Hey, I'm hopefully a new owner this weekend. Is it difficult to remove the head? Unfortunately, I've had to decapitate all of my games going into the basement. For reference, I have the Sterns down to a science and AP & CGC are easy to remove. Thanks!

Thanks, yeah my basement stairs suck because they have one of those 90 degree turns. Taking off the head is pretty much standard. It’s not the door, it’s the turn.

I scoured YouTube and found an unboxing… looks like just a few wires, which is good. The CGC and AP heads were easy because of the hex bolts, Stern is trickier because the bolt assembly has a few pieces. I’m sure it will be fine, but you’re welcome to check it out any time!

LV 368 in the house.

Don’t, for any reason, ever ever, ever, ever try to take the head off. I always have to remove the head to get games down to the basement and Alien was giant pain in the ass. The beacons and speaker are attached to the cabinet and zip tied all to shit. I sorted it out, but it was ugly.

Anyway, of course the game rocks. Knock on wood, no problems thus far.

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What is the LV attract mode in Settings? Is that the beacon?

I was going to post about the shaker on startup, but it looks like that one’s been addressed. Anyway, it’s awful. The game, though, is outstanding!

That’s odd. I’m LV 368 and mine is missing that harness as well. Is this a thing?

I 3D printed some stuff over the weekend. Will paint and see how they look. Free to download on thingiverse.

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I’m happy with the airlock. Some paint and stickers really highlighted the area. Hypersleep lock is next.

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Fail on the 3D sculpt of the hypersleep chamber. It was super rough, and I went back and forth with sanding and painting. I don’t think I’ll ever be happy with how it looks, so this one goes bye bye. No biggie.

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From Tilt Forums:

Weapons:

Weapons are scored in various ways throughout the game:

Making a skill shot at any flashing standup target
Completing the four weapon standup targets during normal play
Winning any mission
MU/TH/UR Mystery

To select a weapon, use the flipper buttons to select the weapon you want (extra ball button on the original Heighway model). Then, to use the weapon, press the launch button. Using the launch button will remove the weapon from your inventory, forcing you to collect it again.

The weapon awarded from any of these methods will always be the next one in sequence. At the start of the game, for instance, the first weapon will always be the handgun; then, if the player hasn’t used the handgun already, the shotgun; etc.

Collecting all five weapons lights the extra ball at the hypersleep ramp or activates a short ball saver if the extra ball has already been collected.

The weapon sequence is:

Weapon 1 - Handgun - Increases the bonus multiplier by +2x.
Weapon 2 - Shotgun - Spots 2 Xenomorph hits. If the Xenomorph targets are lit for an award in another mode, the shotgun will collect the award as well.
Weapon 3 - Smart Gun - Smart Collect. Instantly collects everything currently lit on the playfield (ie. lit mission shots, lit hypersleep locks or extra balls, etc.).
Weapon 4 - Pulse Rifle - Instantly starts 2x Scoring.
Weapon 5 - Flamethrower - Activates the ball saver for 2 seconds. Perfect to use right before the ball drains.

I’m afraid to say this out loud, but Alien has been the most trouble-free NIB experience I’ve ever had. Zero issues out of the box. 60 games in and the only snag was a weird boot screen. Power recycle fixed it right away. I’m super happy with it so far.

#368

They opened a second run. Post in the thread to get on the list.

Hitting the the left orbit pretty much always results in a right outlane death… the ball bounces off the tip of the left sling and then heads to the right outlane.

Any fixes, such as an additional (or thicker) rubber somewhere to divert the ball?

Great news. I’m really enjoying Alien and new clips will be the cherry on top.

I’m fine with no characters on the game as it sits. Yeah, the playfield is ugly, but it does the job. Who’s to say the new playfield and art package will blow everyone away?

I’m also jazzed the new sculpts will be available to purchase. Good time to be an Alien owner!

Ah, my bad. Sounds like translite and cab only.

I do have this Ripley piece in my game room. I really like it, but I’m not sure I’d want it on the game.

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Grab a normal USB 5V power block. Plug your mods into that, and run a normal household extension cord from the back vent of the game to an outlet. I have my games on one outlet, so they all turn off and on at the same time. If you want the mods to turn on with your game, you can get a smart strip that will power off and on with the game.

$8K is a really good price for this game and they’ll surely sell a lot. It’s definitely competitive with Stern Premiums.

I prefer the LV art package, but this at least looks different. You can tell right off the bat it’s a different model, unique from the LV and SV.

Goodness all around from PB. New code, lower price, upgrades, etc.

Those look fantastic.

The new head and airlock covers are definitely purchases for me. The apron matches the worn look of the airlock, but the laser cut apron is so good, I don’t think it could be topped. I’m iffy on the new PB apron.

Looking forward to the topper.

I was thinking the same thing, which makes the ‘Ellen Ripley’ version odd to me. If she’s not on the game, how is it the ‘Ellen Ripley’ version? It’s right there on the back glass.

Thanks for the link. Apron, head and screen ordered. I held off on the beacon thingys.

My wallet prays for a dumb topper.

Yeah, they need to clear up the header vice the description. It's a magnet decal with cool art designed to look three dimensional. For $70, we're not getting a full metal apron with effects and stuff.

I paid every bit of MSRP on my LV. The market took a dip on the LV, and will probably dip even more now. It happens, but I'm glad to have the game. I paid even more for the new stuff that comes standard on the new edition, but that's pinball. P.S. I'm not rich either, but fortunate to have enough disposable income to be in this silly hobby.

The cool thing about Alien is that all versions have the same mechs and code. I think that was really smart. Sure, the powder and beacons and stuff are cool but only add to the experience, not the game.

This is a huge win for all owners, regardless of trim.

I predict bay doors that open to reveal the Alien queen. It will accommodate all models, with room for the beacons on the LV.

If that’s the case, I’ll order it, shit, cry, and then rejoice.

All Stern Pro and Premium models have different mechs and code. TWD has walker bombs, not available on the Pro. Etc…

Halloween is the same game across all models, just with some bling on the Collector’s Edition.

Deposit sent for the topper. My wallet is making me sleep on the couch.

As someone with a Mandalorian topper, I can safely say that not all toppers rise in value.

It’s just the shell. The complete assembly is $350.

https://pbusasales.com/spare-parts/alien/playfield-parts/toys/

Yeah, PB is looking to break into the mainstream with some fairly aggressive pricing, features and marketing. I think they’re making some great moves, and more Alien owners will hopefully translate into even more good things.

They’ve proven they can provide great customer support, the build quality is there, and they can deliver. I can’t wait to see their next theme.

Yeah, the head was semi-translucent in the first movie with a human-ish skull. Part two they went all Klingon with the head, Part 3 was a dog hybrid, and so on.

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#368 here. I’ve never had a problem, so I’m not much help. Check for loose connections and other normal NIB stuff. Doesn’t seem to be a ‘usual’ problem.

LV owner here and couldn’t be happier! The mo’ Aliens, the better.

Admittedly, it stung a little to pick up all the cool new add ons, but no one put a gun to my head. I’m stoked to add a little bling to an already great game.

I’ve really connected with this game and I’m stoked to see it get continued support.

That’s a huge code update, wow

Congrats to the ‘early adopters!’ Let us know how it is.

Because physical knockers are awesome. I put them on my Spike Stern machines. They add to the experience, though others may not like them. No biggie.

The possibilities are endless as long as they’re coded in. AP was great about this.

With Houdini, the knocker was a gun during the shooting mode. In Oktoberfest, the knocker was the gun when you shot ducks. In Sterns, the knocker goes off with a free game, jackpots or points. I’m coding a homebrew that will use the knocker during certain modes.

Again, it’s all in how you use it.

Dumb question. I just updated my code to 4.0, but my firmware is at .57. Do I need to update the firmware also? Game functions normally, no issues.

I updated to 4.0 code with the old firmware. Nothing exploded. I’ll update to .72 firmware this week. The new code worked fine.

.57. Totally explosion-free.

Having said that, I plan to update the firmware this week to prep the topper and stuff. I’ll report on any explosions.

Stuff happens. You didn’t pack or damage the game, but you did everything in your power to make it right. Sounds like a nightmare customer.

I’ve had to reject damaged NIB games. It sucks, but it happens. You don’t sign, you talk to your distributor, and you figure it out. It’s not rocket science.

Has anyone received their apron, screen bezel, etc? Not worried about it, but curious now that Ripleys are going out.

That’s all I got too.

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Just checked PB website. End of January for head, bezel and apron. Feb for topper. Beacons still show Nov 23.

Looks like the beacons and bezels are trickling out, which is awesome. I ordered the apron, Xeno head, topper and bezel day one, nothing heard yet. I’m wondering if PB plans to package all together in February?

Okay, makes sense, thanks!

Just paid the topper invoice. Ordered day one.

If you’re getting it welded, don’t use loctite. Use something temporary, like tape or hot glue. It will be ugly, but playable until you have a permanent solution.