Godzilla (Limited Edition)
Stern, 2021
Godzilla (Premium)
Stern, 2021
Godzilla (Pro)
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Quoted from etr104:Question for the people who have recently received their Godzilla Premium. How long ago did you order yours? Just trying to work out how far they are backed up in building them these days.
If this is any indication, I just put down a deposit with Automated Services today for a premium and the ETA is August. (Double purpose post - hey everyone! Im joining the club! Wahooo!)
Quoted from MaxIsDead:I do throw away their garbage speakers that come in the premium and upgrade to the LE stuff. Costs me like $75 bucks on amazon to get the same set of 3 speakers as the LE.
What are the speakers to order that match the le? Brand/model? Anyone know?
Thanks.
Quoted from javagrind888:Partially correct sir. I confirmed with them the price (twice), put my name down (with assurances I'm near the top of the list) and was told March. No deposit made but I'd not needed one with them in the past. So yes, telling me one price then telling me another come sales date I call scalping.
My distributor gives me an invoice that shows price, deposit paid, and remaining balance. Feels more solid that way. Maybe insist on something like that.
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:Had to trim the right arm a bit but the bank fits now. 10/10 would recommend and a great mod for $30... especially if you paint it.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Does the bank really come in this nasty grey color I am seeing on Amazon or is that a bad photo?
https://www.amazon.com/DIAMOND-SELECT-TOYS-Godzilla-Classic/dp/B00H48PX94
Quoted from Lermods:No reason to touch the flippers.
Not flipper coils, but the coil stops.
Quoted from Jamesays:I prefer the nasty grey one,looks closer to the video in the game too.
What’s funny is after I posted that nasty grey comment I researched Godzilla’s color. Apparently in most of the earlier films he is actually charcoal or gray and not green. He is green in some promo materials though. And obviously very green by Stern on the pin, but the movies the pin is based on are from the charcoal/gray era. Maybe stern took poetic license going more with what would pop visually on a pin than be nerdilly accurate. Which I would agree is a reasonable thing to do.
https://wikizilla.org/wiki/Godzilla_misconceptions#What_color_is_Godzilla.3F
Quoted from SimplePin:Isn't he grey in the early films because they were black and white? LOL
To give you the nerdly answer, just the first one or two were b&w in the 50s and he was that grey color in the other color films until some 1999 movie. If the inter webs are to be believed.
Quoted from Muymanwell:DugFreez 's site, SpeakerLightKits.com
How about the cityscape speaker panel? Or make it yourself?
Quoted from fooflighter:Well, today was supposed to be new pin day...
Unfortunately Fed EX Freight decided to kill my Godzilla
Crappy situation but I guess there are worse things in life
So the damage:
Box got hit hard by something falling on it, lockdown bar shows compression area on siderails
Strap on pallet clear taken off from corner and damage continued down the box
The back box took a bad hit, looks out of square possibly, decal and trim/box damage
Not sure if the playfield got abused either, who knows
Game was filthy inside box, lot's of dust/dirt swirrled in through box tears
Delivery Refusal of course
Kurt from Hemispheres is handling this awesome for me. Many shout outs to Hemispheres!!!!
Now for the ugliness:
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Whoever at FedEx did this are farking ass-clowns.
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:Do other people not want to even play their games when there are setup problems that frustrate and cost them balls every time?
My current issues (some that have been around for a while but I haven't kept working to address them because I'm tired of spending as much time trying to tweak a pin as play it):
- frequently hard to to make a right ramp shot: I thought this was supposed to be the bailout shot. From a cradle, ball often fails to make it all the way around even on solid hits. When playing on the fly from the right inline return I have to remind myself: "don't hit the shot where it should be. Hit it a little late like you would with a flipper that can't hit it through clean." And so where I would regularly full or near full combo gigan, I'm lucky when I can finish the mode on the first try.
- upper flipper craps out with a half flip: Doesn't matter whether I've just hit the loop 6-8 times in a row, the next time I hit the button will deliver a limp wrist flip that sends the ball down the right outlane
- busted center flipper: for the longest time I couldn't understand why my spinner wouldn't spin like the ones I see on streams. It didn't matter how often I waxed the playfield or added drops of gun oil, I'd still max out at maybe a dozen spins and not uncommonly register only 3 or 4. On the heat ray spinner which also becomes the super spinner which is also the spinner requiring the most shots for ebirah, this matters. Thankfully, I noticed that the little bar on this spinner is separated by a maybe a quarter of inch from the switch unlike the other spinners whose bars are flush with the switch. So now I need to figure out what part(s) to order .
It's not that I'm unwilling to work on stuff and try to learn: I bought the leaf switch tool to do the manual adjustment on the flippers and had some success with the bottom flippers. But I'm tired of feeling like I have to do that time and again. And though I tried the same thing with the upper flipper, I never had success getting it to improve (I assume because it's a stageable flipper and I didn't any different instructions about how to handle those. So I am probably not doing something that needs to be done differently
I'm sure this sounds like venting, though it isn't just that. As a first-time pin owner, I'm wondering anyone else feels the same way. I've definitely learned. a a bunch of basic things about maintaining and working on in a modern pin in a small amount of time. But I wish I could stop learning and just play it for a while with it working operating like it's intended.
I'm no Karl Deangelo, so me getting a new high score is going to take 40+ minutes and a bunch of extra ball. And I wont achieve that if I'm just throwing away a couple of balls away because of my setup. So when I play a ball one and get fucked by a flipper that craps out or a series of half ramps that really should not be half ramps, I restart because I know the kind of time investment it's going to take to hit 4b and I don't want to spend 30m to get 2b. So I end up restarting a lot and then just turning it off because that's tedious and I'm fed up. I'd rather fail because I miss shots and not because the nth time I hit a shot it behaves completely differently independent of how I hit it.
It’s not unusual a new machine needs dialing in but It sounds like your machine needs much more than usual. Once you work through the initial issues a machine tends to be rather stable. You’ll get there and be able to enjoy your machine. The same is true for a used machine, there’s always things that need to be done to get to that stable place. This is the hobby aspect of pinball, it’s not a plug and play type of pastime, but it will get better, hang in there!
You really need to measure with instruments. You need an inclinometer for the pitch (it measures the playfield angle which on most modern machines should be about 6.5 degrees) and a level for the side-to-side. You can use digital versions of these, like an app, or old fashioned analog tools. I prefer analog ones personally as I’ve found apps to not be accurate sometimes especially if you have a phone case or something that can throw it off.
Quoted from PoopsMagee:Can anyone confirm whether or not there’s supposed to be a post sleeve or rubber on this post? Just double checking before I email stern. Thanks!
[quoted image]
I don’t have my Godzilla yet, so I could be wrong, but it’s probably one of these.
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/38-2764
My favorite lighting set up; albeit not the easiest or cheapest
Quoted from DudeRegular:Ya also I was thinking of maybe adding some lighting or tweaking the apron lights tied to the coin door for a small amount of always on light. I will tweak the settings first though.
76436466-2F05-4733-873D-BDD0721F27CD (resized).jpeg930637FA-15B0-4994-8835-89133891C146 (resized).jpegQuoted from BallyKISS1978:I think it looks really good. Tell us how you would do a topper since you think this one sucks. Outside of a Godzilla head like the BKSOR topper, what would you do that would not be redundant or use ANY artwork from the playfield or cabinet? Any use from it would be considered redundant.
Those who can not create art judge art. Just saying.
Someone actually asked for opinions. Then someone gave theirs. And I guess you didn’t like that they did. So weird!
Quoted from VisitorQ:How do you go about adjusting the height of the building entrance? Sometimes my ball sits between the building and where it meets the pf, if that makes sense...
I noticed there’s a procedure for that in the manual.
https://sternpinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Godzilla_LE_Pre_web.pdf
Ditto, I’d like to see a pic.
Quoted from ZoraShinoda:How and where do those switch plates install?
I have a Jurassic Park also so if you give me a general location I can see where they are on Jurassic Park for comparison
Quoted from Returner:Mine had the cables shifted, does the triangle to the left on the apron light up?
They are connected in parallel with this.
Did some trouble shooting and now I am stumped. Here’s some info.
Both arch GIs as well as the light under the plastic triangle in the arch aren’t lighting (never have since I received game). See circled leds in the pic.
These three leds all lead to a molex plug under the apron. Wires are yellow-black and white-black.
They end up at Node 8, CN 15, pins 2 & 6.
Solder points on leds appear sound. Molex seems okay. Molex on node board seems ok. Reseated both molex’s.
The wires going to all three out leds appear to be getting power. Please see pics of multi-meter. My knowledge of multi meter sucks so please correct me if I am reading this incorrect. My assumption is that the meter is telling me there’s power coming through.
1C5CC11F-A9DC-433B-BAC8-666E507AE84E (resized).jpeg5A5BB10A-CB89-4EA3-A40D-1373A37E6E46 (resized).jpeg9BC6EE32-94E4-4C3A-BFC1-ADEF8B35E26B (resized).jpeg5C05F549-D956-497E-8511-5F3F55FE6BBA (resized).jpegD9408CE9-44F0-444E-B19C-7EB384F7329E (resized).jpegA4235E90-515C-4CF5-A98D-D78CA0E4CF94 (resized).jpeg9E46C59C-26A4-42EA-9049-FCBC5F1C7E8F (resized).jpegQuoted from wtatumjr:I'm not familiar with that tester but it appears you need to set meter to DC, not AC.
Thanks all for the tip. Now when measuring DC I am getting about 5.3v from the molex and from all three LEDs. Scratching my head! Could all three led boards be bad?
0433FD17-3641-4759-B94F-1C8EF613932D (resized).jpeg34013F3C-5265-4734-9A25-79344F921776 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from Returner:Is the pins alternated in this Molex?
Hard to tell on the picture, but it looks wrong.[quoted image]
Holy crap, man, eagle eye! That was the problem! Thank you so much. Here’s a pic of the mis-wired molex. I put in a temp fix for now and ordered a new molex.
37E5A05A-EE0A-47F8-95DD-AFEC7B5D1569 (resized).jpeg8F368B3F-9765-44B9-A80C-18C66EC1975C (resized).jpegQuoted from PalmettoPinworks:What is that washer going to do to the plunger and/or coil stop over time? It is not the same size or shape as the coil stop. There is a hole in the center and I wonder as to the hardness of the washer metal vs the plunger and coil stop metal. I'd wager rebuilds will become much more frequent.
I tried the washer but was having an issue when I lifted the pf sometimes the washer went sideways and really stopped the plunger. I thought about glueing it in or something but that seemed like a bad idea. I finally put a couple small bits of thin adhesive felt where the bridge hits the plastic. It’s only been a few days so time will tell. I’m sure it will chip through the felt eventually. Also have those rubber furniture dots I may try.
Quoted from Jimmyhonda:Hello,
I think this issue was addressed before but I cannot find it. When the magnet grabs the ball for DESTRUCTION JACKPOT, the magnet drops the ball and I can barely get my flipper on it. I can hit the shot, but barely. Definitely without any power. My machine is level on the upper side of the playfield and the lower by the flippers. Anybody else have a solution for this? I also tried raiding the right legs and having the machine tilt a little left and not level, but that didn’t work either. Thanks all!
I am having same issue with destruction jackpot and I leveled the game very carefully with a digital level. Here’s a pic of where the ball is dangling just before release. It drops to the right of the flipper such that I can barely catch the ball with the tip of the flipper. Can make the shot occasionally but it’s real tough.
F6DCFF6F-5F3F-402D-8482-914617118CB8 (resized).jpegQuoted from fooflighter:Without the brackets mine moved easily 2 to 3mm to either side when the playfield was down and secure. Nudging or slap saving was enough to jostle it back and forth. They make a huge difference when I added them to mine and lock the playfield in perfectly. No more rattling plunges, and I can hit the skill shot , behind the upper flipper consistently..Without them, the plunger was constantly off center. A friend of mine's Godzilla came with them installed, so I think it was just a QC overlook not installing them on a few runs. I have a key post that shows the location they should be in. $1 part and 5 minute install. Easy
Same, mine is also missing them and there is same play left and right in the playfield position. Interesting to hear that some GZ have them from the factory. I ordered a pair and will be installing. I am guessing it’s best to install them with the playfield down since you can place them exactly where they need to be?
Quoted from Bohdi:Where exactly are these brackets located? Just got my Pro and am curious if mine has them
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/281#post-7088176
Quoted from snaroff:My PF doesn't wiggle at all. On another topic, pretty clear why my shooter is so wonky...pretty miserable alignment from the factory. Dialing in now...
[quoted image]
are you sure? Reach in the coin door, grab the bottom of the pf and pull right. You may see that gap in your photo close and the shooter become aligned.
Quoted from prentice:Sorry to belabor the shooter rod alignment issue, it's just so frustrating to have a totally random launch each time.
My issue seems to be the distance between the rod tip and the fork.
I just took some photos of my Mando, DP, and GZ, and the fork width seems comparable (and therefore not a target to widen).
Clearly the GZ shooter rod is much further back than the other two, especially relative to the auto-plunger, which itself seems to be located properly with respect to the apron.
Can anyone share how to adjust the shooter rod to move it further forward? Or have an idea why mine is so far back?
[quoted image]
One of the first things I noticed on my GZ was how far the shooter tip is from the ball. Based on my past experience I thought right away that is not going to work well. On my best shooting machines, the plunger tip is a gnats ass from the ball or even touching it slightly while at rest. As another post showed, the size of the spring on the outside of the machine largely determines this. They make these springs of varying lengths. Just check Marco or Pinball Life. I have a bunch of springs laying around I will try out. That in combination with adding playfield alignment brackets and aligning shooter rod is what I’m going to work on, I’ll report back.
B3D5F234-C9AA-42D7-A6BF-56A5E335B329 (resized).jpeg
PS - this looks like a good candidate for a shorter outer spring https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/25878
I'm working on improving the ball shooter, it's been rattle-y since I got the game a couple weeks ago and it really bothers me. This builds on prior threads by fooflighter:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/280#post-7087445
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/281#post-7088176
I've done several things from this advice, will share to help others, but also to get pointers moving forward. I have made progress: it shoots much better now, but is still not to my satisfaction.
The first step was stabilizing my playfield, as it would shift by 3-4mm if I pulled on the front of the PF left/right. If that isn't stable, then aligning the shooter rod won't do much good.
There was prior discussion about playfield alignment brackets and that some earlier GZ's had come with them, but newer builds didn't. I emailed Stern support asking why my GZ didn't have them, while others did, and if it needed them. The response: "As for the alignment bracket, the new cabinets are not supposed to need them. I forget the exact date we started using them, do you know when your friend got their game?" Apparently, there were "new cabinets" at some point, and it was on purpose the brackets aren't installed any more.
Although Stern said the new cabinets don't need them, my playfield (build date 8/22) certainly seemed to need them (btw, another owner in this thread said their PF didn't move at all, and they didn't have the brackets - puzzle). So I ordered the brackets:
https://www.pinballlife.com/switch-plate-left.html
https://www.pinballlife.com/switch-plate-right.html
(note, when this part is being used as a playfield alignment bracket, it really shouldn't matter whether you use the "left" or "right" part, but anyway...)
To install these brackets...
With the PF down, I reached my hand through the coin box with a small piece of painters tape and stuck it by feel to where the PF meets the cabinet. This helped determine where to put the brackets.
tape
On each side, I screwed in the brackets so that the top screw was right near the top of the tape. Just used one screw at first in case it was in the wrong position (why make two bad holes instead of just one?)
trial placement
I lowered the PF to test them out. They were in the right spots, but the PF wouldn't lower all the way. So the brackets needed to be flattened a little. I thought about tapping them with a hammer, but didn't wand to damage the cab, so I removed the brackets and flattened each slightly in a vice. Pic shows before and after slight flattening.
before
after
Then I removed the painters tape and put the brackets back and tried again. PF was snug and fit was good. I added the second screw to each bracket. And it looks like this installed.
bracket installed
Now, the result of this was that my PF was rock solid. I could not budge it even 1 mm left or right when pulling on the front of the PF. A nice feeling in itself 
With the PF stabilized, here is what my shooter alignment looked like - too far to the right. Also, quite far away from where the ball will rest.
06 shooter too far right (resized).jpg
Next I loosen the screws on the shooter rod housing and shift it over to the left as far as I could. It barely moved so I just moved it as far as possible and hoped it was far enough.
loosen screws
shooter rod aligned
I could have done a few different things to bring the shooter tip closer to the ball. I had several old barrel springs so I decided to try a shorter barrel spring. (this part may be similar to one I used, but it's hard to tell from the pic: https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/25878)
original and shorter spring
shorter spring installed
(I'm not thrilled having this nasty old spring on my beautiful GZ, but alas...)
So this is how the alignment and position looks now when at rest. Well-aligned and the shooter tip is just a hair from the ball, which seems to work well on other games:
11 final shooter resting place (resized).jpg
The result... overall, the shooting experience is much improved. Before, nearly every manual plunge was a rattle-y shot that didn't cleanly leave the shooter lane. Now, soft plunges and powerful plunges are nearly 100% clean. There is a lot more trouble in medium-strength plunges, though. Somewhere around where you want to be to hit the skill shot. And with those, it's about 50/50 a clean shot verses rattling around.
To me, the effort thus far was worth this result, but still puzzling whether I can actually make it better from here. With some slo mo video of the medium-strength rattle-ly shots, things always go wrong at the short metal ramp near the shooter.
metal ramp (resized).jpg
Before hitting this ramp, the ball is going straight. Then, near the top of this ramp, the ball veers toward the right, hitting the right wall, bouncing toward the left and hitting the metal wall near the scoop.
rattle (resized).jpg
Right now, I am feeling like this metal ramp may be a design problem that I can't reasonably fix. Other games have a slit or graduated channel for the ball which seems work better. When the ball hits that ramp, there's a sudden change in upward direction that causes the ball to go wonky about half the time. At least that's my theory!
If anyone else tries to improve this or has suggestions I am all ears. Also, does anyone's GZ actually shoot great out of the box? I would be curious to know.
PS - game is carefully leveled side-to-side with digital level, and at 6.65 slope. Many have said 6.8 ish is a better slope for GZ and I'll try that sometime soon. Not sure if that will affect this issue any though.
Quoted from Sugar:Plastic lane protectors cover the ramp and help make a smooth transition
Hmm, something like this?
https://cointaker.com/products/pinball-shooter-lane-protector
Quoted from ZoraShinoda:I have the regular blue on my Godzilla except the flippers I have regular Red rubber cuz I don't like the titan flipper rubbers.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Classic yellow & red matches the game well. I might do that when the blacks need changing.
I’ve had GZ premium a couple weeks now. I am curious about everyone’s opinion on what makes a good score. I know this is relative to everyone and different people will say different things. So what’s your three numbers for
1. That was terrible
2. Good game… I held my own
3. Holy shit, that was amazing.
Quoted from bloodonthepins:1. <100M
2. 300M-700M
3. >700M
My highest score so far is 1.1B and the rest of my high scores are between 800M and 1B. If I can get better at the scoop shot I know my game will really unlock.
Thanks for the opinions so far. My 3 numbers are 50m, 250m+, 1b+. I had a fluke amazing game of 2.3b but never have been close to repeating it. Must have ate my Wheeties that morning. I went deep into the game and was just completing modes all over.
Quoted from Jimmyhonda:Is there anyone that can give some insight on this issue? I continue to have the problem. I can barely get the tip of the upper flipper on the ball to hit the destruction jackpot. I can get it, but barely and rarely. My game is perfectly level on the playfield surface and I’ve tried a pitch of 6.5-7. Is it possible to adjust where the magnet releases the ball? Like further left?
Thanks all.
I raised the pitch from 6.65 to 6.8 and it improved the destruction jackpot shot. Ball now lands about 75% down the flipper rather than 90% down as before. Also very carefully leveled side to side.
PS - I looked for a setting re: the magnet but found none
I’ve had her a couple weeks, but now that she is set up and dialed in, I’d like to introduce you to Godzilla Premium born August 2, 2022. With added shaker, invisiglass, stern art blades, upgraded backbox speakers + external sub, & pinnovators headphone jack. She’s dreamy!
6084DF22-1F24-4BE1-A8B5-10AE63E0D3D0 (resized).jpegFAE3DE12-0134-41D6-AC50-92EB93681DE2 (resized).jpeg71D4B5E8-E787-4343-8B20-D95B31787EC1 (resized).jpegD062345D-0822-4268-93F6-7FA28F28670A (resized).jpeg8A010AF5-DA64-4133-AD62-E21C401E2164 (resized).jpegQuoted from Loganpinball:My logic question is directed at the games reading of switches. Meaning does the game need to see ramp entrance shot made followed by the lane switch at the end of that ramp. If it does that would be the only reason I would switch the two lane switches at the bottom(wiring). If it only needs to see ramp entrace shot made then it is fine. Thats all nothing more. The premiums alternate the ball drops with the building, that is also why I thought it might only use the made switches. Hopefully that explains what I was asking. In the end all I am doing is modding my own machines look for myself as that is something I enjoy doing.
Inverting the switches will only add to the confusion. For example the jet fighter advances, rage combo, light magma grab will be backwards. I admire your metalwork skills. The bridge looks really cool. But by reversing the ramp flow you’ve really compromised the gameplay. The whole game is designed with a certain flow and that’s all out the window now. It’s a huuuuge change with more consequences than I can fathom on a few minutes. Naturally you can do as you wish it’s just that I’m not sure you grasp what you’ve done to gameplay.
Quoted from jkashani:Which backbox speakers did you upgrade to?
Kicker CSC5 5.25” with 5.25” speaker panels from Pinball Life.
Quoted from smokinhos:Any setting changes needed or straight hook up? Thanks!
If you check out the DIY sound thread there is hours of reading and lots of opinions! Being that I kept the stock cabinet speaker and am using a 10” external Polk sub, I found this to sound best: switch to 10-band EQ under utilities> volume, see pic for backbox eq settings. Subwoofer 25% volume with low pass filter set to 125. Cabinet speaker I turned down completely by setting fade to 30 in volume settings. I tried many eq and fade setting but that cab speaker just seemed to muddy up the sound no matter what I tried! I find that between the better speakers and sub all ranges are covered well. It sounds very crisp with a nice boom on the low end. The music especially sounds fantastic.
A few pics. Side by side is with stock speakers.
06E4EBFD-1C6C-4D00-9FCA-3688CE549F30 (resized).jpeg
2C69D1A6-8CA3-44C3-8DD1-9005667F33CD (resized).jpeg0EFD0CF4-2EDF-4C8F-A893-65D5C29B1DF3 (resized).jpegQuoted from thebosson:jackd104 Thank you for the info. Super helpful. Can you tell me how you connected your external sub? I have mine connected to the existing cab speaker, but if I turn that down, it will impact my external.
I’m using this from Pinnovators.
Or if you get the headphone kit it comes with the sub out Jack.
Quoted from Sarge:Is it FLAT at least? Or bumpy and orange peeled? Is there any recourse? Have you contacted a distributor or Stern direct?
Mine is flat and shiny but seems awfully thin. I can feel the textures of the printed art through the clear. That doesn’t seem good to me.
Quoted from Tomass:Interesting. Anyone I know would ask why the wires are all hacked and would reconsider a full price offer. Most issues I fix when restoring games stem from someone's prior work and hacked wires and connectors. I have not had to fix an untouched wire unless it has been pinched.
Offer less because two wires are spliced. Try it and let me know what happens.
Quoted from Sarge:Is it FLAT at least? Or bumpy and orange peeled? Is there any recourse? Have you contacted a distributor or Stern direct?
After I took a closer look, my clear coat is also “orange peeled”. By comparison, I have a JJP Wonka next to GZ. Looking at the reflection of my overhead spot lighting in that playfield, it’s a mirror like surface and I can clearly see the light fixture and it’s details. On the GZ playfield, the reflection of the same fixture is a round blob and there is a bumpy, orange peely pattern visible. Not sure if this is normal or typical for modern Sterns. Also not sure if it matters in a functional sense. Any insight or comparisons appreciated.
Pics aren’t super clear compared to what I’m seeing with my eye, but it can give you an idea.
5EC16C6E-EC5F-4DED-A0B5-A0FFF2D15730 (resized).jpeg8A912057-99DB-45D8-AE94-A19C1DFC4B0D (resized).jpegI noticed my right flipper came from the factory adjusted a little low. Not pointing directly at the dot. I’m not sure I want to “fix” it since the maser cannon shot is damn tough as it is. I was wondering if perhaps they did this as a late design decision. But then again, It’s probably a fantasy to think that the people on the factory floor are so fastidious. What say you, to adjust or not to adjust?
Quoted from bloodonthepins:I adjusted mine this week and my game shoots a lot better. Just a thought though, wouldn't the maser shot actually be easier with the flipper a little lower like this?
Yes, it does make the maser cannon shot easier. I was saying if I fix it the shot will be harder and it seems hard enough already! Also thanks foo for the input.
Quoted from TeaHaus:Hello from Canada fellow Godzilla pinball fans! I got my Pro (July 12/22 build-date) a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying it immensley. I have noticed one quirk, maybe others have explained but I'm still reading through this long thread and haven't come upon any mention of the ball getting magnatized and doing weird things at the flippers and getting stuck on the in-lane switches. Is this normal with a game with a magnet? Whenever a ball gets stuck on the switch, it just takes a small nudge to free it. It is literally sticking to the metal switch.
What type of balls are you using? Ones that came with game or others? Chrome type can become magnetized. Carbon steel don’t.
Quoted from TeaHaus:Just the stock ones that came with the game.
Well I am puzzled. I would try replacing them and see what happens. Many people recommend to replace the stock balls anyhow. For use with magnets you want something like this
https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=57&product_id=69
Quoted from A_J_B:Realized my right one is a little off as well. How do you adjust the flipper lie?
I just adjusted mine this afternoon. Here is a decent guide:
https://www.gameroomguys.com/grg-site/how-to-docs/How-to-Pinball-Adjusting-Stern-Crank-Arm.pdf
The Allen bolt on mine was tight as all hell from the factory. I had to use an Allen wrench and get additional torque with pliers twisting the wrench. The right flipper was more difficult due to the trough and a wire harness being in the way. If you don’t tighten enough after the adjustment the bat will drift. You have to tighten the hell out of it. I have not done this on a modern stern, only classic Williams/Bally, and there’s a part that hits the EOS switch that threw me off. It rotates independently and I got it twisted wrong at one point. I’ll gladly hear any tips for modern stern for next time.
Fwiw I find the game plays better after I adjusted the flippers. It turned out my left was a little low as well, but not as much as the right. The flippers still have a droop when aligned to the dot, but less severe than they were. I found it make cradling a little easier as well as the left ramp shot.
On another note, when I got the game I pumped up the strength of upper left flipper. After reading a post by Elwin I put it back to default and consecutive loops are easier now. It is toned down on purpose for that reason. This is my first Elwin game and I’m starting to get how detail-oriented he is. It seems not much is left to chance.
Quoted from JayLar:The slingshots on my new Premium have started to autofire without the ball being close. Any suggestions?
Did you check the switch gaps? If too small maybe vibrations are triggering.
My stern kit came with instructions that included installing the ferrites so I did it because I follow instructions. I assume there is a reason to cut down emf emissions from the wire. Exactly why I am not sure, sorry. I know my ms Pac-Man/Galaga cocktail table has similar ferrites in several spots.
Quoted from emk101:Has anyone noticed that if you're in a mode and satisfy bridge attack multiball you arent getting it?
Dropped the bridge
Battling Gigan i know that.
I hit the ramp and it dropped my ball off the bridge but didn't start bridge attack multiball.
I might have also been in jetfighter.
After gigan ended i hit the ramp shot again and nothing happened. Its like the game forgot it owed me the multiball.
Godzilla premium and most recent code
Sounds like a bug.
Quoted from fooflighter:Not sure I understand, I just checked 4 of my goto distros and they all have the Premium for MSRP, free shipping, and free tax depending on your location...granted you have to wait for production, or are you talking about in stock, right now? I would just put the order in and wait, I've never paid over MSRP for a pin
I bought a Gz premium in stock for $8899 three weeks ago. It wasn’t easy to find but I did it. Also in the club that refuses to play over MSRP for a game in production.
I've noticed flipper passing (aka post pass) on GZ is much different than other games in my collection. The slings seem further up and set back from the flippers. I've been working on it, and it's still possible, but the timing and technique sure is different, and, at least so far, I'm not able to do it nearly as consistently. I haven't played much of Elwin's other games, so is this an Elwin thing or what? Anyone else notice same?
Quoted from teppinball:Nice topper, I think I've seen that one before
[quoted image][quoted image]
Custom made topper? It's probably my favorite I have seen for this game, and I'm not a topper person. It looks like it belongs with the game. Also, are those the Mezelmods flipper toppers?
Thx...
Time to play Where’s Waldo? Anyone notice that Elwin is on the gz premium back glass? I don’t know about the other versions. Probably same.
Quoted from jetmechinnc:Officially in the club!!!! I’ve had my premium on order since January with no delivery in site per the distributor.
My friend had an LE since new, but needed to make room for his upcoming 007 LE so sold me his! Wow. What a beautiful pin. I loved the game play the first time I tried it, now that I own it, it’s never leaving!
[quoted image]
His loss, your gain. Bond looks promising but getting rid of GZ LE? I raise my eyebrow to that.
Quoted from ZoraShinoda:Not that it's an easier shot, but the Manila shot will also diffuse the oxygen destroyer
The loop? No shit, didn’t know that.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Have you guys adjusted the ball guide near the magnet? Pushing that in tight slightly widens the shot path to that left ramp, and it DRAMATICALLY increases successful shots. It’s a single nut under the playfield that has to be loosened: lift playfield, loosen nut slightly, push the ball guide in tight, tighten nut. Single best adjustment for this game, bar none. You can do it by yourself, takes 5 minutes.
Thanks for the tip. I just did this. Haven’t played yet but clearly I widened the left ramp shot by a couple of mm (which is significant in pinball!)
Here’s a pic of the nut to loosen and what my balls guides look like after adjustment. Just loosen the nut, then press on the front of the ball guide in toward the magnet as you tighten. You can do the same to the nearby wallop shot using the nut up and to the right. Basically these are the two ball guides to the left and right of the magma grab
3A58BF59-1FF9-47E8-9433-A8DE6A2B4436 (resized).jpeg12E484C5-BCFF-4DB1-8976-AEA441406018 (resized).jpeg6B2122BF-2344-4CA5-BA68-CC72501F2F22 (resized).jpegQuoted from Rdoyle1978:Report back after you play a few games! The left ramp should be a lot more flowy. I even hit it by ACCIDENT sometimes.
Just tried it out and had a very good game, 2.3B. I was playing well today so I don’t attribute it entirely to the adjustment. But the shot did feel more open and the game flowed better. Cheers.
Quoted from purbeast:A properly leveled game is supposed to drain stdm on Godzilla multiball. If it's not doing that, then your game isn't properly leveled.
Again, Elwin himself has said, in this thread, it is supposed to do that.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/128#post-6718166
I heard him say in this interview that the balls should hit the tip of left flipper if you hold it up when the balls drop down. He has also said level the game left-to-right putting your level in front of the building. I have done this very carefully with a digital level and my game behaves exactly like this. If I hold the left flipper up, most of the time no balls drain. Rarely one ball drains. Never seen 2 or more drain.
Start at time 35:05
Quoted from Sorokyl:Is this really necessary? I just pulled on my leaf a little and good to go
It’s not necessary but one of those tools that’s just right for the job. It’s most helpful when you are really fine tuning a switch like a target you want to register easily or EOS switches to move them to give the flipper mech as little resistance as possible but still work. For gross adjustments I use fingers sometimes, even bend the switch bracket a little when to move the gap in or out.
Quoted from ZoraShinoda:Anyone have issues with City Combos? Example in Tokyo, Center Spinner->Pop bumper seems to only register 20% of the time, Right Ramp->Through Building -> Loop I can't get to register.
Center Spinner ->Big Loop ->Mecha Side Lane is consistently awarded.
I tried the Tokyo ones with the glass off to test/verify.
London - Left Ramp->Captive Ball I can't seem to get to register.
Other London Combos work.
I was also practicing these. For Tokyo center spinner to pop bumper, it’s on Premium/LE only and the building has to be in lock position. And it’s arbitrary. Like, you can still hit the combo if it is not, but you won’t get credit. I find this unsatisfactory and arbitrary.
After having GZ in the house for 5 weeks, my 12 year old just got to Planet X with 5.4B. Happy for him but damn I am never going to match that!
I’m glad to hear that random guy with an east coast accent (is it NY or Philly?) seems to have a reduced role in callouts in v1.0. I guess he’s supposed to be the American guy from the Xiliens movie but, even so, I never understood the rhyme or reason to why he has certain call outs vs. the reporter guy. At first I was wondering why Danny DeVito was in my Godzilla game.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Actually it’s after Planet X, terror, and monster zero.
So you can get to power up 11 , but not have it ready yet. Make sure you’ve done Planet X too.
If you pass power up 11 and haven’t met the requirements for KOTM, what happens? Are you SOL?
Quoted from scootss:Damn...haven't played many games on 1.0 yet but I don't think I heard a "shoot the wamps!" Is it gone?
Flipside...damn I love the "we're going back in time to ball 1"
I heard the wamps call out in 1.0. Fear not.
Quoted from medeski7:Considering joining the club and really trying to avoid the price increase on a premium and get in at MSRP. Anyone got any hot tips on how I can do that?
Start calling all Stern distributors in the US and hope you get lucky. It worked for me but granted that was August after a fresh run.
Quoted from mrossman5:Did anyone find the Terror of Mechagodzilla values are much higher with the new code? Just scored over 700 million when before I could only score 300 million.
My kid felt the same. He thought they changed something. He got over 1b!
Quoted from tedwasright:I'm thinking about making a couple of adjustments and I'm curious if anyone else has done either. I have very few complaints about this game and we all enjoy it very much. Here are the adjustments:
1- I'm thinking of moving the posts on each side down to close the outlines more. We don't play to be champions or even play I. Tournaments. So it's not going to affect any 'real' skill or games.
2- I'm thinking of turning on the setting that allows that Kaiju battle to continue of the ball drains.
Like I said, we don't play tournaments or try to be expert player, just want to have more fun. So I am curious how many other people made those or similar adjustments.
I did 1 and no regrets. Still
get more than enough drains. Didn’t know about 2, sounds interesting. Do what’s fun for you.
Quoted from bloodonthepins:Anyone have juiced up spinners on Godzilla? If so, what kind of lube or oil do you use?
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Lube-51010-Oil/dp/B000BXOGHY/ref=mp_s_a_1_8
Quoted from mrossman5:Did anyone find the Terror of Mechagodzilla values are much higher with the new code? Just scored over 700 million when before I could only score 300 million.
Saw my kid playing a game and the spinner values were 1.2m during terror. He was ripping spinners and getting so many points. Could this be what changed?
Quoted from Tomass:Consistently takes 2 average hits to the center spinner or 1 really good one with ball momentum prior to flipping
Same here. With lubed spinners. 1-2 hits on the center. And usually 1 on the left and right. So you say a dozen hits, there is something way off about that. How many times does your center spinner rotate when you nail it?
Quoted from Farmboss:Is there a way to turn off the BOC song? I told my wife that I was considering Godzilla for a new game and she made a face and asked if it played "That" song? Personally I am huge BOC fan but I would have to admit that I am a bit tired of it as well.
Plus 1
I am probably in the minority, I have a general philosophy to respect the design team’s choices and don’t do many mods or especially anything like Pinstadium. If I were a playfield artist who sweated over color choices, saturations, contrasts, and what it all looked like under the intended lighting for 2 years of my life, pinstadiums would probably break my spirit. It’s probably because I am a product designer myself, and I am at peace with the fact others likely do not share my philosophy. For extra lighting I prefer dimmable overhead spots with halogen incandescents. Understandably, not everyone will go to these measures or has the setup or the room or the will or desire.
Quoted from DaveH:You probably shouldn't go into playfield art. If you think a bit of extra light on the subject would break your spirit, you should hear the things people say to pinball artists.
Hmm. To say it more simply, I want the playfield to look like the artist and designer intended. If you don’t feel
The same way, I don’t care. Not sure what drew out your snark. Good day.
Quoted from arrbee:Unfortunately it doesn't look like this is the cause.
The left (problem) flipper is making a full stroke but still coming up short...
On the right I have the pawl brushing off one of the bolt heads of the bushing but only on the return stroke. I havent noticed it in play but can see it when the playfield is raised. Is there a well known solution to this one?
I am worried that adjusting the flipper bat so that the EoS position is correct will result in the starting position being incorrect!
next thing I will look at is the coil stop but if there are any other suggestions I'd be grateful.
Cheers
It's weird that the left and right coils are different - but this in the manual...
Looking at the pic in your original post, it looks like the left flipper isn’t aligned to the dimple on the playfield. Looks a little low. The dimples should be aligned with the dead center of the tips of both flippers. On many machines they are a little off coming from the factory.
About the bolt, the arm should not be touching them. If you loosen the prawl you can adjust things to clear the bolt. I forget precisely how, but when I was realigning my flippers I made a mistake and had this problem but then I loosened it and was able to adjust and fix it.
Quoted from J-Freeze:What in tarnation are you on about?
JP rushed? How so?
If anything I have heard Keith in an interview grumble that AIQ was a rushed project.
Quoted from arrbee:So, has anyone noticed sound distortion from the speakers?
I've a pro model so not sure if it's particular to that or not....
It seems a bit intermittent but happens with certain frequencies would be my guess as when it does happen it's in the same places. Like totalling up the bonuses or starting GZ multiball. It's not the sound of crackling flames (which is also during the bonus screen).
I've made sure to set the cabinet speaker to 4ohm (factory set incorrectly at 8ohm).
I know the speakers are probably rubbish, but it almost sounds like an amplification issue rather than speaker flapping.
Any experience something similar? did you resolve it?
The stock speakers are rubbish. Check out the diy audio thread. You can go nuts but simply replacing the backbox speakers with something like Kickers CS4 is a low effort high impact improvement. That said, the start of Gz multiball is a sonic nightmare and sounds like a mess in general.
Quoted from mtp78:Just found a premium at current pricing...What are the have to mods to install ???
You’ll get a different answer from everyone. Mine is shaker motor, invisiglass, speaker upgrade. I don’t like playfield mods generally. But many people like to put doo dads all
Over it.
Edit: I do like the stern art blades, too, since they match the game well
Quoted from fooflighter:Set to 8 for both cab and backbox. There is some wonkery going on at 4 in the DSP menu setting IMHO (not really selecting a specific ohm but limiting the volume) which lowers the soundstage. Unless your turning your volume all the way up with 4ohm speakers, you're not going to do any heat damage to the amp. 8 Sounds better to me and I'll rarely get past 16 on the volume and that's plenty loud with an external sub hooked up
You're basically just restricting power at 4 ohm setting necessitating a much higher volume setting ...the 8ohm setting drives the speakers to (my ear) proper levels and you can ge away with lower volume settings and a much brighter, crisper soundstage
Even the Pinwoofer and DIY amps mostly have you set the Ohm''s to 8 and forget it
If I remember right, davegauth in the diy audio thread figured out that the ohm setting is little more than a gain. Aka volume. So 8 ohm will put out more volume than 4 to the speakers.
Quoted from mark532011:After 2 days of play i can say that there are some really frustrating parts of the game.
The auto-shooter is awful. Quite literally 9 times out of 10 it shoots up to the magnagrab thing and then goes down the middle. It’s usually on the 3rd or 4th free ball that we finally get to play. We have switched to using the manual shooter even though it is not very strong
Same for the building multiball. Every single time -every time! All the balls roll straight down the middle, its just comical and then we have to wait for them to be shot out again so we can start shooting.
Try lowering power of the auto plunger. On the building sdtm if the game is leveled properly the balls should go to the tip of the left flipper if you hold the flipper up when they drop. Level carefully to 0 side to side with your level placed in front of the building. And 6.8 to 7 pitch wise.
Quoted from JakeFAttie:I know the premium is more popular, but reading this thread it just seems those cool toys (the bridge and the building) cause more problems then they are worth. Personally I prefer the uncluttered playfield of the pro, and the peace-of-mind of less moving parts. And the cost of course. Counterarguments? Do those toys really change the gameplay that much?
The way the building changes the flow of the ramps depending on it’s position is the most compelling aspect of the premium for me. And the rules/modes dovetail with it purposely in different ways. I haven’t had any issue with the mechs.
Quoted from JakeFAttie:Hard to say, definitely activates a lot less (but often still), and maybe a little softer? I just like it on the lowest setting so it seems more special when it happens. I started at the max and it was basically shaking all the time.
It changes the intensity. Still shakes just as often.
Quoted from JakeFAttie:Which do you find the hardest shot in the game? For me it's the scoop. sometimes I'm able to get it in randomly from the upper flipper, but shooting from the bottom left flipper tip is more luck than skill for me. Any secrets?
For me, hardest in order starting with most difficult:
Tailwhip
Wallop
Left spinner
Scoop
Not to say scoop is easy. Gives me less trouble than those others for some reason.
Quoted from Green-Machine:Is the shooter lane delivering inconsistencies for everyone?
It seems to be a common problem. Mine shot terrible. I did as much adjustments as I could and it is much better, but still get rattled shots a good deal of the time. I think it is inherent to the design with the slanted metal ramp drop off leaving the shooter. Things I did included adding playfield stabilizer brackets, centering the shooter housing, and putting in a shorter barrel spring on the outside to bring plunger tip closer to the ball.
Quoted from bloodonthepins:- Godzilla Multiball - 7 music tracks are available to use with this mode, including 5 new tracks that have not been used before
Praise the lord! Lord Elwin, that is.
Quoted from Caponicus:Is it the large bolt under the magnet or the smaller one below? I have tried both and never got much give on the guide
It’s the one I’m pointing at. Loosen, then while pulling the guide toward the magnet, tighten. Should look like second pic when done.
614956DF-D7A0-4DEC-9CBA-CEF98697BEC1 (resized).jpegC10CB0D2-D817-4D5F-B297-A40A2E46BDFC (resized).jpegQuoted from ABE_FLIPS:SHOOTER LANE FIX:
After trying alot of different things i found a solution for my game.
It doesn't look nice yet, but it works very well.
The main problem is, when the ball hugs the right side after the shooter lane exit.
When it drops down it touches the right ballguide on the top and bounces over to the left side and gets cought there.
I made a plastic guide and attached it with a double side 3M tape above the metal guide, so the ball cant bounce off it.
The guide has to be as thick as the metal guide to make the transition seamless.
Its important to start with the plastic guide right at the start of the shooter lane, so the ball won't get caught.
If that fix will get famous like my AIQ fix on the Captain Marvel Ramp I invented,
please give me credit by calling it "ABE FLIPS SHOOTER LANE FIX"
Let me know if it works out for you guys.
[quoted image]
FIX
[quoted image][quoted image]
Looks promising. I will try it. Maybe a black, opaque plastic will blend in more. Now to try to find something like that.
Quoted from ABE_FLIPS:SHOOTER LANE FIX:
After trying alot of different things i found a solution for my game.
It doesn't look nice yet, but it works very well.
The main problem is, when the ball hugs the right side after the shooter lane exit.
When it drops down it touches the right ballguide on the top and bounces over to the left side and gets cought there.
I made a plastic guide and attached it with a double side 3M tape above the metal guide, so the ball cant bounce off it.
The guide has to be as thick as the metal guide to make the transition seamless.
Its important to start with the plastic guide right at the start of the shooter lane, so the ball won't get caught.
If that fix will get famous like my AIQ fix on the Captain Marvel Ramp I invented,
please give me credit by calling it "ABE FLIPS SHOOTER LANE FIX"
Let me know if it works out for you guys.
[quoted image]
FIX
[quoted image][quoted image]
Wow, it works! I used some black adhesive felt (like you get at any craft store). It was too thin but I doubled it up by sticking two strips on top of each other. It was easy to work with and cut to right sizes and is nearly invisible at the player’s position. I’m not sure it would hold up on location but in home use it’s probably fine.
I had prior installed pf stabilizing brackets and made other adjustments which helped but still got a lot
of rattled shots and then this clearly made the real difference. Thank you, this has been driving me nuts! Here’s some pics.
6BABC7B5-B7AF-4845-A196-4B7B5ED4C731 (resized).jpeg92498097-EEC4-4662-A1FC-34387625C30D (resized).jpegB306D8A1-B53A-4DD1-8EE9-58EC0462A2EC (resized).jpeg
Quoted from ABE_FLIPS:Nice to hear that i works! However, i think thats not a good idea because of all the hair is coming off. I already see it on you image.
Gotta find something else.
Gonna try this. Not quite thick enough but some thin double sided tape Might add the needed remainder.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08RXH4D52
Just had a mediocre game, but I did complete rage combo for the first time. I had a crazy zen moment and it all flowed so perfectly! Can’t believe I got the tailwhip at the end.
Quoted from purbeast:Definitely update after you give that a go. I’d love to have this fixed pretty much 2/3 auto plunge balls on multiball for me mess up and I’ve already lowered the power on it.
Good result with the sheet of black ABS.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B429DZ7H
Was able to cut it with heavy duty scissors. Applied with thin 2 sided tape. The finish is a good match.
0F9D5314-40B4-4672-8B03-7B5F4DAA29F5 (resized).jpegF5CBFD5F-4107-47B9-AE32-1CCD39C8A0E8 (resized).jpegAB654A76-069B-457D-9A37-1E846E4DDE74 (resized).jpegA69B2B5E-ABAC-4ACD-8FFE-35CB337CCDB8 (resized).jpegQuoted from fooflighter:Those adding plastic to their shooter lane, Question:
Do you have switch plates installed in your cabinet to keep your playfield centered (and more importantly the shooter rod on the ball in the lane prior to launch) like most Sterns before it?
I found that mine were missing, and once added, they aligned my playfield perfectly with the shooter lane and I don't have any issue with the skill shot.
See the pics here, you can see my Deadpool clearly has the switchplates where Zilla doesn't - I circled what I'm referring to:[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Answer: yes. I installed the playfield alignment brackets among other adjustments to try to fix all the rattled shots I was getting. It helped reduce rattled shots but I was still getting them too often. Doing the Abe fix really fixed it the rest of the way. It shoots straight and smooth reliably now, like I would expect of any of my machines
Also I had lowered the auto plunger strength and it happens to be dialed in to make the skill shot. So it’s like “press the button for skill shot”. Kind of cheesy, but goes to show how consistently the shooter functions now.
Quoted from purbeast:Does it just BARELY hit the tip of the left flipper? Or does it hit it flush and bounce over to the right flipper and stay in play?
Level your game and find out. If you hold up the flipper, It hits the tip and deflects the balls back, some of them go to the left flipper, some to the right. It’s enough to give you a handle on the balls. Rarely do any drain when I play. It happens occasionally
Shooter lane fix is all the rage! Ok here is a paranoid question. Made my own fix and adhered with a pretty darn strong double sided foam tape. Possible this will pull up finish on the black rail someday if it is removed? That finish seems to be heavy duty so I didn’t think so. But maybe others know more about the manufacture of that piece than I.
Quoted from purbeast:If I recall, based on posts at the time dealing with the flaky plunging in this game (that ABE_FLIPS has figured out the fix for), none of the July builds had the centering parts. It seems like it was an intentional thing at the time since none of them had it, mine included.
Mine build date aug 02 didn’t have them. I asked Stern support and they said the “new cabinets” should not need them. Whatever that means. I think they were BSing me. Because my PF would shift a few mm in either direction. I bought some and installed them as part of my multi-pronged effort to get the pinball game to simply shoot straight. Abe’s fix was the final tweak that made it great. That is to say, just shoot straight like any game should.
On the keychain things, that’s a protective film. Just peel it off and you will have a nice and shiny plastic. No idea about mechaGodzilla thing.
Quoted from EZ-Rhino:So I'm installing the Stern Authorized Shaker Motor which comes with the ferrites. I'm anal and while the install instructions want you to tap another two holes in the rear of the cross-brace inside the cabinet I don't want to do that just to hold these stupid ferrites in place (currently each would be zip-tied and screwed into the cross-brace). Instead, I found zip ties with 3M adhesive backing on Amazon (amazon.com link ») and want to go that route. Anyone have experience using these inside a pin cabinet? I doubt the inside cabinet temp. would ever get high enough to melt the adhesive or cause other issues but anyone have thoughts? Stern should have tapped a couple of extra holes in the cross-brace for this so folks wouldn't have to "mess up" their cabinets with extra holes... Appreciate any insight.
I was also reluctant to screw into the cross bar but I did it anyway. I figure that’s what the would do at the factory for an LE that comes with the shaker. I use those cable management clips in other things in my home and they hold up okay. They are apt to come off over time but you could just put on a fresh one. Might as well try it.
Quoted from Bohdi:What is THEE best level to level a pin? And within a reasonable price. I only have 3 pins and this title is the only one I've ever owned that has to really be dialed in. Thx in advance...
Gee, don’t know if it’s THE best, but this one has served me well for leveling GZ.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08PBLWHR4
I used to use old fashioned levels and when going to digital you can go nuts because they are so precise. It sometimes seems to keep changing but really each time you place it down or move it, it’s at a slightly different angle even if it looks perpendicular to the pf to the eye. I found I needed to lay a ruler across the side rails, make sure the edges were 90 degrees and straight, then close one eye and use that as a guide while placing the level on pf. This is for side to side leveling I mean. Others have devised other ways. But GZ is so touchy I think you need to do something along these lines.
Quoted from mtp78:So I got my game on Halloween and really haven't played it since the diagnostic buttons are broken. Curious to what you guys think of this. I was told by my dist. I was getting a freshly made game from the Oct run. I receive the game and the box is kind of dirty and I check the production sticker and it's June 2022 and has code .97 loaded.
I thought it was weird cause my dist. texts me saying he just got a message from Stern , its coming off the line and I will be getting it shipped directly from them . He sent me the shipping slip and that is correct. Game looks fine out of the box, Just seemed weird to me and my Dist. seems stumped too...Any thoughts?
I wouldn’t be concerned about the build date as long as it was nib and in expected condition. Too bad about the coin door buttons tho. Can work with distributor or just buy the pinball life part for a fast resolution.
Welp, every minutia is discussed around here, so... after getting real familiar with my GZ over the past couple months of ownership, I finally got around to noticing that the slingshots came from the factory with hair-trigger switch adjustment. That is, trigger switches were a gnat's ass from touching so if the ball so much as breezed by it would trigger. Most switches, you want them to be easily triggered, but the slings are crucial to ball control. I found the default adjustment a bit unreasonable in they would send the ball flying around at the slightest touch. I adjusted to add a little more gap, still in the realm of "fair and reasonable" as far as I am concerned, and it increased the fun of the game a lot for me, in the sense it increase ball control quite a bit. Curious how others' sling switches came from the factory and if you have farted around with this.
PS - they were like < 1mm and now they are probably ~2mm. this with the sling rubber on.
Quoted from Azmodeus:I meant to ask, does anyone get a strange film on the balls?
The playfield is perfect, but the balls gets a weird residue on them. You clean it, it comes back. It does not affect gameplay. Just wondering if this is unique to game or something others have experienced.
There is no residue on the playfield but it must be coming from somewhere.
Tia.
I have not seen residue on my balls. Nor on my pinballs in Godzilla! Maybe a pic will help identify it.
Quoted from medeski7:Is hitting the right ramp from upper flipper shot supposed to be hard? I just got my game and have only a handful of plays. That shot only rarely makes it.
That is not an intended shot. If it ever makes it, consider it a fluke.
Quoted from J-drum11:Hey everyone, I ordered a Godzilla premium sight unseen 9 months ago because , where it was in the top 100 and was hard to get one and my distributor told me it’s finally in.
Is this game really that good?
I’ve owned kiss le, metallica prem and now own a Rush LE.
I’m asking because, I’m never followed Godzilla.am I still going to like this one?The mods look great for the machine though.
I guess I’m second guessing my purchase here. Thank you for any input
Theme aside, If you like the idea of being a giant monster destroying a city in a pinball game and a near perfectly designed playfield and highly polished deep code that work together to create amazing gameplay plus great video integration, music and sound effects and gorgeous art: then yes.
The best way to watch most Godzilla movies: fast forward all the boring parts where the token guy and girl love story is taking place and watch the kaiju action and ridiculous explosions galore. The stories are so simple you won’t miss
Any thing.
Except for the original b&w movie which is worth a complete watch.
Quoted from Drain-O:I'm really considering doing a little do-it-yourself upgrade on the speakers in my cabinet.. But I'm also a total novice... So, two quick questions, what type of wires do I need to buy to attach to the speakers, and what do you call the white plastic thing that the wires are going into that connects to the other white plastic thing, and where do I get those? Sorry for being so new to this stuff -- I'm perfectly capable of doing all the work, just don't know what anything is called.
If you buy replacement speakers you don’t need new wires or molex connectors. Just unsolder the existing ones and solder them on to the new speakers.
Quoted from J-drum11:The button on my lock down bar works but I almost have to lean my weight into it.
Anyone know any quick fixes?
The button presses on a small leaf switch. If it’s not seated just so this can happen. Take the bar off and as you are putting it back take care that the little nub on the bottom of the button is resting nicely on the top of the leaf switch.
Quoted from BrokenChair:Alright thank you so much this helps a lot If anyone recommend any more tips to secure a Godzilla please chime In
Not sure where you are located. Check smaller distributors. Go to distributor list on Stern’s website. Call all of them. Make it known what you are looking for and you are a ready buyer.
Do not pay above MSRP. Gz will be available for some time yet. You will find one from a fair dealer for MSRP. When I was hunting I found one above MSRP. That distro can pound sand and I will not be going back there. A few days later I found one at MSRP. I will be a return customer.
Pro vs premium only you can answer. You say the price difference matters a lot to you so I think that is your answer (pro). If price was no
Object I would say premium but since it is get the pro. It’s a great game and you won’t be disappointed with the pro.
Quoted from tedwasright:Can someone tell me how to turn TILT on? I don't seem to be able to tilt at all. No warnings either, set to two. The bob is set at medium.
Hmm. Should be on by default. Go into switch test in diagnostics and see if the tilt switch registers when you touch the bob to the metal hoop.
Quoted from Scotty_K:Hi all.
As I reported this past Wednesday, I am the proud new owner of a new GZPre. After having time on it now, I must say that everything that everyone is saying about how great this machine is is totally true. I'm really enjoying the layout and flow, the code; my goodness, so many things to shoot for. I know I'm only scratching the surface at this point, with so many things left for me to discover, that I don't see myself getting bored with this any time soon. It certainly deserves all of the accolades it has been getting.
As an avid reader of this thread, I made sure that before I made any kind of extensive play that I took care of a few things before hand, most notably the issue with the bridge. I saw that after only the first two plays that the plastic below was already being affected, so I put the washers in the coil and that took care of that. I figured that while I was at it that now would be a good time to perhaps switch out the notorious stock coil stops (which I have done with my other Sterns), but when I looked at them, I saw this:
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Notice the small red dots that have been painted on them. I'm certain that they mean something, although what I'm not at all certain. Could it be that maybe they have finally addressed the subpar stops that they have used in the past and put in new ones, or maybe these are the old ones that they are giving a "scarlet letter" in case something goes wrong?
I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this on their GZ (or any other recent Stern, for that matter)? Or maybe does anyone know what the red dot might mean?
(BTW, this is a November 3, 2022 build)
Just curious...
August 02 build and there were no dots on the coil stops.
Quoted from Paseb:new owner here, first NIB! getting the pin during lunch time today.
already ordered
-stern art blades
-stern shaker
-lermods shooter lane fix
-hurry up multi-ball sdtm
-doug speaker light kit flame/building
what's next !?!
Anti-reflective glass (whatever brand) and speaker upgrade. And new coil stops.
Check diy sound thread. You can do some easy/cheap things like just replace backbox speakers with $30 speakers to make a big difference. And goes up from there
Imo the stdm fix isn’t necessary if you level your game carefully. Plenty of discussion earlier in thread about this. But it’s up to you.
Enjoy!
Quoted from dboeren:I have the rattley plunger issue and I've already added the 3d printed ABE Flips piece but it's still rattley. What else should I do?
Here is everything I had to do
Install pf stabilizing brackets (my game came without them and the back and forth play in the playfield meant the shooter rod could not be consistently centered on the ball).
Adjust the shooter rod housing to center plunger on ball horizontal/vertically.
Replace outer spring with a shorter spring so plunger tip is closer to ball.
Abe fix was the icing on cake that made it very consistent. Although I made my own it was based on Abe’s findings.
If you search for my posts in this thread you can find more details.
Love GZ, but really surprisingly bad all I had to do for the game to do a very basic pinball thing - shoot straight.
Quoted from Dalinar:Basic question
Any tips on hitting the scoop? Ive watched people play but struggle to hit it consistently and feel I am missing the obvious. Thnx
It’s a hard shot. There’s no secret other than good timing. From a cradle, the sweet spot on my setup is right near the top of the flipper but before it begins to curve around the tip. My personal technique for a hard shot is to catch the ball, pause, take a deep breath, draw a mental line from the target to the flipper, move my head around to get different view angles, take several seconds if needed (unless a crucial timer is going) then take the shot. Also play a few practice games where you do nothing but try to hit the scoop. Eventually it becomes muscle memory. Even then it’s a tricky shot.
Quoted from javagrind888:Without the playfield alignment brackets, the Abe fix did nothing for me unless I open the coin door and realign the playfield every few balls. I ordered the brackets off of Marco and will try to figure out how to install them over the Christmas break.
This post I made a while back may help.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/285#post-7098733
Quoted from BrokenChair:Well guess what i was able to get my Godzilla premium today! ; I unboxed it at the distributor they deliver to me early next week ;
I hope upgrading to a premium over a pro was the Right decision
I was able to play some games straight outta the box but balls kept going on top of the building and staying stuck ….then game would run Ball search mode
Distributor says tech needs to dial it in for me but just wasn’t expecting an issue right outta box hehehe
In love with the game and debating putting it right next to my bed
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Congrats. A NIb game almost always has issues. I had several with my gz that I worked out over a few weeks. Good that your dealer will dial it in for you. Some people like to do that themselves but depends on the kind of owner you are. Sounds like have dealer do it will work for you. Even then you will probably find small things after delivery you will want to fix or adjust. All part of pin ownership. Enjoy your game.
Quoted from Fremen:I installed some Titan low bounce flipper rings a week or so ago. I keep getting the ‘ball hesitation’ on the lower flippers several times per game. I have rotated the rings and cleaned them. Quite annoying, any recommendations on something else I can try?
Time to buy some perfect play?
Also, occasionally when the ball is going around the loop it just barely touches the upper flipper which kicks it out a tad. Assuming these rings are just a bit thicker than stock
I thought the low bounce were a little thinner than standard.
By hesitation do you mean the rubber grips the ball unexpectedly? I have seen that. It seems to stop once the rubbers actually get a little dirty.
On the loop, that I have seen that quite a bit, too. Doesn’t seem to have to do flipper rubber to me as the ball comes out if the orbit already veering away from the flipper.
After hundreds of plays over 3 mo, saw a new issue today with magma grab not holding the ball effectively. For example, DJ is lit, I hit the building, the magnet grabs the ball, but then a second later it let’s go of the ball. It happened a few times. Sometimes it seemed as if the magnet was just letting go prematurely (as opposed to the inertia of the ball being too much for the magnet to hold). Thanks for any help or suggestions.
Quoted from bocce:If another switch is detected the magna grab will abort and re-light destruction jackpot. Is that what’s happening?
Oh really? That could be it. I’ll take a closer look. Next would be to figure out what switch has a problem. There was only one ball on the pf. I recently adjusted some stand ups targets to be more sensitive, so maybe too sensitive. Thanks for the lead. I’ll investigate.
Quoted from bocce:If another switch is detected the magna grab will abort and re-light destruction jackpot. Is that what’s happening?
I've dug into this further, still seeing the problem (magna grab not holding the ball). I have checked switches and I cannot find any switch that may be activating incorrectly when the destruction jackpot sequence is happening. I have attached two videos of the problem. Also a video of the active switch test in case anyone can spot a switch that is active that should not be. Code version is latest, 1.03. The two magnet adjustments in settings are at the factory default values.
(magna grab)
(destruction jackpot)
(active switch test)
Thanks,
Jack
Quoted from BrokenChair:So I just got my Godzilla premium does anyone know if the newer Godzilla have the shooter lane fix ?
I did order an Abe’s lane fix from ler mods and wondering if it’s still necessary
Shooter lane seems to be working flawlessly
I would be amazed if Stern actually changed something. If your game is shooting well no need for a fix. Consider posting some pics of the shooter lane and plunger. I am really curious.
Quoted from Belvedere:Check your skill shot switch (by the upper left flipper) & the shooter lane switch (where the ball rests before plunging). I don't think those should be activated
Thanks for the tip. The skill
Shot switch was indeed stuck on causing the magnet to let go. It was the MRS mod recently installed. Apparently a flakey switch. Anyone else see this or I just got a bum switch?
221C2B90-DC9B-493F-BDFD-F860D9987818 (resized).jpegQuoted from northerndude:Dude, I had just installed an MRS switch in past month also!
Maybe that’s my issue
You can check it in switch test. It should be off by default and only come on when the ball passes under.
Update on my adjusting the hanging gate and the spinner as I described, after tweaking to make these more easily triggered, play has been perfect! No missed imposters or skill shots. Feels so much better.</blockquote
A while back, I tried out adjusting the spinner switch as you show. I found that since the metal part of the switch was pushing up against the spinner wire, it slowed down the spinner and I wasn't getting as many revolutions per hit. Have you noticed that?
Quoted from tedwasright:Newest mod. Whenever it's on-screen my kids go bonkers. So I figured I'd add it without telling them.
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Hah. I don’t like most playfield doo-dads, but that’s pretty good. All the better it’s kind of hidden like the Easter egg itself.
Quoted from Puffdanny:What a 1st natural ball(no extra balls) don't ask about the next 3 lol
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I’ve been having those games lately. Amazing first ball, mode after mode, 15 minutes. Then it all rapidly falls to shit. Maybe my endurance is poor.
Quoted from pinlink:If I could make a code request it would be to have a setting that allows you to put infinite number of ball saves for the Wallop shot. I just can't understand the logic of turning off a ball save to a shot that 100% of the time goes Straight Down the Middle.
Is the idea that you are supposed to avoid and never hit that shot?? Happened again today, huge game only to be ended by a wallop shot. No ball save.
Wallop should most often return to tip of left flipper if the game is leveled with great care. That said it is a dangerous return and does go sdtm sometimes or if you make the slightest mistake.
Quoted from jackd104:Thanks for the tip. The skill
Shot switch was indeed stuck on causing the magnet to let go. It was the MRS mod recently installed. Apparently a flakey switch. Anyone else see this or I just got a bum switch?
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Solution: it was a bum MRS skill shot switch that was prone to getting stuck on. Matt (aka Sonic) at M&M creations was quick to help and sent a replacement. Installed and working right now. Kudos to Matt for a quick resolution.
Quoted from golfergordy:Just as a followup to my previous post showing my shooter lane fix, since previously a few comments questioned the flathead screw sticking out a bit, I have now countersunk the hole in the aluminum piece a little more and the pics here show my final version of the fix (and yes - there's still a tiny bit of the screw head still sticking out). The ball makes contact with the new sidewall piece of aluminum (in the shooter lane) well above the location of the screw, so the ball will never contact the screw.
I have noticed that with the number of times I have lifted and lowered the pf, the pf doesn't always sit exactly in the same location which does affect lining up of the shooter plunger with the center of the ball, and it's not always centered. One time I thought that one or two shooter plunges seemed to still not smoothly send the ball into the pf which killed my chance for a skill shot award (even with my shooter lane fix in place), but when I saw the plunger & ball not lined up center-to-center, I figured out that I better check the alignment every time I raise & lower the pf - you can slide the pf slightly to the rt or left prior to tightening the latches which hold down the pf, which, since the game cabinet is fixed, will change the shooter alignment with the ball. I now have lines drawn on the piece of steel that's directly beneath the lockdown bar so that they line up with the brackets on the pf that go into the holes in this steel piece when the pf is set down, so that the pf is aligned the same way every time. There is no shooter lane problem in my game any more with my home made fix.
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I’m guessing your game is missing playfield alignment brackets inside the cabinet? You could buy some and add them if you want to stabilize the playfield. For some reason Stern stopped putting them on some games. There is a key post about it in this thread. The latches just secure the lockdown bar but not the playfield from shifting.
Quoted from BrokenChair:I’m kinda overwhelmed with what mods to get for my Godzilla premium can anyone make a list who’s an expert or familiar with some of the necessary mods to get ??
So far I added Abe’s shooter lane fix and tucked in left guide rail (with amazing success)
Much appreciated for the guidance and hope not asking for too much ;
I’m looking at mezel , lermod, and mod father and the pinside shops
Shaker, invisiglass I recommend the most. From there Upgrade speakers and the MRS skill shot switch is nice. Stern art blades are fantastic for an aesthetic mod. Opinions vary - I do not like playfield mods and mainly prefer functional or gameplay enhancing ones. I only recommend the Stern art blades because they are official and they match the game so well.
Quoted from golfergordy:If this is the pf alignment bracket, then I have them on my GZ. They are located closer to the top of the pf, but I still notice some side-to-side wiggle at the bottom of the pf. Since my shooter lane fix is installed, the pf bottom side-to-side alignment has usually been ok with good shooter plunges, but I've got the line drawn in on the steel piece right below the lockdown bar to match up with the steel lugs on the bottom edge of the pf when I lower the pf just to make sure the alignment is good. After 6 or so months of sporadic shooter performance it's a pleasure that the shooter performance is A-ok now.
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No they are little brackets that are on the inside of the cabinet wall. You can see this post: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/285#post-7098733
If your current way is working for you that’s fine. If you notice your pf moves around and that affects your shooting then these brackets will help.
Quoted from mtp78:What color titans are you guy liking on the flippers?
8A736639-6CE6-4409-A424-B894209900D5 (resized).jpegQuoted from mtp78:Is that neon green?
No, it’s the regular green. I left the upper flipper black and without a flipper topper. To me it gives the impression the flippers are Godzilla’s claws.
Quoted from daveyvandy:So my magna grab magnet is behaving weird. It will whip the ball around just fine, but it doesn't hold the ball anymore like for destruction jackpot or magna grab. I did a visual inspection under the playfield and everything looks fine. Reseated connections, tried different balls, but nothing seems to work. Is this a known issue? Any other things I should try?
I recently had this issue (see posts in last week or so). If there is a switch stuck closed that should not be, the magnet will let go of the ball. Because the game thinks the ball has escaped the magnet and turns the magnet off. So go into active switch test and see if any switches are stuck closed that should not be.
Defeated Planet X first time today! Along with 6.6B grand champ score. Finally beat my son’s 5.5b GC after 2 months of trying. He is going to be upset! I dread this conversation more than birds and bees.
Quoted from JP76:Nice! I have 5 games over 1B but my GC is 1.2B. Do you have any tips for me to get to 2B and beyond? Obviously I have not been to Planet X, and only played Tier 2 monsters about 10 games.
>1 B is respectable! There is a lot I could say but much has already been said in the “how to score 1b and more” thread. Read that and read rule sheets to thoroughly understand the rules. And lots of practice!
One thing I’ll offer about GZ scoring is the game does not reward conservative playing and chopping wood to get multi billion scores. You need to take risks and blow up some modes. For example in tier 2 battles, fight instead of flee. In monster zero try to build the jackpot values with the red shots before locking balls. Etc. In this game I got a 500 million tier 2 battle score, for example. In another game I actually got a 2B monster zero score. One mode, 2b!
Good or lucky timing with Rodan can blow up a mode real good! 2x scoring.
Getting all the extra balls is important (except city combos, so hard I don’t even try).
Monster Zero and Terror can lead to lots of points. Be sure you understand what to do and practice them.
I recently mastered the “ski jump” technique to transfer ball to the desired flipper and that helps a lot in certain
modes like Gigan and super train.
A lot has to come together including luck! My typical games are more like 1-2b and often even less.
Quoted from BrokenChair:Happy to hear it’s working good for someone
I installed the lermods version of Abe’s shooter fix and I Am a bit disappointed with the results of it still getting weird launches ;
Maybe I should try swapping it out and getting the stainless steel one but would that make a difference even?
Mine is mounted correctly and everything
It works good like 90% of the time still a 10% of the ball doing weird stuff
Don’t get me wrong it’s way better than it was but sad with results how people are saying 100 %
There’s a number of other adjustments you may need to get shooting consistently. Check out the key post of this thread by me (one of the last ones added near bottom of the list)
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:Had a good game
Tonight! Love this code.
Made it through 2 cities after 1.9 B score. Long game!
Wondering if I should read the rules lol have no idea what I am doing.
Is the code considered done or is it still being polished? Just asking because I have noticed a lot of updates (in my email) before owning the game.
Only had it for a few days. Not my first time playing godzilla in fact have a few hours playing a premium on location.
Love to have it here such a great game
Nice job. Small polishes still happening but it’s very mature now and mainly done. Maybe we will get some small surprises. My approach is to avoid reading any rules for a few months. My way to savor the game and prolong discovery and enjoyment. Enjoy your game.
Quoted from Zora:I have a new problem with the magnet, which is not catching the ball for destruction jackpot independent how fast it rolls. It shortly graps it, but releases it as if no destruction JP is lit. Any ideas?
See here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/354#post-7307128
Quoted from Zeusflurry:Probably a longshot however, a few days ago I was playing one of my best games ever when I found the small screw lying inside the left inlane. I have not found where it goes. Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas? Thanks in advance!
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Could be a lot of things but what I do in this situation is study the pf and look for what kind of thing that type of screw is used for. Look for other screws like that. You may find a pattern in how the screw is used. That helps narrow it down. Pull out the pf and Look all over with a flashlight until you figure it out.
Quoted from pinmister:Any advice out there?
On the fence here and need someone to push me off
Pro vs Premium vs LE?
Would you rather have a Godzilla Pro + 007 Pro or would you take a Godzilla LE? Would you rather have two Pros or Godzilla LE?
Premium. The building movements changing the flow is really unique. I would never recommend an LE. Don’t think it’s worth the money. I am gameplay focused so shiny finishes and autographs do nothing for me.
Quoted from Hershy:I really am but I will definitely benefit from it lol
Can you explain what you mean by don’t tap out the post and threading?
There is a nut under the playfield that is attached to the post. You need to loosen it and remove it (use a nut driver if you have one). You will probably have to secure the post from the top side at the same time—hold it steady with a small wrench or pliers as you loosen the nut underneath. Take care not to damage the finish on the post. Sometimes I put a cloth over the post then grip it with pliers.
Once the nut is removed, unscrew the post from the top then screw the post back into the new position and replace the nut.
I do this with the playfield vertical so I can reach top and bottom at same time.
Edit: maybe there’s not a nut. I forget on Gz but sometimes a post has one
Quoted from finman2000:Planet X question. When you get to the stage where you have to hit the captive ball repeatedly, how many times do you have to hit it? It was probably on the display, but I didn’t trap up to look.
I think it’s 3, if I remember correctly.
Quoted from Desmodromic:Yes, I confirmed mine was the MRS as well. I was getting an Imposter Battle award when the ball would fall off the magnet, which means that the skillshot switch was being triggered, it was a great clue. Swapped the original switch back in and it works fine (other than missing the occasional skillshot, which was my motivation to put the MRS in in the first place) so we're back in business. My Skill Shot MRS is in the mail today back to Sonic to get tweaked or replaced.
I wonder if the magnet itself is interacting with the mrs switch when it activates. Or maybe just exacerbates an already flakey switch. They are fairly close in proximity.
Quoted from Desmodromic:Hopefully with Matt's tweaking, it will work as expected.
Have no fear. I went through the same and the new switch Matt sent fixed everything.
Quoted from acedanger:Tried scrubbing through all the posts please excuse me but what are the optimal feature settings for Upper Flipper, Trough, Eject Etc. Also what seems to be the best pitch for this pin as well as any flipper adjustments (droopy no droopy)TIA!! Loving the game so far!!
6.8 - 7.0 is the sweet spot for pitch. Side to side level is extra important on this game. I don’t have exact numbers, but I turned down the trough a bit to be just strong enough to work consistently. If you crank the upper left flipper to high it actually makes repeat loops more difficult.
For flippers, the alignment dots on pf should be dead center with the tips of the flippers. It’s not unusual for the flippers to be misaligned from the factory.
Quoted from northerndude:Not on Godzilla. tips should be below dots i'm quite sure on this game. Be very difficult to make the left spinner or scoop with them higher.
According to Elwin, they should point at the dots. That said Keith may also tell you it’s your game and do what you want. Here’s a post from the past with link to interview with Elwin where he discusses it and other game setup topics. Flipper talk starting at 54:00. And when they are pointed at dots they should indeed be a little flopped.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/168#post-6815526
Quoted from Duster72:Can somebody draw a picture of this for those of us who aren't auditory learners?
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxeSgXeqv27lcV12MBZQsPGys013IzzmES
I think he means this. Which is how Gz flippers look if they are pointed at the dots. It makes a slight droop instead of the top of the flipper making a straight line with the top of the inlane guide.
1B2D4A0A-3C66-4D35-B342-7B62BDF73048 (resized).jpeg89B21FA6-395C-49F2-85CF-AFDD0770231B (resized).jpegAnyone put precision flip halos on their GZ? Impression? Would love to see pics of different colors if anyone is up to share.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Wallop is when you hit the building through the backdoor. The tiny lane to the right of the magnet.
The tail whip only lights after shooting an upper loop shot. Then the lane behind the mecha spinner the runs under the pop bumper is the tail whip shot.
And when you hit the wallop shot, because it’s so hard to get, the game spots you one of the lit shots on the playfield. I don’t know the intricacies of which shot it spots in all situations. I also did not know wallop will spot the left spinner in Ebirah.
The gigan tip above is a good one. If you have a premium you can also start gigan when lock is lit at the building and the ramp flow change will return the ball to the left flipper after hitting the right ramp allowing you to easily hit the ramp over and over.
You can also try to stack multiballs with kaiju battles. Hope to hit all the targets during the chaos. It works pretty well with titanosaurus.
Also get the tier 1 battle timers +20 sec from Godzilla power ups.
I got agonizingly close to KOTM last night. Was on ball 3. I did everything except reach power up 11 and I was on power up 10. I was struggling to find shots to get that power meter up! And finally after a valiant effort I drained and screamed “nooooooo!” like cheesy Vader in episode 3.
This made me review more carefully the things that up the power meter at the tilt forums rule sheet so I am better prepared next time. By late game, several of the things have dried up (like defeating monsters).
Anyone have specific tips for getting Godzilla power ups to higher levels earlier in the game?
I noticed the tilt forum rules also said “ Level 4 and beyond of Godzilla Power-Up can only be collected by scoring a Super Jackpot during Mechagodzilla Multiball or Godzilla Multiball”. Anyone notice if this is true? I didn’t think so, but I will try to test that next time.
Quoted from dboeren:If you get a SJ in Godzilla Multiball then Monster Zero is your Level 4 powerup. If you get a SJ in Mechagodzilla Multiball then Terror of Mechagodzilla is your Level 4 powerup.
I don't know for sure what happens if you get both, I'm guessing you have a choice of either one.
If you get neither, then I don't think you can collect the level 4 powerup until you get one or the other. This happened to me early on when learning the game but now it's been easy to have a SJ in time, usually in Godzilla MB.
Yes all that definitely so. You made me realize the rule could just be written more clearly. As written is sounds like you need to get one super jackpot for each level after four. Rather, getting a super jackpot in either mode is a gate to getting level 4 powerup (and thus the rest)
BTW if you qualify monster zero and terror before level 4, yea, you get to choose.
Quoted from Lateralus:I just paid my invoice finally for a GZ Prem. I only had a deposit down since 11/2021...
It's for the Feb run, which is why I don't like Cointaker. I don't like giving them an interest-free loan for 4-6 weeks before they ship it. And after my last experience with them on Alien LV, I won't be going through them for games again. If I didn't already have a deposit down with them and everyone else was backordered until late 2023 - 2024, I would've switch distros.
Anyway, I'm very excited to finally receive this and join the club! I've been following this thread since it started just staring at other people's games lol. This thread seems very helpful. <3
Why do they take payment so early? Others I have bought from don’t until they have it or it is shipping imminently.
Quoted from jonnyqtrek:I've never qualified both in a single game (and I doubt I'll be able to anytime soon short of outstanding luck) but I'm curious... If you qualify both and select one at level 4, does the second option automatically begins available once the first option has finished? Or are you restricted to only one of the two modes in a single game?
The one you don’t choose at level 4 can be started when you reach level 8.
Quoted from jawjaw:Is it normal for a fast shot through the middle spinner to orbit around sdtm without flipping the upper flipper? I don't remember other games doing this. I just got a premium and think I need to work on the setup more.
Check you level side to side, very crucial for this game. Put your digital level in front of the building (game designer’s advice). Pitch 6.8 - 7.0.
Most often that shot should return ball to left flipper. However for an inexplicable reason, sometimes the ball seems to leave the left ball guide and go more towards stdm. On mine that happens maybe 20%.
Quoted from Nokoro:Perhaps they’re messing with us?
You get that for plunging through the left spinner, I believe, which I often do. I don’t see how you can plunge the left inlane. Think it’s a misprint?
Elwin puts shots in the game that are not necessarily reasonable. Look at the city combos and super secret combos, too. Some are ridiculous. They can be done either as a fluke (most often by guys like me) or perhaps by some of the best players on purpose. I’ve heard him talk in interviews. Just cause it’s “a shot” he doesn’t expect everyone to be able to do it. He puts things for the <1%.
Here’s a fix for the building shaking while descending that worked for me. Put 3 or 4 drops of super lube on these two poles on the building mech and smear it around with a cloth. It cleared my building shake/rattle right up.
I think these poles dry up over time and that other rectangular piece that slides over them fits too tight causing friction.
BE9D3D78-8EB2-488D-AC5D-D33CD0CB49B3 (resized).jpegQuoted from awesome1:After you sign into your insider Connected account online, it wont show individual game stats or accomplishments, but if you go to "activity" it will show the highest score you got on each game you play within a period of time.
Here's an example pic from my account.
[quoted image]
It would be crazy cool to get a log of individual games in some fidelity that makes sense. Like all shots or modes you made in order and the score along the way.
Quoted from ZoraShinoda:Leveling a pinball machines pretty easy, by digital level from Amazon and watch this video
This is a real basic skill you should learn. If you can read a level and twist little things clockwise and counterclockwise, you can do it.
Quoted from shiffdog:That's not what is happening in my case. The ball swerves to the right long before it reaches the upper flipper, just as it's about to pass by the captive ball and go under the bridge. It hasn't even reached the skill-shot opening between the ball guide and the upper flipper by that point.
Exact same here.
Quoted from BrokenChair:i asked this question before and i feel bad repeating and sounding like a broken record but I have a learning disability so apologize im a bit confused as many ppl told me different things
i posted level question a few pages ago to get a newbie friendly level; does it need to have 1 or 2 bubbles in it? or it can just be straight mini digital...
people have suggested the large 10 in level with the 2 bubble(not sure what the bubbles measure) i found this one
amazon.com link »
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but those 10 inch ones look a little big for the pinball machine and playfield do the smaller ones work without the bubble that are all digital? or do i need a bubble with digital
amazon.com link »
is there a beginner friendly one prefer
thank you so much again i just want to order it and start the process of learning how to level
Greatly appreciate your expertise
I think the size of the second one would be easier to work with. You don’t need the bubble but it may be a nice extra feature.
Quoted from BrokenChair:Is this a new and upgraded shooter lane fix I got one from lermods but disappointed with how it’s operating do you happen to have a link ?
There's a number of other things that could be making your shooting poor. There's a key post in this thread about it, near the bottom of the list, that has a several things to check over.
Quoted from jid:Weird TZ question. When my magnet drops the ball onto the lane by the upper left flipper, the entire upper playfield shakes. Is this normal or are there some bolts I need to tighten?
Thank you!!
You may want to post this in the TZ owners thread, but…. Doesn’t sound normal. That mech makes quite a “clank” but the pf should not shake. Investigate under the pf and make sure everything is moving freely and not binding. There’s a long rod attached to a linkage and a solenoid from what I remember.
Quoted from BrokenChair:Can anyone tell me what this piece does and is it needed?
https://www.pinballlife.com/godzilla-center-post-frame-plastic.html
Adds a center post that makes it less likely the ball will drain (makes the game easier). Someone said like training wheels and that’s true but it’s your game and if it increases your enjoyment go ahead and use it.
Quoted from BrokenChair:I’m having a weird issue with my left tank spinner … the spinner usually rips when I shoot through it but oddly enough like 15% of the time it rejects; spins like half way and ball rolls back …
this is a big deal when fighting ebirah only to hit the spinner to complete reject and that is a hard shot as it is for me..
Nothing appears to be getting obstructed I even call stern and they were clueless..
Is this just the way it is ? Many thanks for the input and help
Pics will help.
Made it to KOTM first time today! Earlier tips about getting power up level to 11 were helpful. 6.8B. Defeated Planet X, got pretty far in victory lap but no cigar. Dare I think I can reach monster island? I actually beat KOTM level 1 to my surprise, but whiffed on level 2 and missed out on 1b bounty. May never do better, surely felt epic!
Quoted from BrokenChair:Here is pic of spinner I’m starting to think it’s just the way it is sigh
[quoted image]
No, it shouldn’t do that. Does it spin freely when you move it by hand? Try gently bending the spinner up a couple mm to give more room for the ball.
0DA2AFEC-2B95-49CB-98BE-507BCF090309 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from BrokenChair:i do not believe its tilted
spins freely and fine when I move by hand; so am i bending the actual spinner ?
i appreciate your pics .. im bendind the spinner or bracket its on?I don't believe this is happening but it is a good guess.
Thank you so much for the help everyone; I guess the next thing i am going to try to do is raise the spiner assembly higher to give more clearance for the ball but it already looks like its super high
Bend the bracket. Not the spinner or the wire that the spinner attaches to the bracket. You may need to bend it up or down so that the ball hits it the right way (if too high ball can get hung up under spinner, if too low, ball can hit center of spinner not allowing it to roll under). I would spend some time tweaking it and rolling the ball through by hand to get the right adjustment.
Quoted from Green-Machine:Game is designed that way. Ask the designer.
According to the designer the balls should come down on the tip of the left flipper if you hold the flipper up. Also according to Elwin, level the pf with your level in front of the building and make doubly sure it is 0 level. This from an interview that you can find linked several times in this thread. Mine does behave this way after very careful leveling and at 6.8 pitch. Rarely do I get even 1 ball drain at multiball start.
And yeah you can use the mod if you prefer.
Quoted from Green-Machine:I’m right. Ask him. Safety from bashing the building on its way back up. Chime in sk8ball
My balls don’t drain with a left flipper lift
Yes, for the reason you said, but to the left flipper tip. Not intended to drain down the middle. Just going by literally what he said himself in the interview. If he tells different people different things, nothing I can do about that.
Quoted from BrokenChair:i honestly dont see the need for a mod to change the way the balls goes down just a nice moderate nudge is all i do and i can save 2/3 balls most of the time tbh;
also elwin hasnt logged in since feb of 22 so doubt he will getting back to you lol regardless if you want the mod thats cool but not needed in my experience;
which goes to my next question since ive had my godzilla premium a month and about to start modding what are the absolutely "necessary" mods;
so far i got abes shooter lane fix from lermods;
what else on my list?
-shaker motor ( does anyone know if there is a difference between the pinball life and stern motors as all i can find is pinball life)
-invisiglass
I am looking at the pin defender but why is everyone so paranoid about eject shooter lane wearing down its normal isn't it?
I'm worried about the pin defender being in the way or affecting ejects
Many people replace the Stern coil stops.
In addition you might consider upgrading speakers. The game has a great sound package and the stock speakers are poor.
I am not into playfield mods personally but check out Atomic Godzilla mod - pretty amazing.
Stern’s art blades are nice. The more Zombie Yeti the better!
Quoted from NoDisclaimer:Monster zero question. When I have achieved monster zero and then press the action button it says shoot the building to start. Sometimes I shoot the building and it starts but sometimes when I press the action button the building raises and the red light comes on. Shooting the base of the building does nothing and shooting the scoop just spits it back out. Am I missing something that I need to do to get the building back down so I can shoot it.
Sometimes another shot can supersede the start of Monster Zero (or Terror). i think in your question it is destruction jackpot and if collect that first, then monster zero can be started from the building.
Quoted from golfergordy:I know that this topic has been discussed many times (damaged plastic at the magnagrab below the bridge), and the popular solution seems to be to drop a small washer into the coil sleeve to shorten the plunger travel, which theoretically should reduce the bridge movement so it stops prior to touching the plastic. I have just installed the washer, but I see that the bridge can still travel low enough to still strike the same plastic. The washer just stops the plunger sooner, but the bridge can still travel farther than where the plunger stops due to free play in the bridge mechanism after the plunger stops.
My question is: has anyone employed the washer-in-the-coil-sleeve solution and then had the replacement plastic also break, or has this solution been confirmed as an A-1 successful solution?
I seem to be the only one that had problems with the washer solution. When I lifted the pf, the washer sometimes went sideways and got stuck, then the plunger couldn’t go down far enough to collapse the bridge. I ended up putting two little furniture bubble things on the plastic where the bridge hits and it’s been good for hundreds of games.
68C5416F-C387-426E-923C-E72A59D83740 (resized).jpegQuoted from maroot:Should see my GZ Premium next month and after reading this forum, I see there are things I need to check and get before I play it. I have Ball Baron balls ordered, need to change the speakers to 4 ohm, replace the crappy coil stops (who should I order from?), check the calibration of the building, dial down the ball trough.
Anything I’m missing?
Pinball Life for the coil stops. Better speakers are a good idea - check out the diy audio thread. There’s a big range of things you could do but just replacing the backbox speakers with better 4” speaker (like kicker csc4) gets you a long way. About the ohms the op there figured out the ohms setting in the game is really just a gain and it’s probably best to leave the setting at 8 even for 4 ohm speakers.
I think you have the basics covered. Once you get the game see how it plays and go from there. If you get rattled shots from the plunger there are mods to fix it. Enjoy the anticipation.
Quoted from glpinball:Is there a good way to fix this ball trap? I read a post where someone said raise the mech with the white cog but wouldn't that lead to more air balls from the front?
[quoted image]
Furniture rubber bumper things. I used two to prevent traps in both positions of the mech.
6A4AF463-37B6-4CC1-BA72-903E2FFD0384 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from AvidPinPlayer:Is 2.565 M a good score in Godzilla?
Do you mean 2,565 M? If so, yes. If not, not so much. But keep practicing 
Quoted from Vyzer2:While in attract mode, every 2 or 3 minutes there is a “whirring” sound coming from the building area, as if the motor keeps engaging. It’s like the sound the building makes when it goes up and down during the game, but the bldg is not moving. It does not make this sound when I turn on the game and I haven’t started a game, even after 2,3,5,10 minutes, only after I’ve played and let the game sit. Is this normal?
Are you sure it is not the power fan in the back box? It does that.
Quoted from BrokenChair:It helps me understand the explanation a lot always learning more thanks you are too kind …
Wow measure pitch at flippers that’s interesting :
surprising I’m getting slot of SDTM would that be a pitch or side to side issue ?
The bubble on the right side of the machine is in the middle
So measure side to side measurement from the flippers and top by building ; I find the discrepancy between these two points is like up to .3-.4 ; I level bottom perfectly top changes ; etc vice versa
A few things about your struggle
Begin with the leg levers looking visually the same adjusted on the front two legs and rear two. And the rear quite a bit higher than front. That will usually get you in the right ball park.
The designer said in an interview once to level side to side in front of the building. Probably for best multiball start.
A pf has variation so you will get different measurements in different spots. A digital level is real accurate and that can also drive you nuts if you are a perfectionist. If you were using an old fashioned level it would probably appear about the same with the bubble. Try to get the side to side as close to zero as possible but within .1 is sometimes as good as you can. .5 is more off than I like to be. So just level in front of the building and don’t worry about other spots is what has worked for me on this machine.
when you set down the level it’s very easy to misjudge slightly and the level is not 90 degrees to the pf. That will
Change the measurement. I put a long stick or ruler across the pf or the side rails and use a L shaped ruler to be sure it’s 90 then use that as a reference when placing the level. (This while side to side leveling)
Getting side to side level is more crucial so you want your last adjustment to be for side to side.
It’s always a bit of trial and error for me and can be frustrating. Just keep adjusting.
Ignore the bubble on the machine.
When done tighten the nuts on the levelers so they don’t change. Be careful not to actually spin the leveler when doing this.
Quoted from BrokenChair:i have a screwdriver just like that for on the bottom side of the playfield; im talking about removing the post on the upper side; how to keep it from spinning; maybe i mis understood what you meant; im new here and not very familiar with anything
Well another thing you can do is just grip the post with some pliers to prevent it from spinning. Wrap the post in a cloth or a cut piece of rubber so you don’t scratch it. Use needle nose if space is tight.
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:New GC for me. Had KotM qualified with three balls left, so I tried to chase the remaining secret combos I needed to make Monster Island Madness a possibility. Didn't succeed there, so went to start KotM on second-to-last ball.
Skill shot went to magna grab which held it long enough to use up ball save and then dropped it down the left outlane. I didn't know this could happen on the plunge and don't think I've ever seen it before.
Brick drain last ball trying to start KotM. Game over.
It feels like every big game ends with so much pain (though dying on a basic catch with only two left ramps and the scoop in KotM to start Monster Island Madness was worse).[quoted image]
Jeez. Monster score. About your inglorious endings… I think GZ games are so long when you’re playing at this level that you get fatigued and make mistakes. I’ve actually had to take breaks. I love Gz but sometimes the depth and length are a bit much.
Quoted from zh2oson:I'm on the list for the February run!
What are my inside art blade options?
I tried searching the thread. I really did.
Why would you do anything but more Zombie Yeti? (official Stern blades)
Quoted from Days:Topper light shows??
Topper? it means the official topper will arrive soon?
“Light Show Without a Topper”. I think it was a Billy Idol song.
Stern, I’m so disappointed in you. Haven’t you read vids guide? Novus has its place but is a cleaner and polish, not a wax.
Quoted from BrokenChair:I posted but maybe got overlooked does anyone know how I have to dissemble this bridge in order to lock this screw back in place it’s loose and wobbling bridge;
If it’s too much hassle and difficult my tech will be here Friday
It’s bottom left screw buried
How difficult is this I’m a beginner level 2
Could be good practice to build confidence
My vote is wait for tech ; but what’s worst that can happen some screws drop and I dissemble a lot of stuff I don’t Remeber how to put back lol
[quoted image]
In general, whenever you need to disassemble something, look in the manual at the exploded view of the mechanism or assembly. They are normally well documented and can really help you figure out the easiest way to achieve your goal.
Quoted from Hayfarmer:I still put a bungee when I have fields up, gnr was a 50/50 bias when up. I think the door opening would have knocked it down. Of course, I always forget to take it off when lowering
I used rope last time I did art blades.
11C43F74-97F7-4106-BE66-2583C9317EE7 (resized).jpegQuoted from Duster72:The flippers on this game droop. That might be throwing you off, but it's still possible.
True. And who knows how the game on location is set up. It could be all wrong. Flipper tips should be centered on the dots. 6.8-7 pitch many have found to be the sweet spot. Because of the drooped flippers techniques you are used to may not work so well any more. May need to rely more on live catch, drop catch, taking the energy out of the ball before cradling it. After a lot of time on the game I have become good at controlling the ball and it’s made me improve some new skills.
Quoted from bush3262:While we're on the topic of difficulty of trapping the ball, backspin, etc., here's a problem I have consistently with my Premium...
When the ball exits the scoop and I try a drop catch to get the ball under control on the left flipper, many times the ball has such a strong spin on it that it will "grab" onto the flipper as the flipper is being released, and spin right along its face and down the drain (especially if I release the flipper a split second too early). However, this spin on the ball isn't consistent...other times, if I release too late, the ball will sail up the left inlane, and "curl" around the post and down into the outlane.
I'm a fairly decent player, can score over 1B fairly often, but this issue is my biggest achilles heel, and I lose balls in this manner probably once/game on average, sometimes more. It doesn't seem like this otherwise simple feat on other games should demand so much extra precision on GZ. Is this normal behavior on GZ, or is there perhaps some adjustment that I should make?
You can try lowering the power of the scoop eject. I think I did a couple notches. When the ball comes out of the scoop I almost always let the ball bounce off the left flipper over to the right and then I can almost always catch it.
Quoted from bush3262:That's what I normally do on other games, but many times, if I do that, it just grabs the left flipper and just spins down the drain. What surprises me is that it doesn't do it consistently.
Thanks for the scoop eject suggestion...I may need to try that.
Oh interesting. Well, I’m using titan rubber. The regular size, not thinner low bounce. Not sure it matters. Also I have noticed when the rubber is super clean they are more grippy. when they are just a little bit dirty I think they actually play better. Less grippy.
Quoted from Lateralus:I see all these people getting their GZ this week. I had a deposit down with Cointaker (never again) back in Nov 2021. They invoiced me back in January with deadline to pay Jan 11th. She stated I'm in for the Feb run, so I paid in full. I'm still not happy about giving them an interest free loan for 6 weeks for a game that isn't shipping immediately, but I just told myself I'll never deal with them again and paid it.
I still have not received my game or any communication about it. When I emailed her this morning, she said " they are making some now, then Bond 60th, then back to GZ." I wrote back pretty frustrated stating that it's been 6 weeks since I paid and you can't even clarify if I'm getting my game in this run? When will I get it or am I getting it soon? No response yet.
Anyone else experience this? I'm actually really, really pissed off now.
I’d be upset too. I would not expect to pay up until shipping is imminent. Like, the dealer has the box. And why dealers are asking for payment weeks/months ahead of time now I have no idea. Things are in a bad state, customers getting the shaft all over the place on multiple titles, different makers, and different distros. Wtf
Quoted from Lermods:It was his idea, but our design. We gave him full credit by calling it the Abe Flips shooter lane fix, we got permission from him to go ahead and make the design and offered it for free for anyone who could print it.
It's more sad and disappointing to see some pinsiders being so quick to jump on us. I did not tell Brucipher he could not give them away for free. I merely asked him to note that they were our brackets in his post to give us credit. I didn't think that was too much to ask.
Wha? So anytime someone gives away or sells a part or mod, they should name where it came from or whose idea it was or who sold it? C’mon
Quoted from tgarrett09:Was super excited to get this as my first pinball machine but apparently it got damaged in shipping by FedEx. Box looked fine but they clearly dropped it. Now I have no idea what’s going to happen… not a great day for sure.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Oh man, I feel for you. Contact your distro and Stern right away. Cc your distro on emails to stern. Raise as much heck as necessary for someone to make it right.
Quoted from Nokoro:Got an email from HBO Max saying that the whole Godzilla movie collection was now available for streaming. May have to finally check out some of the original movies.
I’ve been watching some. Original is worth paying attention too. Many others it is better to fast forward all the boring people scenes and terrible love story bits and watch monster scenes.
Just had my personal best ever. Defeated king of the monsters! 9B points! Not sure how or why. I haven’t played much pinball in a week so something about that taking a break thing.
Quoted from mark532011:Woohoo, I just discovered the Kaiju battles continue if you restart the battle with the next ball - it took me all 3 balls but I finally beat Ebira!
I have to say, its a bit underwhelming - I was expecting some kind of big announcement and video splash, not an unexcited "Godzilla controls Tokyo"
There’s a bit of a reward vo and short video for defeating a kaiju. The game
Makes a bigger deal of other events as you advance through the game. There are so many more modes and layers to the progression, defeating monsters is the first step forward. Not to diminish your achievement just saying the fanfare increases and there needs to be room to grow
Quoted from sdchoni:Dumb-ish questions:
Is my building level? Took the glass off and moved a ball up to show as an example, but sometimes the ball gets stuck here on the 1st floor of the building.
[quoted image]
If it gets stuck there during gameplay it could probably use an adjustment. There’s two ways, one is an offset in the menu system settings. Use this to adjust the height. It’s in very fine increments. Then to adjust building level side to side (if needed) there are two nuts under the pf on the front side of the building assembly. These two nuts have rubber grommets under them. Tightening and loosening the nuts will tilt one side or the other up and down.
Try to get the building metal lip even with the pf in the menu and then if you notice one side of the lip is slightly higher or lower than the other, use the nuts to level it out.
Quoted from bush3262:Is there any way to actually defeat tier 2 monsters? Or are those modes all about simply maximizing jackpots? I don’t see anything in the rules how to actually win those battles.
Yes, they are all about risk/reward. Keep going trying to score as much as you can but risk losing the jackpot if you drain early.
Quoted from jamieflowers:So I just got my Premium in FINALLY I have a tech question for everyone. When my building goes down and start multiball it makes a pretty terrible noise, it sounds like maybe the belt is getting caught. Once I hit the building with the next ball it seems to work fine. Does anyone have an idea as to what I could adjust? Frustrating that I am having out of the box issues but I know this stuff happens.
Mine started doing this after a while. I fixed it this way…. Under the pf in the building mech, there’s a metal block part that has two holes and two poles go through the holes. It’s like the guide rails that the building slides up and down on. I figured out there was slight binding going on where these poles go through that metal block piece. It caused the building to vibrate when descending. I put a small amount of liquid Super Lube (2 drops) on each pole and rubbed it around with a cloth. Fixed it right away and hasn’t been an issue since.
EE90B16F-BAD3-4237-9234-9D01D6BA66D7 (resized).pngQuoted from mikespins:I believe the game comes with some lube to use? I'm sure the Super Lube works great, but I'm wondering why you chose to use this over what it came with? I ask because I will have to do the same thing eventually Thanks!
I don’t remember any lube coming w the game. Maybe in the goodie bag which I didn’t fully open? I used super lube only because I find it to be good general purpose synthetic and doesn’t get all gunked up over time. And a tiny bit goes a long way. Works great on spinners too. That said I know you don’t want to lube a pin in general but I find certain targeted applications to fix specific problems have been fine.
Quoted from mikespins:Mine came with this
[quoted image]
Super Lube is good stuff! Thanks for your input.
Wow. Were there instructions about what the lube was meant for?
Quoted from ShineSpark:Hi everyone,
So I just got my GZ Prem today and I'm super stoked but I'm having an issue with the building. It rose to the top floor upon first boot and now won't lower, ever. Doesn't matter whatever happens in-game as I advance building damage or whatever, and the diagnostic test in the service menu won't move the building down. Strangely, no technician alerts.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Evan
Try to see if it’s a mechanical issue vs power issue or something else. Have you looked under the pf to see if it’s binding or something? Is the motor getting power? Is anything unplugged? Tried reseating associated connectors to node boards?
Quoted from manadams:Made it to Planet X a handful of times now and feel clueless on getting more power-ups after for KOTM. Anyone have a specific strategy they use to pick them up efficiently?
I had this obstacle too. Study carefully all the things that up the power ups at the rule sheet. And try to keep them a goal from the start of the game, rather than waiting until late when you need them. Even then it ain’t easy.
http://tiltforums.com/t/stern-godzilla-rulesheet/7210?page=7#heading--powerups
Quoted from RussMyers:Recent NIB GZ Premium:
Found bits of broken black plastic in bottom of cabinet. Looks like pieces of the rear playfield glass channel.
Sure enough, the center of the installed intact rear playfield glass channel bows downward in the middle, preventing me from simply sliding the glass all the way in.
Ordinarily, I'd simply loosen the screws holing the channel in and move it up a bit.
Can't do that because - no screws. Apparently this is now installed using double-sided tape, so I'll have to pry off the center part and move it up.
At the factory, someone must have mis-installed the first one and broken it getting it off. The second one was "mostly good" and they let it go out like that
Found a sticky greasy spray all over the inside of the cabinet on the right hand side in one area.
Realized it's the lube spray Stern uses on the metal sliding rails.
Someone got a little careless with the spray can and never cleaned it up.
Playfield clearcoat seems very thin - I can see the outlines of the inserts right through the clearcoat and feel them with my finger. Also has noticeable orange peel. Seems a drop in quality that should not happen.
People have posted that Stern stopped using the playfield centering brackets; those are back in now.
Needed the Abe Flips shooter lane fix - balls inconsistently rattling out of the shooter lane
Had balls going into the building lock and getting stuck at the gap between the metal subway and the VUK assy; did the "business card" fix. Seems to be working.
Had balls stuck next to the arm of Mechagodzilla (will do a plastic post/rubber fix)
Had balls stuck in the side of the rotating Mechagodzilla ramp (will do the hex post fix)
RM
Sadly typical of Stern QC as of late. Interesting about the pf alignment brackets. The support person at Stern who told me “the new cabinets don’t need them” was either full of it, wrong, or misinformed - all equally poor. My pf also orange peel - not happy about that since day 1. The game is great but all the quality stuff is shit-tacular.
Quoted from jackd104:I don’t remember any lube coming w the game. Maybe in the goodie bag which I didn’t fully open? I used super lube only because I find it to be good general purpose synthetic and doesn’t get all gunked up over time. And a tiny bit goes a long way. Works great on spinners too. That said I know you don’t want to lube a pin in general but I find certain targeted applications to fix specific problems have been fine.
Just double checked my goodie bag. I didn’t get any “Magna lube”. I feel like a kid who didn’t get his toy in the happy meal. Waaaaah!
Quoted from BrokenChair:I bought some mylar from Pinball life and I am putting it over the shooter lane to help with wear on the wood is that a good idea and do I only need to put one layer of it on or multiple layers? It’s super thin….
I would think one layer should do it?
It’s a little tricky, because I have to put it around that switch in the shooter lane to protect the wood on the edges at the way bottom as well from ball being launched ..
Thank you for your time help and input
It’s a fine idea and one layer is enough. You can put one rectangle piece over the switch slot and all, then carefully cut out the Mylar covering the slot with an exacto knife/pen. Also helps to pull out the pf and/or remove the apron to get access.
Quoted from Pinballpal:In bridge multiball when super jackpot is lit the bridge is exposed to stay collapsed. I saw the bridge act this way on a bunch of streams. Mine does not collapse when superjack pot is lit.
Maybe their are a bunch of games not functioning correctly.
Mine does collapse. I think it does this: If you hit super JP in bridge multiball, the bridge opens at that moment to let the ball fall off the ramp. It stays open for a few seconds after. Then closes again until you hit super Jp again. On latest code 1.04
Will double check next time I play about the exact behavior but I know the bridge opens and ball falls off the ramp
Quoted from Shuoink:Alright gang, its time for me to give this thing its first cleaning. Ive never owned a pin before,
Ive heard everything from just use rubbing alcohol on it, to waxing, etc.
there are the usual teeny dents on the playfield here and there, if there is some kind of wax/something i can put on it to help smooth out the playfield in between cleanings, that would be dope.
The threads i find in regard to cleaning seem to be years old and not sure if the finishes and products used today are still the same/etc or if i just need to wipe it down with a rag and some alcohol and call it good or something?
(AND replace the balls if any recommendations)
Thanks.
Break out the 100 opinions . In mine, all you need is a microfiber cloth and some Novus 1. Wipe down the playfield, and all the rubbers. Replace the balls. Done.
Quoted from Nokoro:So, this I’ve never seen before. My guess is that it’s just older code. I’ve never had my bridge stay collapsed.
This is different than what’s in the video. The bridge is supposed to open for a second to let the ball fall off, but it doesn’t stay open.
Another possibility is that his bridge mech is broken. It could have opened and mechanically binded open for a bit.
I just tried it and correction: my bridge collapses when super jackpot is lit and stays that way until it’s not lit any more. Code 1.04.
Quoted from Nokoro:I’ll have to try myself, perhaps with the glass off so I can make sure I’m watching. I could have sworn mine only drops when you make the shot. Weird.
For me, it does work that way for making the initial right ramp shot to start bridge multiball. But not when super jp is lit.
Quoted from toro1966:My premium is on order and I have begun collecting the mods I have been working on going through the 400 pages of threads to find the must have mods - but can anyone tell me their personal list? I have the tokyo signs and Lolly UFO mods from Stumblor
The only mod I would put on the playfield is Atomic Godzilla. And the stern art blades. That’s just me. Other than that must haves are shaker, invisiglass, speaker upgrade.
Quoted from toro1966:Thanks! Fair enough. I am definitely a modding kind of guy. Where do you find the Atomic Godzilla? I will search of course, but figured I'd push the easy button.
Get in the list at this thread. Videos etc to.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/godzilla-atomic-godzilla-figure-mod#post-7234340
Quoted from DK:I just saw it again! It said “in memory of Dean Grover, the reaper”
Interesting. I’ve never seen that.
Quoted from Flexin:Question, is this one of those games that really benefits on upgrading the speakers? I get the music theme pins, but what do people think who have?
Yes, the stock speakers are poor. Sound and music are big parts of the game and well worth it imo. A simple upgrade you can do is change the backbox speakers with Kicker CSC 4”. Direct swap. Can also do 5.25” speakers but you need to get new mounting plates. Just doing that will yield a good improvement. You can also replace the cab speaker with a sub or use an external sub. And people take it even further with amps and so on. Check out the DIY audio thread. The op there has done tons of analysis and has recommendations for Godzilla.
Quoted from AMartin56:Are the Kickers the same depth for those of us with speaker grill lighting mods?
This is the 5.25”. They mount flush as the stock speakers but protrude into the back box more. Maybe 2 inches?
54E447D7-3933-42BC-97BD-9BF1194628B0 (resized).jpegQuoted from hcj13:Hi all, I was unable to find the part number for these two rubber pads. Worn out from use. Mech Godzilla ramp and right right entrance rubber pads. Can someone please let me know what to buy to replace these? Thanks for your help!
[quoted image][quoted image]
This one: https://www.pinballlife.com/stern-blue-rubber-bumper-626-5067-00.html
Quoted from jackd104:Planet X unlock - “early” is the default setting? That seems weird.
Been trying out the game on the default “early” setting. Games can still be epically long even this way, so it’s making more sense. Especially for location play. Even on early, almost no one but highly skilled players would see Planet X on location. Had a game today got to KOTM and it was like 40 mins long. this may help quell the rare complaint about the game that it just plays too long.
Been dialing in the game for months. Finally made a couple last adjustments that helped the last minor issues that were bothering me. 1. Lowered upper left flipper power 10 pts below the default. 2. Slightly raised right front and right rear legs to give the game 0.3 degree side-to-side tilt to left (measured in front of building). Had been playing at 0. Pitch is 6.7 fyi.
the positive results:
1. Destruction Jp drops on the upper left flipper further to left (before it was just hitting the tip as many people have complained)
2. Gz multiball start: balls fall slightly further left on the left flipper. Before it was ok falling on the tip with flipper up but now just a bit more to left.
3. Consecutive loops shot is way, way easier. When I lowered flipper power, it made a difference. Then the slight tilt to left helped the ball stick to the left ball guide better when coming down the flipper.
Every machine is different so the exact numbers may not work for you, but the general ideas might.
Quoted from AMartin56:According to Insider I'm approaching 400 games played on Godzilla. And while this has a lot to do with my relatively poor skill level playing pinball in general if I had one complaint it would be this:
For me the difference between a good score and an epic score is often Rodan.
Which kind of sucks because I lack the skill to easily select it prior to hitting the scoop. So it seems random. And ultimately Anguinis (sp?) and Mothra seem relatively worthless comparatively. In pretty much EVERY instance if I get one of them I'd rather have Rodan.
Am I missing something?
You can master this with a little effort. Hitting right flipper changes the lit ally. So Try first to catch the ball on left flipper. While holding it there, hit r flipper to change the lit ally. Then go for the shot with left flipper.
Quoted from tedwasright:I haven't updated yet. I don't want to go to Planet X early. I like the settings before the update. AFTER I update do I need to change anything? Or is the default the old way?
Default is “early” or the new way. The nice thing is you don’t have to go Planet X early. You can choose to go to more cities instead. Planet X just becomes an option. If you don’t want that option then change the setting to “normal”
Quoted from GCS2000:Dumb question - where do these mount?
There’s a key post about it, toward the bottom of list of key posts.
Quoted from vikingerik:Here's a random question. The other guy we hear on the callouts (not the narrator, but the "Easy on the machinery" guy) - is he any kind of identifiable character? Is he someone in the movie franchise, or illustrated on the machine anywhere? Just curious to have some sense of who he is.
It’s the character played by American actor Nick Adams from Invasion of Astro Monster. Video below
https://www.reddit.com/r/GODZILLA/comments/sv6erm/using_nick_adams_native_english_voice_with_the/
Quoted from Cheeks:WHY AM I SO BAD AT THIS GAME?
I want to like Godzilla SO bad, but I suck at it. I have everything needed to pimp this game out, but I'm hesitant to put anything into it until I can play at a minimally competent level.
I hear all this talk about long ball times, and it makes no sense to me. I have all of KE's cornerstone games, and I'm way better at all of the other ones. What am I doing wrong? My game seems to be a drain monster, but it doesn't seem like anyone else has this experience. Are there very specific settings needed for this game? I typically run my games a bit steep (6.8+), but I do this across the board.
Separate issue, my magna grab has started dropping the ball too far away from the upper flipper to EVER make the loop shot. Is this a setting or a leveling thing?
For clarity, I sucked at GZ even before my magna grab stopped dropping the ball correctly, so that's not why I'm so bad.
Advice appreciated.
I did tons of tweaking until it played how I liked. And yes it’s now in the easy side for ease of family and friends.
Lower Outlane posts.
Be sure flippers aligned properly (pointing at dots).
6.8 pitch and leveled well, although tweak it as needed. For example after I leveled to zero I then tilted it to left by 0.3 degrees which helped loop shots and destruction Jackpot drop
Widen left ramp shot
Lower sensitivity of slingshot switches.
Abe’s shooter lane fix plus other tweaks to make it shoot straight.
Master the “ski jump” technique. So useful on GZ!
Quoted from beltking:Yeah heard about topper a few days ago. Worried at $1000 it’s just plastic bc rush was like $1600
I hope it says Godzilla on it about five times.
Doubling down on the bad figure really a disappointment. Atomic Godzilla mod at 1/2 the price adds much more to the game. Guess you could replace the figure on the topper with Atomic if you had the $ and end up with something better.
Quoted from johnnyutah:I wonder if Stern was going for these old Godzilla neon lamps from the 80s when designing the topper. Last time I was in Maui a few back I saw one for sale in an art gallery. The concept is there.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
If that is what they were going for they fell quite short. That looks pretty cool.
Quoted from Amused_to_Death:One could also argue that the tanks are so ridiculously large that Godzilla would be wiped out with one or two shells, so it would be more accurate to remove the cotton candy cloud and zip tie Godzilla so he's laying flat on his back.
So replace the tanks, the bong smoke cloud, and Godzilla, and you might be on the way to having a decent topper. Maybe buildings can stay?
Quoted from gjm7777:[quoted image]
I always think of stuff like this when I see toppers. Game name is literally 7 inches down on the translite.
I don’t understand why mod makers don’t consider their mods in context of the machine and the sum presentation and then have the good taste to say, “gee, that looks silly and redundant.” Mysteries of the universe!
Quoted from SiN13:Um I think someone might have wired this wrong. Yellow and white appear to be flipped at this connector. Is there an easy way to pop these out on one end and switch them?
[quoted image]
I had the exact same wiring error on my GZ. Must be the same employee on the line up to their old tricks! I bought this molex set and just replaced the miswired connector which was the one on the side of the leds.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07D64NLKB
Option 2, here is an email I got from stern support about how to pop out the wires. I tried it but didn’t work out hence my prior solution.
IMG_0185 (resized).pngIMG_0186 (resized).png
Quoted from jacksparrow0112:Officially joined the club yesterday and couldn’t be more excited! My 10yo son is a MASSIVE Godzilla fan and has his entire bedroom decked out in OG Kaiju posters. Love that we can now bond over this game. He is teaching me everything to know about each of the monsters and their backstories. Cannot wait for all the fun pinball memories to be formed together.
[quoted image]
Oh dang, he’s going to love the game then. Enjoy.
Quoted from jacksparrow0112:Having issues with shooter lane and ball rattling out as soon as it jumps so it won’t complete the loop around the pop bumper. Tried all different game angles and even raising/lowing the end of the metal land jump. In slow mo it looks like it bounces off right side as it hops the end of the shooter lane. Fix suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Probably 10% of all posts in this thread are about this topic! This key post has a lot of adjustments you can try and + Abe’s shooter lane fix
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/285#post-7098733
Quoted from Tommy_Pins:Movie nerds, which godzilla movie should I check out next? I just watched king of monsters and invasion of the Astro monster. I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed them.
The first one. Different tone than those but good in its own way.
Quoted from thekiyote:I was reading the tilt forums rules sheet and it talked about the tank shots in the tank multiball going towards the captive ball.
Uh, where is that captive ball? Is this a typo?
Behind the magna grab
Quoted from Moli410:Perhaps a silly question and I noticed this after playing a few games out of the box. Are the shooter rods on the GZ pins short or is there a spring issue? I pull the plunger half way and up to 3/4 for skill shots and it barely hits the ball……
Anyone else have this issue?
Yes, I put a shorter spring on the outside of the cabinet to bring shooter closer to the ball. That was one of about 10 things about the shooting experience that was screwed up with GZ. Took lots of other tweaks to make it shoot straight and consistently, too.
Quoted from Moli410:What spring did you put on? Also what were the other things you had issues with?
Details in this thread incl a pic of the spring. It was an old spring I had, couldn’t find a new part the same size. You could probably cut a bigger spring to make it smaller. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/285#post-7098733
(This was before Abe’s shooter lane fix and i made my own version of that and then my quest for good shooting was complete)
Anyone know the specs of the screws that attach the model type plaque to the speaker panel?
(This post is a test of the insane obscure collective knowledge of Pinside)
Quoted from barndawg:So I installed the Lermods shooter lane fix and it made things better on my Godzilla (Premium) but not exactly great. Are there other things I should look at tweaking to get cleaner plunges? I still hear some rattle, still occasionally have manual and auto plunges seem to get stuck next to the mechagodzilla feature, etc...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/285#post-7098733
Quoted from LingBot:My new GZ Prem only has the plate on the left side as well. Are people putting the right plate in or just leaving it as-is? I haven't noticed any issues yet.
My new IMDN premium is also missing the IC sticker on the right.
Quoted from barndawg:A new problem has cropped up on my Godzilla (Premium) machine where the building is occasionally getting stuck/wedged (and makes a horrible noise as its motors run but it can't move). I think it's leaning forward and getting caught on the bridge though I'm not entirely sure. If I open the game and give the building a firm push I can feel it come free.
Anyone else experienced this? Is there way to tighten it into place better as it seems to have a fair bit of play back and forth.
The building is supposed to have play and rock back. In the assembly there is a part that slides up/down two shafts. It’s probably binding there for some reason. See if you can figure out why (something mis-aligned?). When my building started to vibrate going down I put a tiny bit of super lube on the shafts. Not sure that is what you should do but that is the area where it could bind.
IMG_0624 (resized).png
Could be something wrong with the worm gear too I guess
Quoted from hawkfanz:What did Elwin say about the SDTM on the podcast?
He said the mod was “dumb” (lol) because he designed it that way on purpose. Also it’s not meant to go stdm but to tip of left flipper (when up) and it does do that in most cases if game is leveled properly.
Quoted from j_m_:why any of these nearly $10K games are assembled with anything other than what is stated above simply baffles my mind.
hand built, yes I understand that, however there are certain things like the shooter assembly that should be dead-on for every single game that leaves their building
Well, yes, among other things. Like not wiring lights backwards, aligning flippers correctly, and remembering to attach the pf alignment brackets.
Quoted from bush3262:Is there a comprehensive list of adjustments online somewhere? That would be a great alternative to endlessly scrolling through settings one by one on the game itself.
Yes, in the game manual. Check stern website support section.
Quoted from reconsider59:Speaking of Saucer Attack, I noticed something that took me by surprise when I lit it last night. Wondering if anyone else has seen this on a Premium:
- 2 balls locked on the building for Godzilla multiball
- light Saucer Attack - saucer lights are flashing rainbow colors
- building drops - shots to the building are completely rejected
Is this by design? Or just something weird? There's probably a logical explanation to lock the player out of starting Godzilla Multiball, so you can't have both multiballs stacked, but I was just surprised that the building was set up in a way where I couldn't shoot the building, at all.
Doesn’t sound right. Might be a problem. You should be allowed to start Gz multiball and saucer would unlite until it’s over.
Quoted from BW1029:I may have missed it if discussed earlier but on my recent build GZ premium, there’s what looks like a black cable tie above and behind mecha Godzilla, but I can’t figure out its purpose. Anyone have any thoughts?
They just repurposed a common part to help prevent ball getting stuck there.
Quoted from tedwasright:I had a good game going and finished everything in Tokyo. When my bonus came up for leaving the city I had 121m. But it had only 1m for tanks. I know I beat tanks and hislt maser. Any thoughts?
Carnage bonus is different from what you earned in the mode. It’s like victory laps, for making tank shots after you beat the mode and as long as it’s the same ball. I think - been a while
Quoted from Acronymicon:you guys are awesome, thank you.
Confirmed my concern, so I looked around the northeast thread a little, and I think I already have a better option on a premium.
Good move. 8.8 is the ballpark for a perfectly fine gz. No need to resort to damaged one. Try to find a stock one that someone hasn’t spent 2k in mods and somehow think they should recoup.
Quoted from jawjaw:My game is stock and never had trouble with the ramps even after long gameplay. Honestly, never noticed flipper fade on any Stern game.
GZ code is fine as is. I think they made it to easy in last update. It seems like you barely have to do anything to advance all the way through the game. Although I rather it be a little too easy than too hard. Coding these games cost money. I rather Stern simplify the rules a bit and get it done early to bring cost of games down. I feel like these games are too complicated for the vast majority of players. Very few get to these ultra deep wizard modes and pretty much nobody understands all the code details.
At first I thought the same about the short route option to PlanetX. But then I realized it’s just another interesting decision. You can take the shorter route if you want to get to the end faster, but you forego a likely higher score by skipping over other modes on the way. Also, GZ just plays too darn long a lot of times. Sometime I don’t feel like starting it up because it’s a big commitment. If you don’t have all day to play, you can take the short route. Also increases the times you can see the end game from very rare to often. And mere mortals (normal/casual players) will still never be close to Planet X anyway. So it’s not exactly easy even shorter route.
Quoted from Dalinar:How common are micro scratches on the godzilla part of the playfield. I know they will show up with normal wear and tear but my JP has a lot less.
900 or so plays (most very short due too kids)
(Yes I wax the playfielf and change out balls).
The quality of clear coat might vary from game to game but it’s normal and unavoidable in general. It can be more noticeable until there is more general wear and it all evens out. Sounds like you’re already doing what you can. Keep it clean and change balls when they get banged up are the main things.
Quoted from Acronymicon:To those that like them, would you also like if they start advertising their apparel or other "lifestyle brand" stuff?
As long as it’s pinball related I wouldn’t mind any kind of product.
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