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What are the Creature from the Black Lagoon hologram alternatives?

Alpha1

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Alpha1
I see Pinball Center has repro holograms



However what are the other alternatives? Looks like the LCD mod isn't being made anymore?
 
I think some Creature LCD screens are being made. I think it is a good mod, different. Animations and/or the original if you want it.
 
I don't like the LCD mods, it detracts from the atmosphere and theme. Plus it's distracting.

We've got the pinball center one and we're happy with it. He's a little smaller and less defined but you only see him briefly!

The creech at the pinball office also has a pinball center repro, so worth a trip if you're on the fence.
 
That is a lot less than a OEM hologram.
Am I correct that it isn’t actually a hologram? It doesn’t have the 3d effect and move his arms like the original. But still worth it over missing one.

There was a lit perspex version that was also interesting. Not sure if that was produced.
 
I have an alternative "hologram" that consists of an etched plate that is edge illuminated with green leds and the lagoon window has leds around the edge to give a twinkling effect. These leds are controlled by a seperate board and the led colours can be changed by 14 different chase patterns.

I think it looks great - and will not fade nor does it have issues that the original can have with the motor and light. Not a great photo as I had to get to the right point in the game and take pic one handed.

I don't know where it came from, or price. @Garry Sp8 may know, as it came with the super restored CFTBL he sold me :)
 

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I have an alternative "hologram" that consists of an etched plate that is edge illuminated with green leds and the lagoon window has leds around the edge to give a twinkling effect. These leds are controlled by a seperate board and the led colours can be changed by 14 different chase patterns.

I think it looks great - and will not fade nor does it have issues that the original can have with the motor and light. Not a great photo as I had to get to the right point in the game and take pic one handed.

I don't know where it came from, or price. @Garry Sp8 may know, as it came with the super restored CFTBL he sold me :)
I think thats my etched plate I made a few for possibly @replicas who made the mod. Was a while ago now
 
yeah can really appreciate the work and talent that went into that screen mod but, along with the modded pinsound audio/music, those two mods strip all the feel and charm of this pin away.

Would be ripping those out asap if i ever bought a CFBL that come with them and certainly wouldn't pay extra for them.
 
yeah can really appreciate the work and talent that went into that screen mod but, along with the modded pinsound audio/music, those two mods strip all the feel and charm of this pin away.

Would be ripping those out asap if i ever bought a CFBL that come with them and certainly wouldn't pay extra for them.
Pinsound doesn't equal custom sound packs, these are a choice and you can easily add the orginal sound pack that was factory fitted to the game with the added benefit of a Stereo remix.

Do not forget you also get the added benefit of adding Shaker motors (or even Smoke machines!) into the cabinet to further enhance the experience.

Parking all that you can't honestly think the £5 chinese 30 year old speakers are a step up from the Pinsound Speakers that will often be purchased with the Pinsound Plus sound card?

Not valuing these components seems a bit odd to me since its common in the Stern world at least to upgrade and replace the factory speakers with say Kenwood speakers?


As for the Holomod that's down to choice and preferance but IMO its 10x better than a blue faded hologram or a knock off hologram from Pinball Centre.
 
Pinsound doesn't equal custom sound packs, these are a choice and you can easily add the orginal sound pack that was factory fitted to the game with the added benefit of a Stereo remix.

Do not forget you also get the added benefit of adding Shaker motors (or even Smoke machines!) into the cabinet to further enhance the experience.

Parking all that you can't honestly think the £5 chinese 30 year old speakers are a step up from the Pinsound Speakers that will often be purchased with the Pinsound Plus sound card?

Not valuing these components seems a bit odd to me since its common in the Stern world at least to upgrade and replace the factory speakers with say Kenwood speakers?


As for the Holomod that's down to choice and preferance but IMO its 10x better than a blue faded hologram or a knock off hologram from Pinball Centre.
I have both Pinsound and the Holomod. I don't understand why you want either a faded hologram or 50s music that sounds like it's off an original Gameboy.

The Pinsound pack that contains a selection of vintage music adds tremendously to the atmosphere of the game.

It's the same as the people who go on about how great incandescent bulbs are because every arcade machine should look like a gaslamp that's been peed on. And that's before I get onto the electricity consumption and tendency to melt the inserts!

If you're a player and not a nostalgic collector, you upgrade literally everything. I've had my CFTBL for a couple of months and nothing - DMD screen, backglass, hologram, sound card... is original to the machine.
 
Each to their own - and sound quality aside - I want the game to sound like it did from factory , with the same music. Otherwise may as well just be playing a 50s mix on Spotty .
I don’t get this change everything mentality that has washed over the scene 😁 And before anyone says it’s nostalgia I never cared for Creech back in the day really ….. only in recent years I’ve fallen for its charms .
 
I don’t get this change everything mentality that has washed over the scene 😁 And before anyone says it’s nostalgia I never cared for Creech back in the day really ….. only in recent years I’ve fallen for its charms .
Well, there's definitely a cost issue. Once pins get more expensive, the (expensive) mods don't cost more than the machine. Also, if I'm not switching pins in and out regularly, and don't have any memories of playing them in the 80s/90s, I'm obviously going to try to make them look/sound like my newer machines 🤷‍♂️

Why would I *want* something to look/sound forty years old? I just don't get it. I'm the same with retro video gaming. Someone bought us one of those Game n' Watch remakes as a present, and I was like 😮🤷‍♂️ I mean, I have Zelda Tears of the Kingdom on Switch. Why, therefore, would I play something with tiny pixels that makes a bleep-bleep noise?
 
There will always be those who want to keep them largely original and those who want to modernise. This is all opinion as there is no right way.

And those who can not buy the OEM hologram so need to find a replacement. Then get what you like and can afford.

CFTBL is a cliche anyway. It isn’t a 50’s pin. It is a 90’s retro pin, 40 years after the time period. Turning it into a 2020’s version of a 90’s pin trying to retro the 50’s, another 30 years down the road, might be fine but feels a bit alien to me. But that is only another opinion.
 
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Really? This is lovely... An absolute joy if you like vintage music. I mean, it's 100% a movie/film pin now - as it should be.
Nope. To me that’s horrible. Not the music … just turning it into a jukebox . A bling too far. 😂

But if you like it that’s all that matters 😁
 
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Love the Pinsound sound track. Hearing those “Golden Oldies” of the time period is great when playing.

It’s probably what would have happened if CFTBL was made today.

People cry when there isn’t enough music on the game/theme.
 
Good derailing debate regarding audio, I wouldn't have gone near Tommy without the benefits of PinSound (there's an interview with LFS where he states the biggest regret of the game was not being able to use the correct music)
On the other hand Robocop with any other audio than the original ROMs would be plain wrong wrong wrong.
 
I wouldn't have gone near Tommy without the benefits of PinSound (there's an interview with LFS where he states the biggest regret of the game was not being able to use the correct music)
That's interesting as I had Pinsound as an option on my V-Pin and I preferred the original soundtrack on Tommy to The Who soundtrack, and I like The Who.

With regards to the hologram you are limited to what is available, which doesn't seem like much to be honest.
 
View attachment 222628

Really? This is lovely... An absolute joy if you like vintage music. I mean, it's 100% a movie/film pin now - as it should be.
Really!

I love 80s / 90s synth sounds. They sound amazing to me and transport me back to a different age. I also appreciate the skill and tech that was used when games were built. Even games I didn’t play BITD are interesting to me as representing days gone by and giving me a glimpse into the history of our hobby.

You may have mentioned before 😉 that you didn’t play them BITD, that’s fine! I just struggle a bit when you say you can’t understand why people do like them as they were made.

Genuinely I love playing retro games on old crts as well, and feel cold when playing modern remakes of them on my PC. Old Zelda games are great, new Zelda games are great.

When I see classic cars I don’t feel the need to install modern stereos or airbags etc, I just enjoy them for what they are. Uh-oh cargument alert, I’d better stop now!
 
CFTBL is a cliche anyway. It isn’t a 50’s pin. It is a 90’s retro pin, 40 years after the time period. Turning it into a 2020’s version of a 90’s pin trying to retro the 50’s, another 30 years down the road, might be fine but feels a bit alien to me. But that is only another opinion
How they decided on Creature from the Black Lagoon for a Pinball theme is mind boggling, very left field decision.
 
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