It got stuck there a few times on the IE Pinball stream too.

Great pairing there and awesome Voorhees poster. I played Halloween and thought it shot nice, looked nice, and the atmosphere was spot on. It just is really in need of code that will give it legs. Some stacking, paths of progression, risk and reward... maybe a mini wizard mode or 3. I'm just hoping it can get there.

Badass part 2 prop! I love to see people doing this. I have a part 3 stalking the game room...

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You can always sell your spot.

Larger screws may become problematic long term. Wood glue and a toothpick in the screw hole should give the original screw something to bite into again.

You mean Dead by Daylight?

The actual cost of the spot was $1,000. The extra $60 was payment for a swift kick in the junk. .

How difficult was it to remove the topper? One of the big reasons I got a BSE was because of my low ceilings. Early on people were saying the topper did not look like it was easily removable.

I agree, but TWD did have Lyman.

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Good number...

From my experience with past Spooky games, the burning plastic smell is usually caused by a servo burning up. There are small servo motors that turn the hedge figures, and probably a few used for diverters. I'm not sure about the newer Pinotaur board, but the old Heck board would exhibit some weird behavior if there was a cooked servo left connected. It's just a thought, but they could be worth a quick physical inspection.

I could see it possibly chipping the playfield with an unlucky ball strike since the drop target is no longer there for the ball to roll over.

JJP Pirates of the Caribbean originally used a saucer deflector like that, but so many people were experiencing rejects that they switched deflectors mid-production. The new flap had a couple of bends in it to give it a more curved shape. Maybe the deflector could be replaced with an off the shelf part? Something closer to this...

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535-8250-04

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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

Yup, I just provided that link as a reference to illustrate what I meant. There's probably more than one available deflector that would work in Halloween, but I haven't personally tested any of them.

That looks like a lot of effort, but it's good to hear it was worth the trouble. Thanks for documenting this. I'm probably going to order a new deflector and I don't even have my game yet.

Not sure about Halloween, but on many games there is a metal deflector there that directs the balls into the shooter lane. It's not uncommon to have it bent too low from the factory and the balls can barely get through the opening. Bending it upwards slightly with your fingers may be all you need to do if this is the problem.

Didn't you have your spot listed for sale out of concerns about reliability? Or did you have multiple preorder spots? You are hyping and defending this game a lot for someone who was ready to pull the plug themselves not long ago. I think many of the concerns about build quality are valid. If I get a game with a jacked up cabinet, sloppy decals, disappearing powder coat, out of square pf glass, drifting servos, an impossible scoop, a misaligned ramp diverter, misaligned drop targets, burned out LED strips and the need to climb under the playfield every few games, I can't say I'll be thrilled. I do realize some arrive nearly perfect, but I am burned out with NIB lottery fatigue.

It looks like Buffalo Pinball is doing a stream of Halloween tonight at 8pm EST.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bro-do-you-even-pinball-weekly-livestream-thurs-8-pm-eastern/page/17#post-6903803

My best guess would be that you burned up a servo somewhere. This is a common issue with Spooky games and creates a strong acrid smell. On the old PinHeck boards, this could also cause lockups and other strange issues. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same thing here.

While we are on the subject of powder, can we get any more concrete details on what will be used on the Bloodsucker edition? I remember seeing an early teaser video where it looked like it was planned to be smooth black metallic powdercoat. The powdercoating and armor are one of very few perks of opting for a BSE over an SE, so would like to know it won't just need redone anyway.

I would like to see this too. Those will be the 2 Spooky games in my lineup, but my Halloween is still many months away.

Four friends of mine recently got solid time on a Halloween and were raving about it. They have all been in the hobby for many years and all agreed it was a home run. For the first time since the game was announced, they are excited that I have one on order and told me not to sell my spot. This is clearly a polarizing game, but it's good to have some encouraging words from people who's opinions I value and who will actually be coming over to play it.

I didn't listen to the podcast yet, but I did watch that stream and I don't remember them being particularly complimentary about Halloween, unless you count Nick saying something along the lines of "it's not as bad as the reviews make it sound" near the end. There were defintely a lot of thinly veiled negative comments, and the 'fun' seemed to come more from jokes made at the game's expense. That was just my impression.

I often agree with the games these guys praise (TWD and JJPOTC for example), but it was also pretty obvious that they were not familiar with and had no appreciation for the film this game is based on. They just seemed somewhat disinterested from the start. So while it's disappointing, it's not entirely surprising.

How are we up to around #700 now? Is it just me or wasn't it around #400 just a month or so ago? When are BSE's expected to go into production?

I'm not entirely sure that all CEs are being made before BSEs and SEs. There are people who have CE spots for sale with numbers much higher than BSE spots. It could be that they aren't being built in strict numerical order, but who knows.

For example, JeffF has CE #1173 and Garbagemaster has CE #1126.

Garbagemaster also has BSE #1053 and my BSE number is close to this too.

Why are some CE numbers higher than BSE and SE numbers? I have seen other examples come and go too. I'm not on fb, so don't know what it says there.

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I keep pointing out on this thread and the UM thread that there *are* CEs with higher numbers than BSE and SE numbers. What that means I don't know, but possibly there will be some overlap with the different models being built. There just doesn't seem to be enough BSE/SE buyers for anyone to notice/care.

Domestic games with no custom ordering. Below are some recent examples, but there have been more. Also wondering what will happen to the CE orders that are being deferred if those customers don't complete their purchase or sell their spot. Mostly I'm trying to get a better idea of how many of each model will be built and when the BSEs will go into production.

halloween_ce (resized).jpg

Same. I have been waiting on this and EHOH for about a year now already, which is longer than I expected at the time. I still have no idea roughly when (or in the case of Elvira, *IF*) I should expect them to be up. It kind of puts me in a drawn out holding pattern.

I don't think anybody complained that Spooky is taking too long or dropping the ball on production, so I don't understand why the defenders are rushing in to the rescue once again. People just did not know when their game would be built when they put in their order and there are some variables in the production order (butter cabs, distro/direct, CE/BSE, UM/HWN, deferred builds, etc.), but I guess we'll just have to stop estimating when we will get our games.

Is there a moderator that can fix the ugly white border that appears around the backglass for Halloween in the default Pinside images? It looks janky the way it is.

Don't waste your time. He attacks and downvotes anyone that challenges his narrative or says anything critical of HWN/UM. It's obnoxious enough that it's actualy making me dislike this game more.

In a way, yes. Because for me part of the fun of the new game experience is talking about the game with other enthusiasts on pinside.

I think you are reading too much into this. I am saying that I think people should be able to share their thoughts/opinions/concerns/issues without getting multiple downvotes from the same person and having to defend themselves within 5 minutes of posting. Whatever, moving on.

I remember seeing somewhere in this thread where people had jammed a shot glass in there which was a slightly larger diameter than the ball, then heat the plastic with the hairdryer.

I received my butter/no-butter email for BSE today.

I think it was 1066.

I have had balls stack up on top of eachother in the trough after lifting the playfield on GZ. I never had this issue with any other Stern. It seems to be the balls right by the shooter lane. When it happens, I just reach under the playfield and manually pop 2 balls out into the shooter lane. It's all good after they re-drain. That may be what you are experiencing.

I'd be happy just to see some photos of an assembled BSE. They can't be too far off now.

I saw months ago where someone had done something similar to protect the light strips, but had used frosted tubing which had the added benefit of diffusing the light from the LEDs. Really, something like this should have been used in the first place. Between the LED strips, the exposed socket on the jack-o-lantern, and the exposed electronics under the sanitarium playfield, it seems like a short or other damage from an airball is inevitable in the long run. I can't think of another game I have seen with exposed electronics like that, and for good reason.

I haven't seen a BSE built yet. It would be nice to see a picture of one since we are so close now. I got my butter email a month ago, but haven't heard anything since. There's still a bunch of CE spots for sale, so not sure when last call is on those.

One month prior...

I received my BSE butter email from my distro over a month ago, but nothing since. I checked in just the other day and was told an invoice would come when BSEs go on the line, but no new details on when that's expected to be. The large number of CE spots still available for sale makes me think they still haven't determined when they will change over production.

I have set NIB pins up myself by laying the game flat and sliding it out of the box a bit at a time in one direction, while sliding the box off of the game in the other direction. Having a helper makes this go much faster.

And now coasterguy has his game listed for sale at a deep discount too. What is it with this game that so many people seem to talk it up when they first get it, and then a few weeks later they are taking a massive hit to get it out of their game room?? Does this game give you cancer or something? I have never seen so many abrupt flip-flops on any title before and it's discouraging. Mine is coming soon and I will definitely not be running here to gush about it the first night I have it. I will try to let the experience sink in for a while. If I think it's a turkey, I would rather wrap it in plastic and store it away like a time capsule than take a $2k+ hit on it right away.

Sure, but then why get rid of the newest game and not one of the other games that have been in their collection longer?

So you think they are worried about losing even more than the $2k-2.5k hit they are taking by selling now? It seems that the best way to avoid losing money would be not to sell right now, hence my time capsule comment. Maybe they believe that the bottom of the market has not yet been reached. I have doubts owners are taking it on the chin like that because they are too impatient to learn the rules. These quick turnarounds have me concerned that I will get bored with the game quickly, but I'd be happy to be wrong about that.

That's why I am surprised these owners cannot even endure having the game in their lineup until after it's out of production. It is what it is though. I'm completing my purchase and the game is coming, for better or worse. Sometimes the red-headed step child games end up connecting with me anyway, but i'll be sure to be candid about the experience here.

Some good points here and I appreciate the thoughtful feedback from all. I do agree that the demand for other new games seems to have recently softened somewhat, outside of a few select titles. The pump and dump just seems to be especially strong with this game. I hope that issues with the code are what is holding it back the most, as those are at least things that can be corrected over time.

Any big news from this? Will it be posted anywhere other than fb?

I feel like they are just trying to get as many of the remaining BSE and SE orders paid up as possible right now. They probably don't want to start allocating parts or risk delays because some buyers can't complete their purchases.

I'm sure they are going on the line... eventually. It just seems like there's a 300 game spread of buyers now getting notice that their build is coming up. My distro said BSEs have not yet hit the line. We haven't even seen a picture of one yet.

I am wondering how long Spooky is going to be referred to like they are a fledgling pinball company. I don't think that card can be played any longer. For example, most people consider JJP to be a major pinball manufacturer and hold their feet firmly to the fire with production issues. Yet JJP is only about 1 year older than Spooky and Spooky has actually shipped more titles than JJP at this point. JJP also had several titles that sold less units than HWN/UM (and TS4 may end up included in that!). HWN/UM was also priced comparably to the launch price of GnR.

imo, it's time they start making games with the same expected level of polish, engineering, and design as the big boys. No more exposed electronics and lamp sockets, missing LE/CE plaques, rampant code bugs, over-reliance on servos, thin playfields, failing powdercoat, misplaced lane guides, misplaced assemblies, NO MANUALS, etc. (hey, I can dream). I have been a big Spooky supporter in the past, but I expect more from them now than I did when they were just starting out.

Just an idea, but it may be worth checking to see if that target is warped at all. They don't make drop targets like they used to. I have installed replacement drop targets in working assemblies only to have them not want to stay up. A very slight curve to the target is all it takes. I have fixed them by heating with a lighter and straightening them out.

I don't have my HWN, but unless they are computer controlled drop targets, nothing 'triggers' the drop target back down. It's just not successfully catching on the bracket at the top. The plastic target has a lip that barely catches on the top edge of the metal assembly to hold it up. If the lip slips off of the edge of the bracket, the target is able to be pulled down by the spring. The game is then detecting this and popping the target back up.

It's hard to say if there could be something more to it with this particular assembly, but this does sound like a physical/mechanical problem. Did you take the target out and inspect it? You may need to set it on a flat surface to see if it's warped. You could also try just swapping it out, or swapping your targets around to see if the problem moves.

Usually, the whole drop target assembly is wired to the machine via a molex connector right next to it (again, not sure about HWN). You can disconnect it and then there's just a few screws holding the assembly to the playfield. Once those are out, you can pull the whole assembly out to test and swap targets. With some games it can be possible to swap targets without removing the assembly, but this requires some serious dexterity. I'm sure there are yt videos on this.

That's definitely a little different than what I am used to seeing.

I just got invoiced for my BSE too and my distro says he already has the machine. It looks like BSE production is well underway.

I'm hoping you'll post some pictures so I can see what I just bought before I get mine. It's a little concerning to me that we still haven't seen pictures of a BSE. I'm preparing to expect something unexpected.

It's probably just an HDMI splitter going to both monitors.

Yeah, I've seen that, but it's just a photoshop mockup as far as I can tell. I was hoping to see more details on the powder coating, at least, and what it looks like on the game. It just looks black/grey there.

No, it's supposed to be some sort of pearlescent black. Indeed we will find out soon!

I *think* you are correct. I would love to see what it looks like on the game.

See, you didn't even know what color was going to be on the game that is already being delivered because we haven't seen pictures!

Same here. I am a classic horror and b-movie nut and JC is my favorite director. The theme was enough that I had to get in on this game for better or worse. There's just not enough serious horror titles out there.

Do we know for sure this is exactly what is on the BSEs currently being built? I think that would look better than the gold. If that's it, I'm looking forward to seeing it on a HWN.

Ha! That'd be fair... if BSE owners can buy the topper, knife shooter rod and pumpkin speaker covers!

I'm not saying that *I* would buy the topper. I don't even particularly care for toppers. I would get those speaker covers though. I'm planning to make my own as it stands. My point was really that the special edition parts probably shouldn't be available for open purchase anyway.

This is the first I noticed that the transistors on this game are surface mount. Yikes.

Transistors work hard and are probably the most common component to fail on a board. Also, when they fail they sometimes burn up. Usually they are through-hole components and can be replaced with just a little soldering skill. Even the last PinHeck board and JJP's boards, which use a lot of surface mount stuff, still use through-hole transistors for these reasons. For most people, a bad transistor on this board will mean sending the board out for repair at best, or needing a whole replacement board because the transistor burned.

Does the powder look like this in person? Because it sure doesn't look the same in your photos.

Thank you for taking the time to post the photos. That looks closer to what I was expecting, but I thought it was going to be a smooth surface from how it looks in that hinge video. No big deal, but this is why I have been wanting to see it before I get mine. Congrats on getting your game delivered issue free. It looks fantastic!

My AMH cabinet twists more than average when I move it. If Spooky hasn't changed their cabinet design since then, you may just need to move it or adjust the leg levelers to keep more even pressure. Just a thought.

I hadn't received an update in a while, but just got a call out of the blue from the shipper that my BSE is coming tomorrow.

I got my BSE 1066 today without a scratch on the box. I've only had time for a few games so far, but everything appears to be working and looking good. (It was even inspected by Bug.) The BSE armor really does look phenomenal! It does have an orange peel texture to it and it's very hard to show it off in photos, but in person it really pops with an orange and silver sparkle. It's worth noting that this may also be one of the best looking playfields I have ever seen.

BSE1 (resized).jpg

BSE2 (resized).jpg

FWIW - There are no holes in the top of the backbox on the BSE.

Was it that obvious? haha

Definitely let me know if you're ever up for some games. I think you're the only person I've seen with a crazier wishlist than me. and I actually used to live on blvd and bates!

They were definitely supposed to be included, but my BSE didn't seem to come with one either. I know they were running behind on the plaques for the CEs at some points in production. That could be all it is, but I did send Spooky a note about it.

Feature Matrix - Halloween BSE (resized).png

That's kinda messed up. Even if it's not numbered, the plaque was one of the few upgrades advertised for the BSE. It should definitely be included for the price of the upgrade.

Honestly, that's not my problem. It was officially advertised at the time I put down my deposit with a distro. This will now be the 3rd Spooky game I bought that was supposed to come with a plaque, but didn't. What's so difficult about making these little plastics as promised?

There's always at least one of you guys and it's the reason these little things get dismissed over and over again. If there was something missing from the CEs that was promised, this would have received more attention. Yes, it's a little thing... So is the shaker, speaker light kit, and knocker, but I still paid a hefty premium for them.

I really hope they end up coming through for you. CE or BSE, large or small, I think we should all receive what was clearly advertised with our games. It doesn't need to be rationalized or itemized with a calculator.

Look, I'm really liking what Spooky has done with this game, but the BSEs are absolutely a special edition model that was supposed to come with a plaque. Bug even talks about it in this promo video starting around 1:25. Maybe someone from Spooky can chime in about this.

RAD!! Thank you for clearing this up, Bug.

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After some tweaking, I've got the ball going into the hole on successful shots most of the time. What's happening on mine is that the ball seems to be hitting the bottom of the plastic subway and bouncing straight back up and out again. I'm thinking of putting some foam there or something, but the ball still needs to be able to roll cleanly through the subway...

I know a few people had their diverter break from this issue. Amazingly, my center ramp shoots smooth as glass and it's the left ramp that rattles frequently, particularly when backhanding the shot. I haven't figured out the fix for that just yet.

Another fun fact about the tv version... there is a scene with Laurie and Linda at Laurie's house, and the interior that was used was actually Nancy's house from A Nightmare on Elm Street!

Now see the documentary they didn't want you to see...

I just measured. It's just under 29".

I moved my BSE into the lineup and I have been up late playing every night since I got it. I have almost 200 plays on it already with my best score being 74 million. I have to say, I'm sorry I doubted this game, because it really is a lot of fun and it also ties into the movie beautifully. I have become a believer. So, THANK YOU Spooky team for doing a classic horror movie justice!

Amazingly, I also have yet to need to raise the playfield. I don't think I've ever made it this far before with any new game. The playfield surface still looks incredibly nice too, which is really something these days.

I do have some thoughts on the code, but I know a big update is around the corner, so will see what that brings to the game.

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Agreed. There's a lot to like and the potential is there. It's mostly just a little rough around the edges with the content on the display, the timing of some events, and some of the callouts. The only significant thing that I think needs to be worked out is how the House mode dominates the display when it's active. It's pretty easy to keep starting House mode and I find myself deliberately avoiding it sometimes so that I can see the UI and animations/clips from the pumkin mode I'm in. Sanitarium mode kind of has the same issue, but I get that less often and it usually doesn't last as long.

Yeah, they both have the same issue. It's hard to tell what else is actually being locked out or just isn't showing up on the display. And agreed, that sanitarium animation is probably the worst one in the entire game and it overrides everything else. I do like the music though

Wow, thanks SpookyLuke. I know I am often a critic, but I appreciate that you still respond to feedback and aren't afraid to wade into these shark infested waters. You guys absolutely nailed this theme and I can't wait to see what's next.

Hmmm. It's very repeatable on mine. I get two pretzels in a row pretty often and have had three a few times too. I remember reading something about people adjusting the end of the ball guide upwards slightly where it returns to flipper, but I haven't done anything to mine.

Halloween moved up a few spots in the top 100 today. If you guys really want to help with the ranking, you should probably enter your ratings for the BSE and SE too. Those aren't as choked up with reviews from maroons who played the game once at a show and got mad about losing balls in the inlane lifters, so the average can bring the whole grouping up.

Yup, I think it's only fair to leave room in the ratings for this machine to grow. It's not finished yet.

FWIW, the gap between the post and the ball guide on mine looks to be about the same as yours and I have never had a ball get stuck in that spot, so the height of the ramp may be a factor. If I just got the game and that was stopping me from playing, I would just stick something in there temporarly to fill the gap until I can figure it out. Maybe jam a folded up flipper rubber in the gap?

I'm curious, what are some strategies for getting the ball under control on the sanitarium playfield? I find that I usually just start sanitarium with lucky bounces after making right ramp shots. Once I do shoot the upper scoop, I can usually keep the ball up there long enough to start the multiball too. But it kind of sucks when I lose the ball before starting the mb, because I have a heck of a time getting the ball back up there in a controlled manner. What I will sometimes do is start Bob&Linda so I can get up to the house and then let the ball drop down to the sanitarium. I'm not sure if there's a better way or if my sanitarium pf needs adjusted somewhere.

Oddly, the only time I feel like I am frequently in control of the sanitarium pf is when House mode is active, but you really don't want to be on the sanitarium playfield during that mode so you are better off letting it drain out.

Thanks Luke, it could be the flipper position. Once I have it on the flipper, I'm good. It's more an issue of the ball immediately exiting the sanitarium pf, whether that flipper is down or up. Like you said, the ball enters the pf so fast it's hard to get a live shot in. Sometimes it's slower or I get lucky and it bounces off of the right side and back to the left, which gives me a chance at flipping it. I wouldn't say it's a problem really, I'm just not sure what's 'normal' behavior.

I put quite a bit of trial and error into this and this is what worked best on mine.

SFX MODIFIER = 75
VOICE MODIFIER = 45

The voice modifier is ok up to 55, but the volume of callouts is inconsistent, so some come through louder and you can hear the hiss behind them.

It's definitely in there. I think I heard it during Hedge MB?

I somewhat agree because there are places where (imo) there should be sound effects, but there isn't. No sound effect for pressing the start button was the very first thing I noticed when I played my first game. There are also some rough audio transitions and callouts that trip over eachother, etc. I have only noticed the music cutout a few times during very long modes. Like others said, you can try setting the balance for the callouts and sound fx (I use fx=75, voice=45) which will help with some of the 'yelling'. I'm waiting to see what the next code update brings before I get too nitpicky with this stuff, though.

I'm hoping it's only a matter of time...

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+1. It's like it was meant to be there.

I was thinking last night - Has anyone tried blacking out the tinted plastics for the LED light strips? Is there benefit to having them be transparent instead of opaque? It seems like this would barely affect the light shows while concealing most of the strips from direct line-of-sight. Maybe even just doing it to the strips that face the player... I don't think the light strips look bad, but wondering if this would be a cheap way to make them look even better.

I've also considered capping the strips with a half-pipe of frosted rubber tubing, but that would be more complicated to source and install for testing.