Theatre of Magic Pinball Tutorial

A Theatre of Magic pinball tutorial played by Bowen Kerins and filmed at Replay Foundation Headquarters.

[@marshallatwood8529]

Best pinball teacher out there - love your videos - thanks Bowen!

[@evh347]

That Mr Bill toy is my pug’s favorite toy. We always have a backup for whenever he finishes him off. Haha

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

That's a really cool coincidence

[@Titanic4]

Also, on 33:42, there's reference to Creature from the Black Lagoon - the magician picks up the phone, then the man on the other side yells "Move your car!"

[@jonathanhazlett8880]

Thank you for this! I always wondered what the hell that was.

[@rodneylives]

What I hate most about Theater of Magic is the game doesn't have the sense of humor that many other Bally/Williams games has, but MOVE YOUR CAAAR!! is always welcome.

[@PunYT]

@@rodneylives There are more easter eggs through the game. If you manage to sink a ball behind the trunk when the lock isn't lit, you'll have a guy falling down the stairs, comeplete with a "OW, OOF, OOH" with no music (Along with a DOHO easter egg along the left), for a secret ball lock. Additionally, if you hit the Metamorphosis shot four times, the lady will turn herself into a cow.

[@Smilephile]

She can also get a call for THE RINGMASTER

[@vicepresident7365]

Just unlocked it ( mobile version ) today and played it for an hour or 2 :) great game and your tutorial helps i heard the voice say 'go for the trunk' but i didn't know it was 100 mil , really helps my score get up some points, and the ball tricks and tips are handy for getting out of trouble when control starts to slip :) specially that one on dead flips.

[@af5354]

All i want is to play this game again, this and medieval madness were my childhood machines

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

They have both of those at the Thirsty Sasquatch (my home away from home in Vancouver, WA). Those two and Jurassic Park are my favorites they have.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

At the Thirsty Sasquatch, the pizza bar arcade near me and my home away from home right now, they have Theatre of Magic. There are 9 machines altogether but I find myself playing Medieval Madness, Jurassic Park and Theatre of Magic the most. Guardians of the Galaxy is starting to grow on me though (but only after I watched your tutorial).

[@joelreeves]

Such a great pin. Thanks Bowen!

[@mercyscene]

I just doubled my Pinball Arcade score after watching - thanks! I don't remember these being mentioned, but for amateurs like me, Special and the third Vanish give/light extra ball.

[@bowenkerins]

It's generally rare for games in arcade play to award extra balls for specials. On The Pinball Arcade, where everything is free play, specials award extra balls on most games.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

You should do an informercial ;)

[@whompmaster]

Most I ever got on this game was over 5 billion but I didn't have the skills like you. That live catch is something I used to do by accident. You have it mastered.

[@TheMrSnipey]

Awesome video. For someone who has just been bitten by the pinball bug I was astounded by how easily you hit what you wanted. Your flipper control tips will help me heaps. And the multi-ball control. I just go for it. haha. I guess that's why I always end up with no balls at the end of multi-ball.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

If you practice trapping you'll get good at it, but if you practice going for it you'll get good at that. I almost always go for it because it's more fun. I've been starting to learn how to trap better but it doesn't really improve my overall game. I'd much rather go for it and just worry about velocity and angle and how hard to hit, stuff like that. When I try to trap it, it doesn't make it easier to hit my targets and it generally just doesn't tend to go well for me. lol I'm learning both ways.

[@Titanic4]

It looks like the Magic Trunk needs some adjustment...

[@hatfortressinfinity]

It's like pinball gore.

[@gijsyo]

You make it seem so easy. Great game.

[@lambd01d]

The trunk was always breaking when I used to play Theatre of Magic at uni. One time it broke completely and it just kept scoring over and over. At that point I decided to make a retreat lol. Still my all time favourite.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

Why do you love Theatre of Magic so much? (I love it too, just curious about your opinion)

[@lambd01d]

@@TheMusicRoomWA I loved the trunk specifically and the layout of the ramps. It's also quite a forgiving table compared with some of the others.

[@SoftwareAgentsTV]

There's so much to this game!

[@Centaur81]

Some impressive good skills.

[@jared.garvey]

Combo points can get pretty significant if you're locked into the center ramp, especially if you get 2x combos from the skill shot.

[@zaphod77]

the general rule is if the loops are easy (and they are supposed to be on ToM, the designer made the flippers a little droopier than normal to make the loops easier to hit), the center ramp will be very hard to loop, while if the loops are hard, the center ramp will be pretty easy to pull a DE Star Wars on. if you can dial it in, combos go up to insane scores, as they are 2 million plus, without limit until you miss. If the trunk is open on the skillshot, 2x combo will be on offer instead of start illusion. this award significantly boosts the combo scoring. If you can center ramp out then, it can get pretty ridiculous.

[@Andronicus87]

JUst bought this along with the othe 9 BallyWillaims tables Zen released on Pinball FX 3. Wish I was rich so I could collect actual machines.

[@dmac7406]

I love fx

[@dmac7406]

But also wish I could buy real machines I'd love to have the Simpsons,Fun House,and a couple others.

[@zaphod77]

This game is now on pinball fx. and it's fun there. the kickout is NICE and safe to dead bounce. give it a try on your machine in real life too, if the kickout seems consistent, you might end up with a ball on the left flipper caught and ready to backhand the open trunk. :) If you are fast you can get that 100 million jackpot every time. Works great for Hat Magic too. :) Balls will often cooperate on the left loop and go into the bonusx lanes for you. Take advantage Dead bouncing is your friend. give it a try on any loop that goes around. The center ramp is not as easy to loop as it seems, though if you can do it, it's best for grand finale. The advance clock skillshot usually won't screw you. The trunk can and will drain. The hocus pocus to trunk bit actually does work in FX just fine. The right ramp is doable too. If you time out hat magic, and shoot at the end, you can get a secret ball lock. you get two of these per game, and it's well worth doing after your first two multiballs.

[@Beeristauk1]

How are you hitting the jets so easily? And without the ball coming back round the right loop?

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

"or you got it or you ain't"

[@Smilephile]

Even in the official PAPA tutorial for this game the crate also is broken. hilarious.

[@rask4p]

This game would be a great candidate for a 2.0, the shots feel great, but the rules are pretty broken and kind of shallow. Great tutorial!

[@boerekable]

they arent. Everyone knows the shots.

[@antonvlasjuk3079]

2.0 is a little better..

[@zaphod77]

@@antonvlasjuk3079 rom 2.0 has the following improvements. 1) Software compensation for hocus pocus magnets. 2) option to make theater hard. you have to shoot a new shot to relight the advance for Theater after getting a letter. this make it a lot harder to use theater hurryups to start the illusions safely. 3) better basement awards in tournament mode. it now awards either advance clock or start illusion depending on which you need more of, or the one that's not complete yet.

[@ssweeps]

What about machines without multiball?

[@teetstreats5682]

Great vid!!

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

Which Bowen vid isn't great? :)

[@teetstreats5682]

@@TheMusicRoomWA great point! This is one of the vids that I actually fully understand and has helped me get high scores. It also helped me live catch, micro flip and trap up in multi ball.

[@PinStratsDan]

Excellent tutorial! Haha... so funny with Hat Magic (3:30) the out-of-control ball inadvertently ending up in the trunk. I'm playing this on Pinball FX3 and it is playing similarly with even the flipper tricks possible (but tip passes don't work as well). One big difference though is that the ball doesn't spend nearly as much time in the bumpers as it does on this game. The trunk is also not as wonky ;-)

[@AsmodeusMictian]

That poor trunk....

[@imaramblins]

Mr Bill perched right by the drain. Oh nooooooo! BTW you must have disabled the lady's voice? (You know, the one that says "shoot for the magic trunk" etc.) Or do some machines just not have it?

[@scorpiodude18]

Was very disappointed he didn't say" Drop that X! X gonna give it to you" in this video

[@pellsdjuret2373]

Thank you for the video. Trying to beat my cousin who bought it just about a month ago. Great tips here.

[@corywestfahl1691]

Also, so much for a tilt bob and warnings!

[@dlxmarks]

Cool. I have the high (non-Master Magician) score on my company's ToM machine at 1.77B which would still be #2 on PAPA's machine. Actually #3 after Bowen's score was logged in the list. Also it's good to see that the ball on their machine gets stuck in the same two places near the trunk as our machine. I thought our's was missing a pin.

[@olegtarasovrodionov]

14:26 Still remember this moment

[@ssweeps]

What is your ranking?

[@lewiscool8755]

When you have multiball, you can shoot the center loop to get a higher jackpot.

[@miked.7245]

So... Sometimes if I get an early "trap door" it will get "lite extra ball". Does anyone know the parameters for getting this?

[@TheZotmeister]

Glad to see I'm not the only one that gets pinballs stuck in games in the first minute XD

[@HumanAction1]

21:30 "There's six letters in T H E A T R E"

[@EnCrypticon23x]

There was clearly 6 letters lit.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

@@EnCrypticon23x sounds kind of funny the way he said it though

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

@@EnCrypticon23x personally I spell it theatr and I don't care who complains about it ;)

[@nelsonreyes-alvarez605]

Man what a classic….

[@hanoihancock]

DO you have the audio or video of the Metomorphosis illusion? Specifically the part where it says "Metamorphosis!".

[@nemesis041]

What's with Mr. Bill? That's a clown. This is a magic performance, not a circus act! Save him for Cirqus Voltaire! Some excellent playing you did here, Bowen. Just a few things here. Firstly, an extra ball only lights the _first_ time you reach 6:00. Every other time after that, or if EBs are off completely, you'll receive 40M instead. Second, I think people stay away from the right ramp because it feels a lot like the right ramp on World Cup Soccer, in which that right ramp can really be merciless. It's not a coincidence since they're both designed by the same guy: John Popadiuk. And lastly, if that right ramp really is bogus as you said, and further locks are impossible, they're kind of not. One of the trapdoor awards is Spell Magic, which lights the locks for you. Or there's always the secret lock... ;) (well, as long as you haven't used it earlier)

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

It's his stuffy :)

[@spockslot]

I beat someone playing theater of magic while I was playing world cup soccer to win the 1996 Hawaiian pinball championship in conjuction with Manoa Valley Theater doing the play Tommy...his jackpot timed out then drained..whew

[@xGatoDelFuegox]

What the heck is Mr. Bill doing there?

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

It's his stuffy!

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

The randomness just makes it more entertaining and cool

[@wildernessgames]

3 trunk shots by mistake at Hat Magic! hahahahahaha Great job man, very well done.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

Isn't he amazing

[@flyjarrett]

Best pinball ever

[@pinballwiz45b]

If you're playing the PAPA drinking game at home, drink every time something goes wrong, malfunction-wise. Or every time Bowen presses Mr. Bill.

[@Iliek]

Or, enjoy your alcoholic beverage leisurely and responsibly.

[@pinballwiz45b]

Yeah, I'd prefer the latter. And I don't drink, so...

[@havigeneral1]

First two responses are delivered by nerds that would do their homework on Friday nights!

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

I take it very seriously. I don't consider it a game. I drink every time anything goes wrong. ;)

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

@@havigeneral1 lol

[@snooze0023]

Whats your opinion on virtual pinball versions? Can you do everything you can do on the live table?

[@PAPApinball]

On most of them yes, but they do lack the tactile feel of real pinball.

[@lamaskitfi]

this is the theatre of magic tournament edition with a hard trunk :D

[@Arcadehollywood]

Love PAPApinball channel!!!

[@RobKnapp1]

I own TOM . Very good scoring tips. I was concerned when you Bowen Kerins stated that the Right Ramp ( My favorite shot ) does not work in many TOM you said it is "Bogus " If I can make the "Spirit Ring " Shot and the Mode " Metamorphosis" which i can do . Not to sound stupid but does that mean my "Right Ramp" is totally functional . Or were you referring to the (Third) Truck Multi-ball via the ( Right ) ramp which I have never tried as I did not know that was an option . Thank you for a reply to my question I hope my Right Ramp is not a "Bogus" Ramp as you mentioned in Tutorial.

[@nemesis041]

I can answer for Bowen. What he means is that on many Theatre of Magic machines, the right ramp is impossible to successfully shoot (weak flippers, dirty playfield, etc.), so that's when it would be "bogus", and then a third Multiball would be impossible. (Which it actually isn't. The trapdoor award can spell Magic for you.) If on your machine you can shoot the right ramp completely, which you said you can, then it's good.

[@P2000Camaro]

OHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[@likilikiki]

I had nightmares about that crooked trunk 😵

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

What crooked things could be kept inside?!

[@herrnobody6714]

great Machine!

[@magirusdeutzjupiter2234]

I made up my own words for this, shoot for the magic drunk, shoot for the crap door, also make the ball Spanish..:)

[@antonvlasjuk3079]

Like my comment if you want to see a remake of this game with a harder live catch, and a better wizard mode!

[@w0mblemania]

@32:23 crazy good outlane save

[@spockslot]

I won the pinball championship in Hawaii in 1996 by beating someone who was playing this game vs me playing world cup soccer..lol

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

Soccer Magic - time for a crossover!

[@3rdaxis649]

The trunk opto position is way off. That's why the ball got stuck. Frustrating to watch lol

[@warrenleagas259]

What a legend 😎😎😎

[@cameronmcgehee]

Why the Mr. Bill?

[@cameronmcgehee]

I went down here to post this exact comment...only to find I have already both seen this video and commented this comment. Alright then.

[@TheMusicRoomWA]

Why not

[@OverSoft]

That trunk is pretty wonky. Please do everybodies OCD a favor and rotate it a little bit. ;)

[@bowenkerins]

It was deliberately placed in this orientation to make the game more difficult.

[@OverSoft]

Bowen Kerins I can imagine it's a bit more annoying this way, yes. Thanks for the info.

[@jay_playzzz6339]

yay mr bill :)

[@justimagine2403]

Well I liked Pinball Arcade version then Pinball FX3 version is so much better. Not even my REAL Theatre is as fun as the Pinball FX3 version. No lie. My real Theatre I had to pull the glass almost every other game due ot the ball getting stuck in the trunk, or jammed somewhere. Even this machine has a crooked trunk. ugh.

[@outoforder9348]

I got i billion 256million It’s too easy

[@teejay6063]

Uh, what a horrible game of luck over skill. Almost impossible to control the ball while hitting targets. Zero consistency off the trunk.