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[Minsc]

Nope, never. People have hoped for it, but Raul Julia's estate is supposedly the biggest cunt known to man, not allowing his likeness to be used for anything since his death (I think even some movies have been held back from re-release on different formats because of this). I suppose they might be able to get someone else to do it and revoice him and appear as his likeness (or maybe use the likeness of the original Gomez?) but that could cost a metric fuckload to to, if that was a viable option.

Well, they have never flat out said it isn't happening, so there's always a tiny bit of hope (in fact a few times around the first kickstarter they've said they'd be interested in releasing the table, they just know it'd be expensive and hard to do so). But you're probably right, it'll never happen

 

[Shaneus]

That is true. I think the closest they've ever come to saying an older table isn't coming is that most recent interview where they said that emulating whatever Big Bang Bar runs on is impossible to do with current hardware and a playable game, so we may never see it (or not see it for a VERY long time).

I'd love to play it though. I remember reading up on the re-release of it only a year or two ago. Really interesting stuff. Looks great as well.

 

[twinturbo2]

I completed all the standard goals for Big Shot last night. Man, that table is a little dull. No sounds, no big scores... Pinball tables got more interesting in the late '70s-early '80s when the designs got more creative.

 

[plagiarize]

I'm not sure why you think the hobbit is a bad license. Its going to be based on the trilogy, so it'll be plenty timely. Hobbits in holes and dragons in caves and all that fit for me

 

[twinturbo2]

No new tables for PSN this week, it seems. Doctor Dude and Firepower have to wait a little longer... :-(

 

[jvm]

No new tables for PSN this week, it seems. Doctor Dude and Firepower have to wait a little longer... :-(

A few colorful expletives here.

More here.

And a final angry one here.

 

[twinturbo2]

A few colorful expletives here.

More here.

And a final angry one here.

Probably next week? At least the PSP Soulcalibur game is free for PSPlus owners, so there's that.

 

[Shaneus]

I'm not sure why you think the hobbit is a bad license. Its going to be based on the trilogy, so it'll be plenty timely. Hobbits in holes and dragons in caves and all that fit for me

Not bad, but not exactly creative or exciting... at least to me, anyway. Appeals to a fairly narrow band of people, I'd think.

Maybe I'm just salty because there's basically zero amount of creativity in licensing themes for tables anymore. As much as I'm not super excited about the Oz table, massive kudos to JJP for putting something on there that's different. Picturing a Hobbit machine just illicits mental images of every Stern table from the last 10-15 years. Bad artwork, cheapish components and a dull theme that doesn't introduce anything new or different. Hell, Metallica just looks like it's been introduced off the back of how successful AC/DC was.

Probably next week? At least the PSP Soulcalibur game is free for PSPlus owners, so there's that.

No shit, really? Is that the same as the DC one?
Fake edit: Ugh, I bet it's US PSN+ only :/

 

[twinturbo2]

It's based on Soulcalibur IV and I think it's US only.

 

[jvm]

Probably next week? At least the PSP Soulcalibur game is free for PSPlus owners, so there's that.

Yeah, that's not much consolation for me. I really, really miss Firepower.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Picturing a Hobbit machine just illicits mental images of every Stern table from the last 10-15 years. Bad artwork, cheapish components and a dull theme that doesn't introduce anything new or different.

Sounds just like their lotr table. cool multiball modes plagued by shitty components and bad artwork. Table's fun when it works but balls getting stuck where they shouldn't and balls escaping from locks when they oughtn't kind of fucks with the flow.

 

[Shaneus]

Sounds just like their lotr table. cool multiball modes plagued by shitty components and bad artwork. Table's fun when it works but balls getting stuck where they shouldn't and balls escaping from locks when they oughtn't kind of fucks with the flow.

Well, I'm not saying that's what it'll be like (and there's every chance it could be awesome) but that's the mental image that's conjured up. I'm expecting an over-reliance on the LCD backglass as well, and given my non-fondness for games that rely too much on DMDs for game information... there's every chance I won't be too keen on The Hobbit.

But we'll see At least new ones are getting made! But an original IP or at least a theme I'm personally interested in would be great.

 

[twinturbo2]

Yeah, that's not much consolation for me. I really, really miss Firepower.

Well, I was able to console my sorrows by breaking 200 million on Twilight Zone tonight. That's gotta count for something.

 

[Shaneus]

Yeah, that's not much consolation for me. I really, really miss Firepower.

Only thing that sucks is that it'll still have the old pop bumpers that are in the most recent iOS version of the table. They don't make a massive difference, but it's enough that it's a little bit faster and more unpredictable.

 

[twinturbo2]

I just got my second set of standard goals completed tonight, for No Good Gofers. I think I'll focus on Gorgar next. I need 300K points to complete that table's standard goals, and my best is 285K.

Gorgar is my favorite table from the late '70s-early '80s now. That heartbeat really does raise the tension, and I like the Vallejo-style artwork.

 

[Shaneus]

You prefer Gorgar to Firepower?

You're dead to me.

Spoiler

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Gorgar is an amazing table but I feel I'm missing some updates on the 360 since the the voice and the heartbeat cut out completely every other ball. The tilt is ridiculous too, I've tilted out on the first nudge trying to plunge to C on the first ball.

 

[twinturbo2]

I'm having that same problem too on the PS Vita version with the sound cutting out. Odd.

 

[plagiarize]

Gorgar is an amazing table but I feel I'm missing some updates on the 360 since the the voice and the heartbeat cut out completely every other ball. The tilt is ridiculous too, I've tilted out on the first nudge trying to plunge to C on the first ball.

weird. I can nudge it to any of the letters pretty reliably without nudging out. it's one of the few tables I nudge a lot. on 360, I should add.

 

[twinturbo2]

Is it me, or do I crap out on Gorgar when I get close to 300K? It's like the physics are saying "screw you, I'm draining out" whenever it bounces the ball a little bit on the top of a bumper on the crevice of a drain out, or I screw up the timing and drain out when I meant to flip the flippers up to score more points.

I have 4 of 5 standard goals complete on several other tables - Genie, Monster Bash, Medieval Madness, Theater of Magic and Cirqus Voltaire, off the top of my head. Maybe I should focus elsewhere in the meantime.

Edit: I also have 4/5 standard goals on Attack from Mars.

 

[VALIS]

Started playing in the iOS tournament last night, got a bitchin' score on Firepower but the game froze after the 3rd ball and I had to tilt the table to get PA to end the game and thus register my score. That score would have been #1 at the time (and maybe still would've been, haven't checked today) if I got the afterball bonus points. Argh. Seems to happen more often in tournaments.

Not like it's a big deal, just playing for a ball skin, but still.

 

[twinturbo2]

Any pinball designers on twitter? I'd follow the hell out of Pat Lawlor and Python "yes, my parents named me Python" Anghelo.

 

[Shaneus]

Can't say I do... I really only would if anyone designed anything remotely decent in the last 10 years :/ As it is, Steve Ritchie isn't on there (as far as I know) so I don't really follow anyone pinball-related at all.

I'd imagine though, the actual players would be better to follow because that way (I guess) you'll get tips as well.

PS.

Was pretty chuffed

 

[Ronabo]

Any pinball designers on twitter? I'd follow the hell out of Pat Lawlor and Python "yes, my parents named me Python" Anghelo.

Most are on Facebook.

 

[twinturbo2]

I'll take a look on Facebook, thanks.

Trophies for table packs 11 and 12 were added to the PSN version, or will be soon.

http://www.ps3trophies.org/news-212...ade---Table-Packs-11-and-12--PS3---Vita-.html

 

[twinturbo2]

I just completed standard goal lists numbers 3 (Harley-Davidson 3rd Edition) and 4 (Twilight Zone) tonight.

I'm not a pinball wizard yet, but I'm pretty respectable now.

 

[jvm]

I put up a Funhouse score this weekend that put me at #2 on my friends list. Someone could pretty easily overtake me, given how far ahead of the pack I am, but when you look at Parallax Scroll's score at #1, you just want to give it up.

He's a factor of 10 ahead of my #2. Insane.

 

[twinturbo2]

Got the standard goal list #5 (Gorgar) completed. I drained out at 295K, but I had enough bonus points to push me to 308K and got the trophy.

feelsgoodman.jpg

 

[twinturbo2]

Table pack 11, with Doctor Dude and Firepower, is up on PSN. Doctor Dude has a Pro upgrade, it seems. I'll be grabbing it with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon tonight.

 

[jvm]

Table pack 11, with Doctor Dude and Firepower, is up on PSN. Doctor Dude has a Pro upgrade, it seems. I'll be grabbing it with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon tonight.

Done bought. Cannot wait.

 

[twinturbo2]

Done bought. Cannot wait.

I'm shocked that Grace Chen hit the update button early this week. Two more Pinball Arcade tables to go with Rex Power Colt's awesome '80s adventure... I can't complain, this week is gonna be good.

EDIT: ICYMI, here's a pretty good Firepower fansite.

 

[Plinko]

I downloaded the Vita version of Dr. Dude and Firepower, installed them, and neither are showing up in my tables list.

Oh, Farsight.

 

[Jucksalbe]

Did they even release the patch for the new tables? I'm pretty sure they haven't done that yet, at least for the European version.

 

[Kai Dracon]

lol PS3 and Vita patch to enable the new tables isn't actually up yet.

If you buy you can't play them yet.

 

[twinturbo2]

There's a few rare Williams tables I would love to see in this, including Defender (less than 370 units produced), Varkon (90 units produced), and Thunderball (10 prototypes made).

Any other rarities you guys want to see?

 

[jvm]

I downloaded the Vita version of Dr. Dude and Firepower, installed them, and neither are showing up in my tables list.

Oh, Farsight.

Same. Checking PS3.

Edit: PS3 busted too.

 

[twinturbo2]

Maybe the patch will be up when I get home around 9-ish...

 

[Shaneus]

There's a few rare Williams tables I would love to see in this, including Defender (less than 370 units produced), Varkon (90 units produced), and Thunderball (10 prototypes made).

Any other rarities you guys want to see?

I don't think you'll see something like Varkon released... it'd be too much of a departure from what Farsight's engine could currently handle, I'd imagine. In terms of rarities that could have some legitimate appeal (and be done in their engine, I guess) I'd be interested to see The Pinball Circus (2 units) get done.

Know what else I'd love to see that are considered rare? Basically any of the Hankin (made in Australia) tables. Particularly The Empire Strikes Back (the first ever licensed Star Wars pinball... and yes, made in Australia!) but any of the others would be great too. But even less likely to get done, given how specific most of their themes are to Australians. Here's the lot:
FJ (Holden)

Dennis Lillee's "Howzat!"

Orbit 1

Shark (bahaha)

The Empire Strikes Back (a friend actually has this, but when he got it, two of the pop bumpers had been replaced with Howzat! ones, as I guess they were the only replacements that wound fit. Two Vader bumpers, two Dennis Lille heads :lol)

 

[twinturbo2]

The back glass to the Howzat one is going to give me the creeps, lol.

 

[FyreWulff]

The back glass to the Howzat one is going to give me the creeps, lol.

It's just.. a visual clusterfuck. They started drawing and never stopped.

 

[Shaneus]

It's just.. a visual clusterfuck. They started drawing and never stopped.

They left the clusterfuck to the playfield on Empire, it seems!

Still, love to see them somehow recreated somewhere. I had a version of Empire on vPinMAME but it was REALLY bad. I suspect it was done from the images on IPDB :/

 

[twinturbo2]

No PSN patch for me yet. However, there's a Star Trek custom ball for sale as well, and I'm assuming that the patch will activate that too.

Came close to an extra ball in Cirqus Voltaire. Got up to 23M points, needed 25M for the extra ball and to complete that table's standard goals.

 

[twinturbo2]

Got my sixth standard goal list completed just now, for Elvira and the Party Monsters.

I think Scared Stiff is the better Elvira pinball experience, but that may just be because of the music.

 

[Minsc]

So browsing the Zaccaria thread on PAF, I came across this which looks pretty amazing and something I'd love to see in Pinball Arcade, but we probably never will.

This progress is in just 1 or 2 months, remember. That Zaccaria pinball app, which launched with lower-res graphics and poor physics has gone to having completely user tweakable great looking graphics and custom lighting and incredibly improved physics and tweakable physic settings!

Take a look (first screen shows all the graphic/lighting settings, second physics):

Playfield degree - this slider defines angle of playfield, a higher value causes faster ball rolling, a low one causes slower ball rolling.

Flipper force - this slider defines shooting power of flippers and effects on the main flippers only, a higher value causes faster flipper movement and stronger shooting of a ball, a lower value causes slower flipper movement and weaker shooting of a ball

Rubber elasticity - this slider defines ball bouncing of rubber materials, a higher value causes higher bouncing, a lower one causes weaker bouncing

Ball friction - this slider defines friction between the ball and the materials a ball rolls on, a higher value causes slower ball movement, a lower one causes faster ball movement

Bumper force - this slider defines bump power of mushroom-shaped bumpers, a higher value causes stronger bump, a lower one causes weaker bump

Getting this kind of stuff on a Pro unlock in Pinball Arcade would be amazing. If you play on iOS, hopefully Zaccaria has caught your attention by now, because it's shaping up to be incredible going by how fast tweaks and significant improvements are made.

Edit: Also, back on TPA news, I think the EU PS3 patch has been released so the new table pack DLC should be working now?

 

[Shaneus]

How do we get that in Zaccaria? Are they screens from an upcoming release?

 

[Minsc]

How do we get that in Zaccaria? Are they screens from an upcoming release?

Yeah, they're from the upcoming 1.2 release thread on PAF, which I think is in the final testing phase before submitting to Apple, so probably another 2 weeks before it releases along with the new table shown above, which looks great - so many drop targets.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Bought Dr. Dude and Firepower on PS3, but why isn't the pack available to play yet? Holy shit, FarSight, get your shit together.

 

[Minsc]

Bought Dr. Dude and Firepower on PS3, but why isn't the pack available to play yet? Holy shit, FarSight, get your shit together.

The impression I'm getting is it's actually SCEA that has not made the required patch available yet. So blame Sony, not FarSight this time!

 

[twinturbo2]

I got the patch notice right now, it'll enable support of table packs 11 and 12. Downloading now...

EDIT: Doctor Dude and Firepower are both showing up for me now.

 

[jvm]

I got the patch notice right now, it'll enable support of table packs 11 and 12. Downloading now...

EDIT: Doctor Dude and Firepower are both showing up for me now.

Can't wait to get home now. Thanks!