I've been on the fence for a long time on this one - the theme is one I desperately want, I am the biggest Alien fan! The gameplay, the modes, the sound, the theme integration all look incredible. BUT... Seeing all the issues in this thread really put me off somewhat.

However, after ordering a Halloween and seeing how that is continually improving as Spooky pump them out, I'm being optimistic and assuming PB will also refine their code and production process. So - that said, I have finally caved and reserved an LV!

I found the reveal a bit underwhelming as most did, but I think I'm going to just love this machine whenever it arrives. I think this and Halloween are the most hyped I've ever been for any pins. Someone just has to make a modern BTTF and I think I'm set for life!

Now that I've ordered the LV - I've been scouring the internet for every little piece of information I can get. There's really no info about this is there outside of those (rather poorly conceived) mocked up pictures...?

Have to say though, just watching a few streams of the SV being played this machine looks AMAZING. Looks like they absolutely nailed the theme.

I'm unbelievably keen to see a "real" LV, with actual assets not just mock ups/placeholders. Has anyone seen/heard anything beyond the original announcement, or are we all just waiting...?

I have a question for the early adopters, not sure if it's been addressed before. How do those beautifully polished ramps hold up after a few hundred games? Do they begin the get scratched/dinged or tarnished? They are soooo shiny it seems they would show up any little imperfections. I love the look of them but I did think that they are going to get annihilated by the ball pretty quickly?

I went with LV - but at the moment I accept it's a bit of a gamble since the details given so far have been vague, and all we've seen is a (not so great) mock up of how it will look. Definitely appears to be all cosmetics rather than any additional playfield toys, mechs or screens, so for me it comes down to the artwork (which I think looks great) and the little things like the custom armour/blades/apron/beacons etc. I'm a massive Alien fan so it's justifiable for me.

If you aren't too fussed about that stuff, I think the custom apron for the SV looks fantastic (it may turn out to be much better than the LV one who knows), and if it can also implement the beacons well - that will make it a superb alternative for the LV edition.

Wait a sec - the apron will also go on the LV??? Oh now there's something to chew on....

As we slowly creep into December, what are the chances of seeing some more LV news I wonder. I'm not greedy, just a snippet of info, or even a single picture would be awesome.

Jeez - between this and Halloween, I'm finding it hard to just calm down and wait for whenever they arrive. I don't think I've actually been this hyped up for 2 pins ever and I'm definitely watching, no - STARING at the pot - which at this stage isn't even lukewarm! This is going to seem like a very long wait...

Not exactly on the fence, I'm all in - whenever it gets built, and if that's later then so be it. Part of me is glad because I want them to iron out all these issues that keep cropping up on the standards.

BUT also - I'm a little dismayed at the crickets/complete lack of hype or info on reveal for this, and I don't think they're going to be built on time. I'm almost hoping they are going to "re-reveal" this - it's going to be so incredible, and we're all going to collectively cheer. But more likely, it's just running behind schedule, and it'll look extremely close to the rendered shots (that'll be fine too).

I wouldn't mind, but that makes 3 pins I have on order that I was expecting early 2022, and looks like I'll be waiting (a lot) longer than anticipated for all of them.

I'm just waiting now for my distro to call me and say my DP premium is delayed until mid 2022 - that one will make me slightly peeved.

PM'd.

I think this machine looks fantastic - and quite honestly the side art lighting alone makes me glad I went for the LV, how freaking amazing does that look? I love the art package, the side armour/powder is fantastic and the beacons are very cool - so absolutely no complaints from me, great job PB!

As a Heighway owner - just wanted to ask, do you miss the larger LCD? Lots of people have complained, but coming in as a new owner with no time on the Heighway machine I have to say Id rather just have a reasonably sized LCD and some stunning artwork like that on the backglass.

I will say the playfield screen seems like a glaring omission, but again, coming in new I won't miss it.

Everyone is right here - communication is most important, because generally speaking it's only the uncertainty that generates frustration. These things are a lot of money, and generate huge amounts of anticipation, so when things get delayed but no news is forthcoming, you find yourself thinking about it way too much. That's where the problems start to come in.

Just keeping everyone updated (even if its delayed by weeks or months) eliminates all the uncertainty, and doesn't keep you guessing and wondering.

I think in this case, if you weren't 100% all in on the LV from day 1 (ie, you are a raving, rabid Alien fan), I'd be ecstatic with an SV, it's 2k cheaper and it's a great looking machine - obviously more Alien oriented (in terms of looks) than the LV which is more of an Aliens flavor which may or may not be a plus/minus depending on your preference. There are no playfield or gameplay changes and the features are all purely aesthetic.

I am a rabid fanboy, so was always going to go LV - and looking at the fantastic art, powder, rails, extra lighting I'm more than happy with it. I mentioned before, but a lot of people were disappointed that they didn't increase the screen size like the HWY version, but I think its MUCH better to have a standard size screen with some killer artwork. Also, call me crazy bit I prefer the stubby beacon toppers to the custom ones being produced for the LV too.

There must be one out here! I'd like to play one too I can't stand the wait for the LV.

OR.... how about you buy the SV, and then invite me round several times to play it. Then if you don't like the SV sell it for something else - if you do like it, keep it. Simples!

edit: in all honesty though, I'm not sure the SVs are still available here? I know 1 or 2 people did manage to get one last minute because a few were not sold in the last container (due to change of mind or people deciding to upgrade to the LV).

Wow that's great news - I wonder if there's a shipment to Australia in similar time frames?

Oh man this really sucks - 35 days down without being playable in any way, I cant say I blame you for hating the thing. Minor issues, eg targets malfunctioning, switches not registering is one thing. Having a bricked machine is another thing entirely, I really hope they sort this for you soon.

That looks great man - very nice work indeed.

Can't quite believe these are almost complete and shipping! I put my name on the list for an LV back in December 2020 - it doesn't seem real these are finally getting on a boat - hopefully we really are going to get an initial batch over to Australia!

I already asked this on the FB post, but they've assured the legs will be powder coated.

I'm just on absolute tenterhooks waiting for anyone on here to post a pic of a delivered LV. We all know they are nearing completion - the pics that PB have posted on Facebook shows they are painfully close to being shipped and getting to us owners. Really cannot wait to see them start to arrive (especially mine obvs).

Not sure when that might happen it seems that shipping is really a sh*tshow at the moment... but surely it can't be THAT far off can it....?

Those sentry guns are just too cool! Love the detail on them with the laptop and everything.

Yep, was told by Wayne that we'll have our LVs end of this month! I wasn't sent any tracking info on the container though where did you get that from?

Ah it was you who got that one!

Very lucky - we should get them soon it's gonna be awesome!

Holy cow is that a shipment of LVs...? If you say yes, I might just explode with excitement, I thought we were expecting them end of the month!

I think they are SVs - I sent an email and Wayne says LVs are still on the boat, approx 2 weeks out. We all got hugely excited for a minute there!

Still - we are only talking weeks away now, not months - we are so close!

So awesome seeing LVs finally delivered! Our Australia bound ones were a bit delayed, but hopefully should still be here in a matter of weeks.

Quick question for anyone who's unboxed the LV - is it a true backglass on the backbox? Can't really tell from the pics.

Mate, I would be very interested to see an LV queen version. I actually love the translite art on the LV it looks amazing, but this could be very special indeed.

The more pics I see of the LV, the more eager I'm getting to receive mine. I'm literally willing the ship to go faster to get here.

At this stage I'm like Cartman waiting for the Wii - if freezing myself was an option I might just take it.

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I did struggle with this myself its a huge increase over the SV for seemingly a few little extras, and in general I'm not an LE person I actually prefer to get premiums and mod them up myself. But - ultimately, if there's one pin I would shell out for to have the extra trimmings it would be this one.

One thing I was a bit disappointed to hear is that the backbox artwork is plastic - I would have loved to have seen that as a mirrored backglass it would have been really stunning.

I don't know - maybe "plastic" was a poor choice of words. I just know it's not a nice mirrored backglass which would have been AWESOME.

I can totally understand this frustration. I've been waiting so long for this machine it's been almost painful - if I get it here and it requires boards, harnesses etc replaced I think the disappointment might just overwhelm me. That's without the added stress of wanting to put it on location...

It'll get fixed for sure we all know that, and these things certainly do happen... Honestly though reading Deez posts (try one thing - something breaks, try something else - something else breaks, try yet something else - the original problem comes back and it begins all over again)... Seriously it's almost making ME angry!

OMG... for all of us Aussie owners... its so close now...

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Yeah how annoying is that? It went PAST Melbourne already!

Mark is picking some up on Monday for Sydney delivery including mine - not long to wait mate!

Awesome to hear! One minor problem only, simple fix - I hope the rest of us have similar luck with our unboxings. Should be all happening this week in NSW!

Hooray! Love seeing the other Aussies showing off their machines! Well mine arrived today too!

Couple of minor things - game wouldn't start up consistently and left sling is a bit weak. Start-up issue seemed to be a very loose USB connection, sling I will look.at tomorrow.

LOVING the game and the immersion - absolutely fantastic so far!

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Just to chime in with some good news. The inconsistent start up issue I had was indeed a wobbly USB connection (ive secured it a bit better and the problem's gone) and after 20 or so games the left sling sprung to life all by itself! Maybe something stuck in the coil mech that worked free...?

So all has been great so far!

The wiring is pretty dang tight underneath isn't it? Makes me a bit nervous that pulling the playfield out a few times might break/disconnect something.

Also - I see you have Kurt's awesome translite! Be sure to post pics for us when you install it. I have it too, but can't decide which one to put in the machine and which one to mount as a display! The factory one and Kurt's are both so cool...

Don't give up on it yet mate! If it helps, I've noticed connector issues in several spots on my game and it's caused some very weird behaviour. The start up issue I had sounds the same as yours - the PB logo comes up and just sits there stuck. I traced that back to a really shonky USB connector in the cabinet box because I could feel it had wriggled itself loose, and it really doesn't sit properly in its connection when it's plugged in. I've had to "secure' it in place for the time being just to stop it moving around while playing. Anyway, since securing that (basically with a bit of putty lol)I haven't had the startup issue, so for sure check that usb plug. I can give pics if necessary.

I *have* had some other problems since - such as tilt warnings firing randomly, phantom switch hits, the start button no longer working and the monitor not coming on even though the machine appears to start up ok. Also one of my pop bumpers is not lighting up. Pretty much all of these (besides the pop bumper) appear to have caused by connectors so far. I think, as others have said the wiring on this machine is very secure - perhaps too much, so that any movement of the machine can pull connections free, and I've had the playfield in/out quite a bit putting in mods, checking things over etc...

I doubt there's a whole lot wrong with your machine it just feels like it. The guys on here and PB will get us all up and running 100% and once it is I think it'll be solid. I think we just have to be a little patient with this one at the start.

Issues aside (and luckily so far I've only had minor ones), this game is sooooo good. Seriously if anyone is on the fence about taking the plunge with this one, do it you will not be disappointed. For fans of the franchise its a no-brainer - its eerily suspenseful and even the way the game shoots matches the Alien theme perfectly. The music, sounds, modes, everything is really well done. The code is already fantastic - you don't just have modes to complete (from 2 different movies no less) you have 5 multiballs and the use of alien lifecycles and weapons to supplement everything etc...

It's the first time I've bought a NIB LE (LV in this case), and I'm very, very happy with it. Yes it's had a few teething problems, but I've raised these with PB, have had responses and I know the game will be 100% soon. As it is - it's been perfectly playable, a few tweaks here and there same as I've had to do with Sterns and Spooky pins so nothing new there... Brilliant machine!

Yeah one of my pop bumpers' LEDs are completely out (left egg). Everything seems to be connected up ok, PB have said I probably need a new pcb.

Boof-Ed did you sort out the software re-build/reinstall?

My experience with the LV so far after a week or so of owning it... Putting it here so maybe others may find it useful.

So when I first got it - I unboxed, did a quick inspection around and under the playfield. All looked ok so I turned it on and played a 10-20 games noting some very minor issues. Flippers felt ok but not quite snappy enough so upped the power slightly and that's fine. My upper right egg bumper had no leds lit, and my left sling seemed a bit weaker compared to the right. On further inspection under the pf, the left sling bracket has been bent so I'm pretty sure the coil isn't firing smoothly into the coil sleeve. I've been VERY carefully bending it back straight and its improving as I do so.

Ok, so after a day or two, the machine wouldn't boot. When I started it up the screen would just go to the PB logo and stay there. I lifted the playfield and checked all the connections. All of them seemed ok (although the cabling is very, very tight, no slack at all) but one USB cable in the box at the back of the playfield was very loose. I plugged it back in but noticed it had a LOT of play in it, so added a bit of putty as temporary measure just to secure it. Restarted and all was good again. I had a decent 10-20 games, and then in the middle of one game everything froze. I rebooted and wouldn't you know it same problem starting up.

I re-secured the "problematic" usb connector and everything was good again. But - same issue came back after a while, sometimes the game wouldn't boot (freezing on PB logo screen), other times it would boot but then freeze/lock up shortly afterwards, and one time the start/launch buttons didn't work... BUT - each time I went to the cabinet and re-secured that usb connector. Only one time I saw an issue with the display screen so opened the backbox and re-secured the USB connectors there. Again - all good once they were re-secured.

In short, I think so far, almost all my issues have been with the USB connectors they just seem to jiggle loose with the (pretty bloody powerful) shaker and subwoofer. So.... the latest thing I have tried is to hot glue what I think are the troublesome usb connectors. After this, I've started up with no issues so far (only 2-3 times), and have just played about 15 games with no problems - will certainly report back on how this goes though.

Oh also, my one troublesome pop bumper LEDS work maybe 50% of the time, so undoubtedly its another bad connection somewhere. I've checked the connector from bumper to the board though and all seems good. PB have suggested I may need a new pcb board.

Well - as a counter to any potential negativity... I think this is one of the best games I've ever played. Yeah ok people are having issues with them - I am too... But when it's working, there's nothing like playing this with my son next to me as we're barking out Sgt Apone's quotes. The LV, while not a massive upgrade over the SV it has to be said - is still glorious.

Also I'm totally getting this tshirt for my son and I. "Get on the ready line marines!!!!"

https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/4351232-aliens-get-on-the-ready-line-marine

Yep, when you are in modes, or just hitting the ball around it's really suspenseful, especially if you are playing the Alien modes. Aliens is a *little* more upbeat (just like the movie)... Then when you have hypersleep or ambush multiball stacked with sentry guns and you have full weapons, it just all kicks off beautifully.

Cool I've been waiting to see when someone had installed it! It looks great even with the stock lighting.

I want to give mine a try now.

This is pretty much spot on - the only game I've had new which literally required not a single adjustment was Deadpool, it really did work perfectly out of the box but I consider that a real rarity (also I don't know if eventually the pf might have worn/chipped as I didn't add any washers etc). Other new games including:

Attack From Mars Remake
Iron Maiden
Avengers IQ

... all required a few days of tweaks here and there to get things shooting perfectly. Avengers also actually ended up having an opto wire sheared in two that I had to replace, but the distributor here in Sydney had a new one out to me very quickly.

However, I'd say Alien has required maybe a tiny bit more to get it going 100%, and one of those issues meant I couldn't play the game for a day or two, because it's been less of the mechanical stuff and more of the wiring/connectors. I think it's ok now though and i would say - don't be too nervous. Good support and customer service gives you absolute peace of mind, and PB support have been pretty responsive and will get you up and running if there are issues. You most certainly will not be left with an unplayable box.

Still though, no matter what - it does kinda suck to pay so much for a machine and not have it instantly perfect out of the box. I guess these things just don't travel well.

Now THAT is one hell of a trio. Awesome!

Oh wow, that's really not on. I know PB support has been generally great, but seriously - almost a year on and no working machine, not to mention the money spent on the thing, the countless hours it must have taken swapping all these parts out and the frustration involved... I know a refund/return must be the absolute last resort for a pinball company, what with all the hassle of shipping a single unit. But at some point enough is enough and this far into it, logistics be damned and I'm disappointed that you haven't just been offered a new machine.

Timely responses are great - it gives you confidence that someone is actively trying to help. However, ultimately the goal is to keep the customer happy, and spending hours upon hours switching out every box/part/cable in the machine is going to get old *really* fast. If you replaced all those things and after all that it's still not working there really should be other arrangements made, ie refund or exchange. These are very expensive machines, you really don't want one sitting around redundant for too long.

As far as testing goes - i imagine it is done, it has to be. But there's probably a very simple checklist of what they need to test to pass it suitable for packing/delivery. I don't think they have someone rigorously playing it, testing modes and functionality - it would be more like:

- Game switches on and boots successfully
- Ball is fed into trough and launches
- Flippers work
- Coils fire, switches activate

A few ticks on a sheet, and done.

Some machines get a further test before delivery though, eg. from the distributor. My new Sterns usually have a few dimples and swirl marks where they have opened it up and played it, and it comes delivered unpacked and set up. Do I care? Hell no man - I would much rather they did that for me.

OMG that looks.... well let's just say "untidy"... and I'm certainly no soldering expert.

Quite honestly if I took that out of the machine, I'd assume it was faulty.

Coder here too - completely agree.

Same goes for a few of the startup issues (depending on where in the boot sequence it goes wrong), if a certain board or function cant be contacted it shouldn't just freeze up or get stuck in a loop. It should be a bit more robust eg, retry any connection/contact that failed, then report which part couldn't be found. I've seen it do this for the IO board, so there's obviously some logic in there.

Anyway, I hope these long standing issues get resolved for everyone. Really looks like those playfield boxes are a bit on the "unreliable" side.

Just to put a little positivity back - and not to rub any salt in the wound for those with issues (and who knows my machine could develop a fault soon) - but this game, with the sound up and the lights off is really something else. In the last month I have had this, Rick and Morty and Deadpool premium all delivered. All absolutely outstanding games, and all my favorites theme-wise. However, Alien really is the first game I'll go to, just can't stay off it.

I guess when it works, it WORKS.

Yeah I've had 2 lock ups since updating to 2.6 - the last one was very weird I was able to start games and launch the ball, but the playfield lights were all frozen on green, and the flippers wouldn't fire. Restarted fine though.

I haven't played around with the magnet settings yet, but I think it's really just trying to overcome the design of the mech with the software. The targets are quite far away from the magnet so a rebound often just goes to far away for the magnet to catch it. The targets are obviously angled the way they are to try and coax the ball in that direction, but it's not hugely effective. When you factor in the speed, and that maybe the ball is airborne from the target its not surprising the magnet rarely catches the ball. Honestly, other mechanisms are quite similar eg the Wolverine magnet on Xmen - it's not consistent either (although its much better than this one admittedly).

I've also noticed my orbit pop ups sometimes don't work during Derelict Ship, but ALWAYS work during Queens Nest. Odd...

EDIT: also just to update I mentioned previously I was getting a lot of startup and freeze issues when I first had the game, and on inspecting a few connectors I found them to be really loose/wonky in the playfield box, and that strong shaker on startup just had to be giving those some trouble. Since glueing 3 of those in place (just a dab of hot glue) I haven't had a single startup issue in 2 weeks of solid play now.

Awesome man - thanks for sharing these, it's gonna help out heaps for all us owners.

Really hope the frustration will end soon, and you'll be up and running 100% (if you are not already).

This happens from time to time with mine too.

I've also noticed now that if I leave the game on for any length of time (1-3 hours just running in attract mode) it does sometimes lock up and requires a restart.

I finally got around to installing Kurt's fantastic translite! To be of any competition to the quite frankly amazing LV artwork speaks volumes to its awesomeness.

Also just FYI for everyone... I had another 2 nights of issues where my machine kept locking up, freezing or restarting during play but reseating the backbox connectors (again) resolved everything. ‍♂️

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I agree I actually LOVE the LV artwork - but I had to see how this translite looked. When I do finally decide which one I like better on the machine (still haven't quite gone either way), the other one will be lit up and mounted next to it.

I don't think we can hand-on-heart say it's been a reliable machine because although I'm sure there are lots of people who've never had an issue - there are many people who have had problems myself included - a small number have had serious issues yes, but nothing catastrophic for me just cables/connectors coming loose etc and one LED pcb not lighting up in the pop bumpers, so the machine has always been playable. PB sent me a replacement LED in under a week, and I know some guys who had to have new playfield IO boxes - again all received pretty quickly.

I think I'd say that currently, you may possibly have one or two issues out of the box and hopefully minor or superficial things that don't stop you playing it. BUT once any teething issues are over (IF you get any), it's fine, and I've said it before but mechanically speaking its a beast it just feels sooooo solid. The code does need a little bit of bug fixing because there is the odd lock up/freeze here and there. I haven't tried 2.7 yet maybe that's fixed some of these minor problems.

I'm so glad I picked up an LV it's a fantastic machine. In fact it's that good, I've found it hard to go back to anything else since I got it.

Great idea! Its just a little unsightly so yeah clear may be better. So far this mech is the only thing on the game I can level any criticism at, because it very rarely catches the ball. The targets just can't direct the ball towards the magnet enough as it seems to be a bit too far away, so I don't think software tweaks will ever truly fix it. Don't get me wrong its far from game breaking - but it's the central toy of the game, and when it does happen as intended, its so unbelievably cool you just wish it could be a bit more consistent.

Yeah chestburster is possibly the hardest shot on the game. Vent 2 is pretty tough to hit on purpose as well.

Usually in Bug Hunt, if I have the smart gun weapon I'll use it to spot the chestburster shot.

My favorite game tends to change all the time - but at the moment, yep I would say this is in the #1 position. It really is a great game, packed with awesome shots, lots to do and themed almost perfectly. People say it doesn't shoot like a widebody, but it really does to me - it feels absolutely HUGE compared to my other games. That is definitely a good thing though in my book.

I literally have one single gripe about the machine and that's the Xeno magnet catch mech which just doesn't work as well as it should. Peeps are already working on solutions to make it more consistent though, and to be honest it hardly detracts from the game at all.

Agree - this is a physical/mechanical problem and software is only going to slightly improve it, not fix it. The ball just pings too far away from the magnet for it to have any hope of catching it.

Some sort of cool aesthetic in front of the target bank is the way to go. That effort a few posts above with the glue/alien drool is the right idea.

Just gotta give some more props to PB support! Yesterday morning I raised a ticket due to one of the welds on the right ramp wireform separating (the game is still perfectly playable). Got a response within 10 minutes, and a replacement is already on its way via DHL express.

I mean, that's pretty damn good service.

Nice you bought the one Kurt fully modded.

Another one comes to Sydney!

Its an awesome game mate your gonna love it.

Have to say, the centre post does not help at all!

Absolutely nothing wrong whatsoever with the rules on this game. Its a movie pin, so heavily mode based was the right way to go, they aren't linear and 10 of them is plenty. You also get 5 really great multiballs (although never got to All Out War) plus you have some extra depth with rescue, life cycles, destroyed eggs, dropship double scoring and how you use the weapons. Couple of really great thing about the multiballs on this - you actually have a lot of control when to start them, and when they do begin it's always pretty exciting, unlike some other games.

Also agree the hypersleep shot itself is amazing!

I had this happen once too - which is a shame as I had a 380 million game on there that I still haven't been able to beat.

Oi - no impugning my Alien skills... I'll send my mate Alan round to sort you out.

Alien-PNG-File (resized).png

Yep, not the launch ramp, but my right ramp also broke 2 weld joints - i think their wireform supplier really needs a bit of a talking to.

I absolutely love this game - so glad I took a chance on it, I think it's brilliant.

That's all I came in here to say.

As soon as I saw those beautiful polished chrome ramps I thought "beautiful - but that mirror finish is gonna last about 5 minutes".

Also, because the playfield is quite dark, the ball marks get pretty noticeable in the lower area by the flippers (but this is normal I think). Dimpling? Yes there is some, so don't expect you wont get any on this game.

Basically it just seems like a standard playfield so far - no better or worse than anything else I own, so just play the hell out of it like you're supposed to.

I think tweaks to the magnet settings will only get you so far. The dampening solution seems to be the way forward, but i've love for someone to make a really nice looking mod to accommodate this, it seems like something really cool could be done. One of the guys in here made some "xeno drool" using hot glue I think - something like that would be amazing. Come on modders do your thing.

The hypersleep ramp is simply a hard shot - when i first got the game I was hitting it about 8 out of 10 times and wondered what all the fuss was about. Turns out it was just beginners luck, and now its dropped to about 2 out of 10. Bah.

I really love this game, but while the cabinet art and translite are superb, the playfield is just so bland.

It's not awful or anything, it just doesn't leap out in any way, and considering the theme and the rich content it's a real missed opportunity. Different style I know, but when I look at something like Deadpool, the playfield absolutely blows me away, there's detail everywhere. On this, the generic planets in the centre are pretty dull, and even the alien/xeno down in the flipper area is a bit disappointing as it's a bit too low-res. Now while I mention DP (which is brilliant) - I definitely would NOT have liked that totally-in-your-face style for this, but would have preferred at least one major thing that really stands out on the playfield.

A lot of initial problems are caused by cabling/connection issues, because the wiring is so tight - makes it easy for connectors to wriggle loose during transport. First thing I'd do is lift the playfield and reseat all the connectors in the box underneath. Then do the same in the backbox and try switching on again.

I'm really disappointed for those that had such a bad experience on receiving the game... Mine had problems yes, but 20 mins of faffing around with the cables and I was up and running. For those that required new playfield boxes etc, I can totally understand the frustration. This has been my favourite game in my line up by far since I received it, so really hoping all of these problems get resolved.

Also, I have nothing but praise for the service and support they've been very responsive and helpful - I can only imagine the time zones coming into it with regard to delays. I actually managed to smash my translite a few weeks back (yeah I know I dropped it on the floor, what a grade A moron). I had to pay for a new one of course, but I reported the problem and before the day ended, the new one was sent out - and I received it in less than a week. That's pretty damn amazing.

Yeah the clasp thing is super annoying! Especially since you have to screw the playfield back down! I always forget, then put the lockdown bar back on and.... DAMMIT!

That's a fair point I don't think it's necessary (none of the other playfields do that). It's still annoying anyway dammit!

The modes are so well done in this game. Each one feels totally unique, and represents the scene really well.

Find Jonesy is so hard!

Also - I can't do it, but imagine getting vents 1, 2 and 3 in a row would be so satisfying in Tunnel Hunt.

I really don't understand it - it happened locally here too in Sydney to some degree, our LVs arrived, and maybe 3 weeks later there were 3 or 4 for sale. Doesn't seem like a lot, but only a limited number would have been shipped here. I put it down to maybe folks not being prepared for the way it plays. It's slow, creepy and suspenseful and nothing like a typical Stern. I wonder if some people just got put off because they were expecting a fast, bright and breezy game. It's pretty tough too, and can be brutal at times.

There's absolutely no way in hell I'd sell mine now though - it's a phenomenal game. As an Alien fan there's really not a lot I would change on it. The music/soundfx are superb, the animations and movie assets are there and used well, the rules/code/modes are really well done, and there are SO MANY shots packed into it. I think the only thing I was a little down on (and I've mentioned this before) is the playfield art which is a touch too plain. It's not bad, don't get me wrong but its just a bit meh compared to the cabinet and (absolutely amazing) translite.

I don't think my game is playing slow as such... It's just that compared to my other games eg Deadpool, Iron Maiden, Rick and Morty it just isn't such a manic, super rapid game. It's a plus point for me, I love the way it's not so fast paced - goes much better with the theme.

I'm trying to adjust my airlock scoop as the ball is consistently fired towards the very end of the left flipper, and often I will drain as a result, as it's just not possible to control the ball. The PB support article mentions bending the scoop a little, but I'm giving it quite a bit of effort - it's not bending, and honestly, I feel like I'm gonna break it. Is this definitely the way to go about it? Are there any other things people have done?

The translite doesn't come with lighting strips, but Kurt sends you some decent instructions on what to buy and how to install them.

Actually as a quick test, I simply left the backbox lighting as it is (the led strip in the centre), then just plugged in a USB powered strip (into one of the PC USB slots) and stuck it around the edges of the backbox. It's probably not as bright, or as good as what Kurt suggests, but for me that worked just fine, so I left it like that, and it literally took about 5 minutes.

Finally had an absolute belter on this yesterday! I cant be 100% sure as there was a lot going on, but I think I had a crazy chunk of this score by getting hypersleep multiball and Sentry Guns with 2x scoring. I then proceeded to completely nail shot after shot on hypersleep MB, culminating in some crazy super jackpot of 100 million (with my son shouting "wow dad you've revived everyone!" ha ha). Used the weapons really well too - saved a drain by using the flamethrower and another with the shotgun to start ambush MB - and on one drain I saved myself by using the smart gun to start hypersleep AND get an extra ball - it was amazing!

Finished Aliens, got all MBs except All Out War (ambush and sentry guns twice) and got through 2 Alien missions. Completely screwed up Save Newt and several of the modes so there's huge scope to get well over a billion! Wow love love LOVE this game..!

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It takes a bit of getting used to for sure. Plus, I had to dial up the power quite a bit on my flippers as they simply felt too weak to make shots consistently out of the box. I also had to do the same to the slings as they were pretty limp by default. Now it shoots like a dream.

I think also once you've dropped APC targets the orbits will start to divert into the pops even without an opposing inlane -> orbit shot? Or am I imagining that....?

First thing to check is if the coil return spring is broken under the playfield (the spring that pulls the flipper back to it's resting position). This has happened to all 4 of my flippers on Alien, and it's the only game i've ever had this happen on at all.

If you can move the flipper without it springing back down, that's the problem. If so, it's an easy fix, you can just hook the (broken) spring back on using another loop, but you should order some spares in the meantime as these factory ones are clearly prone to breaking.

If the spring did indeed break, you can get around it by just hooking over/re-attaching another one of the spring loops - that will do just fine until you get a replacement.

If the spring actually came off the flipper mech when it broke (it has done once or twice on mine), you may have to search around the bottom of the cabinet to find it again.

This is an absolutely brilliant game, no question - and it's nice to see it get a little reputation boost being at #1 because it deserves a lot more credit than it gets. I don't think I've ever been so surprised by how good a game is - I really didn't expect it to shoot so damn good and come together so well as a package... Is it objectively better than some of my other games? I honestly don't know, Maiden, DP, Elvira, R&M really do take some beating - but the theme and the way its been implemented is incredible.

Same goes for Halloween - it's literally like playing through the movie. These games are really raising the bar for theme integration, and I've been really enjoying the change of pace/style from my Stern games. Good times...

Yeah a sudden rush to pull it down is truly pathetic, but sadly inevitable.

Doesn't affect my enjoyment of the game in any way shape or form, but it's still annoying no matter what that some people feel the need to do this kind of thing.

Yep a few issues initially out of the box with connectors wiggling loose but that's about it. My LV has been (and still is) awesome.

Ugh... I know it shouldn't bother me but it's really starting to now... Not only the sudden slew of ratings under 4/5, but all the reviews that some of us took time to actually write properly and be informative are now suddenly being flagged.

I shouldn't care - I love this machine and I feel lucky to own one, but its so disappointing to see such petty stupidity and ignorance. Why has my review been flagged? It's not like I didn't take the time to justify my rating with a lengthy explanation of why I thought it was so good....? On the other hand we have ratings of 2 or 3 out of 10 with absolutely no comment or justification. Or 4/10 ratings from people who've barely played the machine, or played one on location and it's had a fault.

I know we have trolls everywhere and I know people are doing it just to bring the rating down - it was always going to happen. But... I can't help it, it's bothering the sh*t out of me - I actually want more people to give this game a fair shake and not get turned off by completely bogus comments and ratings.

Ok deep breath... rant over - this game is amazing.

Im not sure flagging actually does anything and usually I'm not bothered in the slightest - I just don't like the way the game is being artificially down voted and ALL the positive reviews are being flagged, even some of the more thought out ones. Yes the negative ones are being flagged too, thats because there's no justification for it. If I review a game to be 4/10 it would have to have an awful lot wrong with it. So why not at least explain the rating?

On the other hand I (and others) take 20 mins to do a thoughtful write up detailing why we think its great, and some a-holes flag it? Why exactly? I thought I explained my rating pretty well, I didn't just slap a 10 rating on it with no comment (i didnt btw - it's not a 10/10 game, nothing is really, but this one is right up there).

I think that's just a default filter on the ratings view, I'm not sure it actually invalidates that score from the overall rating. You can view all ratings by turning off the filters (eg by default it only shows ratings with comments).

I agree - GZ is actually a fantastic game - and I could never give it a bad review, plus besides that just makes us the same as all the idiots who dragged this game down for the hell of it. But the crap that's gone on for this one has really got to me, because it's genuinely a fantastic game and I really think it deserves to be in the top 10-20. Now I think it's actually lower than its ever been - so yes it does show the rating system up as being totally controllable by the wrong sort of people, which is a real shame.

We shouldn't care, but we do because we are passionate about our hobby. I know its only a top 100 list, but people have worked damn hard on this game and it deserves some plaudits... Plus, it's not just because of the low ratings, but to me it's also because it shows there are still such idiotic people around in this forum. It would have eventually settled into its own true rating, but now that's not gonna be possible.

Yeah there's definitely an issue with the wiring harnesses being too tight and connectors wiggling loose. I definitely had to re-connect everything on the playfield box (inside the cabinet) and the PC (behind the backglass/translite), and ultimately I've glued some in place because they would actually work themselves loose again (had no issues since).

However, I also think having almost zero play in the wiring could also be pulling too hard on connectors and damaging the hardware in some cases. It sure does look neat but it sure is causing some problems.

Holy cow, that's an absolutely amazing score - stars must have all aligned for that one!

I love when that happens - I had a similar game on R&M last night - totally annihilated my GC and it felt AMAZING...

If the ball enters the scoop from the back/orbit, I think older versions of the code treat it as a normal scoop shot so will start modes (mine does this, as I'm not on the latest version). I believe they may have removed that in later code versions though.

It only does this on code 2.6 and releases before that. I think 2.7 changed the way this functions and removed the mode start if the scoop is hit from behind the xeno (basically it no longer counts as an airlock shot).