Joined the club today! It was between this or GnR, and I think I made the right move for me. This game really shines more in a home setting.

20201009_193401 (resized).jpg

Thanks! I'll say it was certainly not an easy decision to make, but I tend to favor more mech loaded games. Four straight sleepless nights of internal conflict and talking to friends that played GNR was enough. I also figured swapping out Pirates for GNR later would likely be easier than the other way around.

I have only had my game for a week and have seen the eye patch and pirate hats a handful of times. Would love to see it more often!

Crazy. I just got mine today too and I just finished installing it! After seeing it in action, I'd say it's a must have add-on. It's like a whole new major toy on the playfield. It took me a while to sort through the various videos to match the most up-to-date parts, but it ultimately worked on the first go.

Cotton slows the ship. On my game the BP is completely level in attract mode. As far as I can tell, in play, it rocks equally left and right, but at first it is slower and seems to list slightly left to make it play easier. Repeated entries to the BP and time spent up there increases the speed and sway to the right, until BP Multiball is started and completed, which resets the ship speed.

I get what you are saying, and this was definitely based on my short observation and not an in depth review of the ships mechanics. It could just be that the motor picks up speed, and thus hurls the balls to the right edge more.

I think what was up for debate was whether or not the ship could reduce/increase the list to the left/right via the code, or if only the speed of the rocking changed...

I think there may be more airballs and risk of damage to the ramps by cranking the flipper coil power up too much, though the flipper mech would likely be fine.

Just to expand on the mode starting... Shoot one of the lanes marked by a colored skull insert to spot it. This will mark a skull under that movie/color on the display. A mode for this color will now part of the random mode selection in the Star Map. Shooting the same skull more than once also raises the value of shots in that potential mode. The shots needed for the mode are shown on the display once the mode is started, and the small arrow inserts will be lit for those shots too.

Check the rubber ring on the left of the starmap shot for wear at the front post. Every machine is probably a little different, but I haven't had many drains since spinning this ring around.

I just completed some upgrades on my Pirates. I was late to the party and was actually calling around about JJPGNR when I was offered a deal on a Pirates SE. I figured it would be a mistake to not jump on the opportunity. I really much prefer the stainless armor to the black crackle paint, but otherwise I did want some of the LE features and other popular add-ons. Here are some of the more significant upgrades I installed:

ModCouple - Devil's Triangle
ModCouple - Kraken
PinballModCo - Lighted Opening/Closing Chest
PinballModCo - Lighted Starmap Backboard
PinballModCo - Spinning Jack Pop Bumper
PinballModCo - Custom Apron Decal
Invisiglass

Now for the lighting I had to get a little creative, since the color changing GI is the one feature of the LE that can't be added (to date). I actually used small squares of painters tape under the playfield to change some of the GI lamps to a light blue color. I also used some old green rubber bulb caps I had lying around to change the spot lamps to a seafoam green color, and a white one to dim the spotlamp for the Black Pearl. Since all of the inserts, spinners, pop bumpers, flashers and lanterns still change color on the SE, this went a long way to completing the look.
pirates1 (resized).jpgpirates2 (resized).jpgpirates3 (resized).jpgpirates4 (resized).jpg

On another note, does everyone seriously have their game setup to the factory pitch of 6.5 degrees? If so, I can see why the Stern fanboys think JJPs play slow and floaty. I have mine at 7.5 degrees like all of my B/W games and it plays awesome with just the default flipper strength.

I never have this happen either. I have had balls hop the gate from the direction of the flippers a few times, though.

I haven't been waiting nearly as long as many of you have, and I get your frustration, but I do believe a code update will come. I read *every* *single* *post* in this thread over the last month (I may have a problem), and there are many statements to suggest JJP still has every intent of pulling through. I can't say it's likely their highest priority, but it isn't abandoned either. Sure it sucks, but there is a long list of games that had late (year+) code updates that elevated them to a whole new level. It's not uncommon in the world of pinball and this game has really only been out of production for a little over a year now. Eric himself confirmed in this thread just 6 months ago that it's still in the works...

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/301#post-5647211

Yeah, I'm not not saying it's all good... and I'm definitely not trying to shut down the complaints, because the complaints are valid. When I said a 'year+', I was specifically referring to the end of the game being in production (~August 2019) and not since the last code update. Not that this makes it much more reasonable. I'm just saying that the last official word, long after production had already ended, was that it was still coming. So, I do believe it is.... though I lack scientific evidence.

Are these particular transistors hard to find now? I would have guessed GNR is still using the same parts.

I got my chest mod working on the first shot with the latest design. Though I did spend quite a bit of time trying to feed the rod through, adjust the length, and align the chest lid before I even turned it on. The biggest issue is that the instructions are all over the place because of the numerous upgrades to the parts throughout production. The newest rod design gives you more wiggle room to adjust the rod length with threads at both ends. Most people struggle with attaching the rod to the servo at the correct length and servo position, or with getting the mod switch to open/close correctly from the mechanical action of the fork diverter.

I did the same mods on my SE. You can actually add the LE spinning pop bumper too, as well as the full width starmap. The connectors are still there on the SE, so it's all plug and play.

20201112_193034 (resized).jpg

These transistor issues, along with motherboard and power supply issues on a DI in another thread, have me wondering what spare parts would be good to have on hand for Pirates. If all of these parts are supposed to be off-the-shelf, where is the shelf and what am I looking for? If I needed a new motherboard/video card, what would I buy and would it be plug and play? What about the power supply? The hard drive? The monitor?? Is this all documented somewhere?

This is some great info. Thanks for that. It's good to hear that the mb is still being used for GnR. Are you able to provide any insight on the DVI monitor, as well?

(...and I am not panicking. lol. I just like working on my own games and I think this information will be useful to the community. If this is common knowledge to other pinsiders, I wasn't able to find it documented anywhere.)

There's really only one treasure chest mod. It's just had some revisions along the way. There is a lighted and un-lit version.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1202-pinball-mod-co/02711-pinballj-s-actuated-chest-mod-jjp-potc

(same as above)

I would say to do the Yelobird fix. This will help remove any pooling and keep it from coming back. You can then use mylar rings instead of washers, so regular star posts can be used. If you have cracking - thin, water based super glue can also be used as a spot clear coat to seal it.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-playfield-post-repair-and-chip-proofing-how-to-all-brands

They are 12v. Comet sells them.

Someone else tried installing the gold armor from The Hobbit earlier in this thread. They said that the legs on The Hobbit were shorter.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/229#post-5107677

Yes, but directly under 'Price: Out of Stock' it says 'Stock Availability: Sold Out – Contact Local Distributors'.

I used to think there would be another run, but these days i'm not so sure. It may be a little too far in the rear-view mirror. I think that getting all of the parts needed for a smaller run would be difficult. Renewing the licensing could also be more tricky than with WOZ. Disney and Depp have been on the outs for a while now. They aren't currently promoting the brand. I saw an old interview with Jack where he talked about how they coudn't get Chow Yun Fat to agree to be in the game. If any of the 22 actors doesn't want to sign over rights to their image again, that complicates things even further.

There's probably still more money to be made off of new titles and a long term schedule to keep. There's about the same demand for GnR CEs right now. I can't say I'd exactly be surprised to wake up one day and find out Pirates is getting another run, but I'm not expecting it.

Mine isn't going anywhere. I like it too much. There are plenty of other games that would go before this one if I needed the money/space.

You are lucky enough to own a Pirates and were able to spend $10k+ for a large toy for your home. Enjoy it and don't get so worked up. Nothing earth shattering has really changed with pinball prices. You need to put things in perspective. 10 years ago people were bitching about $6k machines and 'oh the sky is falling, the bubble will burst!'. There's been a variety of titles that trade for over $20k for a looooong time, but you don't need to own even a single one of those games (most people don't!) to enjoy the hobby. You also don't need to be rich so much as patient and dedicated. Get some games you like that you can afford and eventually you'll run out of space. Keep trading up a little bit at a time or trade 2 for 1 to get there. The fact that pins don't lose much value, or even gain value, is what makes collecting affordable for us peons.

Wow, I didn't see this coming. I have been trying to get a replacement for a while now. Thanks for posting.

Has anyone tried using a projector instead of LED strips? A friend of mine has a small projector that creates a moving water effect on the wall. I've often thought about trying to put something like that projecting on the floor under Pirates, but I haven't messed with anything yet.

This is likely the problem - Take the whole assembly out from underneath. There are 2 screws in the top that frequently come loose from the factory. You can only access them by removing the mech. Put the fork in the position you want and tighten these down, then re-install the mech.

fork adjustment (resized).jpg

Re-reading that, I may have been misunderstanding the problem. The fix I suggested would make the balls enter the chest lock more cleanly, so that the flipper power doesn't need to be increased to force the ball into the lock.

I had the picture on my pc for ages and didn't even recall exactly where it was from. No offense intended. I'm pretty much done trying to help people with their pin problems anyway.

The only real difference between the SE and the LE is the color changing GI, and arguably the computer controlled star map... Though, I much prefer the modded star map to the factory star map, and I think most people would. Anything else missing on the standard can easily be upgraded to LE level or better... Devil's Triangle, Spinning Pops, Shaker, Headphone Jack, Invisiglass?? Just buy them and plug them in. I think people are paying $5,000+ more for an LE for the bragging rights of saying they have a 'Limited Edition', even though they are actually 5x less limited. Another part of it is that a lot of people don't even seem to realize how little difference there is between the models.

I would NEVER argue that they are completely equal, but $5,000-$7,000 more for a dozen additional color changing lamps on the playfield? It sure made a lot more sense when there was only a $1k difference between the models, but my point was that this is more about prestige and collectability (which is more abstract) driving the market than it is about the tangible differences. Not that I have a problem with that.

I have him installed on mine. These are only available from pinballmods, AFAIK, but that should be all you'll ever need. You can order the individual pieces from their website, if you don't want the full kit. The working connectors are still there under the playfield from the factory, so they spin the same as on the LE.

pirates2 (resized).jpg

Is anyone else getting discouraged by all the hate being directed at this title lately? Ever since the pricing went crazy, that seems to be all that people focus on when discussing this game. It's like everyone is trying to look cool by chiming in everywhere about how much they dislike Pirates and how some other random game blows it away. It's got to the point where I don't even want to tell people I have one, whereas before I was thrilled about it.

Appreciate the comments. I have owned plenty of less than popular (but fun to me) titles before. I have even owned titles that I grew to dislike myself. I've never had a problem with that. I guess I'm just trying to comprehending the wave of haters looking to knock this amazing game off of it's pedestal.

Yes, the LEDs plug into a pcb under the playfield and can be removed. Just clip the wires and remove the LEDs with the wires attached. Then follow the wires under the playfield to where they plug into the pcb via a molex type connector. Unplug the molex connector from that pcb and remove the connector with the wires attached.

I actually had this problem with my front spinning pop, where I couldn't get the character to clear the glass no matter what I did. Scott ended up sending me a different motor mount plastic that had a slightly lower profile. That gave me the wiggle room I needed. I can't say for sure, but if you've got the barrel seated all the way down on the motor shaft and the motor mount is screwed down tight, there's not much more you can do.

https://www.thepinballnetwork.net/e/final-round-pinball-podcast-ep-30-seasoned-veterans/

It's really good to see JJP standing behind their product. I think POTC would actually be a fairly easy playfield swap. I've had a good portion of the playfield stripped down just from installing mods and doing repairs under the Black Pearl. The light boards under the playfield have thier disadvantages, but would sure be a lot easier to swap than individual lamp sockets like on older games.

Don't know if you tried this, but usually this is a problem with the targets in the starmap magnet area on the main playfield. You can go into switch test and bang on the playfield near the starmap to see if you are getting any phantom switch closures. If any of the switches on the main playfield close while you are on the pearl with the cannon gate open, that gate will close.

Congrats on tracking down the problem! Can confirm I have adjusted those slings and targets from underneath the playfield, but yes, it is a bit like a game of Operation(tm) with some finger crossing.

I had a crazy nightmare last night where I went to play my JJPOTC and when I went to plunge the ball, I noticed somebody had swapped it out for a Stern POTC! As if someone had actually broke in and not only stolen my machine, but bothered to drag in a different game to disguise the theft. I panicked and looked around my game room and realized that other games had been swapped out with crap titles. Ah, the things that plague my subconcious. It was a relief when I woke up!

Having an issue with my spinning character pop bumper mod that has me stumped. I installed this in my SE about 6 months ago and it's been working perfectly until now. In gameplay, it seems like the motor is very weak, causing the character to just twitch instead of spinning most of the time. Enough hits will eventually get him spinning, but even then he seems to be spinning slower than normal.

I've run him in the coil test a few times and he seems to be functioning normally there. I can't replicate the issue in test mode. I've taken the assembly apart and checked the motor. Everything seems fine there. The motor isn't heating up and it spins hard in test mode. The barrel seems to be firmly tightened onto the motor shaft. I reseated the connectors under the playfield too. Still, when I go back into gameplay, he barely moves. Has anyone encountered this? I'm hoping it's not a pcb issue.

Good thinking. That may help narrow it down. Will give it a try and report back.

Ok, so confirmed the motor is still gimped in gameplay when connected to the hookup for the upper spinning barrel. That seems to rule out any issues up stream. Even though it seems to be working fine in test, I am going to try to replace the motor and see if that fixes it. Unless anyone else has any other suggestions?

Sorry, I don't have an issue with anything rubbing or obstructing the spinning barrel. It worked fine for many months and then just recently the motor started getting weak. I did originally have trouble with the character being too tall to clear the playfield glass, but Scott sent me a revised motor mount bracket that had a slightly lower profile which resolved that issue on my game.

I was only able to change this rubber ring when I had the Black Pearl removed to install the cliffy protectors. I haven't personally heard of an easier way. When it first started wearing at the post on the left of the starmap entrance, I was able to reach in there well enough to spin the rubber ring around and prolong it's life, but that's about it.

Thanks, but the pop worked great for 6 months before this. I tried moving the connector to the hookup for the other spinning pop and was still getting the same issue. It also was sluggish in Tortuga multiball where it *should* spin no matter what. I replaced the motor and now it's working again! I could tell as soon as I tried it in test that it was spinning harder than the old motor. It could be that these heavier NECA figures wear these motors out faster than normal, or maybe mine was just defective and finally kicked the bucket.

Thanks to all who offered suggestions!

I just looked up the model number printed on the side of the motor and found one on eBay. I'm not sure if there may be a better source.

The whole thing with the POTC code is weird. There must be some kind of legal hurdle with the license. I think it's gone beyond JJP just not having time to update the code, especially since a beta release already exists.

I have only had my POTC for about a year now, but I still play it daily. I have added 4 other machines since I got it, but I find myself playing Pirates most of time. For whatever reason, this game just grabs me. I got to Treasure Hoard for the first time a few weeks ago by accident, and now that I know how it works, that's given me something new to shoot for. I mean, it is still a mere pinball machine and I'm sure I will eventually cool off with it like any pin, but what other pin could really take it's place? If nothing else, I think this is currently the best representation of a JJP game I could have in my lineup.

Yup, here are the combos that need to be completed. I've also got there by gambling treasures in Liar's Dice. A 50k pt. jackpot lights at the Tortuga saucer, and loop shots increase the jackpot value before it's collected. A nice bit of risk and reward.

Capture (resized).PNG

Why am I not surprised that all of the other JJP games would receive this update before POTC? I sure hope it does end up coming. I don't fully understand why JJP treats this title like it's cursed. 1,000 units is still more than Spooky or AP has sold of any of their past titles.

Has anyone else experienced problems with the settings for Plunder? I have my game set to Plunder Items=1, which from everything I have read should mean that only gold can be plundered. Still, in some recent multiplayer games, people are getting the option to steal points, balls and characters too. I have thought about disabling plundering altogether, but I think it's a fun feature when the consequences aren't too punishing. In fact, I have the Plunder Level set to Cutthroat, so that plundering occurs frequently. Anyone else run into this issue?

One thing I changed on mine early on was needing 100 gold instead of 50 for tortuga mb. I felt it was too easy to get to 50 gold and this change helped with the mb vs single ball balance nicely. Just an idea.

Factory settings for Tortuga MB is 50 gold, but it's adjustable.

Multiball progress is tracked on the map on the LCD. If you look closely, you can see the colored paths completing on the map as you progress towards each MB.

This is great! Good to see there is more to this update than just Scorbit being implemented. Any chance we can get an option to adjust the number of chapters needed to get to each movie wizard mode?

25 is the sweet spot on mine.

I don't usually bother with shakers, but I added a JJP shaker to my SE and it was definitely a worthy upgrade for this game. I think I read that the new code in the development will add more shaker action too.

As for the sling posts, most people swap in star posts and there was actually a star post kit that JJP used to send out. If you have bad pooling, the vinyl repair kit 'playfield iron' can be used to flatten the pooling and curb future chipping before installing the new posts. As for what to put under the posts, there are million different theories on what is the 'best'. Some people put mylar rings, rubber gaskets or neoprene washers under the posts. There are lots of threads about this for JJP games in general. Personally, I used the playfield iron, mylar rings and star posts and 1,000 plays later it still looks perfect.

The most likely solution is to loosen or remove the manual plunger housing/plate, slide it to the position you need it, and tighten it back down. There is usually a little room for adjustment with how it's mounted in the cabinet.

Personally, I would only bend the hooks if it seems like the playfield isn't sitting close to level in the cabinet. I would bend the auto launcher before I would do that. It may take some real trial and error to get it right.

Pirates is my favorite JJP, by far. I personally wouldn't trade it for a different JJP. They are all interesting to me, and Wonka is fun, but I think the audio annoys me too much to want to own it. Reminds me of this.

grinch_ad (resized).jpg

If the arrow remains lit, it could just be that the rod needs bent slightly. If I remember correctly, there is an actuator rod behind the gate on the right that pulls the gate open. You can bend it to make the gate raise a little higher.

I haven't seen a Pirates where that gate closes flush at rest. I think it's normal for it to stick out a little bit. I would focus on getting it to open far enough to clear the ball.

McNally did a bang up job. He definitely helped elevate the game. There's also the parrot that chimes in sometimes when you are on the Pearl. It would have been nice if they used him more to mix things up.

Replacing or even spinning the rubber ring on the left side of the starmap area can help with the SDTM drains. I was getting drained out a lot until I replaced that ring. You could also try adding a fatter rubber ring to the post on the left. If all else fails, someone used to sell a little gate that would make the ball roll more to the right, but I'm not seeing it listed anymore.

As for the slings, I don't think I ever had the exact issue you mentioned. Replacing the sling rubber may help there too. I have my slings set to 20, FWIW. I still have the rare wild sling hit where it sends the ball airborn against the side of the cabinet or into the plastics. I see this happen on every modern game from every manufacturer, though. Not sure why this happens, because older games never do this.

I have it happen on both slings, but it only happens maybe once every 10 games or so. I am still on .99 code. This happens on every SAM or Spike system Stern game I've had too. I had a Metallica Pro back in 2013 that was doing it a lot, and I remember people on here were experimenting with installing resistors on the sling coils. It's crazy that almost 10 years later this is still an issue on modern games.

The illuminated starfield is awesome if you have an SE. On the LE it's not quite as good because the lights look different from the ones in the existing starmap. For the lockdown bar, I prefer the look of the gold coins over the Lior one. Just my opinion. I haven't seen the speaker panel... you sure that's not for the Stern machine? JJPs don't really have a speaker panel.

I seriously wouldn't be surprised if there are legal reasons why they can't release official code updates or produce more games. This would also restrict their ability to make public statements about what's going on.

Does anyone know of a good source for a plastics protector set?

Thank you for the tip. Unfortunately, it looks like shipping to the U.S. would cost more than the plastics.

There's a coin cell battery on the CPU that should be replaced every 3 years, or it can brick the game. Though, I have actually seen these types of batteries last 10+ years on other pcbs.

Instructions are in section E-5 of the manual.

Long shot, but is anyone able to send me the beta code? I was just waiting patiently for the final update, but we know how well that's working out. I didn't and don't want to install the telegram app to get it, if that's even still an option.

If anyone else needs plastics protectors, I ended up getting a set from Mezel Mods.

I'd be in for some ramps! Mine are still ok, but I sweat a little every time the ball rattles hard on a failed ramp shot.

The real must have mod for this game is that opening/closing lighted chest from Pinball Mod Co. It not only restores one of the scrapped toys from the prototypes, it improves upon it. I can't believe there are still games out there without this.

I always wondered if that would work for the people having issues. I mean, the servo just pulls down on the back of the lid to open it up, but the weight of the lid closes it. It doesn't seem like a fiddling with the rod would be necessary if you can just use some wire. I have a later run chest mod where the rod length was easily adjustable. So fortunately, mine worked perfectly on the first shot and has ever since.

Download the manual like LTG said. It's one of the best manuals available and contains very detailed parts information. This is from page D-65.

potc-transistors (resized).jpg

I asked about a plastics set months ago and was told they are no longer available.

Why do I feel like I just watched an infomercial for overpriced electronics?

MadeupMealyElephantbeetle-size_restricted.gif

Even if JJP wants to make more POTC, they can't do it without approval from Disney and the actors. They probably can't even add new assets to the code at this point. Given the state of the film franchise, it seems unlikely to me that anything will change. At the absolute least, I doubt that Depp is going to partner with Disney again for the sake of royalties from a pinball machine. Notice anything different about how the game is shown on their website?

jjp1 (resized).JPG

I do. From what I understand the licensing for POTC is especially complicated because of how the actors retain their rights. I won't pretend to understand all of the details, but there seems to be a different threshold (price?) for using their still images vs using their film footage and voices. I have watched all of the old interviews and listened to all of the old podcasts. There was an interview with Jack and Eric where they discussed how they weren't able to include Chow Yun Fat's character in the game because he would not sign off on the use of his likeness. Eric also mentioned the difficulties of getting signoff from every actor. Maybe they were blowing smoke to make it sound like a bigger accomplishment? I dunno. I am also suspicious of the fact that POTC went out of production shortly after the accusations against Depp and Disney dropping him like a hot potato, but that's just me.

Here's just one interview that confirms what I said about the individual actor signoffs. I am guessing that these expired along with the rest of the license. The discussion about licensing starts at 14:32.

It's great to see you still making enhancements for this game!

The chipping around the posts that you mentioned seems to be most common issue. It's just so common with this title that finding one completely without pooling/chipping would be out of the ordinary. Nothing else stands out as a widespread issue, but replacement plastics and ramps are unobtainable at the moment, so I would check for any damage there.

I didn't do any trimming on mine. The arm comes very close to tapping the bottom side of that plastic, but doesn't quite hit it. Maybe your chest is leaning forward slightly?

I wouldn't say it's sinking. It's just that the game has been out for 4 years now and not much has changed since production ended. There also aren't nearly as many POTC floating around as with most other new games, so not as many owners on pinside to chime in with thoughts and ideas. It's like trying to keep a thread active for Mystery Castle or something. You can always go back and read all of the old threads about the game as there is a lot of good information buried there.

I've wondered about this too. I have seen some beat playfields on POTC, but they didn't have any wear in that spot. These playfields seem more prone to pooling and chipping at the edges, but less prone to wear in the traditional sense. Anecdotal, but I have around 2500+ plays on mine and that area still looks like new...

Huh. I installed the map hole protector after I started getting wear on the right edge. I honestly didn't notice any difference in the difficultly of the shot and even if I did, I wouldn't want to blow out the playfield there. I put a lot of games on mine, though.

I'm sure they asked to see the most expensive game on the floor and add 30% to the price for shock value. Always nice to see some pinball publicity tho.

It's in my top 3, as well. Definitely my favorite LCD era game. It's not only a mechanical marvel, it's also very fun and addicting. I'll probably go to the grave with this game still in my lineup.

I don't think they are ever meant to flicker. I swapped mine out with Comets. They are glued in from the factory, but they can still be pried out if you are careful. Even just bending the contacts on them and putting them back in might solve the problem.

Just remember that these are not the usual 6.3v LEDs. 6.3v LEDs will melt. These JJP spot lamps use 12v.

I did not bother gluing the new lamps in, but haven't had any trouble with them. I did try experimenting with some different colors, but utlimately I ended up using white Comet lamps with a green filter over the bulbs. I used green silicone lamp covers similar to these ones marco sells, and this gave off a really nice seafoam color.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8063-2

pirates1 (resized).jpg

Yup, that looks like the ones I used. Maybe they are even the exact same lamps that JJP uses, not sure.

We were just talking about this. These are very similar if not the same as the factory lamps. They are 12v instead of the usual 6.3v.

https://www.cometpinball.com/products/opmax-12v?_pos=2&_sid=a6c7e1555&_ss=r

It's also more than just an extra switch hit for the pop bumper area. It's the target for the extra ball shot. You need to shoot it directly without hitting the pop bumpers to collect the EB.

Just a thought... if you choose Ragetti as your character, you can add-a-ball at any time by hitting the action button while the other ball is on the ship. Maybe that's what happened?

Gotta love the easy fixes!

Just from what I have seen, I think random select is only available in the beta. Though, the game seems to start with a random character highlighted in the .99 code, you just can't re-roll the selection like in the beta code.

You are right, I should probably give it a go. In the past I was worried about bricking my game attempting the update, but I've learned more about the process since then and the recent beta releases sound promising. I just need to get a wifi adaptor for it.

Yup, that's exactly how I learned more about the process. My HDD failed at one point.

I just knew I was going to get called out on that as soon as I posted it. haha