Pinball Modding Group
Beaming your Pinball to another dimension
Cactus Canyon Mountain Mod + Waterfall
Gaming Play Score: 9.3
The mountain mod was also a long standing project and it took over 6 months development time ! Domino created around 17 models, which were all tested till we finally found the best form. That project was a tough one, but why ? Where were the big problems ?
1. Finding the BEST material :
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Domino was searching for some material, which can stand a hit on the mountain and is also not too thick so that the flasher effect is still visible. Already in this phase around 4 models had to be created till we got the best material. To better support the flashing effect, we do not use the standard flasher, but instead a much more stronger LED flasher, which will really flash the mountain. A big disadvantage of the original mountain was that it broke very easily at the side...a well known and hated problem...and that should not happen with this mountain anymore.
2. Finding the BEST form for the mountain :
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We really don´t like the original mountain because it´s simply too small ! You even see the metal from the mine and that disturbs heavily the overall appearance of the mine section. Just have a look at the pictures for a nice comparison between the old and new one on the "Modding news" page. So it was clear for us to create something bigger. But on the other hand, it must not be too big and should not touch other elements in the same area like the center ramp or the left ramp. The flow of the mine (up and down) must be guaranteed and the overall design must even be better than the original. So Domino created one model after another, tested it on the pinball, had to cut here and there, went back into his "laboratory" and created the next one based on the previous model, tested it again and so on...you really don´t know how much work that was till we got the BEST form.
3. Finding the BEST colors :
That requirement was also hard...more shiny or more dark ? Also here we tested lots of different colors...and finally, we found the right one and the next mountain prototype was finished. I tested that one around 1 week and after checking the mountain again, we saw that a little bit of the color went away...probably because of the ball hitting that side of the mountain...Damm..ok, so Domino had again to check other color variations and finally mixed something special together. Then he had to create again a new mountain with the new color and we tested that one again, and luckily that test was successful...we played the pinball for around 3 weeks and always checked the mountain...everything ok : color is still everywhere on the model and also no breaks in the form...cool ! :-)
4. Finding the BEST addon for the mountain :
Having a look at the rear side of the mountain, you see the ugly metal scoop where the ball will be fired out into the bumpers area...brrrr...do you think that fits into the pinball ? Not at all ! A long time ago, I constructed a small waterfall model and set it onto that scope neck. Domino saw that and "surely" had to create something new, using his very cool modeling technique and he created another waterfall model, which is perfectly adjusted to the new mountain mod....
Now you should get a small impression how much work is included into a mod...
The mountain mod consists of the following parts :
1x Mountain model
1x Waterfall model
1x LED Flasher board
Installation time : 10 minutes
André Banderas
Cactus Canyon Stagecoach Topper
Gaming Play Score: 9.4
The stagecoach topper was my second topper I developed after the Medieval Madness one. One of my first idea was to use a buffalo skull, but then I thought that this would look to brutal and it does not really fit to the comic theme of the pinball. Another idea was to use a longhorn as a topper and I followed a long time that idea. I was also searching for longhorns on the internet, but unfortunately, at that time, I did not get one. They were all sold out. But while I am searching for longhorns, I also saw that stagecoach and I loved the design and the high details on it, so I decided to use that one as the future model.
One important thing for me in developing topers is to have some sort of dynamic. It must have something special, not just simply put the topper on the backbox and that’s it. For example, the Medieval Madness dragon topper is griping with his hands into the backbox, which gives a nice 3D effect and you also have the red burning LED eyes.
So I did some brainstorming of how to get some specials into that topper...mmhhh... the stagecoaches in the movies are always shaking around because the road was so bad...That was the reason why I used springs under the stagecoach toper to get a more dynamic effect and I just love it ! So always when you just push a little bit the pin, the whole stagecoach is shaking around. To get even more action, I decided to use a LED stripe in front of it because a lot of pinballs are in cellars and it’s usually dark. After experimenting again a little bit around and remembering old cowboy films, where you see the cowboys, riding into the sun, I decided to use another stripe of LEDs for the background, which I was also using in the fountain topper, and that was finally the end result !
And again I went to my team mate Ronny and explained him my ideas and he was again the poor guy who had to create the whole construction. After nearly every day calling him, he finished the first prototype and I was so nervous when I went into his office but : WOW ! I then did the electric and the first Cactus Canyon Stagecoach Topper was born ! :-)
Here is the installation video, where you can also get some more background information...
Sizes :
Length : 51 cm
Width : 20 cm
Height : 20 cm
Installation Time : 10 minutes
André Banderas
Cactus Canyon Figure Mod Set
Gaming Play Score: 9.3
One time I checked very carefully the whole playfield area and what was missing are some figures...there are really no figures at all in the game - and I do not count the train,- and bart toy in the saloon. But figures are creating a more intensive atmosphere when playing a pinball. Important is that the figures must fit into that whole game play so I started a search for figures around. Nearly every day, a package arrived at home and I tested lots of them. I remember very well that I always had to hide these figures because my children where always searching for them, played around and at the end didn’t know where they left them...but that was easy, compared to my search for figures for the Medieval Madness pinball :-)
So here it is : a collection of 7 very detailed and colored figures for your Cactus Canyon pinball machine. These figures create a cool dynamic effect in the game, especially the following ones :
1. Cactus figure : It gives you a pseudo 3D effect because it will be placed just in front of the painted cactus
2. Totem pole figure : I LOVE that one because it will NOT be fixed and is free, meaning that when you shoot the left ramp or the ball will be thrown in the bumper area, the totem figure will always move a little bit around.
Installation time : around 10 minutes
André Banderas
Cactus Canyon 3D Instruction Card Kit
Gaming Play Score: 9.3
My cactus canyon didn’t have the official instruction cards. Instead there was a transparent instruction card on both sides with just the text. That didn´t look very well and I can good remember when I was one time with my family in the Deutsche Museum in Munich. My wife "forced" me to go into the souvenir shop and I hate shopping with my wife, but that time, it was just a great idea because I saw these 3D cards and I loved them at once. So I bought a set and after arriving at home, I started to work on them, which means : getting the correct size with the best position, where I see most of the geckos...that took me around 1 hour : cutting, going to the pinball, checking, again cutting and so on, but the result looks very nice...especially this 3D effect...I tested the cards with and without the transparent instructions but at the end, I didn´t use these anymore so that you can see all geckos. But I can also include the transparent instruction card set if you like.
Installation time : 5 minutes
André Banderas
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