I know a goodly number of people. Including myself that wants to buy this game and are only waiting to see what they do with making the game have more things to do and accomplish.

At these prices, I don’t think many wish to pay for a game they will tire of quickly, because there’s not much to do. Dwight codes games very well. SW is proof of that. But Munsters needs badly, the Batman treatment period. The TV series is severely underutilized. The Munsters series is why we’re all here still discussing it.

That means adding some modes that play along with the TV series. I would think it could then become one of Stern’s best sellers. It has everything else going for it.

There are so many shows that could be integrated into the game with the layout just like it is. It shoots so well. Other than code, what’s not to like about it?

With all the bashing Dwight has taken over GB being unfinished, he may just wish to be able to say what he’s saying, its nearly complete at .99. Then with some more time allowed, hopefully a major rework and additional things can be added. SW is proof Dwight is a top coder.

Now if we can only convince him to get rid of the flashing Bobafet mode. Lol

Agreed, if there was hope of a Batman style TV series integration, I’m in for a Premium and know of numerous others that would be too. It has everything else going for it. It’s so close to being a great pin.

Not many looking for a 90’s coded pin at 2019 prices. If they are, they’d buy MBr. Munsters can be so much more with 70 episodes of shows to include parts from to make it work with the current awesome play field. Relevant modes, like Herman buys a new car, where the Dragula is used to win a new one. Herman and Grandpa doing things down in the basement, with relevant play on lower playfield. Wouldn’t be hard to do for a great coder like Dwight, if Stern gave him the time to do it.

Many of us feel just like you do. How many of us have written to stern directly telling them: we are ready to buy money in hand, just need so much more video from the TV series (70 shows and not much game related show parts, like Batman does so well, in the game. We’re all hoping Dwight adds more from the show, like Lyman did for Batman. Meaning modes like using Dragula to win a new family car mode directly from the show. It can’t be that hard to do. Dwight is a good coder, just needs to be given the time. Stern will be selling this title for the next 4 years, like they are with Batman.
Theme series integration is key to making this the pin we all want. Everything else about it is spot on (pun intended lol).
Please everyone write emails directly to. (If someone knows better email addresses, please advise): [email protected] or send to Chaz: [email protected]

Thanks Wotto!

Yes, when everyone emails Dwight he deserves respect imo, as he has coded some of the best games out there. Like the way underrated SWPre/LE. Absolutely fun, deep and varied code on a fab table layout by Steve Richie.

He unfairly gets slammed for GB, when his time is dictated by his boss, Stern. All GB complaining should be directed to Stern, not Dwight.

Love the Munsters and positive Stern can pull a rabbit out of the hat code wise, if they’ll let Dwight do his thing and we all give suggestions of what can make it a great deal better.

Really hoping they will give Dwight the time to do this theme the right way, like they did Lyman on Batman. What a fab game, Batman! Now we just need Munsters to be brought up to that standard.

PS what is George Gomez email address, since he should be CC’d in on all this too.

We all thank you Who-Dey for being mr. positive and staying constant with your message to set everyone straight that Munsters is a great game, that just needs some more love in the coding department, but still fun the way it is.

I can’t imagine Stern is going to leave it as is, even though good, because they’ll be making it for the next 3 to 4 years. They’ve added so many good features to Batman, so why won’t they do the same for Munsters? It wouldn’t take a lot to add a ton more mode based video for each character and even show based modes to make us all happier and open the flood gates to make this a classic title for years to come and a lot more sales to boot.

Stern’s a good company that listens to us, their customer. They do wish to please us, so we all keep buying (At least this is what I’m really hoping concerning Munsters).

Just noticed I wrote a post in the owners thread instead of here. Should have posted in this thread the following:

Feeling like if everyone jumps in and doesn’t wait this out, Stern will have no motivation to better the code. If everyone were to email them and tell them that’s what they’re waiting for, they’ll be plenty motivated.

It is good now, but for the price we’re paying it should be classic, with plenty of TV series related modes and content. There’s seventy shows, but it feels like they’ve selected parts from only a couple. Yes, Batman has set a standard that most expect from Munsters too. They are contemporaries after all. Shallow code just doesn’t cut it for this beloved show.

We’re all paying plenty for this title and deserve some depth or rather enough to keep us satisfied for years to come and not just our friends that visit occasionally. We just can’t buy for them. Stern needs to know we have their money waiting...

Money speaks louder than words. Manufacturers listen to that loud and clear. If the emails start piling up with people and all their money, they’ll for sure rework the code for 2019 prices and give us something more than MBr 90’s simple code.

Fully agree with your comment. There is a thread started telling Stern what is missing, with others even volunteering to help sort show material to add to the code. It’s not that difficult to do.

It surely doesn’t deserve the title of “worst code ever”. Maybe since Munsters is such a highly anticipated theme, being a contemporary of Batman, along with today’s high prices, people expect a great deal more for their hard earned money.

It is fun and shoots so well, but most think the possibilities of a 70+ show TV series could be so much more and should be. If it were one movie, that might be far different as far as expectations.

People want to see their favorite characters entwined amongst game play. In more of a story driven manner that reflects the show, not just collecting jackpots. Give us that and it’ll sell like hot cakes! Munster’s hits on all other cylinders and would become Sterns best seller of all time, if they’d hone in the code more. It’s common sense. That’s all people are wanting here.

Wait...who doesn’t like Herman, Grandpa, Lilly, Eddie and Marilyn?

Not to forget spot either...

This is the kind of stuff I like hearing about, the subtleties of the game that draw the game and tv series together. That’s what we want, more of that.

Any more subtleties that you can tell us about?

My thinking is, if Stern wants to continue to sell Munsters over the next 3+ years, they’ll do more with the code. It’s the law of supply and demand that will come into play. That’s the biggest motivator to get it much better and the same reason Bat66 became what it is today and now selling much better than it did years ago when first came on the market.

Never forget being excited to have just purchased Bat66 and a pinball operator I met while at dinner that night, said I just purchased a box of manure (he didn’t use that word) and lights (code was so bad). I was deflated when I went back to our table and everyone asked, so what does he think of your new table? I didn’t want to give them his answer.

It turned into a stellar game. Confident Munsters will too, because Stern wants to sell many more. Just as they’ve done with DP also. Low sales volume speaks louder than people give credit to improve code. Big motivator for Stern.

I really hope, they don’t start thinking that way. Stellar wide appealing licenses like the Munsters are hard to come by.

Just sent this letter to Stern and I hope many more of you will also:

Dear_________,

I’m still wondering and I’m sure it’s a fairly big issue about Munsters code being considered shallow. Are there any plans to deepen (add show based modes) the code?

For location play, it’s fine, but for a home environment I know of a dozen or more people personally that won’t buy the table even though you’ve designed it so well to be a classic player. I’m concerned about that too. To have staying power in the home, we need plenty Munsters based series theme integrated video modes and not just be a “jackpot” coded focus, which is now.

Since Munsters is such a great theme and should be equal to Lyman’s effort coding Batman, what can we do to encourage Stern to have Dwight put more effort in making it more show mode based, with a deeper code set?

At such current day high prices, this will sell many more tables, as I’ve spoken to many friends that keep telling me that I shouldn’t buy or they won’t buy till code is deepened. They all wish to buy if the code improves. Do we have any hope that this will happen?

Again thanks for your awesome work on Munsters, it shoots like a dream, we just need code to match.

If enough of us write in about this issue and not just complain about it here, Stern will listen. Here’s hoping that many of you will join the campaign to make Munsters the future classic table it should become.

Cheers!

No, haven’t actually taken delivery of it yet to be clear. Have a couple of months to sort the decision out.

Good news!

Thanks as I suppose your wishing luck paid off, as I received a reply this week. Yes actually got a reply and can only say I’m more positive about things.

Please more letters from everyone to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

They are listening, but they need to know that many are sitting on the fence till software improves and want the improvements. We must be vigilant!

Reply indicating leaning towards more, but the demand for upgraded software has to be there on a title that is already selling very well without it. Squeaky wheel gets the grease for sure. Please do your part and email all the people above. Send my same letter if you wish. Won’t take much time to do so and will pay off is what I’ve been told.

I believe hypnotic trance, hence I placed the order.

But still think we should all try to make it better by soliciting deeper code for an already good title.

I would like to share it, but was told it’s being made “off the record”. So don’t want to spoil the connection by posting. Talked specifically about code.

Sending letters to all those concerned will get us where we all want on a good game to become great. If Stern understands there are many waiting in the wings with money in hand and all they have to do is sweeten the code, they’ll respond with deeper code. By giving Dwight more time to code the game. Money talks and everything else walks, as they say.

I even sent why you weren’t buying yet Wotto. Your whole “rinse and repeat” post. Lol

Respect your opinion but disagree entirely. Munsters is a good game now, just needs some more love.

Here is my response to Stern’s response:

“Glad to hear Munsters is selling well. Confident it would sell even better if Stern would give us more in the way of show content within the Munsters series, that keeps us in the home environment coming back for more. Just like Batman does. I never hear anyone complaining saying Batman doesn’t have enough to keep people interested.

The main issue is a feeling of rinse repeat on Munsters. For example, if we could have a mode where Lilly’s show material were incorporated it would be nice. She is almost non existent show wise in the game.

Herman driving Eddies go cart could be easily be used in dragula mode. Marilyn’s dates jumping fences and she thinking because it’s her mode. Honestly this game deserves this kind of experience, not just depth.

My family and I love our Batman table and want that same love for what you’ve designed for Munsters layout. Munsters is one of the best shooting tables ever in our opinion. It’s only the code that doesn’t measure up yet. Please give it some more love and time with a great deal more use of show material and modes. I know Dwight can do it if Stern will give him the time. We love the depth and modes of our Star Wars LE table that Dwight coded. No we don’t reach the DS too often, but that’s just fine and that’s exactly what keeps us coming back for more. Munsters really needs that type of depth to become an all time classic. Surely hoping Stern agrees.

From what I hear from all my friends, they’d jump in hook line and sinker if Dwight was to code it that way. Just as Lyman did for Batman. Munsters deserves that type of treatment. Would you please discuss this with the gang? A mainly jackpot focus of the Munsters is a disservice to us the fans of the series. Munsters would be so much more fun if focus was on the show, rather than just “jackpots”.

I’ve never made a request like this or get involved in coding requests.

With extra depth and show/game added material experience for Munsters, I can almost guarantee Stern will see huge monetary benefits for years to come on Munsters. Out of all the games Stern makes, this license deserves that kind of treatment. While X-Men and other similar games will be forgotten by most, the Munsters won’t be. Over 50 years later, we all still love it, it’s a classic!

Appreciate your effort and so hoping Stern will give the extra care this game needs.
Kind regards,”

We shouldn’t give up on asking Stern to do like Batman nearly 3 years later, creating more code for an even better experience. People keep saying it’s Lyman versus Dwight, but it isn’t. If Stern gives Dwight the time he can do it even better. It’s up to Stern if they will listen to what we all want. We’ll keep spending our money in other future titles if they’ll do it for the Munsters experience. Munsters is that level of a license/title. Just name a better all around license now or rumored in the future?

Whoops, posted this in the wrong thread.

Public relations wise, Munsters is a critical title to the long run of Stern. Everyone will point to as an example, how Stern treats the coding, depth and most importantly show series integration of this table. They must get it right here, even though selling well and show the fans they will give us our monies worth in regard to code. The game looks and shoots well. Code is the only achilles heal of the game. It is fun, but needs that lasting depth for us home buyers.

If Stern shows us they don’t care, as long as sales are good, because no matter the game everyone wants more code, a keystone title like Munsters won’t go down well with the community in the long run. They simply need to hit it out of the park on this title for sure, imo.

Hoping they will care and I think they do.

Agreed. Munsters is a very good game, that could use some more TV show theme integration and then it will become a classic. It has all the other markings of a classic. My opinion is: Dwight said it’s done because he didn’t wish to be hounded incessantly like he’s been on GB. It’s really up to Stern if more is added and will happen if enough of us continue to request it.

It’s not depth we want, it’s really Munster’s show theme integration modes that most of us desire. The game is good now, but could be so much more with just a little effort.

Star Wars is an excellent coded deep theme game now. If Munsters were to receive that treatment, everyone would be happier.

Well he better start caring or his games will be marked by all of us and won’t sell. I think his total reputation is resting on what he does with Munsters to make a theme that is close to Batman in many ways and should get a similar treatment. But Stern is his boss and tells him what to work on and when.

Stern says it’s selling like hot cakes (according to my source), but if it really is, why did they come out with the color premium so fast???

Plain and simple, needs much greater theme series integration, period. Then they will legitimately be able to claim, it’s selling well, because good theme integrated code will make it so automatically.

Everyone please write them and ask these questions.

It may be 1.0, but no really big license title like Munsters will/should/better stop at 1.0. Batman didn’t stop, DP didn’t stop, IDMN didn’t stop, Star Wars didn’t stop and on and on. No top title stops at just 1.0 and considered done. Stern would be nuts to take a top tier license like Munsters and stop at 1.0. So much more potential for Munsters: would be a big shame to stop there period.

You’re the one up in the night, thinking it’s not a big license!

A friend of mine in the mod business called it a block buster license sales wise. Said only one machine has ever performed similarly in sales and that was MET. Said nothing else has come close to Munsters sales wise. Yes, it is a blockbuster big license title, loved the world over. Anyone thinking differently is in denial. The LE’s sold out almost instantly. They even increased them by another 100.

Spoken with insiders whom say it is now selling like hot cakes. Ask anyone that doesn’t know pinball and they’ll tell you Monster Bash is a song? Ask most people what Munsters is about and they know, even if they’re not into pinball. Been in syndication for over 50 years.

It would be a shame if Stern didn’t give it some mode based needed Munsters story line, in the vain of Munsters midnight madness. The game is good now, but could be so much more and one of Sterns number one sellers of all time, if they spent just a little more time and improved the code with Munsters show material. Wouldn’t be hard to do.

Keep in mind, I didn’t call it Block Buster. OP called it that to describe sales. I hope it isn’t blockbuster so Stern will add much needed Munsters show material to the code. However, you’re totally out there if you don’t think, Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, Lilly etc. which this show has as main characters, will never be irrelevant. All ages enjoy those characters. They are A title, not C title licenses. Just take a look at little children dressing up as those characters every Halloween.

Thanks, but the show is still gaining fan base around the world, because of syndication, not shrinking. If the Munster’s was just a movie or two, I’d agree, but 70 plus shows in syndication keep it going, with the monster ever green characters. Eddie (Butch Patrick) is still in strong demand at comicons, Halloween based events with his two show cars, all the time. He still makes a living from the show.

90’s games are fun, but have plenty of friends who’ve kept the deeply coded LCD games for their homes and sold the thin shallow 90s games. LCD games are much more immersive if done right and have a great deal going to keep one coming back for more. 90s games don’t have that advantage. It’s easy to see the difference. Only wish today’s games had the cooler mechs of the past.

The game play is amazing and fun! I’d purchase grandpa’s basement as a desk toy, if they made it available on its own (I’ve never liked a lower/upper playfield prior to Munsters, except maybe Black Hole). It’s that good! One of the more innovative toy mechs in all of pinball!

Boy do I agree with that. Now Dwight’s name is mud even though he’s a great coder. Many will only buy Lyman’s games now. Leave Coders names off entirely, makes very good business sense. The responsibility of whether a game is good code wise is entirely Stern’s.

If they give any of their coders enough time, they’ll do a stellar job. Any of them. Dwight has been under the gun. His name is attached to more games than anyone else it seems. SW, GOT, GB, Munsters etc. All top coded games. Enough depth? Well that’s up to Stern to determine and by our dollar vote and letters of complaint to Stern; for us to determine.

Please count me in for a copy of your code update integration from Pinball Browser. I may do some myself too. You’re right on the money as to what is badly needed on a great game already. I know the show well and there is sooooo much material that could be added to create more show theme integration that the table needs. Please keep me posted to your progress.

Who-Dey is a very good gatekeeper that us Munsters owners appreciate!
Can’t understand why such an awesome table gets so maligned by some. Yes, the code needs more Munsters show material integrated into it for sure. Stern knows this, because many of us have emailed them about it. They will update it in time. Munsters is a very popular theme, TV series and having Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, Lilly, etc. a timeless iconic property. Stern will give it additional love, no need to worry. But it is good right now and will only get better!!! Stern will be selling this table for another 3 years or more. Emailing Stern directly with concerns is much better than complaining in this thread.

I didn’t understand this game until now, after having it in my home and all I can say is I can’t get enough of it. Prior, I had only played it on location. The lighting, the music, the shots and code all work so well together. It’s an amazing package! The software is crazy good and fun. Do I think it needs more mode based things in the game? Yes! It could use for instance:
1. Marilyn’s boyfriend footage and mode, showcasing that part of the show.
2. Eddy’s mode needing some added show footage: example, a mode showing him running away from home, with the loop shots being him running away, etc.
3. Lilly mode showcasing her in different skits from the show.
4. Herman with Paul Lynn the doctor mode and the doctor bumping into him while bashing Herman.
5. Spot being lost in the neighborhood show footage and then finding him under the stairs in the game after all. Bashing him for being a bad boy and worrying the family.

There is so much show material that could be added by Stern. Then everyone would love the game even more. It is a fantastic game as it stands and I never tire of it. Chasing and collecting zaps and jackpots risk reward is exciting, with dragula as the vehicle to make it all come together is so fun and always has that one more game feel.

It is not about getting to Munster Madness, even though that is fun too! The game has plenty depth and is in no way a simple game like the 90’s. Monster Bash, while being a very good game, is very simple. I can run through all the modes over and over during one ball game session easily. It becomes somewhat repetitive and after a while not that much fun. Munsters is not the same at all and is exciting all the time. I hear some people try comparing the two and they don’t know the two very well, because there is no comparison. They are night and day different.

Munsters is a top game the way it stands now and I’m so glad I bought one. But must say, after reading this thread for the past 6 months, the way people have trashed it, I almost didn’t buy one and that would have been tragic, because it is my families favorite out of all our collection. I have not listed all our games on pinside, but we have a nice growing collection of modern games and only growing larger, but Munsters stands at the head of the pack in fun and excitement and that’s saying a lot! Guests like it more than any other game they’ve played too.

Got a reply after sending my above review to unnamed people at the company that makes Munsters...”The game will get more love. I don't have a timeline yet.”

So we will in fact get more show based content for this already fab game! It isn’t done yet code wise!! Remember I said in my review above that it needs more love and then gave examples of how and why.

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