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American Pinball

huggers

huggers

Registered
5Years
Joined
Sep 22, 2016
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3,288
Location
West Dorset
What are people's thoughts on theses guys? Everyone buys Stern games with all that comes with it, often great games but mixed shall we say in the quality department. Jersey Jack announcing games that take forever to come out and cost a fortune. Still, lots of JJ games about. Even little Spooky, you see TNAs, Alice Cooper's etc and I know people who are in on Rick and Morty.

Then you have American Pinball. Two original themes under their belt which people are always clamouring for it seems, (internet people at least, which I realise/hope aren't representative of everyone), loaded games that come as one standard model. P-roc board sets (I think?!). Good price for a lot of pinball, Hot Wheels especially. What's the deal, are their games crap? Or at least seen as crap. Why do they not seem to be gaining any real traction, over here at least. I never see these games up for sale, unless it's Phil with a bargain deal on some Houdini's. Is it brand recognition? You know where you are with a Stern? That sorta thing. Anyway yeah, who owns one? What's your experience been? Who's bought a Hot Wheels? Should add as well, as everyone is jacking prices, these dudes have reduced theirs.
 
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Unboxing and 1st look at hot wheels.


I like AP, never played any of their games, tons of stuff in them, shame the Oktoberfest animations were so bad, poor theme all in all. Houdini is a great theme and so is hot wheels I reckon. I like the way they are making something different. Plenty of industry experience there now, no reason why they shouldn’t be able to make inroads. I hope hot wheels sells well, would have been a great money maker on site, which is a shame in the current climate. Don’t forget they are only 3 games in and still in business, so plenty left to come hopefully. Stern have had many many years of making games, so for what they have made in their short life I think they are doing ok.
Heighyway and Dutch couldn’t even get a single game off the ground properly, so give them some credit.
 
Just going on HW it is the crapest theme going, even worse than TMNT. I watched the above video and I have never been so uninspired to buy a pin. I can only see this appealing to toddlers, I just don't get it at all. I wouldn't even have one if it was being given away this is really, really bad. Talk about throwing statues in a harbour, uugghh.
 
Disagree with the Heighway & Dutch Pinball Comment -

Heighway made Aliens- which was made and there are a 100 maybe? The game was made and maybe made again in the future.. it was the cost control and poor business decisions that put Heighway under.

Dutch Pinball - Lebowski is out (around 150 made so far) and with loads people waiting for games to be made so they can pay $12500 for one! More than a Stern LE..why.. because the game is packed and awesome!
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Im gonna throw it out there......
I really like the look of HW. As a theme i prefer it to most things that have come out in the last twenty years. Although I’m not a huge fan of modern popular culture.

As a dad who I buys hot wheels regularly for my son, I love the HW brand. Im excited about it. It would be on my list if it turns out to be a decent player.
 
Lickashot said:
Just going on HW it is the crapest theme going, even worse than TMNT. I watched the above video and I have never been so uninspired to buy a pin. I can only see this appealing to toddlers, I just don't get it at all. I wouldn't even have one if it was being given away this is really, really bad. Talk about throwing statues in a harbour, uugghh.
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Agree... those animations look awful!
 
It’s a good theme if you have kids. Mine would love it....for about a week. I was tempted by a Houdini and if people weren’t saying it wasn’t fun to play I’d have had one. Although I have to say, I absolutely hate the shape of the back box on these.
 
Spandangler said:
Im gonna throw it out there......
I really like the look of HW. As a theme i prefer it to most things that have come out in the last twenty years. Although I’m not a huge fan of modern popular culture.

As a dad who I buys hot wheels regularly for my son, I love the HW brand. Im excited about it. It would be on my list if it turns out to be a decent player.
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Showed my 6yr old son the game - big car/hotwheels fan..
Looked at it and said it looked rubbish.
 
Lickashot said:
Just going on HW it is the crapest theme going, even worse than TMNT. I watched the above video and I have never been so uninspired to buy a pin. I can only see this appealing to toddlers, I just don't get it at all. I wouldn't even have one if it was being given away this is really, really bad. Talk about throwing statues in a harbour, uugghh.
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Both TMNT and Hot Wheels are radical themes so that's not it.
 
hot wheels sadly looks like a return to the brickfest that made Houdini terrible.

Octoberfest was much better apart from the graphics. I liked it but need to play it more.

With regards to Heighway and Dutch Pinball, they couldn't get a game of the ground without stealing their customers money and lying. AP haven't done that.

Neil
 
I bought Oktoberfest about a year ago and it is still one of my most played games.

There is no denying that the animations are absolutely terrible, but if you can get past that then you’re in for a surprise: the game is really very deep and great fun.

One reason is that there are so many ways to play it, and so many strategies for racking up high scores, that you never get stuck in a rut of playing it the same way each time. It’s always worth trying something new and it’s clear that a huge amount of thought has gone into various rules. I am still discovering stuff now.

There are also lots of nice touches like one handed play, lots of use of the knocker during the game, quite innovative magnet driven ball choreography, a drunk mode where the flipper action is delayed slightly etc etc. And lots of different mumtiballs, and modes galore.

Overall the game doesn’t feel like a Stern or a JJP - it really is quite different. Some things are better, some are worse (like the godawful graphics) but it makes a really nice change to play it.

I agree that backbox design is ugly, and the Oktoberfest theme is meh.

But overall it’s a cracking game and AP’s quality control seems pretty damn good as the machine worked out of the box with zero problems.
 
Neil McRae said:
hot wheels sadly looks like a return to the brickfest that made Houdini terrible.

Octoberfest was much better apart from the graphics. I liked it but need to play it more.

With regards to Heighway and Dutch Pinball, they couldn't get a game of the ground without stealing their customers money and lying. AP haven't done that.

Neil
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Cant argue with that- except that DP are making games and have started to get EA games out - Barry has not given up, unlike HW and it’s investors-

How many people did HW take money from and not deliver games to? With absolutely no changce of getting it back?
 
Houdini can be a brickfest to a newbie to the game. However the more you play the more you dial in the shots. It’s a deep game with plenty of modes. I was thinking of selling mine as I’d not played it in a while. But recently played a few good games, nowhere near spelling Houdini or reaching Master Magician but once it gets going it’s bloody good. Suits a home environment. I’ve not had any problems with mine and you don’t get the issues with playfields that seems to plague Stern pins..
 
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I actually kinda dig the curvy backbox, looks cool and it's nice they do something different. Neil what makes you say Hot Wheel is a brick fest? Have you seen game play?
 
I went to Oktoberfest last year and had a blast, from what I can remember anyway! I've been very close to pulling the trigger as I love the theme, the uniqueness, its a loaded game and it has lots of depth and longterm home appeal and the support from AP over on pinside is fantastic, its like a hotline to their entire staff and puts Stern to absolute shame, but i guess AP need to keep punters happy whereas Stern have them in the pocket regardless of QC issues etc. The shots aren't as tight as Houdini which is the only reason I didn't take the 5k deal as I'm just not that great a player!

I'm only holding back for 2 reasons.

1. I want to see if there is another code update once the team are back from the Hot Wheels push to improve the graphics. Not a deal breaker but would be nice to see improvement there.

2. JJP next pin must, for the love of God, reveal soon and I'm holding back to see what stage they are at, will it be reveal, 12 months till production, 2 years till code complete or will they be taking a leaf out of the TMNT reveal and have it ready to ship with 97% code?
 
J.C.Rox said:
I went to Oktoberfest last year and had a blast, from what I can remember anyway! I've been very close to pulling the trigger as I love the theme, the uniqueness, its a loaded game and it has lots of depth and longterm home appeal and the support from AP over on pinside is fantastic, its like a hotline to their entire staff and puts Stern to absolute shame, but i guess AP need to keep punters happy whereas Stern have them in the pocket regardless of QC issues etc. The shots aren't as tight as Houdini which is the only reason I didn't take the 5k deal as I'm just not that great a player!

I'm only holding back for 2 reasons.

1. I want to see if there is another code update once the team are back from the Hot Wheels push to improve the graphics. Not a deal breaker but would be nice to see improvement there.

2. JJP next pin must, for the love of God, reveal soon and I'm holding back to see what stage they are at, will it be reveal, 12 months till production, 2 years till code complete or will they be taking a leaf out of the TMNT reveal and have it ready to ship with 97% code?
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The Germans know how to make beer don't they. I went for some R and R in Berlin for a week and came back feeling worse than when I left. JJP next game is almost definitely Guns and Roses right? As you say, interesting to see if they launch the game in a better time frame this time. By the time Pirates came out everyone had got hyped about something else.
 
Live stream of hot wheels on DeadFlip later today

are we all going to pretend to be 6 years old again?? Seriously though if you havent got young kids and want to get them into Pinball why buy this??? Weird small appeal theme unless there are loads of pinball nerds who also live with their mum and have a back bedroom full of hot wheels new in box??? 😳 😂
 
myPinballs said:
Live stream of hot wheels on DeadFlip later today

are we all going to pretend to be 6 years old again?? Seriously though if you havent got young kids and want to get them into Pinball why buy this??? Weird small appeal theme unless there are loads of pinball nerds who also live with their mum and have a back bedroom full of hot wheels new in box??? 😳 😂
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I kinda get what you're saying but at the same time we're currently chatting on an internet forum for grown men who like whacking metal balls about on colourful bits of wood with pretty lights, so not sure we should cast too many aspersions 😂
 
JJP's factory this week - so I doubt GNR is shipping any time soon.

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Dave Bishop said:
Cant argue with that- except that DP are making games and have started to get EA games out - Barry has not given up, unlike HW and it’s investors-

How many people did HW take money from and not deliver games to? With absolutely no changce of getting it back?
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I hope you are right Dave but it doesn't change the fact that he has stolen money; I've chopped your arm off, but don't worry I can glue it back on, I've not given up. How many EA's have got their game, how many are still waiting?

from a HW perspective what I worked out in was in the hundreds. HW was also caught offering games he had sold to other people as new customers. AP haven't done that.
 
AP seem like good people and I wish them all the best, but I just have no interest in any of the games they’ve put out so far. I really dislike the backbox design they went with, the themes don’t connect with me at all, and the display animations/style/fonts are painfully amateurish. I honestly think they would have been better off going with DMDs instead of LCDs if they don’t have the talent or budget to make them look half decent.

Oktoberfest does look like a fun game with an interesting layout, and I’d love to play one... I just can’t imagine ever owning one due to the above.
 
Any new pinball machine = huge gamble.

If you can take the hit, have a flutter.

If you want to play safe, buy an older game with tried and tested reliability.
 
I saw the SDTM video yesterday on Hot Wheels and I quite liked the look of it!

I like the theme and the art work looked good. I thought the off centre screen would put me off (OCD), but it actually works!

Looking forward to seeing more.
 
JAG555 said:
I saw the SDTM video yesterday on Hot Wheels and I quite liked the look of it!

I like the theme and the art work looked good. I thought the off centre screen would put me off (OCD), but it actually works!

Looking forward to seeing more.
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Agreed, the early shakey cam footage from conventions shouldn't be allowed one jot. Totally takes away from the official reveal and makes for early code fears. Pinballs biggest weakness is marketing 1-0-1.

Game looks alot of fun and these guys are 99% genuine i recon!

 
Houdini looks amazing with lots of magical things going on but it’s frustrating with the tight shots if you are a good player this probably won’t bother you
I played October fest for the first time the other day and really enjoyed it lists going on shots where nice i would own one at some point theam does nothing for me and the music and video where a bit dull

Ap build quality is very good no major trouble with them

dp are robin bar steward s haven’t you actually payed twice for one machine Dave
From what I gather there is no money to fulfill the pre orders so they are having to sell to new customers to make enough profit to build the pre orders same as highway but at least they are carrying on in an attempt to do this they could have just claimed insolvency and walked away
 
Rob zombie said:
It’s a good theme if you have kids. Mine would love it....for about a week. I was tempted by a Houdini and if people weren’t saying it wasn’t fun to play I’d have had one. Although I have to say, I absolutely hate the shape of the back box on these.
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Adam ant on the pf didn’t put you off?
 
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