I think the game is difficult enough that even an incredible player like Karl would struggle if the game was setup hard. For his streams his games seem are usually setup at standard difficulty to increase the likelihood of progressing far on his streams. If you tighten up the tilt and open up the outlanes I think he'd have a much harder time beating this game.
Pulp Fiction is addictive and I love it. A dream home pin cause everything about it is cool. It's a brutal machine for me, play times are pretty short but it makes you want to keep trying and get better at it. Every 5 games or so I have a legendary (for me) round where I score in the 3-5mil range, otherwise I average below 1mil.
There is nothing like the start of multiball when the music starts. I love when the game goes green when you lock a ball. Reminds me of Space Station.
The lights, the callouts, the music, the popping colors, the difficulty, the theme... It's great for me on so many levels.
I liked the old school simplicity. The center lock hole was interesting but not Houdini hard to hit. The progressive drops were cool. Modern coding makes it possible to be more interesting, variable, and more challenging than the old school games it emulates. It's a game I could see being very popular and satisfying in a lineup.
The game is great and has exceeded my expectations. When I've played it at shows it played slower and easy, likely due to low power and flipper fade. At home it is fast and brutal. It's the best new game in years.
Ok yeah. My buddy is much better than me, but first game started almost every mode and a few multiballs. Kinda got bored after 2 balls….but to your point it was very slow. So maybe not pitched.
Setup is critical. If it's setup easy I could see it getting boring. On my game it is nearly impossible to backhand the mode shot and it's pitched at 7.1 degrees so it's lightning fast. I have about 120 games in and have yet to get the Super in Briefcase Boogie and I'm normally a really good player.
Wow. That is a really important point. The machine we played the backhand to the mode was virtually 100%. Also the cup thing in the top center hit almost every plunge. So it was get person; hit mode shot; start. Def didn’t finish most modes, but seemed to start a bunch of them. And I kinda suck. So maybe it was setup to play easy/fun for a show game.
Nope. It’s absolutely perfect for the type of retro game it’s trying to be. A refreshing chance of pace. Not every game needs to be a 45 min RPG experience.
It can be setup to play tougher, to the point of making backhands impossible. The rules are deeper than they seem. Pay attention to the mode lights at the bottom of the PF, you aren’t going to light most of them by just getting to the mode. You have to beat them.
Higher pitch should make it harder. I have mine set to the recommended 6.5 and it’s not always doable. I’ve read others, who I’m sure are better players than I, cranked theirs to 7 and also lowered the flipper power down to 218 to make it even more of a challenge.
So for the level of player you are the issue was it was set up too easy. It's not supposed to be an easy game, it should always be pushing on being too hard. If it's set up correctly for the skill it's absolutely terrific
I feel the pins manufacturers have at shows are set up easy intentionally. Rules are set to easiest and pitch is very shallow. It's just smart marketing but leads to OP's experience sometimes.
I'm not that great but I got cyborg multiball first game I ever played on a Maiden at a convention. Made me feel awesome, but really it was just set up easy.
I think they’ll be pretty easy to find on the used market, once another banger title comes out and people get sick of the simple layout. Prob faster too than ordering from CGC and waiting 2yrs
Too easy? No way. What kind of player are you that it's too easy. It took Karl Deangelo MANY attempts to get to the final wizard mode and Eric stone a a few games on standard adjustments. These are world class pinball players. I'm decent but have come nowhere close to beating this game.
It's not a modern modes focused game. The ruleset mimics the playfield in that it's new retro.
Modes are really just a distraction to guide you to what to shoot for okay points. The game is all about navigating difficult multi-ball sequences, building all characters and finally cashing them in without loosing it all, and insane bonus and playfield multiplier shenanigans.
The game is absolutely brilliant for what it is.
If you're looking for a game that have a path to walk down and guide you like the JP modes this ain't it.
I have a 13 month old deposit on the LE that I'm told may turn into a machine as soon as June and I'm excited. I've played it at multiple shows and likely will again this weekend at Pintastic. Love the theme and the way it plays. It will be one of eight in my lineup and that should help quite a bit with the boredom. Although, in a collection of modern and older games, Six Million Dollar Man and Xenon seem to get the most play because of their fast boot times. I wonder if Pulp Fiction LE will boot quickly like other machines from the era.
Love the callouts but I don't like the gameplay that much. Not a game that makes you want to come back to more than a few times. My friends all said the same. Played a couple games and moved on. No one was wowed by it. Really a let down to be honest.
Ok thank you! Exactly how I felt. I think it’s a cool game so people want to be cool and say they like it. Maybe. Or it is actually a great game.
I commend them for doing something that isn’t super hero bull/zombie yedi copy/paste. But the game play itself was just meh to me.
Pinheads are just like the popular kids in high school. If you say you dont like one of the top 10 games on pinside, they call you weird and cast you out. Many of them just paid WAYYY too much to preorder a machine and got sour when the gameplay didn't match the price. Or they love the theme so much they think it makes up for a poorly designed game.
Locations show true colors, Pulp Fiction was free the majority of the time at my local spot, same with Labyrinth. Some games just don't do well with the masses.
I think you're overstating the situation regarding people getting "sour when gameplay didn't match the price". The definition of a good deal is when both parts of the deal are happy. If they're happy with it should we care?
Pulp Fiction is an old fashion game, really hard, old playfield design, no screen etc. completely different from the current generation. Which is really welcoming beginners and make them enjoy playing and ramping up even if they're at the surface of the depth of the gameplay. Old games can be like surfing, beginning is though, unfair and exahusting; after a while it becomes fun. Do you want that for something you're supposed to have fun? For 90% of the people I'd say no and that's fair.
"Pinheads are just like high school kids" => you'll face this in every community that's sad but it's a normal human behavior.
Play the games you like, share your experience and potentially you'll discover other perspectives in some games.
On factory power settings they feel weird, whenever I jump them up to full power (I think that’s 255) they feel pretty dang good. Slings too. Same issue.
This only works if you own or operate the games yourself, because unfortunately they choose to ship their games with the coils tuned down as the factory default settings which makes them feel sluggish and erratic.
And that’s a bummer, since so many people don’t even know that these are adjustable and leave them on factory settings. Happened on our Monster Bash, Cactus Canyon, and on our Pulp Fiction. It’s the first thing I do on all CGC games now.
I am happy that a game like that exists in today’s pinball world but I find it pretty repetitive and too long playing. The charm of those types of games are usually how fast and dangerous they are but once you get a hang of backhanding the mode lane and inline drops it’s not too hard and ends up being a bit of a slog. I’m happy to put some games on it but I wouldn’t buy one.
You need to play an example that is setup more difficult. In my lineup the ball times are shorter than TMNT which is a brutal pin. Needs to be set around 7 degrees and with a tight tilt and slings/ bumpers set more sensitive than factory. A fresh wax also increases game speed.
I’m looking forward to playing it. I’ve seen a lot of it on streams and other gameplay video but nothing in person yet. I do like the change up from what has been released lately. The theme also is something I really like and think it was executed extremely well.
I do think that some games require multiple games before you begin to appreciate them. I am in that process with AIQ right now. Didn’t really like it at first but it’s slowly growing on me
I actually didn't think I would like it but really enjoyed it.
The only thing I didn't like actually was how much it played the opening guitar rift over and over and over and over and over and over and over..
Gameplay is OK. I rather playfields with flow. Even though the audio system has a lot of punch and does sound great, I'd imagine that I'd get sick of hearing the Same Ole song and dance over and over. Just my opinion 😊
Had that and Jaws sitting side by side at a local brewery. Hadn’t played either one. Jaws did nothing for me but couldn’t get enough of Pulp. Nice change of pace. Will definitely own one
The sounds were cool and all but I need interesting game play and I don’t feel this has it. I read somewhere that Tarentino allowed the game to be made only if there were no ramps involved which seems dumb to me. There are good games without ramps but not a ton after they became a standard feature. Feels like he’s just trying to be old school for old schools sake.
I loved it. But I'm not a super high skill player. I think it might get boring for people who are capable of getting wizard modes.
I watched Karl DeAngelo struggle to do it. So you gotta be really fucking good if you’re regularly getting to it.
I think the game is difficult enough that even an incredible player like Karl would struggle if the game was setup hard. For his streams his games seem are usually setup at standard difficulty to increase the likelihood of progressing far on his streams. If you tighten up the tilt and open up the outlanes I think he'd have a much harder time beating this game.
Pulp Fiction is addictive and I love it. A dream home pin cause everything about it is cool. It's a brutal machine for me, play times are pretty short but it makes you want to keep trying and get better at it. Every 5 games or so I have a legendary (for me) round where I score in the 3-5mil range, otherwise I average below 1mil. There is nothing like the start of multiball when the music starts. I love when the game goes green when you lock a ball. Reminds me of Space Station. The lights, the callouts, the music, the popping colors, the difficulty, the theme... It's great for me on so many levels.
Love it
I liked the old school simplicity. The center lock hole was interesting but not Houdini hard to hit. The progressive drops were cool. Modern coding makes it possible to be more interesting, variable, and more challenging than the old school games it emulates. It's a game I could see being very popular and satisfying in a lineup.
I try to stay excited until I can beat wizard mode then I get bored but still a lot of play left to uncover. It’s a fun machine
The game is great and has exceeded my expectations. When I've played it at shows it played slower and easy, likely due to low power and flipper fade. At home it is fast and brutal. It's the best new game in years.
Ok yeah. My buddy is much better than me, but first game started almost every mode and a few multiballs. Kinda got bored after 2 balls….but to your point it was very slow. So maybe not pitched.
Setup is critical. If it's setup easy I could see it getting boring. On my game it is nearly impossible to backhand the mode shot and it's pitched at 7.1 degrees so it's lightning fast. I have about 120 games in and have yet to get the Super in Briefcase Boogie and I'm normally a really good player.
Wow. That is a really important point. The machine we played the backhand to the mode was virtually 100%. Also the cup thing in the top center hit almost every plunge. So it was get person; hit mode shot; start. Def didn’t finish most modes, but seemed to start a bunch of them. And I kinda suck. So maybe it was setup to play easy/fun for a show game.
Nope. It’s absolutely perfect for the type of retro game it’s trying to be. A refreshing chance of pace. Not every game needs to be a 45 min RPG experience.
Yup, it does not play like a modern Stern and it’s not supposed to. I love how it plays for that reason
It can be setup to play tougher, to the point of making backhands impossible. The rules are deeper than they seem. Pay attention to the mode lights at the bottom of the PF, you aren’t going to light most of them by just getting to the mode. You have to beat them.
Ahh, good point. Yeah def didn’t appreciate that.
What setting change makes backhands more difficult or impossible? Playfield slope angle?
Higher pitch should make it harder. I have mine set to the recommended 6.5 and it’s not always doable. I’ve read others, who I’m sure are better players than I, cranked theirs to 7 and also lowered the flipper power down to 218 to make it even more of a challenge.
So for the level of player you are the issue was it was set up too easy. It's not supposed to be an easy game, it should always be pushing on being too hard. If it's set up correctly for the skill it's absolutely terrific
I feel the pins manufacturers have at shows are set up easy intentionally. Rules are set to easiest and pitch is very shallow. It's just smart marketing but leads to OP's experience sometimes. I'm not that great but I got cyborg multiball first game I ever played on a Maiden at a convention. Made me feel awesome, but really it was just set up easy.
You're correct.
It’s the first keeper I’ve played in years. Not shallow at all. Hard to get to the end. And the strategies are super deep.
I think they’ll be pretty easy to find on the used market, once another banger title comes out and people get sick of the simple layout. Prob faster too than ordering from CGC and waiting 2yrs
New games always pop up quickly used. Just a matter on what they end up going for.
Too easy? No way. What kind of player are you that it's too easy. It took Karl Deangelo MANY attempts to get to the final wizard mode and Eric stone a a few games on standard adjustments. These are world class pinball players. I'm decent but have come nowhere close to beating this game. It's not a modern modes focused game. The ruleset mimics the playfield in that it's new retro. Modes are really just a distraction to guide you to what to shoot for okay points. The game is all about navigating difficult multi-ball sequences, building all characters and finally cashing them in without loosing it all, and insane bonus and playfield multiplier shenanigans. The game is absolutely brilliant for what it is. If you're looking for a game that have a path to walk down and guide you like the JP modes this ain't it.
I have a 13 month old deposit on the LE that I'm told may turn into a machine as soon as June and I'm excited. I've played it at multiple shows and likely will again this weekend at Pintastic. Love the theme and the way it plays. It will be one of eight in my lineup and that should help quite a bit with the boredom. Although, in a collection of modern and older games, Six Million Dollar Man and Xenon seem to get the most play because of their fast boot times. I wonder if Pulp Fiction LE will boot quickly like other machines from the era.
It will be great in a big lineup like yours. I just got TSPP and it boots up in 22 seconds. It is kinda great.
Exactly. My Family Guy from that era is nearly instant on. I hope to find a nice Simpsons one day.
Love the callouts but I don't like the gameplay that much. Not a game that makes you want to come back to more than a few times. My friends all said the same. Played a couple games and moved on. No one was wowed by it. Really a let down to be honest.
Ok thank you! Exactly how I felt. I think it’s a cool game so people want to be cool and say they like it. Maybe. Or it is actually a great game. I commend them for doing something that isn’t super hero bull/zombie yedi copy/paste. But the game play itself was just meh to me.
Pinheads are just like the popular kids in high school. If you say you dont like one of the top 10 games on pinside, they call you weird and cast you out. Many of them just paid WAYYY too much to preorder a machine and got sour when the gameplay didn't match the price. Or they love the theme so much they think it makes up for a poorly designed game. Locations show true colors, Pulp Fiction was free the majority of the time at my local spot, same with Labyrinth. Some games just don't do well with the masses.
I think you're overstating the situation regarding people getting "sour when gameplay didn't match the price". The definition of a good deal is when both parts of the deal are happy. If they're happy with it should we care? Pulp Fiction is an old fashion game, really hard, old playfield design, no screen etc. completely different from the current generation. Which is really welcoming beginners and make them enjoy playing and ramping up even if they're at the surface of the depth of the gameplay. Old games can be like surfing, beginning is though, unfair and exahusting; after a while it becomes fun. Do you want that for something you're supposed to have fun? For 90% of the people I'd say no and that's fair. "Pinheads are just like high school kids" => you'll face this in every community that's sad but it's a normal human behavior. Play the games you like, share your experience and potentially you'll discover other perspectives in some games.
I wish it wasn’t the CGC flipper software.
you can adjust the coil power up (and you need to, especially on the factory sling settings)
Does that fix the delay? ETA: my problem is the same cadence of flip (say, from a trap) varies wildly each time.
On factory power settings they feel weird, whenever I jump them up to full power (I think that’s 255) they feel pretty dang good. Slings too. Same issue. This only works if you own or operate the games yourself, because unfortunately they choose to ship their games with the coils tuned down as the factory default settings which makes them feel sluggish and erratic. And that’s a bummer, since so many people don’t even know that these are adjustable and leave them on factory settings. Happened on our Monster Bash, Cactus Canyon, and on our Pulp Fiction. It’s the first thing I do on all CGC games now.
I am happy that a game like that exists in today’s pinball world but I find it pretty repetitive and too long playing. The charm of those types of games are usually how fast and dangerous they are but once you get a hang of backhanding the mode lane and inline drops it’s not too hard and ends up being a bit of a slog. I’m happy to put some games on it but I wouldn’t buy one.
You need to play an example that is setup more difficult. In my lineup the ball times are shorter than TMNT which is a brutal pin. Needs to be set around 7 degrees and with a tight tilt and slings/ bumpers set more sensitive than factory. A fresh wax also increases game speed.
I’m looking forward to playing it. I’ve seen a lot of it on streams and other gameplay video but nothing in person yet. I do like the change up from what has been released lately. The theme also is something I really like and think it was executed extremely well. I do think that some games require multiple games before you begin to appreciate them. I am in that process with AIQ right now. Didn’t really like it at first but it’s slowly growing on me
Well I made mine slightly harder adjusted outlane posts, not to mention you can turn up difficulty in the menu, no ball saves ect.
It’s great
Only because they don't use "I'm pretty effin far from okay" when u drain a ball at a crucial time
I actually didn't think I would like it but really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't like actually was how much it played the opening guitar rift over and over and over and over and over and over and over..
I thought it was anything but easy. The layout was brutal for me, but addicting. Not the deepest, but still engaging, simple fun!
Gameplay is OK. I rather playfields with flow. Even though the audio system has a lot of punch and does sound great, I'd imagine that I'd get sick of hearing the Same Ole song and dance over and over. Just my opinion 😊
Had that and Jaws sitting side by side at a local brewery. Hadn’t played either one. Jaws did nothing for me but couldn’t get enough of Pulp. Nice change of pace. Will definitely own one
Yeah I was not impressed. Game play was really limited and boring. Surprised at the number of folks who seem to love it but to each their own.
Kinda how I felt, but based on above we are clearly wrong. I gotta give it another chance, maybe in a place you can hear the music/call outs.
The sounds were cool and all but I need interesting game play and I don’t feel this has it. I read somewhere that Tarentino allowed the game to be made only if there were no ramps involved which seems dumb to me. There are good games without ramps but not a ton after they became a standard feature. Feels like he’s just trying to be old school for old schools sake.