Premium now available too!

The latest DMCS mod for Godzilla is the DMCS Animated Interactive Backbox Light Kit. It lets you choose the attract and gameplay modes independently. In this demo the attract mode is set to "Animated Attract Sequence" and the game mode is set to "Interactive Effects". There are other modes to choose from such as "Dim Static" or "Bright Static". There are at least 9 in game effects triggered by play events, including rising flames, and streaming heatray.

Premium

Pro

I developed this a year ago, and showed it at the Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show and received good feedback. I intended to release it shortly after the other Godzilla mods but then got distracted developing the Foo Fighters DMCS Save Post. I finally got back to this and am releasing it now.

The "GZ DMCS Interactive Backbox" is $195. You can add it on to your existing DMCS board, or you'll need to get one if you don't already have one.

I will offer a special combo deal for both if you order by April 7: Backbox Kit + DMCS board for $295.

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After developing the GZ pro diverter and the computer control system for it, it would have really been a shame to just leave it at that. I wanted to see if some other mods I imagined could actually be realized: to see if the Dream Mods Control System lived up to it's name.

While developing the new mods, I've added some new core features to the DMCS. It now has WiFi with a web interface that lets you upload software updates easily, and select configuration options for the mods.

Here is the current list of Godzilla mods in the DMCS family and pricing.

The "GZ DMCS Diverter", $425 or $325 if you send your building floor for modification

The "GZ DMCS Godzilla figure" with pulsing spikes and streaming heatray, $135

The "GZ DMCS Xilien Red-Alert Saucer", $195

The "GZ DMCS Burning Building", $95

These mods require the DMCS board to control them. You only need one board and it controls them all.

GZ DMCS board, $125

GZ DMCS Heatray

The voice over says "Godzilla's spikes are beginning to glow!", and now it's actually really happening, right there on the playfield! Keep charging, and now the spikes are continuously pulsating at high intensity, ready to be discharged. You hit the action button, and there's the numbers counting up on the display. But wouldn't it be so much cooler if there was a heatray under the glass, actually really activating? Now... there it is! It starts to stream in response to your action, faster and faster the streaming gets... it reaches full intensity and unleashes it's full power and fury right in front of your eyes!

It's a bit difficult to see in the video at the back of the machine, here's a close-up picture. The video also doesn't capture the full effect that well, especially as the heatray reaches 100%, but you get the idea I hope.

GodzillaDMCS-Heatray2 (resized).jpg

GZ Xilien DMCS Saucer

Have you ever heard a UFO report? There's usually more to it than "it blinked one color" and then "later it blinked another color". And those Xiliens... they're cybernetic extraterrestrial humanoids... they're a technologically advanced race bent on conquering the Earth! It really doesn't seem like it, not by the looks of that saucer! But now their latest upgraded model has arrived! It's the "Xilien DMCS Saucer"! It's fitted with a whole array of lights! They encircle the entire circumference of the craft! They're throughout the cockpit too! They're spinning, they're changing, they're flashing, they're fading in and out, they're color cycling! Wait?! What new technology have they brought to the battle?! They're actually targeting my ball?! Yes, they're homing in on it and targeting the ball!

With an array of LEDs in the central dome and another array around the circumference of the saucer, lots of effects are possible. There's 5 main patterns, and with the permutations of patterns between the dome and circumference and random colors, it makes for virtually unlimited effects. Each time you strike the saucer, it flashes an explosion effect and initiates a new effect.

AND... during Saucer Attack, the Xilien saucer jumps into real action and targets your ball when it's in the vicinity! There are actually two different ball-targeting modes, maybe I'll leave the other one a surprise.

Close up, and ball-targeting in action:

GZ DMCS Diverter

Wanting a diverter in my Godzilla pro is what led me down the path to developing my mod controller.

Here is the default behavior as originally developed. I've now added configuration options to customize behavior. I'll post more about that.

When the building is mostly engulfed in flames, the ball path through the building gets diverted, similar to the behavior of the premium. In addition, when your heatray is charged, hit the action button for a miniblast which will divert the ball selectively under user control, or cancel an auto-divert.

More definitively, these are the 3 rules governing the diverter behavior, in the factory default configuration:

1. When the building is burning 2/3rd or more, the diverter is automatically triggered on ramp shots. This is similar to the premium, except I decided to make it happen a little earlier otherwise you barely get to experience it.

2. When your heatray is fully charged, you can hit the action button for a miniblast which activates the diverter for a short time. It's enough time that you can trigger it before executing a ramp shot.

3. When your heatray is fully charged, and autodivert is qualified as per rule 1, the action button can cancel a divert. IE. the ramp shot activates the diverter, then press action before ball reaches building to cancel. I've found it's most effective to quickly, repeatedly hit the action button while the ramp shot is in progress to achieve this successfully, so that you don't have to focus on exact timing.

Here's the original video if you haven't seen it, and also shows the burning building mod.

GZ DMCS Burning Building

Straight forward, for a DMCS mod, but most effective in making the static building come alive with flaming effects. The added interactive lighting effects show the increasing building damage and emulate the realtime game progress like the playfield building inserts. Additionally, how could you hit the building and have no effect?! Now you get light up explosion effects!

You can see it in action along with the diverter video above.

DMCS WiFi Features

Having a computer control system for these mods opens up all kinds of opportunity. It's easy to keep adding more features and more refinements. The question is when do you stop? I didn't want potential early adopters to miss out on something I might add later. Even though the software can be upgraded, it might require some technical ability and be a burden. So I decided to address that aspect. I've made the software update process really easy, elliminating any such concerns.

The DMCS now has a built-in web interface that can be accessed over WiFi. Updating is as easy as selecting a file, and clicking the "upload" button, and all while the DMCS remains installed in your machine! Additionally, I decided to leverage the same feature to allow you to easily choose configuration options for the mods by WiFi too.

As mentioned, you can configure the mods over WiFi. Here's an example for the Xilien Saucer. Maybe you want to see the stock lighting effect again for some reason. Just select that option in the configuration, and the stock effects and colors are back. But they're better too: now the saucer dome and circumference LEDs will show them.

Here's the current saucer options:

ConfigSaucer (resized).jpg

Bonus board... That's if you order the "complete set" of mods: ie. meaning all four mods.

But I will do a Christmas special for everyone: $95 for the control board with any mod. $75 with two mods. $50 with three mods. FREE with all four mods!

The reason the control board is listed as a separate item, you only need one, and it can handle multiple mods. It's a computer control system with sophisticated software, which is why it can do more special and intricate effects, and also provide a WiFi interface for configuration and updates.

The board mounts on the underside of the playfield. If you're just getting the saucer mod there's a good space just below the pop bumper mech when you lift the playfield.

Yes, the installation is easy. You unscrew and remove the pop bumper plastic and body. It does not involve any alligator clips or soldering, just plugging things together.

Was asked if the saucer works on the LE: yes, it will work on any model.

You got it! I have everything needed to assemble so there's not going to be a long wait. PM'd you.

Thanks, I appreciate you upgrading! I hope you'll enjoy the new effects and the saucer attack modes!

I thought it was understood you get the Godzilla figure with the "GZ DMCS Heatray", but I guess I shouldn't assume. I was asked if it's stuff you add to your existing figure. So...

The "GZ DMCS Heatray" includes the Godzilla figure with the glowing spikes and animated heatray breath all assembled together. I clarified that in the first post now.

I guess the premium is such a popular model and everyone has that figure already installed, maybe I should consider an option to add to that? Pondering... probably would make for a difficult install. Do people like that model on the premium? It's a big step up from the plastic on the pro, no doubt, but seems like most any other figure is still an upgrade to it, no?

I could easily add an option for just the heatray breath that you can use with any Godzilla figure. But the spikes are designed specifically for my figure, so you'd only get half the effect then. I don't think that would be a satisfying compromise.

Oh, I never did look into that. You can check if there's room behind the building to mount some LEDs. If there is, you can do it yourself, and I can give you the script to control it, which you can easily add to your DMCS yourself.

For the building, I used WS2812B LED strip with 30/m spacing, which gives good alignment to the window sections.

I wanted to give a shout out to BC_Gambit and tedwasright who both went above and beyond in giving feedback and testing updates. It has really helped improve the DMCS mod platform and future users will benefit from their contributions.

Also, I ran my mods at the NWPAS for the full weekend, and got lots of positive comments from my latest one that I was testing at the show and will be releasing shortly.

I developed this a year ago, and showed it at the Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show and received good feedback. I intended to release it shortly after the other Godzilla mods but then got distracted developing the Foo Fighters DMCS Save Post. I finally got back to this and am releasing it now.

Godzilla DMCS Animated Interactive Backbox Light Kit

More details and pricing along with the other DMCS mods in the first post

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/godzilla-dmcs-mods-xilien-saucer-heatray-diverter-burning-building#post-7297735

Don't know why the config screen is so blurry in the video, maybe youtube processing screwed up. Here's a clear image.

DMCSConfig (resized).jpg

Yes, I can make a version of the animated backbox lighting for premium or LE. If you're interested, inquire.

The premium version of the Godzilla Animated, Interactive Backbox light kit is now available too!

The premium has similar effects as the pro version, but as there are different graphics, there are different effects. Since King Ghidorah is a main character on the premium version, the effects also highlight that as you will see. For more details, see the first post.