I had the chance to play two games at the Louisville show. The game was really fun and the playfield was beautiful. The code was test code so I don’t know what the final will be. Got the ball stuck once and the game doesn’t have a ball search mode, so the owner had to come pull the glass and help.

Definitely a game I would consider buying new.

I think this theme is an absolute slam dunk for a lot of adult focused locations, and not just the barcades. We have a few craft breweries/tap rooms here that have pins, I'm hoping at least one of them will bring one in. There's a German beer hall/restaurant in my neighborhood too, an insanely high volume operation on the weekends. If an operator could convince them to bring in an Oktoberfest I'd bet that the thing would pay for itself rather quickly.

+1

Love the beer and German festival theme! I hope to love the game and support AP with a purchase too when I finally get a chance to play one. Until then, I'm enjoying my Houdini!

I don’t think I heard much negative at all about the game at Louisville. A ton of the same people seemed to hang in the line all weekend..... and it wasn’t a short line ha ha. I loved it. The last pin I felt this way about was POTC. I like leaving a show with that one Pin I feel like I couldn’t get enough of! Joe always has a unique lay out and he’s done some good stuff with this. I still think Houdini has some of the best code ever and I’m really liking what josh is doing with this. The thing as a whole is just......fun!!!!!

Hey, what am I, chopped liverwurst?

The bonus countdown screen is amazing. Haha. I’d praise more, but that’s all I’m sure that you did.

Keep it up. Can’t wait to play more.

The rules and programming of Oktoberfest has been a collaboration with Ferret, it is a constant give and take as we push each other to make the game the best we can. We have different ways of seeing things and different approaches and I think we have been able to effectively meld those to create a game that will entertain and challenge players, whether novice, enthusiast or tournament player. I know every game I work on from this point forward, will be better for having worked with him on this machine. Given my other responsibilities at API, the game would certainly not be what it is without his hard work and creativity and he has done more of the work than I have. We were extremely fortunate that we were able to get him to join our team and I look forward to collaborating with him on our future titles (unless he has had enough of me).

The game looks really good; I look forward to to seeing it on location.

Chopped up Ferret is Bratwurst in German

QSS

This is why I pre-ordered a few months back. I seems like the perfect theme for a bar I put my machines in. I feel like the machines need to match the vibe of the place. For example, I love the Metallica machine, but wouldn’t put that into a casual beer drinking joint.

Ha ha completely unintentional to leave you out! Zach and I were just talking about you yesterday while discussing the game and what you have brought and can bring to it!!!!!

Where do yo route games, and where will Oktoberfest be located?

The two color men walking around reminds me of this:

Seriously AP. Why do you spend millions making games and near zilch on one-time costs like art?

I was guessing those were place holders. The animations are even playing on the same cycle so they all march like a battalion of soldiers. I figured all that stuff was yet to be tweaked.

I've been putting my games at Hop Central Brewery and Taproom in Chandler Arizona (https://hopcentralbrewery.com/). I have it listed as a location on Pinside too.

Also note how the walk animation is faster than the characters move, making it look like they're sliding on ice. Seriously this sort of thing was solved back in the NES days.

AP either needs to spend on licenses so they have content to fill the LCD with or spend on art to make these original themes come to life.

OMG! That is perfect...lol.

From the stream I didn't see many balls lasting longer than 30seconds to a minute. Are the shots that difficult or is there a learning curve that just isn't there. I seem to remember Jacks stream at Expo people were having much longer ball times.
Still, ready to try it once on location near me.

Really Ben, you want to be one of those negative nilly's?
At least wait till pin is done.
I dont know what grudge you have, maybe this gets it off your chest for negative comments on AMH.
You of all people should support your peers and the hard work that goes into making pinball.

Ice-Cold-FreezeOtto (resized).jpg

Haha. QFT.

It's the lack of frames of animation. Any of those digitized games from that era have that effect.

I kind of understand what they're going for with the people walking around, but if that's what they want to do, then different shots of the "park" or "grounds" with an announcer talking about what a great day it is, and the event announcements, lost people, or whatever to give it a more festive, cohesive feel with an NBA Jam-like commentary could work. The quiet, aimless courtyard as it is now seems weird.

Nihilists? I've never seen it used like that.

Not to speak for him, but there's been almost nothing to indicate AP will improve the animation and art direction to a level beyond what they've shown for the last 4 months. Things are moved around and minor things are changed, but the main problem is the same. I believe that's what he's commenting on. Not that AP isn't trying, just that they're clearly dropping dollars to pick up pennies.

I would like to give my .02 on my experience with Oktoberfest, and it may be worth less than that, but here goes...

I am fortunate in that I am able to travel to most shows. I went to Expo, and I went to Louisville last weekend. Oktoberfest has some great shots that are original and satisfying to hit. The toys are fun including the tapper, the target banks, the shape of shots, the habit trails and even Otto. I played it more than any other machine at the show. Despite the lazy narratives about the animations being sub par, I found them relevant, entertaining, and reasonably well done. The code, especially for being this early in the game, was pretty solid. As mentioned, there were some issues with the one that shipped but after Zach updated it, it was relatively trouble free. There is a lot to explore within the modes and it seemed it would hold up well to a home use scenario. I am a dad, with a 10 year old son in the house who I am very protective of. Yes, it features beer. So does prime time TV and sports. I find the theme perfectly acceptable. Beer and beautiful women are part of life in my opinion. I respect a teetotaler or puritan type that refuses such things in their home as long as it is not in lieu of a Walking Dead, Elvira or Big Bang Bar. Pinball is full of violence, suggestive themes and innuendo much less subtle than what this machine has.

Criticisms: I can't say that I would have picked the theme if I were the one in charge of such things, but after spending some time with it, and seeing how it has been implemented, I am warming up to it. I love humor in pinball, and this has it in spades. I am not crazy about the mech that is below Otto being a rehash, but otherwise, the machine seems to have plenty of features for the money, especially compared to what the market leading elephant in the room tends to offer (not hating, I own some of theirs, and I like them, but... it needs to be said).

I have absolutely no dog in this fight. I have not purchased a Houdini. I do not know anyone at American beyond here on the forum. I purchase machines based on their value and merits vs preconceived bias or notions towards what I should like, or what the mainstream does. It tends to serve me pretty well. I am considering a purchase of Oktoberfest for my home. I enjoyed it that much. I will talk about this in detail on our podcast we are recording this evening that should be posted on 3-6-19 of you would care to hear more.

-Jason

When people are playing at a show on a brand new game... they have no time to get adjusted, learn the game, etc. It's not uncommon for games to be way less successful. Don't read into the ball times.

The game played like most others when we played it in private.

That doesn't sound too far off from what it should be. Most pins usually target an average game time of around 3 minutes. And Joe Balcer's designs are nothing if not unique, so players walking up for the first time won't find shots in exactly the same spot on the flippers as other games.

My home machine has had 500 plays over the past couple weeks, with a range of player skills. Average game time is 3 minutes 42 seconds. That is somewhat on the long side compared to the 3 minute target, but I'm generally a PAPA/Pinburgh "B+" player so I should probably be getting somewhat longer game time than average.

The game looks like it kicks ass! I'm in for this beer drinker.

I like the art, the sounds, the layout and there is a shitload to do on this pin. Count me in.

Most people that played the beer in hand mode had no idea what was going on, but it’s hilarious.

Thankfully it includes a generous ball saver at both start and end.

Yeah, I think it needs a real clear warning like the "cross your arms NOW!" sequence for Strait-Jacket escape in Houdini, except maybe (in the adult mode) it would say "grab your beer now!"

I mean they would still miss it. Just have to get used to it. Maybe a long pause for when the mode starts so the player looks up and sees the screen say that “left button disabled, cheers and use both right buttons to flip the flippers.” That accompanied with a callout would be cool.

I am trying to give AP good advice. If they insist on sticking with original themes they need to improve their A/V content by several orders of magnitude.

Else they're toast.

Despite the lazy narratives? Really? Not sure why you're trying to insult people who see things clearer than you. Sorry but if you think those animations are well done (or reasonably - whatever that means), I guess your standards are just lower than mine. The quality in animations is absolutely jarring for a game that costs 7k+. Let's not sugar coat this. I think this game does a lot of things right and I still have it on my radar but I'm very much hoping A/V gets settled.

Have you seen the "animations" on a TWD or GB? Wtf are you talking about. Bunch of BS

Is that a serious question? TWD is one of the best examples of dots out there. If AP is going to take this to the big leagues and use the LCD they can't play minor ball.... "ICE".

It's "dots" on TWD and my favorite pin. The LCD on Ocktoberfest blows away anything "dot" related. And actually has a nice charm about it.

WAY overblown on your part

You are absolutely out of your longhorn mind if you think the animations on Ocktoberfest are better than TWD dots - one of the greatest examples of dots on any game ever. I would take DOTS on TWD any day of the week over the amateur hour that is this games video package. If they can't pony up the cash to get it done right, I rather them just keep this a DMD game. I think they would be better off for it.

LOL, "Dots suck"

And I've seen them ALL on TWD. Just installed a color dmd but in no way is it better than AP animations. It's cool. Could it be better? Sure, but its college versus dot elementary school

And even the AESTHETIC of TWD aside, TWD is undeniably a COHESIVE art and animation package. It all fits together and belongs in the same universe (and colorDMD accentuates how great the dots really are). Oktoberfest is a huge mishmash of art, fonts, and animation that does not go together right now, and it sounds like little plan to change that in any meaningful way.

Colored dots look good because they originate in black & white. The artist had to take contrast and readability into account when designing them. The color is just icing on a cake. If a design doesn't work in B&W then it doesn't work.

I look forward to seeing it in my house !!!
Out here in CA Bay Area there aren’t many games on location which sucks
I think AP builds beautiful games and I feel the best screen backglass configuration on the market hands down
Hope they build games for a longtime

Of course. Working in a primary color and some gradients of that color is very hard and precise work if you want it to look good.

Are you kidding? You have a couple enormous pinball-centric arcades in SF. Free Gold watch and another that slips my mind. FGW even gets some pins pre-release for a week or two.

SF is 20 miles , parking sucks and car break ins and theft is rediculous, SF looks good in movies but it’s dirty and too many Rats ! 2 and 4 legged

I don't live there, but we go into the city fairly frequently (there ARE a LOT more homeless around downtown in the last few years), and never had a car break-in or trouble parking. I mean, if you can survive the Orpheum exit at NIGHT on the edge of the tenderloin district and then have to WALK 1-2 blocks to the parking, you can pretty much do anywhere downtown. The tenderloin is about as sketch as it gets.

For FGW's selection, I'd brave that every couple months and you can play all the new stuff in one place.

Free gold watch ROCKS!

FWIW I like Houdini animations a lot. It's part of what drew me in.

That and the very cool scratchy audio. Really fits the steampunk retro theme.

So, on Oktobetfest I think it's really fun and different...I also like it a lot from what I've seen.

Keep up the great work API and team!

Really look forward to playing a ton at TPF.

what went wrong? too much haight?

Delt, it never was my intention to insult anyone, yourself included. I do feel that it is a lazy narrative though. Lets take your POTC that you love for instance, and I believe either own or have committed to. Is it difficult to have video assets put on a LCD from an existing IP? I'm not sure, but I doubt it. Are the animations outside of those licensed assets so stunning that you bought one? I am not picking on Pirates. I am just giving an example here. Getaway. I have owned it, you own it now. It has some of the worst dots ever made in my opinion, despite it being a great game. Do you go to the Getaway topics and scream holy hell about how bad the dots are? Probably not. I simply say it is a lazy narrative because it seems that it is being disproportionately chided for its LCD by people who seem to forgive other games that they own that never were purchased based on the quality of animations.

You are welcome to your opinion. I have mine as well. I simply do not feel the LCD is worthy of the malevolence and animosity that some show it.

This game has wild amounts of emotion and opinions around it. Everything from women’s rights to alcohol consumption. I, for one, am extremely happy I preordered such a classic representation of our current society nicely bundled into one pinball machine. .

That said, I think this review you wrote sounds pretty fair. Assuming AP doesn’t have unlimited dollars…I say they should absolutely concentrate on the mechanical before the digital. If they keep evolving the software on top of a fantastic mechanical platform, they should have a long running success.

THAT is a lazy and actually false narrative.

jjPotC has a TON of custom 3D that is created to seamlessly integrate with the movie assets. It's SO good you may not have noticed it, which is testimony to its excellence. A PERFECT example is the multiball intro for the chapters, and especially the On Stranger Tides chapter that has the camera in the water and the cannonballs/pinballs falling into the sea off the side of the ship. It's impressive and seamlessly integrated with the rest of the assets. Art direction, font use, music, and animation are all top-level for that and are an example of the work that is a universe away from the level of work AP is doing with Oktoberfest. They COULD get that level of work (in 2D or 3D, live action or animated) with a talented artist/animator with art direction skills, but they haven't.
jjPotC Multiball.gif

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