me too. i remember about,,,, maybe two years ago the ususal dudes that shit on people were shitting on dwight code. honestly i like HIS games the BEST. i shouldve spoke up then, his code is just so damn engaging to the player. keep it up dwight!

The backglass is really amazing. I totally underestimated just how pretty it would really be. Catches my eye every time I fire it up. If nobody does already, someone should start making mirrored backglass replacements for all machines.

Holy moly - just installed a pinwoofer in my LE. I thought Deadpool had the best sound ever on a Stern, but wow with a decent amp in this thing it totally rocks! Didn't even really have to upgrade the speakers either, the LE ones sound damn good already when driven properly. I am wondering now though how much better it would sound with a speaker upgrade...

What it needed was for the saved progress to work in your favor more, to keep more options open for you, instead of just leaving you stuck where all you can do is fight Knull and lose over and over. Turtles did this right in that what carries over boosts you for everything else. Venom needed to carry over the stuff that's in the grid and the mayhem locks, get you excited about accumulating powerups for the boss instead of just more boring levels that makes the boss fight feel no different or that you didn't really earn anything.

I'm thinking about trading out my tmnt pro for venom pro I have a 6 year old son who loves venom pro and dosen't play our tmnt at all , have anyone had any problems with venom that yall can tell me about????

Pro would be less problematic. Aswell less brutal. Just make sure you eventually get the stern fix kits in it. And you should be pretty solid

And I think your kid would be more engaged in venom than tmnt hands down. I think it's a great pin for people learning the game of pinball and familys

Mayhem locks would be excessive. Grid isn't necessarily a bad idea, but not the whole thing. Maybe carry over what ever lights are completed on said character you ended your last game as? So let's say you have the whole thing lit up, you end game as cap, next game you have the middle 6 lights? But then that would make every game a instant knull battle, which if your playing with others, kinda bullshit that you don't even have to do a few shot combos first.

Too bad you’re not closer. I’d take that trade. I miss having a tmnt.

I have a Venom LE... there is a chance I could take it to Johnson City

Thanks, but I have decided to shift to a GZ for him. It would be his only pin and I think GZ would be a better fit for a one pin apartment.

The ability to cancel fights on the center ramp is all progression mode needs. Then doing any other MB or side battle relights it. Even better would be hitting center ramp with a fight blinking could allow you to cancel OR fight a Grendel/Symbiote boss via a selection menu. But just canceling it or Carnage MB like MH can be delayed would be great.

I have an opportunity to swap my Foo Le for a venom Le. Kind of scared I’m going from the frying pan into the fire. I like the look of venom. Just not sure I can handle a mode less game. People tell me it gets repetitive. I don’t need a deep game. DP and AFM are perfect for us. I also hope the fast locks don’t break down. I need to keep this one cos I realise I will suffer a heavy loss if I need to sell. I’ll probably do it anyway. Wish these things were cheaper. Does look pretty. Tired and inebriated. Good night.

That is a bold move!

I have a feeling Venom may get more popular over time, especially with someone with a lot of pins. It is unique enough that it could be a great add to the traditional mode-based games in your collection. It is fast as hell and the innovation is clearly there.

The good news with any pin is they don't lose all of their value overnight ever. Worse case you just trade it again someday.

He's in Australia, which is pretty significant, every pin there costs a lot to import and ship, and the aftermarket resell audience is really limited compared to the US.

I'm on the fence about getting a Venom the same way - love the shooting and the gameplay, but not sure if it's deep enough or if I'd be done with it in a month.

I'd say it works great in a lineup, not solo or with 2 or 3. But if you got 4 or more I think it would be good.

The ability to pick different characters with different shot combinations depending on the character can help with it feeling repetitive.

It's not deep, but it's fun, great for family, fast, and makes you want to get better at it.

I see your in Australia, which makes the trade interesting because if you decide it ain't your jam after a couple months, I'd imagine it would be harder to trade because of your location. But I'd say, I've played foo, then played venom, and liked venom better personally.

Venom does have better music.

And artwork.

I guess my first question is why do you want to give up Foo?

Venom is only repetitive when you play saved progression and struggle to beat Knull as that’s all you’ll be doing. Playing it like a traditional pin is way better and the game has a lot to offer.

Here’s the deal with Venom. It’s not an easy game. It’s not multiball heavy so you’re not getting endless multiballs like a lot of these other popular titles (GZ, AIQ, Rush, Jaws, etc…). You can’t just flail your way to wizard modes. You’ve gotta do good for a long time in single ball play; Venom makes you earn it. That’s its appeal and addicting nature, at least for me. If you don’t know the rules, you’re going to get your dick handed to you. Venom is faster and harder than a lot of these other newer games. But, it’s a lot of fun, and when you do good you know you’ve earned it.

That all said; Are you getting cash in the deal? Foo is starting to level out in price and hold. Venom is a complete unknown. Despite it being the more addicting game (in my opinion), it is not popular for the reasons I stated above. So it is a gamble at this point; but if you can wait to see what the next code update offers, it might be worthwhile. I think I read that someone said the dev team mentioned adding host specific modes in a future update? I’m optimistic about that, but might be worth waiting to see how the code fleshes out. As a reminder, Venom has 7 different ways to play it - the most common is using saved progression; and that is why people think it’s repetitive because saved progression ultimately just becomes a you vs Knull battle over and over til you beat him. Playing the game traditionally makes it amazing, and one of the harder pins out there. I’d say it’s difficulty when playing it traditionally is equal to Jurassic Park.

This so much! I really enjoy everything about Foo besides the music, and for that reason it’ll never be in my home. It’s a shame they wasted such a good pin on such a bad band.

No way man. I have both and the Foo Artwork is some of the best in recent years.

Sure - if 70's/80's TV cartoon style art is your thing.

I much prefer the traditional comic book style (including deeper richer colors) that Zombie Yeti emulated on Venom.

My favorite comic book style art is still Alice Cooper. Zornow just killed it on that. I definitely like that style. Love that ACNC was a little darker and more gritty, but still had the colors that popped. Probably forever some of my favorite art in pinball.

Out of curiosity, does Venom have a separate high score table for non-saved progress play? I’ve been playing mine with saved progress since I got it, but I can see the appeal of playing it like a ‘normal’ pin once I’ve finished unlocking the characters - but it seems like it would be unbalanced chasing scores set when you started ball one at a high level when you’re starting at level one every game?

Unfortunately, it is unbalanced because of Hybrid and unlocked character perks. And there is no separate high score. There really should be and hope they add it. The only separate HS tables are for impossible mode and co-op. Unless I’m missing any others?

Now that I think about it a little more. My ‘normal’ games are typically higher scoring than saved progression. What puts a wrinkle in things is when you get Hybrid during saved progression. Hybrid unbalances the high score tables the most. It would be nice to have an option in the adjustments to turn off high score tables when using saved progression.

Side note: I hope the devs don’t multiball bastardize venom like a lot of other newer sterns. Don’t get me wrong, multiball has a place in pinball but it seems so many newer sterns have 20 different multiballs. I like that venom is lighter on the multiballs in that regard.

One other notable mention that I like Venom over a lot of other newer games. No free ball bonanza. I think there really is only 1 extra ball to earn in Venom (besides mystery)? I love that.

One thing Venom does a poor job on is displaying info on the LCD dashboard. Examples of what could be shown on the active dashboard would be:
+ progress of carnage and which carnage mode is next and/or lit
+ Host Combos: Showing when host combos are locked and unlocked, plus the shot needed to start the sequence
+ Doppleganger Values - maybe something when Rampage is lit (even though the board/table does a good job of showing you that)?
+ maybe little quirky Easter eggs of when you have a teamup ready, that character pops up on the display from time to time

There are a fair number, but you have to get to them. Toxin Team-Up, Grendel, and Knull all go into 2-ball mb when you get deep enough into them, plus there's also the Doppelganger mb on the premium/LE.

And yes, normal play scores higher than saved progression on average, once your save game gets stuck at Knull like it always does. Scoring is better with access to the earlier bosses, particularly Grendel.

Given how much info is typically shown on-screen for other Sullivan-programmed games (Star Wars and Mandalorian come to mind here) I gotta imagine that more of that is coming in future code updates. I know what you mean, though.

Thanks Eskaybee foo is going because of the last update. The Foo bot is just too overbearing for us. He never shuts up and for us destroys the vibe of the game. Imagine deadpool with a worse robot voice than mechsuit multiball announcing every shot you should do and have done. Hitting the spinner makes him chatter for 5 minutes announcing the different spinner level bonuses. Most people can handle it, but my wife who used to love Foo is now shouting shut up to the narrative. I don’t need instructions when playing pinball. A guiding comment in a rare moment is good but this just sucks. They’re not going to change it because the topper is all about foo not so it’s time to pass it on. The game is still a great game and for most it got better. It’s all personal preference. But personal preference or bias is hard to conquer. Selling any pin sucks. Selling venom may lose me a couple more k than Foo. This is the same with GNR alien any stern premium now. Selling sucks. I do like Dwight.

Thank you. I liked the concept from the start. Had one on preorder. Resale is the worry.

You really can’t count Knull and Grendel as multiballs. Once you get to the final phase, yea, it kicks a 2nd ball into play. But that doesn’t last long, not like other modern pins where it has an everlasting ball saver with add a balls for just sneezing. Toxin Teamup? It starts off as a 1-ball mode; if you can make it to phase 2; then yea, it becomes a 2-ball multiball - Sleeper certainly helps achieving a multiball in this mode. But again, it’s not like the ever lasting forever multiball modes that other games offer.

Carnage & Mayhem are the 2 attainable multiballs that can last long. Doppleganger isn’t a gimmie, and that multiball doesn’t last long - again, very little ball saver and no add a balls. All in all, the game has 3.5 multiballs. Compare that to other newer games that give multiballs for just sneezing with add a balls anytime you fart. It’s very welcomed to have a game like Venom where you earn your multiballs, achievements, and progress. And chooosing from saved progression or non saved progression is pretty awesome; the game is much more fun starting without saved progression - and it makes me wonder how the community would receive the game if they couldn’t save progression. All in all, it’s just another way to play, and having unlocked characters to open the game up even more is very cool.

Next time I'm over, i might want to take a look at that insert bracket for the scoop.thought about ordering one, Been interested to see if it would benefit or even fit with the daily bugle building I got.

I pulled out the standup assembly one time i had the playfield up and cranked the bolt holding the target about as tight as i could, and it hasn’t moved after about 200 games. The anti-sway bracket is a sure bet but it’s not absolutely required.

A few wishlist items:
+ option/adjustment to turn off high score tables when using saved progression or a separate high score table
+ host combo locked/unlocked and shot valid on the LCD display
+ some sort of interesting tweak to the rules when you get to Rampage a second time, ie Rampage 2! And values are doubled?
+ Doppleganger switch reset during rampage needs to be much much faster. It’s like 5 seconds after you hit Doppleganger that you have to wait before you can hit him again.
+ blood lust needs rules polish and an objective
+ Scream: when you get hit, needs some sort of animation or display that you got hit. Often it completes your hair whip animation thinking you got the infected in time only to find out you lost.
+ Scream: current menu adjustment to make the mode harder just increases number of infected you need. Instead, it should increase the number of fast infected that come out, and maybe the faster ones come out sooner too.
+ I think there’s still a bug with toxin team up when mystery is lit and you get all of the above then not allowed to select your team up (this happened when I was Wolverine).
+ multiplier timers need to be paused during cut scenes
+ Doppleganger timer should be paused during cut scenes
+ host specific modes, similar to Gwenoms Doppleganger multiball. But don’t have the other host specific modes be multiball. Please please please don’t turn Venom into a multiball fest style game.
+ please please please keep earned extra balls to a minimum, ie as it is now. Do not introduce anymore extra balls into the game. Modern pins need more 3 and 4 ball games, not the 5+ that are being handed out like candy on Halloween.

Okay, so after my post above I went to play Venom and saw my bell tower target all jammed to the left, so that’s me full of crap hahah. Which bracket did you buy? …’cuz I bought a couple online and they were 3d printed and completely incompatible.

Played a venom LE tonight. Thanks Ceemunkey

Really liked it. Didn’t look empty at all. Looked and felt like an old school pinball. Ramps felt good.

Foo out venom in. Very happy!!

Nice congrats!! Remember, when you get bored or tired of saved progression and battling Knull all the time, switch to playing it as a traditional pin. Looking forward to your thoughts and review.

Yay! This'll be streaming in the background while we unbox my SW Premium at the same time. Should be a great afternoon for pinball.

Bond 007 owners must be getting pretty antsy by now... still at v0.99...

Same here

That's good news. But on the other hand means they could be about done, and hopefully that jump from .97 to 1.00 isn't just polish and bug fixes.

1.0 sounds like topper time to me…a guy can hope, amirite?