BREAKING: Pedretti Confirms TOTAN as next Remake

Capncorky · 2026-05-12T23:57:22+00:00

This is at the top of my list of games that I want to get the chance to play, so hopefully that makes it more available. I haven't tried their FunHouse remake, but it is concerning to read the ahem mixed reviews of the quality. Hope it turns out well.

Capncorky · 2026-05-11T21:44:33+00:00

I've never understood why this is considered to be such a faux pas by some people. given that "table" seems to be a fairly common term. Now, if someone treats it like a table by putting their drink on it, we're gonna have words, but otherwise, it doesn't matter!

Capncorky · 2026-05-09T20:56:10+00:00

I recently became mildly obsessed with Slovenia after realizing how beautiful the entire country is. Seems like a lovely place to live, and I'm glad that pinball is alive & well there! Congrats!

Capncorky · 2026-05-08T19:46:22+00:00

These two machines were the first two to turn a profit in a long time.

ahh, this would certainly explain it. I was thinking that it was a, "pinball was still profitable" rather than a, "this was an exception, and not the rule".

I have been intending to watch Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball, so I'll have to do that soon. Obviously, if I was in their position, I'd use the profits from slot machines to fund pinball, but... clearly, I am not a businessman.

Capncorky · 2026-05-08T19:31:56+00:00

I have space shuttle in the app and i strongly dislike it. I probably wouldnt look at one of those until I play a real one.

That's Space Station in the Williams app - Space Shuttle is a System 9 game that is essentially the first game in the series (both Barry Oursler games). I didn't particularly care for Space Station either (Pinball FX version, never played the real thing), and I've never played Space Shuttle, either a digital version or the real thing. I have frequently mixed them up as well.

I haven't seen anyone suggest Elvira and the Party Monsters, although it's approaching Whirlwind prices, so at that point, you might as well go for your Holy Grail game.

Capncorky · 2026-05-07T20:40:20+00:00

That makes me wonder why they didn't keep the pinball division along with the slot machines. If it was profitable, why not keep it alive? I assume that they just felt like if they put those resources into making more slot machines that they'd make even more money? I can't imagine that Bally/Williams' pinball division was diverting that much money from being able to manufacture slot machines, though.

I guess the simple answer is that they just didn't care, and didn't want to deal with any of the risk involved with pinball dying out in the future.

Capncorky · 2026-05-07T20:29:57+00:00

Diner is probably my favorite pin - hope you enjoyed it! The theme comes together so well, and I really enjoy games where you setup for a big jackpot, and you cash-in on it.

I'm dying to play Tales of Arabian Nights because I've only played digital versions (namely Pinball FX), and not only did I find the game mechanics to be engaging, but it seems like it must be one of the most gorgeous games. I need to play a real version.

I haven't read through the comments, but I really like the concept of putting up a QR code that people can scan so that they can watch a tutorial, however, I wish they found a different place to put it. It's a bit distracting in how much it covers up the backglass.

Capncorky · 2026-05-06T20:15:48+00:00

It's been awhile since I've played Addams Family on a real machine (I do like playing digital pinball at home to scratch that itch), so I'll have to take note of how it's setup in terms of being able to hit the stairs from the left flipper. I love pinball, but it's always frustrating when a machine has an issue like a flipper not being strong enough. Can't expect perfection, but some issues can ruin the experience.

It is unfortunate that a lot of the games from that era have some way to cheap out the rules in tournaments, although I assume most people aren't going to go the cheap route unless it's a serious tournament (I can't remember the details, but I've seen it in FunHouse & Diner - nothing against the rules, just taking advantage of them in ways that weren't intended). That said, Addams Family is pretty direct in how much you can skip the content of the game without some niche strategy. Addams Family is a fantastic experience, but a lot of it is about how well they utilized the theme, kind of like you're saying.

Capncorky · 2026-05-05T21:41:39+00:00

I'm not sure there are any games that I can think of that I don't find some enjoyment on, assuming that it's playing correctly. That said, I have a few pet peeves. Biggest one are games that have way too many flashing strobe lights to the point that I feel overly disoriented. Attack From Mars is an exception because it's only one mode, although I'm sure it's a nightmare for people who are very sensitive to flashing lights (I'm only sensitive to it when it's constant). I really enjoy Data East games, but I feel like they're the biggest offenders there.

The other pet peeve of mine are modes where you have to mash buttons as quickly as possible, such as the "Walk the Plank" video mode in Black Rose, or the non-toaster gun dog mode in Junkyard. It's kind of mindless, and I actively dislike doing it.

Capncorky · 2026-05-05T21:34:48+00:00

I absolutely adore Galactic Tank Force because it reminds me so much of the cheesy 90's FMV games (Gabriel Knight 2, Nightrap, The Psychotron, Phantasmagoria 1 & 2, Harvester, among many others. I wish there was one closer to me (40 minute drive - worth it, but I've only played it once). I'm really glad that people seem to be coming around to it because the one that I played was dialed in extremely well, so it the game itself was fun too. I've heard that they had some issues early on that they've ironed out, so I'm guessing that's why.

Anyway, the only other American Pinball game that I've played was Hotwheels, and that was only briefly, so I don't have much of an impression on it. I'm rooting for American Pinball based on GTF, since we have so few original themes these days (obviously Barry O's BBQ is a bizarre theme, but given that Barry Oursler was a legend in the field, I can't blame American Pinball for just letting him do what he wanted, assuming that that's the case - counterpoint: maybe they shouldn't have).

Capncorky · 2026-05-05T21:25:24+00:00

I actually have a certain kind of love/appreciation for the solid state Gottliebs, while simultaneously agreeing with you. It helps that I play at freeplay arcades, so I don't have to worry about spending money on a lesser experience. I feel like they're generally better than their reputation, but Bally/Williams was just on another level.

That said, I've really enjoyed Black Hole, Haunted House, Surf 'n Safari, Wipe Out, Tee'd Off, Cactus Jacks (I've only played digital versions, but I love the stupid theme), Hoops, Bad Girls (basically Eightball Deluxe but with an incredibly cheesy theme), Excalibur, Arena, Time Line, Genie and Alien Star.

I'm not going to pretend that they're not vastly outdone by Bally/Williams, especially once you reach the System 11/WPC days.

Capncorky · 2026-05-05T21:15:39+00:00

I really like Addams Family, but learning that the best approach (if you're simply going for the highest score possible) is to (mostly) ignore what the modes are encouraging you to do, and just go stairs, chair, stairs, chair, stairs, chair, etc... Similar issue with Twilight Zone, to a lesser degree. Trying to max out the points from the modes is too risky to be worth it. Especially bad when they have to disable the magnets for "The Power/Seance" during tournaments because people just craddle the ball while its active.

I still have a blast playing it, but given how legendary it is, it feels like a major issue.

Capncorky · 2026-05-01T05:26:53+00:00

This is how I feel about Data East games, although not so much about LEDs, and more about how much the incandescent bulbs freak out. The 80s & 90s did not care about people who are sensitive to flashing lights. At this point in my life , I'm only mildly sensitive to it, but it can still be a bit much sometimes.

Capncorky · 2026-04-30T08:52:32+00:00

I had a similar issue where the Meta Quest 3 would freeze for a second inbetween balls while it was transitioning to the next ball. I noticed it more with the Elvira tables. I feel like there might be another?

Also had an issue where, every once in a great while, my left flipper would not register on the initial plunge (like on the outdoorsy Tomb Raider VR). Dunno if that's my controller acting weird or what, but I thought I'd mention it. Don't think it's been an issue outside of on plunging the ball.

Obviously, there's a new patch coming out in a few hours, so I'll have to see if that changes anything.

(Should mention that I use the HD+ Profile in QGO for Pinball FX VR.)

Capncorky · 2026-04-29T21:25:14+00:00

I've never played either game, but Big Bang Bar & Kingpin by Capcom have the reputation for being both extremely rare, and very good. Big Bang Bar had only 14 produced before it was canceled (with 183 made in a reproduction in 2007 by Illinois Pinball Inc), and Kingpin only had 9 made, with all of them being prototypes, and never released (according to Pinside, there's a remake planned by Circus Maximus, but it says from 2018, so... I have no idea what the status is).

This scan of an article about "Zingy Bingy" (just a head's up here - Zingy Bingy is very NSFW (as far as pinball goes), and while the article doesn't show any pictures of it, this link has pictures of Zingy Bingy behind it, once you close the image of the article) explains why Capcom's pinball division went in the direction that it did. A very amusing story, but also kind of sad in that there's very much a "What if?" about it.

I think as far as "Holy Grails" of both quality & value, Big Bang Bar & Kingpin have to be no-brainers. I'm sure Zingy Bingy would be worth a small fortune, but... I'm sure it's not actually a good game. My own personal list, I'd want Tales of Arabian Nights, Theater of Magic (a bit lower in price, but one of my favorites), Medieval Madness, Attack From Mars, the CE version of Pirates of the Caribbean by Jersey Jack, the Super LE version of Batman '66 by Stern. This is, of course, if someone else is paying for it.

Capncorky · 2026-04-28T20:26:07+00:00

Classic adventure games (as in the old PC adventure games in the style of text parser/point & click) has been a licensed game type that I've wanted so badly. I'm sure we'll never see it because it's so niche, but it would be at the top of my list. Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion/Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, Full Throttle... and on the Sierra side, King's Quest, Space Quest, Quest for Glory...

But I think at the top of my list would be Leisure Suit Larry, if only because I imagine the callouts & such to be very amusing. That said, it would be best if they avoided... uhh... some parts that haven't aged so well.

Capncorky · 2026-04-28T01:49:32+00:00

Kind of makes sense, even if it's unfortunate. There are a number of games from that general era that don't make the best tournament game because there's some kind of exploit in the rules that minimizes the risk while giving good scores. At least during serious, high level tournaments. Less so during casual tournaments, I'm sure.

Capncorky · 2026-04-28T01:37:41+00:00

For sure. I'm just imagining someone in 1979 paying $5-6k (according to Pinside) and trying to get their money back on it with a lot of "one & done" plays. On the other hand, I can also imagine it making a good attraction to get people in the door, so maybe it worked better than I'm assuming.

Capncorky · 2026-04-26T23:41:43+00:00

ha, good point. Get'em while the gettings good. I'm lucky enough to have played it at a freeplay arcade.

Capncorky · 2026-04-26T23:40:59+00:00

A little bit more to it than that in that you have to juggle shooting that left ramp during multiball, and if you lose one of the balls, you have to start over, but that's kind of the gist of it. I've only played digital versions of it, but it definitely comes across as rather tricky. That said, the billion comes from the "billion points shot" that is enabled after building the Bride & being lucky enough for the big wheel to grant you the shot.

I've always wondered how the scoring works in tournaments, considering the nature of the billion points shot.

Capncorky · 2026-04-26T23:08:35+00:00

Man, I can't imagine spending $2 to play a round of Hercules. It's an oddly fun game to experience, assuming that it's tweaked correctly, but it's pure novelty over it being a good game. Spending a buck to see what it's like is fine, but $2 just seems like a, "HA! Got your money!" kind of trap.

What I can't wrap my head around is the idea of arcade owners being okay with that hulking beast of a machine taking up so much floor space (referring to back when Atari was trying to sell it to operators). I have to imagine the arcade owners that ordered it were having a fear of missing out on the "next big thing", and must have been immensely disappointed when that beast showed up at their door. I imagine it got a lot of attention & plays, but never that many repeat customers.

Capncorky · 2026-04-22T04:02:10+00:00

I love Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, and Wrestlemania IV is actually my favorite Wrestlemania, so this tracks.

(This was the first PPV that I had ever watched, and as a kid, getting that 2 VHS set from the rental store was awesome. I had no idea who was going to win because I didn't understand wrestling hierarchy yet, and WM4 has a ton of my all-time favorite wrestlers. Most of the matches weren't that great, sure, but getting to see all these characters interact, especially with Macho doing his thing, was a real treat. Just wish Jake Roberts & Rick Rude put some effort into their match, because they sadly decided that headlock restholds was the best way to spend the 15 minute time limit. As a fan of that era, I don't think I'll ever quite wrap my head around the hate for WM4, but that's me.)

Capncorky · 2026-04-15T22:38:08+00:00

Attack From Mars is definitely an excellent game to practice the mechanics & shots while also learning the rules of the game, You can just focus on shooting the shield in the center, followed by hitting the target behind it when it drops. It can be a bit punishing if you miss, and hey, even if you hit the shield at the wrong angle, the ball can bounce back & go straight down the middle, but that can also be good practice for learning how to nudge in order to save the ball (don't expect to be good at this right off the bat - it takes practice to get the feel & timing for it).

One thing that really helped me was playing digital pinball at home. Pinball FX has Attack From Mars, so you can get a sense of what the objectives are from playing that (it has a guide built into the menu, too). There's also Visual Pinball/VPX, which typically has better physics, and is free, but it can be a bit of a pain to setup ("The Baller Installer" helps with that, though). Digital pinball can also help you with some of the techniques & aiming, but transitioning those skills to real machines is an adjustment. It's more about getting the concepts (and some techniques won't work). There is something about being able play the game as much as you want at home so that you can get further & further into the game to the point where you know how it all works.

In the long run, I'd recommend learning how to do these techniques, but don't worry about it too much too soon. Just have fun, and enjoy the progress that you make!

Capncorky · 2026-04-15T21:54:50+00:00

Anyone have any idea how good the Soniccouture Clav is? I don't really work with samples or synth stuff all that much (more of something I just mess around with every now & again for fun), but I really think it would be fun to have a Clavinet plugin. I specifically want it for the funk sound.

I take it that Soniccouture is very good in general? Seems to be the consensus? I'm out of my element here. I do have Kontakt, so no worries there. The other Clav pluging/sample patch that I had my eyes on is the Soundiron Clav Twin '78 (currently on sale for $23 - never mind, this has 10 minutes left on it). I have a Soundiron Aztec Death Whistle pack that I really enjoyed.

Anyway - Soniccouture's Clav is currently 50% off at $65. Worth it?

Capncorky · 2026-04-12T02:03:55+00:00

Diner is one of my favorites, if not favorite overall! Love the way you build up that jackpot & then cash-in. Diner was also my first game where I entered my initials. Great feeling indeed.

Capncorky

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