My Munsters post was doing the same thing and I just had to gently bend the bracket a hair and its been fine for a couple thousand plays.

I had the same issue with the up posts on my JP. Things can shift a bit when getting beaten by a steel ball bearing repeatedly.

Rob

I agree, but my Stranger Things was NIB and these issues were from setup. That is my favorite Stern pin since, well, WMS exited. But wow Stranger Things has so many out of the box issues. Took me a month to iron out all of them, and I have experience with full machine teardowns. So a homeowner that doesn't have the experience I have might be SOL. (Adjusting lane guides and sticking up-posts are just 2 of many issues)

FIXED!
Thanks all that have chimed in. Greatly appreciated. I called my distrubutor and they suggest going through the coil test for the uppost then taking off the glass and pulling out the playfield and looking more closely at the area.

FIXED. So yes the post was binding against the playfield. So I opened it up pulled the playfield out and up and just loosened 2 of the 3 screws that holds in in place. But I only loosened a screw 3/4's rotation of the screw. And then when I push the coil up for post up it would spring back nicely. Whereas before it would get stuck and you could feel a slight pressure when pushing it all the way up. Should be alright having loosened the screw about 3/4's rotation? The screw still feels very tight\stiff.

FYI, all characters on any ball, when you hold the left flipper up and plunge will have the ball do a full orbit around and down towards the left flipper. I thought it was some characters, I heard it was the 2nd and 3rd ball only...nope all and any.

Has been a good experience fixing this although fairly minor, its good getting in and seeing how things all work and understanding things better.

Now onto trying to improve my scores

Xaqery this would be awesome!

It would be cool to have the lock bar button lock in the mode you want as well ! Almost sure there are other games that do this ?

Yes, that’s exactly right. The original fan runs based on the PSU temperature. The larger add-on fan is so quiet that I can’t hear it once I close up the back box. It runs constantly and in a week of the game being on eight hours a day, the smaller stock fan has not spun up once. My office chair is a foot away from the plunger and I’m very sensitive to noise.

I would try to keep the add-on fan as small as possible or you will likely start seeing it as a darker area behind the translite since it will cast a shadow. The 60mm fan is not visible once the translite is in place.

Picked up a premium a couple weeks ago.
I fixed most of my air balls by bending the standup target mount forward without having to replace it. It seems to work really well, better than spending $18 for a new bracket and $10 shipping(for that reason I will never).

But now I have issues with speed.

#1 Anyone come up with a Fix on Premium or LE where the ball flies off the wire form due to too much speed. I have had this happen now on both sides left and right. It would be great if they designed these forms with a cage over the top.
#2 if that ball is moving too fast I have had it even jump over my flipper instead of trapping it. Going to try some new low bounce silicone flippers. .

I have a Pro and posted this question several weeks back. Seems now that if you have a legitimate problem, and post a question in this thread, that you basically get no answer at all. I have seen limited off the specific problem feedback, but nothing that anybody, wants to put any thought into. I am working on a solution, and will report back, when I come up with something suitable.

If you use the search engine on the thread you will find the answers you are looking for. I have a mod for my left wire form to help prevent the ball from flying off. I have never had an issue with the right side.

There is a sewer pipe mod that fixes that for people having that issue.

I've never had that problem on mine, but still have considered getting the mod because it looks cool.

In recent games on my premium I've noticed where occasionally the pizza parlor will not give credit for a shot into it. It will still release the ball if needed (like if multi-ball has already been used up) but I have had cases where it won't finish an episode when it should. It's maybe everything 6th or 7th shot this is now happening. Thoughts?

Might be a loose optic sensor or possibly miss alignment of the boards for the pizza parlor...that’s the first thing I would check. You can also double check the optic sensor connections under the playfield could also be the problem.

I think there’s only a sewer pipe mod for the left ramp. On my Pro, I can fly off the center ramp if I nail it on the fly. Will usually end up in the shooter lane or fly over my right flipper into the drain.

Hi, everyone. I'm finally thinking about picking up a TMNT. I haven't been able to play one yet, so I'm wondering what the consensus is, if any, about the game a year on? I skimmed the thread and understand the basics, but there's a lot here! I'm wondering about a few things:

* Is the code in a complete and satisfying state now?
* What other modern Stern does this feel like, if any? Both in terms of software and the layout.
* Are all of the mechanical kinks worked out now? How fussy are the mechs?
* Pro or Premium/LE? I love good mechanical toys, is it worth it here? I almost always go Premium/LE.

My last two games were Deadpool and Stern Star Wars, so I'd like to get something that plays differently from those. I have a huge soft spot for TMNT, so modding in the cartoon clips seems like a no-brainer.

Any thoughts, or pointing me in the right direction, are appreciated. Thanks!

I bought without playing 6 months ago or so. I'm not even a big Turtles fan, but like a good Pinsider did a ton of stream watching and internet reading.

Code: matches the pin's play style very well. Deep enough. Tough enough. Fun enough. There's a lot that's going on at once seemingly all the time. There are a lot of modes. Final Battle is tough to reach. Cowabunga nearly impossible. Add the fact that you have coop and team play and there's more possibilities. People love picking a Turtle at the start of the game.
Mechs: There are less mechs in the Pro but I went with it because there are less problems and it feels like a loaded pin anyway. One of Stern's best Pros. IMO the glider and more interactive lair and van ball lock are more problematic than not.
Feel: XMen plus Iron Man? Games can be short and punishing with scoring under 5,000,000, or you can just blow it up with 70,000,000.

I owned Deadpool LE and grew bored of it fairly quickly. It just felt the same over and over. Star Wars was barren and too complex for me. There's basically no mechs.

I had this same issue and it ended up being a loose wire that connects to that board underneath the playfield. Reseated the connector and haven't had a problem since.

There is a clear plastic for the center ramp if it's flying off before it gets to the wireform. Not sure if there is a right side pipe mod.

I've owned my machine for nearly a year and played way too many games on it. I have a lot of opinions on it (consult my post history in this thread as evidence). But ultimately, I feel like I have a well-informed perspective.

First things first: TMNT is definitely a different experience than Deadpool and Star Wars, so no worries there. Definitely has a bit of an IronMan feel due to the fast drains and general difficulty. It's got close shots that come back fast when you miss and pretty hungry outlanes, particularly the left one. It's important to make sure your slings aren't set too sensitive or you're gonna have a bad time.

Cartoon code (retaining the Stern sounds) is the way to go. Most of the stock animations are pretty decent, even if a few leave a bit to be desired. April animations SUCK! simple as that, they alone make the cartoon code worth trying. I feel like the sound department did a great job and the call out sound-a-likes do a solid job but I've watched most of the TMNT cartoons so I'm used to more than one voice actor doing the different voices already.

Pro vs Prem, I'd vote Pro personally. From my limited experience on an LE, the Van ball lock was cool but nothing I couldnt live without, the Pizza disc moving both ways is nice but again the Pro pizza messes with the ball plenty (and it's not really integrated into any of the episodes), and the diverter seemed tough to use with how fast the ball moves, especially with the side ramp. Regarding the diverter I would like more time on Prem/LE now that I know which flipper I want the ball going to during specific modes to make a "final" opinion. If money wasn't an issue, I'd go Premium, it is an upgrade but I don't think the increased cost justifies it.

Finally, code. This isn't Munsters or Ghostbusters (pre-final update). The code definitely has a feeling of being almost complete but still needs some bug fixes and final polish (specifically the Neutrino Pizza Party Mode needs a mode end screen). To me the gameplay consists of lighting and playing episodes, stacking an episode with one of the two multiballs if possible and getting to Team Up MB, then doing it again trying to get to Final Battle. To me, this mechanic is pretty solid and time-tested to work. Beside this main element, there are Turtle Perks and leveling your Turtle up to gain the later perks (and increased scoring). This is also a solid mechanic but I feel like it's underdeveloped/under-utilized. Some of the perks just aren't able to be utilized in any meaningful way and I believe are a throwback to an earlier code idea of saving your Turtle's level between games. I think it's this mechanic that makes the game unique and bolstering it in a future code update could really make this game shine. Outside of that there are a number of shallow objectives that are difficult but satisfying to complete. These are things like 1-2-3 Foot Combo, Krang Kombo, Weapon Hurry-ups, etc. To me they are one off things that help to make the game feel "full," but don't really contribute to normal game progression. But then, they do figure into qualifying the ultimate wizard mode: COWABUNGA. Being part of qualifying kind of feels like Dwight was trying to make these side objectives
"matter." But I still think there is something missing there, like if they somehow contributed to the Episodes or Training gameplay mechanics or something, they'd feel more integrated.

This may have turned into more of a review than a reply and it's just one man's perspective but hopefully it helps you to make a decision on it. Hopefully my comments, particularly relating to the code, don't come off as too negative. I've had a friend offer to buy it from me and I have refused, so I think that says a lot about my feelings on the game. I'd probably rate it below Deadpool, Avengers and Jurassic Park, primarily because those games feel more cohesive overall but above Star Wars, Black Knight and Stranger Things (though it's probably in their "Tier").

Disclaimer: This is ALL my OPINION and I understand people have different opinions, feelings and perspectives.

* Are all of the mechanical kinks worked out now? How fussy are the mechs?
The glider mech is iffy. Stern used a really cheap servo which can be replaced with a better one - some have just had the entire mech replaced, but it includes the same cheapo servo. That and the pizza spinner can make a grinding noise, which is remedied with a few drops of lubricant.

* Pro or Premium/LE?
I am glad I went with the Premium. Even though the glider has been problematic for some, I like being able to divert the ball and if it does give me issues in the future, I will just replace the servo with a quality one. There's also a glider value that you can build by shooting the left ramp continuously, then you can collect that value by hitting the right ramp.

The mechanical bouncing Krang makes me laugh - it's a silly toy that I would miss if it were gone. I know there are mods to put a decent looking static toy in that spot. It's not the same.

The turtle van releasing the balls for Turtle Power Multiball is a fun way to differentiate it from the Pizza Party multiball mode which spins the balls on the pizza disc.

My favorite shot is the Lair shot, so I love the Lair lock when that's enabled during multiball. It saves balls on a timed lock and helps to extend your multiballs. The multiballs can be hectic, so even when you're not intentionally trying to lock a ball in there, it's a surprise to see one in there.

I feel like the game is going to retain its value over time. If the price difference between Pro/Premium isn't a big stretch for you, I think it's worth the upgrade.

I agree, great shot. I still laugh at myself for thinking it was going to be TOO EASY when it was revealed. haha

Code is PHENOMENAL! I was a bit skeptical of Dwight on code as I haven’t been a huge fan of his previous offerings but he’s always done something interesting in his games but for me at least hadn’t put it all together in one game before Turtles. And boy let me tell you he’s put it all together in turtles. There were those streams last year where he was explaining everything and his passion was just amazing! There might be a bug here or there but I haven’t seen any. This is Dwight’s best game by miles and for me would be the second to last game to ever leave my collection. Dwight has made use of the ENTIRE playfield! Different modes use different parts of the playfield. So it’s not a one shot joy ride.

It’s a Borg game. So for me I’d probably line up up against GOTG and Metallica, maybe even lined up against corvette. You’ve got the lair shot which is kind of like the far left shots in those games. There’s the centre shot like groot and sparky to the pizza parlour. And three ramps which are super fun to hit. Software wise it’s mode driven so maybe gotg.

I’ve had more problems with my aiq with the disc not being level and walker mech breaking and not moving the ball along properly. So far so good with tmntle.

I am a premium/Le buyer. I want the full experience. Having a LE I think I would be equally happy with a pro. The balls out of the van is cool but not necessary. The bidirectional spinning disc is ok but single direction would’ve been fine. The glider is a nice way to choose where you want to put the ball but generally I want to put the ball on the tight flipper so it kind of stays there 99% of the game.

This games quite different to both those. It’s equally as fast if not FASTER than Star Wars! Balls are back at you in the blink of an eye. I prefer the code and layout on tmnt and would rate them tmnt, deadpool then Star Wars.

Damn it’s a hard shot isn’t it! A dual ball cradle on the left flipper is the easiest lair shot for me! Damn Leo making me want to try and hit the lair shot...

Can you provide more insight into which wire it might have been? I spent some time this evening trying to make sure they were all good but didn't discover any problems (nor resolve the issue, sadly!)

Is there any way to easily get at the optic sensor in the pizza parlor? It seems like I'd have to take quite a bit apart to check that out, but this is my first pin and it's MORE likely that I am just missing how to do this properly.

Sorry man I haven’t had your issue on my pin so I really don’t have advice on how to take anything apart in that area...but on a side note I did use a pencil on my Elvira HOH to check the optics(and it was in a similar area)without taking anything apart.

Do you have a pro or a premium/le? I have pictures of each step of my playfield tear down but I have a premium.

If you tell me where in this pic the optic sensor is, I can show you how I got there. This is after removing the backboard, the van and most the ramps. It’s fairly difficult to get at from above.

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Flying off while on the wireform unfortunately. After the parallel wireforms section when the center ramp/wireform then turns toward the shooter lane, too much speed will launch it off there.

Exactly my problem.

Me too.

I have a premium, although I am unsure where the optic sensor is. Thanks!

2 times I have been told that my problem is addressed, and 2 times I have looked through every post, in this thread. I guess I will fabricate a wire form over head plastic fix.

Quick average game I put up. Testing the angle I should use for my camera . Lots of very fast shots in this game, none fly off the wire form, I have an LE, and apparently I’m very lucky to not have any issues other than the pizza grinding sound which was an easy fix.. hope you guys figure out your air ball situation, I’ve put 1,000s of games on mine with no issues. Maybe they did a better qc check with games (le specifically possibly) going to Canada ‍♂️ Good luck, keep playing. Games gets better n better,even though it’s brutal most of the time. Haha

The three "upper lock" switches (46, 47, & 48) -- which I assume are optos (pardon my ignorance) are the thing that lets the game know there are balls in the parlor. I'm too lazy to look at the bottom of my playfield, but can you locate this area underneath your playfield and see if you can unscrew the sensor array and drop them from the bottom to inspect? If not, you'll have to approach it from above which will be about 3 or 4 hours of removing things (and taking pictures one by one of each thing you remove) to get access to that area unfortunately.

My process was: one picture per screw or part (point your finger in each picture to the thing you're about to remove). As you go, group items into numbered zip lock bags -- count up from 1 to contain the parts in small batches. The more bags the better. Some of my bags only had one or two screws in them. Then, when you need to put everything back together, grab the highest numbered bag and the most recent picture and work backwards through the pictures and bags.

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I'm not near the game now, but what I did was lift the playfield and located the board nearest the parlor. I noticed a connector half unplugged and reseated it. Not much more to report. When I get home I can take some pics though.

Dumb question, is there a mode called Rad something? I get to some mode I hadn't seen before. Machine went very dark with the red shots lit and one blue. I think it may have been the Neutrino Pizza Party but I thought for sure it said Rad Mode. There was so much going on it was hard to watch the screen.

It might say radical in the animation or something but yeah thats the Neutrino Pizza Party mode. Red shots to build value, blue to collect. It still needs some mode text and a finish screen but I'm glad Dwight threw it in to the last update.

Maybe it was radical! Lol. It caught me off guard. It was so dark I was trying to pay attention to the playfield. I did well in the mode and ended up with 150 million. Thanks for the information!

Joining the club, just placed an order for a TMNT Premium. I was waiting on the The Mandalorian reveal but that game isn't for me, I think TMNT looks a lot more fun. Had a blast playing an LE on location a few weeks back.

Will be ordering a shaker motor and the art blades! Will take a look at what other mods are out there.

I removed the optos from below (just two screws once I found them), put them back back in, and the problem appears to be resolved. The screws had been in really tight, so I'm not sure what difference I made or what would have been wrong. Hopefully it does not surface again.

Thanks to those that offered ideas! I still have so much to learn.

FYI guys about the optos.

I have found a pair of transmitters that did not have one of the LED legs properly soldered to the board, and this caused an intermitttant operation issue. Simply taking the opto apart and re-soldering the LED legs easily resolved this. I am willing to bet that most issues with optos is what I described above considering IMO, LED bulbs almost never go bad.

Was wondering why we haven't had a code update since December, knowing that in particular some of Final Battle (speech) is broken. Now that we know Dwight's been busy with Mandalorian, will be interesting to see how complete that code is when it ships and hopefully he can get back to and finish Turtles.

I would think what little left to do on Turtles would be farmed out to some of the staff their to clean up. Turtles was pretty complete from the start but agree could use a few tweaks here and there. Was hoping they would have gotten it cleaned up by now.

Dwight has been busy on the new Mando pin. I hope to get another update before the end of the year.

I'm having the same issue start on my premium, I'll give this a shot. Thank you!

Welcome to our club, you’ll love this game! Great fun and is loaded with ball interactive mechs. Truly think this is a top 3 game. Code is deep and gameplay is never boring, but fun. Balls travel at the speed of light. Multiplayer and all the extra modes outside of the game itself is unique to pinball. Players need to realize this is an asymmetrical design, so the left outlane drain is purposely higher than the right.

FYI, I’ve played this game since it came out and installed silicon flipper rings from day one. Decided to change back to my unused Stern rubber flipper rings and WOW, what a difference!! I feel like a pinball pro now, as I can make any shot with ease and advance through the modes like never before. Till putting the Stern rubber on my flippers, I’ve never advanced to final battle on 3 balls, till now. Never going back to silicon. Lol

Yep! Absolutely loving my TMNT Pro. Have had it for about 2 weeks and just love it. SO much fun, so many things to do to keep each game different. And yeah the half shell challenge is a blast. I haven't even gotten into the co-op or vs modes yet or even Final Shredder battle. Saving them for a rainy day I find it a challenge but thats just me as a player, keeps me going back for more. Art work is incredible, light shows are amazing, theme overall is just awesome. Its actually getting my youngest daughter into pinball which I'm super happy about. Hope she asks for a pinball for her birthday one day!

I've personally never liked the feel of silicone. I've got rubber on everything for this reason.

So I posted a little while back looking for any information about this custom topper. I was able to track down who originally posted the photo, who made it and there was even a very nice person bazou who pointed me in the right direction who actually owns one. Unfortunately, I couldn't get much help from the person who originally posted a photo of the topper, bazou doesn't want to sell his (understandably) and the person who made these originally doesn't want to make anymore. Not to be detered in my quest, I found a custom sign maker on Etsy and they have made me one! It's practically an exact replica of the original I showed them. They are also making me one for the eventual Avengers IQ pinball I will get once my wife cools down from me buying a TMNT. I also plan on having this guy make a Ghostbusters logo sign to put above the already amazing Stern topper. Here are some pics of what is completed and what is still to come...I am super excited!

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