The Pinball (digital and physical) ERA |OT| Full Tilt

DaveLong · Dec 19, 2018

The moment you replied above "You might be disappointed... fair warning" was when you brought it on yourself. The product is almost universally well-liked and you went out of your way to tell the very next guy who would like to receive his FlipGrip that he should temper his expectations, because you, and as far as I've seen, only you, have a problem with it.

I'm not aggressive or hostile, I'm just noting that you have a pretty high opinion of your opinion to jump right in there. Bring it to the masses! It must be the one true hot take!

Almost everyone disagrees with you as you actually have noted more than once now, and I'm the guy who has the be all end all opinion? Guess again.

wesman · Dec 19, 2018

DaveLong said:
The moment you replied above "You might be disappointed... fair warning" was when you brought it on yourself. The product is almost universally well-liked and you went out of your way to tell the very next guy who would like to receive his FlipGrip that he should temper his expectations, because you, and as far as I've seen, only you, have a problem with it.

I'm not aggressive or hostile, I'm just noting that you have a pretty high opinion of your opinion to jump right in there. Bring it to the masses! It must be the one true hot take!

Almost everyone disagrees with you as you actually have noted more than once now, and I'm the guy who has the be all end all opinion? Guess again.

I'm not discussing this with you anymore. I do feel you're aggressive and hostile, and how I feel has value to me, maybe not to you.

You're not wishing to actually discuss an opinion on a product, rather you're targeting me again as an individual, in a demeaning and chastising way, for simply having a difference of opinion. Discussion boards should be about the freedom to express opinions, not a person multiple times being facetious and belligerent towards another for not seeing something in the same light.

I am done here.

Slam Tilt · Dec 19, 2018

wesman , if you're disappointed with your Flip Grip, then why not sell it? I'm sure you won't have too much trouble finding a buyer for it.

Mr_Bubbles · Dec 19, 2018

I agree partly with the imbalance with bare Joy-con, but I got used to it quick, so imo not a deal breaker at all.

Also, with my Cyber Gadget Joy-con grips attached it feels truly perfect. I'll post a picture soon.

wesman · Dec 19, 2018

Slam Tilt said:
wesman , if you're disappointed with your Flip Grip, then why not sell it? I'm sure you won't have too much trouble finding a buyer for it.

The Kickstarter pledge isn't a big deal, it's more that I had hopes for months that this would complete the vision of playing so many games vertically. It just doesn't feel right for me, literally so....

Mr_Bubbles said:
I agree partly with the imbalance with bare Joy-con, but I got used to it quick, so imo not a deal breaker at all.

Also, with my Cyber Gadget Joy-con grips attached it feels truly perfect. I'll post a picture soon.

I've got the nice silicon grips from PDP, which have been really terrific since launch. They help tremendously overall for handheld mode, and I really can't imagine playing the Switch portably without them. I just wish this felt more balanced, as otherwise it's incredibly well tooled and designed, and their production reports via Kickstarter were always really awesome and descriptive.

HighFive · Dec 22, 2018

wesman said:
I noted that I felt it's built very capably, except for a large design issue. For me, there were three possible design issues designing something like this, the ability to hold the system and joycons, production build quality, and weighted balance in the hand. All three were essential to make this product feel good and function. It fails on one.

So you buy a product, and don't scrutinize it's value or function? Do you genuinely don't feel it's too heavy in a way that feels unbalanced and removes balance from the natural design flow of the Switch in handheld?

Price, whether expensive or cheap, isn't my issue here, and a reasonably low price, doesn't exclude this product from basic functionality. And just because I'm the only person not overwhelmingly pleased with it, doesn't negate the value of my concerns and issues.

I wanted to enjoy this product. I didn't show up at the table, pay for my meal ahead of time, and then once dinner we as served said I had no appetite.

Thr issue tbh is not the Flip Grip itself about the weight balance, notice it feel heavier too, but this thing weight close to nothing. Its the Switch screen that weight a lot. Iv tried to hold my switch with nothing and in vertical position, notice the weight of the tablet itself. We feel it less by holding the Switch in horizental position. You have weight kicking in holding it vertically, i think this is normal and i dont see how it can be fixed.

Im very happy about it, even if it make me feel its more heavy, but its not the fault of the FlipGrip. I think its made to do what its supposed to do, play vertically. Its so amazing to play FX3 with the screen vertically!

Shaneus · Dec 23, 2018

wesman said:
So you buy a product, and don't scrutinize it's value or function? Do you genuinely don't feel it's too heavy in a way that feels unbalanced and removes balance from the natural design flow of the Switch in handheld?

I don't think there's any way they could've designed it to feel balanced and also allowed access to the headphone jack as well. If the major design compromise was either no access to headphone jack or the weight distribution, I think they made the right choice.

Slam Tilt · Dec 23, 2018

Shaneus said:
I don't think there's any way they could've designed it to feel balanced and also allowed access to the headphone jack as well.

I think the other big issue is to not completely block the heat vent on the top of the Switch.

StallionDan · Dec 23, 2018

EU PSN store got a bunch of FX3 tables on sale, several that never seen a sale before even though old as ass.

wesman · Dec 23, 2018

HF2014 said:
Thr issue tbh is not the Flip Grip itself about the weight balance, notice it feel heavier too, but this thing weight close to nothing. Its the Switch screen that weight a lot. Iv tried to hold my switch with nothing and in vertical position, notice the weight of the tablet itself. We feel it less by holding the Switch in horizental position. You have weight kicking in holding it vertically, i think this is normal and i dont see how it can be fixed.

Im very happy about it, even if it make me feel its more heavy, but its not the fault of the FlipGrip. I think its made to do what its supposed to do, play vertically. Its so amazing to play FX3 with the screen vertically!

Slam Tilt said:
I think the other big issue is to not completely block the heat vent on the top of the Switch.

I guess for me, it's akin to a door closing, blocking most light and sound, but not locking. It serves most of it's purpose, but not all.

As much as I dislike those full body silicone grips for the Switch, maybe a full sleeve/shell that also covered the joycons could have created more weight on the bottom. And yes, the Switch itself is heavy, so it needs a counterbalance in some way, and thus being entirely plastic, and having no weight towards it's bottom, makes it uneven when held, in a way the horizontal Swtich isn't at all.

Ultimately if everyone likes it, that's great, but for me I've used it twice, and don't really feel compelled to keep using it. I'll try a third session, but it doesn't feel like a balanced extension of the unit, not in the same way the native design feels, and for me, the designers missed a key engineering feature.

Ah well.

(And yeah I'm glad the top vent and mic jack aren't covered, but covering the USB-C input makes the similarly released Genki Bluetooth Adapter also unusable with the Flip Grip.).

BlockABoots · Dec 23, 2018

StallionDan said:
EU PSN store got a bunch of FX3 tables on sale, several that never seen a sale before even though old as ass.

Only 3 table packs for Xbox....rubbish

Shaneus · Dec 24, 2018

Holy fucking shit, Taito is testing a 2P arcade cabinet called "Space Invaders Pinball Jam.

StallionDan · Dec 24, 2018

BlockABoots said:
Only 3 table packs for Xbox....rubbish

Usually the Xbox gets loads of discounts anyway. Everything this PSN sale has been discounted on Xbox multiple times already.

deadfolk · Dec 24, 2018

Aaaaand my FlipGrip finally arrives on Christmas Eve. That was close! :P

I've had a really quick look at Attack from Mars and The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, and I have to say, I'm impressed. I was a little concerned about the weight after Wesman's (and others around the web) comments, but I have to say, I don't think it will bother me. Perhaps it's due to people holding it in different ways, but to me and with very limited testing, it seems like with the way I hold it, the weight is strictly vertical and not felling like the top is tipping backwards, which is what I was concerned about.

wesman · Dec 24, 2018

Shaneus said:
Holy fucking shit, Taito is testing a 2P arcade cabinet called "Space Invaders Pinball Jam.

Ooooh! That looks like it could be really, really inventive and fun, or a weird shallow miss. Hopefully it makes it to global launch! Reminds me of that one pin I've seen in TNT videos, where you played head to head in cocktail.

deadfolk said:
Aaaaand my FlipGrip finally arrives on Christmas Eve. That was close! :P

I've had a really quick look at Attack from Mars and The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, and I have to say, I'm impressed. I was a little concerned about the weight after Wesman's (and others around the web) comments, but I have to say, I don't think it will bother me. Perhaps it's due to people holding it in different ways, but to me and with very limited testing, it seems like with the way I hold it, the weight is strictly vertical and not felling like the top is tipping backwards, which is what I was concerned about.

I'm really glad you got it and feel that way! There's a shit ton of games to use it on, that's for sure! Now you have to get working on those Zen highscores! :)

deadfolk · Dec 24, 2018

wesman said:
I'm really glad you got it and feel that way! There's a shit ton of games to use it on, that's for sure! Now you have to get working on those Zen highscores! :)

I'm coming for you. I got nearly half your weekly score on AFM, lol!

wesman · Dec 24, 2018

deadfolk said:
I'm coming for you. I got nearly half your weekly score on AFM, lol!

Oh I suck at that, I'm still trying to get near my friend's score....she always beats me on the real table too.....

Now I'm gonna have to try the Flipgrip again, And push my score further up! :)

Shaneus · Dec 25, 2018

Does anyone else find some of the shots (most noticeable for me on Black Rose) to be a bit out of whack in the latest FX pack? At least on Switch, I have to hit the ball stupidly early on the flipper to make the centre shot, whereas some other shots feel okay.

nicoga3000 · Dec 25, 2018

FX3 on my Switch is taking ages to load up. Any idea why?? Like, almost 10 minutes.

Layth · Dec 25, 2018

nicoga3000 said:
FX3 on my Switch is taking ages to load up. Any idea why?? Like, almost 10 minutes.

The first time you boot up Pinball FX3 in Switch after tables are added is subject to a long load time. All the subsequent times times you boot the game up will load much quicker. Until the next batch of tables.

nicoga3000 · Dec 25, 2018

Layth said:
The first time you boot up Pinball FX3 in Switch after tables are added is subject to a long load time. All the subsequent times times you boot the game up will load much quicker. Until the next batch of tables.

Ah OK - new tables since my boot makes sense. Thanks!

Dash Kappei · Dec 26, 2018

Remind me which options do I have to choose to play with the proper physics? Also I seem to remember that didn't work for tournaments, which is the reason I didn't bother participating in HotHamBoy weekly Challenges and put the game on hold for good, has that been fixed?

wesman · Dec 26, 2018

Dash Kappei said:
Remind me which options do I have to choose to play with the proper physics? Also I seem to remember that didn't work for tournaments, which is the reason I didn't bother participating in HotHamBoy weekly Challenges and put the game on hold for good, has that been fixed?

I think it's really just Classic Single Player mode. Single Player has power ups and more scripted physics. I think....

Dash Kappei · Dec 26, 2018

wesman said:
I think it's really just Classic Single Player mode. Single Player has power ups and more scripted physics. I think....

Thanks man. Then what it was about Tournament mode not having the new more realistic physics?

wesman · Dec 26, 2018

Dash Kappei said:
Thanks man. Then what it was about Tournament mode not having the new more realistic physics?

You're welcome! Yeah, it's a bit weird

I think tournament setup is the steeper angle. I think. It's not like there are in game notes that explcitedly state that.

deadfolk · Dec 27, 2018

The wording when you start it is more explicit now. It actually says something about new physics vs FX3 physics or something. Don't remember the wording.

wesman · Jan 8, 2019

Welp, I guess the Munsters is official!!!

https://youtu.be/-mSURMrFb2I

Slam Tilt · Jan 8, 2019

The all-black-and-white one is gorgeous.

Shaneus · Jan 8, 2019

I like that the Pro doesn't look like it has anything missing out of the middle of the playfield. Unlike Acey-Facey:

I'm cautiously optimistic. No doubt it'll play like another generic Stern fan layout (hello Guardians, Metallica, Kiss) but it should be fun.

Side note: I've been playing a bit of Deadpool Pro and really like the layout. It's about time Stern started being a little more adventurous with their layouts with DP and Iron Maiden. But yeah... this basically looks like cookie-cutter Stern.

Also, massive props to Christopher Franchi. The artwork is IMO the best he's done to date.

OrakioRob · Jan 9, 2019

Quoting myself because I'll update this story:

OrakioRob said:
As I've mentioned before, I only recently became a pinball lover thanks to the digital pinball platforms on Switch, so I have next to zero experience with real pinball machines.

Of course I'm now super interested in playing real machines, but it's hard to find them here in Rio de Janeiro. Pinside only references Barra Shopping, so I went there yesterday with my wife and kid. They have the following tables, all from Stern:

Avatar (Pro)

The Rolling Stones

Spiderman

Transformers (Pro)

Tron: Legacy (Pro)

Sadly, Spiderman (apparently the best one) and Tron: Legacy were shutdown for some reason, probably defective. I hope they fix them.

Avatar was a waste of money for us, as it drained balls pretty quickly. As soon as we finished, a guy came up with a few friends and they gave it a try. They also failed miserably and looked very angry ^_^

It's no wonder the replay score is so low for the Avatar table...

I've heard it's a great machine once you get the hang of it. Any of you played it?

Transformers isn't exactly great, but it's fun to play and way, way easier than Avatar, so I had some fun with it.

Our favorite was The Rolling Stones. Even though I like the band, It's fun to shoot balls at Mick ^_^

My wife playing The Rolling Stones

You activate some specials by shooting the ramps multiple times. The machines at Barra Shopping are a bit expensive to play, but they have a low replay score (7.900.000 for The Rolling Stones), so we both managed to get replays at this table. We played it a few times and we want to go back to it in the near future, it was great fun!

I went back to Barra Shopping after two months and this time the Spider-Man table was operational. I was excited to try it, since it's apparently the best table available at Barra Shopping according to Pinside.

Sadly, I couldn't fully enjoy the table because it was in bad shape. The upper right flipper wouldn't move at all, so you can't hit one of the left lanes. The lights at the center of the table indicating the modes (Rescue MJ, Battle Royale etc) are dead. The machine was on maintenance two months ago, how come it's already defective again? Or maybe this wasn't fixed at all?

I only played it once and moved on to the good old Rolling Stones table. However, that too was in bad shape this time. The spotlights on the sides wouldn't light up -- in fact, one of them was loose because apparently someone forgot to screw it, so the ball hit it frequently.

The Transformers table wasn't operational, it's probably on "maintenance". So, your options at Barra Shopping (one of the biggest shopping malls in Brazil) come down to the flawed Avatar table and broken Spider-Man and Rolling Stones tables.

It's getting very hard to find pinball tables in Brazil. It's sad to see that the few ones around are basically abandoned. Is this a common issue in other countries too?

Shaneus · Jan 17, 2019

How has there not been a post in this thread for so long? After all, we've just had the official (finally) launch of The Munsters, and it looks fucking amazing:

Pro:

Premium:

Limited:

Some things of note:
Pro playfield is apparently identical to Premium/LE other than lower playfield. Plus maybe some other things like missing the odd RGB insert.
Lower playfield plays a LOT better than the Stewie playfield on Family Guy, feels more realistic. Is actually extension of main playfield rather than being a standalone mode/section that has to be unlocked a la AC/DC, Game of Thrones etc.
People have compared the layout to Medieval Madness which I can see, and if it feels like that then I'd definitely buy one.

There really is massive media saturation on this title. Where your regular podcasts are found, you will discover:
* Roundtable (via conference call and in-person) with John Borg (designer), Dwight Sullivan (coder), Christopher Franchi (artist) and Jerry Thompson (sound). Courtesy of Special When Lit podcast
* Dwight Sullivan on Head 2 Head Pinball podcast
* Christopher Franchi on This Week in Pinball podcast
* Dead_flip/Jack Danger live-streaming the LE reveal (Part 1, Part 2), Pro reveal and Premium reveal with John Borg and Dwight Sullivan. I've only watched the latter but from what I've heard it's the best to watch/most concise at only 2 hours long.

Screw it, I'll embed the Premium reveal below:

Edit: Only just noticed we'd already mentioned the Munsters trailer, but all the media above is new :)

wesman · Jan 17, 2019

Shaneus said:
How has there not been a post in this thread for so long? After all, we've just had the official (finally) launch of The Munsters, and it looks fucking amazing:

Some things of note:
Pro playfield is apparently identical to Premium/LE other than lower playfield. Plus maybe some other things like missing the odd RGB insert.
Lower playfield plays a LOT better than the Stewie playfield on Family Guy, feels more realistic. Is actually extension of main playfield rather than being a standalone mode/section that has to be unlocked a la AC/DC, Game of Thrones etc.
People have compared the layout to Medieval Madness which I can see, and if it feels like that then I'd definitely buy one.

There really is massive media saturation on this title. Where your regular podcasts are found, you will discover:
* Roundtable (via conference call and in-person) with John Borg (designer), Dwight Sullivan (coder), Christopher Franchi (artist) and Jerry Thompson (sound). Courtesy of Special When Lit podcast
* Dwight Sullivan on Head 2 Head Pinball podcast
* Christopher Franchi on This Week in Pinball podcast
* Dead_flip/Jack Danger live-streaming the LE reveal (Part 1, Part 2), Pro reveal and Premium reveal with John Borg and Dwight Sullivan. I've only watched the latter but from what I've heard it's the best to watch/most concise at only 2 hours long.

Screw it, I'll embed the Premium reveal below:

Edit: Only just noticed we'd already mentioned the Munsters trailer, but all the media above is new :)

I was really excited about this pin, but then irritated at it's very limited 500 limited edition. I was reassured about not being terribly upset at missing out, when I went to a local event where a brewery has just over 30 tables. Playing recent Sterns always has me reminding myself how lightweight the materials, specifically loops and ramps, often feel when struck in game.

Shaneus · Jan 17, 2019

wesman said:
I was really excited about this pin, but then irritated at it's very limited 500 limited edition. I was reassured about not being terribly upset at missing out, when I went to a local event where a brewery has just over 30 tables. Playing recent Sterns always has me reminding myself how lightweight the materials, specifically loops and ramps, often feel when struck in game.

Firstly, I think it's 600 :) But yeah, they're all accounted for I believe.

Also, how recent are the Sterns you've been playing? Iron Maiden and especially Deadpool (at least, the Pros) IMO feel quite solid compared to earlier Stern efforts. Shame that the one regular Deadpool I play is prone to stuck balls when hitting a super clean orbit shot on the right from the left flipper (the ball jumps the small metal bracket thing and winds up at the top right of the playfield). There are now two balls stuck up there, one I did and I guess someone else did the same lol

I reckon Munsters looks to be a lot more solid than recent machines, too. I picked up on how the scoop protector and the bracket thing behind the scoop seem to be all the one piece now, also this thing is using wireforms for almost all the ramps.

The only thing that kind of disappoints me about the LE and Premium vs the Pro is they're doing the thing where they replace standup targets with drops. I loved the AC/DC Pro for that reason because the game feels so much faster, maybe Stern will one day give us the option to change them over. Not so Pros can have drops, but the Premium/LE can have standups and make the game that much faster.

This is honestly the most I've looked forward to playing a new Stern pin for a long time. Maiden was great but honestly I grew a little tired of it, Deadpool was a surprise that came from nowhere but this one is really ticking all the boxes. Which is weird for a Borg layout, because normally I find those a bit samey. Thankfully I know someone who's getting an LE (and sold their Maiden LE to get it).

wesman · Jan 18, 2019

Shaneus said:
Firstly, I think it's 600 :) But yeah, they're all accounted for I believe.

Also, how recent are the Sterns you've been playing? Iron Maiden and especially Deadpool (at least, the Pros) IMO feel quite solid compared to earlier Stern efforts. Shame that the one regular Deadpool I play is prone to stuck balls when hitting a super clean orbit shot on the right from the left flipper (the ball jumps the small metal bracket thing and winds up at the top right of the playfield). There are now two balls stuck up there, one I did and I guess someone else did the same lol

I reckon Munsters looks to be a lot more solid than recent machines, too. I picked up on how the scoop protector and the bracket thing behind the scoop seem to be all the one piece now, also this thing is using wireforms for almost all the ramps.

The only thing that kind of disappoints me about the LE and Premium vs the Pro is they're doing the thing where they replace standup targets with drops. I loved the AC/DC Pro for that reason because the game feels so much faster, maybe Stern will one day give us the option to change them over. Not so Pros can have drops, but the Premium/LE can have standups and make the game that much faster.

This is honestly the most I've looked forward to playing a new Stern pin for a long time. Maiden was great but honestly I grew a little tired of it, Deadpool was a surprise that came from nowhere but this one is really ticking all the boxes. Which is weird for a Borg layout, because normally I find those a bit samey. Thankfully I know someone who's getting an LE (and sold their Maiden LE to get it).

Edit: Just saw the adjustment to 600on Pinside. They should really just leave LE's open for order for the first year of production, especially with lower playfields not existing in Pros, and the color scheme being removed in the Premium.

I read everywhere there were 500. Either way, those were all scooped up so quickly, and $9K for an unplayed Stern seems crazy to me. I've played a bunch of Deadpools and Maidens, and just got to play the Beatles too. The loop in that feels a bit "clangy" when the ball scrapes against and around it. The owner of the brewery mentioned some issues with blown CPU boards, and some other things that came up. Also, the Primus table had bumpers not lit, as well as a freely moving scoring wheel that would just spin.

Even though it's not Borg, ACDC reminds me too much design wise of the Munsters. I hope it turns out well, but I can't fathom wanting to own any modern Stern. I'd put anything Jersey Jack and American Pinball definitely ahead of Stern for that aspect.

I will say, the LCD design work Stern is doing seems to be top tier at this point. The Beatles design work is very solid, and they seem to be a step above everyone else in that regard. I was really surprised with the LCD work on Alice Cooper FROM Spooky too.

I guess we'll find out fairly soon about the Munsters, either way! I just don't like major feature sets behind pay walls, and paying minimum $7,700 for a complete Stern feels a bit overpriced for me, as much as I love the theme, and yeah...playing Xmen the other say, doesn't have me too excited about Borg.

HighFive · Jan 18, 2019

Shaneus said:
How has there not been a post in this thread for so long? After all, we've just had the official (finally) launch of The Munsters, and it looks fucking amazing:

Some things of note:
Pro playfield is apparently identical to Premium/LE other than lower playfield. Plus maybe some other things like missing the odd RGB insert.
Lower playfield plays a LOT better than the Stewie playfield on Family Guy, feels more realistic. Is actually extension of main playfield rather than being a standalone mode/section that has to be unlocked a la AC/DC, Game of Thrones etc.
People have compared the layout to Medieval Madness which I can see, and if it feels like that then I'd definitely buy one.

There really is massive media saturation on this title. Where your regular podcasts are found, you will discover:
* Roundtable (via conference call and in-person) with John Borg (designer), Dwight Sullivan (coder), Christopher Franchi (artist) and Jerry Thompson (sound). Courtesy of Special When Lit podcast
* Dwight Sullivan on Head 2 Head Pinball podcast
* Christopher Franchi on This Week in Pinball podcast
* Dead_flip/Jack Danger live-streaming the LE reveal (Part 1, Part 2), Pro reveal and Premium reveal with John Borg and Dwight Sullivan. I've only watched the latter but from what I've heard it's the best to watch/most concise at only 2 hours long.

Screw it, I'll embed the Premium reveal below:

Edit: Only just noticed we'd already mentioned the Munsters trailer, but all the media above is new :)

I can say that im really surprised by it. Seeing it really feel as you said like Medieval Madness. Since it always suck finding pins around where imlive, its one i hope Farsight reproduce in TPA!

2shd · Jan 18, 2019

I've seen opinions that the old rock band tables are out of touch with today's audience, despite older players being those ones more likely to buy them. Is the Munsters similar or a risky IP being an old property?

Slam Tilt · Jan 18, 2019

2n2 said:
I've seen opinions that the old rock band tables are out of touch with today's audience, despite older players being those ones more likely to buy them. Is the Munsters similar or a risky IP being an old property?

As much as I enjoyed the show (via reruns), my gut tells me it's too old and obscure for today's audiences. For the foreseeable future I think movie and comic book licenses are probably the best way to go.

wesman · Jan 19, 2019

Slam Tilt said:
As much as I enjoyed the show (via reruns), my gut tells me it's too old and obscure for today's audiences. For the foreseeable future I think movie and comic book licenses are probably the best way to go.

I kinda think we might be surprised. Pinball nerds seem to be pretty enthusiastic about tables and licenses, and add aging pinheads to new cultural obsessed younger ones, and I'm guessing along with the really jovial good natured, and Monster theme aesthetic of the Munsters, this'll be pretty accessible.

I mean, it's not like they're making a "Get Smart" or "My Three Son's" pin. It get get for less accessible.

I'm glad if it's a license, it's not a super modern one for once, ala Deadpool, but then again they did some solid work with Batman 66' and the Beatles!

Slam Tilt · Jan 19, 2019

wesman said:
I mean, it's not like they're making a "Get Smart" or "My Three Son's" pin.

Get Smart would be a better retro license, IMO. The Munsters is mostly known for being a knock-off of The Addams Family, whereas Get Smart entered the cultural lexicon through its numerous catchphrases and gags:

"Missed it by that much."
"...and loving it!"
"That's the second-biggest <X> I've ever seen."
"Would you believe...?"

Heck, at least Get Smart got a modern remake a few years ago, whereas the Munsters haven't been spotted anywhere.

StallionDan · Jan 19, 2019

Slam Tilt said:
Get Smart would be a better retro license, IMO. The Munsters is mostly known for being a knock-off of The Addams Family, whereas Get Smart entered the cultural lexicon through its numerous catchphrases and gags:

"Missed it by that much."
"...and loving it!"
"That's the second-biggest <X> I've ever seen."
"Would you believe...?"

Heck, at least Get Smart got a modern remake a few years ago, whereas the Munsters haven't been spotted anywhere.

I don't know if it a region thing, but I'm in UK, mid 30s and never heard of Get Smart until that awful movie a few years ago. While The Munsters aren't really relevant on TV anymore, I at least know them very well from reruns into the 90s at least.

Slam Tilt · Jan 19, 2019

StallionDan said:
I don't know if it a region thing, but I'm in UK, mid 30s and never heard of Get Smart until that awful movie a few years ago. While The Munsters aren't really relevant on TV anymore, I at least know them very well from reruns into the 90s at least.

Point taken -- here in the States, Get Smart was huge in its day, easily second only to Adam West Batman. They even tried to revive the series in the '80s several times before the Steve Carrell movie.

StallionDan · Jan 19, 2019

Slam Tilt said:
Point taken -- here in the States, Get Smart was huge in its day, easily second only to Adam West Batman. They even tried to revive the series in the '80s several times before the Steve Carrell movie.

Sounds like The Avengers, British Avengers that is. Ever a table based on that?

Slam Tilt · Jan 19, 2019

StallionDan said:
Sounds like The Avengers, British Avengers that is. Ever a table based on that?

Not to my knowledge, but it'd be a great license -- Steed and Mrs. Peel would make for some fun visuals.

Shaneus · Jan 19, 2019

An Avengers pin would be even less recognisable then Munsters IMO.

If they go for another music pin (which they will), they need to go for something more appealing to a wider section of the public rather than just a specific genre (being "rock").

I could really see a designer and artist having fun with bands like Devo, Beastie Boys, Kraftwerk or even Wires Al.

Not necessarily "dream themes" for me (and let's be honest, Kraftwerk just wouldn't sell at all) but they'd all be visually interesting and have a great integration between visuals, music and toys.

Tell me Devo Energy Dome pops wouldn't look sweet, Beastie Boys art by Franchi wouldn't look insane, or a machine with callouts and art referring to Weird Al wouldn't be fun and silly as hell!

The more I think about it, the more I reckon we could genuinely see a Weid Al or Devo pin, even as low-run retheme of Woah Nelly.

Edit:I was trying to remember another idea I had for a pin and it came back to me just then:

If Stern wanted to do a magic-themed pin, it would be perfect. And they could do their own take on Mist Multiball as well as other "magic trick" toys.

Mewzard · Jan 19, 2019

I'd love to see a Sonic Pinball machine. It's long overdue, I say.

HighFive · Jan 19, 2019

Mewzard said:
I'd love to see a Sonic Pinball machine. It's long overdue, I say.

If Stern copy MM a bit with The Munsters, id be in to see a Sonic like of Gateway High Speed II! I think it could fit.

wesman · Jan 19, 2019

I just wish we'd enter an era with...less...licenses. It sucks that Stern, Jersey Jack and Spooky are more based towards licensed games. I was really excited when American Pinball debuted Octoberfest, which is more theme than license.

Shaneus · Jan 20, 2019

wesman said:
I just wish we'd enter an era with...less...licenses. It sucks that Stern, Jersey Jack and Spooky are more based towards licensed games. I was really excited when American Pinball debuted Octoberfest, which is more theme than license.

Definitely. But unlicensed games were only a thing (in numbers) when pinball was massive and having any game on location was better than none. Those days are long gone :(

grendelrt · Jan 22, 2019

Demon's Tilt became available today for early access, reminds me of the Naxat Crush series of pinball games,

https://store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEMONS_TILT/

Sheepinator · Jan 22, 2019

That Demon's Tilt looks great.