****************************************************************************** * * STERN PINBALL, INC. * (C) COPYRIGHT 2023 STERN PINBALL, INC. * ****************************************************************************** * * VENOM * ****************************************************************************** HELP US, HELP YOU! If you have any suggestions, questions, need technical advice, find errors or have comments, contact us through our website: http://www.sternpinball.com/contact.shtml or call 1-800-542-5377. You can also email bug.report@sternpinball.com to report any software problems. This text file and all other documents relating to this product, playfield components, features, rules, programming and operation are subject to change without notice (Service Bulletins, if applicable, will be available through our website). Update instructions - Games connected to Stern Insider Connected: 1 - Open the coin door and press the black/enter button to enter Test Mode. 2 - Using the 4 buttons on the coin door, navigate to the Stern Insider Connected Setup menu. 3 - Using the 4 buttons on the coin door, navigate down to the Software Update menu. 4 - If a software update is available, this page will give you the option to download and install it manually. From this menu you can also select to install these updates automatically. Update instructions - All Games: 1 - Download the zip file 2 - Unzip the file, this will create a folder that contains SPK file(s). 3 - Open the folder, copy the file(s) to the root level of a FAT32 formatted USB stick. (Do not copy the folder.) 4 - Power game off 5 - Insert USB stick 6 - Turn on game 7 - After game boots up it will give the option for software update 8 - Volume buttons change options for full or quick update. Enter selects the option and starts the update. 9 - Once update is completed game will prompt user to power game off and remove USB stick. Online PDF of Rules: https://www.insider.sternpinball.com/?game=Venom LE/PREMIUM V0.95 - DECEMBER 19, 2023 ==================================== ** FIXED: - Fixed spelling typo INITIALS. - Sometimes a BATTLE MODE ball saver would not start correctly. - The EXTRA BALL speech now plays correctly. - The GI was sometimes not turning back on after SCREAM in a timely manner. - Sometimes MYSTERY was awarding ALL OF THE ABOVE or LIGHT CARNAGE when it shouldn't. - MAYHEM MULTIBALL wasn't always resetting its ball lock progress when it should. - The QUICK JACKPOT phase of MAYHEM MULTIBALL was not awarding 2X XP when it should. - GRENDEL wasnt showing the total when he won. - TOXIN TEAM-UP wasn't allowing HYBRID TEAM-UP to be used correctly. - Fixed misspelling of KLYNTAR in the JUKEBOX MENU. - MINI MODES now honor their shot grace period. This was broken in a previous update. - WOLVERINE's "white" MINI MODE would sometimes have its arrow lit when it shouldn't. ** NEW: - Added KLYNTAR MULTIBALL CHAMPION. - Added a pop up box to explain what each Team-Up character will do for you as you choose them. - Changed the adjustment "START GAME FROM BUTTON" to have 3 settings: BUTTON STARTS GAME PLAY MENU - Button will flash ORANGE. BUTTON STARTS A GAME - Button will flash GREEN. BUTTON STARTS NEITHER - Button will be off. The default is BUTTON START GAME PLAY MENU. The Action button will now start the GAME PLAY MENU instead of starting a game. The first choice on the GAME PLAY MENU is STANARD and therefore will start a normal game if you hit the action button one more time. Also, the Start Button will start a game and holding in the flippers will still bring up the GAME PLAY MENU. This is an effort to move the GAME PLAY MENU to a place that is easier to learn about. - BLOOD LUST now shows a total at the end of the mode - Added some audits for tracking which host is selected. - Added some audits for tracking which GAME PLAY MENU items are selected. - Added more effects and information when LEVELING UP. - (PRE/LE) Added QUICK DOPPELGANGER MULTIBALL Even Doppelganger gets a 2 ball Multiball! When playing as GWENOM or WOLVERINE, shoot the right loop X times (depending on difficulty) to start QUICK DOPPELGANGER MULTIBALL. On the final right loop shot, the ball will be locked into the MOVING 180 SCOOP and multiball will begin. The player must shoot the MOVING 180 SCOOP in its new position to release the locked ball. You will have a few seconds to shoot the 180 scoop (Life Foundation) to collect a large Jackpot and release the 2nd ball. DOPPELGANGER will then come out, and a hurry up value collected on any of his targets. Then, 4 JACKPOTs are lit for 1X the hurry up value locked in. Complete all JACKPOTS to light SUPER JACKPOT at the SCOOP for 4X the hurry up value. Difficulty is set via the QUICK MB DIFFICULTY adjustment. EASY, MEDIUM, HARD or DISABLED are available. - Added speech to VENOM, AGENT VENOM, SPIDERMAN and GWENOMs mini modes. ** TWEAKED: - Enhanced the ATTRACT MODE lamp effects. - Adjusted the rarity of ALL OF THE ABOVE being awarded in MYSTERY. - Adjusted the rarity of ALL OF THE ABOVE being awarded in MYSTERY. - GWEN now allows the ARGO-LAB to be selected for the BONUS SHOT. - When GRENDEL is attacking the player, his regeneration timer is now paused. - Added more descriptions to GRENDEL and KNULL BATTLE phase intros. - (PRE/LE) Enhanced logic for timing out the up/down ramp. - Players SPECIAL ATTACK will stay lit from one Phase to the next. - During Grendel doing large amounts of damage will light Special Attack. This is in addition to *** MOVED TO SYSTEM 3.55 *** Updated to nodeboard firmware/protocol v1.15.0 Various behind the scenes improvements for correctness and performance. LE/PREMIUM V0.94 - NOVEMBER 14, 2023 ==================================== ** FIXED: - Fixed the achievement "Knull way you did it!" was being awarded wrong. - Fixed the levels achievements. It was awarding the achievement one level too soon. - Sometimes the ACTION BUTTON behavior for canceling MAYHEM MULTIBALL or choosing a TEAM UP character was not working correctly. - Playfield Multipliers during Mayhem Multiball sometimes was not correct. - When playing as an unlocked host, sometimes a collected SKILL SHOT would not progress the MINI MODES correctly. - MAYHEM MULTIBALL would sometimes prompt for TEAM UP selection when it shouldn't. - MYSTERY could sometimes have a ball in play when it shouldn't. - When giving the BIGGER POINTS award, MYSTERY was giving BIG POINTS. - MYSTERY would rarely give an incorrect speech callout. - (PRE/LE) Disable the UP POST during TILT. - Sometimes TOXIN TEAMUP MULTIBALL was starting with more than 1 ball in play. - Fixed replay issue of it resetting to 100M. It will now use a min/max of 100M/2B. You will need to do a factory reset for this to take effect. - Some timers were not being paused while the SCREAM TOTAL or EXTRA BALL was being displayed. - (PRO ONLY) MYSTERY can no longer be started while the DOPPELGANGER MODE is active. This was already the case on the PREMIUM/LE. ** NEW: - Added Challenge Mode - You can practice battling KNULL at 3 different difficulty levels: LOW, MEDIUM and HIGH. At low you will start at level 70, at medium you will start at level 50, and at the highest difficulty you will start at level 30. To START, between games, hold the flippers in for 3 seconds go to the GAME PLAY MENU. Use the flipper buttons to choose which level CHALLENGE MODE you would like to play. Then press START or the ACTION BUTTON. Once you start, after the opening scene, you can choose which of your host you would like to play using the right flipper. Also, using the left flipper button, you can choose what part of the grid you would like to be active. Your choices will be NO GRID, each of the 6 boxes, or a FULL GRID. - Added KLYNTAR MULTIBALL - The Final Wizard Mode. You have defeated KNULL and chased him back to his planet: KLYNTAR! There you must help the Symbiotes to imprison him forever. Complete all 8 in a single game to qualify for KLYNTAR MULTIBALL! - Play RAMPAGE - Play SCREAM - Play BLOOD LUST - Play TOXIN TEAM-UP - Play MAYHEM MULTIBALL - Complete HOST HURRY-UP - Start BELL TOWER FRENZY - Defeat KNULL Once all 8 are qualified KYLNTAR MULTIBALL will be READY on the CENTER RAMP. During KYLNTAR MULTIBALL there are 16 Hurry Ups you have to complete to win - four different colored quadrants each with 4 shots. Be quick, the faster they are collected the higher you score! Once all 4 quadrants are completed the FINAL SHOT will light at the SCOOP to imprison KNULL and collect a large bonus. - Added choreography and polish to Rampage. ** TWEAKED: - Changed the formula for how much XP you need for the next level. This mostly only affects levels >30. Level 99 used to require 203K XP and now it will require 383K XP. - SCREAM Video Mode starts a bit faster. - Increased the ball saver timer during BATTLE MODES when playing at higher levels. - SCREAM can no longer be started while the DOPPELGANGER MODE is active. - Added some shaker motor effects to EXTRA BALL *** MOVED TO SYSTEM 3.52 *** Updated to nodeboard firmware/protocol v1.14.0 Updated Pricing Table: Norway 1 - 1/10 NKr. Norway 2 - 1/10 NKr, 3/20NKr. Norway 3 - 1/20 NKr. Norway 4 - 1/20 NKr, 3/40 NKr. Norway 5 - 1/5 NKr. Factory Default for Norway is Norway 1 - 1/10 NKr. Sweden 1 - 1/10 SKr, 2/15 SKr, 3/20 SKr. Sweden 2 - 1/5 SKr. Sweden 3 - 1/10 SKr. Sweden 4 - 1/20 SKr. Sweden 5 - 1/10 SKr, 3/20 SKr. Factory Default for Sweden is Sweden 3 - 1/10 SKr. Denmark 1 - 1/3 DKr, 2/5 DKr. Denmark 2 - 1/2 DKr, 2/4 DKr, 3/5 DKr, 4/7 DKr, 5/9 DKr, 7/10 DKr. Denmark 3 - 1/5 DKr. Denmark 4 - 1/10 DKr. Denmark 5 - 1/20 DKr. Denmark 6 - 1/10 DKr., 3/20 DKr. Factory Default for Denmark is is Denmark 4 - 1/10 DKr. Moved FREE PLAY and GAME PRICING adjustments to the beginning of the Standard Adjustments list. Update AD_ALLOW_FORCE_ENDGAME default to ALWAYS (from FREEPLAY ONLY) Various behind the scenes improvements for correctness and performance. LE/PREMIUM V0.93 - OCTOBER 17, 2023 =================================== ** FIXED: - When in SUDDEN DEATH during GRENDEL and KNULL BATTLES, sometimes the BELL TOWER TARGET would be lit when it shouldn't. - Achievements for collecting PHAGE and LASHER SUPER JACKPOTS in MAYHEM MULTIBALL were swapped. - When entering HSTD initials, the confirmation screen was showing any initials not entered as "A" when in 3 LETTER mode. - The player can now reach level 99. - SCREAM was sometimes starting when it shouldn't. - HOST HURRY UP was sometimes starting when it shouldn't. - Sometimes the SCREAM >= 50M Achievement was not being awarded. - Mystery during Competition play would sometimes still award ALL OF THE ABOVE - SKILL SHOT would sometimes show the incorrect shot lit when changing hosts. - The BELL TOWER timer on the CENTER RAMP was sometimes running when it shouldn't. - Beating KNULL would sometimes not collect the balls correctly or allow the player to select a new HOST. ** NEW: - Added SUDDEN DEATH speech to KNULL. - Added new items to the GAME PLAY MENU: RESET ALL PROGRESS and RESET SPEED RUN - RESET SPEED RUN - Will only reset your progress toward your speed run. It will not reset your BEST SPEED RUN TIME or any of your unlocked host. - RESET ALL PROGRESS - Will reset ALL of your saved progress. Select either from the GAME PLAY MENU and then scan your QR code. You can access the GAME PLAY MENU during the attract mode by holding both flippers for 3 seconds. - Added an adjustment "ALLOW RESET PROGRESS". Possible settings are YES or NO. It defaults to YES. Set to YES if you want the GAME PLAY MENU to have two options for the player: RESET ALL PROGRESS and RESET SPEED RUN TIME. ** TWEAKED: - The USE SAVED PROGRESS prompt will no longer pop up if you are in a game and the game is in Competition mode. - When you use the GAME PLAY MENU to set PROLONGED COMPETITION the game will no longer start a game. - Tweaked DMA memory allocation. - The HIGH WEB COMBOS TO DATE entry display was cleaned up. - Improved the colors of the combo game play menu. - Reduced the points for Carnage with and without Peter. - After unlocking a new HOST, the CHOOSE A HOST display has been changed to timed. - Added 1/2 second to how long you have to cancel your multiball. *** MOVED TO SYSTEM 3.50 *** Resolved a game reset issue. Various behind the scenes improvements for correctness and performance. LE/PREMIUM V0.92 - OCTOBER 3, 2023 ================================== ** FIXED: - Removed audits that where not being used. - If a player TILTED during the BATTLE MODES, their progress was not being reset correctly. - Sometimes when the flippers were reversed during GRENDEL, they would not reset until the start of the next ball. - During the DOPPELGANGER phase of RAMPAGE, the grace period was not being honored on the ball saver. Updated the ball save lamp effect to time out. - INFECTED was sometimes awarding LIGHT EXTRA BALL and BONUS X when it shouldn't. - MYSTERY could sometimes crash in rare cases. - MYSTERY was sometimes awarding SPECIAL when it shouldn't. - SECRET HIDEOUT SKILL SHOT was sometimes not being awarded for some of the HOSTS. - COOP HIGH SCORES 1-4 on ATTRACT MODE was not showing the correct names in the correct locations. - Fixed some text alignment issues on INSTANT INFO. - HYBRID and SLEEPER TEAM-UPS would remain qualified when used. - The TEAM UP lights were sometimes showing characters available when they weren't. - BALL SAVE time was being extended incorrectly for some hosts during BATTLE MODES. - INFECTED targets were not awarding points during GRENDEL and KNULL BATTLES. - When you lost with an unlocked host you should have lost all 6 lights in the grid of that host path. ** NEW: - Added more audits - GRENDEL BATTLE rules have been updated. Here is a summary of all the Here are the rules for the Major Boss, GRENDEL: Grendel is a timed mode with four phases. Defeat all four to win. Common Across all phases: Each phase has shots lit. All shots follow a pattern and change colors as they increase in value. At first they are blue and will deliver small hits to Grendel. They increase to Orange for Medium hits and increases to red for large shots. Orange and Red shots will time out and go back to blue. Each time you shoot a shot it will increase all the other shots to the next color. When you have less time on the clock than you started with the bell tower will add back time. The higher your level the more time will be added. When you drain down to zero balls or your time runs out you lose. At the end of each phase, 3 yellow shots will light. Shooting any of them will end the phase and take you to the next phase. Any time you shoot a red shot for a large hit, you will also light SPECIAL ATTACK. SPECIAL ATTACK is always a purple shot at the Daily Bugle shot. A Special Attack will deliver damage 5X the strength of a small hit. Grendel will try and attack you. The GRENDEL light will tell you how soon he will do his special attack. It starts white. Then starts timing down. It will change from white to yellow to red when its close. If it gets that far he will do his Special Attack. Grendels Special Attack will reverse the flippers. Also all your shots will turn light blue. You have to shoot one to undo the reversed flippers and resume your battle. Hitting Grendel will make him reset his Special Attack timer. PHASE ONE Phase one has 5 shots lit at all times. When you shoot one it goes out and increases the strength of all the other shots. Also a new random shot is lit blue. PHASE TWO Phase two has 5 shots lit blue and they go out as you shoot them. PHASE THREE Phase three has 4 shots lit blue and they go out as you shoot them. PHASE FOUR Phase four has 4 shots lit blue and they go out as you shoot them but it is also a two ball multiball. If you drain one of the two balls you will go into SUDDEN DEATH. SUDDEN DEATH means you can no longer get time from the Bell Tower target. - KNULL BATTLE rules have been updated: Here are the rules for the Final Boss, KNULL: Knull is a timed wizard mode with five phases. Defeat all five to win. Common Across all phases: Each phase has shots lit. All shots follow a pattern and change colors as they increase in value. At first they are blue and will deliver small hits to Knull. They increase to Orange for Medium hits and increases to red for large shots. Orange and Red shots will time out and go back to blue. Each time you shoot a shot it will increase one of the other shots to the next color. When you have less time on the clock than you started with the bell tower will add back time. The higher your level the more time will be added. When you drain down to zero balls or your time runs out you lose. At the end of each phase, 3 yellow shots will light. Shooting any of them will end the phase and take you to the next phase. Any time you shoot a red shot for a large hit, you will also light SPECIAL ATTACK. SPECIAL ATTACK is always a purple shot at the Daily Bugle shot. A Special Attack will deliver damage 5X the strength of a small hit. Knull will try and attack you. The KNULL light will tell you how soon he will do his special attack. It starts white. Then starts timing down. It will change from white to yellow to red when its close. If it gets that far he will do a his Special Attack. Knull has three different Special Attacks: The first is SHIELD. The shot lights will turn green and you have to shoot one before you can go on. The second is Darkness. The game will go dark. The third is killing a flipper for a few seconds. Hitting Knull will make him reset his Special Attack timer. PHASE ONE Phase one has 5 shots lit at all times. When shot a new shot is lit blue. PHASE TWO Phase two has 5 shtos lit blue and they go out as you shoot them. PHASE THREE Phase three has 4 shots lit blue and they go out as you shoot them. PHASE FOUR Phase four has 3 shots lit blue and they go out as you shoot them. PHASE FIVE Phase Five has 3 shots lit blue and they go out as you shoot them. It is also a two ball multiball. If you drain one of the two balls you will go into SUDDEN DEATH. SUDDEN DEATH means you can no longer get time from the Bell Tower target. ** TWEAKED: - Made ALL OF THE ABOVE Mystery award rarer. - Added Bigger Points to Mystery. - Made it harder to light Mystery starting with the 2nd one. The number of times you need to complete the lower 4 lanes is now { 3, 5, 7, 9, 9 ... } - In Blood Lust you can now only add flips 3 times. Each of those have a max of 18 flips if you shoot the center ramp 3 times before hitting the Carnage Newton ball. The Bell Tower will still add 5 flips. - Shortened BALL SAVE time during GRENDEL BATTLE. - Reduced ball save time for all BATTLE MODES under HARD setting. - The MAYHEM MULTIBALL SUPER JACKPOT shot timer is reduced when MAYHEM MULTIBALL ends before it is collected. - SPECIAL ATTACK is not lit at the start of each phase of a BATTLE MODE. - FLAMETHROWER should not be active during GRENDEL BATTLE when being attacked. - During GRENDEL BATTLE when he attacks, the shots are now lit on the smaller shot lights. - The timers in Battle Modes get tighter the more Host you have unlocked. *** MOVED TO SYSTEM 3.49 *** - Updated to nodeboard firmware/protocol v1.12.0 - Conagent v1.0.14 - If Home Team menu is present, a popup window will make you confirm a game start when no user was selected. - Various behind the scenes improvements for correctness and performance. LE/PREMIUM V0.91 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 ===================================== ** FIXED: - Fixed issue where FLAMETHROWER was sometimes completing BATTLES when it shouldn't. - Some HSTD entries where behaving incorrectly. - You were able to move the skill shot for a few seconds after plunging. - Scream scoring was not always correct. - Challenge Mode removed from the GAME PLAY MENU - HULK SMASH was sometimes collecting the wrong shots. - HYBRID TEAM UP was sometimes collecting the wrong shots. - BELL TOWER FRENZY was not displaying its timer value. - MYSTERY would sometimes not be awarded if something higher priority was already running. - If the SELECT TEAM UP user interface was allowed to time out, it was not actually activating the TEAM UP character. - Some of the achievements for HULK, CAPTAIN AMERICA and WOLVERINE and the minor villain BATTLE MODES were not being awarded. - START was sometimes lit for a Battle when the player had not completed all the mini-modes that was required. - TOXIN TEAMUP was sometimes starting when it shouldn't. - TEAMUP characters HYBRID and SLEEPER were being removed if they were activated but then unused during a mode. ** NEW: - Added an adjustment called ALLOW FAST LOCKS. Settings are ALWAYS, NOT IN COMPETITION GAME, NEVER. The default is ALWAYS. - Added an adjustment called ALLOW LOCKED BALLS for virtual locks. Settings are ALWAYS, NOT IN COMPETITION GAME, NEVER. The default is ALWAYS. - Added PROLONGED COMPETITION to the GAME PLAY MENU. This is the same as COMPETITION but will keep the game in this state until the game is powered off or the state is changed. When the game is in PROLONGED COMPETITION game play mode, it will report this state in the attract mode. - Added difficulty adjustment for MINI MODES. - Added difficulty adjustments for all BATTLE MODES. ** TWEAKED: - Added Sound Test sounds. - Not using your saved progress from the dialog box will now not restore your unlocked Host. - You can now Save/Restore during Impossible Play and Monster play. - Restoring in any game play mode other than STANDARD, IMPOSSIBLE or MONSTER will no longer restore your unlocked Host. - Adjusted the scoring of Scream - Improved the lamp effect of completing a Mini-Mode. - Greatly increased the REPLAY values. LE/PREMIUM V0.90 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2023 ==================================== - Initial release.