accidental's ratings
Pinsider accidental has rated 8 machines.
This page shows all all these ratings, and forms accidental's personal top 8.
Rating comments
8.824/10
10 years ago
Upper Hutt
ART
I adore the theme and it's homage 80s comic artwork. The back glass is an entire comic strip and features a lenticular printed panel — they were everywhere in the 80s and 90s! And come on, Dr Dude has a walkman built into his stethoscope. You can't get much cooler than that.
MUSIC
The music in this game is among the best System 11 in my opinion. When you start a game the music is geeky and awkward. Each time you attain an Element of Coolness the music changes to the theme music for that element — essentially getting cooler each time. And the jackpot music is one of my favourites in pinball — it makes you feel so great to hear it. But in an light-hearted earnest kind of way, not a badass serious kind of way like modern pinball themes.
Sound design is employed perfectly. They match what the ball is doing visually. The sounds of the magnet catching the ball, the guitar solos as the ball flies off the Heart of Rock'n'Roll target, the zaps that increase in pitch while the ball is in the mix master, flashing like mad, the ball snaking along the wireforms, exploding as it goes up the ramp. Super cool.
GAMEPLAY
I feel like it is an early version of the popular late-90s fan layout formula (MM, AFM, MB) where you shoot shots repeatedly to light the inserts and complete them to reach multiball, only these shots are three totally different kinds: magnet, standup, VUK.
The rule set is simple understand and is approachable for newbies. But getting a good score takes skill and it keeps you coming back for more. This isn't a game that you have to perform mental gymnastics to extort the rule set into giving you a great score. It's dead simple: play well; score well.
This game is great for teaching you flipper skills and honing your aiming. You're required to make all kinds of shots: backhands, on-the-fly, cradled. You learn to control the ball as it returns to the flippers. Pretty much every flipper skill can be employed to great effect in this game.
CONCLUSION
Dr Dude is one of my favourite games. It is absolutely perfect for the kind of game that it is. It's pure pinball in my opinion. It doesn't do everything but what it does do, it does right.
I adore the theme and it's homage 80s comic artwork. The back glass is an entire comic strip and features a lenticular printed panel — they were everywhere in the 80s and 90s! And come on, Dr Dude has a walkman built into his stethoscope. You can't get much cooler than that.
MUSIC
The music in this game is among the best System 11 in my opinion. When you start a game the music is geeky and awkward. Each time you attain an Element of Coolness the music changes to the theme music for that element — essentially getting cooler each time. And the jackpot music is one of my favourites in pinball — it makes you feel so great to hear it. But in an light-hearted earnest kind of way, not a badass serious kind of way like modern pinball themes.
Sound design is employed perfectly. They match what the ball is doing visually. The sounds of the magnet catching the ball, the guitar solos as the ball flies off the Heart of Rock'n'Roll target, the zaps that increase in pitch while the ball is in the mix master, flashing like mad, the ball snaking along the wireforms, exploding as it goes up the ramp. Super cool.
GAMEPLAY
I feel like it is an early version of the popular late-90s fan layout formula (MM, AFM, MB) where you shoot shots repeatedly to light the inserts and complete them to reach multiball, only these shots are three totally different kinds: magnet, standup, VUK.
The rule set is simple understand and is approachable for newbies. But getting a good score takes skill and it keeps you coming back for more. This isn't a game that you have to perform mental gymnastics to extort the rule set into giving you a great score. It's dead simple: play well; score well.
This game is great for teaching you flipper skills and honing your aiming. You're required to make all kinds of shots: backhands, on-the-fly, cradled. You learn to control the ball as it returns to the flippers. Pretty much every flipper skill can be employed to great effect in this game.
CONCLUSION
Dr Dude is one of my favourite games. It is absolutely perfect for the kind of game that it is. It's pure pinball in my opinion. It doesn't do everything but what it does do, it does right.
8.643/10
10 years ago
Doctor Who Bally, 1992
Doctor Who is a great well-rounded pinball that is easy to pick up and play and with enough depth to satisfy high score chasers.
It is great for a small collection because it easily satisfies guests: shoot down the middle at the locks, the targets and the daleks to start multiball. Of all my machines, guests consistently love the multiball of Doctor Who. And it also satisfies more experienced players: rewarding combos and points multipliers to set up big multiball jackpot scores.
It's quite a brutal game, the outlines aren't forgiving in the least and the stock lightning flippers make it even tougher. But it's great for building up flipper skills. Once you go back to a game with regular flippers at a regular distance, you'll find them too easy.
The only downside is that the game sometimes feels a little repetitive. There is really only one strategy that pays off and the points-based gameplay isn't much incentive to venture outside of it: Pick doctor 1, shoot the pops to build transmat and score ESCAPE letters to light video mode; complete video mode waves to earn doctors 6, 7 and 3 and an extra ball; shoot a few loop ramp loops to max out the playfield multiplier, score sonic booms and earn another extra ball; start multiball.
It is great for a small collection because it easily satisfies guests: shoot down the middle at the locks, the targets and the daleks to start multiball. Of all my machines, guests consistently love the multiball of Doctor Who. And it also satisfies more experienced players: rewarding combos and points multipliers to set up big multiball jackpot scores.
It's quite a brutal game, the outlines aren't forgiving in the least and the stock lightning flippers make it even tougher. But it's great for building up flipper skills. Once you go back to a game with regular flippers at a regular distance, you'll find them too easy.
The only downside is that the game sometimes feels a little repetitive. There is really only one strategy that pays off and the points-based gameplay isn't much incentive to venture outside of it: Pick doctor 1, shoot the pops to build transmat and score ESCAPE letters to light video mode; complete video mode waves to earn doctors 6, 7 and 3 and an extra ball; shoot a few loop ramp loops to max out the playfield multiplier, score sonic booms and earn another extra ball; start multiball.
8.123/10
11 years ago
Judge Dredd Bally, 1993
Judge Dredd is a great all-round package. The widebody has so many shots and features and it all gets utilised well.
The artwork is some of the best in the DMD era thanks to the original comic art. The theme is very well realised and true to the comic source. It is very funny! The music and audio all work together really well and are very creative.
The layout has great flow, there are 4 ramps and two loops that lend themselves to great combos. However the game doesn't seem to endorse or reward many of the possible combos.
The gameplay isn't hugely deep as the modes are all timed and non-stackable. But they can be started from two different shots and the modes can be selected by the player. This leads to some interesting strategy as to the order you progress through the modes and what shots are best to start them.
The supergame feature adds a bunch more value, offering four multiball modes, one to start each ball in the supergame.
Finally the game has an awesome toy, the Deadworld. With the Deadworld locking mod installed players can experience the toy as it was originally designed.
JD is definitely one of the best bang-for-buck pins I know of.
The artwork is some of the best in the DMD era thanks to the original comic art. The theme is very well realised and true to the comic source. It is very funny! The music and audio all work together really well and are very creative.
The layout has great flow, there are 4 ramps and two loops that lend themselves to great combos. However the game doesn't seem to endorse or reward many of the possible combos.
The gameplay isn't hugely deep as the modes are all timed and non-stackable. But they can be started from two different shots and the modes can be selected by the player. This leads to some interesting strategy as to the order you progress through the modes and what shots are best to start them.
The supergame feature adds a bunch more value, offering four multiball modes, one to start each ball in the supergame.
Finally the game has an awesome toy, the Deadworld. With the Deadworld locking mod installed players can experience the toy as it was originally designed.
JD is definitely one of the best bang-for-buck pins I know of.
