Alright, it's time for those owners out their to celebrate their love for Hardbody with an official club. Gawkers may also admire our Hardbodies. I've said it before, but it's my current pick for best "bang for your buck". It honestly might be the last machine to leave my collection, not because it's my favorite, but simply because for it's current low market value. I've added light strips to both the upper and lower playfield. The upper playfield was a bit of a trick as the light strip is actually mounted vertically with the sling to the left of the flippers.

Lower Playfield Light Strips (Matching One On the Left Side):
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Upper Playfield Light Strip:
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Backbox Full LED:
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EDIT: Seeing those pictures, I do need to swap out those GI with some frosted. No idea what I was thinking there.

Updated the OP. I'll also add my custom freeplay cards to increase your jealousy.

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It's pure 80s. You have to embrace it. I'd suggest only playing it with headband, wristbands, legwarmers, and track suit.

PS: No joke, I just ordered a set of headbands and wristbands for $1.64 shipped.

Yeah, I've kind of wanted to do a Pandemic (Board Game) retheme myself. I just don't think I'll ever get around to it though. My idea is basically that your a scientist that's trying to save the world from global epidemics. Complete the target banks to collect a culture. Collect one of each or three of a single culture to advance the cure effectiveness. The lower playfield would display this progress on an imaging chamber, that's that thing the woman is holding in the upper right hand corner of the image below. Above that would be a flask flanked by two beakers which would fill as you improve cure effectiveness.

Pandemic Backglass (resized).jpg

The existing layout and rules could fit with the retheme:

CULTURES: Complete TARGET BANKS to collect CULTURE

CURE: Collect one of each or three of a single CULTURE to advance CURE effectiveness and light the RESEARCH STATION

CURE A: 20K points, 20K points, 20K points, and 40K points

CURE B: 20K points, 20K points, 20K points, and 40K points

SUPER CURE: 25K points, 25K points, 25K points, and 350K points

RESEARCH STATION: Shoot the CENTER SHOT to raise the RAMPS exposing the LOWER LOOP

ERRADICATE JACKPOT: Shoot the LOWER LOOP to collect ERRADICATE

JACKPOT worth 50K points, 100K points, 200K points, and 400K points plus

MUTATION LOOP: Make the MUTATION LOOP to advance the value of the ORANGE TARGET BANK

GOVERNMENT FUNDING: Shoot the X2 FUNDING TARGET to double playfield value

Thank you! I think it would work very well. I'll start to get more serious about it and plan out something, but then I start thinking about everything that would be needed to complete the project and it becomes overwhelming. It's one of those things where if there were a group working on it it might make more sense, but to do it alone would be too much work.

I wouldn't be changing the rules at all, but it sure would be nice to change the sound. Something more dramatic for the background loop plus replacing the breathing, grunting, and clanking with something like, "Sample collected!" or "We've got a sample!". I'd add some radio static to give the effect that there are teams traveling around and reporting back to the Center of Disease Control (CDC). As you loop the jackpot, "The treatments seem to be working!"

In terms of the artwork, the hardest part would be getting the playfield to line up with existing inserts. My ideal art would be a map/grid, similar to the background artwork on The Cure. This map/grid pattern would cover most of the upper and lower playfields; as a subtle nod to the original grid background on Hardbody. The bottom of the lower playfield would be the CDC lab area similar to the artwork on In The Lab. This is where progress is tracked on the inserts. Around each target bank, I'd want each diseases represented by a color coded "molecule type thing"; similar to the artwork from Contagion. These could even be used on the targets themselves. Plastics would tie into the map look, but show more of a ground's eye view of the chaos: riots, road blocks, the infected, quarantines, etc. If I were using "borrowed art", I'd probably base a lot of those on Tom Clancy's The Division. When I was more serious about it, I thought about reaching out to Z-Man Games. It would be amazing to have full access to their artwork.

PS: Have you played Pandemic Legacy: Season One? If not, I'd recommend it.

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My player mods finally arrived.

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Nope, they are color matched to the game.

So, I currently have a non-mirrored backglass on my Hardbody. Did Bally produce a non-mirrored version?

Plus, I legit like the game. Going through the stations then tournaments is quite challenging.

PS: Still can't get into Space Jam.

That's fun, or just shooting for that extra ball can be a lot of fun. I still haven't mastered those in-line drops. So while I do appreciate Hardbody for what it is in a perfect world, I'd still love to retheme mine as Pandemic. If I could figure out how to replace the sounds, it would be a project I'd more actively pursue.

I would have also liked one in the original style. The pinup one is more tacky then the original.

Sadly mine is currently torn down for a retheme. I really think Hardbody is the most underrated game based on the Pinside rankings.

I've probably shared this already, but here is a rough layout for my retheme. I'm going to cover all of the "tournament" inserts and just display them on a "cure tracker" which will be an interactive topper.

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Didn't something look off with the inserts on that one on eBay?

Can anyone with the game setup help remind me of some of the rules? When the ramps are raised for the "Power Reps" is the progression 50K, 100K, 200K, and 400K plus Extra Ball? This my understanding, but if someone could actually shoot these shots and watch the scores, I'd be grateful. Second, and you remind me what lights the playfield value X2 and if those stack with the "Power Reps" and "Tournament" progress. Thank you.

I removed mine, but I don't remember the process...sorry.

It's a game that will make you a better player. I love having to pick off each of those individual targets. I'm not sure I've shared it in this thread, but I ended up retheming my Hardbody in part because I think the layout and rules are already great. It's the theme that some can't seem to get over.

I have an extra translight (non-mirrored) if you are still looking. I obviously don't check in on this thread super often, so a PM is probably better.

Still love Hardbody. Totally underrated game.

Anybody have an extra Hardbody playfield? Honestly, the worse condition the better since I'll be sanding and reprinting it anyway. Please send me a PM.