They're actually about the ball, and the playfield, and not just lining up shots that return to the flipper. Nothing wrong with ramps! But I'm looking for a physical pinball experience, something interesting. Star Wars is probably fun, but it's a very familiar layout and it's likely that the fun is mostly in the code. Cool, but I have an amazing wealth of video games already, I want something that's more about physics and wildness.

It's not actually easy to do, there's a reason the fan layout is so popular. But in the early solid state days they weren't afraid to experiment, and they didn't have the 'flow' crutch holding them back. You had wacky widebodies like Scorpion, which is a really fun game that probably not enough people have even played.

I wouldn't want all new games to be like TNA, but I hope this isn't the last one. I know if I built the dream game I've kicked around in my head for a while it would be similar, albeit with a different vision.

I'm ready to hop in my car and and go full on stalker mode and show up at Scott's house to get some gameplay in (totally kidding)! Might be easier if the @notrashcougar has a party and extends an invite lol. Plus my mother-in-law lives in Nortwest Indiana so I could stop by and see her as well along the way.

The nothing but awesome reviews have me amped up to get it having only seen pictures. Damn you Spooky and Scott for what looks to be a for sure good time and likely putting your hands into my bank account once again.

Scott mentioned on a Kaneda's and Coast 2 Coast podcasts that we should be seeing some new streaming of the game soon. Can't wait to see this thing play with the new artwork and new graphics on the LCD. Someone tell Jack danger to get over to spooky ASAP!

My personal game will be going on route in Madison, WI as soon as it is ready.

You are invited up to play anytime the bar is open

Question for those that will be operating a TnA, what pricing do you plan to use?

Next time I come into Wisconsin for work or a Packers game I'll make sure to stop in.

Are any prototype games planned to be in the Chicago area at all?

184 Ridge Ave, Benton WI... Scott's kinda like a cat and startles easy so just come here.

Hopefully Lawrence's Pub and Eatery lets us put one of these in there too. Kinda getting crowded in the pin corner in there! Lol.

$100 a ball to compensate for all the games I bought this year...

Going to use normal pricing around (San Francisco) here which is $1/play or $2/3 - may not do the $2/3 and just do $2/2 though initially - will see...

Totally agree. I usually find myself playing several quick games on my SS machines vs. a much longer longer one on my DMD games these days.

Also, dabbling in competitive events/league has made me realize that investing the time and energy into understanding the rules on modern games well enough to compete effectively is far too much work, and certainly not even really pinball, and almost no fun. I'd much rather be honing my playing skills by actually playing than studying rules to find the best strategies for a particular game. I guess it's sort of the of the difference between playing a classic arcade video game (all action, few rules), and a modern strategy game. These days I'm more interested in the Classics tournaments as it is usually feasible to learn the rules and good strategies on them quickly without hours of pre-research and play.

In a non-competitive environment (say, home play for fun), I do enjoy more modern games when I have the time to invest in learning/experiencing them.

So glad that Spooky is producing this, hopefully this may start a small trend of more affordable boutique games with inventive original themes that are more about the actual play experience (including lights/sounds) and how it makes you feel when you play it than "telling a story".

A pinball machine should have only have 2 buttons - one each for the flippers on each side.
...unless it has magna-save, of course.

Found the perfect outfit to wear while playing this machine.

https://getonfleek.com/product/stay-rad-1980s-romper/

IMG_6335 (resized).PNG

I'll host a shindig

Will you be wearing your ball sling?

#125 here

I have! Good example of what a widebody should be..that thing is just PACKED with stuff.

I could have ordered yesterday morning... didn't pull the trigger.. mulled it over and jumped in today. #126.

Looking forward to some TNA!!!

Hey nice...didn't know you were even on here. So you do photography and route games? Odd mix.

cool. That is what we do around here also. For the start, $1 per game.

Eventually everything new goes to 3 for $2. Given the price of the game I think $1/play is at the right spot, but always nice to hear form others.

Ball times are very short...

.75 would better than $1.00 in my mind.

But to each their own

well of course, when I am playing on route I think everything should still be .25

That said, I also appreciate operators that bring out new expensive stuff, keep things playing well, and rotate regularly so $1 is pretty cheap.

I tend to do other things to adjust game times (close outlanes accordingly based on drain ratio; turn up ball saver; etc...)

I was asking others that are operating for their input since they are the ones also spending the money to put it out. I was curious if they were going flat $1 or doing a price break. I know out in some towns with tons of play (Seattle and Portland) that everything tends to be .50 which is great but also a factor of the amount that games get played out in those great pin towns I think.

I know other operators hate hearing me say this but in all reality I've never thought a single game should cost a player more than .50 unless it's a redemption machine. Especially games that are quick plays... but I also understand that with the crazy prices the games themselves cost these days it has made it near impossible to charge less than a dollar to make any sort of profit. It's a shame as I have always avoided $1 games... and it made me miss out on awesome games I would have otherwise played like crazy.

It's always on

I'm a fan of said hosted shindigs

I like your style I'm definitely in.

I'm buying one. Whoop

I hear ya but if you crunch the numbers...

Say DI and TnA are next to each other at your place and both are 1 dollar a play.

DI ball times is what 5min average a game?
TnA say a generous 2min average

TnA will make more money per hour if both are played non stop at .75 versus DI at $1

Proof of this is a local arcade has 17 games.
Seawitch is .25 a play versus Met premium at .50 a play

Seawitch makes more money than Met in a week.

That makes my day. SeaWitch is one of my all time favorites and what we compared TNA to at my house.

so are you operating TnA and putting it at .25?
if so, curious what other games you operate, what is the location, and what other games/pricing are at that location?

Maybe TnA at .50 if I can arrange it.

I have DIle at .75 and it's doing really well. Cleared over $400 first week before split.

You asked...

Games that were made to take you quarters away in short order were 50 cents in the 80's. If that isn't worth a dollar now then why bother to put new games in public?

I'll be putting mine on location here in Calgary. Typical prices at our location is $1 per play, 3/$2. As we have $1 (Loonie) and $2 (Toonie) coins here we use coin mechs still.

Depending on just how short the ball times end up being, I'll be pricing either the typical rate, or perhaps .50 per play (2 games for $1). Pretty difficult to price it anything else when $1 is the least you can drop at once.

The correct answer is a dollar ... on the glass, 4 player game, winner takes the dollars.

Ding ding ding!! It's that type of game.

I'm thinking it would be 1/$1, 6/$5 if (when?) I got one. The main pinball place in town has BM66 at 1/1, 3/2. Same thing with an RZ. Rule of thumb that works locally is Stern and 90's A-list DMDs for .75, SS and other DMDs for .50, and EM's .25. No bonus buy on anything but the first two listed. We have followed a similar approach, and while I'd love to make all the coin drop I can, $1 a play with no bonus would bring plenty of comments. So adding the 6/$5 brings you pretty close to .75 a play.

so would you do a flat .75 per or a
$1 and 3 /$2 (i.e. .66)

I am thinking since this is designed for 4 player games then 4/$3 is the way to go. I am seeing the natural route variation of dollar games as 4 people play and losers pay for the next game. Makes it fun and easy.

Of course people can put another dollar on the glass for the gambling aspect if they want.

I got #90 thank you Joe PinballSTAR

I'll help move things around to fit a TNA: burger, beer, and TNA sounds like a good time.

We use tokens and it will initially be 4 tokens per play and 3 plays for 8 tokens just like all our NIB games. Now, this isn't quite the same as $1/play since: a) we give bonus tokens for larger bills, and b) we give out free tokens with food & drink purchases. So in reality that's closer to 80 cents on average.

As far as the difficulty / short ball times, we will probably change a few settings to make it a bit easier (I don't know what settings will be available), since we have a very casual crowd.

You're not alone

I got a chance to visit spooky today after work.
Congrats to the whole team. Game plays great and looks great. Nothing has been lost in translation.
I got to experience the shaker in the test game. I liked it. Not used all the time but noticeable when it does fire off. Adds to the game without being its stand alone element. I'm not a shaker guy. Don't have one in my games. But for you shaker guys it's used and you will like it. Or just play one at a show and add it later.
Thanks for having me Charlie. Can't wait until I can pick my game up. I'll be watching the dead flip stream.
FortyTwo.

When does the shaker fire off? Reactor explosion?

To Be honest. I was too focused on the entire package. But I beleive on reactor startup and also explosion. Would be a good question for he twitch feed Thursday.

KT did confirm for me with Scott that the shaker and knocker will be plug and play so easy to add later. I'm a knocker guy so will definitely add one after getting my machine, #95 I'm told.

Pricing that makes sense to me on location for TNA:
5 balls for $1
3 or 4 balls for 75 cents

50 cents on any new game to me is a straight up insult...

What if you own the place? Lots of places do 50 cents for brand new games.

Rumor has it one of the early games will be on location at Brixie's, which already has a handful of top shelf pins operated & maintained by a collector. And if you like video games, Galloping Ghost, the largest old-school arcade in the USA (maybe the world) is a couple blocks away. About 3.5 hours from Fort Wayne, but at least it's closer than Wisconsin.

Congrats to Spooky on what looks to be a successful release. It's nice to see good people doing things the right way and getting rewarded for it.

I bet once more of these get out Spooky will continue to get orders for some time.