Holy Pinball BATMAN!!!
- Thread starter DRANO
- Start date
Indeed.
I am looking forward to listening to this story on this pin in depth tomorrow.
A few of the regular "bum-hugger's are traveling south". My role - drive + fly on the wall...
Some of the story in the early days was that there was a time when the considered pin was to be Domino.
I bought the "add-a-ball-version" Playmates a couple years back in Allentown with Drano, plus that Domino from Drano.
They are both @ Bluffs pinball now and a whole new other story will happen sometime in the future with this Playmates + Domino.
That will be for another member here to tell when the time is ripe + he is ready to do so. Domino was from Mike Hanley. Playmates pour moi.
I am sure Drano will tell why he picked the EM he did one day down the road, and didn't stick with the original Domino plan. Good stuff fosho.
I am looking forward to listening to this story on this pin in depth tomorrow.
A few of the regular "bum-hugger's are traveling south". My role - drive + fly on the wall...
Some of the story in the early days was that there was a time when the considered pin was to be Domino.
I bought the "add-a-ball-version" Playmates a couple years back in Allentown with Drano, plus that Domino from Drano.
They are both @ Bluffs pinball now and a whole new other story will happen sometime in the future with this Playmates + Domino.
That will be for another member here to tell when the time is ripe + he is ready to do so. Domino was from Mike Hanley. Playmates pour moi.
I am sure Drano will tell why he picked the EM he did one day down the road, and didn't stick with the original Domino plan. Good stuff fosho.
Sending out huge thanks to DOCQUEST on Pinside for sharing the files hes ripped for his own batman project with us. That'll save a ton of time!
As monkeybug works away on setting up the programming, I've started to take apart my machine and strip away all of the EM guts.
One thing that we discussed last night was the use of the playfield window. Up until now the plan has been to keep the roulette mechanism as-is and just re-purpose it as the "Penguin's Perilous Parasol" and have it give out random awards. However, once I got the mech removed and was faced with a clear open window, the obvious option of using a screen instead cropped up.
Monkeybug and I were talking about replicating the spinning umbrella digitally while also being able to bring in some actual video content from the series during key points in the game. So, imagine Cesar Romero laughing at you on screen as you collect his henchmen... or, the middle screen turns into a bat signal during multiball... or we see bursts of Bam! Kapow! etc. on screen as we hit fully lit pop bumpers!
I know it's not exactly vintage... but it is pretty cool.
We'll have to think on this a bit more, but we are both warming up to the idea.
As monkeybug works away on setting up the programming, I've started to take apart my machine and strip away all of the EM guts.
One thing that we discussed last night was the use of the playfield window. Up until now the plan has been to keep the roulette mechanism as-is and just re-purpose it as the "Penguin's Perilous Parasol" and have it give out random awards. However, once I got the mech removed and was faced with a clear open window, the obvious option of using a screen instead cropped up.
Monkeybug and I were talking about replicating the spinning umbrella digitally while also being able to bring in some actual video content from the series during key points in the game. So, imagine Cesar Romero laughing at you on screen as you collect his henchmen... or, the middle screen turns into a bat signal during multiball... or we see bursts of Bam! Kapow! etc. on screen as we hit fully lit pop bumpers!
I know it's not exactly vintage... but it is pretty cool.
We'll have to think on this a bit more, but we are both warming up to the idea.
Monkeybug
Active Member
Well, I've still got quite a bit of work myself.
Just because we are using an existing game doesn't mean this will be easy.
Almost everything is being modified and the entire operation of this machine will be created from scratch.
I got to do something fun that I have never tried last night.
I sanded down the entire playfield and then scanned it in order to start the art and final modification process.
Just because we are using an existing game doesn't mean this will be easy.
Almost everything is being modified and the entire operation of this machine will be created from scratch.
I got to do something fun that I have never tried last night.
I sanded down the entire playfield and then scanned it in order to start the art and final modification process.
Monkeybug
Active Member
Fifty
Active Member
It's been a long time since I've updated this thread. In that time Stern has obviously announced their own Batman 66 pin. Damn copycats 
The goal was always to make our own new machine first. The theme was secondary and we just needed one that both Monkeybug and myself loved. The recent (and mostly expected) announcement by Stern doesn't change either of these things.
I'm honestly more excited to make a homebrew throwback design (a la WNBJM) than playing a super new Stern. That being said, I can't imagine I won't love their game too; just based on how much I love the theme alone.
Summer has been busy and some playfield work has continued but, the most recent update is that I think we've settled on a backglass design that looks sharp.
After playing around with several ideas, I landed on this one. It's based on a custom poster by Martin Ansin that was sold in very limited numbers by Mondo. I think it captures the feel of the 66 series beautifully.
I've swapped the villains for the classic cityscape and done a bit of photoshop layering. This isn't final art, just a mock-up for layout. I'm going to get this re-drawn and cleaned up. The idea will be to create a multi-layered glass/backbox; sort of like Scared Stiff.
The city will be a couple of inches back... bat signal will light up during gameplay and the "Holy Pinball" burst may also pop out.
Hope you guys like it
The goal was always to make our own new machine first. The theme was secondary and we just needed one that both Monkeybug and myself loved. The recent (and mostly expected) announcement by Stern doesn't change either of these things.
I'm honestly more excited to make a homebrew throwback design (a la WNBJM) than playing a super new Stern. That being said, I can't imagine I won't love their game too; just based on how much I love the theme alone.
Summer has been busy and some playfield work has continued but, the most recent update is that I think we've settled on a backglass design that looks sharp.
After playing around with several ideas, I landed on this one. It's based on a custom poster by Martin Ansin that was sold in very limited numbers by Mondo. I think it captures the feel of the 66 series beautifully.
I've swapped the villains for the classic cityscape and done a bit of photoshop layering. This isn't final art, just a mock-up for layout. I'm going to get this re-drawn and cleaned up. The idea will be to create a multi-layered glass/backbox; sort of like Scared Stiff.
The city will be a couple of inches back... bat signal will light up during gameplay and the "Holy Pinball" burst may also pop out.
Hope you guys like it
Aunt Agnes
Member
Hey guys!
Long overdue for an update.
Obviously the Stern Batman announcement hasn't really shaken our resolve much. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of what I've seen so far, but I was probably never going to be a buyer anyway.
Since our project was always meant to be a lot more 'vintage', Monkeybug and I are still totally stoked to continue to brew our own version of this classic theme.
As always, there are multiple projects in the hopper so I've done my best to push this one along. We missed Expo this year but we are determined that this will be in Chicago next October.
Here are a few pics showing where we're at so far. After the backbox art was mostly settled, I started doing some CAD layouts in behind the art to place all the lamps, displays etc. After that was done I moved over to the CNC and cut some panels. AT the same time I added in the 'fins' to help alter the shape of the backbox. This weekend I'll be assembling that and my partner in crime can hopefully start programming the score reels. We're also investigating getting a chime box to play the batman theme. Need to find 4 units (2 per game to play 4 notes).
Lastly, one of my artist friends has started to lend a hand on the artwork. His first task was to come up with a stencil plan for the cabinet.
Here's a shot of his work in progress. The dynamic duo are still way too detailed, but he's slowly converting everything over to a 3 or 4 color stencil. The batmobile already looks great! I'm sure the constraint of only using 3 or 4 colors is causing him some grief, but I have faith!
Long overdue for an update.
Obviously the Stern Batman announcement hasn't really shaken our resolve much. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of what I've seen so far, but I was probably never going to be a buyer anyway.
Since our project was always meant to be a lot more 'vintage', Monkeybug and I are still totally stoked to continue to brew our own version of this classic theme.
As always, there are multiple projects in the hopper so I've done my best to push this one along. We missed Expo this year but we are determined that this will be in Chicago next October.
Here are a few pics showing where we're at so far. After the backbox art was mostly settled, I started doing some CAD layouts in behind the art to place all the lamps, displays etc. After that was done I moved over to the CNC and cut some panels. AT the same time I added in the 'fins' to help alter the shape of the backbox. This weekend I'll be assembling that and my partner in crime can hopefully start programming the score reels. We're also investigating getting a chime box to play the batman theme. Need to find 4 units (2 per game to play 4 notes).
Lastly, one of my artist friends has started to lend a hand on the artwork. His first task was to come up with a stencil plan for the cabinet.
Here's a shot of his work in progress. The dynamic duo are still way too detailed, but he's slowly converting everything over to a 3 or 4 color stencil. The batmobile already looks great! I'm sure the constraint of only using 3 or 4 colors is causing him some grief, but I have faith!
