I owned Elvira's House of Horrors for 4 months, the longest that I've owned any game so far, and I still wasn't bored with it when it left. So that says something. I'm rating it based on the 1.01 code.
Elvira's HoH is one of the best, most fully featured Stern games to come out in years. The lighting for Mode shots is excellent. You never have to guess what to shoot for. The modes/movies are nicely coded, and often have story elements to the shots to increase immersion. For instance, in the "Werewolf of Washington" mode, you have to make an "orbit" shot first, in order to get the moon to come out and transform the werewolf, at which point you can advance the mode, but if you miss a shot the moon will go away, and you'll need to make an orbit again to continue advancing. Another example is the "Night of the Living Dead" mode; in that mode one of the first shots that you must make is the house shot. Because the characters are fleeing to the house in the movie. Good stuff.
The rules are wonderful. With lots of depth and variety. Not only do you have the movie modes, you've got several mini-wizard and wizard modes. You've also got the crypt and deadhead stuff, and the Gappy Angry mode, and the various multiballs and locks, and you've got the special items, and hand of fate wheel. I mean the rules are packed, and the game has tons of clips and callouts. Also, the skillshot is actually skillful. I can usually make the skillshot once or twice a game, but my wife can make it probably 50% of the time.
The game also has a lot of mechs, which might not be apparent at first. The house is a very complicated and cool mech. It can divert the ball several directions, it can lock a ball. It has a lift-ramp and basement kickout, as well as a backdoor entry, and it has a garage to the side with a drop target and built-in lock and kickout. The crypt is another cool mech combing a bash toy, a subway, and a vuk. It also has an opening and closing trunk with another lock and kickout. Not to mention the jumping gargoyles. I mean the game is loaded.
There are a number of great mods that really enhance the game, such as Medisynl's great mods, as well as the crypt-face mods. The official Stern Art blades are excellent and really blend in and match the existing art. The art blades have lots of nice details and touches that put it above the average blades or even mirror blades.
This game may be as close to perfect as Stern has ever done. Worth every penny of it's MSRP. It competes very well with the CGC remakes, as well as the classic B/W games, and Stern's best games such as LOTR or JP. Every pinball enthusiast should own this game at some point. Plus, it has Torgo, and Torgo is the best thing in pinball and life.
"Don't Go! Gappy Angry!" "Torgo, have you seen Debbie?" "No."