Thanks everyone! The info was super helpful.

I think I was a couple of modes away from getting to cowabunga. I find that getting krang and the super jackpots kind of just happen. Where as the weapon hurry up is the hardest if the lot to get because you’ve got to A get your skill shot and depending on which turtle you are depends on how hard that shot is. And B shoot the centre ramp on command during a hurry up! That for me is the hardest of the qualifiers. I haven’t gotten to final battle yet either. For some reason I’m always trying for cowabunga instead of going for things in stages.

Xaqery has coded a fantastic game. He and his team MAKE you shoot the entire playfield. Some games focus on a few shots to get your score higher but this game makes you shoot them all. For instance bksor makes you shoot the flail, shield and black knight shots more often than not. But then to score big get it up to the sky loop and just slap it around up there. That got old for me. There was no advantage to staying down the bottom and shooting the lit shots it was more lucrative to go up top loop it around and hit the target. Zzzzzzzz. Turtles forces you to hit left and right ramps to get a mode qualified but then each mode forces you around the playfield. I think my favourite mode is one of the krang modes where the red shot roams and if you hit a yellow shit that shot gets locked out from that mode.

those filters look great, i will be installing mine tonight, along with few other mods
literally had to wait for wife to go away for few days, as she has been hooked since Pin arrived lol

Norcalpin i just started having same issue after just a week (although missus been hammering it)
balls were magnetized, changed them and now seems to be ok

have also had no magnetism from pizza disc during pizza multi ball
anyone else get this?
seems random, but sometimes the balls just fall, instead of sticking to the pizza
happened 3 times now

hopefully got a cheap servo replacement coming today, while i wait for what looks like a better quality one
sadly, suitable Hitec servo's were out of stock from available sellers,
just curious is Hitec the standard when it comes to servos ?

Yep, I'll take a look at the magnetism. A couple of the other fellows mentioned that. Interestingly enough, I've been hammering this thing all day and it seemed to act up after my 15th game or so. The previous owner only put 300 plays on it since new, so I'm probably working out the kinks. I also got that random "non magnetic" pizza during pizza multiball. What code are you on?

Not sure when this mentality of “beating the game” by getting to an end all wizard mode, like we do in video gaming crept in? Pinball has never been that kind of game; of getting to the end and then you’re done with it, with no more to do in the game. That thinking should only take place in a $59.95 video game, not a $5k to $10k pinball machine.

Always thought pinball was about mastering the table and getting GC score, etc....

I can tell you for me and my family where we grew up on video games that a pin that is easy to beat and then it’s rinse and repeat we move those quick. Every pin I own a everyone in the family hasn’t beat except sorcerer and that’s only staying because my wife loves the art. Not sure it’s because I grew up in the home console era or what but we all share the same idea on a pin which is why we have the collection we have

Everybody is different. I don’t care about scores other than at league night. I much prefer getting through a story and trying to beat wizard modes. Everybody is different in how they approach games. I just look for story and modes to bring me back, not multipliers and scoring.

So what's a respectable score for TMNT?

Pinball is more in the vain of a sport, than a video game, imo. Gary Stern constantly explains: “it is a bat and ball game, with a regulation size playfield plain and simple”. In the bat and ball games of tennis, baseball, ping pong etc. are we just trying to get to the end of a championship and then done with the game after that? Thinking as much as I like the LCD, it might be the LCD era that has been responsible for the sport of pinball, getting to be seen like a video game with an ending, even though that might never be the real case.

I've gotten to Cowabunga twice, both in 4-player co-op mode. One time was with my son as I dragged him into Ball 3 when I saw it was going to happen, which was super fun. In a 1-player game, I've hit all the criteria except Final Battle, because I barely made it to Team Up in that game. A bunch of random events and virtually no mode progression.

Whoever makes it to Cowabunga first on a one player game will almost certainly know it early on in a game because they got into a MB and quickly got Krang and Triple Mondo done. Jackpoto Grande is one shot and easier than what Krang and Triple Mondo require. If you can check off Krang and Mondo quick, now you know your main objective is to baby step your way through the modes (no need to win them... heck, drain the 2nd ball on Team Up too since it's just a roadblock), while being cognizant of the checklist items when they appear. Don't wait until Ball 3 for Weapon and 1-2-3 Foot, but don't center you entire strategy around them as you'll never get into modes. Just defeat them when you stumble into them along your mode quest, and definitely get the two main EB's.

If I had @xaqery's ear for one moment, I'd kindly suggest that Krang and Triple Mondo are both too similar and too difficult. Both require 3 (TIGHT) inner orbits, but Krang is at stupid fast speeds, and then needs a center ramp shot (which may not register at said speeds, depending on your setup). Triple Mondo in a MB at least doesn't require it as a combo so you have a chance. I'd suggest either making Krang's requirement ANY number of Krang combos (even if just one Krang loop, and then center ramp), or nix it all together and have that requirement change to a Training Mode completion requirement. I think both ideas still make you touch all corners of the rules while also not neutering it or having a bunch of players just say "play better". IMHO it's like a 98-99% perfectly coded game.

As others said above, it's not always about Wizard, but instead high scores... but if you can have both, a deep and broad game with tons of scoring objectives AND that rare chance to pinball immortality bragging rights, that's a damn good combo.

Anyone heard from stern when is next production of premium's ? I'm still waiting for it since last november...

I had this issue. Its not code but magnetized balls. I got the balls from Titan (recommended by Cary Hardy) and problem was immediately solved.

https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=57&product_id=69

For me the balls did not stick together nor did a paper clip, but still replacing them with the Titan balls totally fixed it. Been playing for months and never had a repeat.

Agree. I own DP and TMNT. I feel TMNT is deeper with Cowabunga and now also the Neutrinos and Half Shell Challenge just keep things fresh so you can have a new challenge everytime you play.

I tried out Final Battle mode again last night and don't have any spoken dialog in the opening video scene on version 1.41 on premium. Anyone else with this issue? Xaqery I LOVE this freaking game!

100 million. I've gotten that a few times on mine. It's comparable to a 2 billion score in DP.

Yup...same here and I have seen another couple posts mentioning it. I have gotten it in game twice since the update, and also played Final Battle Challenge once or twice. No speech on any of them. I am assuming Dwight is aware and a fix will be coming soon.

I was going to say something. I've only played the mode once or twice. Recently mine doesn't have any dialogue during the opening. Thought that was a bit odd.

I made it to Final Battle for the first time yesterday (~ 220 plays)...I drained last ball rather quickly during it thought just to find out I had apparently also qualified Cowabunga ...so close...yet so far.

A question for everyone - after completing Foot 123 combo, does it keep relighting with every new ball?

Awesome to hear you made it in Coop! Yeah the game requires a lot of strategy to make it all happen to get to Cowabunga and you have to manage what you have checked off and continue to work on items as you go thru. April hurry ups are a hard one as well but you just have to make sure you knock out one April per mode and keep track of them. I have been getting all 5 more recently but its def not easy. I find Triple Mondo the hardest since it has to be done in the multiball. Max Krang I am able to get every once in awhile. For Max Krang and Triple Mondo, you do have some grace period so it doesn't have to be 3 loops in a row and then the center ramp (for Krang). I do not know the specifics but I believe there is maybe a 10 sec grace period that you have to make the successive loop shot so if you hit one loop and then miss the second one, you still have some time to get back up there to try again. The mondo insert and krang insert will be flashing. Once they stop flashing you timed out and have to hit a loop to start it again. You can also hit other shots while its going on. I do agree that those two objectives are the hardest but knowing you have some grace time to make them you can relax a little and regroup to make the loops.

Can you complete things after the final battle that you still need, such as multiple April Hurry Ups? Or are you out of luck, because it doesn't reset without completing an episode?

Yes you can still complete objectives after Final Battle. If you beat Final Battle or drain and you still have a ball then the Final Battle ladder resets and you play the modes again so you can still get an April Hurry Up on each mode.

I think I'm going to get some HD glass.

What is everyone's recommendations?

VooDoo Glass?
Stern HD?
Something else?

Can anyone tell me what build date I need to look for to guarantee a solid PRO Playfield? If I went Premium, would it guarantee a good Playfield?

Purely anecdotal but my Premium had a build date of November 2020 and the playfield print looks really nice. I expect it's a crapshoot, since there have been Premiums reported in this thread with bad playfield print jobs.

Crap...long way to go from my 11 million.

Yeah it's tough. I really think I'm going Pro on this one. I'm in on a LZ LE, but I believe I'm dropping it. Nothing has impressed me about it. Really found TMNT by accident. It was an afterthought.

Your kids will love turtles !

The consensus is that PDI is the best, but it's never on sale. The other ones are all similar enough that the lowest price wins. And by best price, I mean $200 shipped (if purchased in pairs).

I hope so. (I secretly hope I like it more though!)

Does anyone have the technodrome mod or the RGB Raph ramp light mod from Mezel Mods? Would love to see a video before buying it. Thanks dudes

New Year Resolution? Go green

20210104_211110 (resized).jpg

Didn't get an answer so reposting - after completing Foot 123 combo, does it keep relighting with every new ball? Thanks

Pretty sure yes. Because you can definitely complete it multiple times. Same with Weapon Hurry Up.

nope.If you fail to hit all 3 shots in order before the timer runs out, the mode is unlit for the remainder of your ball but re-lights for the next ball. But if you complete it, its unlit for the rest of the game.

123 Foot could definitely use some tweaks to make it a bit more worth intentionally starting it. Like being able to control whether its lit or not using the flipper buttons.

Actually, I think it would be cool if the flippers always turned it off/on but then you reset the spinner count when you start it or when you drain. but also make the spinner scoring increase based on the number of spins you have built up.

And then it would be a satisfying combo, like it already is, but also be deliberate and buildable. It would also make Donnie a bit more powerful with his perk but I dont think that would be a problem.

shaub Ok thanks for clarifying - I think this is an issue and makes Donatello weaker since his level 2 reward becomes useless as soon as you complete 123 foot...so you end up trying to only complete two shots of the combo and not all 3.

I feel 123 combo should be available after completing.

Xaqery maybe this is something that could be tweaked or was this the intention?

Agreed, 123 Foot in general is so fun to shoot, but it's constantly in the way.

Donnie is set up very weird. I never want to start his Multiball without a mode, so I always try to start 123 foot before hitting the ramp. Then I don't want to finish 123 foot because it's such a low value. It's like I'm always fighting against his "perks."

originally it re-lit each ball, but it was changed due to complaints about it often getting in the way. I prefer it how it is now myself, but it could be better and more interesting with some minor changes.

Just curious, but when everyone else hits the April Hurry up or the turtle power multiball, does the solenoid that holds the ball in place on your ramp during the cutscene make a loud sound while it is activated? That seems to the be the only coil that I can hear when it is engaged.

I am obsessed with 1, 2, 3 foot given it qualifies for Cowabunga. Apologies as I really thought you could re-light it after you beat it. Maybe I was playing in co-op...or older code...or am just remembering incorrectly!

I can hear it humming a bit when it holds up in April Hurry Up or TP MB, but it's not too loud. I just started playing Hobbit and would say the low humming in TMNT is like a whisper compared to the sounds that machine makes!

for the tp mb is it a humming sound? i think this a sound coming out of the speakers.
Maybe you can check if it is coming out of the speakers.
If yes then it is intended.

Well...
I now own 2 TMNT PRO!
Both are on location working turtle overtime!

Agree - it's the coolest/most satisfying combo in the game to shoot. I want to be able to complete it multiple times, especially w/ Donatello.

Here is a video of cycling through the Turtles and the lights that appear. It has the technodrome in it but it isn't blinking during the selection.

Here is a video with the technodrome that shows blinking.

Leaning Pro, but like the skill shots and of course turtle van multiball on the the Premium. Can you disable the diverter or leave it in a neutral position?

Though I like the multi-color ramp lighting mod, I wasn't going to spend $50 for it. I also wasn't going to spend $25 for the single color mod.

If you look at the back panel right over the ramp, you have LED's and you can replace the left most one with a Comet Matrix bulb with leads. Then attach one of the matrix strips, color of your choice, back there (they have an adhesive backing). Done in like 3 minutes and maybe $8 out of pocket. I had both red and green lying around. I liked red better.

Go Pro and don’t look back!

Skill shots? I thought that is the same between them, but the pro has the addition of a lane light skill shot that the premium doesn't have.

Pro was the way to go for me.