PBL's flipper button kits are very nicely done. No hesitation recommending them.

I must be lucky then. I've got over 450 plays on my Pro and played another 25 or so on location and I have never gotten a SDTM drain on Wallop shots exiting through the building. I've had them occur on weak shots that didn't make it around, but those were on me.

The problem occurs quite regularly on both the Premium and LE I've played on location. Maybe it's just a combination of coincidence and luck?

I would have agreed with you after only playing a handful of games on each. It wasn't until around 20 plays on each that I changed my mind and decided I just liked the feel and geometry on the Pro better. I was fortunate that this location had both games side by side.

I played a Premium Thursday night after not playing one in a month and a half (basically since I got my Pro) and playing it again after knowing the intricacies of playing my Pro for 450+ games that the subtleties of the shot feel and geometry became even more apparent. The Pro just shoots smoother and the geometry just feels tighter and more precise. It's hard to explain and you really need to spend extended time on both models to feel the difference for yourself. If I actually liked the Premium better I would have one on order to upgrade to later which it seems that a lot of people do.

Just some examples and setups are more prone. We have a day 1 pro, and play on 2 other pros, an LE, and a premium.. all of them would do it at various times. It's not really something I would call out as a model difference.

Yes, I know the feeling We operated a pro and a premium together for about a month before we moved the pro off to another location.

That can also just be a matter of different examples. I feel very much the same way about our AIQ pro vs our premium. The Pro I can dial in on a lot more than the premium.. but it's the exact same shots. Just some examples differ enough. All of the Godzillas on location around me play differently.. with one more noticeably annoying than the others. It's just part of pinball.

This is one of the great things about the resurgence in pinball... no longer do we struggle to find just one example of a game. Even though we route all the latest Stern titles.. multiple operators around us do as well so there tends to be many examples to compare with.

The one part of this that I am disappointed is the drake building. It feels really cheap.

I added comet star post LEDs under the building stand ups and behind the building which IMO Makes it look like a burning building. Also borrowed from others to illuminate the Mecha stand up, scoop, and GZ train mod.3A6F6BE2-BE18-4911-B1C7-3301D8FEF98D (resized).jpegE70CB068-1ABA-4B79-BDEC-9948925E34D2 (resized).jpeg

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Looks like the blue rubber is missing inside your building on the left.

Found the balance of just enough beer and just enough green that game I think

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I'd love to see video of the spotlight/action button mod

I'd love to see video of the spotlight/action button mod

Love to see some video.

Can you show me where you placed your led behind the drake and how you ran the wire? I couldn't find a good location and went for stashing 3 fire post leds inside the building behind it.

With the playfield out and extended forward, and sitting on the service rails...If you start by threading up the matrix wire from underneath the playfield there at the Drake building area (where there are a few GI lights entering into a somewhat larger playfield hole), you will see that matrix wire come up in between the two plastics that sit behind the Drake building. With a little bit of manipulation of those two plastics, you can create a large enough gap to bring that matrix wire up, on top of the plastics.
When facing the Drake building, to the left and behind the Drake building, you will see the post that assists in holding the wireform that comes out of the subway station and into the back of the Drake building. It is on top of this post that you can place one or two or however many spotlights.

I have found that there are several options back there, from placing a fire bulb facing the backboard (to give a burning look to that building to the right of the subway), to having an additional light facing up at a Mothra figure (that extends from the mothra plastic, if you have something like that going on).
Additionally speaking, once that latter (Mothra intended) light is installed, you can alligator clip onto the Mothra flasher, such that that light turns on when the mothra flasher turns on.

Another thing to consider is attaching that fire bulb light (or any added light/bulb across the playfield) to either the white (white-yellow wire) or red GI (red-yellow wire), such that that light turns on at different times depending on whether the GI is on red or white (offering some additional variation to the different GI lit modes and overall lighting scheme).

That was a very detailed explanation. Thank you kindly.

Here is what I pulled off with the matrix fire LEDs.

2 under the bridge
2 under Drake targets
1 front right of the Drake hiding behind a wireforn
2 inside the ball lock building behind the Drake facing up to backlight the plastic and 1 facing down to light up the metal.

All tied to the shaker thanks to the guidance sushko gave me.

Good catch. Stern said it’s difficult to fix so they are sending me a new building under warranty.

I zip tied a plastic child cabinet safety lock to the post back left of the building. Fed the wire over the rear of the loop and through the back board. Fire post LEDs taped under the stand up targets. I found more light passes through if you place the LED on the clear plastic on floor 2 of the building.

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Looks great!

Slick hiding spot. That's the location I've been looking for to shine through. Nice work.

I recently got confirmation for a premium model coming this summer. I am wicked excited. I’ve only ever had one pin, Indiana Jones, for six years and really don’t have room for a second. But I fell in love with (and dreamt about) this game after briefly playing a pro model and knew somehow I had to get this!

Now to get reading the 154 pages here and get prepared…

I’ll buy your IJ if you need to make room

What in the world happened to make it easier to replace an entire building rather than a single blue rubber piece?

Ha ha, I will place you at the top of my list! Currently best case scenario is living room. Just get it in the house right?

What a great game! No, not that game. My first billion game in 400 plays!

Tweaked a couple things and it started to click. First, adjusted the pitch a bit higher. Changed out the target backing foam with denser and thicker foam and added 5 degree wedge to tip the targets forward, no more crazy airballs. Also found a flipper with the EOS not opening up, adjusted, and now I can hit the left spinner more easily.

Such an amazing game; boss lady was indifferent about this game when it was announced, but it is now her favorite; might soon be my favorite too! (over JP2).

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I continue to struggle with the left spinner and ramp, so looked at the flipper EOS switches but got really confused for how it should work (GZ is my first stern and modern pin). Any advice on how flippers should be adjusted in these modern Sterns?

What do you mean? What are you confused by? Flipper alignment? The tip of the flipper needs to point right at the alignment holes in the playfield.

I am accustomed to adjusting EOS switch to get a full stroke on the flipper. Looking under my GZ, both flippers seem to close switch with quite a way to go before the end of the stroke, which is apparently fine with computer timed flippers?

That being said, one of my flippers has the switch open again at the end of the stroke. I suspect one of them needs adjustment, but I don’t know the theory of how the Stern flippers coils and EOS works or how to optimally adjust

I have both flipper tips directly centered on the alignment holes

The EOS switches are normally closed and open when the flippers engage. Are yours doing that?

If so, they are operating properly. Just make sure they are opening the EOS at the very end of the flipper’s stroke.

For flippers that tend to crap out and the advised course is to investigate the flipper switches and adjusting the gap, what tool do you do to make the adjustments?

A few weeks back this was recommended for my upper flipper. I lifted the playfield and it did seem like the gap for the upper was slightly different than for the lower, but I just kind of squeezed the (leaf?) switches together a little more, but I don't know if it changed anything and I was cautious because don't want to unintentionally damage something.

Pinball switch adjustment tool.

cool thanks

I'm in the pro situation where the game has times it regularly goes totally dark and makes the game hard in a frustrating, not challenging way. I'd like to add some just to eliminate the not being able to see the ball times. Which additions from your setup would cover that? This will be my first time doing anything with lighting.

The comet matrix lighting system is a very nice system to use. Once you do it once (spotlight/star-post/trough strip light, etc hooked to a GI bulb) you'll be able to do it again and again, just about wherever you like.

However, per the frustration you're having at those above mentioned to times...unfortunately, when the GI goes out (and only pf lights are on), at those times so does additional lighting tied in to that GI (unless using particular lighting systems that utilize light sensors, for example like that used on Mezel mods interactive scoop light).

I'll admit, in addition to the added lighting that I mentioned in the above post on my own game, I did use that interactive light sensor at a couple of locations on my own game to highlight certain peripheral additions that I placed about he pf, but I can't say that it offers any helpful amount of light during those very dark times of gameplay (i.e. after hitting destruction jackpot, for example). Fortunately, most of the time those moments of darkness are very short-lived, but there is no denying that those times are very dark, and during those times it can be very difficult to see/follow the ball, no doubt.

Trap up when the game goes dark.

As able, that's my move as well.

Thanks for the details. Would all of the lights you described in your original post fall into this category (turning off when the rest of the lights do) or would some stay on regardless?

My thought is that if, say, the spotlights are always on and I'm able to increase their number and/or brightness, I'd be all for it. When it comes to a trade of lighting effects and being able to see the playfield, I'll always take the latter (I got frustrated with all the blinding on Game of Thrones, for example, even if the choreography may have been cool).

Bought a Premium based upon the chatter here and the Jack Danger video. Hadn't had the opportunity to play much, aside from a couple games where the music was too loud to hear the call-outs.

Well, last night I had that serendipitous pinball moment we all love so much: walk in to a bar, and see a brand new machine, straight from the box. In this case, a Godzilla Pro. $2 for three credits! Factory setting replays + matches....I enjoyed about ten games in the Pro, learned some rules and ramps. Most fun I've had in two or three years, or since I can't remember when!
Left six credits on for staff!

Upon arriving home, I told my wife I think I'd rather have one Godzilla pin than our entire existing collection (Deadpool and Walking Dead). There is just so much in this one. All told, even if it takes until 2023, I can't wait to get our Premium!!

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In short, the answer is yes.
If GI is out, anything hooked to GI is out. That would also include pinstadium lighting, comet matrix system lighting, anything that is hooked to GI.
That leaves you with only external lighting to assist at those dark dark moments, which usually can only be achieved with lighting from other games or overhead lighting or a combination. The only other avenue would be crossing fingers for some attention to this in code development, which is most certainly possible, but unfortunately not supremely likely.

You could install an accessory power supply like this...

https://www.pinballlife.com/accessory-power-supply-for-stern-spike-spike-2-system-machines-cabinet-mounting.html

Then you could use it to power your extra spots lights. That way the spots would stay on as long as the game is on.

There's an unused constant 12v connector on the power distribution board you could tap to power 3-4 spotlights that would resolve your issues and light up the machine really well. However, from experience with WoZ, having spotlights stay on when the machine has modes designed to go dark kind of breaks the game. I'd still mod a WoZ to do that because it's generally too dark, but if you're only wanting this for when the GZ machine goes momentarily dark, I'd leave it alone.

I found this frustrating as well, specifically during Tesla Strike mode, where just the red GI lighting comes on & makes it hard to see the ball around the flippers. I did this fix last weekend.

Solution: Added a Matrix 4 inch frosted LED strip to ball trough drain area under the apron. Went with Warm White, just looks better on GZ IMO. But most the lights on GZ are controlled, so you have to tie it into one of the coin slot lights on the coindoor, as those bulbs are always on all the time. You need to run around 15' of matrix wire down the playfield to the back, then run it up the side of the lower cab to the coindoor. Basically just run enough wire so you can raise & lower the playfield, ziptie it so it's clean, then replace the LED in the coinslot with a matrix flex LED & connect your wire. Pretty easy job when using Matrix products from Comet.

I mostly agree with you. I can live with the darkness after a Destruction Jackpot, I kinda don't mind that. However during a Tesla Strike, it just goes dark for too long. And I think after earning a replay too.

In that case, I'd just nicely ask sk8ball to add a system menu option for "no GI blackouts" on the system menu. There are still updates to come, so maybe he'll add that option for those that play in dark rooms and want/need it. Would save people the hassle of adding spotlights just to overcome the few blackout points in the game.

I kind of like the black out points.

At first, I didn't, but have gotten used to it and kind of know how to watch for the ball and anticipate it now.

Might be worth waiting for mature code before major lightning upgrades ?
The coders at Stern have really upped their game. I am very impressed with the light show thus far. Im guessing that there may be some lightning tweaks forthcoming for 1.0.

BTW I absolutely love Dougs flame kit.
Makes the game come alive.
Brilliant work from http://www.speakerlightkits.com/

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Did you have to wait a long time for the speaker kit? I ordered 3 weeks ago and he said today he won’t give an estimated shipping time.

Yes, Doug is flat out
their is a very big wait for these.

As with most things in the world these days a great deal of patience is necessary.

Your game will still be awesome fun while you are waiting

Even tho it looks like it won't be until next year, put in for a spot on a premium. Unless I find something at a decent price on the used market before then, will be my first pin.
Seriously can't get enough of this pin every time I play it.

It's the most addictive game I've ever played. It just hits all my buttons and I can't stop pressing start. I've literally had dreams about it when I couldn't play. I didn't expect to like the theme as much as I do, but now I think it's perfect for pinball. Goofy over the top fun.

Even with the little furniture stops I was still
getting the occasional ball hang up on zilla.

I’d been waiting on some longer screws so I could install my plastic protectors but had an idea about fixing this area a little better. Apparently the aus le’s had different length screws compared to other countries machines.

I underhung a hex post in the area and it seems to really block it well. Can’t even get a ball to sit in there by hand. I didn’t have a long enough hex post on hand so I just used two smaller ones.

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Nice mod! I haven't reviewed all your post history so forgive me if you already answered this. Did raising the turntable using the nut at the bottom not reslove this issue for you?

Really on the fence about picking up this title, because it's a dream theme for me. Leaning towards Pro, but would really like a Premium, but there tough to find, and for the extra 2K or more, unsure. Is the extra $$$ really worth it for the Premium? With so many mods already out for this title, i'm wondering if Pro isn't just fine, then mod it as i want when i want. Thoughts?