First off, no, this is not a request thread. This is just seeking people's opinions on what changes they'd make to a game's ROM coding, if they had the power and means to do so. And yes, I'm aware none of these will ever actually make it into Farsight's re-creations, due to all sorts of legal issues. If the mods feel this thread is better served in the Real Pinball forum, please move it.
I got the idea from the BlahCade #85 thread--apparently, they're going to discuss this very thing on the next episode.
Let's lay down some rules first.
Most importantly, you are not allowed to change anything about a game's physical playfield. No moving the bumpers, no re-labeling the playfield indicators and lights, nothing. This is about what you'd do to a game's ROM and rules--think the Data East Star Wars update that greatly improved the game, or the Last Action Hero and Tommy updates from the same coder. (He really likes fixing Data East games, doesn't he?) Or, of course, Cactus Canyon Continued.
Second, nothing that gets in the way of licensing. For instance, Simpsons Pinball Party, as great as that game is, only had three voice actors from the show (Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, and Hank Azaria) brought in to do voice-overs of their characters for the game. You cannot add more that weren't paid to do work for it, like Harry Shearer (voice of Mr. Burns, among others). Same for William Shatner and Rescue 911. You ARE, however, allowed to restore dummied-out content that is still in the ROM, but made inaccessible, like with Cactus Canyon Continued's Super Skill Shot.
Here's some of my ideas.
Indy 500: 3x Playfield SHOULD NOT apply to Victory Laps. Also, make Super Light-Ups do SOMETHING--seriously, the "mode" does absolutely nothing. Obviously it'll need to do with those light-up targets that for some reason only appear on this machine.
Addams Family: Add an operator option to TURN OFF THAT DAMN POWER MAGNET. Seriously, NOBODY in tournaments plays with that on. Whenever The Power is active, it's always an eight-second wait with the ball trapped on a flipper, waiting for it to deactivate so you have a reasonable chance of making the shot you need. Thankfully Pat Lawlor learned his lesson and used magnets to FAR better effect in Twilight Zone--and, of course, there's that lightning ball in the TPA ball packs, which ignores magnets on TAF only, but we're talking physical machines here.
Big Hurt: This game has one hell of an exploit: Apparently, it's possible to just shoot the left orbit over and over and over for billions of points. Because I can't change the playfield, I would make it so shooting the left orbit enough instead starts a difficult mode of some kind that, if completed, scores you 100 million, and shooting it enough a second time starts an even HARDER mode for a billion. Feel free to chime in as to what this mode would be, if you like the idea--I personally found Big Hurt a very pleasant surprise in a season full of Gottliebs, but that one exploit is a real thorn in its side.
Last Action Hero: Put in the same magnet-disabling option I'd give Addams Family.
Judge Dredd: Make it a LOT harder to get extra balls. It's way too easy normally.
Got any ideas of your own?
I got the idea from the BlahCade #85 thread--apparently, they're going to discuss this very thing on the next episode.
Let's lay down some rules first.
Most importantly, you are not allowed to change anything about a game's physical playfield. No moving the bumpers, no re-labeling the playfield indicators and lights, nothing. This is about what you'd do to a game's ROM and rules--think the Data East Star Wars update that greatly improved the game, or the Last Action Hero and Tommy updates from the same coder. (He really likes fixing Data East games, doesn't he?) Or, of course, Cactus Canyon Continued.
Second, nothing that gets in the way of licensing. For instance, Simpsons Pinball Party, as great as that game is, only had three voice actors from the show (Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, and Hank Azaria) brought in to do voice-overs of their characters for the game. You cannot add more that weren't paid to do work for it, like Harry Shearer (voice of Mr. Burns, among others). Same for William Shatner and Rescue 911. You ARE, however, allowed to restore dummied-out content that is still in the ROM, but made inaccessible, like with Cactus Canyon Continued's Super Skill Shot.
Here's some of my ideas.
Indy 500: 3x Playfield SHOULD NOT apply to Victory Laps. Also, make Super Light-Ups do SOMETHING--seriously, the "mode" does absolutely nothing. Obviously it'll need to do with those light-up targets that for some reason only appear on this machine.
Addams Family: Add an operator option to TURN OFF THAT DAMN POWER MAGNET. Seriously, NOBODY in tournaments plays with that on. Whenever The Power is active, it's always an eight-second wait with the ball trapped on a flipper, waiting for it to deactivate so you have a reasonable chance of making the shot you need. Thankfully Pat Lawlor learned his lesson and used magnets to FAR better effect in Twilight Zone--and, of course, there's that lightning ball in the TPA ball packs, which ignores magnets on TAF only, but we're talking physical machines here.
Big Hurt: This game has one hell of an exploit: Apparently, it's possible to just shoot the left orbit over and over and over for billions of points. Because I can't change the playfield, I would make it so shooting the left orbit enough instead starts a difficult mode of some kind that, if completed, scores you 100 million, and shooting it enough a second time starts an even HARDER mode for a billion. Feel free to chime in as to what this mode would be, if you like the idea--I personally found Big Hurt a very pleasant surprise in a season full of Gottliebs, but that one exploit is a real thorn in its side.
Last Action Hero: Put in the same magnet-disabling option I'd give Addams Family.
Judge Dredd: Make it a LOT harder to get extra balls. It's way too easy normally.
Got any ideas of your own?
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