Dukes Of Hazzard Pinball

[FIXNWILLIAMS]

Hey guys, I am relatively new to pinball. My wife and I were putting together a game room in our home a year ago. We got ping pong, electronic darts, electronic scoring basket ball, and an air hockey table. Then the wife decided it would be cool to have a pinball machine. So we got one and the rest is history!

So one year and one inch of dust on all the other games later, we are now both pinball nuts, with of course me being the bigger nut, I am obsesed with maintaining,refurbishing, and modifying our pin which is Demo Man. No particular reason other than we stumbled across it, it was in really nice shape ( we thought ) when we bought it, and we loved playing it. We were both gammers in the 80's like most kids, and we did play some pin, I mostly played Eight Ball Deluxe, Xennon, Space Invaders,and Volcano.

When my wife first started thinking pinball, she had me looking for a Dukes Of Hazzard pin, ( no we're not rednecks ) because it seemed like a fun and existing title. We were both quite surprised that no one ever made one, it alsmost seems impossible as popuar as the series was from 79' - 85'!!!! Anyone know the reason for this? And even more surprising is that after the recent big screen re-make of the sereies, Stern did not jump on this as they are all about Licensed Movie theme pins. Just think all the cool toys on the playfield! And some cool Dot Matrix General Lee jumps at certain scoring levels and what not. It could have had an awesome back glass with a sexy "Daisy" on there. Too bad, I think that would have been such a cool theme, and a huge collector. Even now I think it would sell some good unit numbers.

But theres tons of cool themes where I say " I can't believe they never made a . . . " Like for instance, Hell Raiser, Rambo ( Raven doesn't count ) , an Ozzy Pin, call it "Crazy Train", no Metallica pin but we have Guns and Roses, ( yes I know theres a really cool custom Metallica out there ) and where is the Matrix pin? Don't get me wrong, I like original themes and artwork but some titles I can't believe just don't exist.

I'll be honest I kind of started this thread to see how many responses I would get of " I can believe they never made a . . . or better yet, I can't believe they made a . . . . and maybe the latter would be even more fun but probably some people would get insulted because they own one of the pins getting slammed . . . like . . er . .uh . . . . I dunno . . Demo Man?:)

 

[sleepy]

I think the machine that most players wonder why it's never been made would be James Cameron's Aliens, even though Bally/Jim Patla "covered" the original Alien with "Space Invaders". The backglass was originally very close to Alien, but was modified due to copyright restrictions. It still suggests the film however.
That theme *might still* be produced as the upcoming James Cameron's Prometheus, rumored to be an Alien prequel.
His Cameron Pace 3D company building is about 6 miles from here. Maybe I should stop in and ask him about it.

Now The Dukes of Hazzard...I would give it a plot.
I would design the theme around a Country Carnival which is of course managed by Boss Hogg to predictable results against the appeal of the carnival to anyone else including The Dukes. Big Points for Bulls Eye bat game (homerun) jump targets and Peach Pie bakeoffs, and speed traps in the background to make Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltaine's big paychecks.

But The Dukes will have none of that when they catch on and so here comes the boys, the jump ramps and The General Lee surrounding the carnival midway playfield to round up Hogg's nonsense and set the carnival straight for the people.

Work in some Jim Croce country boogie, blues, gospel (for Hogg speeches), rockabilly and country soul for music.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

dukes of hazzard would have been a natural when the series was running, but maybe that was a time frame when licensing for pinball wasn't done as much. i wouldn't be surprised if there was one or more machines made that were directly inspired by the series, however.

"futurama" was the first untapped theme that popped in to my head. i see some guy converted an atari superman (1979) game into a custom futurama game. completely redesigned the PF, so it looks nothing like the original:
http://home.comcast.net/~special_when_lit/pwpimages/Futurama Pinball.html

the in-game miniscreen actually plays episodes or episode snippets, apparently.

 

[FIXNWILLIAMS]

LMFAO! That post made my post entirely worth it! Friggin hillarious plot but yet somehow very fitting! How long did you think about that?

 

[LeeVanCleef]

I don't think they could make a Futurama machine that would look better than that one, nic... pretty impressive! I think Stern missed the boat on not doing a Futurama machine, especially after doing one on frickin' Family Guy! (sorry... not a fan) I think one of the more recent unneeded machines was that horrible Stones one that Stern put out. Never have the Stones lyrics "you're out of touch, my baby" ever made more sense. And turning Mick into Dracula from Monster Bash? A stale joke of a machine.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

wow, you've got me curious, bill. it's been years since i played a stern machine (POTC). i guess the stones one is not yet emulated, though. and too bad the first stones machine came out before the modern multi-level machines got going. or did you like that one?

yea, and you know the best part of family guy for me was when seth macfarlane did that unbelievably wicked music man performance at the 2010 writers guild awards-- "i consider that the hours i spend putting shit on FOX are golden!"

 

[LeeVanCleef]

the best part of family guy for me was when seth macfarlane did that unbelievably wicked music man performance at the 2010 writers guild awards-- "i consider that the hours i spend putting shit on FOX are golden!"

I gotta admit... that's pretty funny!
I'm a fan of the late '70s Stones Bally machine. Very simple in design, but pretty tough to beat. Plus, it was one of the first pinball machines to feature a group's music... 7 whole notes from "Miss You"! Plus, it was a fixture at a bar I hung out at in college. Very fond, alcohol-hazed memories of playing it.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

tried it just now in VP and it kicked my butt. most of those lower PF shots are pretty suicidal. recommend me a stones album to play the game to?

 

[sleepy]

Hey Fixin,

It took me about five minutes, even though I've been living with Los Angeles politics for a much longer time.
I am also amateur Hollywood with very little personal intent, though I have family in the industry.
Like Hogg, they borrow a lot. It's in the genes.

The Boss' management of the carnival would of course be hidden behind "a worthy charity or local organization".

The outlying chase ramps and orbits would be akin to The Getaway: High Speed II, or maybe Blackwater 100, but different.

 

[sleepy]

Ike, that R.S. machine was a Bitch at the arcade in '79 with an Underwhelming pop-art playfield, and it was aimed straight at me.
I was always driving out for the evening to get the hell away from the local hazing, driving to the arcades and bowling alleys to play my Space Invaders and pinball instead of spending the night being bitched at from all directions, and the radio D.J.s were using "Miss You" to *Wink* and *Nudge* along with snide comments.

The folks also have pinball ties. You can bank on it.

Now, I would have favored the Centaur machine as a Stones table, including the B&W artwork, but with appropriate, yet similar themes.

Put Anita Pallenberg on the backglass as The Satanist.
She was a Beauty.

If you really want to take a crack at it again, the trick is to get the 60 thousand bonus and the 5X multiplier and then keep returning to the Love Lane Eject Hole behind the single Drop Target on the left.
Also enable the Extra Ball, though it is disabled by default which is also the version played for PINemHi Leaderboard.

To do it, the X requires making R-O-C-K at the top rollovers, but you also make it by hitting the center button target (CAREFULLY!)
when lit. Stay the hell away from the Slingshots on the VPinMAME version and ALWAYS Nudge (CAREFULLY!), usually the Left Nudge (z key).

When you plunge the ball, wait for it to hit the left gate at the top rollover and right there nudge with the left nudge (z key) so that the ball rolls over the K target. This is because the ball rarely makes the K target from the Love Lane Eject Hole.
The Eject Hole usually only makes the R target, though sometimes the ball from the Eject Hole will hit O or C; never K, not even with a nudge. Else you make the K by hitting the center button (CAREFULLY!) When Lit.
And you want to make the K to spell R-O-C-K for Bonus Multipliers.

Don't even bother with the loop shots. Those are Sucker Shots for easy drain.

Don't bother with the Love Lane until you make one of the (targets 1 to 5; two buttons each on the left and right upper areas and center button (5) When Lit) Big Bonus lights (20/40/60) and at least 2X Multiplier. Then go at the Love Lane. Repeat. Repeat...

The center button target When Lit also spots 1 to 5 to advance the all-important 20/40/60 Thousand Bonus which combines with the BonusX at the Love Lane Eject Hole.

I recently set the PINemHi high score at 2 Million by doing this.
It took more than 30 games played before I made this score.

I probably will not do this again!

Funny how "Miss You" in the game is played off-key.
They also did this with Dolly Parton/Here You Come Again.
Probably to avoid paying song royalties to the composer or song publisher...

...

...

 

[FIXNWILLIAMS]

Right on, now somebody build it! I'll make myself available for creative development and brain storming!

 

[sleepy]

Build it as...a commercial machine or as a Visual Pinball table?

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Ike, that R.S. machine was a Bitch at the arcade in '79 with an Underwhelming pop-art playfield...

holy smokes, just discovered that JP made a radical mod of it:
http://www.pinballnirvana.com/modules/UpDownload/shots/1959.jpg

i wonder how you and bill like that version.

thanks for the excellent guide! i'll play a few more games and see if i can apply any of that...

 

[LeeVanCleef]

I never have downloaded that mod...for some reason, I thought someone else had modded JP's table... I didn't know he did the work himself. I may have to try it.

tried it just now in VP and it kicked my butt. most of those lower PF shots are pretty suicidal. recommend me a stones album to play the game to?

Well, the machine did come out about the same time Some Girls did... if you haven't heard Miss You and Beast of Burden too many times. Otherwise, I'd pick my favorite... Exile on Main Street. Pure magic from beginning to end!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

%$%^$#!@ shit, i had no idea "miss you" was that song. i am going to be singing "some girls" songs for the rest of the week on karaoke. bloody brilliant, bloody bloody brilliant. and yes, i hate beast of burden. :D

 

[LeeVanCleef]

%$%^$#!@ shit, i had no idea "miss you" was that song. i am going to be singing "some girls" songs for the rest of the week on karaoke. bloody brilliant, bloody bloody brilliant. and yes, i hate beast of burden. :D

LOL! I knew you'd be sick of one of them over the last 30 years! Don't leave out Exile, though... definitely the best Stones albums. Recorded in Keef's basement in France while they were exiles from Her Majesty's tax code. Sessions were... chaotic, at best. Keith has said that there are two things he did on heroin that he's still proud of; learning to waterski and make Exile on Main St. The mystique of its muddied production and buried lyrics proved to be a template for bands ranging from REM to pretty much every band wearing a flannel shirt in Seattle. And it's got "Tumblin Dice" on it... one of my favorites! I'll try to attach a sample.
PS: I think that fucking mod is harder than the original! They put some redesign into that... one of the most impressive mods I've seen in awhile. Glad to see you're playing pinball again, Nic! Hope the hands are treating you better.

 

[sleepy]

eh...what do you think of "Shattered"?
Try that one when you are being ragged out of your sleep for a couple of weeks to a month or more.

Not sure what the song is "supposed to be", but it suggests "Shattered" when you tilt. Very hard call.

And funny, when you don't make replay by games' end, how it plays "Jumping Jack Flash" instead of the obvious choice, can't get no "Satisfaction"..

 

[FIXNWILLIAMS]

Build it as...a commercial machine or as a Visual Pinball table?

I have never played VP, but I would love to see a comercial mechanical of this theme. You could have a really sweet backglass and kick ass playfield with awesome toys, maybe an LCD in place of a dot matrix that uses actual T.V. show footage. Now I'm getting expensive! I believe I almost could pull of a custom, but I don't program and don't know anyone who does. I know plenty of painters, drawing and air brush atrists where I could get a playfield designed up, painted, clear coated with automotive urethane. I have some good resources I even have a guy that can make translites, I have the electrical mechanical abilities to some degree. I would only dare to re-do an existing table though. I just don't know what kind of time it would take with creating a rule set and trial and error on the programming. But it is tempting!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

fixwilliams, i truly envy your not having played VP. the amount of pleasurable discovery in front of you is immense, especially compared to how little effort is needed to make it happen. wish i could say that about more things in life.


re: stones,
i'll give the table one more try with exile going in the background. then after i bash my head against that wall, i'll move on to the mod. that should lead to a proper shattering. (great song!)

first attempt to find stones karaoke online was tough. i might have another go, later. here's 13 FLV-format songs if anyone's interested:
http://depositfiles.com/files/a9lui0gkm

angie
anybody seen my baby
as tears go by
brown sugar
don't stop
honky tonk women
paint it black
route 66
ruby tuesday
satisfaction
sympathy for the devil
wild horses
you can't always get what you want

 

[sleepy]

Two of the best R.S. songs never written or performed by them.

30 Days in the Hole/Humble Pie

Rebel, Rebel/David Bowie

...or at least I thought so at the time.

 

[FIXNWILLIAMS]

Now that I think of it, a Black Label Society pin would really kick some ass. Put in a crankin sound system and make it an eight ball multi ball, call it Berzerker Mode! Stuff about 25 songs in there, and some crazy lighting effects. Maybe Jersey Jack will make one where Zakk Wylde is from Jersey. I obviously spend to much time thinking about this stuff.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

cerebral flatulence... i already had a couple dozen stones tunes in my karaoke library. just forgot to look. they are in the more common MP3 - CDG format if that is of interest. although i never did find "miss you" in karaoke form.

well, cueing up "exile," now. last go-through of getting humiliated by a pinball simulation.

 

[sleepy]

No humiliation.
That machine is a Bitch.

 

[sleepy]

Say, if there are any Damsels out there reading this,
I recommend a Men In Black III Pinball Machine.
Apparently the plot of III involves time travel back to the 1960's and encounters with people such as Andy Warhol.

Think Attack From Mars Meets Austin Powers with retro music, but in MIB form with crunchy aliens.

 

[LeeVanCleef]

although i never did find "miss you" in karaoke form.

Don't say I never gave you nothin'! Let me know if these work... there's a few other versions available. How are you liking Exile? Fuck... it didn't upload the cdg file! Gimme an email address!