so many ignore that true level, both at the front and back of the game. Makes a big difference.
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:For those of you considering dropping some coin on the LCD upgrade. Don't do it until you change the factory settings on the one you have. The OEM display was not set at the factory to be looked down on. After all, who looks down on a monitor. It is always straight on. Because of that you need to tweak the settings. Here is what I used:
Brightness 40%
Contrast 80%
Gamma on
I'm 5' 11" and it looks considerably better with these settings.
Settings definitely improved the performance, but for me (just me) the off axis stuff was noticeable enough (I sit and stand depending on how serious I am) that the IPS upgrade made sense. Overall blacks and color saturation are quite improved across the board as well. Maybe not a "must have" but definitely an improvement.....
Sort of like PDI for me I guess...
Landed at 6.7 to lock it down and having a blast....great game!!!
Quoted from iceman44:Just ordered the IPS upgrade. I want to make this excellent game is the best it can be especially with upcoming new code, video and graphics. I want the scare factor very clear!
It really is a major improvement....kinda is what it is...you'll love it Doug!!
Quoted from McIntyre905:Anyone elses machine freeze after being on for a bit?
Nope....generally runs nightly for about 6 hours, with a dozen or so games put on it most nights
Quoted from McIntyre905:So where should I check first ? How does one reload the software? Sorry first machine here
In truth I'd check with the factory first...I've only been in Spookyland a short time, but the support I've received is amazing. Very engaging, and quite confident they can help you run the issue down.
All sorts of things could be causing some of your problems, and you can easily dig a hole if not careful. Great, knowledgable people in here, but a factory dive really can't be beat IMHO....
Quoted from metallik:How long is "a bit" ? I've occasionally left mine on most of the day.. 6-8 hours with intermittent play, not had a lockup.
Shamefully admit I left mine on all night last Friday....woke up Saturday morning, saw it, a bit of profanity, then played about 5 games before turning it off... 
I've created more than my share of magic smoke over the years as I learned to work on my games.....but the new ones with factory support? Never afraid to reach out to them...they have the parts and the knowledge...win/ win (many even help when the game is out of warranty or a second owner).
Been in a place with no factory to ever provide any support....not a great experience and not for the faint of heart....
You're not there....
Quoted from metallik:Burn-in test complete!
The exact justification talk I gave to myself ( after the profanity part).......
Quoted from John_C:Ever consider that some people's eyes are more sensitive to bright light than others?
I think most machines have " seizure warning" labels ( at least newer Sterns) on them.
Nothing blinding at all about these, and the effect is awesome...any game w flashers is way more intense than this....you'll want to avoid AFM....strobe multiball is quite intense on the eyes...
Quoted from GreenMachine19:Has anyone who upgraded to the IPS monitor having issues with the sound? The screen is definitely better. The picture is way more crisp. But it seems like the sub woofer does not work at all. I’ve messed with the volume settings on the amp and monitor controls volume. I contacted IPS but they don’t respond at all. The sound on mine is superior with the stock monitor.
No comparison on image quality. The audio is "stripped" off the HDMI at the screen PCB, then sent to the power amp in cabinet base. The IPS PCB is much more " pass thru" in nature, than factory unit.
You'll want to start w turning amplifier way down, then raise coin door volume to around 50%, ensuring enough gain.
Then simply turn the main Amp volume up to desired level. Remember, that Amp supplies drive to L/R and Sub . Adjust overall volume to L/R first, then adjust the sub to your liking.
Achieved great S/N ratio, and audio is awesome....
Quoted from metallik:Very cool, appreciate the bug hunting. Even at this early stage, the atmosphere of Halloween is unlike any other pinball game and in a good way. You're really doing a great job capturing the horror/suspense vibe.
Agreed.....I'm choosing to believe " Michael creep" on him drinking behind the hedges ( until they correct in code)...
Quoted from Jediturtle:I think everyone will be happy about the combination of new content and serious bug squashage in the new code.
Bingo!!
Quoted from John_C:Frequent readers may remember my complaint a few pages back about the LED strips. I didn't like how they were exposed and found the light for the LEDs to be a bit piercing for my eyes.
Well I came up with a cover for the LED strips. Using a modified lens made for aluminum LED light channels, I simply attached it over the top of the strips using very thin cable ties.
The harshness of the LED direct light has been replaced by nice diffused glows. Brightness is not affected at all and I still have my LED strips turned down from the default.
The result is exactly what I was looking for.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
You'll want to watch that, as the diffuser is designed to work w aluminum channel - designed to keep the LED strip cool by dissipating heat as it's now covered up. Currently, the strip is simply attached to the wood and open air. You mention "modified"....it appears the same as what is offered w the channel (bendable btw)...just slides in. Curious...thx
So...had a flakey LED strip, AJ promptly sent a replacement ( in my hands in 2 days. Spooky rocks!!)...sat on it for a week or so deciding if I'd do this...
Decided, why not? Ordered appropriate aluminum channel and milky white diffuser...installed this afternoon ( meetings reschedued). The channel looks great and went w thin depth to just open the light up a bit...
Kind of a PITA, but like the overall smoothing effect...going to cut a new diffuser and tidy a bit tomorrow, but wanted to share...no wire ties, and the channel will dissipate the heat fine, also keeping the lens at equal distance across the strips
Bourbon and time to play this thing!!
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:Do you have a link on where you bought the aluminum channel and white diffuser?
Yep....will post in a bit
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:Do you have a link on where you bought the aluminum channel and white diffuser?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SJF88LY
If you visit the store ( this is amazon link), you can be certain you are getting the black clips....couple things:
- I'd advise buying the 6 pack...though overkill, chances are high that you might bend the channel..(cheap enough)
- Mount the clips as low as possible, drilling an absolute parallel to playfield hole (5/64 = smaller than the wire tie holes). Be SUPER careful, and you don't need that many clips if you've bent the channel correctly (test fit often). These holes are behind the channel going into the side, so even if you bailed on the whole thing, no biggie (provided you didn't drill at an angle). Idea is top of clip is even w top of pf.
- Clean the edges of the channel cut and keep on the short side...no pushing aluminum even into the heat shrink..soft bends at the ends = long life.
- The diffuser is a PITA making the sharp rounded corner. You'll need to trim about 1.25 inches of ribbing to allow it to stay rounded. If you kink it, you will see it.
- Most important - the LED strip has sticky, clear tape to hold it in place. BE CERTAIN you haven't peeled this thin tape off when removing from the wood, and ensure it's covering the entire strip when you adhere to the aluminum. It can fool you and separate = disaster if the back of the actual strip touches the aluminum.
Not difficult ( well maybe a little bit), but patience and attention to detail is important. Played a lot last night and really like the widening of the pattern and softer edges....just me.....good luck....
If you wanted a spotless effect (1 long tube) the channel will have to be deeper = U108. I like the soft spots and not comfortable bending the deeper stuff on my own.
Disclaimer - All of these beautiful games are under warranty (I'd think) and Spooky is amazing. Just a bit of caution as there is the potential to damage an LED strip, etc. if things get a bit sideways.....did this for my own game at my risk....
Quoted from Agent_Hero:By "milky white" do you mean translucent? I've always thought being able to see each individual LED and see it as a basic LED strip is janky. It needs to be more discreet like a light tube to the point where you can't see that it's essentially a cheap LED strip--something that would look more like the ELI ramps on Tron, but still with the light chasing effect here.
You would have to go w deeper channel, getting the LED further from the milky white diffuser ( they make it in smokey gray as well). I fear in this case it may move the entire assembly out too far, minimizing the effectiveness of the smokey shield. I can't bend that deep of channel anyway, but could be done. Diminished returns for me trying that.
Also, going to be pretty much impossible to emulate TronLE ( or ELI upfit mod) as those are fiber light tube, driven from the end).
The spots are now very soft ( don't have the " hard lines" of an LED), and the overall blend is much smoother. They still chase and sink great...
" milky white" = translucent, but not transparent. Flashlight to a milk jug gives you the idea....further the beam gets from the jug, wider and less defined beam. Sheet of glass makes no difference.
1 week later
Quoted from TheLaw:That does look like shit.
But I guess its just mylar over a protector. Is there even any wear on it? Its just the mylar thats blown out...guess yiu could take it off and find out what happens.
It is the mylar ( factory installed on mine)...game came w a spare sheet of mylar cutouts as I recall...
Quoted from McIntyre905:Question is this wear normal for pinball games? How can I make this not look like shit lol it's kinda all a look at now
[quoted image]
Your posts have been interesting....believe you've put hundreds of games on the machine pretty early on ( a good thing imho), then some odd tech questions...
Scores and scores of threads regarding wear and tear when your firing a steel ball bearing at things.....I do understand these prices make everyone want to put on pf protectors ( I hate the way they feel) and keep the game as pristine as possible.
Just gotta decide if you're going to play the thing or not I guess. A defect is different, but wear and tear is part of it. I remember just seeing shooter lane pics, lol.
That's a " short scoop" ( very close to the flippers) and its gonna get nailed quite a bit...wouldn't worry much about it...just my take
Quoted from TheLaw:Many of us have had Cliffys on our machines for over a decade and they are not damaged and thousands of plays, tens of thousands of hits.
Truth...was kind of shocked when I saw it on the protector, as maybe they wanted to put in front of it(?)
Kinda looked like epoxy or something when I got the game and had me scratching my head....I'll probably pull it off at some point, but not bugging me.
Can't speak to Rush, as I've never seen one.
Quoted from McIntyre905:Yea honestly have got a million questions haha first pin so I'm definitely a noob. Do you know where the spare mylar pieces are. I have a sheet I could cut but If they did include them somewhere I'd use them
I meant it as compliment ( basic noob questions, but playing the hell out of the game)...speaks volumes to me...
The only way I knew they included a spare sheet was reading the " parts included" list, lol....had to go through all the packing I'd ripped off and found mine taped to the plastic....probably would have thrown it away otherwise.
As mentioned above, if it were me...I'd remove the one covering the steel protector, wax the area in FRONT of the protector, and place the new one there.....
Quoted from McIntyre905:Aw fuck I deff didn't see that and my box is in the garbage lol I will deff do what you recommended tho thank you
Would have thrown mine out too, if I hadn't read the sheet ( which I rarely do)...was stoked they threw in some extra PCBLEDs, and stepper motors, so looked at it and went " shit, I've thrown them out"....fortunately didn't make the dumpster yet ( just the back of my truck)...so my diving turned the sheet up.
Definitely don't forget to clean, then wax the area your going to lay the mylar on....can be a PITA, or remove art if you pull it down the road ( at your rate of play, could be a few months, lol).
Seriously, that front scoop is absolutely brutal ( as you're aware)...so not a bad idea to put something in front of the protector...
Quoted from Twister:https://new.spookypinball.com/game-support/
1.06 Code is online
Wait, what!!! It was nap time after working this AM.....I'll sleep when I'm dead....let me find my stick!!!!
Smooth update (really have to sneak a nap in and will explore tonight)......
Scariest update in pinall I swear!!! pulsing red (seems forever) while in process...feeling my heart race, to finally see green pulsing on success....freakin love this thing!!!
Quoted from Jediturtle:Another thing to try would be plugging directly into the board instead of the extension cable. Just one more variable to eliminate from the chain. Stranger Things (hey wrong game!) have happened!
+1 on that.....the coin door cable is laced to other wiring and possibly something playing a role in the fail (or just a bad cable)....
Whew...played myself into exhaustion....got into 4 modes, things are smoothing out nicely...definitely a shooters game..wish I was a better one..
Great job Spooky!! Kept hitting start, start, start...really sucks you in....saw, heard some great new stuff..LOVE THIS GAME!!
Quoted from Mudflaps:Woah, I finished all of the incidental modes, hit the scoop, and… flippers went dead. The wizard mode isn’t coded yet, but I’ll certainly never have a game like that again![quoted image]
Whoa, well done!! I can't get past the 20 something millions yet....afraid w my skills it will be glass off time to see all the cool stuff ( still counts, right) 
Spent some time in the pumpkin area....biggest immediate win for a solid shot is removing the mylar from the protector (leave on the PF).....did some slow mo, and the added height lauches the ball up hitting the deflector high, causing a lot of the rejections. Such an amazing game...been playing the crap out of it!!! Huge thanks to Spooky for bringing this thing to life!!!
Quoted from rotordave:Ok - I’m going to teach you an old furniture factory trick. I’ve used it on Stern cabinets too. I can do it solo but best you get two guys.
Cabinets will often go out of square. That’s why your drawers sometimes catch on one side. Or your sofa is twisted a little bit. A bit of force applied in the correct direction will square them up.
Work out which side the glass is further forward on. We know the glass is cut square (check it with a square to check, but it should be) so the cabinet needs to be squared a little to match.
Remove the glass. Maybe put the playfield up on the service rails.
Get one guy on each side of the cabinet, at the front corner.
Each guy grabs a side of the cabinet.
GUY ONE: hold your side steady. Put your knee against the front of the cabinet.
GUY TWO: Pull the side of the cabinet where the glass was forward on FORWARDS. You’re bringing the cabinet forward to match the glass.
Go with a little force first. Sometimes it only needs a little. Sometimes it needs more.
What you’re doing is squaring up the cabinet to match the glass. Glass is square - now cabinet is square.
Have fun.
rd
Spot on!!...I've had to square 2 of mine (by myself) that way....got the game close to a wall so I didn't kill my back (leaning into the wall, lifting a corner to tweak the cab, then checking fit). Worked like a charm...
Quoted from delt31:The animation with Michael as a kid slashing - haven’t seen that one. Is it in there?
Only seen in Judith Meyers where they pull his mask off.....definitely would like some of his younger slashes in there...( haven't been all the way through though, so maybe..)
Quoted from SpookyBug:Hey guys, just letting y'all know there is a 1.06B update uploaded to the website for Halloween with some bug fixes. Thought I posted this yesterday but I guess it didn't send. Enjoy!
Smooth and easy update. Sort of like the HS reset...let's me pretend I'm playing better...putting initials back up, lol
Quoted from Obed_Marsh:An oddity I noticed on 1.06 and 1.06b is when selecting some of the modes it quick triggers two right flipper flips. The first few times I thought I had inadvertently pressed the button, but now confirmed it is indeed flipping itself without a button press.
Was anyone else getting that behavior?
Thought the same, then SookyLuke said it was intentional ( think TSPP, JJPPOTC, etc.) as a visual clue.
1 week later
Quoted from John_C:Good morning!
Frequent readers here may recall my posts about the Michael "creep" issue I've been dealing with. Although the latest code revision addresses this issue somewhat (by resetting the Michael servo when the associated blood target is hit), I was still having problems with the servos receiving longer signal pulses resulting in them jumping out quite a bit and not resetting. In fact, my Michaels were being driven into the hedges so much, earlier this week I had a servo fail and stop working completely.
Well, I believe I have fixed the issue, at least on my machine. At my own expense, I replaced all three of the Michael servos with alternate versions (amazon.com link »). These new servos have similar specs to the originals but have metal gearing instead of the nylon gears found in the original servos. The new servos no longer jump out like the previous ones did. I still see a lot of the code corrections kicking in when I hit one of the blood targets below a servo, but the servos are no longer jumping out and eventually being driven into the hedges.
As an aside, these servos are dark in color, not the blue of the original servos. So I took the extra time of enclosing the servo wiring in split loom to make them less noticeable. I definitely like the darker colors along the left side of the machine now. And it looks much better.
[quoted image]
Glad w the recalibration feature in the software, the new servos are working out ( very, very familiar w the metal gear version, along with additional metal case model if you really wanted/ needed the strength)...Michael is pretty small though, so kinda overkill...
Would only offer to those w problems...check w Spooky support....it is definitely NOT the servos, and am confident they can share the pretty straightforward fix ( think inductive loop, not EMI).
Really like the lacing ideas!!! Good stuff...
Quoted from John_C:Actually, I have been working with Spooky support for the last few weeks while I tried everything I could think of to identify the source of the problem. I've replaced the servo extension leads, braided the servo flat wire leads, replaced the 12v/5v power supply (at my own expense), etc. All along, Spooky has tried to offer guidance but they've been unable to determine the cause of the problem.
It wasn't until I changed out the servos that the problem seemed to go away.
MK6PIN - You suggested this issue might be some sort of inductance loop. Can you shed some more light on this?
I've watched how you were addressing the issue, and several on here nailed the culprit. Strictly speaking for myself, with the intent of helping others, as I love this game, Spooky rocks, and possibly clarifying would help others find what I did....
EMI - electromagnetic interference (noise)
Induced voltage - can be transmitted OR received depending on what the intent is by creating a coil or in this case a loop to amplify the desired result.
While both have similarities, the resulting effects are generally different.
In this case, the servo motor wiring UNDER the playfield have managed in some cases to create an effective inductive loop (due to overall length and parallel nature underneath). When this happens, it's not noise, but rather an induced voltage (from whatever) that it picks up. That small voltage is then "seen" by a Michael but only briefly, hence the creep. Also explains why there are many games that don't even experience it. Servo is simply getting induced voltage at random times, and energizes. Completely random, Michaels behave differently, with the exception as #1 always seems to be the worst culprit. Why? best shot of getting the full effect of the pulse, as the wiring ABOVE the playfield is parallel.
So...as others have touched on, the simplest way to "break the loop" is to go UNDER the playfield, unlace all the servo wiring (carefully, but quite easy) leaving each 3 wire servo twist in place, hanging. Once accomplished, locate an easy area under the playfield to relace, with each servo trio oriented 90 degrees from each other. The wires are long, and took me about 15 minutes to address once I figured out what was happening.
These are hand laced, again explaining why some games do it, and some don't. Simply been assembled/ laced differently. The 90 degree part actual creates rejection to any induced voltage, as opposed to amplifying it. You may have actually done it when you changed your servos and not even realized it. I had the issue, corrected, replicated, and corrected using this method 3 times...enough to convince me I'd found what was happening.
Easy, but just be careful to not cut an actual wire. Secure, and done. There are several games out now dating back to WOZ where proper wireway/ lacing is very important. This is one of them.....(ferrite chokes are sort of hit or miss as they generally help w rejecting noise)
Yes, I've interacted w Spooky (quite a bit) as I went through this...again, not speaking for them, just wanted this lifted so everyone just doesn't pile on, blaming bad parts or something....this works, and hope some find it helpful.....
Quoted from ezeltmann:I have the first Michael (closest to the player) permanently exposed ; seemingly after the latest code update . Not sure how to fix; although i may have missed previous posts .describing this.
Definitely the "creepiest" Michael, lol...
Quoted from John_C:MK6PIN - Try as I might, I cannot comprehend what you're saying here. Can you dumb it down for me?
Brevity - take your servo wires UNDER the playfield, cut the wire ties that hold them...let them hang....THEN relace (attach) each individually, just not all neat and tidy together. Do one say left to right, then the next front to back (90 degrees), and the third just further down.
I'm nowhere near a machine or wire...working in hospital at my computer(s)....so the best analogy I can show with probably my worst picture taking effort:
all together (current) (resized).jpg
Quoted from metallik:Metallica LE/Prem has a similar issue.. the magnet board locking on due to picking up noise from the wiring loom. Fixed by making a separate harness to connect the signaling wires separately of the main loom.
Boom!!!
Quoted from John_C:Gotcha! Thank you.
I don't know if you saw my earlier posts but during my troubleshooting, I did separate out each servo harness, bundled the excess with a zip tie, and then used multiple routing options around and above the main board before plugging them in. When that didn't work, I tried replacing the servo extension leads with braided versions (rather than twisted) but that didn't make a difference either.
With the close proximity of the servos to those blood targets, I started thinking, well, maybe those targets are directly inducing the EMI that the servo motors are picking up. In any case, after having an original servo completely fail on me, I thought I'd try servos of a slightly different design and from a different manufacturer and so far the issue seems to have been resolved.
Followed your posts...saw different approaches, but never eliminating ( one actually supercharged) the induction potential.
Regardless...happy yours is working, and given you had a dead servo, had to change regardless.
Chasing these things can definitely be challenging ( my TZ decided to take a dump on Friday...still kicking my ass ...that game is a huge PITA when things get wonky)
Quoted from rotordave:Where’s it say this?
It’s not “a thing” at all. Please don’t make it one.
Occasionally, a servo will break - as a coil will short, or a transistor will lock on, a bulb fails …. Shit happens.
rd
+ 1 million....( and in this case, the servos are NOT bad, so maybe just be grateful the factory supports the game, not making broad stroke negative statements)
Quoted from Ty-Arnold:People selling spots for a big loss is a little concerning. I have never seen it before. Do that many people really think the game is that bad? You would think 1000 off a game would fly off the shelves.
Play mine pretty much every evening and love the hell out of it. It's just a machine that for whatever reason, just keeps calling me for 1 more game. Really, really like it.
Plenty of titles have been dumped for loss due to code, FOMO fallout, or suddenly realize they cant afford it.
This is a great game and will only get better w code....my lineup has all sorts of amazing machines, this one earns it's keep ( and Im probably the only guy in this thread that truly doesnt worship Iron Maiden or Deadpool....good games, but many, many other better for me)
Quoted from underlord:You're giving podcasters in general way too much credit. Influencer? Hardly.
Anyone bailing on a nib pin saying it was a podcaster's info that convinced them is either a liar and has buyers remorse or was hoping to flip it quick. These are the trends I'm seeing.
I've seen dopes in my life but purchasing a 10 grand luxury item then having a stranger convince you it was a bad decision based on unsubstantiated conjecture takes the cake.
Exactly. The only ones that are shitting themselves are the pure flippers, or FOMO w buyers remorse. Current state will require major pumping, combined with pure bullshit to find the angle. Gonna take time, and it's about time....
This is not a pump and dump machine, more pure pinball magic. Can't rebrand it, make it something it's not by adding parts, etc.
Absolutely love it..a true gem for anyone that really enjoys the hobby and being a part of the growth process in a stellar, unique game.
Quoted from Betelgeuse:I posted about this possible fix weeks ago and it got completely skipped over. This was the same fix JJP made mid production for the saucer on Pirates. Good to hear that it works for Halloween too. Did you have to make any modifications or did the screw holes just line up?
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/halloween-owners-threadhes-coming-home/page/84#post-6823900
I didn't skip over....immediately went and grabbed 2 of them. Installing this weekend....think this is the perfect shape ( was screwing around bending a metal mock on my bench until I saw your post).
Quoted from John_C:That piece of plastic over the drop targets must get a lot of abuse and I'm guessing it's a common point of failure. I am currently awaiting a replacement piece for my machine and my friend's machine also has the same broken shield.
I think rather than just reinstall a new OEM piece, I'm gonna use my replacement piece as a template and cut out a new piece from quarter-inch plexiglass. And because the existing posts used to secure this shield are way too short anyway, I'm gonna replace them with hex stand-offs. With the hex stand-offs, I'll be able to use 6/32 machine screws to attach the shield to the posts.
PETG or polycarbonate for sure ( not acrylic). Suspect something along those lines will be offered at some point....
Quoted from BrianBannon:That shield is a pain to replace. I replaced mine a couple of months ago and discovered that you really don't need any fasteners to hold the shield in place under the upper playfield, just the exposed post on the left by the hedge. The fit is so tight at the posts that the shield isn't going anywhere, and is probably the reason why it snapped there in the first place. That shield hasn't come close to popping off or breaking in well over 1000 plays since the replacement, so maybe allowing it to flex a bit has kept it from snapping. A stronger piece would be a plus, the OEM piece is flimsy.
Only issue with your proposed machine screw solution is just getting access to those fasteners buried underneath both of those playfields. It is pretty tight under there.
Great insight and appreciated!! I would think at that length, flexing is survival.....believe PETG would be a great choice in material..maybe someone could get slightly creative with it....I'm tinkering in other areas...such a great game....can't stop playing the freakin thing!!
Deflector stuff:
Completed the deflector (scoop) replacement yesterday. Results are dramatic and the shot is now very, very consistent (for me = average player)..backhand or left flipper
Disclaimer - I did this to my game, my opinion and logic...just sharing if anyone wants to go down this road....
PITA factor - medium to high. Things are very tight in there, potential for screws or small spacer (subway) to drop into bad places. Patience will be your friend on this one. I pulled the subway down (didn't need to remove) to get to things. Total time (including lunch break when I lost a screw, lol = around 3 hours w testing). Not an easy task..be honest w yourself regarding your tools/ skillset, and get help if you need it....no sense breaking anything....
Profanity factor - varies on if you drop/ lose a screw, lol...I got through it pretty well...
Used #535-8250-04 as a base (suggestion from another Pinsider) as it had the shape I was needing, based on my bench mock (easier than making a new one). didn't want a rounded scoop, rather a direction focused deflector.
You'll have to drill a center hole for the post and file/ grind the sides a bit to fit, but well worth it, as the shape is superior to the 3 hole version (again, just my take)
Included some before and after pics. You can see where the ball is hitting high on the original, causing it to reject or hit the front of the hole protector. Rebending will keep things working ok, but over time the ball is definitely going to bend the top back.
The new shape allows the ball to be "deeper" into the hole area before impact, coupled with the distinct bend fires the ball down, straight into the hole. The bend also provides much more strength to the piece. I put a 3/16 rubber on the center post (used to avoid a ball trap from above) along w slightly offsetting the center hole to allow it to press against the back as well.
Very tidey, and night and day performance (for me). Pics should tell the story....first 2 are the end product, middle 3 show the center hole drilled (unfinished edges), impact on original, side by side difference, last shows the original.
deflect1 (resized).jpgdeflect2 (resized).jpgdeflect3 (resized).jpgdeflect4 (resized).jpgdeflect5 (resized).jpgdeflect6 (resized).jpg
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:Thanks for the write up. Man that stock scoop took some beating. Do you think it’s necessary to drill out that middle hole on the replacement scoop?
Yes, as the center post behind uses a wood screw to go through the center hole, attaches directly to playfield.. saw another post w a different model having the 3 holes already....felt the shape of the deflector I chose would work best.
Must put that post back in to prevent ball traps from Sanitarium above.
Any deflector, scoop, etc. Is going to get smacked ALOT being so close to the flippers as in this design ( Tron, Xmen come to my immediate mind).
Given Halloween uses a deflector, not a scoop, definitely needs to absorb the hit, and send the ball into the hole, where a scoop is more of a guide to absorb the hit via a path, then of course launches it back out.
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:Oh ok. Thank you so much for the information. Otherwise how are you enjoying the game?
Play it almost every evening....absolutely love it...a shotmaker for sure ( which Im not great at) and the whole vibe is really awesome.
Im starting and ending my "Pin nights" when I get to play...different than anything else in the lineup ( you can see mine). Very worthy of a keeper imho
Quoted from kciaccio:Alien is pretty good to.
Yep....still my most immersive game (I've got the HW original)....Sci-Fi horror however, so a different kind of fright. Halloween is very unique and addresses my horror fix in it's own way....(would offer BSD in this category, as the game can be quite terrifying in it's own right).
Fun to have a legit add to the mix.....much appreciated Spooky!!
Quoted from GreenMachine19:This is great work. I gotta know. How did you get those screws out without removing the posts?
Have a set of right angle, thin open end wrenches that did the trick. Legit PITA, however. Unscrewing and lowering the subway allowed me to gain access to the upper and lower areas......definitely a head scratcher, and definitely thought about it awhile before going at it......
Quoted from turbo2nr:Because Spooky sucks at code.
Service menu, game play, animations, etc. It is all the worst
TNA is good but Spooky didn't write that.
Danesi knows how to make a pin
Fortunately you don't have to own one, so shouldn't bother you.
Blanket bashing a company or broadstroke things is sort of ridiculous, especially in a club thread. REALLY like my R&M, as well as Halloween...guess I'm doomed....not....
Quoted from guitarded:Hahhaha!
Hysterical.
And instead of learning your lesson, you doubled down on the Flip.
... and You Lost!
Gotta love Spooky giving you what you deserve.
Yep....a quick check of "owned games" vs "owned in the past" can quantify a poster real quick.....6-8 "keepers" with 80+ in the past tells a tale. Basic math, compared to how long they've been in the community paints the picture.....but they are experts....just ask, lol
Used to bother me, especially when I really liked the title...now I'm indifferent to it.
Quoted from turbo2nr:Owned around 100
Restored over 50 of them.
It's a fun hobby.
I make my income owning a medical manufacturing business that does well.
We have kept many pins for years if they are fun. Bksor, afm, taxi, MM, irom maiden.
If I buy a game and don't like it then I sell it. I fail to follow any of your logic.
Not just talking about you...if you don't like Spooky, and aren't trying to pump one up you have to sell, then I don't understand why you are in here...
Also don't really care ( with respect)....however, the logic part is very tangible. Even have side bets (no $$$) with some fellow Pinsiders, on how long they pump a game, sell spots, etc. just to keep it interesting. Incredibly predictable. Halloween doesn't fit the mold, and just very amusing ( and satisfying to a degree) to watch some squirm ....Again, not all about you ( haven't even run across you much)....
Anyway...done with this bandwidth.....it IS a fun hobby..I'll agree with you on that...
1 week later
Quoted from SpookyLuke:That is correct we do have another studio that has completed a bunch of new really top tier stuff for Ultraman and we have already agreed with them that they will be doing some neat stuff for Halloween next. Yes, the animations when complete do have to be approved.
Great news...bring it!!!!
Quoted from freakyvideoguy:House mod installed! Easy install and looks great.[quoted image]
Hope to get mine installed this weekend...Andrew is a great guy, and makes amazing toys...
2 weeks later
Sorry to hear about rhe grief...been away from all my machines for a week, but Halloween was being played pretty much nightly with none of these bizarre issues.
Hopefully a remedy soon...
1 month later
Still play Halloween everytime Im in the pins...such a great theme, and truly enjoy it in current state, knowing its going to get even better as code matures. Fun shooter with perfect vibe for me.
The IPS screen absolutely kills on this title btw....blacks are amazing!!
Quoted from Agent_Hero:How is it compared to Alien? I would think Alien is a bit smoother since those orbits were as smooth as any game I've ever played. I always enjoyed the mood created just by hitting start. I sold it since it was a bit unreliable and I never did fix the Xeno mech.
Different games...I have a HW version. Won't compare to the PB remake as it just starts nonsense.....my take as a whole (related to Halloween):
- Theme - Alien best sci-fi horror theme there is for me
Halloween is best slasher, shock theme for me so tie.
- Layout - Alien is a widebody yet plays alot like a standard cab. Very smooth, can be very fast with amazing geometry. Alot of ways to go at it.
Halloween is more of a shot maker, a bit more stop and go, but very satisfying when you get the combos going. Future code will only enhance...
- Immersion - Alien has the playfield screen along with large overhead in backbox. Even though it only received 2 or 3 updates (?) the video editing and being
able to get real time info without lifting your eyes just puts you in the game. Combine all the elements (David's audio, etc.) and there is no
equal (for me).
Halloween does an incredible job already with pulling you in...has such a great horror vibe to it. Suspect the final coded version, with the right
video/ audio assets, turns this great game into a must have for many. Already is for me.
- Comparison - You can't buy a new HW Alien, however it's still the favorite in my lineup and of any game I've played. Never any factory support, so yes, you
needed to be committed to the machine.
With that statement, I really, really like my Halloween. It's a 100% win over a PB Alien due to the fact:
PB is definitely not Spooky
PB Alien is definitely not a Hwy Alien
You can buy a new or HUO Halloween that is supported by an amazing company
Thank you Spooky!!!!! (my .02)
Quoted from Deez:Can we please get a setting so we can turn off the constant mike movement for every ramp. It's so damn annoying. I don't have a creep problem and it completely ruins the surprise and excitement of getting the hedge multi ball shots because they just come out every damn ramp shot. It's nuts.
Even $$$ from me it doesnt stay that way w future code drops ( guessing, but cant imagine )
2 weeks later
Quoted from Jakers:My custom mod for Halloween. It took a lot of work, but well worth it. Now it’s time to play pinball for the rest of the evening instead of working on pinball!
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Yet another unfinished project on my bench ( embarrassing). Think the effect looks great...
4 weeks later
Quick question....what is in the Adult mode currently beyond the 1 boob scene? Can't recall much otherwise (unlike R&M lol)....guessing it will be more prevalent in later code drops.......
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:That's the pg version. Spooky could easily make it a stand alone mode. I'm wondering if the don't have permission to use it. That one scene kinda launched Carpenter's career much like the girl swimming in Jaws launched Spielberg's career. Both horrifying and really made the viewer feel uncomfortable and vulnerable.
Im anxious to see what they do with the extra assets/clips and graphics....love the machine, and pretty creepy already....
1 week later
Quoted from SkyKing2301:"It's Halloween... everyone's entitled to one good start button."
Ok maybe that's not exactly the line from the movie, but it's close.
New from Rocket City Pinball, 3D Start Button for Halloween -- using a virtual butcher knife, I virtually carved a jack-o-lantern, including START lettering for its mouth. The translucent tangerine base color creates just the right lit-up-jack-o-lantern color. The pumpkin is printed atop the base with a mid-print filament change, so it's all fused together as one single piece. The stem is detailed in a copper color during post-processing. Don't worry, the stem doesn't contact the housing; I've designed it with the button/switch stroke length in mind so it does not interfere with function.
[quoted image]
Since Spooky uses a smaller, recessed start button (unlike the now-standard larger start buttons used by Stern and JJP), this item includes a complete housing assembly to fully replace it. The new assembly will cover the counterbore in the cabinet, leaving you with a clean installation of the new larger button. (Very easy process, videos included in my shop listing to show you how to do it.)
[quoted image]
First person who is willing to take nice photos of it installed in their game (so I can update my shop listing) gets one at 50% off, using coupon code (((EDIT: coupon has been claimed, thanks!)))
Now available in my shop: https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1282-rocket-city-pinball/07068-3d-start-button-halloween
Nice!! ordered.... (just installed my bowling ball start button today for TBL, then got inspired to change my BM66 start button insert...it IS a "good start" sort of day, lol)...
Quoted from underlord:Butter email from Pinballstar. Yes please. #908
Boom! You shall love it!!
1 week later
Quoted from LMTLESS:Just installed the Rocket City Pinball Start button mod- love it. Looks really cool in person. My camera isn't the greatest (especially with close ups), but here are some pictures.... Super simple install (watch the videos)
SkyKing2301 [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
It does look quite nice.....sort of like a "Pumpkin Moon" against the cab, lol. I like mine alot.....will send some pics soon of the game (new powder and EL happening currently)..
Quoted from Beechwood:All I know is a motherfucking hand holding a knife stabs the game while the frantic modes, creepy ass music and bad ass light show are going on. And sometimes I get to see tits.
I'm not "just trying to enjoy" my game. I'm fucking loving it.
Bingo!!!!
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:I hope that Spooky drops the new code update a week before October (official spooky season) so they can work out the kinks on 1.09 into 1.09A before I bring it to my location haha.
See what you did there, lol.....
Just sort of cruising the threads a bit....sorry about some of the QC stuff I'm reading, but gotta say, still REALLY liking my game. Generally go through all the mechs, wiring, etc. anyway with any new pin purchase, and nothing I couldn't take care of easily on this one. Factory support is just amazing and easy to deal with. Obvious that they care.
Have put quite a few games on mine, and think the biggest plus build wise doesn't get lifted enough......the playfield itself!!! I can't repair those, and swapping a huge PITA......swear I was staring mine down last night TRYING to find a dimple or something bad, and couldn't. No idea what they are doing, but really, really appreciate the quality put in on ( what I believe) the most important part of any machine.....
Side - I'm probably the only dummy that stumbled across Boogeyman mode in the settings by accident, enabled, and have been playing the crap out of it. Great change of pace for me.....
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Is it not enabled in the settings by default?
No, it's actually a setting in the menu.....found it by accident (guess I wasn't paying attention when it was posted). Turned it on and have had a blast with it...different animations, and a bunch of cool shots to go for....
Note - It's the only mode that comes up to play when you change it, so when you're bored with it, want to go back to original, whatever, need to switch it back in the menu.
I like it alot for a change of pace.....Loomis' Eyes w the gun is freakin' hilarious.....stares your ass down, lol
(disclaimer = maybe you can get there if you complete everything, but I don't play w the glass off, so I'd never see it)
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:You can get to that mode IN game simply by collecting the store jackpots in House Attack multi, Sanitarium multi and Hedge multi. You do not need to go into the settings to do anything. You just have to play the game well.
Lol = " simply" for you = " doubtful" for me. Guessing the menu setting may vanish at some point w code updates, but a fun find......( just sharing)
Quoted from dnapac:I think, Boogeyman is the last wizard mode. Spooky made it accessible in the menu so bad players like me can play it. If you haven’t finished it…you are in for a treat. I’ve never heard a knocker used so well…best use ever!
Right there with you Pinbud....came close to finishing it last night, shall give it a go again this week.
" Just play better" ...a phrase that applies to me, lol.
Quoted from Beechwood:I literally could play two complete games in the time it takes to read this lol (that is how bad I suck). Maybe in the winter when I have more time to play I will reach this level hahaha
Laughing out loud with this comment.....I can understand what I'm supposed to do and my play has gotten better incrementally over the years, but not enough left in my life to pull off some of this stuff that others can, lol.
Most of my "take a deep breath moments" are right after I had a great first ball, only to suck at the last 2, then just want to set the machine on fire.....
Quoted from Roostking:Michael wants to come home!
[quoted image]
THAT is cool as sh#t!!!
Burnt rootbeer anyone? A few prelim shots as the game is absolutely sick in this color...sparkly, goldish brown with lights on. Then ominous deep brown in the dark.
Couldnt be happier!!! Ran out of time to add the EL to pumpkin flipper areas today, but will post complete shots when I finish ( matching the oranges to the backboard leds was a PITA).
Might offer the EL kits if interest is there ( the inverter I use is more commercial in nature so it doesn't melt over time like the plastic cubes)
Machine visuals have officially entered badass ...( for me, anyway)...had to share...
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Quoted from Geeterman1:Looks fantastic! I have a stupid question, what is EL?
Also, how hard is it to get the speaker surround off the machine. I’m contemplating changing my powdercoat but I’m worried about that part.
EL= electroluminescent...in this case, paper..powered by 108v AC w an inverter. Note the spooky logo...I'll be lighting the pumpkin flipper button areas too, just ran out of time today...gives a nice " glow" to those areas. Think another pinsider in this thread posted his already...
If you're referring to the pumpkin speaker covers, they just come off easy when you take the speakers themselves out.
Overall, pretty straightforward if you take your time...don't think I'd recommend it for someone as a first project though...
Quoted from Geeterman1:That’s pretty sick. Is it literally just paper that glows?
Sorry, didn’t mean the pumpkin covers but that entire back piece that the speakers, screen, etc. are connected to. The back panel. Is that easy to remove everything off of and then take off the machine?
Sort of, but a PITA and specific ways to work w it..
The back panel is also just screwed to hinges...just a fair amount of stuff to take off....11/32 nutdriver, take pics, and go at it......slowly...
Quoted from Jenniebear:Anyone who got replacement pumpkin side rails willing to sell their damaged ones? I would like to get a set.
Going to sell my entire set of original armor ( without legs....reused those) as I bought a fresh, unfinished set from Spooky...didn't want the game out of commision too long, lol.
Pm if interested...
Quoted from Mundy53:Fact that spooky chose to use surface mount transistors and parts instead of through hole has made this entire experience way more of a pain in the ass. I can change a through hole part in my sleep. Surface mount requires me to send the board in for exchange.
By what you're describing, sure sounds like something else is shortling intermittently, frying the board..( definitely can be a PITA to find).
I'd go thru all the connectors and wiring carefully at the power distro board first....having it mounted to the bottom of the cab makes it a bit vulnerable to vibration....then work out from there....
Best guess Ive got....good luck
( SMT here to stay, and in some of your other games as well)
Quoted from Roostking:Does pinball have a lemon law type of deal. 4 boards blown? Spooky should replace this pin IMO.
Would be awesome, and Spooky really does a great job on the support side. Hope they get it sorted soon as the game is a blast.
( hard to believe there would be 4 consecutive " bad" boards, but suppose it could happen)
Quoted from Mundy53:I have 1 hedge servo down as well. Think I finally fixed my 3 drop target bank this week at least. All 3 targets would consistently get stuck up. Either the coil stop or sheet metal was out of spec. Causing the fingers of the mechanism to have enough play to cause them to work inside the slits on the targets. Bent the coil stop enough to remove any play.
I would have been first in line for TNA 2.0 if it wasn’t for my Halloween.
Ugh...
Quoted from Mundy53:Only the last board was bad. Something (either code of mechanical) caused the other 3 to blow a mosfet. 2 of those boards were months between events
That makes sense....definitely sorry to hear you're getting thrashed on this machine.....spent what seemed like forever on my NIB WOZECLE sorting through all sorts of things. Was tempted to set it on fire a few times....eventually got through it and now love the crazy thing....
Quoted from McDoom:Is there a recommended fix for the pumpkin scoop shot?
It’s reject city all day on my game and I read others were having the same issue. Just wondering what adjustments people are using to lower the number of rejected shots on this scoop.
[quoted image]
Changed mine out early on...shared pics and some intall tips, now a very reliable shot...up in this thread somewhere..
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:This reminds me - the mode hole shot on the Williams IJ has a very similar issue. The ultimate fix for mine was to remove the scoop shroud entirely and add the PinBits deadening foam. That stuff was magic. I’m not sure removing the shroud is an option here, but I sure as heck think it worth trying with the foam.
All that said, I dont have too many issues with scoop rejects - my issue is much more consistently with the center ramp shots bouncing off the diverter (I think that’s what is happening) and then immediately SDTM. That and when I get a slightly weaker shot up the ramp and the ball just stops on the upper playfield. I usually have to tilt to shake it free. I need to figure that out.
Drop dead foam is amazing ( still have a couple strips hoarded in my stash) . Hard to find anymore..( believe Pinbits is gone or something) there were similiar products listed in here some time back as well.
Doesn't really work for this application ( I tried) due to the spot where the ball hits the scoop, along with its shape.
Bending the original back down after its been smacked up definitely helped. The permanent fix is replacing the "scoop" to a "deflector", acting simply like a backboard...sends the ball into the hole.
Also have to pay attention to the mylar strip around the protector. Can act as a ramp if it's on the metal, instead of just around it.....the little things...
A few shots w Orange EL pumpkin ( I landed on orange vacuum chromed flipper buttons)...color blend a bit more red during the day for some reason, but done screwing w this one. Armor absolutely kills w the EL...
I'll start a thread in a few days gauging interest to purchase the EL kit.
Enjoy a badass version of this great game...
20220918_184756 (resized).jpg20220918_190130 (resized).jpg20220918_190451 (resized).jpg20220918_194435 (resized).jpg20220918_194501 (resized).jpg20220918_194549 (resized).jpg20220918_194716 (resized).jpgQuoted from Colsond3:Those do look pretty sick. Especially with your darker armor. The metallic flipper buttons are definitely a nice finishing touch.
Thanks!!! The darker armor really has to be seen in person...buttons and EL worked great to finish the look off....beautiful game...
Quoted from lpeters82:The occasional bounce back I'd chalk up to the "ball is wild" but if they are not dropping on the majority of direct hits I would look to add additional downward pressure to the drop target springs. This can be accomplished by removing some of the loops from each spring. With a needle nose pliers release the spring from the metal tab and reattach it higher up on the spring. 5ish loops up would be a good place to start.
Any chance the ball is catching a bit of air and hitting the shield? Haven't filmed it, but suspicious... 
Previews for Halloween Ends are picking up...
Excited to see in the theatre, but won't set my bar very high, lol...
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:It’s MUCH better than Halloween Kills, which was kind of made up on the spot. David and Danny turned it into a nice tribute to Halloween II which was pretty cool, but overall, not a necessary movie. Ends was the plan the whole time. Some nice Carpenter nods at the beginning, and then it’s a well paced, modern (not a copy, mind you) version of the original
I like how you think...will hope for the best....
Quoted from Pinkitten:Man, the artwork on this machine is just killer. This has to be among the very best art packages on any pin. And I like the Jack-o-lantern start button, but the stock blue button that looks like moonlit trees is awesome.
Agreed ( I keep switching my start button back and forth because I like them both, lol)
1 week later
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:I think Halloween outdoes Alien in immersion for sure
That's because it's not a proper HW version....imagine a 27" chestburster on the backbox, as well as pf screen, w perfectly lit el surrounding the experience ....game is creepy as hell....( in a sci fi horror way)
Halloween brings a " reality" to a terrifying immersion....absolutely love it
Major "1-2" punch for sure.
Quoted from delt31:And…..no. PB alien has the lit el on the LV and sorry, a duplicative screen in the pf isn’t the difference. Helping to achieve more immersive gameplay would be an actual physical lock, additional magnets, better code - you know, things that actually matter. Oh that’s right - those are all exclusive additions to PB alien and boy do they add to the experience.
And…..yes. The HW and PB versions definitely have a different atmosphere to them. Not interested in debating….
Halloween has an amazing, very creepy vibe of its own……love the thing!! A pin that will only get better w future code…..
(Andrew’ s House mod is a must have imho…really fits the game)
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I considered this, but it's much simpler to add a wedge underneath. This would have been my suggestion to Vimtoman in his original design. But I mean, this is super nit picky stuff
Agreed...moral = Andrew just makes some very, very cool toys for our games, has serious chops, and a great guy on top of it all.
An asset to the community...
Quoted from delt31: Edit - and if I were you, I wouldn’t want to debate this either as it’s hard to defend when you’re wrong and blinded by jealousy. Well said!
Grateful you're not me....just pathetic....
Back to Halloween....
Quoted from Lopa:we are at the, "waiting on code so lets argue and complain" part of the process.
How true, lol....
Don't worry though...there's still plenty of complaining to come, even after code drops. Everyone has a right (or sworn Pinside obligation) to complain I suppose... never figured out why it happens in owner threads when non-productive, just don't really care. Plenty of games I can't stand for a variety of reasons...just avoid the threads.....
Quoted from Zek_Pinball:So just got my Halloween Blood Sucker edition butter cabinet and they forgot the backbox key...haven't even got to play it yet. Looks like I'm gonna be calling Spooky first thing in the morning.
Go through your packing/ cardboard carefully...read somewhere that the key made its way to random spots on a few...
1 week later
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Checked out Halloween Ends - loved it! I get why people didn’t like it quite as much (Friday the 13th part V) but I thought it was a really interesting way to go. Total 80s vibes at times too. Soooooooooo much better than the vast majority of the sequels. Doesn’t have the Carpenter atmosphere but nobody can copy that. Definitely not as good as 2018 but definitely worth seeing
Saw last night and agree w this....not a Halloween movie at all, but appreciated the few references they stuck in. Odd, but interesting storyline ( as much as you could expect from a slasher flick). Safe to say this has long since run its course...
Whatever...something different for a Friday night watch....thankfully, the pin is based on the original, which will always be a classic, imho...
Quoted from Lostcause:Looks pretty square and pushed it hard back into the channel, will investigate it later. But Spookys glass is shorter by maybe 1/4”.
Sub doesn’t sound right so going to have to look into that too, tried adjusting the level on the amp and it makes the sub move (cone) while doing it.
Also the tongue one way flap in the house has been mounted high enough that the ball can go underneath it and back down the ramp if the ball gets into that area from the house flipper. Is this right?
Just played some games with my wife, not an easy game which I don’t mind.
Have a standard sheet of PDI in mine, fits fine. Spooky games are particularly vulnerable in the " square" dept. If you look where the wood notches are at the top left and right of the channel, there can be slight variance.
My R&M had me scratching my head with the same thing you are facing...leveled the cabinet at front and back ( important) and the glass was fine. It was only 1/4 bubble off at the back prior, which caused the glass to hit the notch wrong and not go all the way in.
( obvious note...never, ever force the glass...massive profanity will follow)..
Quoted from smoke20:Funny the glass thing came up. I was considering getting a sheet of Invisiglass. My Spooky glass is exactly the same dimension as the Invisiglass specs; I think 43" long. I will say I have struggled getting the Spooky glass back in at times. I now pay attention to the end that goes in first and it barely fits. Haha, sometimes it is like a puzzle....I flip it, reverse it...cuss at it....and then magically it fits. I have not fooled with trying to square the cabinet. I might simply look at notching the rear stop just to give me a fraction more
Yep..the "squareness" of these cabs is very important ( more than any of my other games)...people talk all the time about pitch, yet rarely mention level.
Halloween, in particular, really benefits from square..the upper pf entrances from the ramp ( that whole area up there actually) behave very well when they're " balanced, lol...
Quoted from Roostking:What tools are you using to get settings right? I have trued pitch and whatnot from phone apps, but id like to get this as perfect as possible. Love this pin, but only seem to play at night!!
I've got a large, 2' aluminum level so it can span the rails both parallel, and slightly off ( in and out of square). This way I can compare front to back to nail it down. Cabinet first, then torpedo on pf to confirm, then inclinometer last for dial in.
Not that pricey, and common item for cabinet guys...
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Quoted from Lostcause:but no boobies yet
I have to get that one done first, then move on, lol...may not be the most strategic approach, but don't really care...
Quoted from Roostking:So just a nitpick and hopefully in before the code drop. When hitting the left ramp and the Michaels jump out, bottom to top
Any way to reverse that? I feel they should go in the direction of the ball.
Amazing game and just really digging it. Also, there are now 3 Halloweens on location in the Phoenix area. I think that speaks to its durability.
Counting on it eventually going back to original state ....after initial calibration, single Michael only comes out when he's supposed to ...
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:Am I the only one that thinks 3 amp sounds crazy high for 3 little servos?
More curious ( concerned) as to what made the fuse blow....
1 week later
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:This is what happens when owners leave reviews on pinside. Alien just shot up from #48 to #1. How did it jump so fast? The LV ratings finally crossed the threshold to be considered. Halloween Blood Sucker and Standard each need about 17 reviews in order to be rolled into the ratings. Once that happens…you’re gonna see Halloween in the top ten. Maybe even at number one for awhile. Potential buyers will re consider the title, more buyers will be looking for it, there will be less for sale and the prices will level out or surpass the original price. There is no reason that HWN should be high in the sixties. So, If you haven’t reviewed all models please do. For Spooky, the owners and mostly for the pinheads who won’t consider ownership it because it’s “poorly rated” and will be harder for them sell down the line. These people do exist believe it or not and there’s a lot of them.
[quoted image]
The ratings move all the time w new shineys, or whichever group decides to pump a game...
Quoted from RussMyers:OK, maybe this doesn't affect anyone else, but I dislike that UM/HWN has no stops on the back ends of the service rails, so I added these bumpers.
Drilled holes in the bottom of the rails (don't even have to take them out) and used small bolts, washers and nylon lock nuts.
Now when I have the back end of the playfield lifted to get to the middle and upper playfield stuff, the playfield can't just slide forward and off the end of the service rails.
amazon.com link »
RussMyers
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Well done!...." the little things"
3 weeks later
Got in a few more games today with more tonight. Definitely feels more "polished" in this release....loving it!
Additional video clips, and other things already mentioned just seem to be bringing it all together....my biggest hope is the eventual drop of continual Michaels cycling for resets....sort of ruins the uniqueness of him "jumping" out at you during hit shots....just my take....
Quoted from dnapac:Risk/reward . Damn, been 1 shot away twice with the new code and can’t seal the deal! Use your peripheral vision to save the ball while gazing at those boobies!
First sequence I had to sort out!!! got there twice
Quoted from dnapac:Try this. If you hit the stand-ups Michael still does a little jump, but it turns off the wave of Michael’s if you hit the left ramp.
[quoted image]
Boom!!! left "lifter shake" on and "subway shake" off and did the trick!!....ty
1 week later
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Damn, I am going to turn that off right now!
Works pretty good..." tilt" sort of throws them all out of whack however....surely a bug fix at some point
2 months later
Quoted from delt31:Haven’t had a chance to install yet but any chance the Halloween music is louder in this update? Didn’t see it in the release notes but was hoping that was an oversight as it’s criminal that the volume is so low for this amazing mb
Music in general is much louder, and they've tweaked his voice a bit to make it not as "boomy" w normal settings (clearer). Will be messing w amp tonight a bit.
Overall, alot of new clips, etc., Sanitarium cooler, but did get it to crash once (first time ever for me) when I was up there...couldn't replicate, so not certain of bug yet. Def an improvement.....
Quoted from JesseJames23:I just played a game and it crashed on me. For whatever reason I was able to get into house when I shouldn’t have. It rolled down to sanatarium playfield and i hit the scoop and it immediately crashed. I was in counting bodies when it occurred.
Similiar occurance...yes, must grab the logs!!
3 weeks later
Quoted from John_C:I am in the process of having new ball deflector shields fabricated. My intentions are to sell these new shields (with hardware) as a kit to replace cracked and broken OEM shields in both Halloween and Ultraman.
IMO, the OEM shield is too thin (only 1/16” thick) and not up to the rigors of use inside a pinball machine. I also did not like the way the thing vibrated all the time when being struck by balls, when the shaker motor kicked in, etc. So when my shield inevitably broke, I knew I had to come up with something better.
Using the OEM shield as a template, I changed the design up a bit making sure to beef up the arms and mounting points. The new shield is also cut from 3/16" material, three times the thickness of the OEM shield.
Because of the thicker piece of plastic, the threaded posts on the playfield are too short. So in place of the nylock nuts, there are now "sex" bolts to attach the new shield to the four playfield posts.
The new shield is solid and does not vibrate. I don’t think I ever have to worry about this component ever failing again.
I should have these new kits available soon.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Definitely interested as well!!
2 months later
Quoted from iceman44:Have all 3 and would agree. The first 2 are in the top tier of best pins.
Halloween has a ways to go.
Agreed Doug....love the butter cabinet and alot of gameplay aspects/ vibe of Halloween, but sort of garbled ( for me) as a complete package...will hang on and hope for code like many here...
27" BB screen, PF screen, combined with the killer audio in OG Alien just pales the rest in that area...still the most immersive experience in pinball, imho....
Hoping the code w proper assets tightens everything up, as it has sooo much potential..( theme strong enough for me to change my Avatar, lol).
Keeping the faith in Spooky... R&M is such a badass game..they cant let such an iconic theme as Halloween die...
During prior updates, red led strips used to pulse slowly until code was finished, then turn green. Is this still the case? Can't seem to get the update finished.....several initial red pulses, then spins in "updating" status.
Will grab another stick and try again....just wanted to see if the pulsing red, then green is still consistent with updating...thx
Quoted from Geeterman1:I wasn’t paying attention to that, but the screen let me know when it was finished. Only took a few minutes.
Thinking my trusty, old USB stick has finally bit the dust ( a sad day)....grabbing another from my stash now.......
Quoted from RMarnold:I am having the same problem after numerous tries
Yes...new stick, formatted, etc. Game does revert back to original version and plays fine.....just wont take the upload.....letting it spin at the 20 minute mark...have uploaded many, many machines (including this one)...guessing a tech reachout on Monday now.....drats!!
Quoted from JesseJames23:I’m sure you already know…. But make sure the file name doesn’t have any numbers or extra characters in the file name.
Yepper....a stubborn rascal I've got here....
Quoted from kciaccio:[quoted image]
Finally whipped it!! Freakin wouldn't get rid of failed prior download in a subdirectory on my pc, apparently contaminating my fresh file at a certain point...cleaned and a smooth install....geesh!!! (yes, wrong colors on my speakers)
Only a few games so far....audio adjustments are outstanding!!! Can really dial things in now..
Was Boogeyman Wizard always in here? Freakin blast!!!
Game does seem less " garbled" for me w the modes...all in all a nice update...thank you ( mini update to fix the speaker lights will bring the dark vibe back please...
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Really impressive of m4tt taking over someone else’s code and creating a pretty seamless, complex game
Definitely enjoying the game much more now....will only get better!! Bravo to m4tt continued efforts!!!
Bugs noted and reported in support e-mail.....
Curious as to what plunger spring other owners have landed on for this game......given the handle is sort of unique to grab. I've landed on purple for my game (orange not quite enough, red a bit too strong)....
Quoted from Roostking:Paid for mine today. I was like, Oh yea I need this. Mines not broke, but not missing out on this.
A solid, minimal $$$ investment imho. You dont realize how flimsy the original is until you remove it...quite the span of plexi hanging out there...
Absolutely had a blast playing Halloween this past weekend w new code!!! Some real bugs are in there, but confident they will be squashed very soon ( well...hoping actually).
The game really has become a challenging, fun pin to spend serious time on....thank you Spooky!!
Kept the new code in, despite a few bugs (anxious for them to get squashed), and played the heck out of the past couple of evenings. This latest drop really brings some serious fun and challenge to the game....love it!!!! Definitely turned the corner as a "go to" for me to play now. Thank you!!!
Quoted from ScoobaDoo:Trying to update to the newest code. I’ve done plenty the same way. It’s been stuck for 8 hours. Any ideas on what’s going on?
[quoted image]
For some reason( unknown to me), this update is a bit trickier to remove completely from your workstation if a prior version is on it. A simple rename didn't do it. I had to search in a subdirectory ( beyond the download folder) to find the file, delete it, then was able to reinstall a fresh download that would " keep" the name...
A first for me as well....
Quoted from DodgeThatOne:I do not know if it change something but I reformatted my USB key before i put the file on it. Actually, I just erased the (1) after the title since the last download was still on my desktop on the hard drive, copied the file to the USB key and everything was alright. The download worked on the first time.
Actually reformatted a new stick, erased the original file from my download directory ( where I keep these mostly), dowloaded, only to get the " (1)" again. Somehow, it found its way to another directory...had to search for it....took me a bit, but once I found and deleted it all was well. Weird....
Quoted from Roostking:I just had to rename the file and get rid of the download # (3). Pretty basic stuff.
Agreed... never had a challenge prior. Odd for sure, but done now..
Quoted from kciaccio:On a different note.
I ran a test on my computer with the factory heat sink after playing a few games and temp gun showed 150 degrees.
I add the fan cooled heat sink for $18 and played a few games and it dropped it to 95 degrees and quickly dropped it to 85 degrees when doing a second temp test about 10 seconds later.
Fan cooled heat sink definitely helps keep that computer cooler and super easy to change out.
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/409-EP-FNUPACTCLRDC?fbclid=IwAR0td--9ZyI6uUQ2Hz6QQaqB6VfuxG6EpC1IRWIcxeI3wltFBpqyfIlup4Y
[quoted image]
Well done finding this and ordered...that heat sink gets extremely hot!!! Thanks....
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:If you want your house and vine painted by my daughter lmk. She has done a bunch of them. Before and after pics.
[quoted image][quoted image]
This looks SO good and have been debating whether to pull off my game and send to you for her to paint. Turnaround? Thx
Quoted from SLRage:It will be interesting to see how many people respond but based on the responses so far it seems like if you have Halloween in your collection it’s gonna demand some serious playtime
With this latest code drop you are absolutely right!!! Have spent several long evenings on it, enjoying and figuring out the new features. It's really coming together so well!!!!
I have quite a few, very nice games that I rotate through, depending on what kind of experience I'm looking for at the time. Usually only go between 2 or 3 for extended times during a session. They really do "bring it" in different ways....
- JB60 is far and away might nightly fix...can't get away from it....and I've tried.... after that:
- Current coded Halloween, R&M, HW Alien, and BM66LE are my current "most played".
- Prior to having JB60 was alot of TBL (after the code drop feels so "finished"), TronLE, HW Alien, EVHOH40, R&M, then wind down on TAF and TZ....
- Only one I'm not playing as much as I think I should is AIQLE. I do like it, but not enough to stay on it for an evening. Thought about a Zilla, but have heard it's sort of the same style, so IDK.
- My JJP's get played almost exclusively when I'm ready to sit down, drink bourbon, and conquer the world, lol (WOZECLE and JJPPOTCLE). Hoping GFCE is going to round that "fix" nicely.
Halloween is definitely on my nightly watchlist now....hard to pass up .... (just my take on all these of course)
(have other games too which I play and love - BBB, Spidey, KissLE get played often....my response was getting long...)
Quoted from VandyOne:Is the new update lengthy? Mine’s been an hour now & does one need to try multiple times ? Is it ok to shut the pin down & retry ?
Be certain the file downloaded has the correct name (" code_H78.pkg" no #'s after it). You most likely can just rename the file and will load fine.
In your defense, this is easily the most posted " bug" in the latest drop, as sometimes ( in my case) the original file makes it to a subdirectory ( another folder that you didn't put it in). You'll need to search your computer to find it, delete, then reload fresh.
Simply renaming the file didn't do it for me...had to find the ( hidden) file, delete, then download again.
Something was different in this download!!! Hoping it doesn't present in future updates.
Quoted from Lostcause:I did mine on a MacBook and could see straight away that it added a number so renamed it and transferred the file to the usb stick, worked straight away for me and was the easiest update yet for me. At last lol.
-
.
Mine was Windows 11, downloaded, spotted the "(1)", renamed, trasferred to a stick, and the spinning started. Was so odd. Wash, rinse, repeat, as I was blaming stick, corrupt download, etc.
Found another copy of the file in my docs folder, erased, and I was good. Generally just drag it from the download folder straight to the stick, so no idea how it snuck over there.Tricky little rascal. First time I've experienced that, normally very easy process.
Quoted from timtim:Strange I’m on windows 11 and have the last 4 or 5 code updates saved in a folder. Renaming the file worked fine.
Ditto until this last drop....duplicate file just ended up by itself (copy) living in my docs. Simply wanted to lift it, given the amount of inquiries here (seems higher than usual) and the oddity I encountered.
I'm no means a PC expert, but use them everyday, and familiar w basic operation and some coding stuff. "Sneaky Michael" is correct, I believe.
(the game is much, much more "creepy" to play now after the drop, imho...a good thing!)
Quoted from kciaccio:MK6PIN.
Connection for fan heat sink upgrade.[quoted image]
Boom...thx!!
Saved me from potential, self inflicted ( not researching properly) disaster....
Quoted from kciaccio:Old one just pops off with a little bit of light prying. . It is held on lightly with an adhesive tape.
Peel off the double sided tape on new heat sink and press on and connect fan to pins on the picture I posted. Super easy.
Don't forget to clean the surface of processing chip itself, and a dab of thermal paste to bond it to the new heat sink. Very important. ( meant for everyone that's installing this great, game saving add...thanks again @kciaccio!)
3 weeks later
Quoted from m4tt:Bob and Lynda
=============
I was thinking about writing another behind the scenes post, and thought that people might find how modes work interesting. We had some issues a while back with the Bob and Lynda mode, so why not dig into that can of worms again eh? The post below does get a bit detailed but hopefully there's some interesting bits in there.
---
First of all a bit of a recap of the Bob and Lynda shots:
- Initially the triple drop bank pops up, lit pink, and you have to knock them down
- Then the three standups on either side of the left and middle ramps are lit, hit either side of a ramp to light it
- Light and hit each ramp to finish the mode and start the hurry up at the hedges
- *IF* the middle ramp is lit, the crossing shot is lit as an optional shot. If the hurryup starts, this shot can collect it.
In the past, the crossing shot was not optional, and it was a pretty tough mode.
---
And that's how it was working, and everything was fine... when it was the only thing running. But going up that middle ramp also started other things, and it was starting these other modes at the same time and how they were stacking that caused lots of headaches for players (and programmers).
So first let's talk a bit more about pinball modes and how they work from a programming perspective.
In pinball most people normally use the term "mode" to talk about big chunks of a game, for Halloween that might be "Bob and Lynda", or a wizard mode like "Boogeyman" or a multiball like "House". But actually while a ball is on the playfield (and sometimes before or after that too), there are lots of modes running. Some of them are still quite similar to those big modes, for example "skillshot" which starts at the start of a ball and ends when the player either gets the skillshot or hits something else that counts as a miss. And other modes can be tiny, like "slings" which just plays a noise if the slings are hit and awards some points, that's it. A significant chunk of the game code is in modes - there's lots of them, and they run constantly - in Halloween there are more than 60 modes, and each one packages up a chunk of functionality. It's a good way to keep the logic organized.
If you ever think about programming your own game, a good place to start is the Mission Pinball Framework (MPF) which uses modes and events in the same way, they have some great documentation including this page on modes: https://missionpinball.org/game_design/mode_layering/
Running lots of modes isn't a problem in itself - at least not from the CPU's point of view - it can run hundreds at the same time without skipping a beat. But on a pinball machine you can (will?) run into issues with modes sharing or trying to control the same resources, like the screen, lights, or physical mechs such as diverters or drop targets. You have to make sure that things work on their own but also that they all work when all combinations of two or three or five other things are also running at the same time.
And this is where it can get complicated.
In Halloween, you can be running "House Attack" (the qualifying stage of House Multiball) at the same time as "Bob and Lynda" and there's a few bits of hardware they share:
- the screen: they both want to run videos when you achieve a certain thing, and some videos are more "important" *cough* than others.
- the diverter at the top of the middle ramp: most of the time this sends the ball left and back to the left flipper, but House mode tells it to divert to the right after three middle ramps, so the ball goes to the upper (House) playfield. It also starts left for Bob, but switches right once that ramp shot opens up. And then of course, it has to go back left when both of the modes end (assuming nothing else still wants it diverting right).
- the upper drop target in front of the crossing shot: if knocked down early in House this damages Laurie and pops back up. If enough spins have been hit and Michael's health is zero, it's purple and will stay down, opening up the crossing shot to start the multiball. In Bob it can be knocked down immediately and should NOT be lit red.
- the crossover shot + release: each mode monitors when a ball makes it over and controls when it is released (normally after a video has played).
There's another interesting thing about running lots of modes - you have to say what order they should run in. And running first isn't always best, things might get overridden later. Running last isn't always ideal either, and sometimes you kinda want a mode to run both first AND last - which is a real pain. You also want to keep the logic of each mode packaged up within that mode, but there are times when one mode needs to know what state another mode is in. In this example House needs to be aware that Bob will be playing the crossing shot video and not play the normal House one. There's lots of these little things.
---
So now we've got these two modes, Bob and House (actually Sanitarium's Easy setting uses all this stuff too, but lets keep this readable), and they can be running together or separately...
...and we've got problems.
Here's some highlights =)
- balls stuck on the crossover magnet until ball search releases them. Because House didn't know Bob had let it over but apparently it's not Bob's responsibility to release it.
- some drop target reset coils aren't quite as quick as others and you can sneak a quick ball over there - who releases it in this case?
- wrong videos playing at the crossover shot.
- wrong audio playing at the crossover shot if the wrong video played on top of the other one
- multiball starting but no MB jackpots showing on the playfield
- closing the diverter when Bob finished, so now you can't get back up to the upper playfield for House
Where to start?
First we re-analyzed each part of the process and redefined what should happen. This meant taking the basic rules we went through at the start and going into deep detail.
Here's some notes from House mode's crossover shot after we'd gone over it:
- if just this mode running, MB not started, DO: get points and show vid, start MB
- if just this mode running, MB started, DO: score super jackpot
- Bob running, house MB NOT qualified, DO: bob stuff, no house stuff except lights
- Bob running, house MB qualified, DO: bob stuff, DON'T show house vid, do start MB
- Bob running, house MB running too, DO: bob stuff, do get jackpot
We look at the logic and see if we can make it any clearer in the code. Sometimes you can take some code out of a few places and bring it in to one place, we did that with the diverter - now it has its own mode and is working great.
Sometimes the rules need tweaking too. We wanted to make Bob and Lynda slightly easier, but we wanted to keep that crossover shot. So making it optional seemed the best of all worlds. This didn't really make the code any simpler (!) as it really just added another combination, but it does make the gameplay better, and hitting it to collect the hurry-up is a real pinball moment - super satisfying.
---
And so there we have it, modes everywhere, all the time. Generally all working together nicely.
We keep adding new ones, some you won't notice, but some you definitely will =) and speaking of, I should get back to a couple of them now, thanks for reading!
Great read...thank you!!
1 week later
Did some rearranging of the gameroom and need a terrifying piece of artwork ( lit or whatever) 24×36 max....any input, thoughts appreciated.....ty!
Quoted from Beechwood:Here you go!
[quoted image]
Quoted from TheLaw:[quoted image]
A nice Thursday chuckle (they'll be no cats sinking ships around here!! lol)
Quoted from Colsond3:Got my second set of metal back from the powder guy. Grainy brown with orange speckle, and still textured. Breccia Design. Came out pretty sweet.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Great minds Pinbud! This game begs for a darker, richer tone to keep it very ominous...I have a bit more sparkle and shine ( burnt rootbeer) , but easily the best " match" for a game I've done. No candy colors on this one please...
Ironically, it's new ( permanent) spot in the lineup flanks it w TWDLE, of similiar brown, ominous color
20230806_133046 (resized).jpg20230806_133053 (resized).jpg
Quoted from Beechwood:Yeah, so I'm done with this pin. It's too Fucking hard, I have no idea what's going on, and it just makes me angry when I'm done playing it. It's beautiful and I've had almost no issues with it, and I fricken love Halloween, but I end up angry 99% of the time after playing it.
Pinball is supposed to be fun. For me, and how much I apparently suck, this is not fun
After the last update, the game has come together really well, but a ballbuster for sure. I have to work at it to get anywhere (barely average player here) so I either am very exhilarated (putting some modes together) or very pissed off "just this close" and turn it off.
Keeping it as it fits well in the lineup (beautiful, deadly theme, and truly a thrill ride IF you can stand the pain)......if I had a smaller collection, would have already set it on fire, lol....
Quoted from Pinkitten:Steve at Pinball Refinery in Michigan and Robert Stone in Ohio (I believe) are both first-rate. Both of them know several popular options for each title. I live in MI so I use Steve, he’s done several pins of mine. Always happy. The burnt root beer color on this title looks great. Several good options.
Steve does great work and a super guy....I've got a local shop that does amazing work for me...( the burnt rootbeer is off the charts for this one)
2 weeks later
Quoted from Roostking:Way too many that wrote it off.
Yep....this has turned into a great game! Just had to stay the course a bit....love playing it!
2 months later
Latest code and the whole game in general is just MILES from where it started. Truly a great game to play now, and is such a different choice in my lineup.
Huge thanks to the Spooky team!! Invested time and $$$ to get perfect armor, EL, and other items ( PDI and display upgrade) hoping the game would get finished proper....definitely did, and a solid keeper for me!!!
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O'fallon, MO
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