BackFlipper's ratings

I believe over time that this will be a top 10 or 15 game. It is certainly the best by Borg. It is really fast and has great flow. It has challenges for every level of pinball player. The lighting, music, callouts and art are all spot on. My only slightly negative comments are in two areas; The speakers are just okay and I wish there was just one fantastic mechanism. The Time Machine is great, but we have seen that before.

I waited a long time to leave this review. Full disclosure. I am an owner of a Batman 66 Super LE. I spent over $15K on it and would have given it a bad review if I had not waited. I'm glad I did because this game will go down as one of the best of all time.

Game Design: The playfield layout is great, but not the best of all time. Two ramps and a very cool turntable with multiple shots. The rules have improve to a point where I feel they are balanced and intuitive. The toys and gimmicks are the best on any game other than TZ that I have ever see. It is an engineering marvel. Bottom line is that it is fun and challenging to play.

Art: What can I say? It is the most beautiful game I have ever seen in person. The cabinet, playfield, backglass and toys are amazing and all fit the theme perfectly.

Sounds and music: Again, a perfect 10. If you grew up on Batman, you will love the sounds, music and callouts.

If you have not played this game, give it a chance. By 5 or 10 plays, you will be hooked.

I know that early code sucked, but this game has come a long way. Jim

Disclaimer: I am an owner and have about 300 plays on this game.

This game is very difficult to rate using the Pinside system. The art is average, the backglass is average, the lighting is below average, the toys and layout are all just slightly above average.

Yet, the game is 100% fun and an adrenaline rush to play. The callouts are hilarious and the rules are great. The theme is incredible and timeless. I would rank it as a cross between Iron Man and Family Guy and feel like it's one of the top 10 games in "Fun Factor" to play. However, the art, lighting, and difficulty to update will put it outside my top 15 or 20 games.

All that said, playing pinball should be fun, and this game is a blast so mine won't be going anywhere soon. If art isn't critical, but fun is, buy one of these games! But, make sure you install a lighting (spotlight kit and the plastic protector set).

Can't wait for Spooky #2 which should help the art and lighting to catch up with everything else. Could be one of the greatest of all time.

Okay, I have owned this game for 6 months and have about 500 plays on it, so I feel it's time to give it a review.
Game Design:
This game is well laid out. It has two great ramps. The one on the left needed the Stern repair kit (which they sent out quickly and for free). The left one is a bit clunky and the right one is smooth as silk. Both are incorporated well in the machine. It has a standard fan layout with two great bash toys that both result in multiballs. The 3 main toys are well incorporated into the LE. They are the Well Walker who leans back and shows his guts, the prison with opening doors and a Zombie inside, and the Bicycle Girl Zombie under the left ramp. The game flows well and the rules can make the game quite addictive in an Iron Man sort of way.
Art:
I really feel the art package on the LE is a 10. The toys are realistic and well made. The mirrored backglass fits the theme and does not look like a "cut and paste" job. The dots are incredible. By far, the best that Stern has ever done. Thae cabinet and armor all tastefully bring the theme together perfectly.
Sounds/Music/Lighting:
Again, a place where this game really shines. The only bad point was the lack of callouts from the show in Stern's code. Well, that's been fixed by some great people and so I have to give it the highest rating based on it's availability and I am rating the play of my game. The music is intense and fits the theme. Of course, you have to add an external sub to get the full effect. The red lights are awesome especially once you reach Horde mode.
Fun:
This game is just plain fun. I admit that I do not watch the Walking Dead so I reduced my score on Lastability. But, I laugh, I cry, and I want to play over and over whenever I get a chance on this game. Horde might be the most fun you can have on almost any pinball machine ever made. It is intense (you need a shaker and sub). The game starts pulsating in your hands, the lights go red, you are told you must kill the Zombies or be killed yourself, the Horde approaches, layer after layer of them, you must make the shots, OR YOU DIE!

Solid game with cool toys, but art & theme are not my cup of tea. Disclaimer: I only have about 10 games on it.

I have opened over 30 games NIB and I have never seen anything like this before. This game is expensive, but I feel like it was worth every penny.

First, the game design is awesome. Yes, Steve Ritchie is rehashing SM here, but what's wrong with that? The warp ramp is better than the inner loop on TRON. If the rules get better, this game will be number one for a long time.

Second, the lighting and artwork work perfectly with the theme. It is absolutely the best lighting scheme on any game...ever!

Finally, the music, speech, animations and toys all work together in perfect harmony to create a very fun experience that I love EVEN MORE THAN AC/DC.

BEST...GAME...EVER!

This is a solid and fun game. Will be in the top 20 games for a long time and deserves it. I hope to own one soon. This is a great game for someone with a small collection. It has a little bit of everything and it is easy on the eyes.

Ok, I am not sure how this game lands at 93 on the Pinside 100. It is a far better game than that. I understand the loyalty to Family Guy which is also an awesome game, but I actually think this game is better. The art is appropriate and the music is fun. I love the theme song and the "Three Stooges Theme" always brings a smile to my face. The callouts are awesome and the Eddy Murphy impersonator is spot on. The rules are fairly deep and the shots are very satisfying. The lighting is excellent. Really is a top-10 Stern. Way ahead of X-Men, Avengers and other recent titles.

Metallica Pro review on May 16, 2013.

A Pinball Machine is like art...Either you love it or you hate it. Sometimes, you appreciate it a little more when you find out how, why, and when an artist created a masterpiece. Sometimes, you don't.

Metallica is Monet or Van Gogh to me. Rather, it's 2 Monet's or Van Gogh's sitting in the middle of Enchanted Castle in Lombard, IL.

Here is why:

Game Design:

Playfield layout: I am a huge proponent of the fan layout and this game does not disappoint. The two ramps are nicely placed and are smooth as glass. In about 20 games, I hit 4-6 ramp combos at least 5 times. The game is very fast. There are NO breaks except when you start a multiball. My hands and fingers were sore holding the steering wheel in my Jeep on my way home. There are at least 10 shots in the fan and all of them send the ball screaming back to your flippers. The ramps, snake, mystery and targets next to the ramps send the ball back to you very fast. My only complaints are that the initial skill shot is too easy and the "up-post" in back kills some flow. I am certain these will change as the code progresses. Playfield layout is a 9/10.

Game Rules: For a first version of code, these rules are solid. I mentioned the skill shot and post. The only other improvement worth mentioning is the stackability of multiballs. I also feel the ability to change the music on each ball and have music related to various modes will change. The scoring is well-balanced from what I could tell. As usual, jackpots on multiballs is the way to get big scores. It's also worth mentioning that the Mystery Award seems to be 500K every time. At least, it was for me on 40-50 shots made. Game rules are a 6/10 (so far).

Toys and Gimmicks: First, I have to talk about Sparky. There is nothing special about having a toy in the middle of a playfield. It's been done over 100 times, right? WRONG! Sparky is special. He is special because he looks way cool and is so well integrated to the theme. He is as important as the Castle in MM or the saucer in AFM. They are all basically a "stand-up" target in the middle of a playfield. Shooting Sparky is extremely satisfying. I think 10 shots to him started a 3-ball multi that is as much fun as any early achievement multiball in any game. The three inline targets with the grave marker are also awesome and lead to another multiball in just 5 shots, but it resets with every ball. The snake spits the ball back at you at High Speed so be ready. Fuel has been done before, but it is another well integrated part of the game. Toys are not like they were in the old days, but I would still give them an 8/10.

Artwork:

Playfield: There are a lot of beautiful playfields, but this is the finest one ever created by Stern. Please, take your time and look at all of the details that Donny put into this. Again, it is art and it won't appeal to everyone, but it is very well done. Take a look between the flippers; take a look at the inserts; take a look at the apron; take a look at the eyeballs in the outlanes. This playfield art is a 10/10.

Backglass: Again, it is a matter of taste, but I would give it a 10/10. It beautifully matches the cabinet and playfield and it was not a "cut and paste" from a movie poster.

Cabinet art: It is good, but not great. I doubt very much that this was created by Donny. It appears to have been done in-house by Stern. It is colorful and fits with the theme, but that's it. It could have been so much more. Donny has an incredible repertoire of painting guitars, monsters, snakes, shrunken heads, bands, etc... and these cabinets could have set a new standard in cabinet art, but unfortunately, they are average. 5/10

Animations: These are top of the line. They are especially well done when entering into a multiball. Stern is continuing to push the limits of animation on a DMD screen. Stick around to watch the "match" animation with the snake. It is better than being mooned in AC/DC. I would love to see this redone in color, but even in red it is a 9/10. Oh yeah, and there's a COW! Enough said!

Sound and Music:

Sound Effects: The sound effects are excellent. The call outs are mixed. The buzzing of the electric chair and roaring engines are all top notch. Sparky and the Snake are appropriate and emotional. You WANT to hit Sparky. The band needed a little more emotion in their work. If I were Stern, I would try to get them back into the studio; I think they would do it because they truly understand that this game will be around forever, and they take pride in everything. It is not unplayable, it is uninspired. It also could use a couple of more jokes. I would give this area a 5/10.

Music: I know everyone wanted some different songs. I wanted Dirty Deeds and Big Balls on my AC/DC. As Mick Jagger once said "You can't always get what you want," but I am quite happy with the music. There is something for everyone, and, after all, it is Metallica. 10/10

Sound Quality: It needs a better subwoofer. Period. You put one in and it is a 9/10. Without it, it is a 6 or a 7.

Other Aspects:

Game lighting: This is the best lighting package to come on a Stern Pro pinball machine EVER. The light show around Sparky is unmatched. The playfield, inserts, and spotlights work extremely well together. The light show at the Grave Marker is equally well done. AC/DC premium is the only better lighting I have ever seen from Stern. This is easily a 9/10.

Lastability: This game is timeless. The fan layout is classic. The music and lighting are great. The rules need some improvement. This is a solid 8/10 and I will reserve the right to upgrade it as the code is updated.

Theming: Perfectly integrated. Metallica music. Dirty Donny art. Fast play. Great toys. As described above. 10/10

Fun: This is the most important ranking factor in every rating I have ever given. This game is Fun with a capital F. This is more fun than going to Wallyworld with Chevy Chase. I went Tuesday. I went Wednesday. I am going back to play it again today. I have NEVER done that since TSPP. Normally, one play and I can wait until I get one. I can't wait and I am having so much fun that I am questioning if I really need a premium/LE. I am actually starting to think about having both a pro and an LE. I am struggling to think about anything else at work. Here, it gets a 10/10 from me.

I like Monet and Van Gogh and I like Metallica...a lot!

Peace!

Jim

I like to wait a few weeks or a month with at least 50 plays before I rate a game. My game now has about 200 plays, so it is time. The game's lighting, art, sound and unique layout are all awesome. The code is very solid right out of the box which is rare for Stern. The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Captain America shots are as satisfying as any 4 on any other game ever made. The scoring feels good. I have not found a way to "rape" the game yet. The drawbacks are in all of the glitches, hang-ups and weird bounces in the game. For example, I hate hitting the Hawkeye ramp and having the ball bounce over the slingshots and drain. This is a top 10 Stern.

I have had my Wolverine for about 3 weeks now and I did not want to rate this game until I had 200-300 games on it. My first impression was awe. The game is beautiful. The artwork on the cabinet, backglass and playfield are all 10's. The lighting is the best on any game ever created. Nobody can make an argument against that. The animations and call outs are great and the game follows the real relationships of the X-men.

The awe ended after about 10 plays, however, as I realized that the code was very incomplete and then I figured out my Wolvie was not registering and Magneto had an issue. I was really down on the game.

Then, I got the issues fixed and played another 100 games trying to figure out the rules. The game really grew on me. The rules, although incomplete, border on genius. First, gather your X-Men. Second, battle Magneto multi-ball. Third, complete the powers of your X-Men. Next, battle the villains. Finally, participate in the ultimate battle. It is great rules that get us to play a game over and over. That is the definition of a great game. Do I WANT to play it again and again? Is it fun? Do I want to finish the game?

The answer here is yes, yes and yes!

Most people do not consider this a pinball machine, but the ball is round (3/4") and there is a flipper (bat). So, I figured I'd give this my two cents. The game is just plain fun. First, you can play single player or "head-to-head." One person can pitch and the other one bats. The pitcher can choose from 4 pitches and the unique use of magnets makes the ball do crazy things. There is real strategy in mixing up the pitches. The batter swings and aims at some targets. Once in a while, a ramp rises (always with a pinch hitter) and you can go for an upper deck home run. Animations and Calls are great. Music is barely there.

I can promise this will be more popular than Tron or most any other game at family parties. Overall, a big thumbs up!

Have spent the last two weekends at Gameworks in Schaumburg playing and enjoying this game. I did not play it much when it first came out as I am not a huge fan of the TV show. I don't think that "not being a fan" should impact your ratings and actually gave it a 10 for Theming. The game has many cool shots and the rules are fairly easy to learn. Hitting the trapped ball on the right and spelling P-I-N-B-A-L-L so you can get to the mini-playfield is very satisfying and nobody in my family had a problem doing it. The mini-playfield with mini-balls and mini-flippers and a mini-ramp, etc... may be the best upper playfield in all of pinball. Not sure, but it seemed the flippers on this game were a little weak to make all of the shots. I would like to play another to see if they are stronger. The fun-factor was through the roof. There is a ball save between the flippers that extends ball times. This game was located right next to an AC/DC Pro and it made for a nice contrast. A color DMD on this game would look really sweet, but overall, I would highly recommend this game. I actually started shopping around for one.

I have now owned my SS for 2 weeks and have put over 100 games on it. This is my second love affair with this game. It certainly belongs in the top 10 games of all time. The theme is timeless. 50 years from now, this game will still have appeal. The Bony Beast ramp is the best ramp ever placed on a game. It is an easy shot, but hit it twice and then hit the lock to the left for a very satisfying combo. The coffin, frogs, boogiemen and toys all work extremely well together. The spider spinning in the backglass is a really fun feature. The Deadheads in the back are classic and hearing Elvira say "good head" never gets old.

The artwork throughout the game is unreal. Putting LED's in the game adds a whole other dimension. It is a well-paced game with a very satisfying Wizard Mode. Try to raise the Stiff-O-Meter by hitting ramp shots and the trunk with an eerie beating heart to add to the intensity.

This is almost a perfect game.

The music and upper playfield are great, but after playing this for a couple of hours last night, I just don't see what the fuss is all about.

I have owned this game twice. 10 years apart. The cabinet, artwork and game itself make it look more like a piece of furniture than a pinball machine. People ask me "can I touch it?" when they see it. Everything about this game is fun. Deserves to be in the top 10 of all time. All the magnet tricks are really cool and the trunk is one of the top 5 toys of all time on a game.

I have owned or own all of the best games. NEVER has a game had a bigger impact on me, my family, my friends and even my neighbors. It makes every game in my collection look dated INSTANTLY! I have the BIB LE and, first of all, it is stunning to look at. The mirrored backglass, the cabinet colors and art, the playfield, the powder coated trim with chrome inserts, all come together even more beautifully than Tron or MM.

Now, the sound. Again, NEVER has a game sounded better out of the box. The upgraded speakers, 12" subwoofer, call outs by Steve Ritchie himself, and sound effects like the bell all come together incredibly to be the best sounding machine of all time. No excuses should be made for "old technology." There is no category for "I hate the music" so this has to rank as the best sounding game of all time.

The full LED effect again makes for the best lighted game out of the box of all time. The different light shows for modes and multiballs has never been better.

Again, I am a broken record, but the toys are awesome and appropriate for the game. The bell, awesome. The band, corny, but awesome. The cannon, awesome. TNT, awesome. Lower playfield, slightly cloudy with a chance of rain, but awesome.

The gameplay is fast and furious. Choosing a song and mode before you start is a total game changer for the future of pinball.

No other game has ever gotten almost 300 plays in 2 days in my home. Got a minty AFM THE SAME DAY and it has been totally ignored. That's a fact!

Great theme, great toys. IM is a lot of fun to play several great multiballs. Most popular game we own right now. Music, lighting an backglass are all top of the v
Charts.

Owned this game for a very long time. Fun to play. An absolute favorite of guests. Every pinball fan should have one for a year.

As close to a 10 as you can play today in 2012. AC/DC might beat it.

My ratings are based on only 2 hours on an LE, but I was so blown away by this game that I had to rate it right away. The sound and lighting are better than any game that has ever come out of the box. The jukebox with 12 song choices and game modes may forever change pinball. The flow is awesome. The bell rocks. The lower play field is fast and fun. The cannon is just a little obtrusive, but you will get over it, because it is just plain cool. This game will break the top 15 over time. Buy an LE while you can get one for $6k.

My rating is on an Avatar LE which I have now put at least 100 hours on. It is a very underrated game. Plays similar to IM, yet gets very little respect. Navi white ball has been done before (TZ, RSLE, etc...), but still fun and a much faster ball. Toys on LE look great. Sound and music are awesome. Lots of multi-ball action. LED lighting really adds to the game so add it if you get a chance.

Owned this game for 8 years. Never got old to me. My wife hated the noise. I finally had to quiet things down and get rid of her, I mean, the game. An all time classic that belongs in every pinheads collection for a couple of years. Top 20 for fun and music.

Pretty solid game, but certainly not better than IM. The crane is cool, but has been done too many times. Too many repeated shots. played it on location and dumped a lot of quarters, but not up to SM, IM or other superhero themes. Would be fun to own and mod.

If it wasn't for the awful artwork, this could easily be a to 10 game. The "fun-factor" is through the roof. The magnetic hand operated by 4 flipper buttons dropping the ball into a tic-tact-toe board is one of the TOP 3 pinball creations of all-time. The super high scoring is very cool. The theme is below average but so what. Pinball should be fun and this game delivers.

I spent an hour on this game last night. First, the artwork is way above average. I love the cabinet and back-glass. The playfield layout is wide open which isn't for everyone, but I really liked it. The wrecking ball is cool and the sound effects are great. Not top 20 game, but certainly top 40 that I have ever played.

Update: I have now spent many hours on this game and have learned most of the rules. Very cool and underrated game. The "Time Machine" is very cool and takes you to past games. For example, you might play an AFM video mode, TAF and CFTBL modes or a surprise from another game. The artwork, again, is amongst the best in all of pinball.

With the color DMD mod, you will not find a game cooler than this. I do not own one, but hope to add a nice one someday. I love the ridiculously high scoring. You can score a trillion, are you kidding me? The dancing aliens, spaceships, sounds, energy, theme of world domination, etc... make this game an all time classic.

Really a fun game. The RPG in the backglass never gets old. Who doesn't love Arnold? Nothing amazing about playing this game, but somehow you can get sucked in for hours. The Chrome version would be a little higher in my Artwork rankings just because it matches up with the theme of the movie. My kids loved playing it too.

If the code ever gets finished, this has the potential to be a top 10-15 game. I have reviewed the LE here only after owning it for about 6 weeks. I am not reviewing the pro version which I would rank significantly lower. It takes a little while to get used to the way the ball flies through the air in this game. The ball has a chance of ending up anywhere on any shot. Optimus, Starscream, shoot, just pulling back the plunger all the way, can make the ball fly. At first I wasn't sure about a game where I could not control my shots, but after a little time, I realize this game is very cool. I do not believe anybody that tells me they have this game mastered. 100's of plays and I have not come anywhere near finishing this game- even on a 5 ball setting. It is just that challenging.

I have never owned a POTC, but I would love to add one to my collection. I have played it on location many times including many hours on a game in a bar on Duval St. in Key West, FL. The toy ship that actually sinks into the game is the best toy since the dinosaur on Jurassic Park. The spinning rubber disk that holds up to 3 balls is very cool and adds a lot to the game. The layout of the playfield including the compass inserts is appropriate for the game and adds a touch of class. Like Terminator, I am not sure it can stand the test of time as a theme, but a fun players game for all ages.

I owned my LOTR for 8 years. That was the longest any game has ever lasted in my collection. At times, it would fade into the background, but I always came back to it. The toys and playfield were one of the finest ever created IMO. The ruleset is deep and the game is pretty difficult to beat even though ball times are almost as long as SM. You can easily have 30 minute games on this machine. For sure, a top 10 game of all time to this point.

I have owned my SM for about a year and I can safely say that this game, LOTR and Tron LE are the 3 best Stern games so far. The number of shots in this fan layout is amazing. The Spider Sense shot on the right is one of the most difficult shots in all of pinball. The physics of the shots you can make off the upper right flipper onto 2 different ramps are mind blowing. This is one of the coolest games to Mod and LED's will make at a 10 on lighting every time. Nobody WANTS to sell this game once they own it.

I have owned this game twice. There is nothing I can say that others have not already said other than this game is just a bit too easy. The second time I bought this game I traded it within a month because I was able to score a billion plus on a fairly regular basis. The magnetic flippers may be the coolest feature of all time, though.

This is the finest game to come from Stern since SM. My rating is primarily referring to the LE version which I own. The game flows better than any Stern game in the last 10 years. The lights, sounds, music, rules all work harmoniously together. Playing this game is like being at a Pink Floyd concert in 1977. It is way cool.