I really enjoy AFM. It is a hard machine for me to master but the layout is open and the objectives are clear. It can be both frustrating and addicting. The dancing Martians are a great touch as are some of the Easter eggs. Cows are awesome. I wish my pinball skills were better. It is easy to understand why MB and MM can trace their roots to this game. A great rule set and solid theme music add to the overall execution. The only complaint is that the cabinet graphics get faded easily.

One my favourite pin to play. Great vibe! Brian Eddy and Lyman Sheats masterpiece. Perfect!

Words can't describe how much I love this machine. It is the one that got away. I regrettably sold it in 2005 and it's been missed ever since.

Best pinball machine ever

Same fan layout as MMR only a lot easier to complete I might buy the Remake only because the MMR was a home run and plays better than the original hopefully AFMR does too!

The best of the best. Perfect 10 from me.

Without going too much into it, I have wanted this game for 20 years, and now I have one, and man, it is everything I remember from summer of 1996.

This is the game that perfected the fan layout. The artwork is great, and it complements the humor of the game so well. The voice actors nailed everything they touched. The voice actor for the martians especially did an outstanding job. There are many memorable callouts on this game - particularly "Super jackpot" and the totally defeated nervous laughter/cry when you start a third Martian Attack (only happens if you defeat the previous two Martian Attacks).

Animations are superb and never get old. ColorDMD knew to make this one of their first 5 releases a few years back, and man, does AFM shine with one.

Cabinet art is simple yet very loud with its red-orange-yellow-black contrasts. I like that the coin door has just a martian and not the title like nearly every other game in existence.

This game embodies the "simple is better" mantra in nearly every way. Inexperienced players will likely take down a saucer on their first few games, yet experts can have a challenging and rewarding journey to Rule the Universe. The theme from the 1950s is one nearly everyone loves, and the slapstick yet serious humor of the game blends so well.

Light shows are fantastic. Start of multiball is a nice tip of the hat to The Addams Family (lights cascade from the bottom to the top of the playfield just like "Showtime!" on TAF). The game may have a main bash toy, but it is done so well. It never seems or feels old to go after the main saucer, and the lil' saucers all over the playfield created a great ambiance. The martians jumping up and down are a very well done gimmick for Martian Attack. As stated before, even though these are all bash toys, they are done right. It doesn't seem "ho-hum" in this setting; it feels right and like you are on the offensive blasting those horrible, green, disgusting martians!

Strobe multiball is one of the coolest modes I've ever seen. If you are in a room with any lighting, you will not get the full effect. The room has to be totally dark, and with a Pinbits strobe kit, the effect is amazing. The translite will flash on and off with the strobe at the main saucer, and man, is it a major improvement. Don't think about this mod - GET it.

Most mods on this game are very tasteful, particularly the aforementioned Pinbits strobe kit, as well as anything by Bill Ung. I was blessed to get a game with both the mini-saucer light mod as well as the martian red eye mod and the runway lights underneath the main saucer, and boy, all these mods are very effective in creating an immersive experience.

The only negative about this game: the limited (roughly 3000) quantity and the price. The price has gotten insane with routed examples (at the time of this writing) going for $5500+, and excellent examples selling regularly for $8000. No doubt, there is not $8000 worth of game here, but there IS $8000 worth of game AND fun here. Everyone who comes over loves this game, and people who couldn't care less for pinball can't help but play a couple games. It appeals to nearly everyone.

While this may not have been Bally's last game before B/W shut their doors to pinball, to me, this is Bally's Swan Song game - practically perfect in every way. Talk about going out nearly on top. If remakes come out, I couldn't care less if the originals fall in price or not. EVERYONE should be able to enjoy this game, and everyone should have a chance to Rule the Universe. If my game drops to $1000, I wouldn't care. I love this game, and I think I can finally say - after 4 years and almost 20 games - that I have found a title I will never let go of unless there's a life or death/need money for my mortgage situation that comes up. It was a 20 year wait, and every game I play on it validates that the wait was well worth it.

If you have the means, get one.

"This just in...the Earth is being invaded...from flying saucers from MARS!"

As much as I enjoy pinball "fan layout" designs from BLY/WMS this does not have the same touch as Medieval Madness, however it is an excellent overall game package.
Artwork is superb, as I enjoy the black line lettering and edging.
Translite image is reminiscent of early periods from 1950s.
Music and sound is top notch.
Humor is present everywhere.
Ruleset has decent depth and a variety of secrets and easter eggs.
DMD animations are rock tight.
Basically, however the game is "bash the saucer" to advance the cities, which does not lead to a lot of creativity.
That is why MM edges it out in terms of physical mechanics with "bash the castle" even though it's design was finalized just a couple years later.
I passed on buying one NIB when it was released, but really do not look back in hindsight and feel like I made a mistake.
It was not an "instant classic", because the game concept had been DONE BEFORE on other titles, just not as an entire package.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: MM design was already under development at the time of AFM release and based on success of AFM is part of the reason the playfield design was replicated. Same design team, same software engineers, same sound/music designer. This was not rocket science to see what occurred.

I give particular note to "Strobe Multiball" which is exceptionally unique and fun, and the flailing martians.
It is hard to capture these effects properly, unless you are physically playing the machine.
If you own a AFM, I recommend getting the PinBits Blackout mod board to properly turn out the GI and key game play times, and the LED saucer boards to enhance its effects.

Overall game design is very strong.
It's best environment is the operator route world over home use.
If you really enjoy later model BLY/WMS games this is a "keeper" just do not overpay new collectors.
Many machines are completely beat to hell now, based on popularity on routes.

What most collectors fail to realize is copycat pinball collections really lead to boredom and getting out of the hobby quickly due to lack of knowledge to sustain interest.
Yes, you can have bragging rights you own an "AFM", but who really cares?
Most long term, seasoned collectors do not care as that mentality goes the "Way of the Dodo" somewhere after the first 5 years or so, and certainly by around 10 years. We are talking about people who own more than a couple pinball machines in their homes.
I started dealing with these types of people all the way back in the late 1990s, when I tried to help them understand pinball as a new collector. Most are long gone, and moved onto something else.

Brokers, dealers, and "flippers" LOVE this game, as they know they will always be able to sell them for higher than reasonable amounts of money just like TAF, MM, TOTAN, MB, and ToM.

I have seen this as I approach 30 years of collecting.
Just take a look at the game review ratings on this forum, they all show the same pattern.
Basically, the same type of new people approach the hobby with the "got to have" titles such as MM, MB, AFM, CV, and even CC and most of the last of the runs of BLY/WMS machines, and then sell out a few years later.
Pinball has a lot more to offer than just a bunch of MM/AFM clones.
I can give countless examples even on PinSide, but that really has no point.
Get out of the "cookie cutter" collection concept and discover what pinball has to offer.
EMs, old woodrails, foreign manufacturers, etc.
There are an incredible variety of machines in the pinball world not just Bally/Williams/Gottlieb/Stern.
Especially late model Stern.
And before it can be thrown out, "but you have all the same types of Top 10 games in your collection" comment, recognize most of my games I owned BEFORE there was a "Top 10" list as I already knew what I was striving for in terms of my lineup. As a result, I still own many of the same games 25 years later.
People asked me my opinion and still do, and it started off a complete revolution in the early 2000s with "off to the races" during the reimport era (2000-2005).

Look to the past for "innovation" as much of what has been accomplished has been done before, and many times better.

Some say that it is repetitive and easy. There are tons of shots on this table. You can play it several different ways. If you just pound the UFO, it can become boring after a bit, but there is much more to this table than just saving the cities. Setting the tilt tight can take care of the "easy" complaints. I'm enjoying it so far.

Edit - This thing gets better every time that I play it. It has stayed near the top of Pinside's Top 100 for a reason; that reason is that no matter how you cut it, every plunge is fun.

Even though the shots are very repetitive, it's fun to knock out Martians. The only weak point of the game is the center shot to kill the spaceships. A missed shot usually stalls and heads straight down the middle.

This is my number one and I think it always will be. The theme is timeless and will never get old. It's a simple table, but it's just so much fun to play. The call outs are hilarious and rewarding. Hearing the martian yell SSSSUUUUPPPPERRRRR JAAACCKKKPPPOOTTT! Never get's old. On the somewhat rare occasions that I get to rule the universe it's so much fun to achieve. This one will never leave my collection. I'm glad they are remaking this table. I hope many more people get the chance to play this table. This table does Pinball as a whole justice.

I have a hard time finding flaws in this machine. Solid in every way and very satisfying to play. My favorite pin so far (noob) and can't wait to play it again...and again....and again.

Edit: the more I play it does get a little repetitive but it's still awesome. No complaints

This is a fun game with some big points being scored. Great animations and lots of fun shots.

Obviously this is one of the top games, but just can't get into it. It took me awhile to get into TZ, so I thought it was similar with AFM, but just don't enjoy it. Sounds are slightly annoying. It's a solid pin, but just not a top 10 for me. YMMV.

my favorite game... i like all on this game

Love this game. One of my favorites. The call outs are the best

I've only played this on rout and in a tournament. I would love to try it in a home arcade setting.

Top rated game by many, naturally. It's a well designed super fun theme with top notch sound and humour. But the gameplay is a bit boring as well are the rules. Go for locks and multiball, repeat ramps and bash the UFO. Master it and you will quickly beat this game.

yeah, good games, open play-field i like, tho not a top 10 for me, fair better games in top 50 in my opinion

What a classic. Extremely fun pin that keeps you coming back for more.

never played because i didnt like the initial look of the game and always played A.F then i tried it. 98-1999 wow loved it great game very fun ,ive played it since..when ever and where i see it on location..when working up to par one of the best..i seem to get tierd of doin the same thing over and over (saucer)again,but i still love it,the animations are great it ties the the whole a.f.m together perfect...expensive and i would not want it for a keeper..but at a fair price it could b...fat chance,by all means play one if you get a chance you wont b let down...amazine classic machine!

I love this game, especially going after the martians

Another incredibly fun pinball machine. Rules get stagnant and repetitive but it's simply a fun game.

Great game, played it at Freddy's yesterday! Love the theme.

My favorite , The most fun for me!
Excellent flow , fantastic music , number one for me

I will never forget the first time that I played this game. I just could not get enough! A local bowling alley hosted the game for a few months. It was the late 90's. Fast, Fun, and a moderate challenge for experienced players. Really challenging for beginners. One of the best themed games ever!