cheshirefilms's ratings

If you can navigate the playfield protection issues necessary, this is probably the greatest pinball of all time. The code is insane, the art package is tremendous. The theme integration isn't as deep as it should have been but who's to say a code update down the line or fan mod won't change that. Already the fans have added back the closing chest feature. Extremely rare game though. Likely only 650 LEs worldwide, with another 350 CEs and standards combined for a total 1000 game production run.

Wow, so Monster Bash pretty much rocks my pinball world. I absolutely adore the theme. Then the toys, oh man it's a party every time you play. From someone who also appreciates hard pins like BSD, what I really enjoy is just being able to unwind after a long day and not stress and MB suits this bill very well.

That said, while it's not hard to get to the mini-wizard Monster Bash, getting to Monsters of Rock is a little bit more of a pickle. Not that it's super complicated mind you, but it's leagues harder than finishing the door in TZ to get to lost in the zone, which can be achieved by just stacking modes. Actually, haven't even got there yet. Not that I expect doing so would make me feel like the party is "over."

I expect this one to be my first keeper, and the CGC build is just out of this world. Owners are totally spoiled in this regard vs. their competitors. Hoping Cactus Canyon is next. If so, my wallet will be waiting.

Probably the toughest BW game from the modern DMD era, along with Johnny Mnemonic. New Pinsound track option brings the movie score and upgraded shoutouts into the game. The original soundtrack is popular amongst enthusiasts but for me the tone background music is really dated, and the "Vampire Hunter's" theme from the movie was really missed, pre-Pinsound. I mean, this theme is as known in Hollywood as the Twilight Zone theme. Game is brutal with great multiball modes. A bargain even still on account of the lack of modes, beyond the multiball modes, but with the cool toys and replayability jacked up because of the difficulty, that may be changing fast.

Steve Richie's ultimate modern classic. Shots are amazing, game is difficult to master but easy to play/not inherently punishing. Out of the box, needs an LED OCD board for LED conversion and art blades or BackAlley buildings to create the experience. People can go really toy-happy/crazy on this game, but I keep mine stock. Only knock is the plastics art- the creepy heads on the left plastics especially- but besides that this game is a total work of art.

Addams is the game that showed me that the experience of pinball could be truly magical. In many ways, it was as though the very movie came to life before my very eyes, but in an expanded and brilliant new way. A special game and genuine keeper.

As a transition from Ghostbusters Premium- its the Hobbit for the win!

Definitely a shooters game to the max- needs dialing in like any other pin, but nothing unusual about the process- unlike GB which required tons of modifications to make the game playable.

Build quality is just on another level than the basic Stern boxes of today- which seem more appropriate for routed games for money making rather than collectibles for the home.

I've barely scratched the surface in the Hobbit like most others. Its got the depth of an RPG video game crossed with a pinball machine.

Ghostbusters is a classic in the making- if and when the quality control can be locked down.

I'm not savvy with pin repairs- I just wanted to take it out of the box and play.
Unfortunately, with GB, I just couldn't do that.

Needed mods. Needed cliffys. Needed special coil power tuning. It goes on and on- even with the playfield ghosting issues basically resolved.

In the end, the game play was just too brutal for my collection- ended up trading it for a Hobbit which is more to my taste.

Not sure how Pinside has MM ranked #1 when IPDB has it ranked #5. The game definitely feels more like a #5 than a #1; the theme is funny and the gameplay is easy to get into, but challenge, depth and intensity of the experience long term can't hold a candle to TZ, the undisputed #1 between the two major sites (IPDB #1, Pinside #2).

Super fast! Reaching Powerdown is all about trying to control chaos. Makes TZ seem like child's play by comparison.

My first pinball and it was a pure delight to own it and restore it from the ground up. A fantastic game, the so called "Data East Twilight Zone," its Achilles heel is that, in fact, it remains a pin from Data East. John Borg, had he had BW money and a BW development cycle, already admitted he would have input a secondary "Crypt" playfield, among other things. Playfield art is incredible but the backglass art disappoints, with the cab art being merely decent. Flow of gameplay is fantastic while it rewards newbs and punishes all but the best who try and go for Crypt Jam. Fortunately a new backglass art was licensed and is available on ebay. Sold the game to pay for my TZ, but otherwise a really nice pin if you can play it in great condition.

My "grail game" and, very recently, I was very lucky to acquire a very nice example to fix up and make like new. The only game that could have gotten me to sell my beloved TFTC prototype. The value of the theme needs no further explanation here, and the gameplay itself is just wicked fast and unforgiving, but the rewards for solid play are off the charts- even for newbs who will invariably stumble into a nice shot. The most exciting pin ever created, my pin fans who play it for the first time go absolutely bonkers and want one by the time the evening is done.