Unbalanced code, doesn't shoot as good as it seemed to on stream

I've played all the versions. Thought they were all very fun to shoot. But the rest (code, theme, call-outs, code) was just OK for me. Not enough to spend 7k to 9k to buy one. I think its a victim of AIQ, and now Guns.

Turtles 1987 code looks great!

I played a pro and my boy and I loved it. I’m really looking at getting a pro, but I’ve noticed all the sale offs of this one too. I have a gnr on order, so maybe I don’t need another game, but this game is fun. Pro is the best value on tmnt also. Following this to hear other opinions.

Code sucks, period. Game rules just not clicking with what seems like a good chunk of people. It's unfortunate because its a theme that a lot of people like!

I really like my Pro. Its almost a exact clone of Star Trek feel to me but upper flipper on left instead of right and one extra shot with the upper flipper. Its the fastest pin ive ever owned, the right ramp to upper flipper gets past me alot but when you hit the Krang combo its great. Alot seem to have trouble with left outlane but i dont mind it at all, balls got to drain somewhere doesnt it.

Quarantine over hype. I haven't played one, but I'm sure it is a decent game. Borg delivers consistently even though his games are sometimes or often cookie cutter to past releases. I've heard the code is tough to get past on this one. Overall I just think it was the timing of the release that got so much hype. There wasn't much going on at that point. AIQ was right on its heels which also kills the hype.

I personally didn't care for the code. Layout also does not flow that great. Unlimited add a ball needs to be taken out of Turtle power muti ball.

No one else matters, only what you like. Charts don't nesescarily mean crap.

I really like TMNT but this is the truth. I have bought pins just on reputation and haven't liked them. BM66 layout is not for me at all but I'm not yelling at the sky the game is awful. There's someone for every game and vice versa as I wouldn't put a quarter in a Hobbit at this point but people like it.

I was so close to buying a tmnt pro. Distributor had a big chunk of my money for a down payment. Started noticing all the pooling at my ball guides on my JP premium built in June 2020. I canceled and never looking back. Took the money I was refunded and bought 88’ of white vinyl fence to block out my white trash neighbors. Best decision I made.

Just curious what is do wrong with the code? I’ve been debating one too, but concerned after sooooo many went up for sale so fast.

It feels like this is happening with a lot of the new games lately. It's always been there. But, just more so within the last year. Tons of hype and then easily forgotten. Maybe it's because of the speed of the releases with multiple companies? Not sure. Turtles, Rick and Morty, and even Avengers seem to be victims of the pump and dump mentality. I am just as guilty of following the latest shiny thing and moving on.

Very interested to follow this thread.

This. AIQ came out and lots of people(like me) wanted that. Code is great for most part and the shots are fantastic with awesome combos. BUT the game is hard as hell and when you just miss ramps a lot of times they brick to the outlanes. When you are on and hitting shots it feels incredible.

But right now games are coming out at a blistering pace and they all seem to be good. AIQ, GnR, etc. I have my TMNT LE up for sale to make room for GnR.

Have you noticed any pooling on the new fence?

My experience has been different. After the visual wow of the game subsided initially I was struggling to have it click with me. Shots/layout was brutal, code was confusing, and it wasn’t doing it for me. But, slowly this is now becoming a go-to for me in the collection, same with Rick & Morty.

Dwight-coded games always do that with me though (GB, Star Wars, etc.). I usually start out the coldest on them but over time they are the ones that become my favorite. One of the best parts of TMNT is the diversity of tasks that the code offers. There’s so many different things you can do, and most all of it is challenging to reach. Plus, a difficult, but smooth layout always gains longevity.

If you were to ask me right this minute whether to keep TMNT or Avengers in my collection, I would say TMNT with no doubt. Avengers still has some flatness to it and needs more code. Just my two cents.

Some are doing the opposite. Deadpool is slowly creeping up the top 100.

you are right about dwight code. I didnt like Star Wars at all on location, but when I bought a comic premium at home I LOVED it. the modes are amazing and it makes sense now. TMNT is similar. The only part of code Id like to tweak is 123 foot. It comes up too often and stops some progress.

The same thing that happens with every new pin. GnR and AIQ while both look great and all will fade into obscurity. Now I know what's gonna happen here and I know who's gonna state it as well, that GnR is the second coming and will be herald over for millennia by the masses until the Earth is swallowed by the Sun. Just like WOZ and DI. There's Sterns with close to that same enthusiasm, Tron comes to mind but inevitably they all fade away. That's just natural.

I really like tmnt. I think there was a lot of valid griping on the large variety of issues (diverter, pf print, pooling, etc.) and since I've luckily avoided that, it's not been something I've weighed into my enjoyment. It's fast but I honestly don't get the hate on the code -- it's rather polished compared to others and there's a lot of different things to do. Shoots well, good flow and, in my opinion, good code -- if the theme hits for you, it's a solid machine to say the least.

I've included a graph that shows the lifecycle of a pinball release

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That’s part of the appeal for me. Dwight and team start things like 1-2-3 knowing we are like cats chasing lasers. It’s soooo hard for me not to stop my path and go for stuff like that...and then inevitably I die because of it. Haha Same with Tie Fighter Multiball. Hated it at first, but then I grew to love the damn task and at times chase the laser of hitting that button and lose my ball.

I always picture Dwight with a big smirk on his face when I lose a ball chasing those tasks haha

Nothing new really ...

New game popped up after shutdown and is a very fun game / layout

Of course more titles trickle down and not everyone has cash to plunk down

Avengers looks like a tremendous game also
GNR is a long awaited title as well

I have an LE tmnt bought new

Code was fair from stern and installed the 87 code making it an instant trip down memory lane for me - not leaving anytime soon

I honestly feel that once the hype dies down people will want to revisit in time

Just my 02 cents

This is why I never get people who buy without playing stuff.... or just jump on every new pin.

There are very few I would say live up to the hype and thats usually only after a bunch of code updates etc.

It tends to be more like the pins everyone hates when they come out turn out to be the best down the road.

and the ones everyone goes nuts for when they are revealed are meh after a few months.

hm never thought of it that way. I do stop what Im doing though! I need to ignore it and just go after episodes

Not been a fan of Dwight code for a while and TMNT is no exception. Odd scoring that favors doing a couple things instead of playing all features. In terms of "superhero" games, AIQ eclipses TMNT in most regards. AIQ playfield is more fun to shoot and the rules offer much more strategy and depth. The lock tower is a more interesting and interactive toy than the turtle van, the Dr Strange disc is more interactive than the disc on TMNT as the player has to aim for the post in a way to maximize spins, or aim to miss to hit Sanctum instead. AIQ rules offer more depth with the ability to earn and place perks around the table, vs basic "training" in TMNT.

The game lacks that "ah ha!" moment that locks you in and keeps you coming back. It's largely held up by the artwork, and that damn song gets annoying after about 2 games.

Maybe it'll get better.

And that is why Medieval Madness is such a great game ! In poles for the last 20 years it is still rated number 1 .

Ok understood. So you’re not excited as Jeffery Toobin on a zoom call.

have a national sales meeting on zoom all week. Have used Toobin it as a verb multiple times in chat

I can't agree with this more. I've put like 1000 plays on mine (lots of ball 1 restarts though) and I play it almost every day. The ONLY thing worth going for is episodes stacked with the main multiballs. The points from any of the fun combo modes (1-2-3 foot, weapon hurry-ups, Krang Kombo) is tiny compared to playing through episodes and getting to Team Up MB. April Hurry-ups can be valuable but they aren't very unique or exciting (hit mono-target 5 times to start, shoot right ramp to collect AND THEN do that 5 times as a requirement for COWABUNGA). But there is points in it. Same with Pizza Frenzy, you can get like 3 million on the first Pizza Frenzy but like 1 million or less for a successful Max Krang Kombo.

IMO, the combo modes should be buildable in different ways and you should be able to avoid starting any of them. The game is deadly enough and the "center ramp" is hard enough to hit that completing each of them is a challenge. Also, there should also be a way to light 123 (spinner spins?) Foot so you can do it multiple times and also a way to avoid starting it when rolling over the inner left inlane (Flippers alternate light on and off?).
Weapon Hurry-up (WHU) would be cool if you could light it by Skill Shot (like currently) but then also re-light it by shooting your Turtle shot to complete an episode. This way you might actually see players collect more than 1 weapon-hurry up.

The same-ness of both Multiballs is kind of unfortunate as well. Both are essentially hit x shots to light Mondo Jackpot, collect Mondo Jackpot to Light Jackpoto Grande. Ninja Pizza MB is a cool idea with the Toppings so it should focus on that aspect and some of the toppings could be re-worked/re-purposed to make it more interesting. For example: enable add-a-ball by collecting pizza slices, Start 2X playfield, Start episode, disable or increase Mondo Jackpot Timer, etc. And then also make it easier to cycle through which toppings are available in single ball play and locking them in. Turtle Power MB should focus on shooting the Turtle Shots to get jackpots. Maybe collect enough Jackpots to light Jackpoto Grande, then collect it and add-a-ball. Then increase the number of Turtle Power jackpots required and collect a Super Jackpoto Grande and add-a-ball. Then repeat but the process with no more add-a-balls. And then Ninja Pizza MB could focus on lighting and collecting Mondo Jackpots.

Either way, the code could use some work to bring back some of the initial excitement that the community had for this machine. And with so few out there and room for Stern to build and sell a bunch more, hopefully they have the incentive to try and build this game into something great.

Yea that too... I'm surprised the flyer touts the "original 1987 theme music" when in actuality it's a bad cover of the '87 tune. The singers' voices are completely wrong pitch in parts of the refrain.

Yea the topping alterations to multiball is a very cool feature.. the one thing about TMNT I really like. I do agree the toppings should be easier to collect and manage by the player. This leads to my one criticism of AIQ and most other recent Sterns: USE BIGGER FONTS! I can't even see what toppings are setup on the screen. Not just TMNT, my friend has to squint to see what his score is on AIQ. You got this incredibly boring picture of trophy shelves filling the whole screen, make both the scores and info icons at least twice their size. Pixels are free, use them! This is one basic thing that JJP usually gets right, and I wish Stern would follow suit.

This whole topic is silly. AIQ came out. New release from a company quickly eclipses their previous release.

I remember back in the day, a title fell off the face of the earth when it stopped earning... wait, who uses these things to make money with anymore besides flipping them for profit?!?!

Thanks for the breakdown. We don’t have one around here to play so I have to rely on the experience of others. Hopefully there is still time for the adjustments and I know Dwight has taken community feedback into account on previous games.

Thanks for taking the time to post an honest review. We are 250 ganes into our game and so far so good. Game is quite brutal and I like that as this forces you to learn different shots and a different way to play the game.

Game is a winner for us. If you enjoy wood chopping, game may not be for you. You have to think about how to play the game and centre ranp is a tough shot that you have to learn to progress through the game. AIQ and GnRS have taken the trolls and not so genuine pinsiders away from the TMNT threads so people have had time to enjoy their games. Game has a few bugs that hopefully will be sorted soon.

I think this tbread will go from "oh boy!" to "who cares?" a lot faster than the game will.

TMNT was the nail in the coffin for me personally. While the hype was going on I just saw “another Stern”, getting excited on this one didn’t compute with me, and it was somewhat official for myself I threw in the towel.

I was getting Sterns from a distributor because it was convenient. After awhile I started to feel like the more I got, the more I let like they lacked “soul” and being a complete machine.

I’ll never forgive the UV light up sale for 299.99 on Stranger Things, then the JP Topper that is “kind of needed” to make the game complete, which looks like a POS.

Everyone deserves happiness, and pins are very subjective. As per myself I stopped drinking the Kool-Aid and started collecting timeless classics. I couldn’t be happier avoiding Sterns all together. To each their own, but I think a lot of collectors were “who cares” from day one, I just doubt many said anything...it’s socially awkward to be honest in times when people are genuinely excited about anything....and hey, it’s not a bad machine by any means...it’s just...another....Stern...there will be another one in about 60 days

Not so for Munsters owners and as we learned from that pin 1.0 is done. We're still hoping for some love though. In some ways I see similar tricks needed for a high score on turtles just like you have to do for Munsters. I played a multiball for what felt like an eternity hitting shots and looked up to see just 3 mil on the board. The scoring on turtles just feels unbalanced and unsatisfying. One of the things I remember being said about Munsters simplicity was that multiball was so close to the start. Feels like turtles is nothing but multiballs but just not worth it unless you know the special trick.

I'm not a particular fan of the theme...but I played the game on location, had a blast and ended up buying the game. Absolutely no regrets, after many plays I still really enjoy it. I have several " top 10" pins in my collection and TMNT is definitely holding up against those titles.

The coder needs to make the modes way more valuable. At the moment, it’s too heavily weighted toward multiball.

I haven’t been able to play location pinball here in L.A. so all I had to go on was what people have said and past experience with the design team. While my favorite all time games are from Borg, (TWD premium is the best pin ever made) they were in conjunction with Lyman. I am not a fan of Dwight Sullivan code and was extremely disappointed with The Munsters based mostly on the code. So I am skeptical of another Dwight/Borg collaboration. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Elwin’s Maiden and especially JP3. I am not much of a fan of Avengers as a theme, but was not a fan of Maiden or JP3 theme either, and those turned out to be really fun. I just felt that Elwin would not allow his Avengers code and polish to be given up on when the next new project comes along. So I put my money on an Avengers LE.

To me, the theme is literally, Teenage. Mutant. Ninja. Turtles.

the game is pretty awesome. honestly one of borg's best IMO. TRON and MET are right up there too. the art is amazing on this pin, and its perfectly lit.

I'm not huge on criticizing code, so this game shines for me. I thought about buying one a few weeks ago. after playing it quite a bit, i realized that its very fun, and very very fast. at least its a more open playfield so you can recover from the speed without ricochet drains.

i wouldn't call it a "who cares" pin, like stranger things, but its hard for TMNT to compete with Avengers IQ. Honestly, its hard for anyone to compete with a Keith Elwin game, so there's that. Stern's doing their thing. we all know that. who can blame them? Nostalgia is a valuable commodity to sell, which is why manufacturers keep coming with those themes. they will sell, regardless of code. we should all know that by now. look at Munsters...

So... my son grew up watching TMNT which means we watched it as a family. When i saw the pin release my thought was.. there's a TMNT pin, and never paid any attention to it. My son is grown, and I couldn't help but feel the theme is a bit juvenile despite the following. I ended up distracted by the new AIQ and GnR. Blinking lights and ramps.. two squirrels I chase. Then I realized the GnR was 9500 plus and the AIQ premium 7600 (yes I want the extra habitrail). So as I gave up on either of those, hoping to catch a deal on a used one in the next year or so I kept my eye on the classifieds. Two TMNTs popped up a little over $5k.. so I figured what the hell.. ill look into it. Typical love-hate reviews. Top 10 pin.. or POS. My family drove an hour to play one.. got home and worked out a deal to buy one. Pick it up this week. I dont care what people say or the ratings, if we like it, we will play it or buy it. Is the AIQ pro $1k or so better than a nicely modded TMNT. Idk.. All I can say is we enjoyed it so much more than I thought. It will definitely get a ton of play like our GOTG does. TMNT is surprising fast, and challenging. I love it when a new shiny pin comes out, then the new pin buyers talk up how awesome the new pin is and I buy the stuff they kick to the curb that was super fantastic 6 months prior.

Getting serious Vuja De on this one, seems like yesterday weekly beg threads would pop up here clamoring for this Title, then POOF its gone.

I really want to play this game an will be following this thread. Turtles looks like a fun family friendly game which what I’m looking for in the near future an everyone in the house totally loves the theme. Is there much difference between the pro an premium? From what I’ve read the premium can be a little problematic with the glider , could that be a reason a few people might have soured on the tittle?