(Topic ID: 308430)

RUSH Pinball Official Owners Club-“Straining the Limits of Machine and Man”

By mrossman5

2 years ago


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Topic index (key posts)

36 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items.

Display key post list sorted by: Post date | Keypost summary | User name

Post #91 Rush song list Posted by Bill2112Rush (2 years ago)

Post #1378 RULES. Link to RUSH Rulesheet Posted by Av8 (2 years ago)

Post #1389 TECH: SWITCHES. Lockdown bar action button not working - fix Posted by PinMonk (2 years ago)

Post #1818 MOD: SOUND. Amp DIY upgrade for RUSH Posted by TinyBlackDog (2 years ago)

Post #2123 TECH: PLAYFIELD. Shooter lane adjustment to stop rattling ball launch Posted by Coyohtay (2 years ago)

Post #3107 TECH: SOUND. Headphone Jack no-boot when installed workaround Posted by AUKraut (2 years ago)

Post #3632 TECH: PLAYFIELD. Scoop losing track of balls. Posted by Schwaggs (2 years ago)


Topic indices are generated from key posts and maintained by Pinside Editors. For more information, or to become an editor yourself read this post!

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#7137 1 year ago

In an unexpected turn of events, we have a Premium coming in about 10-12 days.

I'm curious - in the Rush Game Group (in the top 100) why is the Premium not listed? Are Premiums lumped with LEs (for reviews) but just not labeled as such? Sometimes Premium & LE are separated (Godzilla, JP Stern, most Sterns released in the past 3-4 years) and sometimes they are combined (Iron Maiden, Star Wars Stern, most sterns released ~4+ years ago). Has the ship sailed to give Rush Premium it's own listing in the game group? Who does one ask? Searching "Rush Game Group" does not yield fruitful results....

2 weeks later
#7661 1 year ago

Just joined the club yesterday with a premium! Played several games, but now need to adjust a couple switches that are regularly activating when I start a ball.

A request- Could someone look at these two switches in switch test mode and let me know their default position? I assume it is supposed to be open, like the switches near them on the test screen. Mine are both closed by default.

56 Center Ramp Opto (called "Lift Ramp Opto" on the switch test screen)
53 Spinner opto

I can see that the center ramp opto is easy to change by wiggling the center ramp and I need to adjust it so that the state remains correct for no obstruction (off I assume). It looks like the spinner opto is hidden under the plastic and will be a PITA to adjust if it is bad. Please tell me otherwise....

#7663 1 year ago
Quoted from Adaminski:

Played several games, but now need to adjust a couple switches that are regularly activating when I start a ball.

A request- Could someone look at these two switches in switch test mode and let me know their default position? I assume it is supposed to be open, like the switches near them on the test screen. Mine are both closed by default.

56 Center Ramp Opto (called "Lift Ramp Opto" on the switch test screen)
53 Spinner opto

I can see that the center ramp opto is easy to change by wiggling the center ramp and I need to adjust it so that the state remains correct for no obstruction (off I assume). It looks like the spinner opto is hidden under the plastic and will be a PITA to adjust if it is bad.

Answering part of my own question. The center ramp opto was causing the problem. When the ramp was up there was no problem with the opto switch. It would only trigger when obstructed, and using a card I could tell that it was lined up pretty well. When the ramp was down, jiggling it to the left caused the switch to close. The wires coming off the left opto were bunched together tightly by a zip tie. I separated them in the zip tie, and the game now works in the sense that there are no points scored as the ball enters the plunger lane and I can select songs. I expect I may have to fix this better when I have more time, but for now it seems to work OK.

The spinner opto is not causing a problem with game functionality. It is nominally closed, but does trigger "hits" as the spinner rotates. I'm still curious as to what is the correct default state of the spinner opto. Could someone let me know?

Rush Center Ramp left opto wires (resized).jpgRush Center Ramp left opto wires (resized).jpg
1 month later
#9142 1 year ago

Here's a question that I'm sure has been answered, but I cannot find it because a search for the significant words has too many hits inside this topic, and on the web.

I hate starting La Villa Strangiato via the Time Machine because I cannot finish it. I'm running the latest code (0.98). I get to a point in the 2nd half of the progression and there are no more purple arrows telling me what to do, just the jazzy soft music playing in the background. Is this a code error? Or am I just missing an arrow - like maybe the arrow for the upper flipper shot is not obvious? I'm about to take the glass off in order to see if it can be completed.

Anyhow, can one finish the mode?

#9175 1 year ago
Quoted from VisitorQ:

NC scoop protector installed.

100% much easier to installed it, than to remove the old one (which is a pain in the ass BTW).

Looks and plays great, another excellent mode from NC.

Thanks for the short description & especially the photos. My Rush Premium has the same protectors and they *seem* to be doing OK. But your photos of the factory scoop protectors makes me realize that I should just go ahead and order all of the NinjaCamp Rush thermoplastic mods. I definitely want to reduce that rattle on the shooter lane and right orbit, and ensure that the upper loop roillover is registering as much as possible.

#9176 1 year ago
Quoted from Adaminski:

I hate starting La Villa Strangiato via the Time Machine because I cannot finish it. I get to a point in the 2nd half of the progression and there are no more purple arrows telling me what to do, just the jazzy soft music playing in the background. Or am I just missing an arrow - like maybe the arrow for the upper flipper shot is not obvious?

Quoted from Maken:

Have you checked the rules? You probably just need to shoot the time machine.

Quoted from kbenson13:

More than likely it’s either an inner loop shot you cannot see or it’s the time machine shot. I don’t love this mode either. Even when it’s clear what you have to shoot, it’s tough to make all 12 shots without draining!

Quoted from SkyKing2301:

As kbenson13 mentioned, this is almost certainly due to the poor visibility of the inserts in the inner loop. LVS mode does eventually get to that shot -- but since you can't see that it's lit from where you're standing, it looks like there's NOTHING lit and you'll think you're stuck.

This is where NinjaCamps Exit Stage Left mod -- or a well placed mirror -- will really help out.

My only complaints in the layout of this game are the inner loop inserts, and the window for the subway. It's almost like they forgot players stand at the end of the machine and not hovering over it looking straight down like a tournament camera.

Quoted from sscharf:

Edit: Missing the quoted text. This is in regards to Stangiato with no arrows.

I am not good at reading the rules. I notice that when it gets to movement 9/13, the arrows are gone, and a Time Machine brings them back.

Hey- thanks all for the tips.

I read the rules and knew that there was a long progression but wasn't going to memorize it. Likely I was not seeing the purple arrow for the side loop in step 7, combined with the fact that the rollover may not always register even when I make the shot (note to self - buy the NinjaCamp mods). Also, maybe I did get to step 9 and didn't remember that a Time Machine shot was necessary.

This is probably one of the more difficult modes to complete, because a multiball isn't as helpful.

I. Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds! Right Ramp
II. To sleep, perchance to dream… Right Ramp
III. Strangiato Theme Top Left Lane
IV. A Lerxst in Wonderland Left Orbit or Spinner
V. Monsters! Side Ramp or Side Scoop
VI. The Ghost of Aragon Spinner
VII. Danforth and Pape Side Loop
VIII. The Waltz of the Shreves Side Loop, Side Ramp, or Side Scoop*
IX. Never turn your back on a Monster! Time machine
X. Monsters! (Reprise) Side Ramp
XI. Strangiato Theme (Reprise) Left Orbit
XII. A Farewell to Things Side Scoop

10 months later
#15455 9 months ago

My Rush rejuvenation is complete. Let’s hope this is the final fix. Long summary post here, including node 10 issues (that I will summarize for that thread) and mods. I figure only Rush owners may be interested in all this detail.
 
Got Rush premium NIB in June 2022. Played it a lot for several months until the first node 10 stepper motor board died. Inspected ramp motor wires & sent photos to Stern, who decided to send a replacement node 10 board in December 2022 (with no ramp motor). The second node 10 board died after about 150 more plays in late January 2023.
 
Rush sat dormant from February until June, while I watched and waited and read the various Pinside and Facebook discussions and talked to people knowledgeable about the potential causes and repairs. In the meantime, I collected a bunch of mods and materials, including a third node 10 board and ramp motor sent by Stern and a second ramp motor sent by the distributor. It’s interesting to note that both motors had insulating tape on one side and had 24” wires encased in extra insulation and terminated with a connector that plugs right into the node 10 board. They were both for the ramp.
 
In June, I finally got around to investigating the drum clock motor and taking apart the necessary playfield elements to install new rings and the mods.
 
The drum clock motor wires were crimped tightly by zip ties, with the insulation and inner wires visibly smashed – something that I suspected I might find. The Stern manual shows the same part number and specs for the ramp and drum clock motors – 041-5149-00, bipolar stepper motor, 0.67A, 42 OZ-IN. The LIN Engineering label on both shows the same spec: 4118S-04S-41RO 0.67A. The only difference is the length of the wire lead. After confirming with a local expert, I replaced the existing ramp and drum clock motors with the new, updated ramp motors.
 
I just finished all of the updates on June 30th, 2023, and have played several enjoyable games on Rush since. I hope this is the final solution to the problem. It’s like having a new machine at home after being unwilling/unable to play it for so long!
 
I can kind of (only *kind* of) see why Stern didn’t publicly (to my knowledge) offer drum clock motor replacement in addition to ramp motor replacement as a fix for the stepper motor node board failure problem. The drum clock wires weren’t quite as bad as the ramp wires, and the end connector goes right to the node board, rather than through an intermediary connector. And while not difficult, the drum clock motor replacement was more involved than the ramp motor - it was tedious to get the drum clock off and disassemble it to replace its motor.
 
But now I firmly suspect that the drum clock motor wires could certainly be a cause for failed node 10 stepper motor boards. Time will tell.

FYI here is the list of repairs and updates that I performed:

Replaced ramp motor and drum clock motor with upgraded Stern ramp motor (24” insulated wires terminated with node 10 connector.)
New stepper motor controller board (node 10) – make sure to set dips to 1-2-3-4 = Off-On-Off-Off.
 
Gameroom Mods fluorescent plastic protectors in red/pink (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1167-gameroom-mods/06577-stern-rush-fluorescent-protectors)
Gameroom Mods GeFilter VAC-Tube LED modules (standard) (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1167-gameroom-mods/06889-stern-rush-time-machine-gefilter-vac-tube-led-module-set)
 
Cliffy’s: 2-piece shooter eject, out hole drain, 3-bank drop target, 1 switch slot (under ball drop) (http://www.passionforpinball.com/WIP/rush-le-complete-01.jpg)
 
NinjaCamp TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) mods:
Rush TPU Scoop Protector - Full Protection, grey (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06616-rush-tpu-scoop-protector-full-protection)
Rush VUK Protector - The Duck Billed Vukypus – both parts (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06736-rush-vuk-protector-the-duck-billed-vukypus)
Rush Scoop Sleeves, grey (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06742-rush-scoop-sleeves)
Rush Premium/LE Time Machine Ramp Guards (the Stern blue ones already had a crack in them) (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06741-rush-premium-le-time-machine-ramp-guards)
Rush Inner Loop Assist & Soft Plunge Corrector (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06740-rush-inner-loop-assist-amp-soft-plunge-corrector)
Rush Spinner Exit Adjuster (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/07067-rush-spinner-exit-adjuster)
Rush Spinner Shield (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06979-rush-spinner-shield)
Lane Rollover Switch Protectors (42mm) (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1326-ninjacamp-mods/06754-lane-rollover-switch-protectors-42mm)



New Titan rings in purple – buy 1 extra set of slings and 2 sets of flipper rings (https://www.titanpinball.com/kits/index.php/browse/bygame/5766)
 
I installed the latest SW before running any tests or playing any games, and also somehow figured out the obtuse drum clock calibration procedure so that my minute hand starts at 12 when the game starts.
 
Some notes on the mods:
 
My Rush premium was built in April, 2022 and had the upgraded Stern scoop protector fix with the fork and side walls filled with black rubber on the front. After reading about all the options, I decided to carefully remove them and replace with the NinjaCamp TPU scoop protectors and TPU scoop sleeves on the curved ball guides. This seems to be how the game was initially designed, and I really like the play so far. We’ll see how they hold up. I’ve got both the Cliffy and upgraded Stern scoop protectors saved as backups.
 
I’m really pleased with the NinjaCamp inner loop, soft plunge, and spinner exit assists/adjustors. While the shots on Rush are clever and varied, there is definitely more clunkiness and rattling on these shots than usual on a modern game. The design really could have used a little further fine tuning for these shots, IMO.
 
I also really like the cushion that the NinjaCamp TPU gives to both the front and side scoop areas and to the dead-end at the VUK. The ball no longer has that harsh clank, and the VUK shot is now silky smooth.
 
The Cliffy’s were a challenge for me, but now that I see how they are installed and work, I will definitely be installing the set provided by the previous owner of my MMr.
 
I installed 2 NinjaCamp TPU rollover protectors and one from Cliffy. I suspect that they will both work fine, but I’ll be comparing and monitoring them for several months. I did not use the adhesive backing on the Cliffy – it seems to hold into the slot well.
 
I really like the GEFilter VAC-Tube LEDs on the time machine. I think I’ll get my money’s worth of enjoyment in the time that I own Rush.
 
While I think that they look nice, I did not get the dice mods for the scoop lights because I already had a bulb break using the original Stern scoop protectors. I figure that an airball may be even more likely to hit them now. Easier to just replace bulbs.
 
Again, while thinking it was well-executed, I did not purchase the NinjaCamp Exit…Stage Left loop light replicator. Now that I know that the inner loop is required for Stage VII of La Villa Strangiato, I can wait and see if I ever progress to the stage where I need to know at a glance what other lights are lit on that loop. I suppose it might be nice to know when *NOT* to shoot it so I can avoid Tom Sawyer and La Villa Strangiato until absolutely necessary.
 
I purchased Expression Lighting within days of announcement. I hope to see it sometime this year. I may eventually get one of the Rush Super Skill Shot Shooters. They look sweet.
01 clock off (resized).jpeg01 clock off (resized).jpeg04 wires under zip1 (resized).jpeg04 wires under zip1 (resized).jpeg06 wires under zip2 (resized).jpeg06 wires under zip2 (resized).jpeg11 two new motors (resized).jpeg11 two new motors (resized).jpeg12 full playfield (resized).jpeg12 full playfield (resized).jpeg13 closeup of GEFilter lights (resized).jpeg13 closeup of GEFilter lights (resized).jpeg14 NinjaCamp Scoop protector (resized).jpeg14 NinjaCamp Scoop protector (resized).jpeg16 closup above flippers (resized).jpeg16 closup above flippers (resized).jpeg

#15483 9 months ago

re: lack of goodies in the goodie bag, specifically keychains...

I agree with Vespula that this one is the best of the "new" options, but sadly it seems to not be available anymore:
https://www.amazon.com/Rush-official-metal-keyring-chain/dp/B01BMIRRP4/
Rush keychain unavailable (resized).pngRush keychain unavailable (resized).png

I found some plastic guitar pics with album graphics on them and drilled small holes in the top to make mini keychain fobs. While the art and printing are pretty good, they are sadly printed on only one side. I plan to glue 2 of them together back-to-back.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZHAU84
Rush keychain guitar pics (resized).jpgRush keychain guitar pics (resized).jpg

1 week later
#15607 9 months ago
Quoted from brzezicki:

does anyone with a premium know if there are any plastic or rubber spacers on the bolts holding the vuk wireform down in back.
I could have sworn there were but if there were I think I lost mine. if there are does anyone know the details how many there are and how high each is?
-thanks
brian

My Rush was different from the previous answers to your question, @brzezicki. Yes there was a plastic spacer on the lower mount point where the wireform attaches to the plastic around the VUK on my Rush Premium, April, 2022 build. I documented with photos last month after I removed the wireform for the 1st time.

Rush-VUK-Wireform1 (resized).jpegRush-VUK-Wireform1 (resized).jpegRush-VUK-Wireform2 (resized).jpegRush-VUK-Wireform2 (resized).jpegRush-VUK-Wireform3 (resized).jpegRush-VUK-Wireform3 (resized).jpeg
#15645 9 months ago
Quoted from bigguybbr:

I'll finally get them once I have forgotten I ordered them, and it'll be a nice surprise

Almost ditto! It'll be a nice surprise, but I'm pretty sure I won't completely forget that I ordered Expression Lighting System.

I don't blame my distributor. This one is on Stern. They really should have had *some* idea of what demand would be, and have made enough EL kits at launch. I ordered within a couple days of launch, I think, around noon PST on 3/30/23.

#15687 9 months ago
Quoted from flofixer:

To any of you who may be skilled in the maintenance of the electronics of this game, I just got a tech alert message: Check Switch#58:L Ramp Exit Opto
and it asks me to press Select for Switch Test. In the following menu I scrolled until I found Switch#58. When I hit select, it toggles to "out of service" and then back.

It is likely that there is a problem with your switch & you will not get credit for the left ramp shot until you fix it. You will have to take the glass off and manually test that opto in test mode by moving something in front of it. Open door, black button a couple times, diags, test switches. I like single switch test mode. When in there, push down on a couple of the inlane rollovers to see what happens when a switch works. Then find the problem opto.

Hopefully it is something like a wire or connector that has come off the opto. Maybe it became misaligned (unlikely) or there is some dirt on it (possible).

After reboot, you should be able to look around in the menu system and see if there are still any tech alerts active. Maybe it was a 1-time fluke & went away. But it may still be there.

Can't get to my Rush and give you any more details right now. Good luck.

#15689 9 months ago
Quoted from Adaminski:

While I think that they look nice, I did not get the dice mods for the scoop lights because I already had a bulb break using the original Stern scoop protectors. I figure that an airball may be even more likely to hit them now. Easier to just replace bulbs.

OK, I was wrong. Vespula convinced me to give the dice a try and they really do look nice, especially since those scoop bulbs are right there in the middle of the playfield. The dice kind of tie the playfield together (#big-lebowski). I think Hayfarmer also tried to tell me to add the dice, so yeah, you were right.

IMG_0982 (resized).jpegIMG_0982 (resized).jpegIMG_0986 (resized).jpegIMG_0986 (resized).jpeg
#15696 9 months ago
Quoted from Adaminski:

OK, I was wrong. Vespula convinced me to give the dice a try and they really do look nice, especially since those scoop bulbs are right there in the middle of the playfield.

A follow-up to the dice...maybe this has been noted before in this thread?

When placing the dice mod, my OCD kicked in a bit - something didn't match. I checked the mod dice against some other dice in my house and verified they were the same. The dice on the scoop cover plastic are drawn with the orientation backward. Why would they do that?

My theory is that some decision maker at Stern liked the "left to right" or "clockwise" representation of the "4-5-6" better and it didn't matter that it didn't represent a standard 6-sided die.

IMG_0984 close up.jpegIMG_0984 close up.jpeg
#15704 9 months ago

Check the Hurricane owners thread for my $0.02.

#15711 9 months ago
Quoted from Jackalwere:

I've finally joined the club with a Premium. First played one of these at the NW Pinball and Arcade Show last year, but it took some time financially and the right opportunity. There's something really special about this game, I can't stop playing it. I've been playing pinball since 1980 and I am obsessed with this game like no other

Welcome from Seattle (well, a few blocks away in Lake Forest Park). I like Rush well enough, but am not a fanatic. Great game, though. My only frustration is trying to avoid the harder modes when starting out. Love me some Spirit, Big Money, Limelight while getting warmed up & shots dialed in. HATE starting with La Villa... or Tom Sawyer. Sometimes I just want to restart if I have them "queued up" and can't change it.

2022-11-ModernStern copy (resized).jpeg2022-11-ModernStern copy (resized).jpeg
#15718 9 months ago
Quoted from Adaminski:

My only frustration is trying to avoid the harder modes when starting out. Love me some Spirit, Big Money, Limelight while getting warmed up & shots dialed in. HATE starting with La Villa... or Tom Sawyer. Sometimes I just want to restart if I have them "queued up" and can't change it.

Quoted from Vespula:

So if you're in normal play mode you can choose/change the song at every ball, I don't think you are talking about that?
Or are you talking about Which planet mode you've selected on the inserts that you started with the time machine? If that's the case, then you're just playing randomly and not trying control or change which mode you play?

I'm talking about the song modes (Tom Sawyer, Working Man, etc.). You hit colored records to select the song (the one that's blinking at the bottom of the playfield near the flippers), and hit enough to enable the ramp to go up (premium) to start the song mode. I always try to avoid cyan (Tom Sawyer) and purple (La Villa...). Sadly, at a glance (while concentrating on the ball) I sometimes have trouble differentiating purple and pink (Big Money). And of course, I can't always hit the shot I'm aiming at! But it seems that at some point the song for the next song mode gets locked in and it's very hard (maybe impossible) to change it by hitting other records.

You can control which song mode to start. Raymond Davidson has a nice tutorial on this.


Rush song modes (resized).pngRush song modes (resized).png

#15748 9 months ago

This post is me venting...

I like Rush. The shots feel good, it has plenty to do, a variety of multiballs, a great soundtrack, and some good callouts. I know many of the rules, have completed all of the song modes multiple times, achieved victory mode on some of the multiballs, scored >1 billion in the last few weeks that my machine has been working again on the latest code, and scored 2.2 billion on earlier code.

But......

There is one solid chink, nay, a chunk, in it's armor, and that is La Villa Strangiato. I'm unsure how they did it, but this mode is simultaneously difficult, tedious, boring, and not fun. On top of that, if one gets far enough in the mode, the music gets boring. As in Spinal Tap "A Jazz Odyssey" boring. The whole mode is horrendous.

I groan out loud and prepare for a long trudge when I mistakenly start this song mode.

Difficult and exciting is OK. An example of that (IMO) is Working Man - takes a lot of shots to win, the helpful orange shots move around the playfield but are not ordered, and the final shot is the challenging left orbit through the pops. And the music helps keep your adrenaline going. Or maybe Escape From Boba Fett on Stern Star Wars - the lights are out except for the flashers, the mode is timed, the music makes your adrenaline rush, and there are only 6-ish shots.

We have a small collection at home, and I don't change out games frequently. I enjoy Rush and plan to keep it around for awhile. But it will eventually get switched out. And La Villa Strangiato would be the main reason.

Today I had a nice 700+ million game, but ball 3 drained while working on shot 11 of La Villa Strangiato. Sigh.

Rush 2023-07-24 (resized).jpgRush 2023-07-24 (resized).jpg

#15752 9 months ago
Quoted from Guinnesstime:

It's a definite slog to get thru unless you stack a multi ball. Then you have help AND another song to occupy yourself.

Because the shots in La Villa Strangiato are ordered, a multiball is sometimes not helpful to me. The other balls get in the way. Sometimes I just play the multiball, keeping it going as long as possible, only to find I have not made a single shot of progress in La Villa. And sometimes I try to progress, only to find I still didn't make a shot during the multiball!

Multiballs are great in Spirit of Radio (dead end can be made in multiball), Big Money, Limelight, Working Man, and phase 3 of Tom Sawyer.

Quoted from Big_Whoopin:

To each their own I guess, Villa is one of my favs. [shrug]

Of course, this is only my opinion, and was mainly me ranting. I'm pretty good at games that I've owned, but not a great pinball player by any stretch. I imagine one has to be able to be accurate, deliberate, and patient in order to regularly complete La Villa. I just find it tedious because there is no strategy and only 1 way to complete the mode - just make the 12 shots in order. I guess one can use the inner loop as a wildcard to complete shots 8-11.

#15843 9 months ago
Quoted from Adaminski:

This post is me venting...

I like Rush. The shots feel good, it has plenty to do, a variety of multiballs, a great soundtrack, and some good callouts. I know many of the rules, have completed all of the song modes multiple times, achieved victory mode on some of the multiballs, scored >1 billion in the last few weeks that my machine has been working again on the latest code, and scored 2.2 billion on earlier code.

But......

There is one solid chink, nay, a chunk, in it's armor, and that is La Villa Strangiato. I'm unsure how they did it, but this mode is simultaneously difficult, tedious, boring, and not fun. On top of that, if one gets far enough in the mode, the music gets boring. As in Spinal Tap "A Jazz Odyssey" boring. The whole mode is horrendous.

I groan out loud and prepare for a long trudge when I mistakenly start this song mode.

Difficult and exciting is OK. An example of that (IMO) is Working Man - takes a lot of shots to win, the helpful orange shots move around the playfield but are not ordered, and the final shot is the challenging left orbit through the pops. And the music helps keep your adrenaline going. Or maybe Escape From Boba Fett on Stern Star Wars - the lights are out except for the flashers, the mode is timed, the music makes your adrenaline rush, and there are only 6-ish shots.

We have a small collection at home, and I don't change out games frequently. I enjoy Rush and plan to keep it around for awhile. But it will eventually get switched out. And La Villa Strangiato would be the main reason.

Today I had a nice 700+ million game, but ball 3 drained while working on shot 11 of La Villa Strangiato. Sigh.

Revisiting this post of mine. I read all of the responses and searched my feelings regarding La Villa Strangiato mode on Rush. (yeah, that's a Star Wars ref)

I listened to La Villa Strangiato outside of the game. It *is* a great song. I'm a big fan of songs with multiple time signatures and tempos (like Green Day's operatic American Idiot). Why Stern/Rush chose to retain the jazzy, slow, improvisational section of the song (from about 3:40 to 4:40) in the game is beyond me. It works OK in the context of listening to the song, but is not good pinball music IMO.

I find that at home I get the most pinball enjoyment out of playing modes and progressing toward wizard modes. Succeeding usually results in a nice score, but that isn't as important to my enjoyment as completing the modes. Therefore, the big score possible in La Villa isn't as important to me.

I purposely chose La Villa Strangiato mode several times. I can *sometimes* make it through and complete the mode, especially if I've already played a game or two and my Rush "muscle memory" has been dialed in. More practice makes it better, but I still find it tedious to get through. Not fun. A "slog" as Guinnesstime said.

I don't have quite the vitriol, and will keep trying the mode in order to progress further in the game, but still stand by my main criticisms. I'll remove "boring" and "horrendous:"

I'm unsure how they did it, but La Villa Strangiato is simultaneously difficult, tedious, and not fun *to me*. On top of that, if one takes long enough to complete the mode (that's me), the music gets weird for pinball. As in Spinal Tap "A Jazz Odyssey" weird.

I'll end with this. On more days than I expected, I find Rush premium more fun to play than the Godzilla premium next to it. Some days I'm dialed in on one game and can't play another one, so there are certainly days when GZ is more fun. On average it seems to be Rush has an edge right now. But then it could just be that I'm weird - the Star Wars LE next to GZ is still one of my favorite games after 4 years of ownership.

1 week later
#16007 8 months ago

Premium model. The other day I completed Big Money, Spirit.., Working Man, La Villa.., and got to and completed Cygnus X1 Book 1. Scored 1.37 billion.
Rush_Cygnus Complete (resized).PNGRush_Cygnus Complete (resized).PNG
A few days later, I completed 5 modes (no Cygnus), and got my high score of 1.75 billion on recent code. I also set my Time Travel(l)er high of 2075. I drained during... La Villa, of course.
Rush_high score new code (resized).jpegRush_high score new code (resized).jpeg
I'm going to reset high scores (or maybe just GC) in order to remove the 2.26 billion GC from earlier code last summer or fall.

I'm using factory default settings, except for ball save time increased to 12 seconds and Special set to extra ball. The out lanes are closed down as they came from the factory (4/2022 build). I've installed all of the NinjaCamp mods (sans Exit Stage Left), which helps gameplay & scoring, IMO.

I may be close to purchasing Exit Stage Left, as I'm starting to feel like I'm getting good enough to need to know what colors are lit on that upper loop shot.

#16017 8 months ago
Quoted from Insanity199:

Seems to be a lot of people that hate the La Villa mode. It is one of my favorite modes since it is a nice combo mode with potential of high scoring. It is my highest scoring single mode as well at 464M. Just curious why other dislike it so much since some of the other modes seem much more of a chore.

Sadly, I'm not good enough to run those long combos in La Villa, and then get stuck with the ball on the "wrong" flipper & have a heck of a time getting back in sync. I'm good at hitting shots when there are several possibilities like in the other modes that you think of as chores. I think of them as modes where I can chip away toward the goal, making the shots that come easily to me at that moment, rather than being forced to get an elusive single shot (or 2 or 3, etc).

Plus, multiball is useful in all of 4 of the modes, somewhat useful in Tom Sawyer (mostly in the 3rd phase), but not as useful in La Villa, because the balls keep getting in the way of the shot I need.

Also, at home when playing alone, I enjoy getting through basic modes to try and reach wizard modes, and the actual score isn't as important to me.

2 weeks later
#16264 8 months ago
Quoted from Fuzzdaddy:Since the threads are limited by a fixed “nut” on the metal post, it doesn’t matter whether it’s on the top or bottom. Or maybe I’m just confused. It wouldn’t be the first time!

I don't understand the suggestions either. The machine screws have a fixed place where the plastic post that slides over them ends, and nothing can go below that post. There is probably some variation in the specific design of post, nut, etc, but there is only so much height. One could replace the machine screws with something longer I suppose.

Also, on Rush, there is no other place the plastic protectors could be, because they are made to incorporate the pass through for the light and the cover, and kind of "clip in" with the top art plastic, IIRC. I suppose one could gain some more thread by removing the "fender" washers, as they may not be technically needed with the thicker protective plastics.

Photo is from my SW LE teardown when I replaced all the Stern original rubber with Titan Silicone, but most modern Sterns should be similar.

SW sling (resized).jpgSW sling (resized).jpg
1 week later
#16311 7 months ago
Quoted from Bacondaddy:

Strange problem cropped up on me tonight. All of a sudden my upper flipper is not working. When I go into the diagnostics and press the right flipper button I just get the one leaf switch tripping (lower right flipper).

This might help: Something similar happened to my GZ premium on the floor of the Northwest Pinball & Arcade Show. Turned out to be connector seating on one of the node boards (after we thought it was leaf switches etc). Turn off power, follow wires from right flippers until you find a node board connector. Remove and reseat, test. Maybe it will work.

1 week later
#16374 7 months ago

Played few games today. On the second I heard the machine say "Cygnus-X1 enabled" (or whatever word they use) just as the ball drained while bouncing on the slings. I even completed *Both* La Villa... and Tom Sawyer in the game. Was working on the last mode.

Followed that up with "one more game...." in which I didn't complete as many modes, but got to Cygnus X1 and set a few personal bests.

Completed all modes except The Big Money:
IMG_1612 (resized).jpegIMG_1612 (resized).jpeg

Some high scores:
IMG_1623 (resized).jpegIMG_1623 (resized).jpeg IMG_1624 (resized).jpegIMG_1624 (resized).jpeg
IMG_1625 (resized).jpegIMG_1625 (resized).jpeg

#16375 7 months ago

Here is an update on my Node 10 board. I've just copied part of my response from the specific thread started by Jamesays since that one has slowed in recent weeks.

I repaired my Rush Premium with new ramp and clock motors and new node 10 board in late June, 2023. details:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/rush-node-board-10-issues-and-non-issues-list/page/16#post-7649209

Between July 7th and September 7th I played 775 balls (equivalent of ~258 games) with no errors (I just knocked on wood as I typed that sentence.) There were probably 30-40 full games played in the week between completion of my repairs and when I dumped the audits on 7/7. Therefore, close to 300 3-ball games total so far. Finally, I am also a nudger on my home machines, with more tilts than I'd like to admit. So while these aren't "on location" numbers, the game has not been babied.

Based on my experience, I am hopeful that new motors with long, un-crimped wire leads on BOTH the ramp and the clock will solve a large percentage of the node 10 board problems. This is also what a local, knowledgable tech has communicated to me. I recognize that there have been some cases where the node 10 board failed while testing with a new ramp motor and the clock disconnected (rather than disabled), and have no explanation for that.

1 week later
#16425 7 months ago
Quoted from Cyclehoarder:

Ok complete noob question for you knowledgeable ones! I notice sometimes on my pro when I start a game. It show a score before I have even done the first plung. Is this normal?

It is not normal. Likely it means also that you cannot select the song mode, and probably hit a skill shot, as RC_like_the_cola suggests.

You have some switch registering due to vibration or loose/faulty wires, etc.

I had a similar problem, and found that the root cause was the optical wires on the ramp. You can read about my description, troubleshooting suggestions, and my solution summary in this short thread:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/rush-prem-giving-points-before-ball-plunged-no-song-choice

Being a Pro, your root cause won't be the same as mine, but it is highly likely a switch somewhere. Go into switch test mode, pull out the safety near the coin door, and proceed to jiggle all the switches, looking for one that has a "hair trigger." tedious, but you'll probably find it.

6 months later
#17821 30 days ago

Sorry for the repeat if some of you saw my Facebook post. Not too many others would appreciate this (although my wife was a good sport and sincerely congratulated me).

Yesterday afternoon I stepped up to Rush and played one game without restarting. Got my best score, defeated *both* Cygnus X1 Books 1 and 2 wizard modes, and got to 2102 before draining the last ball. Premium, factory settings, 3 balls, 6.5 deg, factory post in narrowest (easiest) out lane position, all the NinjaCamp fixes.

The flipper modes on the Cygnus Book 2 are quite challenging! Luckily you don't have to hit a ton of shots.

Other notes:

I *still* hate La Villa Strangiato, but I can occasionally complete it.

My node 10 board died several months after replacing both ramp and clock motors with the newer model from Stern that has one long, insulated wire bundle that goes directly to the Node 10 board. I replaced it with my extra Node 10 and the game has been working for a couple months. Stern sent 2 *new* motors and a node 10 board, so now I need to replace them again and send all 3 parts back to Stern this time.

IMG_2562 (resized).jpgIMG_2562 (resized).jpgIMG_2574 (resized).jpegIMG_2574 (resized).jpegIMG_2578 (resized).jpegIMG_2578 (resized).jpeg
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