I don’t want to break the conversation here so I suppose I can threaten someone or something like that buuuuuuut, anyone have any specific gameplay strategies yet for this?

I believe it will continue to improve but in the meantime I would like to set some goals for my own play to hopefully boost engagement. I’ve just been clearing the drops and then starting Jirahs so that I’ll automatically start a battle if it falls down. That takes away my pick of battle but I’m not sure if certain battles are better than others, kinda like how the state of my power ups/multi-ball prep will determine which battle I select in DP. Anyone have Kaiju fight preferences? If all goes well I start the next easiest battle in hopes of then getting to Dada which I have a bad streak of instantly draining on. I haven’t much been aiming for the left side scoops since I typically end up just bouncing in there anyway.

All the complainers in this thread. Please do Pinside a favor. NEVER preorder a pinball machine. Play before you pay or give a NONREFUNDABLE deposit!

Spooky is a great company!

I own AMH and RZ both are excellent pins but different that Stern. That’s what makes them special.
Code will be complete in 6-12 months.

Some people are whiney little bitches who will NEVER be happy.

STERN machines normally don’t have complete code for 9-12 months. That’s why I buy Premiums over a year after they are released. Why would Spooky be any different?

I don't want a refund. I don't want to pick on Spooky either. HWN and UM aren't bad games, they're just not (yet) the kickass games I was expecting with Eric/Bowen involvement.

It's as if I ordered a Godzilla from Stern, but inside the box was a Turtles instead. Yeah, it's nice, but not what I was expecting and not what I wanted. That's about the best way I can describe my disappointment. I still hold out hope that there is something really cool coming down the line, but the longer we wait, and the more issues that crop up, the fainter that hope becomes.

Well the major difference is Stern will take orders on a game for years, so you have plenty of time to consider it. You can't decide a year into the process if you want to order from Spooky. You have to find a preorder spot or buy second hand.

What in the wild world of sports does Deeproot have to do with Spooky? I think you'll regret selling ACNC and R&M but I'm sure they will not be at a loss.

I like my Halloween. Does it have issues - yes. Are the going to be addressed - most likely. I am tempted to snag one of these cheap Ultraman games because I know in the end it will be a good game. Both Halloween and Ultraman are playable right now. My new Elvira was a mess code wise in the beginning but it got sorted out. I remember early on in the code for that game the background music didn’t turn off when the game was over. Talk about annoying. Fast forward to today and Elvira is a top 10 game.

hmmm.........done with Ultraman even though you never gave it a chance.......and you are selling your ACNC and R&M so it seems like you are kinda done with Spooky as a whole but just recently changed your avatar to a character portrayed in the aforementioned game? Not that it really matters anymore here...........cuz you said you are out of the club.

Are you going to profit on your sale of either of these machines?

Or sell for what you paid?

I'd be happy to take the R&M off ya unless you abused the shit out of it and are asking some ridiculous price.

Good luck actually getting a NIB Godzilla from a distro within the next year, much less a year from today if you decide to pay for one at that point. I guess it could end up one of those rare games that does get run a bazillion times, but it's sure felt like that was less of a thing since the LCD screen games starting coming out. I mean, go look at their site. They still have BM66 listed as an active title. When was the last BM66 run, and when is the next one?

If you aren’t a gambler willing to take the long ride and see how things progress it seems obvious that buying a late preorder spot or used machine is the way to go.
Will you pay more? Probably BUT you will know exactly what you are going to get.

They just shipped new Batman 66 in Dec 2021

Stern is backlogged, but you can absolutely order games years after initial release. That was the only point being made. You can wait to see how a Stern ends up before ordering. Spooky is a leap of faith with one day sales windows.

If you are talking purely about high score strategy, starting with Jirahs would be the way to go. During that mode focus on ball control. You want to be able to collect those jackpots on the lower playfield to build up your super jackpot value on the upper playfield. Ideally you will then trap balls on the left flipper, so you can play the upper playfield with the right flipper...unless you are really good at using the staged flippers. Personally, I've been focusing on completing all of the Quick Battles. Starting them is pretty easy, but actually completing them is a real challenge for me. My favorites are still Zumbolar and Pester. Completing these battles will also help you to start a forthcoming sub-wizard mode...hint-hint.

I actually traded my lower number to get an earlier game. I figured at this point, why not. I am concerned about the game and the code but I will ride it out for a couple of years until all are built and the code is complete and see how it goes. I miss not having Bowen on it but I have faith it will turn out fun. At least it is a pretty game and will look nice in the gameroom as it is like nothing else I own. I have a BSD in my garage that I have been working on for 4 years (LOL) so I guess time is on my side.

That being said, I doubt that I will buy another Spooky game. I am rooting for them as a company but I should of known better when I bought the game as I didn't like the reveal of the game. I just want to see the game and getting meaningless pics of the pieces of the cabinet or playfield that you would never figure out what they are of the game every other day wasn't fun. When it was finally released it did look fun so I pulled the trigger. It was hard to tell how unfinished the code was with the release video. I have to admit they did a good job selling the game with that video, I couldn't tell that the code was so unfinished.

Huh. That's interesting. I actually did not know that, and it was a genuine question, so thanks for the answer! I knew they had said they were running GOTG again soon, that kind of surprised me. Didn't think it was really popular enough to bother with re-running...

This guy is so mad that he has now decided to start talking s#it in the ‘Next Stern thread’…da fuq? Like…why?

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I'd push back on this a little bit. I purchased Ultraman #5. Even back then there were six modes, three multiballs, plus incedentals like combos and add-a-ball. Some of the initial feedback received was that the game was too hard. Personally, I think most just wanted to see more assets, which were shown only after certain acheivements within modes. Spooky listened and the game was made easier with future code updates. Around that time the game was recorded by some higher tier players. On the new, easier code, they were able to show off everything. Now the game comes across as shallow and not challenging.

The game will find it's balance. Content will continue to be added and menu settings can be increased, so players of varying skill levels can challenge themselves at their own skill levels.

EDIT: The game also needs to be dialed in. There are three levels of playfields, plus an extensive subway system. It reminds me of dialing in a Twilight Zone.

Well, he ordered at least 2 Ultramans, and a Halloween. So maybe he's mad cuz he's lost a lot of dough on the resale? And since he doesn't like them, he doesn't it want to keep them? IDK?

This thresd has turned into a $h1t show ! For those that are complaining and upset their game lost value .. you ain't helping by bashing the heck out of the game here ..

Look I have fun playing it , it shoots well , it's unique , at least mine has/had very few isuses out of the box . Code has some bright spots, needs some polish .

When I have some time I'll post my thoughts on the code .

Hopefully we can move past the bashing and be more constructive.

So…he got burnt treating pinball like it’s the stock market. Hey, check out this tiny fiddle!

The game turns all blue... we think it's cool..

On the subject of settings and as a (former) software engineer, I can see how you could have staging as a setting. That way, if you end up not being a fan of staging, you could simply turn it off and go back to waiting on the subways and lifters.

Just thinking out loud.

F*ck me. Can’t believe the panic, hysteria and whining in this thread. Especially from some of the more experienced Pinsiders.

People talking about being deceived and lied to by Spooky, doing chargebacks with credit card companies, comparing Spooky to Deeproot.

WTF?

I bailed out on Ultraman after seeing a few videos of Halloween & Ultraman and some of the feedback from those who had played it. Non-refundable deposit so I took the punch on £1000. But better than than taking a bigger punch on a bad game. Hopefully it turns out to be great but there seem to be too many design gaps for that to be the case. I did assume having produced great games that this would be great and took the faith on the game but next time no deposit until I see the game playing.

Neil.

Out of necessity Spooky is using the "Early Access" approach that works for games on Steam but is poorly suited for a pinball machine.

Although on Steam they can sell an unlimited amount of games and Spooky will only ever make 500 Ultraman pinball machines.

My crystal ball is saying UM code and resale prices will both be "in a happy place" in about two years time. There's no shame in not wanting to accept the opportunity cost and taking your money elsewhere in the mean time, even at a loss.

For what it's worth, I cancelled POTC and missed out on a $10k increase in value and a supposedly great game. I don't regret it one bit. If someone will pay me $500 I will cancel my UM order and thus guarantee this game will become a legendary collector piece selling for $25k in 2024.

Am I correct that battles don’t save any progress? It seems like you need to hit all the shots and then end in the scoop but if you drain trying to hit the scoop then you have to start the whole process from the start on the next ball? Ha my scoop rejects so much that I usually try to hit to the second playfield and let it fall down but it gets pretty frustrating. I do wish you could hold battle progress like GZ or DP. If this is a setting or how it’s already supposed to be working then maybe I’m just thinking about it wrong. I guess some people find this game easy but I get a lot of really quick drains to the out lanes

Wow, this is the first club thread that has been so much fun!

THANK YOU SPOOKY

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FOMO marketing really works on the Pinball crowd and sometimes it backfires. Someone should podcast or stream about the history of FOMO and pinball. Probably some things to learn from it. but it works. I recall when "Munsters" came out I was hot to trot on that and bam took awhile to get anywhere with that. Wonder if Rob Zombie flick has anything to do with renewed interest in the code? Anyhow point is.. people love to ride the hype wagon ( positive or negative ), Top pinball players, video streaming issue and Pinside. Honestly Pinside just like "The Sun" or "National Inquirer" from time to time. All the negativity adds up.. How do you combat it? Oh and almost forgot... people buying up the spots are the true winners in this. Negative rumors - price drop - pick em up cheap and ride the wave..

I think the best way Spooky can move forward on both titles is bring in some big guns and do something Epic that will just Crush the hearts of those folks that sold out early. A clandestine black ops overhaul that the like has never been seen before. Drop it midway into production so the clods that sold early and were negative miss out entirely. Idea - get some hardcore Moders involved.. Make a contest.. Do something that we did not see coming.

From an Owners perspective that does not have a location ATM I can wait.. There is nothing coming down the road that is worth forking out ridiculous sums of money for ATM. It's time to kick back and enjoy the games I have and thank the stars that we are lucky to be in our current situation.

I do think Spooky is going to have to do something Epic and get some MAJOR POSITIVE hype back in their corner. (It's on them)

Moders... What can be done from a Mod perspective to really make this game pop? Any ideas that would be game changing?

The I'm out Stuff needs to stop, but guess there is no way to Moderate anything on Pinside.

As far as new games go, it started with Big Bang Bar “remake”. Sold NIB for $4500, and as soon as people started getting them, they were selling for $8-$10k, and people were bummed that they missed out. Then AC/DC LE & Tron LE became desirable/expensive…and that’s what convinced Jpop to start his…um…scam, and people buying every Stern LE due to FOMO. Most of the Stern LEs after AC/DC didn’t impress people…so, FOMO cooled down for a while.

What an embarassing post. How salty can one person be? My goodness. Nobody forced you to put deposits down for a game you've never played. Can you please stop whining about it in every single thread on this board?

Meanwhile #81 is being played and enjoyed nearly every day. Bought the spot at someone’s (minimal) loss and delivered within a month of spot transfer. Game is great and gets better with every code update. Lights, sounds, clips, upper playfields, unique lifts, butt pretzels, drop targets, toys on the playfield, topper, and servos galore! Life is good when you just shut up and play the game. Spooky is hitting another home run in my opinion. So glad I didn’t “go go Godzilla.” Imagine having to listen to that garbage every multiball. Anyhow back to slaying some Kaiju!

I'm 800+ posts behind, but I'll say it again:
The red text score overlay on top of video still does not look good.

I understand the desire to stay true to the Ultraman assets and font, but not at the expense of onscreen interface.

I suggested looking at how Stern does it with Godzilla since it has similar old-school footage, but someone here responded with "don't make it look like another Stern!" I never said copy Stern -- I was implying to use them for reference, specifically in regards to text overlaid on video.
Some of the Stern team have several decades of experience in arcade graphical interfaces. They seem to be doing it right and Godzilla is a great example.
The red onscreen score needs to go.

Here's some perspective. What if IE pinball did a review for Medieval Madness?

He'd probably say the following:

1. The mechs are really cool. This game is pretty fun.
2. Will it last? No. It's mostly just shoot the castle. Not enough multiballs. The trolls are kind of a flow kill. Code is too shallow.
3. I'm selling it.

Everything is relative. Godzilla is killing it right now and rightly so, but UM/HWN are like a W/B machine on steriods. This is a GOOD thing for most non-pro tournament players.

These games are simply not trap and shoot sterns. They just aren't.

It's been a slow boil release, and the games are packed with really cool features. If these came out 2 years ago, preorders would be selling for over cost.

You're not going to lose your shirt, so stop losing your shit.

Amen, brother.

No, this is not possible. Are you in the wrong thread? Everything about the game is sh*t. How can you be playing and enjoying it when it’s unplayable? It’s literally ruining peoples lives.

I'm going to add to the positivity. #75 here. I've been having a lot of fun with the game on the latest code. It's definitely going in the right direction. The earliest code I tried was a bit frustrating, I will admit that. Not feeling that same frustration anymore. Can't remember the name, off-hand, but the multi-ball after the upper playfield battle...so much fun...and rewarding.

No concerns from me on the layout either. I love a lot of different kinds of games and this one feels just fine. The inlane return complaints are overblown imo. Throw in the right video/audio/text interactions during that time and this will probably actually turn to a positive, especially with the assets I presume Spooky has at their disposal.

I'm confident this is going to be a game that stays bolted to my floor. Spooky continues to move in the right direction on this one. A lot of the criticism is overblown.

Fact, there will only be 500 Ultramans.
Fact, Charlie is the reason Ultraman pinball exists.
Fact, Charlie Owns Spooky Pinball.
Fact, Charlie is a super fan of Ultraman.
Fact, Spooky received full assets to Ultraman.

Now my opinion.
There is no way in hell, Charlie is going to allow this game to linger in some kind of code limbo.

I ordered TNA, Alice, and Rick and Morty NIB, and watched all these games being loudly denounced on pinside.
" I'm selling ! "
" its clunky ! "
" where's the code ! "
All 3 are bolted to the floor, and I hated TNA after a day of ownership, then some friends came over and we had a blast, then the co op code dropped and made it Brilliant.

Spooky has the full assets, and I believe Ultraman will be packed with great code, but it takes time.

IMHO.. In late 2023 Ultramans will be 11k or more, try finding a Rick morty for under 11k on pinside right now.

Reading the last few pages of posts was disgusting.

Cheers.
Message from the Freeeek Kingdom.

This is what I'm really hoping for. Some clever choreography while the ball is traveling, and a better indication that it's been released toward the flipper. Just something clever/funny each time this happens will make suuuuuuch a huge difference. I dunno if there are scenes of Ultraman jumping into a canyon or a tunnel...but synching those with the ball entering the subway would be awesome, and then him busting out when the ball exits the lifter...that idea is super literal, they could honestly find tons of types of clips or Ultraman flying somewhere or something "travel" related while the ball is going from point A to point B. After the flasher/warning sound, if they can time an Ultraman "SCHWAATCH" noise right as the ball starts rolling toward the flipper, that would be awesome.

Apologize for my ignorance, but what is a "butt pretzel"??

Anyone that put a “non-refundable” deposit down and is now unhappy has no one to blame but themselves! Hard stop.

It’s comical some of this BS

NeilMcRae took his $1000 nut punch the right way since he chose not to follow through.

No video, gameplay etc, when it was announced, thus a roll of the FOMO dice. Don’t like it now? That’s on YOU

Actually in the latest code when ball travels from lower playfield to scoop, you see the science patrol go down a fireman’s pole. This is exactly the right direction for the code to go.

Completing the figure of eight in the uppermost playfield in one shot. For whatever reason, this is the nickname that the Spooky team gave it. It is a very satisfying shot, for sure.

I love the episode 1 material. It's so perfect...basically anywhere. Love.

Fact, Charlie is the reason Godzilla pinball exists.

rd

File under: Terms you probably shouldn't google.

"So honey, did you decide to keep Ultraman? Time will tell.. but I'm thinking of keeping it just for the butt pretzel shot alone!" Seriously.

I like some of the thoughts & ideas above, am I missing something on the 2nd playfield? How about changing it up to allow the player to 'break through' the target, similar to storm the castle with WOZ where you see it on the screen and feel the shaker motor? there's a car there so maybe smashing through it?! Breaking the windows out and then headlight? Any clips from Ultraman that show this? Think the 2nd playfield would be much more satisfying..

Looking forward to the next code update!

Just a little piece of mind on my end here in Australia.. I bought a Rick ad morty within the two weeks before Aussie builds were happening. Got my machine and did the little tweaks ,cutting bushes etc. Ok I'm not the best player and I found R&M a struggle to shoot, I was frustrated and thought I wouldn't buy another spooky pinball again. months and months passed and I was like the build quality is amazing, the new code is great, theme is great what's there not to like? Then one random day here in Australia I got a package in the mail from spooky, it was the flipper bushes replacements.... I was like no way what the he'll.. I so didn't even expect it that I had to write an email to Morgan and thank spooky for the after sale service. so so so unexpected I was like try get that from stern....I heard about Ultraman( knew nothing about it) stayed up late and bought a spot, in fact I have even paid it in full and not sure when it's even coming lol.. So for people that wanna whinge about a little deposit, I don't think I'm a nut for what risk I have taken since the get go lol. It's pinball, we can buy and sell anyday least give it a shot jesus..Spooky will have it sorted in the long run. remember there's on 500 Ultramans in the WORLD, better than 10,000 Godzilla's, what would hold value in the long run?

Do you have the game? Just asking because I find the first upper playfield to be quite challenging. You hit the drop (bust through it) then hit the scoop behind to start the mode. Then have to hit the two stand ups. The left stand up is very challenging to hit and ball control is near impossible with easy drains to left, right, and center. Then have to hit the drop and then hit the scoop behind to finish that part and start the multiball. Hit all main playfield drop targets to light super jackpot on first upper playfield again. Need to knock down the drop target and hit the scoop to collect. Not easy… at least for me.

I don't have the game yet but with only a lucky 100 people out there that do have it, all most of us have are streams and video's to watch. Here's a pretty good one with great clarity. Watch starting about 34 min in, he's up on the 2nd playfield, some mode is going on (not sure which one) but he's a decent player and he's constantly nailing the drop target and stand up targets over and over, the screen is staying the same, absolutely nothing is happening.. maybe he's supposed to just let it drop down? but maybe if he's hitting all the shots then another mode should start? as it is right now? It's definitely a limbo. Thanks for explaining what to do, not sure where you read that or if instinctively just figured it out? but I'd much rather see a theme integration with the video, a more cinematic experience where when you hit something, things are happening as you do them and there's gratification from sounds, shaker & dmd using the assets of the game. I do think that this is code and with what's already there? It's a no brainer that something can be done much better and if anyone else has any ideas? Please post them! I hope some things improve soon in this area. Thanks

Agree on the subway shot.. Speed that up significantly. Keep it playing fast as possible

I didn’t watch the video but he might be in the Jirahs mode which is mostly tied to the third playfield to hit the spinners. The second playfield will have the stand ups green to heal UM if you are missing health but there is nothing to do there otherwise. I believe in the mode you need to alternate spinner hits or you will do dmg to yourself, which is where the healing comes in. It is pretty clunky because it’s so hard to control the ball at all up there.

The mode in the second playfield would be Bemular where you will have to hit the red shots to advance. You can’t be in Jirahs and Bemular at the same time but you can have a Kaiju battle going with them.

Hoping they get a good rules chart or document soon as it will help clarify a lot.