I'm still interested in one but have kicked it down the road now.
Pinball info
Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Stern Venom
- Thread starter Jsyjamie
- Start date
So has all thoughts about Venom completely disappeared from this thread
I think it's a bridesmaid pin mate, so many are focused on what comes next or what went before.
I think people are sensibly waiting to play it before committing.
I'm still interested too.
The fact the pro can’t do what the sales tag line for the game boasts is ridiculous.
Price and the layout are the two biggest things going against the title. The theme is great imo and of course the artwork is stunning but it’s another Eddy fan layout, at this point he’s getting as repetitive as Borg.
Foo is proof of the above, a lot of people myself included had little to no interest in Foo but that layout! Venom is more of the same old same old but at the new new price.
I am waiting for it to land before committing to buy
100% agree.
It shoots fast and comes back fast which isn't bad and that up/down post helps the speed. Keeping a ball there ready so that's bringing down some waiting time and more flipping.
In a multiball you're just going to be whacking anywhere and still hitting those shots though it's a wide open fan.
The thing is with this video mode it just doesn't look fun whatsoever. I know you only have two buttons so you are limited but they cannot be playing that and thinking this is great fun people will love this.
The similarities are in the way the mobs come in 1, 2 then 3 left & right but not really the same this is way slower. Fish tales is better and BSD is as well because they're over so much quicker.
I will put more than one video in my game but they will start instantly and be over pretty quick in 20-30 seconds with no intro, no waiting.
Once you played the game, you know the shot and you know it's going to start then you're ready for it next time. Like with BSD that intro is just too long for me, I've seen it all before and wish there was a skip there to trigger the first wolf.
If you could skip I would play that mode but what I tend to do is just waste all my bullets in 2 seconds to get the ball back. Have people say "What you doing!?" , "Why do I need to play it?" , "For the extra ball!", "I don't that need that ball to beat you".
Each mob seems to get faster as he progresses like the wolves in BSD, either ways we've come a long way in 30 years and despite the limitations of two flipper buttons something more original could have been done for sure, still its fine it would'nt affect my opinion of the game too much either way if the shots/flow are good.
Of course a video shouldn't make or break a game, it's video though not pinball, I think they should over much quicker.
Yeah each level gets harder / faster and waiting till the last minute to grab them will score more.
Most new players to BSD love shooting the wolves. It still is pretty decent and holds up very well for 30 years.
A 2D fighter could work bringing the lockdown button into play. Using more of the 720p space, able to jump, more animations, jumping mobs.
A bit like Kung Fu Master, where they come at your back as well.
At least with this video mode on venom you can just let the first infected walk into scream and it’s over. So I mean it can be as short or long as you want it to be 
I’m not a massive fan of the SW one as you have to play the whole thing out. Unless you have x40 multiplier going then it’s worth the effort.
I’m not a massive fan of the SW one as you have to play the whole thing out. Unless you have x40 multiplier going then it’s worth the effort.
Who thought this video mode was a good idea?! [Scream, pun intended]
It looks slow, not especially interesting to play, and goes on for ages. It’s not the 80s/90s FFS - we live in a golden age of video games!
If you want to include a video mode in a modern pin, it needs to be a well-designed minigame: short, with responsive controls, ideally funny, and not too frequent or worth too many points (so it overshadows the main game). Then, it’s a welcome breather and not a rubbish throwback to a bygone age.
I'm getting visions of Hyper Sports/Track & Field in the hurdling & swimming events - ba da ba da ba da slap ba da ba da ba da slap
The premise is fine.
It's just there are a lot of brilliant retro-style video games out there, which could inspire a mega-fun (short) video mode bringing into play - as @dave says - the action button, as well as the flippers. Keep it off the main path of the game and make it not worth many points. Then, it's a fun 'Easter egg'.
The video modes I like are Fish Tales (short, hilarious, optional), The Shadow (short, weird, optional), and AFM (short, retro, very optional). BSD is okay.
The video mode on Stern Star Wars was fun the first couple of times I played it in an "OOOOHHH, modern video mode, cool" way, but it seems to last a fixed length of time (rather than killing you when you hit an asteroid) and it's nowhere as fun as a Star-Wars-themed retro space shooter (which you could totally implement with flippers and an action button), e.g.
Hopefully the video mode in this is optional and can be disabled in the game's settings.
40x then go video mode for over 1 billion which put me off that game for life over the weekend seeing that. I haven't played it for a good year now, it's down Hayling Island and it's probably still on V1.0 where that horseshoe diverter doesn't work. Stern = EA patch it later.
Yeah this is the problem with it I don't dislike a video but it's really low effort and like watching grass grow.
They should print out some Eugene Jarvis (robotron, f-14) quotes and questions on the wall with the main one being "Is it fun?"
Elvis has it with the flipper buttons
Most likely the game will have the option to disable it, just a shame Scream/one of the main symbiotes is wasted on a mode most will turn off.
Indy, Shadow, HS2, Xmen all have simple, choose your path/dodge using the left, right, middle lanes and they are pretty fun, I just don’t think Venom was the right title for a Video mode.
NEW CODE! Stern Pinball has posted new Venom v0.92.0 for the Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models. This code contains numerous game enhancements including revamped Grendel and Knull Battles, additional polish, game adjustments, and bug fixes.
Subscribe to the Stern YouTube Channel to see this new code in action with the design team soon! https://www.youtube.com/user/sternpinballinc
Automatically download and update game code installation through the award-winning Insider Connected platform!
1. Open the coin door and press the black/enter button to enter Test Mode.
2. Using the 4 buttons on the coin door, navigate to the Stern Insider Connected Setup menu.
3. Using the 4 buttons on the coin door, navigate down to the Software Update menu.
4. If a software update is available, this page will give you the option to download and install it manually. From this menu you can also select to install these updates automatically.
Code updates and read me files are available at sternpinball.com/support/game-code/.
Played the Pro at Jackbar in NYC last week. Had no idea what I was doing but the game has loads of flow if you’re hitting the shots. The lock mechanisms that fire the balls at you are great. It does feel very bare though. Would like to check out the Prem.
Before I filled up my Pinball quota I'd decided it would have to be a Premium with this one, there's just too much missing from the Pro in a home environment. The Pro should still be good on site though if you are saving your progress/XP.
I actually got to put a couple of hours in on Venom last night thanks to an invite from Nick.
I have to be honest I wasn't expecting much as theme does nothing for me and aren't a huge fan of Eddy's other work, especially his recent ones.
I was surprised as to how good it is. It looks stunning, the playfield, cabinet and backglass are all great.
I was dubious about the Insider Connect storing your progress as I thought that would make it too easy and just a grind to get to the ultimate wizard mode, but that's not the case at all.
You can keep your progress when logging, or play each game from scratch - even when logging in.
This will give everyone the chance to get to the wizard modes if they play enough - no guarantee of defeating them though.
The actual game itself doesn't have any bash toys on it, but that doesn't detract from the game at all. The balls stacked above each inlane ready to fire them back at you keeps you on your toes and there really isn't a moment to rest. The code is really well developed already with all of the main wizard modes available. Despite only playing a few games it was easy enough to come up with a strategy and figure out roughly what was going on.
It is likely that because it was a brand new machine that actually getting control of the ball to make a controlled shot was hard, but that should well settle down with as the playfield settles down with more play.
There were a couple of 'issues' on the machine I played.
The VUK up from the scoop (like Sandman on spiderman) often kicked the ball off the ramp and didn't feed back to the inlane ball stack. This occasionally meant that you had an extra ball in play as the stack would kick another ball into play expecting the first one to be held. However, the machine was able to keep track of this as if you drained one of the balls it didn't automatically kill the flippers and go to bonus count.
Failing the left ramp 3/4 of the way up, at least 80% of the time, meant that on it's return it would hit the post on the left guide of the ramp and send it hurtling across the playfield towards the right outlane with little chance of saving it.
Overall I'd say it is a fantastic game and well worth picking one up (especially at the offer price Pinball Heaven is selling them at). I just wish I'd seen this before clearing my pinball funds to pay for something else
I have to be honest I wasn't expecting much as theme does nothing for me and aren't a huge fan of Eddy's other work, especially his recent ones.
I was surprised as to how good it is. It looks stunning, the playfield, cabinet and backglass are all great.
I was dubious about the Insider Connect storing your progress as I thought that would make it too easy and just a grind to get to the ultimate wizard mode, but that's not the case at all.
You can keep your progress when logging, or play each game from scratch - even when logging in.
This will give everyone the chance to get to the wizard modes if they play enough - no guarantee of defeating them though.
The actual game itself doesn't have any bash toys on it, but that doesn't detract from the game at all. The balls stacked above each inlane ready to fire them back at you keeps you on your toes and there really isn't a moment to rest. The code is really well developed already with all of the main wizard modes available. Despite only playing a few games it was easy enough to come up with a strategy and figure out roughly what was going on.
It is likely that because it was a brand new machine that actually getting control of the ball to make a controlled shot was hard, but that should well settle down with as the playfield settles down with more play.
There were a couple of 'issues' on the machine I played.
The VUK up from the scoop (like Sandman on spiderman) often kicked the ball off the ramp and didn't feed back to the inlane ball stack. This occasionally meant that you had an extra ball in play as the stack would kick another ball into play expecting the first one to be held. However, the machine was able to keep track of this as if you drained one of the balls it didn't automatically kill the flippers and go to bonus count.
Failing the left ramp 3/4 of the way up, at least 80% of the time, meant that on it's return it would hit the post on the left guide of the ramp and send it hurtling across the playfield towards the right outlane with little chance of saving it.
Overall I'd say it is a fantastic game and well worth picking one up (especially at the offer price Pinball Heaven is selling them at). I just wish I'd seen this before clearing my pinball funds to pay for something else
