The Project

Hello again!

So the project I have decided to do, since I am a huge fan, is TransFormers.

I think I'm going to go with a classic G1 style game, as opposed to the movies. I do plan on adding some toys to the playfield - but I am not very far into thoughts on the game design yet - I've really just started the project, and right now I am concentrating on the cannibalizing of the Pirates game and building the new cabinet.

Here's the POC playfield with the plexi and cardboard ball chute cover removed:



The underside with some lights flashing:



Here is a very large image of the underside of the playfield (I'll try and get one of these of the top very soon):



Here's a closeup of the slingshot assembly - you can note here that both slings are run by one solenoid - which is not ideal, but considering the cost, it's not that big of a deal.



Here's the pop-bumper assembly - also run by a single solenoid. From a play perspective, I'd say this hurts worse for the bumpers, but it's still okay for what the cost is - they had to reduce costs somehow.



Here's a closeup of what the lens assemblies look like. All of the lights are LEDs, which is nice from a power usage perspective. What I do think is interesting is that Zizzle used colored LEDs as opposed to colored lenses, which is the normal approach.



Here's a closeup of the major thing I plan on replacing first - the switches. I hate leaf switches to begin with, and while I appreciate the pain they went to here to cover the switch to prevent dust or other contamination, leaf switches, in my opinion, are far less reliable and more painful than microswitches. I will be replacing all of the existing (leaf / round plastic button) rollovers with standard microswitch rollovers (with the wire actuators). That plays into some further decisions I 'll describe later on...



The LCD panel is small, and I'm not sure how I will embiggen it. one idea is to put a magnifying lens in front of it, or I could try and find a larger LCD that would be pin-compatible. I'm not sure yet what I'll do. I can say that I will probably elevate the LCD from where it was to make it a little more comfortable to look at.

Here's the flipper assembly and a closeup of the solenoid used for the Zizzle machine. It's a 12 volt coil, and isn't the strongest thing in the world. At a 6 watt draw, it is rated for continuous use, and at 8 watts can be held for 140 seconds safely. I am going to try and bump the current up a little so that the flippers have a better kick to them and can get the ball up the field comfortably, but still stay as low as I can to keep the coils safe. I may also look at a different coil with a stronger force rating.

So my approach will be to strip the cabinet and playfield, then build a new cabinet and playfield using basically the same form factor. I thought first about trying to reuse everything, but the playfield has a big sticker on it, (as does the cabinet) which is a pain to try and remove, and since it's all made out of MDF, I really don't think it's going to tolerate stripping of adhesive.

I also would like to alter the playfield quite a bit, use arcade flipper buttons, and introduce lighting into the backglass (and have some GI on the field as well). Since I have made cabs for games before, I'm just going to go that route, and then I will have a clean slate to work with is the cabinet and the backglass.

So, anyway there are some initial thoughts I've had as I begin the project. Not a lot is decided yet, as experimentation will tell me if I can get away with a bigger playfield (basically if I can make the flippers strong enough).

I have to head out, but I will be posting more musing in the coming days...

Larry