Reading some of the comments here it honestly feels like I own a different version of UM. It’s not flowy, but my scoop and ramps certainly aren’t clunky. Now BM66, that’s clunky. And the cabinet, playfield, powdercoat and backglass are all good quality and beautiful. There’s obviously a good bit of variability between machines, so think buying a HUO that you can inspect and play test is the way to go on this one.

It’s different, so gameplay is even more personal preference than usual. But there is absolutely nothing flawed with the layout or current code, and the theme integration is excellent. I think it’s great that Spooky put out a niche theme and unique design in a market that values familiarity. Too bad they stumbled with too many quality issues, slow code development and some questionable engineering design decisions. Also, if you don’t love UM, or at least the genre, then there are likely better options.

Where do you find the serial number on UM?
And how do you fix the baltan not moving??

Open the coin door and it should be on a white sticker on the right hand inside of the cabinet.

What do you mean by the "balance"? the metal bridge the ball lands on after you do the crossover shot from the Upper Right playfield?

RM

Baltan not spinning.
2 of three are dead. Just replace the servo I guess?

Yes, if they're not moving, most likely you need to replace servos (you can reseat connections first but I wouldn't bother troubleshooting past that). The moving Baltans are such a fun addition to the game, it's a shame to not have them working.

Metal-gear'd replacements:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0874JS7BX/

Key-post showing with some helpful advice:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ultraman-kaiju-rumble-owners/page/66#post-7235961

My servos on two Baltans gave out about a month ago. The other day I finally took the time to fix them. It was much easier than I thought it would be.

Couple tips I wish I'd had before though:
The buildings are what actually holds the servo in. So when you first replace it they will seem loose until you put the building back.
Secondly, only take off the middle screw (the one that holds Baltan to the servo). Reuse the connector, the stand everything except the tiny black screw in the bag with the replacement. I attempted to remount the Baltan onto the new black stand pieces and it was a major PITA, do not recommend.

Just received an email from Spooky, I'm really optimistic that I made a good purchase. Upcoming manual and some other goodies. I'm also wondering if the netflix series will give the game a better resale in the future. I don't get all the hate but I'm pretty new to the scene.
I know I got an incredible deal for a new pin as well so thats a plus as well.
Just need CAD to go par with USD again and the shopping will get serious. LOL

Anyone else having huge issues updating to 1.15a? I'm giving up after six error messages. Currently on 1.13 and using a Mac. Tried using a USB I'ved used for all previous updates without issues. I've also tried 3 other USBs. Each time I get an error on the machine. Each time the file "disappears" from the USB after trying it in the machine, but is somehow invisible. I know this because there no file in USB the when I try to copy it again, I get "The item “code_UM.pkg” can’t be replaced because it’s invisible". I've reformatted all the USBs. I've also tried the % dot_clean “/Volumes/xxxx" clean-up command from the terminal. I don't think this is a USB issue - seems like something on the UM machine. Any thoughts?

Also - I just tried to reinstall 1.13 and I get an error message as well. Bizzare.

Email Matt about it.

RM

Ok here's a new one for me. While playing. A ball must have got trapped somewhere. It kept searching but no ball found. I tilted the playfield pulled 6 balles. And the other is lost. Don't hear it, don't see it and tilted all the way up and shaking.

Looks like both elevators are up. The left one kept flashing like the ball was coming from there but???

Anyone???

Look in the cabinet. Some people had a ball escape early on due to the way the subways are constructed.

Look in the hole behind the scoop. There are 2 bolts that seemed to hang down lower and catch a ball on my HWN initially.

Wow that was a hassle. It was in the back. Of the playfield but not in play. I had to giggle it tilt back and forth and then tile as high as possible at the back and it rolled forward wow. But now nicked the side blades.

What can you do.

Does anyone have a scan of the Halloween or UM playfield??

m4tt how close are we to the final code? It’s been nice getting code updates every couple months, but I am sure that will end eventually.

Ran into an odd bug or placeholder screen(?) today.

Beat the first two kaiju starting from easiest going right, failed Red King. Did ok in Pigmon multiball. Knocked down 3 drops to start a new mode. Giant Fuji started running simultaneously while I could select a mode/mixed overlays, letting me start Zarab. I simultaneously had Giant Fuji, Zarab and Science Patrol MB running with corresponding light shows/SFX for each and all, but no music and the screen went completely black until I drained all balls. The game recovered and played normally afterward, but even back in single ball play after the mixed modes had finished running the screen was black.

Zarab was not shown as "Detected" when I failed it the next ball, even though the strobing blue light show and blue targets were lit during the Fuji/Science Patrol stack. I was able to start it fresh the next ball.

Are we able to stack Giant Fuji with a mode? Bring Pigmon into a mode? Both would be massive additions and make grinding through the modes easier.

I'm considering picking this up with all the positive remarks about the updated code. One concern I have is I have low ceilings. Can the topper be removed? I assume so. If so, can it be used as a connected 'stand alone' on a nearby shelf?

Yes the topper can be removed. You probably could extend the cables and set to the side if you wanted. I actually broke a tooth off the saw plastic through my own stupidity, and Spooky sent me a new plastic NC. What a great company, customer service is the best!

UM Topper (resized).png

Just got one myself, and I'm satisfied as a noob.
But that scoop, uggg.
I wish there were better options for a mod.
Someone releasing an .stl file would be nice.

When is that saw suppose to spin, I don't think I've seen mine move. But spins during test.

There are three other scoop deflectors on the left side of the PF.

Swap one out for the main scoop and see if your problem with scoop shots goes away...I have been lucky with my Ultraman. It does not reject much at all.

...my TNA scoop, though. Good luck getting that one to swallow a ball!

I am so miffed by all of the talk about the scoop being hard to hit without modifying it. I have mine in my arcade (so it gets plenty of play) and I find the scoop easier to hit than many others.

Have you tried the Vimtoman scoop mod? My scoop originally might as well had a LID on it - everyone was completely unable to hit it from either flipper. 100% of the time I needed to hit the middle playfield ramp and let the ball drain to get it in the scoop. Since installing his scoop mod, it's now hittable. Given how close it is to the flippers, you still need to be pretty accurate, but it's not nearly the impossibility it was before. It's completely changed the game as far as shooting the scoop is concerned.

Vimtoman - your genius is need in TNA. Possibly not doable since the ball falls into the scoop from the side when draining from the upper, but DAMN that scoop is impossible to hit! Talk about changing the game...if someone could make the TNA scoop hittable, that would be AMAZING!!!

My OEM scoop would slowly bend back over time after hundreds of repeated ball hits, leading to more and more rejects

So I made a better scoop out of some steel I bought from Home Depot. This scoop attaches at the bottom of the playfield and has a nice clean curve that guides the ball right down the hole. And being a thicker steel, I dont have to worry about it ever bending on me.

Rejected balls are a thing of the past.

20240127_131303 (resized).jpg

20240127_131312 (resized).jpg

Nice I like that idea. Yes the vitoman mods are nice but I'd rather figure out some home brew if possible.
And euro to CAD is crazy.
Sure the bridge and back wall mods are not sometjing you can home brew but a scoop mod. Should be doable.
I may try and figure out 3d print cad design to just make thing and share if it's doable.

This one works very well as a substitute.

You have to grind in the sides a bit and drill a 3rd hole to make it fit but it's not difficult.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535-8250-04

RussM

that almost looks like whats there already except the bend.
Thanks.
I have tried a piece of foam pad but the ball hits so hard it still just bounces away 80% of the time.
Its easy to hit, near impossible to go in.

I put that one from Marco in my UM and it sinks the ball like 90% of the time from either flipper.

RM

Good to know thanks

I don't wanna rock the boat too hard here, but all you guys claiming that spooky has such great service, don't you think it's odd that they are not sending out a fix for their terribly designed scoop? If I designed a machine where a large number of my customers had to redesign a part, I'd be fixing that shit and making it right. Just sayin.

Just spoke to them
They have a group of mods coming available
And I've seen the new manual.

So they are doing something.

Doing something. Unlike Stern. Lol

So thanks to help from Matt, I got this figured out. Basically, certain Mac's do not fully clear out the extra hidden files using the terminal dot.clean command. By doing command+shift+. you can see the hidden files. I broke down and bought an App - USBclean ($4.99) for macs and was able to delete the files on the USB and upgrade to 1.15a!

I posted this to the Halloween forum a while ago. You can clean the hidden files using the commands below on a Mac without buying additional software.

To check to see if there are hidden files:
From your terminal, type the following “cd /Volumes/“ followed by the name of your SD (no space between the name and the /)
Type “ls”. You should see only your Ultraman .pkg file letting you know you are in the right area before proceeding
Type “ls ._*” This will list any hidden files
If there is a hidden file, type “rm “ followed by the full name of the hidden file including the “._” at the front of the file. (Yes Space between the name and the rm command)

Thanks, good advice. I'm definitely not trying advocate an App for $4.99 - heck I paid $18 for a martini last night!

Has anyone experienced the bug on the newest 1.15 code where you’re in mode selection in the middle of choosing a kaiju to fight and the ball spits out before you have even selected anything? Resulting in a drain you can’t prevent since you can’t move the flippers?

It’s been happening intermittently for me.

This is one thing about Spooky, AFAIK they've never ever released any service bulletins for any of their games.

I've also experienced this at least three times.

While you’re talking to them, maybe they can release a fix for the TNA scoop too. That thing is just as much of a bitch to hit as HWN/UM.

I'm not sure what they are releasing it was vague but they are doing something.
I've also seen a preview of the manual which looks good and I'm surprised isn't part of the pin at point of sale.
Seems like a slow after thought.

My only issue is I’m not able to replicate it reliably. Very intermittent. But when it does happen it’s a HUGE bummer.

This has happened to me twice and I can't reliably recreate either.

Yes. Some sort of bug indeed.

Haven't gotten this yet but a couple new ones for me yesterday.
Randomly during one game it thought I had defeated kaiju I hadn't and had me at expert?
Randomly giving me a multiball?

Also yesterday the ball starts getting stuck in the beta capsule hole. As it drops from the second playfield it get stuck and wont roll forward? Almost like it stuck behind the screws holding the scoop down?

FYI have now added a standard edition of my main train mod for Ultraman.

The wide screen video mod is now limited and will be discontinued.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/spooky-ultraman-mod

Yes this has happened to me one time also.

I never new there was a different version. I got one when they first came out and never looked back. Makes the game so much better.

I had just designed the standard version last week.
I just going to limit the number of the screen version.

Anyone have a scan file of this piece?

utramanpinplastic (resized).png

Happened to me twice on the same game after the code update. My UM is literally unplayable now because of this bug.