VP8 Flipperless Recreation Bozo The Clone Spiral Game released

[tiltjlp]

Although this game proclaims that Bozo is the World's Most Famous Clown, I'm not so sure. I grew up watching Clarabell on the original Howfy Doody Show in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Howdy Doody Show was one of the very first TV shows for children, and was Must See TV long before Walt Disney or Ronald McDonald. While Bozo was seen regionally on WGN out of Chicago, Howdy Doody and Clarabell and his horn were broadcast nationally.

There are five holes in the Bozo Spiral Game, and the point values grow the closer to the center you get, But the center hole is a Drain, with no value at all. Moving out from the drain the scoring values are 250,000, 25,000, 2,500, and 25. The trick of course is to land in the 250,000, somehow avoiding the drain, which has a way of attracting any ball that comes close. Because of the wide open spaces between the spirals this game plays very rough, adding to the challenge.

The joke name for this game comes from a pun I heard years ago. I love puns, and few are as bad as this one. Who has red hair and lives in a test tube? Bozo The Clone! You can get your copy of Bozo The Clone about half way down this page:

http://www.pinballnirvana.com/index.php?name=UpDownload&req=viewsdownload&sid=10

 

[Shocky]

This one needs an overhaul already.

The plunger is set at about 30,000 and took a minute to powerdown to something that was slow enough for the human eye.
Also the table is listed as BOZO the Clone.
The scale is off I think. Too big.
The walls have vertices that overlap and I think that that throws a monkey wrench into VP's workings.

This is another one that I find unique and cool.

I'll help with any of those things I listed also.

No date on this game? You figure era?


Edit:

Holy cow John, did you make that spiral wall? That looks like it was a pain in the butt.

Let me know if you would like a redraw that shows the top, left, and bottom bits missing. It is done.

 

[tiltjlp]

This one needs an overhaul already.

The plunger is set at about 30,000 and took a minute to powerdown to something that was slow enough for the human eye.
Also the table is listed as BOZO the Clone.
The scale is off I think. Too big.
The walls have vertices that overlap and I think that that throws a monkey wrench into VP's workings.

This is another one that I find unique and cool.

I'll help with any of those things I listed also.

No date on this game? You figure era?


Edit:

Holy cow John, did you make that spiral wall? That looks like it was a pain in the butt.

Let me know if you would like a redraw that shows the top, left, and bottom bits missing. It is done.

Well, the picture you posted didn't show up for me. The Bozo The Clone name comes from an old pun I've always liked. And yes, the spiral wall was very much a pain. I'd thought of using a spiral ramp, but that caused more problems than it solved. I tried just about every slope/release speed combination, and the one I settled on worked as well or better than any of the others. As for the age, I figure the 1950s or 60s, since that was the height of Bozo's original popularity, I think. Anything you would like to do to improve this game, be my guest. Do you need the source image?

 

[Shocky]

Thanks John. I don't think I need the pic. I think the spiral wall will work, but of course I'll have to try it first. My guess is that it would work better with about 2 or 3 hundred less vertices and the remainder marked smooth, and of course lining up the vertices for each side without overlap.

My guess is that you will no longer find anyone that cares, but I guess also that the holders of the BOZO name would not like the name Clone to be used. Remember Barney the dinosaur, and the holders of that?

What do you know of the scale of this thing. BB size balls or bigger?

 

[tiltjlp]

Thanks John. I don't think I need the pic. I think the spiral wall will work, but of course I'll have to try it first. My guess is that it would work better with about 2 or 3 hundred less vertices and the remainder marked smooth, and of course lining up the vertices for each side without overlap.

My guess is that you will no longer find anyone that cares, but I guess also that the holders of the BOZO name would not like the name Clone to be used. Remember Barney the dinosaur, and the holders of that?

What do you know of the scale of this thing. BB size balls or bigger?

I would doubt if anyone connected with Bozo would ever find out, but if they would then I'd deal with it at that time. As for size, and this is strictly a guess on my part, I would figure about pea sized, or a little bit bigger. Just a bit smaller than the plastic balls used in most pin toys. To show you how non-tech I am, I don't have a clue what you mean by vertices. That spiral wall took me close to 5 weeks to make and make as smooth as it is, which I realize isn't very smooth at all.

 

[Shocky]

Wow.

The zip has three pics.

now - This is the table as released, wall showing.
progress - This is the progress, 1 1/2 hours +/-.
detail - A close up.

When it's done it's yours.

Let me go on the record and predict, that without changing the angle of the table that I will reduce the strength needed to plunge a ball to the center from over 22,000 to under 22.

vertices are those circles on the walls that you click and drag to reshape the walls and can be set to smooth, and starting and ending points for textures, etc.

 

[Shocky]

Did you get the Trumps thing?
That upload went slow then said I needed a subject name then the upload went fast, so if it wasn't buffered then I don't think you got it.

 

[tiltjlp]

Did you get the Trumps thing?
That upload went slow then said I needed a subject name then the upload went fast, so if it wasn't buffered then I don't think you got it.

Yes, I got it and will give it a good going over tomorrow. I'll get back to you farly soon after that. I smoothed some of those contact points, but went buggy doing it and stopped half way through on the Bozo game.

 

[Shocky]

I have finished reworking the wall on BOZO and I can smoothly get to the center with a table slope of 20 and power around 500.
My prediction failed though. The numbers used would not allow 20 to work for power unless the slope was way low.

Now we have another problem.
That adjustable plunger you have is good, yes, but for a game like this it just wont work, can't you see that? You get a lucky shot first shot, then why would you move it, and how could you miss.
Look at the plunger in the Trumps mod. Something like that, high resolution and skill involved.

 

[Shocky]

Because, you're busy (really because you are easy) I took the liberty to include a new ball, as well as a new plunger. It's real high resolution but I did not get the best hole (second to center) yet, in a dozen or so tries.

Did you ever see any of these spiral games in your quest for Cracker Jack toys?

Sent in PM

 

[Shocky]

This has two walls John but the two could be merged into one. This would have to afford you a brownie button for best one wall game.

Just a couple of walls, a half dozen triggers, and a half dozen kickers. And three pics, including the ball.

I still don't like BOZO, as a person though. I think he was a drunk, and he certainly was a clown. I don't care much for 'their type'.

 

[Shockman]

I could have done that faster Shocky. And the last thing John needs is another 'helper'.

 

[Shocky]

Bite me Shockman. Fast? Like the Bowler? LOL.

 

[Shockman]

Shocky.

The last thing John needs is another Shockanyone.
I got the money hole after a few more tries so the plunger is fine.

 

[tiltjlp]

If I'm going to have the help of two Shockman/people, I had better stock up on Tylenol. I'm always thankful for any help I can get. I just hope Shockman and Shocky can get along. I'm going to need a boat load of Tylenol.

 

[Shockman]

Have you seen other pics of this John? I assume it has one of those leaf spring 'flickers' instead of a plunger?
Seems like alot of work, but these things can be used over and over.

This would make a great backbox slash game feature to Ron's Bozo table, don't you think?
Maybe not.

What's next?

 

[tiltjlp]

Have you seen other pics of this John? I assume it has one of those leaf spring 'flickers' instead of a plunger?
Seems like alot of work, but these things can be used over and over.

This would make a great backbox slash game feature to Ron's Bozo table, don't you think?
Maybe not.

What's next?

No, the partial image I had was the only thing I've seen of this game. I wouldn't be surprised if it did have a leaf spring flicker to launch the table. As for your question about Ron, see the PM I sent you.

As for what's next, too many things, to be honest. I have 3 different Popeye toy pins which will be released as a Popeye Triple Play, I've also finally found a very good image of another Poosh M Up bagatelle, am working on my 1st Mayberry table, which has an Otis theme, which Forchia helped me script, and also have a Skee Ball game that Rockinghorse passed off to me.

Besides that I have about a dozen or so tables I'm testing for various folks. I went through my Projects folder and weeded out everything that was marginal, cutting down to about 125 tables, mostly toy pins, a few trade stimulators, and some bagatelle. So while I still have plenty of work to do, everything I still have is decent quality.

 

[Shockman]

Wow.

Hows the skee ball game play?

 

[tiltjlp]

So far not that good, but I haven't done much with it yet. Like I said, I have too much to do and now enough quality time to do them all in right now.

 

[Shockman]

Clarabell on the original Howdy Doody Show in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Yes, probably until Bozo, then Ronald McDonald, now Krusty.

I think Ronald is going to be put on R/O and maybe even a ban from McDonalds. I think he is a drunk and a well, a very mean man, but you know I don't like any clowns. They are Ok from a distance, but they can stay the hell out of my face. Don't get me started about clowns.

 

[tiltjlp]

Thanks to the help of Shockman, or Shocky, or whomever he is right now, I've released an updated Bozo The Clone Spiral Game2. The walls are now smmoth as silk, there is a new red BozoBall, and with a timed plunger release, the 250,000 point hole 2nd from the center is nearly impossible to hit. But it's a lot of fun trying, and it can be done, just not very often.

 

[Shockman]

I don't know John, I can get a few now with the practice I have in. Nudging helps with these too you know

 

[tiltjlp]

I don't know John, I can get a few now with the practice I have in. Nudging helps with these too you know

My problem isn't the nudging part Phil. I simply have too heavy a hand for the launch speed. And I have to agree, just about any game or table improves with nudging skill.

 

[Shockman]

The timer off to the side controls how fast the power increases. It's at 15. Higher numbers will slow it down, as that is a delay.
You could also move the control points to curl up around the right side of the center hole a bit.

Let's give this a little time John. And if people find they can't learn this shot, or should luck into it more, we can think about making it easier. I just think it was a tough shot.

I like the one way kicker holes you came up with.

I don't understand the numbers;

1
2
3
2
1

do you?

 

[Shocky]

I swear this is true.

I set the slope to 18.5
I set the elastic on the spiral wall to .1

I got all 5 holes in 5 shots in order from bottom to top. Without nudging. A great deal of luck was involved, but I tried to do just that.

This has the effect of slowing down the power increase to the plunger too.

Don't go updating just yet though John.

Last night I gave each ball shot, .activeball and put triggers that detect the speed and they drop into the kickers from either side when they go slow enough.
I also brought the action up to the top of the VP basic model so now there is a sub-surface and with activeball, no real need for kickers.

Is this a party favor?