Pinball Arcade - Bram Stoker's Dracula (Multi-Multi-Multiball reached, Video Mode completed)

Channel:

Overhazard

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37,500

Published on October 31, 2017 9:06:27 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2ohsjuHWgg

Game:

The Pinball Arcade (2012)

Duration: 8:31

644 views

5

Here's the 2017 Halloween upload--and this thing is a mess, both the pinball machine AND the movie it's licensed from. But I should explain the context first, beginning with the movie:

Bram Stoker's Dracula was a movie released in 1992, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. After the disappointing Godfather Part III, this was supposed to be Coppola's return as a top-grade director. It stars Gary Oldman as Dracula, Winona Rider as Mina, Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, and Keanu Reeves as Jonathan. Instead, it was panned for its corny acting and unconvincing accents, slow pace, and cheap-looking production values (even though it was not a low-budget film). With a gross of about $82 million, this movie barely broke even at the box office. However, it ruined Coppola's reputation as a director, and he retired from filmmaking to sell his family's wine. This film also became a stopping block for Anthony Hopkins and Winona Rider, and Keanu Reeves would not be taken seriously as an actor until he played Neo in The Matrix. However, this turned Gary Oldman into the A-lister he is today.

Though Williams bought into the hype, the bad reputation of the movie ultimately dragged this machine down. It sold an at-the-time middling 6,801 units, but its production was also rushed to release it at the same time as the movie. The result is an incomplete machine with love-it-or-hate-it gameplay. If you are a pro pinball player, you will likely find this machine a blast, with challenging rules and a demanding playfield. If you are anyone else, you will likely find this machine confusing, frustrating, and aesthetically either revolting or laughable. Essentially, Bram Stoker's Dracula was the pinball counterpart to Street Fighter V and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

Part of the brutal nature of this machine comes from the lightning flippers, which are shorter than standard flippers; and the slingshot shapes, which are designed to bounce balls into outlanes. This was the first machine released with lightning flippers as a standard.

You cannot get a decent score on this table unless you can start multiballs, and preferably stack them. Nothing else is worth much or feels worth much. There are three multiballs: Castle Multiball, Coffin Multiball, and Mist Multiball. All of them can be started while another multiball is going on, and all of them have the same rules (with one exception): Jackpot is the scoop on the upper-left, between the ramp and the bumpers, and is active when the orange light pointing to it is on. If you have 2 multiballs going on at once, called Multi-Multiball, you'll be given 1 more ball, the ball saver will restart, and all scoring is doubled. Get all 3 simultaneously and you get Multi-Multi-Multiball, and you're given 1 more ball again, the ball saver will restart again, and all scoring is tripled. In addition, the 10 million Jackpot is increased to 20 million with Multi-Multiball and to 30 million with Multi-Multi-Multiball (which, to my knowledge, is NOT subject to double or triple scoring). The stacked multiballs continue until you have 1 ball left, upon which they will all end at once.

Castle Multiball is 3 balls. There are two sets of three yellow standup targets, one in the middle and two on the far left just below the entrance to the ramp. Hit the left and right standup targets, and the light in front of the middle will blink. Hit the middle one to activate the lock for 12 seconds. Shooting the ramp while the lock is active will lock a ball and deposit it above the right inlane. Lock 3 balls to begin Castle Multiball.

Coffin Multiball is also 3 balls. It's hard to see, but there's a coffin on the upper right quadrant and a tunnel-like lane beneath it. Shoot this lane 6 times to begin Coffin Multiball. Unique to this mode, continuing to shoot that lane during Coffin Multiball will light the "DRACULA" lightning bolts above the flippers. To my knowledge, spelling it all out does nothing.

Mist Multiball is 2 balls. Shoot the ball into the scoop, between the ramp and the bumpers, when the yellow light pointing to it is on. This will become available after either 4 trips up the ramp (and subsequent numbers, but I forget what they are) or when you've reached the third ball without beginning any multiballs. Then, a ball will travel by itself, using hidden magnets underneath the playfield, across the middle. Dislodge the ball with the one you're controlling to start Mist Multiball. In real machines, there is the occasional problem of your ball magnetizing itself to the traveling ball, killing your chance at Mist Multiball.

Finally, we got Video Mode. Shoot the right orbit 5 times to activate it, then shoot it a 6th time cleanly enough to reach the scoop above the bumpers. In video mode, you play as Van Helsing shooting werewolves, who will come at him from the left and right. There are 15 werewolves and 20 bullets, and you lose if a werewolf reaches him or he runs out of bullets.

The next table will be Diner.

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