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(Topic ID: 46864)

Worst Possible Pinball Theme

By AdamTheGamer

11 years ago

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157 posts
99 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 11 years ago by girloveswaffles
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#1 11 years ago

ATE

AdamTheGamer

Pinside member

11y 56,150 270 2 133

I don't know if this has been done before, but it seems like a fun idea.

What's a pinball theme that wouldn't work at all.

It could be a theme that is too out of place for pinball.
It could be a theme that is too controversial/depressing for arcades.
It could be a theme that would leave designers no room to make an interesting design?

I would say...
"Silent Movie" theme (look at the Dot Matrix for every call-out!)
"Spoof Movie" Pinball" (Based on movies like "Epic Movie" "Disaster Movie" etc, etc)
"RPG" Pinball (Lots of text, a LONG beautiful story, made for 50+ hour plays!)
"Battletoads" (Every arcade would get tons of prank calls, "Do you have it?")
"Schindler's List" (For obvious reasons)
"Two and a Half Men" (A sitcom pin, ugh)
"Nickelback" (After AC/DC and Metallica, this outta be a success!)
"Educate-pin" (Learn something while you play with balls)

I could probably come up with more, but I want to hear what you guys come up with. Best ones get a thumbs-up from me!

#2 11 years ago

JTS

sammiesguys

Pinside+ Addict

Los Angeles, CA

11y 79,800 2,468 11 9

WOZ

#3 11 years ago

ATE

AdamTheGamer

Pinside member

11y 56,150 270 2 133

I actually can't wait for WOZ, movie is one of my favorites.

It's not for everybody, though!

#4 11 years ago

CPB

Max_Badazz

Pinside+ Frequent

20y 132K 4,317 21 226 1

Quoted from sammiesguys:
WOZ

LOL, that didn't take long to come up (second post)

I think any boy band music theme would be awful. Also any pin theme that has Tom Cruise...terrible

#5 11 years ago

JTS

sammiesguys

Pinside+ Addict

Los Angeles, CA

11y 79,800 2,468 11 9

OP
Quoted from AdamTheGamer:
I actually can't wait for WOZ, movie is one of my favorites.
It's not for everybody, though!

If JJP's first game was anything other than Wizard of Oz, I would probably be in. But the theme just doesn't do it for me.

#6 11 years ago

ATE

AdamTheGamer

Pinside member

11y 56,150 270 2 133

Quoted from Max_Badazz:
LOL, that didn't take long to come up (second post)
I think any boy band music theme would be awful. Also any pin theme that has Tom Cruise...terrible

Totally agree. I hate Tom Cruise's acting! He seems like a weird guy in real life, too!

#7 11 years ago

NAM

kwiKimart

Inactive member

San Diego, CA

12y 90,650 10,693 3 71

Justin Bieber, Sex in the City, Dirty Dancing

#8 11 years ago

ATE

AdamTheGamer

Pinside member

11y 56,150 270 2 133

Quoted from sammiesguys:
If JJP's first game was anything other than Wizard of Oz, I would probably be in. But the theme just doesn't do it for me.

I understand entirely. Hopefully it's one of those games that is so good you can get past the license. Johnny Mnemonic is one of my least favorite movies, but the pin is still one of my favorites.

#9 11 years ago

SEF

practicalsteve

GoldenStatePin

El Cerrito, CA

12y 104K 7,623 5

My dinner with andre the pinball experiece. Empty playfield except for two pop bumpers.

#10 11 years ago

ATE

AdamTheGamer

Pinside member

11y 56,150 270 2 133

Quoted from kwiKimart:
Justin Bieber, Sex in the City, Dirty Dancing

A "Sex in the City" pin could destroy the entire pinball industry.

Plus, Sarah Jessica Parker kind of looks like a horse. Sorry, had to say it.

#11 11 years ago

NAM

kwiKimart

Inactive member

San Diego, CA

12y 90,650 10,693 3 71

OP
Quoted from AdamTheGamer:
Plus, Sarah Jessica Parker kind of looks like a horse. Sorry, had to say it.

I make horse sounds every time someone mentions her or appears on screen.

#12 11 years ago

PBB

PinballBulbs

Portland, OR

11y 70,150 781 14

Angry birds

#13 11 years ago

WIT

SkitBPinball

Inactive member

Midland Township, MI

12y 37,400 419 4 8

No one has mentioned Twilight yet?
RPG would be cool but wouldn't really work...
I cringed and coughed up Cadbury Mini-Eggs (75% off while they last!) at the thought of Nickelback.

#14 11 years ago

TEP

tpellowe

Inactive member

Denver, CO

11y 32,900 310 7 30

Schindler's List

#15 11 years ago

RON

Ronnie1114

Pinside member

Coeur D'alene, ID

11y 83,800 3,056 39 10

Personally, I love reality TV but a pin.... not so much.

#16 11 years ago

BDS

pinball_erie

Inactive member

Erie, PA

12y 67,900 1,297 7 9

Les Mis, except in France and bath houses

#17 11 years ago

JCB

jkdblaze

Pinside+ Frequent

Houston, TX

11y 67,650 1,124 7 22

First thing that popped into my head...

ip.jpg

#18 11 years ago

???

redbirdpat

Inactive member

Unknown

11y 15,650 29

Ken, The Pinball
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c372/ryanmediocre2/KenRequest.jpg

#19 11 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

How about a nerd theme like "Mendeleev's periodic table of the elements"?
As a (bio) chemist I would love it, but I suspect I might be the only one

Complete rare earths for special...

Elements.jpg

#20 11 years ago

DCT

pinmanguy

Inactive member

Melbourne

11y 45,400 1,538 24

Avatar, Tron, mettalica and Hard body

#21 11 years ago

WES

copperpot

Pinside member

Gilbert, AZ

12y 67,900 1,589 9 54

Requiem for a Dream

#22 11 years ago

BEC

BigB

Inactive member

Dike, IA

11y 66,900 1,498 5 56

How about "The very best of CSPAN" or " Live from the Senate Floor"!!

#23 11 years ago

CAT

DCFAN

Pinside+ Frequent

Chantilly, VA

12y 148K 12,776 34

Will and Grace.
Shakespeare in Love.
Hannah Montana.

#24 11 years ago

HDC

HELLODEADCITY

Inactive member

15y 72,650 5,822 8

Saturday night live
Jay Leno
MASH
Dragnet
Pawn Stars

#25 11 years ago

CAT

DCFAN

Pinside+ Frequent

Chantilly, VA

12y 148K 12,776 34

Anything from National Public Radio.

#26 11 years ago

BRG

IdahoRealtor

Pinside member

Eagle, ID

13y 137K 6,778 11 10

Saved by the bell
Glee
Bambi
Obama

#27 11 years ago

DUG

trilogybeer

Pinside+ Frequent

Elkhorn, WI

11y 150K 8,895 14 2

Jersey Shore

#28 11 years ago

MSO

Nibbles

Pinside member

12y 82,800 2,183 63

Chelsea Handler pinball, it would be a rebadged 42 year old pin trying to come off as 29.

#29 11 years ago

JRD

sanctumwear

Pinside member

Area 51, NV

11y 81,800 1,379 1

Quoted from jlm33:
How about a nerd theme like "Mendeleev's periodic table of the elements"?
As a (bio) chemist I would love it, but I suspect I might be the only one

Complete rare earths for special...

I'm not a chemist, just a nerd. I like the idea.

I'd go with Mr. Circuit for my nerd title. A newer version of Spectrum.

Mr.Circuit_1992.jpg

#30 11 years ago

JWW

Gatecrasher

Moline, IL

11y 67,550 1,761 7

OP
Quoted from AdamTheGamer:
Totally agree. I hate Tom Cruise's acting! He seems like a weird guy in real life, too!

Man I don't know where you're coming from but I can't honestly think of too many bad Tom Cruise movies. There's a hell of a lot worse than him.

That being said I don't know what Tom Cruise movies I'd base pinball machines on but "Mission Impossible" seems like it would not only be a good theme, the name itself would be great for a pin to have. The first thing it would say as you start the game, "Your mission should you choose to accept it...." and then the MI theme song.

I think it would be awesome. A lot better than some of the lame-ass games out there now.

#31 11 years ago

CCC

Kurisu

Pinside member

Denver, CO

11y 31,150 169

Honey Boo Boo's Pinball Party

#32 11 years ago

JTB

The_Gorilla

Pinside+ Frequent

Pleasant Hill, IA

13y 116K 5,602 2 160

Yeast infection.

#33 11 years ago

ERJ

tracelifter

Inactive member

12y 80,300 6,318

TV
The Golden Girls

Music
Boy George

Movie
Sound of music

#34 11 years ago

SFC

scasey

Pinside member

San Jose, CA

13y 52,800 473 10 7

Metallica.

#35 11 years ago

???

Shoot_Again

Pinside member

Vancouver, WA

12y 83,400 8,453 2

WOW these are train wrecks lol. yeast infection, Honey boo boo, Golden girls, Chelsea Handler, Pawn stars, Hanna Montana, Requiem for a dream (ATM anyone), The horse pin I mean sex in the city(we bought a horse mask to make fun of her).

Prostate exam SVU .....

Teddy Ruxpin LE

Jersey S"w"hore (first pin able to be played on its back and always has multiball)
This whole pin would be powder coated over top of the art package and it would still come with lipstick for color touch ups.

The adventures of Raggedy ann and andy

Maybe it is just me but mash or dragnet would actually make a good pin if done well. But about 20 years too late for those themes.

#36 11 years ago

JWW

Gatecrasher

Moline, IL

11y 67,550 1,761 7

Here are a few bad pinball movie themes:

"Brokeback Mountain"

"Leaving Las Vegas"

"Less Than Zero"

lol

#37 11 years ago

CJA

cja41575

Inactive member

Lincoln, IL

11y 8,150 74 2

Pinball + Worms = Pin Worms

#38 11 years ago

???

mr-zed

Pinside member

Denmark

11y 31,650 111 47 6

Dr. Ruth

#39 11 years ago

DEVILinIRON

Inactive member

12y 28,150 445 6

Dr. Ruth

How about Dr. Phil!
Hellz yeah!

OR
Dr. OZ!

dr.-phil-2-272x300.jpg dr-oz-01-1011-298x232.jpg

#40 11 years ago

LIN

Linolium

Pinside member

11y 66,350 966 6

"Breakdown"
A random part stops working each ball. You gotta fix it before a timer runs out, when the timer runs out another part stops working. AND flippers are valid breakdown parts

#41 11 years ago

Hoopjohn

Inactive member

Eagle River, WI

12y 52,400 495 4 32

Celine Dion

#42 11 years ago

DEVILinIRON

Inactive member

12y 28,150 445 6

I'd put 10k on my cc for dis one!

#43 11 years ago

HBS

herbertbsharp

Pinside+ Frequent

Ballston Spa, NY

12y 146K 6,109 22 24 1

maybe a sex ed pinball about going through puberty

#44 11 years ago

MMM

nerdygrrl

Pinside member

Northampton, MA

11y 82,950 2,093 4

I take offense to your Battletoads comment. I was just thinking that a re-themed Battletoads pin would be pretty epic, but you are correct difficult.

It seems to me as of say the 90's, the manufacturer's stopped creating their own original designs and started going with themes/titles folks know to increase consumer connections. I kind of wish they would go back to creating their own art and titles and rely less on movies and music. What I would give for a modern day non licensed sci fi pin

My List:
Back Street Boys (or whatever the kids are listening to these days)
Magic Mike (modern day Swinger)
Jersey Shore (gotta get the ball in Snookie's hole)

That's all I got-I am too far removed (AKA old) from modern pop culture.

#45 11 years ago

DJQ

DanQverymuch

Pinside+ Addict

Neenah, WI

12y 98,550 4,531

Here are mine from an old RGP thread:

Rush Limbaugh
Sewage Treatment Plant
Swine Flu
The Many Faces of Alec Baldwin
Orphanage Arsonist
Smegma Patrol
Fox News
Obesity Epidemic
Dingo vs Baby

#46 11 years ago

ARM

IndianaPwns

Pinside member

Concord, NC

12y 53,400 607 4 8

a penis theme.

tons of penis's all over the playfield. a penis shooter rod. a penis topper. penis noises...and the balls look like veiny testicles.
...
...
...
...
...
...
I win.

#47 11 years ago

DEVILinIRON

Inactive member

12y 28,150 445 6

Pink Flamingos anyone?
Salo?

pink-flamingos-movie-poster-1972-10201.jpg 00593111-374563_catl_500.jpg

#48 11 years ago

FRX

Frax

Pinside member

Conyers, GA

12y 103K 16,662 2 9

OP
Quoted from AdamTheGamer:
"RPG" Pinball (Lots of text, a LONG beautiful story, made for 50+ hour plays!)

Worked on the NES, actually....but I don't see how it would work on anything but a video/virtual pin setup. You have to have different screens.

And +1 on Battletoads awesomeness. I'm sorry, but if we can get a big huge hammer smashing a ball into the playfield (all characters have big smash/stomp moves...plus the "concrete wad on a stick" weapon..), and a snake head eating a ball (there's a big snake boss in Battletoads...) we're already halfway there. Just replace the electric chair and cross with something theme appropriate, new dots, music from the game, and new art... DONE! Turn the hammer into a huge pair of clamped smash hands, LOL.

#49 11 years ago

ESA

stangbat

KC Pins

13y 86,900 3,111 19

I'm still going with my suggestion from over a year ago, "Bob Barker's Spayed and Neutered."

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whats-the-worst-original-theme-you-could-pick-for-a-game#post-87338

#50 11 years ago

JJW

txstargazer3

Pinside+ Frequent

Chicago, IL

12y 90,050 4,157 1 13

Scooby Doo is one of the worst themes ever. I can't understand why it keeps surfacing as a serious suggestion. It is one plot redone every episode - and a bad one at that!

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