{"id":1667,"date":"2017-03-01T18:23:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T18:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pinballnews.com\/site\/?p=1667"},"modified":"2019-08-18T13:24:24","modified_gmt":"2019-08-18T12:24:24","slug":"captain-nemo-in-depth-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pinballnews.com\/site\/2017\/03\/01\/captain-nemo-in-depth-review\/","title":{"rendered":"CAPTAIN NEMO: IN-DEPTH REVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the latest in our continuing series of In-Depth Reviews, and today we are delving deep into Quetzal Pinball’s Captain Nemo Dives Again<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have been following the development of Captain Nemo Dives Again<\/em> – which we’ll simply refer to as Nemo<\/em> from here on – since Antonio Ortu\u00f1o first announced his plans to build thirty machines back in March 2012.<\/p>\n

It’s now five years later and the games are finally being delivered to buyers. Five years does seem to be a common timescale for small-scale boutique game manufacturers to actually deliver their first game.<\/p>\n

So, we assume you know the structure in these In-Depth Reviews. We’re basically going to rip the game to pieces, investigate every aspect and show you every angle, inside and out, starting with the outside and the cabinet artwork.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left cabinet side \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right cabinet side \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe backbox sides \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The front of the cabinet is dominated by the standard single-slot coin door but there is still space for a nice frame design surrounding it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe cabinet front \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

If we had one criticism of the decals, it would be how the exposed edges are white and can sometime show up on the corners. Otherwise though, they look great.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe backbox decal edges \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Now would be a good moment to mention how our review machine was specified with gold trim which was available at extra cost at the time of order.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe polished gold finish \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Standard Nemo<\/em> machines don’t have this gold finish, but it does look excellent and is very nicely done as we shall see throughout this review.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe game’s translite \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The translite brings us to something unusual about the game when compared to other production machines.<\/p>\n

You might notice how there are four white dots om the translite picture above. These are actually the plastic rivets which appear to hold the translite to the clear acrylic sheet which covers and protects it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe plastic rivet attaching the translite to the clear plastic sheet \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

These are used in preference to the more common edging strips which clamp the translite to the glass on all four sides. The lower two of these rivets have plastic ‘nipples’ which can be used to lift the clear panel\/translite sandwich to gain access to the backbox.<\/p>\n

\"Another<\/a>
\nAnother plastic rivet, this time with a ‘nipple’ to aid lifting the panel \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

However, there are a couple of problems here. Firstly, the translite isn’t firmly attached to the clear plastic cover. The rivets don’t actually hold the clear sheet to the translite very successfully. It seems a static bond was expected to attach the two parts, only this didn’t really work. So, the translite needs to be taped to the clear protective sheet using Scotch Tape or similar.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe translite is attached using Scotch Tape \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The clear acrylic sheet is also too thin and can flex too easily, allowing it and the translite to fall out.<\/p>\n

Then we come to the other problem; the translite doesn’t actually transmit much light. The white layer is so thick it blocks almost any light from passing through. It’s an easy problem to remedy – make the white layer thinner – but as it stands the translite is too dark. We’ll look at this a little more when we examine what’s in the backbox.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe translite thickness \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Moving away from the visible part of the game and poking our camera around the back we find some interesting features.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe back of the machine \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

First of all, there’s a fan mounted on the back of the main cabinet. It’s an unfortunate consequence of using PC components for a game design that cooling is an important factor, and Nemo<\/em> is no different in this regard. In fact, there’s an additional vent on the top of the backbox too.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe air vent on the top of the backbox \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

It may be unobtrusive and nearly silent, but this cabinet fan, when combined with others we shall see shortly, does provide some ambient noise when the game is otherwise silent. It really is minimal but it exists and, as with all games using the same type of cooling, in a home environment it could irritate.<\/p>\n

Power is supplied by an IEC connector, and there are two lifting recesses at the very bottom of the cabinet which are very welcome nods to those who regularly move machines around.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe bottom of the back of the cabinet \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

We’ll examine what’s actually inside the backbox and cabinet towards the end of this review, but now let’s move on to the part of the machine were the real action takes place. To do that we need to dive under the glass.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Nemo playfield \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The final artwork pieces are found on the metal bottom apron.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe bottom arch and gold trim \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The two side decals on the apron show the same rococo design, with the central decal featuring the game logo and the machine number out of the thirty machines produced.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe bottom apron decals \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Nemo<\/em> is a two-flippered six ball game, with the flippers in the usual place, front and centre, and it’s there that we start our tour of the playfield.<\/p>\n

\"Nemo<\/a>
\nNemo is a six-ball game \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The game is supplied with white flipper bats and red flipper rubbers – real rubber, not one of the polyurethane alternatives. The flipper bats do not carry any logo or branding at the pivot point.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe flipper area \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

A large red Dive Again (shoot again) insert sits between the flippers, and the playfield is drilled with flipper alignment holes which should help with setting the flipper bats to the correct angle if you ever need to do that.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The flipper alignment guide holes \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Any balls which pass between the flippers soon find themselves falling into the trough, the entrance to which is covered by the bottom apron.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The view between the flippers into the trough \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

As is customary in these In-Depth Reviews, we will continue our tour of the playfield features by moving clockwise, pausing only to admire the reflective quality of the gold-plated apron.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The mirrored apron \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Just above the apron in the left outlane is a panel listing credits for the game design, artwork, toy design, display animations, mechanical design, software and music\/sounds.<\/p>\n

\"Credits<\/a>
\nCredits in the left outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Incidentally, there is a corresponding copyright notice in the right outlane for Gustavo D\u00edaz, a.k.a. Lord Hiryu who created the artwork, giving the year as 2012- when the original announcement of the game took place.<\/p>\n

\"Credit<\/a>
\nCredit text in the right outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

As you can see, the inlane ball guides are lit with pure green LEDs. Lighting throughout the game uses LEDs and most are coloured. The coloured ones are single colours, and 44-style bayonet lamp holders are generally used to mount them. There is one incandescent lamp fitted to the game, but we will come back to that one later.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left inlane ball guide \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

In inlane ball guides are made from clear transparent plastic, topped with a printed butyrate featuring the phrase ‘Mobilis in Mobili’ which is the motto of the Nautilus and roughly translate from Latin as ‘Movement amidst movement’ to describe the vessel’s underwater adventures.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left inlane and outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

There is one inlane and one outlane on the left side. Both feature traditional mechanical rollover switches to detect the ball and contain a large round insert – ‘F’ for the outlane and ‘I’ for the inlane. These combine with two corresponding inserts on the right to spell out F-I-R-E, and they have the lane change ability to rotate the lit and unlit inserts with the flipper buttons.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe F and I inserts in the left inlane and outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The left inlane is also where the left ramp finishes. It deposits the ball just below the rollover switch, meaning you can’t repeatedly shoot the ramp to light the F-I-R-E letters.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe lower left playfield area \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The left slingshot is a pretty basic assembly, with two leaf switches, a kicker arm and two single-colour green LEDs, surrounded by a white rubber ring stretched around three clear star posts, with the whole lot covered by a single printed slingshot plastic.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left slingshot \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Above the left outlane is an adjustable post with three positions to vary the width of the outlane entrance and thus the game’s difficulty.<\/p>\n

Above that is a cluster of clear star posts which form a rebound area designed to add some randomness to the ball’s movement and make it harder to control.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left adjustable post and rebound area \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The next feature on Nemo’s<\/em> playfield is the bank of drop targets<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe game’s drop targets \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

These four drop targets spell out N-E-M-O and sport an image of the Nautilus stretched across the four targets. Each target has a matching blue circular insert in front, and completing them resets the bank and adds a ball to the next multiball.<\/p>\n

The individual drop targets are not resettable like they are in, say, The Hobbit<\/em>. So only the whole bank can be reset to the up position, which it is between balls and between players.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe N-E-M-O drop target bank \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

It is possible for the ball to get stuck on top of the drop targets – something which is only cleared when the game resets the targets as part of the ball search routine.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
\nA ball hang-up on the drop targets \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Up the playfield from the drop targets is the entrance to the left lane.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe entrance to the left lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This lane travels up the left side of the playfield in what is often the position for an orbit lane. However, on Nemo<\/em> this instead leads to a trap hole which in turn drops down to a subway tunnel.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

There is a large rectangular insert which lights when the lane is shot.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe insert in the left lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

When the ball makes it all the way to the top of the lane, it passes over a rollover switch and into a trap hole. This leads to a subway which send the ball to the left side of the playfield and into an upkicker.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe top of the left lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The upkicker includes a nicely polished piece of curved metal which directs the ball onto a short metal ramp. This ramp joins the left ramp return to deposit the ball in the left inlane, as we saw earlier.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left upkicker \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Just to the right of the left lane is the game’s Extinct Volcano captive ball shot.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe captive ball \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This is another fairly simple mechanism, with just a single ball trapped behind a couple of posts. When shot, the ball travels up a short lane and hits a red circular standup target to register the hit.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe extinct volcano captive ball shot \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Although it looks quite a tight shot, in practice it’s pretty easy to shoot the captive ball. However, if you are not playing the appropriate mode and the Extinct Volcano insert isn’t lit, it does nothing; not even evoking a sound effect.<\/p>\n

Our next feature is the first of the game’s two ramps – the left ramp.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The ramp is made up from a metal U-turn which leads to an extended open metal rail. All these pieces are shiny metal (gold in this particular machine) and work very effectively despite their unusual design.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe entrance to the left ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The left ramp is where the skill shot award is collected if it is made directly after the ball is launched. It is also one of the jackpot shots and is one of the two shots during Protect the Sea mode.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left ramp inserts \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left ramp U-turn \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The left ramp’s U-turn mechanism transfers the ball onto the metal ramp return which joins up with the return from the left lane’s upkicker. An attractively laser-cut metal panel prevents the ball falling off the ramp as it joins.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe left ramp return \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The ramp return then sends the ball down the left side of the playfield, dropping it into the left inlane. It does this after the inlane switch, so there is no sound or lighting effect as the ball returns to the flipper.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe end of the left ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

While one of the captive ball posts site on the left side of the ramp entrance, on the right side we find the first of two white rectangular standup targets.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Hera standup target \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hera target is paired up with the Cles target on the right side to light lock for multiball at the left lane and the right saucer when both are shot.<\/p>\n

Our next shot is the centre lane which is a fairly wide shot and easier to make than, say, the equivalent lane on Iron Man.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe centre lane shot \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The centre lane features a white rubber band on the left side of the entrance which makes the shot a little more demanding by rebounding any wayward shots while also providing some lateral movement for balls exiting the pop bumpers on that side.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe rebound ring in the centre lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The centre lane leads up to the top of the playfield and to the three S-E-A rollover lanes which are bathed in a pool of blue light.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe top rollover lanes \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

There are one-way gates on either side of the S-E-A rollover lanes, which means any ball shot up here is guaranteed to enter the lanes. They feature the usual lane change ability, while lighting all three S-E-A inserts extinguishes them all and increases the end-of-ball bonus multiplier.<\/p>\n

\"Pop<\/a>
\nPop bumper area artwork \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The top rollover lanes lead to the pop bumper area, which contains the familiar arrangement of three pop bumpers and a central flasher insert.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe pop bumper area \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Although the pop bumpers provide reasonable ball movement action, they rarely send the ball back into the S-E-A lanes.<\/p>\n

There are two exits from the pop bumpers – to the left into the centre lane, or to the right into the right lane – with the rubber ring in the centre lane helping to prevent the ball heading straight down the middle from that exit.<\/p>\n

There is a potential ball trap on the lower bumper.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
\nA ball trap on the bottom pop bumper \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This seemed to happen quite often on our review machine and required a ball search to free it, since it wasn’t easily cleared with a gentle tap of the cabinet side.<\/p>\n

Above the left exit from the pop bumpers is a green circular standup target representing the Underwater Forest.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Underwater Forest standup target \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This is used to advance the Underwater Treasures mode and can be surprisingly difficult to hit when needed. The blue rubber pad on the left and white rubber ring on the right mean it has to be an accurate shot to register.<\/p>\n

A slightly easier target is the Bay of Vigo standup below and to the right which features in the same mode.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Bay of Vigo standup target \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This target is a little more open and accessible than the Underwater Forest one, and like its counterpart it requires multiple hits to complete the feature.<\/p>\n

Below the Bay of Vigo is the Cles standup we mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Cles standup target \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This pairs up with the Hera standup to light lock for the start of multiball. Its insert flashes rapidly until the target is hit, at which point it lights solidly.<\/p>\n

The Cles standup is positioned on the left side of the entrance to our next feature – the right ramp.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This is another all-metal ramp with even the ramp flap having a shiny finish. Like the left ramp, it can score jackpots in multiball and advances the Protect the Sea feature.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right ramp inserts \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite having a pretty tight turn at the top, the right ramp is not a tricky or temperamental shot. The metal construction makes it nice and smooth, and there’s some satisfaction to be had comboing the two ramps to advance through the mode rapidly.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe turn at the top of the right ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right ramp turns and heads down the right side of the playfield \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Successful shots to the ramp are recorded by a microswitch mounted on the ramp return which shares the attractive, open design of its left-side companion.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe switch on the right ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The right ramp return also drops the ball into its respective inlane, however this time it falls above the inlane switch, allowing advancement of the F-I-R-E inserts.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe end of the right ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Moving right, we come to our next major shot which is the right lane.<\/p>\n

\"Inserts<\/a>
\nInserts in the right lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Were it not for the one-way gates at the top, the position of this shot could be thought of as an orbit lane. However, the gates mean it always leads to the S-E-A rollover lanes and the pop bumpers.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe one-way gate at the top of the right lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The right lane is one of the shots during Build the Nautilus mode, and also starts Super Bumpers for increased scoring.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The final major shot is on the far right and is an eject hole.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe eject hole lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a reasonably tricky shot and the ball can bounce out if the shot is too hard. However, even if that happens it will often register and award the lit feature.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe eject hole on the right of the playfield \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Those features include the start of multiball which happens instantly, without any delay while a display effect completes.<\/p>\n

\"Inserts<\/a>
\nInserts in the right lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe ball guide into the right eject hole \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Below the eject hole lane is another rebound area which sits above the right outlane.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe rebound area above the right outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

As with the left outlane, the right side includes an adjustable post with three positions to vary the width of the lane entrance. The game is shopped with the post in the middle position.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right outlane post has three possible positions \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

There’s just a single inlane and one outlane on the right. These contain the R and E inserts from F-I-R-E<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right ramp terminates at the right inlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The R insert is mostly covered by the end of the right ramp, and its metal construction also partly obscures the ball as it bounces around, deciding whether to head for the inlane or the outlane.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe R and E inserts in the right inlane and outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

While the left ramp drops the ball in the left inlane below the rollover switch, that’s not possible on the right side due to another ramp occupying that position.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right inlane and outlane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

In this case it is the ball launch ramp which claims that area of the playfield, so let’s take a look at that feature next.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
\nA ball waiting in the shooter lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The ball shooter lane begins in a fairly conventional manner, with a wooden shooter lane and an auto-launch mechanism to propel the ball into play.<\/p>\n

Rather than shooting the ball up to the rollover lanes as might b expected, the auto-launch instead sends it into another U-turn ramp which feeds the right inlane, much as it does on Indianapolis 500.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe ball shooter lane \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe ball launch ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This is another attractively-mirrored metallic construction, although it is sometime unable to cope with the speed of the ball as it is launched, allowing it to fly off and drop into the outlane. This is more a function of an over-exuberant ball launch solenoid, and it could maybe do with a slightly weaker coil.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe end of the ball launch ramp \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

If it is launched successfully, the ball quickly drops into the right inlane and rolls down to the right flipper for a skill shot on the left ramp. The ball moves pretty quickly, so you need to be paying attention or the ball will drain before you’ve had a chance to flip it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe right inlane and outlane area \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

That brings us back to the flippers and means we’ve looked at all the main shots in the game, but we still have the single largest playfield feature to examine – the LCD panel.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe in-playfield display \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

This 9.7-inch LCD panel is the only display in the game and so conveys all the usual information about score, ball number, credits available, mode status and diagnostics menus. The background image for most of the game is a continuation of the surrounding artwork. This helps blend it in, although the display is significantly brighter than the playfield.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe in-playfield LCD monitor \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe high score entry screen \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The panel has the usual clear plastic window covering it and making it flush with the playfield, but it also has a larger Mylar sheet protecting it. In fact, it looked like there were two Mylar sheets, one larger than the other, with the top one bubbling a little around the edges of the lower one.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Mylar covering the display \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

When the game is powered up, the display shows the loading progress.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe playfield display during game start-up \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

At the start of a game, the player needs to choose which of the three main modes they wish to play. Each one requires different shots to advance through it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe three mode choices \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The completed modes and progress towards the Kraken wizard mode are shown on the playfield’s inserts.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe three modes and the wizard mode inserts \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Other inserts on the playfield show awards available or collected.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a>
\nThree playfield award inserts \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

We said just now that the display is the biggest playfield feature, but there’s another game feature which is just as large, although it lives on the game’s back panel rather than on the playfield.<\/p>\n

That feature is the Nautilus.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Nautilus model \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

The Nautilus is made from flat plastic sheets which interlock and slide over each other. There is a solenoid behind the model which moves it left and right during certain game events. It’s not that exciting, but it adds a little more movement to the game.<\/p>\n

There’s another back panel feature, and this one takes the form of a power meter timer.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe power meter timer on the back panel \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

There are eight red LEDs arranged in a circle, and at the start of Protect the Sea mode they all light up. Gradually, one-by-one they begin flashing and then extinguishing as your power diminishes. The same information could be shown on the LCD panel, but it’s nice to see those bright red LEDs uring you to complete the mode.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe bottom part of the playfield \"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

To help explain how the game plays, here our ten-minute video of the gameplay, from the initial game start right through to Kraken mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n