St Louis, MO
Quoted from bingopodcast:The gameplay has insane depth
I like that description of bingo play. Keep up the great work Nick.
(Topic ID: 157282)
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The Multi-Bingo
Homebrew, 2016
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2 weeks later
1 month later
Check out your Odyssey owners manual Nick. My Odyssey has a 110 voltage outlet in the back on the driver's side next to the third row seats. Might not be enough wattage to power a soldering gun though.
Yes. Engine has to be running.
I did not even know I had it until Jon decided he would read the owners manual on our road trip down to meet you. Got home and plugged a drop light into it and, BINGO!
1 month later
1 week later
Quoted from zimjoe:I don't think anyone that follows this thread really believed you would take a break. My guess of ten seems low with a month left until York.
I agree! How many hours of sleep do you get Nick? 2-3? Or less? 
1 week later
Quoted from NoQuarters:I'm thinking this is turning into MANY Bingo, not a mere Multi Bingo.
Could maybe even become Every Bingo at some point !
Hell, Nick will probably be done with all of the bingos and halfway through the One-Balls by Christmas at this rate! 
1 month later
2 weeks later
Quoted from bingopodcast:Demonstrating the Golden Game and Gate feature:
» YouTube video
Looking good Nick!
1 month later
Quoted from bingopodcast:Wondered why there was no update yesterday? The machine I'm working on now is fantastically complex.
It's the only machine with two games in one.
The portioning utilizes some of the same circuits for each game, with some variations for runs to the top or etc. It's pretty brain-bending looking at the circuitry, though.
It has Magic Squares AND Select-a-spot.
And from my testing, the portioning is VERY liberal. I'm fortunate to have played another simulation here: http://bingo.joopriem.nl/
and the portioning feels fairly similar to that. Odds are quick to jump, features are quick on game #2, not as quick on game #1.
In playing the simulation, I really like this game (racked up over 1000 credits while writing Coney Island). Hopefully that holds with the fully emulated portioning of my game...
It is one of only two baseball-themed bingos.
Can anyone name this game?
3 hours and no guesses yet?
Quoted from Vic_Camp:Double Header...two bingo games in one.
Select a Spot and Magic Squares....
Shame on you Vic!
Quoted from bingopodcast:Does anyone have a United Playtime schematic? I've read that it is very similar to Showtime, but I can't verify without the schem.
I can implement exactly as Showtime for now, until I find a schematic. Might be time to get an order together for PBR...
Something that makes me wonder is that Brazil is similar to Bally games of the era, but not the same.
I have a Playtime schematic and manual Nick.
1 week later
Quoted from bingopodcast:Huge accomplishment that will make the rest of the final 5 games in this playfield a bit anticlimactic: GAME #100 is complete!!
Playtime was the last bingo pinball produced by United. It bears a striking resemblance to Bally's Showtime. Showtime was produced in Feb of '57 and Playtime in June of '57.
I have examined the schematic and manual for Playtime (which doesn't meet the normal United quality - seems very rushed and written in a style unlike any other United game). I suspect that there was a huge rush to get this done and out the door.
The circuitry, upon inspection, is EXACTLY, 100% the same as the Bally counterpart. Sure, small things are changed here and there, like removing the green odds, pushing yellow to the bottom, and inserting orange under the red... or swapping the red and yellow rollovers... but otherwise - carbon copy.
I KNOW there's a cool story here somewhere, but I don't have any proof yet. I'm working on it!
Beautiful game - United went out on a high note, for sure.
This was the final Magic Squares game that I had left on my list. Only 5 remain until this playfield is complete.
Congratulations on hitting game #100 Nick! Amazing work.
3 months later
1 month later
Congrats Nick! Can't wait to see Serenade in action. BOTH of them!
Good luck finding a playfield for that one.
1 week later
Quoted from bingopodcast:Alright, another one down - Surf Club - one of my all-time favorite games, is now complete.
For some silly reason, I've done the hold feature games in reverse order. Surf Club builds on Palm Springs, which I haven't discussed yet. Haha! Alright, let me step back and give you some context for why this is a great game.
Start with a single bingo card - 5x5.
Add in two super cards - 3x3 (Super cards score as 4-in-line on the regular card)
Throw in spotted numbers - 9, 14, 15 (15 is the center number on the main card)
Then, add a 'super line' - pick any three of 6 numbers. If you manage to get two in line, you'll score as 4 on the main card. If you get all three, you'll score as 5!
Rollovers are also lit by default - yellow will light super card 1 if not lit, and red will advance to super card 2 if you already have super card 1 lit.
I can't believe this - that's not enough for you?
Ok.
How about a relatively easy to light hold feature? Only four steps on the unit to light it!
...
Still not enough?
...
You drive a hard bargain. Ok. What if I let you drop all the odd or even balls already shot TWICE in a single game?
...
Alright, one more feature. But that's it. You can purchase up to three extra balls.
As you can see, there's a LOT to do on Surf Club. It has beautiful artwork. It has extremely compelling gameplay. And it has the hold feature, only used in this form on three games. I'd say it's a winner.
Whenever I've played the real game, getting a super line win was quite the feat. It's like making three very difficult called shots. I've seen someone else pull it off, though! Very exciting. Lots of cheering.
I could not have described Surf Club better Nick. One of my favorites. But lighting that 2nd HOLD is a toughie. Super tight!
2 weeks later
Welcome back Nick! How was the vacation? Kinda hard to go to the beach and not be reminded every day of all of the beach themed bingos! Shoulda gone to the mountains!
3 weeks later
Glad to help out Nick. Hard to believe you accomplished what you did in such a short time.
Ever since Phil Hooper mentioned to me a few years ago his thoughts about building one of these, I have been fascinated by the thought of someone actually doing it.
Congratulations! I think Don Hooker would be proud.
As long as he wouldn't be horrified... Thank you. I don't think I've said this weird thing in the thread, but I feel like I've gotten to know how both Don Hooker and Lyn Durant thought. Not entirely, of course, but their mindset in tackling an engineering problem. I think it would have made for some great interview questions - it's a shame that they are gone. But the wonderful thing is that their games live on!
Now you have to continue where they left off.....What features would have come next?
Quoted from bingopodcast:I'm way ahead there! I started a thread a while ago asking for ideas for features on a new game written in the old style.
I have lots of ideas - and my first will be a return to a style of game that hasn't been produced in the USA since 1976.
Magic Lines perhaps?
Ah..Magic Squares.
Not sure if we talked about this one, but you could also add the Golden Gates custom game.
http://www.ballybingo.co.uk/Golden%20Gates.html
* I could have sworn that he had a photo of the backglass here the last time I looked.
1 month later
WOW! Looks fantastic guys! Just beautiful! Looks like it just came off of a factory assembly line. Congratulations. I can't wait to play it.
Can't stop looking at it. Nick, can you jump on a chair and take a good shot of the playfield so we can see the score/instruction card screens? Thanks!
Just can't stop looking at it!
Quoted from bingopodcast:Thank you so much Dennis. I am just over the moon about this game.
There's one!
Here's another! As you can see, I'm a terrible photographer. But I am extremely impressed with the appearance.
Thanks Nick. Looks great. Can't wait to see a shot of a screen game. Hint, hint.
I think we both went to the Russ Jensen School Of Photography! May he rest in peace.
I forget now. Did you do Williams Long Beach and the Keeney bingos?
Thanks for posting the County Fair photo. Looks great! Can I push my luck and ask for a photo of the score/instruction screens for this one? I like how you placed the OK position card on the screen. Does the history lesson also show up there for the screen games?
Thanks Nick. It's an old cliché, but I honestly cannot tell you at this moment what I had for dinner last night. And yet another dreaded birthday coming next month. 
Quoted from bingopodcast:Just means you're remembering important stuff instead. That's what I tell myself, anyway. I can't remember what I've had for dinner last night either.
"Yeah. That's the ticket!"
Quoted from bingopodcast:Hey, guess what? It works. I'm excited.
Hey, guess what else? I finally took the photos.
The weird polarization is caused by 3 screens - the card screen, the glass and the camera lens. In reality, it looks crystal clear(ish).
Nice job. Thanks for posting Nick.
The extra ball flashing looks great. Not too hip on the name flashing. Sorry Nick. Just my personal observation.
Quoted from bingopodcast:Not a problem - tone it down a little?
I'm just old school. Blinking names not needed. Just me.
Quoted from bingopodcast:Ooh, that's a question - did they come from the factory with blinkers? I made an assumption...
The good news is that it opened the door for all other animation, regardless of if I leave blinkers turned on on the names.
The idea was more of a factory appearance.
No name blinkers on any games I ever played on location or that I have bought that I can recall.
7 months later
Quoted from bingopodcast:Oh yep - there's an issue there. Thankfully I haven't done all the Squares games.
Anyone care to guess the problem with this statement?
if s.game.magic_squares_feature.position < 6:
if 2 not in s.holes:
dirty_rects.append(screen.blit(bg_gi, (330,653), pygame.Rect(330,653,29,30)))
if 18 not in s.holes:
dirty_rects.append(screen.blit(bg_gi, (381,653), pygame.Rect(381,653,29,30)))
1 week later
Quoted from bingopodcast:Unfortunately, no blueprint, but this just means a chance to help others out.
That will take me a bit of time, unfortunately, so I am going to keep knocking out these games while I can.
I am in the Ls now, with Laguna Beach. Very straightforward to implement (similar pattern to Circus Queen). Some of the other games have been interesting.
Let's see... Golden Gate, Hawaii, Hi-Fi, Ice Frolics, and Key West are done. Wow, that was a lot of work for three days.
I'm skipping United games for now as I need to review my flash motor implementation. Will circle back and do those at the end. I'm excited to get through the Ms... there are a lot of intensive games in there.
You will be rewarded in Heaven Nick.
Quoted from bingopodcast:Oh, also! I neglected to mention that I used my new-found powers to redo the Galaxy animations.
Sounds like a line from a science fiction movie.
3 months later
Quoted from bingopodcast:All the screen games are done. Lotsa work!
Today I spent a bit of time doing a lot of math, and figured out smooth Magic Squares rotation! Super excited.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmFRXwEHSkg/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1n3auieal0yba
Nice job. Looks great Nick.
Quoted from bingopodcast:Squares are done!
On to motorized Magic Lines!
At least they don't go in circles! Will Magic Lines be easier to implement?
1 month later
Quoted from bingopodcast:[quoted image]
Perfect!
3 weeks later
Quoted from bingopodcast:I did do a brief bit of bingo-ing yesterday - some maintenance on my United Caravan, which is also headed to the show.
I'm going to forward this statement to Jay Stafford. Might entice him to attend the show!
Quoted from bingopodcast:It would be great to see Jay having a great time playing a great bingo again.
Here you go Nick.
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