AXrelay's ratings

Hard to find a better pin from the mid-80's than Pinbot! The game is the classic "keep you coming back for just one more game." For me, there are really 2 games in one: go for the high scores or go for the goal of advancing the planets all the way to the sun. The latter is more of a challenge, and tests your shot making skills. On a different note, I recently hooked this game (and the High Speed that is next to it) to a powered sub-woofer and it sounds amazing. For a mid-80's game, the music and sound is really outstanding.

As the first Solid State game I bought (I used to only collect EMs), Galaxy is a keeper! When the game is shopped and set up right is one of the fastest pins ever. The main reason for that is the kickers (sling shots) that are mid-playfield. I personally love this part of the game, as it speeds the action up big time. The theme of getting the planets and moving the multiplier is cool (planets theme was copied by Pinbot, which I also own), and the "memory targets" can be dropped from other locations remotely, such as the stand up targets on the right and the save lanes by the flippers. Have the game set on "hard" and 3 ball because it was too easy to roll over to a million (could use an extra digit). One of the best by Stern in the early 80's.

I love the Gottlieb wedgeheads, but this one - not so much. This is a classic "complete the number (or letter) sequence and light the special" game. The spinner shot is great, but that's about it. The 10 and 11 shots are almost impossible to make from the flippers, and the side 8 and 9 shot are almost as hard. What you are essentially left with is one shot (the spinner).

I owned this machine for many years, and some of my friends really liked playing it. Maybe it's just me, but I could get real tired of slamming that spinner! So many great single player EMs from Gottlieb out there, but this one is just so-so. But then again, it's boils down to taste, and some people enjoyed this game a lot.

One of the better 4 player Gottliebs from the 1970's. Asymmetrical play field design, with lots to shoot for, including 9 drop targets. I'm a big fan of 70's Gottlieb games, especially drop target games (of all the EM's I've owned, I have only kept Gottlieb games with drops). It also includes features such as bonus, double bonus, extra ball, and specials. It has a left ally shot with roll-overs that sends the ball back up to the top of the table. This is a very fun, yet challenging design that will keep you coming back for “just one more game.”

I do agree that the 2 player version has a more appealing back glass (Fire Queen), but the overall all art package is nice. The game would be a nice addition to any game room, yet because of space (same old story) I had to sell it (it went to the owner of the Museum of Pinball of So. Cal.). The good news is that I will still be able to play it in the future!

I picked up the game at a yard sale (only the 2nd game I've ever found this way) and it was a project! But with some time and energy it shaped up to be one of the best examples of this title (all the art was fantastically preserved). Cleaning and mechanical issues (plus new bumper caps and new rubbers) and it was a beauty! Hated to sell it!

I'm partial to single player Gottliebs (wedge heads), but this is one of the best multi-player EM's of the 70's. 10 drop targets, bonus and double bonus, specials and extra balls, with a great flow to the game. Much has been said about the 2" flippers were the slings usually are on a game, but I like what they add to the strategy. They can provide good angles for hitting the drop targets, and add an interesting twist to the game.

This is one game that friends and family are always drawn to in my collection, and it is one of those games that has that "just one more game and I can do better" quality. Because it is a multi-player EM, all goals must be accomplished on one ball (except the high scores), so the "B" shot on the plunge and getting down all 10 drops is the key.

I love the art and the colors of the game - how many pins have magenta as the a major theme of a color scheme? The "queen" is attractive, yet not overly sexualized (like many Bally games of that era). This is important for those who have children in the home or as guests.

One technical note: Because there are no sling shot plastics, the game came with no general illumination down by the flippers. Playing the game in low light can be problematic. I always wondered why Gottlieb didn't put bulbs under the small plastics by the 2" flippers until I disassembled it to see it was adjustable for the posts. I remedied the GI problem by installing a socket and bulb under each of the small plastics and tying it into the rest of the GI. Looks "factory" and now the flipper area is lit!

This is the game that started it all for me in collecting! I bought on in 1978 and sold it in 1982 and regretted it ever since. It was my "holy grail" machine to find one in great shape again, and in 2012 that happened! This is one pinball I will never sell.

This is in my opinion the best 1970's wedge head (single player) that Gottlieb ever made, and that's saying a lot, because there are so many good ones! 15 drop targets there for the taking, but make sure you get the colored roll overs at the top for each bank first. This is one of the rare wedge heads that combined the likelihood of high score replays and "special" replays. Another rare feature is that the special does not stay lit when you get it - you have to knock down all 15 targets again!

Very high scores are possible (in contrast to my King Pin which is right next to it), yet achieving the special is also rewarding. Triple plays (knocking down one target from each of the three banks) is possible, but only one will score points (because this is an EM, it takes the score motor time to reset). I love the "flow" of this game, and it has that "come back for just one more game" intangible quality that makes it great.

The added factor for me is the nostalgia of the game - it was my "first." Plus, who can resist the tennis playing girl with the size 14 shoes?

I have owned this game for a number of years, and it a definite keeper. Looks easy with those 10 drops at the top, but oh, this game will challenge you. Back in the day, this game was popular in the arcades because once you got the special lit, it stayed lit for the rest of the game (replays, baby!). Because of the popularity, it is difficult to find one where the play field is not worn down. (I was blessed to trade a Jet Spin for one in immaculate condition!)

This game can be a drain monster at the out-lanes, so keeping the ball in the center is key. The upper flipper skill is often developing a "bank shot" off the opposite rubber. The 5k kick outs at the top are also rewarding, yet difficult to hit. There will be many a game where you will get 9 targets down and fight for the rest of the game to get that last darn target! Hard to get high scores (this is truly a "specials" wedge head game), but it will bring you back for more.

One of the best 70's wedge heads from Gottlieb. I like it better than Jumping Jack because of the save lanes (though they are not that friendly), and would rank it only behind my "Volley" in wedge heads I own.

This is a very nostalgic game for me, as I probably played this pin more than any other in the 1970's. It was a single player from Bally, and for 1975 that was uncommon. Specials and extra balls, bonus and double bonus, a ally with a spinner, and center kick out - what's not to like! The back glass is crazy and wild, combining cards with King Kong and airplanes! I now own this game, and it is in storage awaiting restoration.

Classic Gottlieb wedge head from the 70's, but I do prefer the drop target games. This game is all about earning the Special by spelling Flying Carpet, and some of the targets must be reached by nudging the pop bumpers (they cannot be hit by a direct flipper shot). I am not a big fan of the double out lanes by the flippers. That part of the layout seems to be a carry over from many of the 60's Gottlieb tables. One of the first 3 inch flipper games by Gottlieb, it is "average" for that era of single players. One unique feature ins the "cascading lights" at the top of the ball arch activated during play. I kept this game after restoration for about a year and then sold it. Better games to be had, and needed the room. Same old story.

In my opinion, this is the best title for Williams' EM's for the 1970's. Great flow to this game, and lots of features for this era - Extra balls, Specials, ally shot with spinner, center extra ball target, double bonus. The game features 6 digits on 4 players, with a max score of 999,999. That means there are 20 total score reels in this game (plus 4 dummy zeros). That is a lot of score reels to clean and adjust if you are restoring this game! The back glass art is kind of funky (why is the woman being sacrificed fully clothed in a dress?), but the play field looks nice around the bonus scoring area (another unique feature is that the bonus scoring is by 5,000 points each, and 10,000 for double bonus). One thing I will never forget when I restored this game was that someone who had it prior put in a digital sound card to try and make the game sound "modern." It was terrible (beep-beep-boop), and they hacked the points relays in the head to wire it in. I was quite a challenge to restore the wiring back to the chimes unit (look at that 35 year old wire - is it green/blue or blue/green?), but it was worth the work. This game is now in Australia as I sold it to some Aussies here in California for a vacation (it was put in a shipping container with some classic cars I was told.)

A very unique looking and playing pin from Williams in the 1970's. I owned this for a number of years, and it was quite enjoyable. It is best to set it on "add a ball" for the specials and replays. Pop bumper between the flippers makes this very different to play, and that adds to it's appeal. I for one like the back glass art, as it looks like a Peter Max poster from the 1960's. I would have kept it if I had more room.

Owned this game but quickly sold it. I guess I not a big fan of the 2 inch flippers from the 60's. The game seemed to be a drain monster, but that is par for the course in this era of games. I did some restoration on the back glass and added a power switch to the bottom of the cab (it had the old "bang on the bottom of the cab to turn it on and off" type plunger switch). Art looks kinds like the 50's to me. Hope someone is still playing it now.

This was the second pin I ever owned (30 years after the first one). The game is fair, but not one of my favorite wedge heads from the 70's. No specials, but you can win replays by high score and scoring runs. Kick outs for the bases is interesting, but disrupts the flow of the game. Roto target is kind of cool. Sold it because I had other wedge heads that were more fun. If you are a baseball fan this is the second best wedge head with that theme (after Big Hit).