Main flaw is the starchild area. It is complete luck on how many switches you will hit with any succesful shot to this area. It is even more luck to get it in the gooch hole in this area. Any shot that favors luck over skill is a flaw. This could and should have been easily rectified by having and up-post on the orbit which could be coded at select times (even better if player controlled) to go up and stop an orbit, then have a pathway allowing the ball to gravity feed down into the gooch. Such a simple change that could have made the game so much better and eliminated the luck factor largely.

In conjunction, the Gene toy is the obvious and main thing for any noob to try and get multiball at. For this reason they missed out on the target audience due to poor design of target placement. The right side gene target to light lock is very tight and should have been slightly adjusted to be more makable for a beginner to average player. This is a design flaw.

I hate when simple changes could have made a game much better.

I am still enjoying playing the game but these are things that detract from the overall fun of the game and to me show and uncharacteristic lack of physical design polish.

Beginners will easily light the locks via flailing. I hit the right lock target all the time by missing the Demon or bricking something else badly. Better players will trap up, pass, and nail it.

I agree the Starchild area is lackluster, but not because it's more random. I just don't think it's a fun shot. It's like the WWE ring with automatic slammers.

One of the 20+ ways I rate a game is by counting "how many things can I do with each flipper" -- since I'm not a fan of TEDIOUS post passes. I'd rather trap and fire, and keep the momentum of the game going.

Based on that preference, I'd MUCH rather have the ability to take a shot at the right target from the right flipper whether off a trap, or a live backhand. Whether you call it a design flaw, a lack of usability testing, or something else -- I wish it were a makeable shot.

-mof

I actually really enjoy this shot. Very satisfying to hit it (very tight), and Borg brings in some old school nudging. Nudge, and makes those slings up there get a work out. Nudging is a skill in pinball. I am curious to try out a LE/Prem to see how different this area plays.

Yancys' response sums up my feelings as well. I think those targets are great. Not something to aim directly at, but use glancing shots. Reminds me of Whitewater's lock shots, or BSD's central target bank. Death shot if you hit them wrong (SDTM).

I don't agree with these points, but thanks for explaining your line of thinking!

My worry with that star child area, as an OP, is cleaning that on location. Bleh, not looking forward to it

Bank shot off the KISS targets for the win. Similar to GEM shot. Try it out!

I have found it VERY difficult to set the tilt appropriately on these new lightweight Spike systems. So light taht even a small movement can send the game all over the place. It is def a differnet type of nudging required.

Either way, still too muck luck factor on this game.

Even Yancy saying the

Just too much luck and small changes that to me could have made the game so much better.

I played 10 games, and probably earned 6 multi-balls, 1 of the 6 multi-balls did NOT tilt. I wasn't nudging, I was just playing...
So frustrating.
I hope that was just the operator's fault...
(And I never tilted outside of multiball, where I might have done a little nudging on the outlanes.)
-mof

Let's not forget the Gene spit SDTM. Was happening countless times on both KISS Pros at the Ultimate KISS launch party/concert on Sunday. Still no quick ball save on .95 code
Hey if the programmers/designers don't think it should be in the code at least put it in the adjustments menu and let the owners decide.
It was clearly pissing everyone off at the party. This is a flaw that needs to be recognized as I've now seen it happen on all 3 machines I have played.

I'm pretty sure the reward in pinball for a good shot is supposed to be a SDTM.

Thankfully, over 10 games, I only had about 4 SDTMs in 50+ Gene shots so, <10% ain't too horrible. Not as bad as the pops in TWD.
-mof

Add the Pro I played in the twin cities to the list. And it pissed me as well.
+1 for a quick ball save - a must have to enjoy that game!

I have not expereinced many SDTM from gene mouth on our so I am guessing the mech kick can be slightly adjusted?

Either way i agree that it needs a 2 sec ball save to save you when this happens.

Only problem with this, is there's no way for the machine to know the difference between a SDTM and a bad/forgotten flip, where the ball wasn't actually SDTM. Are there any other options than a ball save?
-mof

I experienced very, very few Demon mouth STDMs on the pro I played. Maybe none? I can only recall the disc throwing it SDTM. Maybe it's a pitch thing. The game I played was nice & steep.

I experienced none as well at M Brew in Ferndale. TWD is another story however.

For the Gene head eject you can adjust the power of the kick out. BUT, you can also remove the plastic behind Gene's head, exposing four screws. There are cutouts in the clear plastic so you can get a screwdriver on them. Loosen the screws and while pushing the eject at the mouth as far to the left as possible, re-tighten the screws.

1.02 is out now - the release notes are pretty bare bones since the changes to .093 from .092 were pretty substantial

Hey, if you've played KISS go put your rating up! (need 5 more on Saturday)
I feel confident about my #, I'm predicting an entrance of at least 7.4 (top 150)
https://pinside.com/pinball/archive/kiss-stern/ratings
-mof

Rated it!

If you've put some games on it - go rate it!
-mof

https://pinside.com/pinball/archive/kiss-stern/ratings

We missed the boat again.
Apparently we need 3 more of you to post your ratings on KISS...
-mof

Welcome to Pinside, KISS !
#81...
-mof

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Perhaps for some it will.
I rated it based on the geometry and design of the PF and how the shots felt. That's my bias when I rate a game: Shot feel.
I'm not in the "rules can save the weak design" camp...
-mof

I also rated based mainly on layout and play style. That said, I firmly believe that great code can vast improve a clunky player (TWD is a good example >> still hate the stupid doubledeadend to pops but that code has made the game SO much better).

Week #2, hang in there little guy!
-mof

#114
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