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Mars God of War, Panthera, Tri Zone & Nightmare on Elm Street!

Pinball Shenanigans·video·16m 4s·analyzed·Jul 15, 2026
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.014

TL;DR

Mike Dimas sets up and tests classic pinball machines for a garage sale.

Summary

Mike Dimas documents setting up a garage sale of pinball machines at his Dimas Garage, including Mars God of War, Panthera, Tri-Zone, and Nightmare on Elm Street. He and Kevin tackle mechanical issues (stripped leg bolts, tilt switch problems) while getting the machines operational, then play Nightmare on Elm Street to test it, discovering its claw save feature and complex rule set. The video captures the restoration process and hints that collector Greg Benz may purchase the Nightmare on Elm Street machine.

Key Claims

  • Nightmare on Elm Street has stripped back leg bolts and brackets that require re-tapping and potentially new hardware installation

    high confidence · Mike Dimas discovered this issue while setting up the machine and had to retrieve tools and new brackets to remedy it

  • Nightmare on Elm Street features a claw save mechanic activated by drop targets that spells out CLAW

    high confidence · Mike and Kevin tested the feature multiple times during gameplay, observing the ball being caught and ejected by the claw mechanism

  • D. Gottlieb & Co. 3 machines like Nightmare on Elm Street and Stargate are heavily packed with features and components, making them very heavy

    high confidence · Mike remarked 'D. Gottlieb & Co. 3s are packed. Shaq Attaq and Stargate. Um and that's probably also why they're so effing heavy.'

  • Panthera had burning electronics smell when powered on initially, requiring troubleshooting

    high confidence · Mike mentioned in opening that when Panthera was turned on, it started smelling like burning electronics so they promptly turned it off

  • Greg Benz (referred to as 'Benzie') is very interested in acquiring Nightmare on Elm Street for his horror-themed game collection

    high confidence · Kevin sent Greg a 30-second video of the machine, and Greg called immediately expressing strong desire to purchase it, citing space constraints as his only hesitation

Notable Quotes

  • “The back leg bolts and leg brackets are all stripped. So, I got to run home, grab a uh tap, and see if we can at least get the leg brackets to uh cooperate.”

    Mike Dimas @ ~14:30 — Illustrates common restoration challenges when dealing with vintage machines; stripped hardware is a frequent problem

  • “Nightmare on Elm Street is already proving to be a nightmare, and hopefully, I wake up soon, and the nightmare is over.”

    Mike Dimas @ ~15:00 — Wordplay showing frustration with the machine's problems during setup

  • “Did you see that? Sucked in behind Freddy's head and shot out of his mouth. That was cool.”

    Mike Dimas @ ~29:00 — Highlights the thematic design feature of the claw mechanism integrated into the playfield artwork

  • “D. Gottlieb & Co. 3s are packed. Shaq Attaq and Stargate. Um and that's probably also why they're so effing heavy.”

    Mike Dimas @ ~42:00 — Commentary on design philosophy and mechanical complexity of vintage Gottlieb System 3 machines

  • “In today's world, a lot of D. Gottlieb & Co. 3s would be like premium.”

    Mike Dimas @ ~42:30 — Observation on how feature-rich vintage machines would be positioned at premium pricing if released today

Entities

Mike DimaspersonKevinperson[name withheld pending review]personJCpersonRob VieirapersonShanepersonMars God of WargamePantheragameTri Zonegame

Signals

  • ?

    restoration_signal: Nightmare on Elm Street experienced stripped back leg bolts and brackets requiring re-tapping and potential replacement, indicating common wear issues in older Gottlieb System 3 machines

    high · Mike had to retrieve tap tools and new leg brackets to repair the damage during setup

  • ?

    product_concern: Panthera exhibited burning electronics smell upon initial power-up, suggesting electrical degradation or component failure requiring troubleshooting

    high · Mike and JC turned the machine off immediately when smell was detected; identified as needing repair before operation

  • ?

    design_innovation: Nightmare on Elm Street features an integrated claw save mechanic that catches the ball behind a Freddy Krueger head sculpture and ejects it from his mouth, combining mechanical gameplay with thematic design

    high · Mike and Kevin observed and tested the feature multiple times; Mike noted 'Sucked in behind Freddy's head and shot out of his mouth. That was cool.'

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: Nightmare on Elm Street has complex rule set with multiple modes, multiball, drop target sequences for CLAW feature, minimum/maximum power mechanics, and awake/asleep states; feature-rich gameplay typical of Gottlieb System 3 era

    high · Mike and Kevin explored multiple features during test play; Mike noted 'There's a lot going on here. I like it.'

  • ?

    collector_signal: Collector Greg Benz demonstrated strong interest in Nightmare on Elm Street due to alignment with his horror-themed game collection and personal preference for the film; expressed willingness to purchase despite space constraints

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:03
Yo, what is going on? I was on the couch half asleep 4 minutes ago. Now, I'm on my way to the Dimas Garage. The what now, you say? The Dimas Garage, where I've got some pinball machines stored. And I have got an abundance of machines, and it's time to uh have a little pinball garage sale. So, Kevin is going to come and help me set up a few games. I've got a Mars God of War. I did I think I did a pick up video on that. Yes, I did, cuz I also had to lift up like a 4,000-lb safe. I had to help buddy bring that up the stairs, and that was three times as bad as bringing up Mars God of War. And then there's a Pantera. I think I did a pick up video on that, where I met JC over in Sarnia, and he helped me haul it out of the basement. We turned it on to see if it worked, and it started smelling like burning electronics, so we promptly turned that off. So, I'll have to remedy that. And also, I've got a TriZone over there that uh Rob Vieira hooked me up with. So, these are machines that aren't going to make it into the basement. So, Kevin and I are going to set these up. That's the plan. Who knows? It might change. I do have a Grand Lizard that I also picked up that might want to get set up. I've got a um Nightmare on Elm Street that I also got recently in a trade that also wants to get set up over there. So, we'll see what happens. But, it is uh extremely hot and nasty out. So, I'm prepared to lose a few pounds, cuz it's going to be nasty. But, we'll see you over at the Dimas Garage. I'm Mike Dimas, and this is [music] Pinball Shenanigans.
2:15
Okay, welcome back to the Dimas Garage.
2:15
Okay, welcome back to the Dimas Garage. This is the horde. If you've seen my videos, you've seen me work on machines in here before. I haven't really done a grand tour though, I don't think. Got some interesting and unique games here.
Nightmare on Elm Street
game
Grand Lizardgame
City Slickergame
Stargategame
Dimas Garagevenue
Grizzly Garagevenue
Pinball Shenaniganscontent
D. Gottlieb & Co.product

high · Greg called Kevin immediately after viewing short video; expressed strong emotional reaction ('cursing away'); acknowledged past opportunity to acquire the machine

  • $

    market_signal: Mike Dimas is conducting a garage sale of multiple machines (Mars God of War, Panthera, Tri-Zone, Nightmare on Elm Street, potentially Grand Lizard) to clear inventory at the Dimas Garage, moving non-priority machines out of primary storage

    high · Opening segment explicitly states 'it's time to uh have a little pinball garage sale'; multiple machines identified for sale

  • ?

    historical_signal: Mike observed that feature-rich Gottlieb System 3 machines like Nightmare on Elm Street and Stargate would be positioned at premium pricing tiers if released in modern market, reflecting design philosophy differences between eras

    high · Mike stated 'In today's world, a lot of these Gottlieb System 3s would be like premium.'

  • ?

    operational_signal: Nightmare on Elm Street required addressing tilt switch closure issue ('tilt switch closed, all credits erased' error) and ball roll tilt switch adjustment before becoming playable

    high · Kevin identified and resolved the ball roll tilt switch being physically closed; machine went from non-functional to operational after adjustment

  • ?

    venue_signal: Mike and Kevin reorganized the Dimas Garage workspace to create dedicated setup area for multiple machines, clearing wall space and arranging shorter machines in separate zone for efficient setup and testing

    high · Discussion of game plan to position machines on cleared wall and use garage door area for shorter machines

  • ?

    community_signal: Documented collaborative restoration and setup work between Mike Dimas, Kevin, and other community members (JC, Rob Vieira) on multiple machine acquisitions, showing active peer network in local pinball community

    high · Multiple references to community members assisting with machine acquisition, hauling, and setup

    • 2:33
    And uh some spare playfields, I got some parts, I've got crap everywhere, but this wall here is sort of cleared out now, so figure if we put a few machines this way, move this out of the way, then we can set up three or four machines and have space to work on them and uh kind of get them into working project state. So, that's the plan. We'll see what happens. All right, Kevin has arrived and we are trying to figure out a game plan here. We're trying to figure out why anybody would put red electrical tape over the Bally logo here on the City Slicker. Um but we're peeling it off just to see what would happen. And you can see the fade, the before and after. But uh why would anybody do that? Did they think it looks cool? Were they trying to obscure the name? They didn't obscure Midway, and you can still clearly see that it says Bally, so that looks much better. All right, we decided that Shane's POS Supersonic that's going to get turned into a Kiss is going to the Grizzly Garage, so bye-bye. >> [clears throat]
    3:52
    [clears throat]
    3:52
    [clears throat] >> Okay, here's the plan.
    3:54
    Okay, here's the plan.
    3:54
    Okay, here's the plan. We're going to set up Mars: Star Wars. We're going to set up Panthera. We're going to set up Tri-Zone, which I just walked by. And we're going to set up Nightmare on Elm Street right here in this nice tall spot. Over here, we got uh some garage door stuff to work with, so the shorter machines are going to go here. That's the game plan. All right, we already ran into our first problem setting up Nightmare. The back leg bolts and leg brackets are all stripped. So, I got to run home, grab a uh tap, and see if we can at least get the leg brackets to uh cooperate. And if not, then we might have to install new ones, which I should have at home, but accessing the back corners of these machines, especially these Gottlieb System 3s, is a complete nightmare. So, we will see what happens. Okay, on my way back, and got my tap. Got some leg brackets, both varieties. I've got screws, I've got a drill. Hopefully, all we need is this, though, because uh Nightmare on Elm Street is already proving to be a nightmare, and hopefully, I wake up soon, and the nightmare is over. What is the uh slogan? Don't fall asleep, or you'll wake up dead. I don't want to do that. All right, Kevin has been working diligently while I was running home, and progress has been made. We've got Panthera on legs, Tri-Zone on legs, Freddy on two legs, and Mars on two legs so far. Uh got a few bolts that required some nuts. So, it is what it is. Good thing I brought some extras, cuz I just had a feeling that that could potentially be the case. Uh this looks pretty awesome here, too. So, if you uh want to add some extra cordage, so you got to do. All right. [snorts] Tapping out the uh bracket here. What do you think? Is it going to work? >> Professional. Right here with the drill
    6:16
    Professional. Right here with the drill
    6:16
    Professional. Right here with the drill and the uh >> Well, I guess I should have a tap handle
    6:19
    Well, I guess I should have a tap handle
    6:19
    Well, I guess I should have a tap handle and add that to my toolbox. But, progress is being made. Check it out. I got to add a couple back glasses. And uh we'll see if these bolts now take to Nightmare, but getting close. All right. We're done for now, basically. We got everything set up, and it is looking good. We're trying to do a test game here of uh Freddy, but it says tilt switch closed, all credits erased. I've never seen that message before. So, we'll look into this briefly and see if we can uh remedy that, cuz this should really be plug and play for the most part. So, stay tuned. All right, Kevin found the problem, but first check this out. This game has a cool claw save feature that I think you have to activate from a side button. Never seen this mech before. Very neat. But, here's our problem, and here's our solution. Hopefully. Ball roll tilt switch was actually closed. All right, we have life. Uh but, what is this This is probably not supposed to just be going up and down nonstop, though. Oh. We found home. Okay. All right. I think we're live. You want to fire it off, see what happens?
    7:59
    I've never played this. I've only played it a few times, but I've never played it where it's loud enough that you could actually hear it. So, uh I'll go on this side. All right. You want me to go? Okay, you come on this side. There's There's a glider over there. All right, here we go.
    8:18
    Shoot the boiler room. I feel like the the wall's supposed to be going up higher. Here we go.
    8:26
    First nightmare. Out of ball. I feel like I got to be going to the boiler room again. Another out of ball. Is this normal?
    9:00
    Shoot Freddy shots. I got back in the boiler room. I don't know. I guess that wasn't normal. Didn't do very well.
    9:21
    I've played this so very few times in my life, like I have no idea what the strategy is. Although, I guess you don't want to possibly go over there.
    9:37
    Got it. Now, do I get a Go flip. Nice. That was cool. Oh. Did you see that? Sucked in behind Freddy's head and shot out of his mouth. That was cool.
    10:01
    Should be playable [music] here. You play ball. Three flippers. Uh-oh. No center post. All right, you can play the last ball.
    10:24
    We'll split flip the last ball. How about that? And uh We got to remember that glove save thing. But I don't know. Claw. We got to spell claw somehow. But uh okay, I'll try my timing. Nice. So this might start a nightmare. Yeah, we're on nightmare three. Multiball. Sweet. Seems reminiscent of like uh Stargate. A lot of modes or multiball modes.
    10:58
    Even has the like same callout guy. I recognize the voice in some callouts. Oh, call and save it.
    11:08
    We still have only spelled C in claw. Hit soul targets. Okay, probably the white ones in front of Whoops. You missed the the Oh, wait. The glove flipper is at Do you have two buttons on yours, too? Oh my god. Oh, so it's just the left flipper.
    11:31
    Well, I don't think I'm going to need a whole lot to do on this game. Which is nice. I'll just play it, have my fun with it, learn it, do a gameplay video, maybe a tutorial if I learn how to play it.
    11:47
    It'd be kind of cool to see these animations in color, too. But, that ain't going to happen. Anyway, I think our work here is done. All right, we couldn't leave just yet. We got to play one more game. Kevin's got claw spelled. Freddy just burped out the ball earlier.
    12:09
    This game is pretty cool. Oh, what happened to claw? You had spelled it, it's gone now. I pressed it, but it didn't come It didn't? I missed it. How do we spell claw? Where? Drop target.
    12:29
    Oh, claw. Okay. Okay, here we go. Claw feature, drop the ball and then claw. Oh, it worked. That was cool. It happens like so quick that you can barely even tell that it's happening. Very cool. All right, we'll do one more ball.
    12:53
    Oh, I got claw. And the train fart. Okay, here we go. Claw time. That's cool.
    13:05
    These Gottlieb System 3s are packed. Even Shaq and Stargate. Um and that's probably also why they're so effing heavy. But, in today's world, a lot of these Gottlieb System 3s would be like premium. Oh. I actually tried to hit the claw button. I missed the claw button and I the flipper button, which actually saved it. Then I drained immediately. Yeah, I think I just caught him belching out the ball.
    13:43
    Creepy tunes. Creepy dudes. Extra ball. It's got this meter here. Minimum power, maximum power. It's got another LED display thingy here. Awake and asleep.
    14:08
    There's a lot going on here. I like it. No one else gets [singing and music] around. Oh, hey. Are you listening? Don't listen to me while I sing. All right, we're done over at the Diamond's Garage for now. Things are set up. And tomorrow I will go back and I will uh I guess I'll probably document some more of the shenanigans. I got to connect everything, test everything, fix everything, sell everything. So, maybe I'll bring you along for the ride. Although, the second we were playing Nightmare, we knew that our buddy Greg Bends needed this in his collection. He's got a lot of other horror-themed games and this is one of his favorite movies. >> [music]
    14:56
    [music]
    14:56
    [music] >> So,
    14:58
    So,
    14:58
    So, Kevin sent him like a 30-second video that we took. And he pretty much called us right away and he's like cursing cuz he wants it, but he doesn't really have space. And he had an opportunity to buy it in the past and he's just cursing away. He's like, "Fuck. Shit." It's like the struggle is real. We could tell he wanted it. So, it may already be sold to Benzie. Anyway, I still got to play it first and enjoy it and learn it and have my fun with it, but uh I can do that tomorrow. Anyway, see y'all on the next one. Hey, fellow shenanigans. If you are enjoying what you are seeing, why don't you click on these three dots at the bottom of any video and then find this heart, click on that, and hey, look at this. You can buy me a beer. You can use the slider to buy me 500 beers if you really like, but this is the way you can uh send thanks and I very much appreciate your support. If you do so, your comment will be highlighted, and also I will give you a shout-out. So, thank you for all your support.