Let's recap

Spooky announces July 5: https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/spooky-announces-halloween-pinball-deep-dive-in-depth-overview-of-the-machine-features-rules-and-more/ which included this trailer

The game went on sale July 7

The first stream of gameplay was early August

Halloween/Ultraman was sold with barely any information, including some false information like Bowen being a consultant on rules. (That was an outright lie by Spooky)

Anyhow, I am hyped for Spooky and Scooby. It's a great pinball theme.

As far as an end user is concerned, the Pinotaur is one board with all the connectors on it (con: removing it). P3ROC uses boards dedicated to function (lamps/coils/switches), which means there’s more smaller boards. Con price

Repair tech wise, P3ROC is a bit more documented for repairs and some components like coil transistors are easier to replace by the end user. (Neither are that well documented, but Pinotaur essentially isn’t in comparison). Further, P3ROC has more general industry support as it is used by a few companies. So you might have a bit more faith in long term support/availability.

In terms of functionality to a player, you’re not really going to notice any difference.

Tl;dr there are pros and cons, but most won’t notice a difference in terms of functionality.

Some do. Toy Story 4 had a great gameplay video and rules video on launch date. Stern has gotten better about it. (Stern also makes games on and off for 3-5 years, so you're never in a rush to buy one at launch unless you gotta have a LE).

Also...why does it matter what other companies do? Customers should be demanding that all pinball combines provide a 10-15 minute gameplay video and general rule overview when games are announced.

https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/jersey-jack-pinball-announces-toy-story-4-pinball-deep-dive-in-depth-overview-of-the-machine-features-rules-and-more/

June 14 news story, June 14 video of gameplay

So my non-insider guess on the team behind the game,

David Van Es on layout
DJ as lead programmer/rule-designer (with Eric P on support?)
Luke for engineering
Backalley for sculpts
Matt Montgomery for music

I like the center drop between the flippers. Jon Norris would be proud

It kinda reminds me of Flintstones, but mechanized

It's an interesting widebody. It avoids the traps of a lot of widebodies by trying to shove a bunch of stuff/gimmicks in that extra space (like WoZ). It seems to use the extra space on the side in the lower area for cosmetics and wireforms, which is a better use for that space. The shooter lane is in a unique spot.

This is a Charlie and Bug game

Idk if they think they have a signature design style yet, but I have noticed they love upper playfields in their games. RZ, ACNC, HWN/UM, and now Scooby.

I'm curious about the double row of drops. Hoping for some Vector like rules where you have to clear one bank "the right way" or else you get punished by the second bank being raised up.

Rob Zombie has a lot of pops (and slings)

Curious about the 5 player feature and selectable characters

Does that mean each character is different ala TMNT or Stern Star Wars? Or is it more like the different Morties, where it's more about having an easy way to remember who is which player.

And also Jetsons and Dominos have pops, and those were Charlie designs.

I'm guessing standard WMS Super Pin dimensions unless they felt like getting a new lockdown bar press and lockdown bar receiver designed.

Jon Norris did it in a couple of his games

SMB is an interesting rule. You get a 2 ball multiball and the drop raises. If you can relock the balls with the drop still up, you start a 3 ball MB. Neat little rule.

Well, can't unsee that.

Best of luck. I think you're in charge of the hardest part of the overall design: making the layout fun, challenging, and rewarding.

It seems like you get a lot of shots, targets, and inserts to work with though... so that's a positive. I look forward to what sort of ideas you (and the others) come up with.

I'll wait for a gameplay video for now

The IP owners also greenlit this show...

Like other Spookys, the least special edition is actually the most rare edition. Funny how that works out.

Also looking at the left side, double outlanes baby! I can't remember the last one after Bally widebodies like Future Spa

I feel like that is on Spooky and not on you? If the code was in a better condition and/or more people had faith in it turning around, then the games wouldn't have lost so much value on the secondary market. It's also not un-reasonable to think the game should have been in a much better state nearly 18 months after launch.

Shrug. You gotta do something with all that widebody space. It's better than some other widebody gimmicks in that area, like WOZ or Alien.

JJP launched TS4 with gameplay

(I feel like maybe some other JJP and AP games had gameplay at or very near launch. I feel like JJP unveiled one game live on Stream at a convention)

Also people should demand gameplay videos of all manufacturers. It’s not a huge ask. It’s in the best interest of the consumer.

A new Pinotaur?

Look at the dates in my source. Idk what to tell you. You’re mistaken.

I don't care what dummies post on a forum (lol, self-reflection)

I have the YouTube links to JJP and their press release to TWIP. All same date. Enough said

Here is JJP revealing Wonka live on stream at MGC (1 day after the press announcement)

People keep saying this is the "norm"

Here is American Pinball. Hot Wheels announced June 10
https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/hot-wheels-pinball-deep-dive-in-depth-overview-of-the-machine-features-rules-and-more/

Then a full gameplay stream with the AP team on June 13

It's not really gameplay though. It's just showing the mechanisms function.

There are some hints, like you get a glimpse of the UI (which looks great - I'm not asking to see the gameplay to simply shit on it)

I was curious about this as it features 5 player play. I wonder if the characters are different (like TMNT) or just an easier way to remember player order (different Morties on R&M).

Six Million Dollar Man is a famous 6 player game. Bally blowing out their inventory of 6 digit displays as they transitioned to 7!

Some Sega games have 6 player modes too.

here is more of a fun pinball nerd question

is this a 4 flipper game or 3? I can see the argument both ways

I would have gotten away with this nerdy question if it wasn't for your meddling facts

Anyhow, it kinda reminds of when you use a Pharba diverter on Shadow as a ramp flipper. I'm sure it's just a standard flipper mech. A lot of diverters are simply a flipper mech with a different bat shape.

Agreed. They should show a photo of it before people are asked for a non-refundable deposit.

Constructive criticism nitpick/question

Observe on the main inserts the Mystery Gang, the inserts go Daphne, Fred, Scooby, Shaggy, Velma. If you look at major shots on the playfield, they go D/F/S/S/V the same way (Scooby and Fred are on top of each other, but close enough). Similarly you might notice the baddies each have an insert and a coresponding sculpt that also goes left to right on the playfield. This is all very good art design. This is also mirrored in the center playfield art

But the color of the wireworms are brown, blue, green, then orange and purple (they crisscross at the very end). I like that each character has a wireworm associated with them. But maybe the colors should match the character scheme established with the insert/shot art? Then it would be Purple/Blue/Brown/Green/Orange

Not saying it has to be that, but it was an OCD thing I noticed. There's nothing wrong with the way it is.

They posted this the day it went up for sale

Actual gameplay was another two months or so

If it had less than a 1% chance of playing, I'd love it.

Also I pointed this out before, but they are making an adult animated Scooby Doo cartoon now. It is hard R. It'll be out in 2023

It's the Spook Meter or whatever they called it.

I think it's a good widebody design by not putting too many gimmicks in the lower area of the widebody. It's almost like they took a standard, then added the extra space on the sides. Some games do silly stuff with that extra space. The good widebodies just put cosmetics off on the sides, then open up the orbits toward the back. Then it shoots like a standard and doesn't have the floaty side to side play, but space for more stuff in the back.

That's funny because I just posted how that what this game looks like.

It's the best way to make a widebody shoot well

It is great Spooky made a short video of it in action. But let's be clear: other companies like AP and JJP post gameplay at launch or within days. They have it baked into their launch plans already. That should be how all games launch.

Only during work hours

I'm interested in the standard. It's $2,000 cheaper. The cabinet art is a downgrade, but it's fine. Then you're mostly just losing powder coating, a bunch of sculpts, some other little cosmetics, and then the knocker (whatever) and shaker. I can buy the shaker for cheap.

The value is in the standard edition, not the collectors.

Sure would be nice to see a photo of it though. I wonder how it looks without the sculpts and colorful wireforms.

It lights up in the video. Sorta like JJP hot rails, but different.

And maybe variations of other characters saying their lines with the current player/character name inserted. Example if you're playing as Scooby, you'd get a Shaggy call out saying "like shoot the orbit, Scooby" or a tilt warning where Fred yells "careful Scoob!" Stuff like that. Attention to detail goes a long way.

That's just a guess though. 4,000 callout is a lot to work through. That's probably a few hours worth of just voice audio? Then a lot of new music, then whatever sound effects theyre using.

Is Spooky DJ an actual DJ? He'll be an expert at mixing by the end of the project if he's not already.

I noticed the center drop making a clutch save. Is this user controlled or was it the game recognizing a ball not making it all the way up the center, and providing a drain save?

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Neat. I was also wondering if the answer would be both.

Guessing it automatically raises the center drop if it notices the center ramp entrance triggered twice? It's a neat little ball save.

So this game has three outlanes, but no outlane spinners? Scoff

Spooky, please upload a montage of you draining and bricking to put fears to rest. Thank you

I do like how you have seemingly reduced the number of things you have to disconnect to take off the main board. And the lamp PCBs are likely cheaper and easier for you guys, and less likely to have breaks in the serial chain of power/data.

Now please stick with a system

Are Scooby flippers single wound like Stern or dual wound coils?

It would be nice if there were photos of all models before sales open.

Looks like a sling is over there. Above the normal right one.

Somebody hasn’t played Rob Zombie…

It could be better...like the logo isn't right
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edit: although looking at more modern Scooby merch, I guess the licensor changed the design over time? Idk. I'm sure it's what the licensor told them what to do.

It reminds me of the left orbit shot on Rob Zombie, which has a sling before the orbit start in a similar way. It can feel pretty punishing on that particular game for missing the shot (the most important shot in that game)

It would be nice to see a photo of the BSE/SE now that people are in a contract for them

If no sculpts are there flat plastics of art?

Is there an ETA on when the Standard and Blood Sucker models will be revealed?

All there's been is a render of cabinet art...

You're not Spooky and that wasn't a helpful answer to a serious question. It was rude and not helpful, so I downvoted you. Don't be a baby about downvotes if you're going to write comments like a jackass.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask considering the game is for sale and Spooky would have presumably built one of each of their own models of the game by now?

Batman 66 is a perfect example of how a game can give story progression and push your luck mechanics for scoring.

If you don’t care about score, then you keep pushing your luck to advance the episode and see more clips from it. Or if you’re into score, you keep pushing your luck to get more points. Or if you’re trying to get to a deeper goal (like Villian Escape wizard mode), then you finish the mode quickly for less points but easier progression to those advanced goals and bonus rewards like extra balls.

There are not a lot of upper/lower playfields that I like. That said, one underrated one I like is Elvis.

I like how you shoot a ramp and it’s a quick feed to an upper flipper for a shot, or you let it come back down the guide. Scooby has a similar idea where it comes right back if you don’t use the left upper playfield flipper.

Scooby’s upper PF might be trying to squeeze in too many fanned out shots. But it’s hard to say without seeing how the code uses the shots during modes.

Scooby's upper PF is more like a split level game like Black Knight, Jungle Lord, or Flash Gordon than most typical upper playfields. It's very big

Can you do it multiple times? Could be a fun combo high score board entry.

Just have like a 1% chance of a Scrappy Doo callout talking shit if you tilt.

If I'm not mistaken, two in front of the sea diver as "ghost hands" and then another magnet used as a diverter to the subway

Why we need adult mode

I know it isn't going to be in this game. It's just amusing watching the reaction of some people to this show.

double danger tilt

"Puppy power! Let me at em!" while the ball drains

Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law knew what was up with clowning Scrappy

The giant bracket is a subway. Looks like a magnet in the back will grab an orbit shot and deposit it in the subway. Looks like there are more than one entrance to the subway, going to a vuk to the upper pf

The center drop even stops a center drain at one point. There’s probably a ball save for the outlanes. Shenanigans

Or just turn off lit mode insert arrows, so you don’t know where to shoot and you stumble into the right shot.

I thought the Velma show was ok. My only real issues with it is

a) making meta jokes about storytelling and making fun of tropes is ok to an extent, but not when the show itself is so tropey. It goes to this well too often and undermines the show itself
b) there is no heart to the characters. The one time they try to have a semi-serious moment they have a pretty awkward and long joke midway. It just deflates the whole scene, throws off the pace, etc... A joke has to really land for it to be worth the tonal shift of serious back to goofy back to serious. I can't care about characters if the show doesn't care about them either.

That said I actually like the Shaggy character, but that's mainly because I think Sam Richardson is incredibly funny (Richard Splett is one of the funniest characters of all time). The voice cast is the strongest aspect of the show.

It wants to be Harley Quinn, but it doesn't understand why that show is good. (Also it helps that the Batman/DC universe is much larger to pull from, and the violence isn't as disconnecting from the source material)

Overall I'd give the show a C. The backlash against it is very amusing to watch though.

What thread on pinside isn't somehow about pricing?

Ditto for Austin Powers

Great video of the gameplay. Much better than some other initial gameplay videos.

Looks like it’ll be fun.

But the CE already comes with a custom start button. And it’s a square shape

Ah. Brain fart. Carry on

Nice touch with the September 1969 (when the show premiered)

Adult mode is just when they make the game easier for adults because kids these days are too good at complex rulesets /s

Curious, shouldn't the insert say "Scooby Snacks"? Or did the licenser say use "Scoob Snacks"? Or is it because "Scooby Snacks" is an actual snack food that is trademarked now?

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Is the upper playfield counter pitched to the main playfield? Like if the main playfield is 6.5 degrees relative to ground, is the upper pf at like 6.0 degrees relative to ground? I think I heard Spooky say the recommended pitch for the main PF is 7.0 degrees?