guymontag451's ratings
Pinsider guymontag451 has rated 170 machines.
This page shows all all these ratings, and forms guymontag451's personal top 170.
Rating comments
9.566/10
11 days ago
Portland, OR
I will start by saying I am not a Tarantino fan, nor a fan of the film. But I am a fan of older solid state pinball machines, and having to fight games for control of the ball, and this game delivers big time for me.
The lightshow and sound package are top notch (David Thiel crushed this assignment), and I love the art package. The mirrored backglass is stunning and comes standard! The build quality is second to none, and these new magnetic spinners have to be the best spinners ever put into a pinball machine.
It's so good to see Mark Ritchie back in the saddle, and with a throwback design no less. Two different main multiballs with physical locks, center bank of drops, and another set of inline drops. The most valuable shot on the playfield (the magnet big kahuna multiplier shot) is also the most dangerous, which is exactly the way it should be.
George and Josh did an amazing job on the ruleset to this game. It's everything it should be, and really hard to fault in any way whatsoever. It's simple to learn just by flipping a few games, but has multiple objectives which always leaves you with decisions to make and prioritize. It's easy to learn, but hard to master even for and advanced player. I have had a couple massive games already and I still had stuff left to do to get to "Divine Intervention". The people that say this game isn't deep enough for long term playability are simply judging a book by its cover.
Truly grateful to see a machine like this come out in 2024, the last few times I saw it were Beatles, Bond 60th, and TNA. We need more variety in pinball, and this game delivers.
I can't even imagine if I was a fan of the movie, my head might explode if there was a game this good made for one of my favorite movies. A+
The lightshow and sound package are top notch (David Thiel crushed this assignment), and I love the art package. The mirrored backglass is stunning and comes standard! The build quality is second to none, and these new magnetic spinners have to be the best spinners ever put into a pinball machine.
It's so good to see Mark Ritchie back in the saddle, and with a throwback design no less. Two different main multiballs with physical locks, center bank of drops, and another set of inline drops. The most valuable shot on the playfield (the magnet big kahuna multiplier shot) is also the most dangerous, which is exactly the way it should be.
George and Josh did an amazing job on the ruleset to this game. It's everything it should be, and really hard to fault in any way whatsoever. It's simple to learn just by flipping a few games, but has multiple objectives which always leaves you with decisions to make and prioritize. It's easy to learn, but hard to master even for and advanced player. I have had a couple massive games already and I still had stuff left to do to get to "Divine Intervention". The people that say this game isn't deep enough for long term playability are simply judging a book by its cover.
Truly grateful to see a machine like this come out in 2024, the last few times I saw it were Beatles, Bond 60th, and TNA. We need more variety in pinball, and this game delivers.
I can't even imagine if I was a fan of the movie, my head might explode if there was a game this good made for one of my favorite movies. A+
8.719/10
3 months ago
Sing Along Gottlieb, 1967
Sing Along is one of the most iconic wedgeheads of all time, and for good reason. It has a very fun and challenging playfield by the legendary Ed Krynski and features a classic Art Stenholm art package. Lanes and targets are color coded and build up the four center saucer shots, that feed it each other from left to right. The lower playfield has no inlanes, but features geometry that rewards the patient player who nudges and bounces the ball out of danger. It's surprisingly controllable for a short flipper game, and that's what makes it addictive. I have yet to roll it, or really ever come close, but this is a highly addictive player that I won't ever get tired of trying. Lives up to the hype and then some.
6.820/10
4 months ago
Waterworld Gottlieb, 1995
Waterworld is full is cool toys and mechs, but the art is pretty bad and the rules aren’t great either. I really always want to enjoy this game more, because I really love the movie as a guilty pleasure and want the pin to feel the same. I love the jet ski guy who revs up when you hit the orbit shot, and I like where they placed the hurry up shot on the right behind an isolated standup target. The center mech is also very impressive, although the gameplay just gets old. A mediocre pin that could’ve been much better.
7.976/10
4 months ago
Gladiators Gottlieb, 1993
Gladiators is a real sleeper of a pin. It’s got a wild and unique playfield design with some nice flow and interesting shots including no shots that return to your flippers, and slings that are actually just kicking targets. I think the art is kitschy great, sorta like a 1980s saturday morning cartoon show, and the music rocks too. Like most Gottlieb Premieres, the weaknesses are the rules/code and the worst solid state flippers of all time.
8.951/10
4 months ago
Argosy Williams, 1977
The last 4 player EM from Williams, and it rips!!! I think the art is merely okay. The backglass is pretty good though. But I love the upper sling kicker for more action at the top of the playfield, and giving you more chances at nudging the ball into the lane to open the left outlane save gate. Ripping the spinner when it is juiced, is a great feeling, and I love that knocking down the 4 drops once lights double bonus, twice lights extra ball, and thrice lights special all at the saucer which can be DEATH. It gives you a reason to hit shots all over the playfield, and is a late williams EM so it is very snappy. Gotta say, I love this one. It's addictive as hell to play with your friends.
7.573/10
4 months ago
Lights...Camera...Action! Gottlieb, 1989
LCA is a very fun game with a bonkers Jon Norris playfield design, and it really is a shame that he never got the opportunity to work for another bigger pinball company later on. Famously, this is the first game to have modes, and they are fun. It’s not super intuitive as to how to start each one, but you pick it up eventually.
The game has a couple of really cool and defining features which include the animated backglass shootout, the rotating ramp/diverter mech, and the super jackpot shot that rolls around a loop ala Creature from the black lagoon, or like the cup shot in Diner.
The art on the playfield I mostly enjoy, but the backglass and cabinet are merely fine to maybe even bad, and collecting poker hands in addition seems to run counterintuitive to the main theme of the game which is shooting an action movie.
I really enjoy shooting the super jackpot shot during multiball or even when it is lit for a million during regular play because it’s a very tough but super rewarding shot. And I love trying to get all my stunts done in one game. The game doesn’t have a lot (or any) flow, but it does give you many great hurryup moments.
If I find one of these in working order, it always draws my attention and I find myself gleefully sessioning it, even if there are “better” games next to it.
The game has a couple of really cool and defining features which include the animated backglass shootout, the rotating ramp/diverter mech, and the super jackpot shot that rolls around a loop ala Creature from the black lagoon, or like the cup shot in Diner.
The art on the playfield I mostly enjoy, but the backglass and cabinet are merely fine to maybe even bad, and collecting poker hands in addition seems to run counterintuitive to the main theme of the game which is shooting an action movie.
I really enjoy shooting the super jackpot shot during multiball or even when it is lit for a million during regular play because it’s a very tough but super rewarding shot. And I love trying to get all my stunts done in one game. The game doesn’t have a lot (or any) flow, but it does give you many great hurryup moments.
If I find one of these in working order, it always draws my attention and I find myself gleefully sessioning it, even if there are “better” games next to it.
8.636/10
7 months ago
Big Casino Gottlieb, 1961
Big Casino is a sleeper game if there ever was one. It's a small flipper EM that at first glance seems unexceptional. The art is merely ok by the standards of the era, although the hillbilly king on the backglass is kinda funny.
But this is another Wayne Neyens gem as far as layout and gameplay. This game has an insane lower playfield layout that at first seems impossible, but you soon realize that it facilitates nudging the ball across it and is actually super fun to play. It's a challenging game, but a fair game, and one that keeps you coming back for more. A near perfect EM, with subpar art.
But this is another Wayne Neyens gem as far as layout and gameplay. This game has an insane lower playfield layout that at first seems impossible, but you soon realize that it facilitates nudging the ball across it and is actually super fun to play. It's a challenging game, but a fair game, and one that keeps you coming back for more. A near perfect EM, with subpar art.
8.457/10
7 months ago
Mars Trek Segasa-Sonic, 1977
One of the best Spanish games. I really love the crazy backglass art with the wild forced perspective. The playfield and cabinet art are decent, but boring in comparison. The layout is cool and unique, but features full size flippers and a standard inlane and slingshot configuration on the bottom. There are two spinners mounted right next to one another, and behind each is a horsehoe shot which under ideal circumstances, means that with one shot to either spinner, you can end up ripping both! As everyone knows, these playfields are bulletproof, and still play like new. They used williams flipper mechs (the strongest of the era) so they always play snappier than most EMs.
8.299/10
7 months ago
Grand Prix Williams, 1976
This is one of the best selling EMs of all time, and for a good reason. It's a beautiful game with an art package full of primary colors, and great depth of perspective usage. It's a pretty standard and symmetrical layout, but features two spinners and a line of bonus inserts that make ripping them super fun and satisfying to pick up at the corresponding saucer. It has full size flippers, and a modern italian bottom layout, which makes it a good gateway EM for those players that don't most EMs. I think this game is a lot of fun to play, but the gameplay is a little bit vanilla. But like super high quality, artisan vanilla bean.
9.348/10
7 months ago
King of Diamonds Gottlieb, 1967
One of my all time favorite short flipper EMs. Designed by the goat, Ed Krynski, this game features a carousel of card targets that you need to rotate and then hit individually. The back glass is animated with the card that you have already collected, and is a very cool effect. The game features modern inlanes, which is uncommon for this time period, but the result is a lot more control than many other EMs. I think that this is a great gateway game for those players who may think that they don't like EMs. The gameplay is VERY addicting trying to pick up all the cards. One of the best Wedgeheads of all time.
5.208/10
7 months ago
Spy Hunter Bally, 1984
Spyhunter tried a unique layout, but that layout was a failure. I like the art and sound package, but really dislike the rest of the game. It's just not a fun game to shoot, nor is there much to do. Playing it feels like a waste of time.
6.563/10
7 months ago
Galaxy Stern Electronics, 1980
One of the classic stern games that is a disappointment. They made so many great games like Meteor, Nineball, Stars, Cheetah, Big Game, Stargazer, and Quicksilver. But this isn't up to that standard. It's not terrible, but it's also not very good.
8.644/10
7 months ago
Rick and Morty (Standard) Spooky Pinball, 2020
Rick and Morty is a great effort from Scott and Spooky. They finally got a massive theme, and executed a very good pinball machine based on it. The art package is great, particularly the cabinet. With plenty of clips from the show, the animations are as good as you can get. And because they got the show creator to record all the custom callouts, it's hard to think of a modern pin with better ones. The visual and audio package on this game is second to none. For fans of the show, it seems like an ideal package.
Some people find the shots frustrating, and overly difficult. I have never felt this way, as all the shots are makeable to me. I actually count its difficulty as a positive and a refreshing break from all the other companies making super long playing games. But there is no doubt that the difficulty is a notch above the average stern, and two notches above a JJP.
There's lots of variation in the modes and dimensions, and plenty to uncover over repeat plays. Overall, maybe spooky's best game. I still like TNA a bit better, but Rick and Morty is also very good.
Some people find the shots frustrating, and overly difficult. I have never felt this way, as all the shots are makeable to me. I actually count its difficulty as a positive and a refreshing break from all the other companies making super long playing games. But there is no doubt that the difficulty is a notch above the average stern, and two notches above a JJP.
There's lots of variation in the modes and dimensions, and plenty to uncover over repeat plays. Overall, maybe spooky's best game. I still like TNA a bit better, but Rick and Morty is also very good.
7.318/10
7 months ago
Royal Rumble (WWF) Data East, 1994
This is definitely the best wrestling pinball machine ever made. They're aren't many others, I can only count gottlieb's Tag Team, and Stern's Wrestlemania, but still. If you're a wrestling fan, and a pinhead, then this is your best option. It's in a weird in between period for the federation as far as wrestlers, but still features some all time legends like Undertaker, Macho Man, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Hulk.
The layout is pretty good for a DE game, and the ruleset is better than most DE games. Not as polished as a B/W, but pretty good nonetheless. The sound, callouts, and music are all pretty good, but sound pretty bad through the little speakers and underpowered sound board. If you're a fan of wrestling, you're gonna enjoy this.
Overall the art is pretty good, and so is the game. It's pretty easy, and longplaying, but still a good time.
The layout is pretty good for a DE game, and the ruleset is better than most DE games. Not as polished as a B/W, but pretty good nonetheless. The sound, callouts, and music are all pretty good, but sound pretty bad through the little speakers and underpowered sound board. If you're a fan of wrestling, you're gonna enjoy this.
Overall the art is pretty good, and so is the game. It's pretty easy, and longplaying, but still a good time.
7.954/10
7 months ago
Harlem Globetrotters On Tour Bally, 1979
Harlem is a nice Bally solid state game with three spinners, some crucial inline drops, and a nice single target that can open up the right outlane save gate. It's got the double stacked flippers on the left side that allows the unassuming player to lose the ball between the two should they try and trap the ball.
Gameplay is simple, and is mostly centered around hitting the inline drops to increase your bonus, and then keeping the ball in play to build that bonus that you just worked to multiply. It's a fun and sometimes very difficult game, but it includes some nice solid state sound effects and a midi version of the Globetrotters iconic theme song. Greg Freres did a nice and playful art package, and I particularly enjoy the cabinet stencil with the cartoon sneakers.
Stock game is too easy to roll once you find the drop target shot, but you can mod it to add an extra digit.
Gameplay is simple, and is mostly centered around hitting the inline drops to increase your bonus, and then keeping the ball in play to build that bonus that you just worked to multiply. It's a fun and sometimes very difficult game, but it includes some nice solid state sound effects and a midi version of the Globetrotters iconic theme song. Greg Freres did a nice and playful art package, and I particularly enjoy the cabinet stencil with the cartoon sneakers.
Stock game is too easy to roll once you find the drop target shot, but you can mod it to add an extra digit.
8.208/10
7 months ago
Aerosmith (Pro) Stern, 2017
I cannot be more outside of the target demographic for this game, and I largely ignored it upon its initial release, but man is this game a sleeper. To start with, I don't like the band at all. And I don't particularly like the Dirty Donnie Art package, although I can appreciate his unique style, and that some people love it. I would rather it be distinct like this, than photoshopped and boring.
But after I started playing it, it's really a fun game to play. The layout is fast and smooth, and fun to shoot with a nice mix of shots. It's a Borg, and I think it ranks among his better layouts. What really shines to me is how well the rule set matches the layout. It's easy to learn, but still has wrinkles that make it interesting. I love that it allows you to hold off on your multiball start and gamble to try and lock more balls before you start. Getting the full 6 balls is a great feeling.
And that toybox shot is a properly cool moment and mech. Overall, great game hampered by a bad band.
But after I started playing it, it's really a fun game to play. The layout is fast and smooth, and fun to shoot with a nice mix of shots. It's a Borg, and I think it ranks among his better layouts. What really shines to me is how well the rule set matches the layout. It's easy to learn, but still has wrinkles that make it interesting. I love that it allows you to hold off on your multiball start and gamble to try and lock more balls before you start. Getting the full 6 balls is a great feeling.
And that toybox shot is a properly cool moment and mech. Overall, great game hampered by a bad band.
8.266/10
7 months ago
Hook Data East, 1992
Hook is one of those "what if" type of pins. I feel like the left ramp is one of the coolest in pinball, and the score and sound effects are incredible. The art is in the typical style of Data East, which many people do not like. But I do genuinely like this art package. Like most DE games, this game is crippled by its limited code, and unbalanced rule set. It's also super dark, but with some LED mods to add some more GI, this goes away.
I would love to be able to change the rule set, and tweak some of the balancing, because I really think that it could have been an excellent game. The layout is there, the movie is a massive family favorite for all generations, and even the animations are pretty good. Just wished this game had the polish that B/W gave their games during this era.
I would love to be able to change the rule set, and tweak some of the balancing, because I really think that it could have been an excellent game. The layout is there, the movie is a massive family favorite for all generations, and even the animations are pretty good. Just wished this game had the polish that B/W gave their games during this era.
9.135/10
7 months ago
Nine Ball Stern Electronics, 1980
Nineball is Steve Kirk's masterpiece. A challenging shooter's game that requires bank shots to make certain shots, and has an early multiball (that your opponent can steal!) It has lots of drops, and maybe the best spinner placement in pinball history. The spinner is placed right next to two long rubbers, so the angle that you go through the spinner will dictate where the ball will go from there. Simple, but inspired. I think this game is close to perfection. The playfield art has some nice Kirby space crackle, and the backglass is alright but is maybe the only weakness of the game.
4.471/10
7 months ago
Mustang (Pro) Stern, 2014
I know that some people inexplicably love this game, but it's an uninspired mess to me. The rules are balanced well enough, but the playfield is boring (but smooth shooting) and very long playing. It's ugly as hell, and the theme is just a commercial for Ford. Every time I have played one, I have walked away from it in the middle of a game because it just feels like it's never gonna end and I have zero fun playing it.
8.399/10
7 months ago
Stars Stern Electronics, 1978
One of the best of the Stern electronics era. Designed by the enigmatic genius Steve Kirk, Stars has a great layout and ruleset for its time. The art on the playfield is nice, but the cabinet is just so so, and the backglass is borderline bad. I love the electric chimes for this game, and it's hard to stop playing once you start. Definitely keeps you coming back for more.
6.859/10
7 months ago
Medusa Bally, 1981
Medusa is a game that looks much better than it is. The blood red cabinet, back glass, and playfield is striking. And the art is dynamic. The best part of the game is the controllable moving center post below the flippers. The rest of the gameplay is focused entirely on getting the ball into the faux upper playfield and keeping it there. Glad to have sold ours.
8.180/10
7 months ago
NBA Fastbreak Bally, 1997
This is a great change of pace pin. There really is nothing quite like it. But it's a lot of fun. The basketball scoring is only broken up through the trivia mode which is worth way too many points. But it's a lot of fun trying to get the highest score on all the teams, and to chase championship rings.
I like that the high score prioritizes rings above score. So if you are playing as the Knicks and you put up 165 points, but didn't win a ring, you won't beat the previous high score of someone that scored 115 points but got a ring with the Knicks. It makes for a super addictive experience on location. Underappreciated upon its release, and judging by its current ranking outside the top 100, it's still underappreciated.
I like that the high score prioritizes rings above score. So if you are playing as the Knicks and you put up 165 points, but didn't win a ring, you won't beat the previous high score of someone that scored 115 points but got a ring with the Knicks. It makes for a super addictive experience on location. Underappreciated upon its release, and judging by its current ranking outside the top 100, it's still underappreciated.
7.621/10
7 months ago
Seawitch Stern Electronics, 1980
Seawitch is one of the most iconic of the Stern Electronics games. It has a great layout, but can shoot a little bit rough, especially the upper loop. I like the art package, but to be fair, it's not flawlessly executed. I wish that loop was repeatable like it should have been. But Beatles fixes this shortcoming. You gotta appreciate the original here. Good rules for its era.
7.651/10
7 months ago
Paragon Bally, 1979
Paragon is a classic for a reason. The art package is striking in that Frank Frazetta / Conan the Barbarian type of way. It has a strange pop bumper cage where the left drain usually is, and with some nudging and some luck, you can pull the ball back from the brink of death. It has lots of drops, and shots everywhere, and it has a more balanced scoring logic than many other solid state games. It's not my personal favorite from that era, but still a damn good game.
5.491/10
7 months ago
Toy Story 4 (LE) Jersey Jack, 2022
I don't want to beat a dead horse about how this should have been Toy Story, and not Toy Story 4. I mean, it should have been for sure, but I doubt this game would have been any better. Maybe just even more disappointing that it already is.
JJP really has a gift for making pinball machines feel like slot machines with their animations and lightshows. The layout is okay, and the jump ramp is a cool gimmick. But that's where the fun of this ends for me.
JJP really has a gift for making pinball machines feel like slot machines with their animations and lightshows. The layout is okay, and the jump ramp is a cool gimmick. But that's where the fun of this ends for me.
6.432/10
7 months ago
Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle Spooky Pinball, 2017
The game looks great, and it has some great modes and stuff to do, but the layout is just bad. The upper playfield just obscures the ball too much and the shots are too tight, which means there is a delay between knowing if you made your shot or it rattled out because you can’t see it.
I like the guillotine, and the magnet save between the flippers though.
I like the guillotine, and the magnet save between the flippers though.
7.820/10
7 months ago
Foo Fighters (Pro) Stern, 2023
What an awesome debut full fledged design by Jack Danger. It’s got lots of combos and cross playfield shots, and the ball just loops and crosses around the playfield. It’s a joy to shoot. The weird scooby doo theme on top of the band is strange, but it gives it a narrative that most band pins don’t have. Yeti does another great art package, and even as a non fan of the band, the game is is just fun.
4.970/10
7 months ago
Phantom of the Opera Data East, 1990
Not much to do, and not fun to play. Just a pretty bad pin overall.
5.541/10
7 months ago
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (LE) Jersey Jack, 2019
Not the worst JJP game, but definitely the most disappointing for myself as a fan of the original Gene Wilder film. Game just suffers from all the normal jack problems like bloated code, bad lisa frank lightshows, excessive ball times, too many multiballs, and spongy flippers.
Worst of all it just looks and sounds like a slot machine. Layout is okay, but not special. Such a missed opportunity.
Worst of all it just looks and sounds like a slot machine. Layout is okay, but not special. Such a missed opportunity.
5.450/10
7 months ago
Pirates of the Caribbean (LE) Jersey Jack, 2018
This is a very rare, very expensive, and very bloated game. I don’t want to dredge it up or insult someone else’s feelings about the game should they enjoy it.
But to me, it’s a slow and floaty game with an impenetrably complex ruleset with a thousand things going on at all times. It’s just not fun to play, and it lasts forever. Not for me.
Lock stealing, and gold stealing however is awesome. I love when games force you to consider your opponent’s next ball.
But to me, it’s a slow and floaty game with an impenetrably complex ruleset with a thousand things going on at all times. It’s just not fun to play, and it lasts forever. Not for me.
Lock stealing, and gold stealing however is awesome. I love when games force you to consider your opponent’s next ball.
8.320/10
7 months ago
The Beatles (Gold Edition) Stern, 2018
I love Seawitch, but there was a little bit of a flaw in the upper loop shot that made it nearly impossible to repeat and combo. George Gomez tweaked the geometry a bit but kept the basic layout intact for this game, and we end up with an upgraded reskin. It’s also very nice to have stern drops that actually fall down reliably when you hit them, unlike the old Bally tombstones of the past.
Franchi did a good job with the art package, even if we all wished that this game was the later era beatles instead of this early era. But the game is a wonderful update of an all time classic replete with some hits from the most successful band of all time.
Franchi did a good job with the art package, even if we all wished that this game was the later era beatles instead of this early era. But the game is a wonderful update of an all time classic replete with some hits from the most successful band of all time.
8.503/10
7 months ago
Firepower Williams, 1980
Firepower is a masterpiece of its era. It was the first to do lane changes and ball locks, and the game forces you to shoot INSANELY dangerous center standups that you don’t want to hit. The games can be over in seconds, not minutes sometimes, but it’s really addictive to try and qualify and lock all three balls. It’s so difficult that it feels like a wizard mode in and of itself. This is one of those “one more game” type of pins for sure.
The only points I docked were because I really dislike the art package. The layout and subject matter is good, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. No matter though, you don’t play the art.
The only points I docked were because I really dislike the art package. The layout and subject matter is good, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. No matter though, you don’t play the art.
7.456/10
7 months ago
Led Zeppelin (Premium) Stern, 2020
This game gets a lot of criticism. I don’t disagree with all of it, but it’s nowhere near the worst of Stern’s offerings. The pop up spinner and lock mech is cool, and that’s about all you get (and this is a premium?) . I don’t love the ruleset, although band pins are awkward thematically to code. But it’s not terrible. I grew up listening to Zeppelin so I like the music, and it’s a Ritchie so the shots are smooth. Overall it’s just alright.
7.838/10
7 months ago
Flash Gordon Bally, 1981
Flash Gordon was the first game I ever bought. I love the movie, and the fact that this was available near me sold me on it. Mine had a torched playfield (common on this era of ballys), but I didn’t care. It was a great first game. It’s famously difficult and brutally mean, but that’s the charm. Overall the art package is great even if some of Sam’s features aren’t exactly to scale on the back glass.
8.824/10
7 months ago
No Fear: Dangerous Sports Williams, 1995
Man, I love No Fear as a game. I am unabashedly a Steve Ritchie fanboy, so take this how you will. But I just love the demented speed of this game. The theme is well integrated (despite being goofy) and the looping ramp is just a blast. I like the rules, but it could’ve been better balanced to incentivize playing through the modes, and has a similar Black Knight issue of being a *super* heavy right flipper game.
But I don’t really care about its goofy theme, or its flaws. All I want to do is play it, and then play it again.
But I don’t really care about its goofy theme, or its flaws. All I want to do is play it, and then play it again.
9.272/10
7 months ago
Guardians of the Galaxy (Pro) Stern, 2017
One of the best of Stern's modern era for sure, and almost ridiculously underrated on here. But that is likely due to the lackluster launch code, which was a disaster admittedly. But they rectified that with subsequent code updates, and now the game has a nice clear, varied, and fun rule set that properly compliments one of Borg's best layouts. The ramps are tall, fast, smooth, and just challenging enough. The center Groot toy is pretty damn cool, and I like the return of the warmachine shot from Iron Man this time as Rocket. Very good mix of shots that are easy and hard to make, close in, and far away, and a good mix of fast and slow it down shots. Game shoots like a dream, has a simple but nicely fleshed out rule set, a beautiful all around art package, great sound and music, and the most important part is that it is FUN.
8.080/10
7 months ago
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Pro) Stern, 2020
This is a solid effort from Borg and Dwight. I love that this game is a proper challenge. Many of the shots are hard and tight and take a skilled player to open it up. The gameplay is fast, and the combos are blistering. The sound and callouts are significantly better than most modern pins, as well as the animation. The molded turtle van and the spinning pizza disc are nice touches, and with some excellent Yeti art, this game starts to feel a lot closer to the old Bally/Williams in terms of overall package. Until you get to the ruleset, of course. It's a low scoring affair, but the modes are fun, and there's many different paths to choose from. Neither the code, nor the layout is particularly beginner friendly. But that's fine for me. I grew up with TMNT, and am a player that appreciates a difficult game, so I enjoy this game more than most.
8.063/10
7 months ago
James Bond 007 (Pro) Stern, 2022
This game has serious potential to join Deadpool, Guardians, and Stranger Things in the pantheon of terrible launches that get redeemed by future code updates and polish. Just like those other games, this one shipped woefully incomplete and missing too many modes and features to be anything other than underwhelming. The good news is that it has a wonderfully unique layout by George Gomez that has a perfect ratio of easy to hard shots. I find it a blast to shoot around on. But the bad news is that even a year later, the game still doesn't feel fully done. I'm hopeful for this one and will update in the future that changes the narrative, and makes this game as good as it deserves to be. I think that the art package is absolutely gorgeous and maybe the best stern art package ever. It's subtle, textured, period correct for the original films, and well laid out on the back glass and playfield.
7.600/10
7 months ago
Rush (Pro) Stern, 2022
All in all, a decent effort. The art package isn't great, but I don't think it is as bad as some make it out to be. It looks like Rush. The layout has some fast and fun combo shots courtesy John Borg. The rules are fine, it feels very much like many other modern Sterns. Not being a massive Rush fan, but not disliking them, the theme is fine for me. It's not my favorite game, but also not a game that I dislike. I guess that makes it mid.
5.503/10
7 months ago
Guns N' Roses (SE) Jersey Jack, 2020
First game I ever played was a 35 minute marathon slog through a million multiballs, and modes that told me to "shoot anything". I was immediately turned off, as the game felt exactly like all other JJP games. Far too long, weird rainbow lit inserts, constant multiballs and ball savers, a code that is unnecessarily deep, and weird flipper feel. I have put another handful of games on it since, and have found my opinion of it unchanged, even when playing with a friend of mine who loves it. I think liking Guns 'n Roses music would have to be a prerequisite to buying this game, as I don't think the gameplay is good enough to overcome a band that you don't like being the theme. It's nowhere near as good as Maiden or Metallica, or even Foo, ACDC, Kiss, or Aerosmith.
8.240/10
7 months ago
Stranger Things (Pro) Stern, 2019
Stranger Things really received a nice glowup after they finished the code. The layout is a classic 90s fan by the king of 90s fans, Brian Eddy. The main demogorgan toy once adjusted properly is fun to smack around and shoot into its mouth, and I like all the shots except the scoop on the far left that shoots up the playfield into nowhere, and the saucer shot just right of the left ramp that you end up hitting way too often on accident from slap saves to protect from center drains. But the left orbit, both ramps, and horseshoe all feel great.
I love the return to insert ladders a la the 90s games that track your progress to each shots mode, and to collect them all to get to the first wizard mode. This game has just enough depth to keep me interested, but not too much to be cumbersome. Not to mention the upgraded upside down blacklight mode is stunning! One of the coolest lighting effects of all time.
A lackluster launch, that has matured into a very fun pin.
I love the return to insert ladders a la the 90s games that track your progress to each shots mode, and to collect them all to get to the first wizard mode. This game has just enough depth to keep me interested, but not too much to be cumbersome. Not to mention the upgraded upside down blacklight mode is stunning! One of the coolest lighting effects of all time.
A lackluster launch, that has matured into a very fun pin.
9.443/10
7 months ago
Mystic Bally, 1980
Mystic has got to be my favorite George Christian game of all time. Filling out the grid with all seeing eyes or pyramids is challenging and forces you to pinpoint your shots to the three sets of drop targets. It has two spinners, and a crucial captive ball shot. Like all great games of this era, it's simple to learn, but damn hard to master. Kevin O'Connor's art package is magnificent, as the back glass is appropriately mesmerizing, and I love all the nods to magic, the occult, and... Egypt? The cabinet stencil might be the best of all time, with the skeleton in the pharaoh's headdress. This game keeps you coming back, because you are always *just* about to break it wide open, but rarely do. An all time great pin.
9.656/10
7 months ago
Atlantis Gottlieb, 1975
A truly fantastic single player wedgehead. The art package is stunning, from the legendary Gordon Morison. The extra long drop bank on the left is paired with full size flippers and a nice ladder down the right side. If you hit two drops at the same time they are worth 5k, and any lit lane is worth 2k, along with 500 for a lane by itself. It just means that both sides of the playfield are equally valuable, but different, giving you something to shoot for from both flippers. This game is addictive as all hell, but should be set to 3 ball so as to make scoring rollovers the rare super feat that it was meant to be. One of the greatest wedgeheads ever made!
6.861/10
7 months ago
James Bond 007 (60th LE) Stern, 2023
Layout is fun, maybe my favorite of Elwin's layouts. The only part I dislike is the spinning hat mech. Otherwise, I like the layout and rules quite a bit.
The problem with this game is that the art package is terrible, and the overall package is lacking. Putting an LCD screen in the middle of a solid state layout was a mistake, and putting the reel into the same back box space that normally houses the LCD score display makes the reel look fake. And obviously, the price point is out of line for what you get from this. I wish this was handled like Pulp Fiction. With a proper (and cohesive) art package, and a custom head that showcased the mechanical reel, this game could've looked like the period art piece that it should, and like Pulp Fiction accomplished.
The problem with this game is that the art package is terrible, and the overall package is lacking. Putting an LCD screen in the middle of a solid state layout was a mistake, and putting the reel into the same back box space that normally houses the LCD score display makes the reel look fake. And obviously, the price point is out of line for what you get from this. I wish this was handled like Pulp Fiction. With a proper (and cohesive) art package, and a custom head that showcased the mechanical reel, this game could've looked like the period art piece that it should, and like Pulp Fiction accomplished.
7.832/10
7 months ago
Wipe Out Gottlieb, 1993
Gotta say this is a true guilty pleasure game. I doubt anyone truly loves the pointy gottlieb flippers from this era. The ruleset leaves a lot to be desired in both depth and balance, and the art is more than a couple notches below the Bally/Williams standard of the era. But where this game excels is in its approachability and excellent gimmicks. The ski lift, and shaking downhill mech bring the theme together and are very fun and cool moments. Casual players love it, and even as a seasoned player, I will always put a couple games on it when I see one in the wild.
5.513/10
7 months ago
Weird Al's Museum of Natural Hilarity Multimorphic, 2022
Don't enjoy this one at all, especially the separate flipper buttons for the upper flippers. The hamster wheel is a cool mech though. As a medium level fan of Weird Al, I wanted more from this game.
4.418/10
7 months ago
Avengers: Infinity Quest (pro) Stern, 2020
Definitely a game that I do not enjoy at all. Layout is clunky, rules are convoluted, and the game just doesn't make me want to play it. Art is still good, as it is Yeti, although it's not his best. Honestly prefer the original Avengers game by Gomez to this one.
9.747/10
7 months ago
Spanish Eyes Williams, 1972
Man, do I love myself some Spanish Eyes. This has to be my favorite EM of all time. It's got a unique "love it or hate it" art package, and I am in the "love it" camp for. I love the distinctive style and color palette. The layout doesn't seem particularly special...until you play it. This game is just perfectly balanced. Trying to get all the ABCDE lanes up top, or all the 123456 targets in one game always feels *just* out of reach. The lack of inlanes, and the signature pop below the flippers just makes the gameplay so dynamic and varied. This is a game that consumes me every time that I get to play one. Norm Clark's best game, and one of the greatest pinball machines ever made...according to me at least.
7.405/10
7 months ago
Godzilla (Premium) Stern, 2021
Godzilla is a good game that I never want to play. The rules are way too deep to explain to friends, and ball times are ridiculously long. I love the clips, and sounds from the old godzilla flicks. The art package is good, and the mechs are very impressive by normal stern standards. But it plays too long, and has the problem of too many things to collect/powerup/battle/etc. You have cities, allies, kaiju, tanks, bridges, destruction jackpots, loops, tesla strikes, and more. And while I think that the mechs on this premium are cool, but they do slow an already long game down even more.
4.211/10
9 months ago
Ultraman (Standard Edition) Spooky Pinball, 2021
I don't want to be overly rude, but this game suffers from a terrible layout. Both ramps are super clunky, and there are too many hidden shots, and weird ball paths. There is no reason why a drain from the first upper playfield should trigger a mode start at the scoop below it. The left side hedges should have had some drops or something to block them off when they are lit for locks, because the ball lifters are so SLOW and just add an uncomfortable amount of dead time in between the action. The upper playfields are unsatisfying, with the ultimate bridge shot being pretty underwhelming to hit. The art package is solid, but not exceptional. The ruleset is also acceptable, but it just can't overcome the bad layout.
9.297/10
4 years ago
Slick Chick Gottlieb, 1963
One of my all time favorite wedgeheads, designed by the venerable Wayne Neyens. An INSANE layout, that is unlike anything else, and the ball action is superb. This game is the essence of pinball, and having to spell "SLICK" and "CHICK" sequentially is a major achievement in the development of scoring rules in the history of pinball. An absolute blast, and brutal (but all wedgeheads are). If you see it, play it.
7.025/10
4 years ago
Jurassic Park (Pro) Stern, 2019
Just a few things, since I know that I am in the minority on this one. 1) I love the theme, the music is great as well as the animations. I don't care at all about it being a unique story in the JP universe, not having movie assets isn't an issue for me. It still very much feels like Jurassic Park. 2) The art is good, and having the John Williams score goes a long way. The spinner sound is great, and the Escape Nublar challenge mode is fun.
However, I don't believe the shots are all that great. They are novel, they are unique. Kudos on that front. I am happy that others enjoy it so much. But I feel like there is a lot missing shots and then they hit three things on the way back down to the flipper. It's full of medium to hard shots, that aren't super satisfying when hit. No real great payoffs with light or sound. They only become satisfying once you understand the rules and how close you were to something. My main gripe is this game has tight and mostly difficult shots, but you can miss them all day long and it doesn't punish you for it. I prefer the opposite approach. Easier shots (and usually backhandable) but BRUTAL when you miss them. WH20, Iron Man, Black Knight Pro, T2 as examples.
Still a fresh approach. But I personally will stick to my Black Knight Pro and my TNA when playing modern pinball.
However, I don't believe the shots are all that great. They are novel, they are unique. Kudos on that front. I am happy that others enjoy it so much. But I feel like there is a lot missing shots and then they hit three things on the way back down to the flipper. It's full of medium to hard shots, that aren't super satisfying when hit. No real great payoffs with light or sound. They only become satisfying once you understand the rules and how close you were to something. My main gripe is this game has tight and mostly difficult shots, but you can miss them all day long and it doesn't punish you for it. I prefer the opposite approach. Easier shots (and usually backhandable) but BRUTAL when you miss them. WH20, Iron Man, Black Knight Pro, T2 as examples.
Still a fresh approach. But I personally will stick to my Black Knight Pro and my TNA when playing modern pinball.
9.060/10
4 years ago
Total Nuclear Annihilation Spooky Pinball, 2017
Pretty much as good as pinball gets. Easy to learn, hard to master game. Sound, music, and lightshow absolutely mesmerize, and really bring the player into the game. A masterclass in the importance of light and sound in pinball. Love playing this game, one of my absolute favorites
3.476/10
4 years ago
Houdini American Pinball, 2017
Trying not to be mean, but I hate everything about this game. The art sucks, and the animations are laughable. The layout is clunky as hell and the inserts are poorly labeled and badly colored. The game also does a very bad job of showing you what to hit. At any given point, almost every shot on the playfield is lit making it hard to suss out what your goals should be. The voice for Houdini and the callouts make me cringe. No shot FEELS good, even after you clunk your way through it, and the choreography and fanfare is below subpar. I also had to give my first terrible rating ever to "lighting" category for this one. Having lights mounted SIDEWAYS and AWAY? from the flippers?? WTF?
7.886/10
4 years ago
Deadpool (Pro) Stern, 2018
A game that I had mostly dismissed when it launched, saw it as clunky and boring. But it has changed for me. The battles/teamups are simple and easy to understand, but fun and they add strategy. Art is phenomenal (All hail YETI), and the callouts are great. Gomez took some chance on this layout, and I think that overall the unique shots make it fun. Clunky as all hell, but still fun somehow. Katana ramp rules! Snikt Shot ruins the scoring balance, and it's really long playing. Not my favorite Stern, but I understand why people like it so much.
7.640/10
4 years ago
Munsters (Premium) Stern, 2019
This machine is next level gorgeous, especially with Franchi's Black and White art package. Kudos to Stern for taking the risk. Also the lower playfield is actually fun and really elevates the overall gameplay far above the pro and makes Grandpa's mode much better defined. Munster madness with both the upper and lower playfield multiballs is epic and a crazy/frenetic good time. The Paul Lind soundalike callouts are hilarious and the lightshow is fantastic. Classic Borg layout that shoots SUPER smooth. Don't mind the "shallow" code, just don't personally like Dwight's reliance on playfield multipliers in general. I also dislike the code in Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and GoT for the same reason. Even though all of those games have great moments in them. Dwight's code is a mixed bag for me. He is the best "moments" coder (lightsaber duel, storage facility multiball), but I HATE that playfield multipliers are the only path to scoring well in his recent games. Makes the games feel a bit broken in the scoring logic to me.
9.880/10
5 years ago
Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) Stern, 2019
So much better than the previous two Black Knight games! So fast! So smooth! The king is back, and his new Black Knight is the best that it has ever been. The RGB lightshow in this game is absolutely epic and well choreographed, the modes are differentiated well, and even the early code is set up very nicely. Easy to understand objectives, hard to complete. It's pinball at its best. The LCD is so well done, and I agree with Tim Sexton, definitely the best animations in a pinball machine ever. Steve's taunts as the black knight are hilarious, absolutely LOVE everything about this game! Can't wait to see 1.0 code, Stern really nailed it with this one. This is a perfect example of a '...just one more game' pinball. So much damn fun.
8.730/10
5 years ago
Target Alpha Gottlieb, 1976
The most iconic drop target game of all time. The game so good, Gottlieb re-skinned it 8x. Love the art package. Nice classic Sci-fi sillyness. Beautifully ingenious asymmetrical layout from the master of design Ed Krynski. This is a glorious example of what design genius in pinball looks like. If you like drop targets, you can't do much better.
8.567/10
5 years ago
Prospector Segasa-Sonic, 1977
The fastest EM I have ever played. The ball SCREAMS across the playfield. Whatever sonic used to coat these playfields are the best clear ever used in a pinball machine. Rolls as fast as a modern game with an EM layout. The two spinners are great, super satisfying to rip. Double bonus ladder is great, always something to shoot. I love the cabinet art especially, backglass and playfield art is cool but in some places the scale of things is off. However, the pin is great fun. SUPER fast for the era, with modern flipper size and placement, you get a lot of control which isn't always the case with EMs.
8.200/10
5 years ago
The Incredible Hulk Gottlieb, 1979
Awesome system 1 gottlieb. The art is fantastic all around, very cool mirrored backglass. Cool first gen sounds, unique kickers in place of the traditional slingshots. Great simple, but hard to accomplish ruleset. Basically a brilliant EM layout, with modern flippers and inlanes and sound. Great fun, a challenge to build the bonus and multiply it 5x to collect. Always has you going back for another game.
7.760/10
5 years ago
Skateball Bally, 1980
Weirdly flow-y for a single level game. Play one in good condition, and just try to stop. The Pringles of pinball. Just one...more...game...
8.303/10
5 years ago
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (Premium) Stern, 2018
Not a ton of toys, and the bulls-eye feature doesn't really matter or feel satisfying to hit dead center. But damn, is this pin a player! Excellent layout. Super flow. Beautiful art package. Killer sound. Always a next level to get to in the ruleset. An absolute blast to play.
It's too long of a player, and some of the shots off the upper flipper aren't that great. But I'm in love, theme of my dreams. Executed to perfection. Stern and Keith killed it. Thanks guys!
It's too long of a player, and some of the shots off the upper flipper aren't that great. But I'm in love, theme of my dreams. Executed to perfection. Stern and Keith killed it. Thanks guys!
7.823/10
7 years ago
Diner Williams, 1990
A system 11 Mark Ritchie classic! Cool theme tied in well with the gameplay. Art is great, and gameplay is fun and challenging. Nice all around package and one of the best designs of the system 11 era.
6.288/10
7 years ago
Cyclone Williams, 1988
A decent entry into system 11 pins. Fun for beginners, but loses its appeal as you better. A great location pin to play a few games on. Art/theme are solid, and the gimmicks are great for the era.
5.934/10
7 years ago
Rob Zombie's Spookshow International Spooky Pinball, 2016
A significant downgrade from their first pinball in gameplay. America's Most haunted plays better in every way. More shots, more modes, more toys than Rob Zombie. Although this one isn't nearly as ugly as America's most Haunted, so there's that I guess. Just a boring pin to play. The best of this whole pin is the backglass.
8.076/10
7 years ago
Bowling Queen Gottlieb, 1964
Fantastic golden era Gottlieb EM. Designed by the venerable Wayne Neyens, this game has a fantastic animated backglass gimmick, killer artwork, and a fun but challenging symmetrical layout.
7.194/10
7 years ago
Big Hurt Gottlieb, 1995
Very fun pin with some bad art. The glove is a fantastic toy, it will STUFF you hard on your attempts at hitting balls out of the park. I Love the pop up ramp, and the rules aren't bad. lot's of ways to score points on this one. This is like a world cup soccer, but much better.
7.181/10
7 years ago
Old Chicago Bally, 1976
Some great art on the backglass and playfield. Fun layout with that will kick your ass with sloppy play.
7.688/10
7 years ago
X-Men (Pro) Stern, 2012
Solid Stern Pin. Marked the first time Stern actually listened to the fans and put in Comic book art instead of low res pictures from the movie adaptations everywhere. Magneto is a very cool toy and multiball mode. The start of it is the best that I have seen since the bally williams golden era (theatre of magic, addams family, whitewater). Lots of very tight shots and fun to play.
8.550/10
7 years ago
Sorcerer Williams, 1985
Very challenging game with a beautiful rule set. I love the details on this pin like the sling covers. Has basically a beefed up EM style ruleset where the goals re-set each ball. But it is a blast to play. Very underrated game.
8.013/10
7 years ago
Haunted House Gottlieb, 1982
Classic Gottlieb solid state pin. Everything that black hole was, but better.
7.788/10
7 years ago
Embryon Bally, 1981
Probably my favorite Bally widebody game. I love the sci-fi art package all around. Even the stencils on the cabinet are cool. Game layout is very unique with lots to shoot for. I also feel like this is probably the only widebody game of its era to properly deal with the added space at the bottom of the game near the flippers. Most widebodies are just kinda floaty down there and the flippers are usually farther apart creating awkward shot geometry. But Embryon nails it. Only downside is that it might be a tad easy. Love this game.
7.296/10
7 years ago
Black Hole Gottlieb, 1981
A classic gottlieb pin. The animated backglass is stunning, and the crude sounds are great. The game is built around the under playfield gimmick and it serves to keep you coming back to it well enough. Although it's big brother Haunted House is a much better overall game. Black Hole feels like a warm-up for HH.
7.932/10
7 years ago
The Walking Dead (Pro) Stern, 2014
Solid pin all around. I could care less about the theme, but as with Game of Thrones, I can see why Stern chose it. Layout is unique and the shots are fun. John Borg only makes good pins. I prefer Iron Man, Tron, and Metallica over this Borg design, but it still a great effort. If you're a fan of the show, I am sure that it helps.
7.219/10
7 years ago
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Stern, 2004
Ugly pin, regrettable theme, but a blast to play. Deep and satisfying ruleset, it is probably Lawlor's best Stern pin.
8.728/10
7 years ago
Spider-Man VE Stern, 2016
Obviously this is a re-skin of a classic Stern pin. The gameplay is basically the same, the difference is the art upgrade package and some better quality pieces for the toys. Unfortunately, I love the sound package from the original game better. Basically a pick your poison, this one looks better, the original sounds better. Otherwise basically the same.
6.606/10
7 years ago
AC/DC (Pro) Stern, 2012
Some shots are very fun. Good Flow, and fast. Ambivalent about the theme, but don't care for the art package or the ruleset. Metallica is really the cream of the crop of Stern's Music pins.
6.643/10
7 years ago
Game Of Thrones (Pro) Stern, 2015
The ruleset just kills this for me. They fixed some of it with the first code update, but that launch code was garbage. The multiple multiplier thing is just convoluted. I don't care about the theme, but the layout is great, and the shots are fun to hit. Rulesets matter, and this really just bums me out. Potentially a very good design just ruined for me. And just to be clear, I have played this one with the new code, and I still think that it is murky and unnecessarily complicated.
8.905/10
7 years ago
Eight Ball Deluxe Bally, 1981
Classic Bally Pin, great speech and a fantastic layout. Redefined the classic pool theme.
8.212/10
7 years ago
No Good Gofers Williams, 1997
Very fun pin. Scoring seems to be a little unbalanced maybe? But I love the theme and toys. Pat Lawlor always had a unique design streak in him, and this is just another great example of that.
9.281/10
7 years ago
Frontier Bally, 1980
Finally have found one of these on location. This game is a forgotten Bally Gem. The artwork if fantastic all around and I love the Bob Seger as Jeremiah Johnson Theme. Nice layout and a blast to play. Simple but difficult rules to complete as the bonuses, extra balls, and specials are reset between balls. Wonderful pin, I love all the details on this one. Great drop target placement, both a 3-bank and a 4 in line . Pops give a ton of action, and the spinner up to upper lanes is greatly satisfying.
7.798/10
7 years ago
Banzai Run Williams, 1988
Crazy first effort from the legend Pat Lawlor. Although this isn't his finest design (but to be fair, he has 10 pins that made the top 100), this is great fun built around a very unique gimmick. The vertical playfield, whilst a nightmare to keep running, brings an entirely new dimension to pinball. Super fun. Great Pin.
7.169/10
7 years ago
Taxi Williams, 1988
Taxi is an alright system 11 pin. Not nearly as good as Diner or Sorcerer, Mark Ritchie's other pins from the 80s, but not bad.
6.642/10
7 years ago
The Hobbit Jersey Jack, 2016
Smaug effects are cool, but the rest of the game is long and plodding. Too slow playing, too many modes, way to easy to hold onto the ball. It's not a particularly good game unless you're a beginner player that appreciates how forgiving this game is, or you're a massive fan of Tolkein.
7.869/10
7 years ago
Ghostbusters (Pro) Stern, 2016
Amazing Sound and Art package all around. I have defended Stern for years for making great pins whilst acknowledging that they were generally hideous. Not so with GhostBusters. I love the return to hand-drawn artwork. All the animations and sound calls are all topnotch. The lightshow is spectacular, and the gameplay is fast. Wish the ruleset was clearer from the get-go, seems a little muddy for no good reason, although many modern Stern's suffer from this ailment. Just missing the fun factor to me. It is an ass-kicker too.
8.364/10
7 years ago
Apollo 13 Sega, 1995
Got to play a working version of this pin at the PHOF on my last visit there. As it is always a blur when I'm there, I usually only play pins that I either haven't played before, or don't see outside of there. I also usually keep a strict 2 games per table max so as to properly experience as much as possible. But i ended up playing about 10 games on this one. It is a game based pretty much entirely on the 13 ball gimmick, but man is it a rush to set it up and then play it out. Very nice sound and light package makes it feel intense. I surprisingly really like this pin.
6.283/10
7 years ago
Wizard of Oz Jersey Jack, 2013
Feels like a smoke and mirrors game. Tons of new advanced features for a pin and lots of toys and doohickeys littering the playfield(s). So you think that it's gonna be great, dozens of plays later, you realize you've been duped. Has everything except the fun.
9.040/10
7 years ago
The Flintstones Williams, 1994
Another underrated gem from DR Flash. Man this game is just fun. Pure and simple, gets hated for being a license of a bad film but like Congo, I'm sure this will come around eventually and get its due respect. Different theme and art package and this is an undisputed all time classic pin. Although I happen to like the theme, and all the pastel rocks. AND JOHN GOODMAN?! C'mon this game is great!
8.394/10
7 years ago
Metallica (Pro) Stern, 2013
John Borg nailed this one. Great pin, very challenging as it makes you make all the shots on the playfield. FAST, FAST, FAST.
I don’t love the art package, but at least it’s unique. Some people love it. I give it points for being distinctive and different from the norm. Rules can feel a little bit like chopping wood at times, and I do kind miss modes. But you get them when you choose your crank it up mode.
I don’t love the art package, but at least it’s unique. Some people love it. I give it points for being distinctive and different from the norm. Rules can feel a little bit like chopping wood at times, and I do kind miss modes. But you get them when you choose your crank it up mode.
8.820/10
7 years ago
Star Trek (LE) Stern, 2013
Excellent modern Stern, the LE package is gorgeous. Gameplay is tight and fast. Really enjoy playing this one
6.878/10
12 years ago
Stargate Gottlieb, 1995
A surprisingly pretty sweet game. The ruleset is kinda strange and the scoring seems kinda random and unbalanced, but the gameplay is fast and the lower playfield feels claustrophobic, but with a nice variety of ramp/loop/toy shots. Sound can get a little annoying like all gottliebs from this era. The ramps are STEEP though, and the flippers need to be well maintained to hit them. Not a classic by any means, but fun.
2.780/10
12 years ago
Popeye Saves the Earth Bally, 1994
This is a great example of a terrible pinball machine. This is also a great game to use as an example for those close minded people with a DMD bias that tend to say that "any dmd is better than and EM or early SS game." Not a bad idea for a family themed pin here, but GOD is this awful. No shots, huge wasted and view obstructed bottom playfield. Pointless launch/"skill" shot. Multiball sucks, and no ramps? What the hell? Sometimes a game is unfairly dogged, and sometimes the game really just sucks, as is the case with Popeye Saves the Earth.
7.932/10
12 years ago
Xenon Bally, 1980
One of the all time great art/sound packages from the early solid state pinball era. A good simple mix of drops, stand-ups, one ramp, and rollover shot. The audio features a very suggestive moaning female robot voice, and has some awesome sci-fi sound FX as well. There is not a ton of variety, but for it's generation it is top notch. The gameplay is nice and simple fun, but not really easy. There isn't a ton to do, but damn if it isn't fun for a few quick games! And have I said it's f**ing beautiful?!
8.071/10
12 years ago
Mata Hari Bally, 1978
A beautiful game to look at, and a nice albeit very simple game to play.
8.973/10
12 years ago
The Amazing Spider-Man Gottlieb, 1980
Definitely my favorite widebody game. And I prefer it to the later Stern title. The art is AWESOME, and the layout of shots is great, varied, and unique. A brilliant pin from its generation.
9.503/10
12 years ago
Count-Down Gottlieb, 1979
A classic early Solid State pin. Great art, four sets of drops, four flippers, and plays fast as hell for its generation. I fell in love with this one at the PHOF.
7.345/10
12 years ago
Transformers (Pro) Stern, 2011
After weeks of playing the Pro model I gotta say that I am impressed. Wanted to wait to make sure to rate this one accurately, and now I have. The best from this game is great good old fashioned gomez fan style flow ala MB, kickass soundbites and music, deep gameplay and some sweet multiball madness. And the big surprise? The art doesn't suck! And there are no lame actor mugshots all over the playfield, slings, or backglass. Just giant space robots, the way it should be.
Of course, I like everyone else, wish it were from the original series instead of the craptastic Michael Bay films. But for business reasons, I understand, and am glad that Gomez fought to keep it just about the robots. Stern is on a roll lately with three of their last four (IM,Tron, and now TF) making my top 20. Overall it feels solid, and is some great fun. Still like Tron and IM a little more, but kudos to George and his team for bringing the heat on this one.
Note: This review is only for the Pro version, I have no idea what changes will be made for the LE version of the game, and how they would potentially affect my rating.
Of course, I like everyone else, wish it were from the original series instead of the craptastic Michael Bay films. But for business reasons, I understand, and am glad that Gomez fought to keep it just about the robots. Stern is on a roll lately with three of their last four (IM,Tron, and now TF) making my top 20. Overall it feels solid, and is some great fun. Still like Tron and IM a little more, but kudos to George and his team for bringing the heat on this one.
Note: This review is only for the Pro version, I have no idea what changes will be made for the LE version of the game, and how they would potentially affect my rating.
8.354/10
12 years ago
Pinball Magic Capcom, 1995
This game really makes you wish that capcom could've made it work for the long run. Got into the game a little too late and had to compete with Williams/Bally and the strong licenses of Data East. This game is mechanically and from a design point amazing. The wand, the trunk lock, the theatre door/pop bumper, the skill shot and corkscrew habitrail are all amazing. Shots are fun, and layout is nice and deceptively fast. Sturdy construction, and some cool modes as well. The total art/sound package lacks especially when compared (inevitably ) to TOM. The gameplay is very linear, but I enjoy a linear game path. It keeps you coming back to climb the ladder. The rules are very deep for its era, but my problem is that the rules aren't super well described by the inserts or callouts, leading to some initial confusion until you put the time in to fully understand what it wants you to do next. That's the only real weakness. This is a great first effort for a company I wish we would have seen more from.
6.158/10
12 years ago
The Bally Game Show Bally, 1990
Thoroughly average in every respect. Kinda quirky cool theme, some decent humor, and the gameplay is kinda fun for a little while. Nobody will ever mistake it for great, or maybe even real good. But hey, it's alright.
9.663/10
12 years ago
Big Game Stern Electronics, 1980
There's something about these early 80s pins for me. A truer ruleset than the EMs of before, better sounds, and the artwork is the best from any pin era IMO. Big Game is a well designed widebody from the first Stern company incarnation. The backglass is a showstopper, and the game has double stacked flippers on each side giving the illusion of claws while you play. Designed by Harry Williams (the founder of Williams), this game is a great piece of pinball history, as well as a lot of fun, this is a game I used to chase around. It's my favorite of all the many great games in the Stern electronics era.
7.807/10
12 years ago
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Stern, 2003
Where's the love for this game? Definitely superior to T2 in almost every way. More shots, CRAZZZZY flow, cool gimmicky back glass, more audio, all metal ramps. The definition of a hidden gem. FAST, FUN, FLOW FLOW FLOW. Proof that you shouldn't just listen to the majority's bias, and make your own calls. Have been playing it a lot, can't really see what's not to like? Hmm, it might be shallow, but most of Ritchie's other classics are... damn is it fun!
7.443/10
12 years ago
Jack*Bot Williams, 1995
A fun game and probably the most complete game of the pinbot series. Casino Run is an epic wizard mode, and the gambling involved with your score is super fun, addictive, and unique. Plus you can cheat! Good sound, music, and art packages too.
9.700/10
12 years ago
The Getaway: High Speed II Williams, 1992
One of the greatest games of all time. Shallow ruleset, but maybe the most perfect layout of all time. Excellent theme integration, with a strong sound/light show. This game just rules, can play it a million times over, it never gets old.
6.267/10
12 years ago
The Pinball Circus Bally, 1994
Plays like what it is, one big gimmick. Not horrific or anything, but the feeling of playing is just too strange to have a bunch of fun on. And considering it's just a prototype, the playfield art isn't finished, as well as the software. Worth a dollar or two if you ever find yourself at the PHOF in Vegas, but I, for one,am glad it never made it into real production.
5.017/10
12 years ago
Lost In Space Sega, 1998
There is really only one reason that you should ever play this game, and that is it's multiball. Especially the start of it with the spinning planet magnet that spits all the balls out of an orbit. Other than that, not worth a lot of time.
7.457/10
12 years ago
Jurassic Park Data East, 1993
Underwhelming overall, and the ruleset is weak, uninspired, and tedious at best. Game looks cool however and I admit that the T-Rex toy (when working) is pretty damn awesome. Layout feels like Whirlwind without Lawlor's touches of genius to elevate it. Still prefer it to Stern's newer version though.
7.736/10
12 years ago
Corvette Bally, 1994
The best racing theme pinball ever. Killer flow, super fast gameplay, cool engine block shaking lock shot, and an interactive dragstrip toy. This game is a major sleeper! It's not just for the corvette enthusiast. If you like racing themes, this one is at the top of the heap in my opinion. Great early Gomez design.
9.252/10
12 years ago
TRON: Legacy (Pro) Stern, 2011
Great game. Love the layout, love the recognizer, and love the music. With the EL wire on the ramps, this game is a real looker (for a Stern). Tons of fun on this game. The Skill Shot is a well designed and actually feels like a "skill shot". A top Stern effort in my opinion, great quick smash about game that packs a serious fun punch.
7.197/10
12 years ago
Star Wars Data East, 1992
I was surprised at how much fun this one played. That deathstar is SWEEEET. And the animations and sounds are awesome. The artwork too is amazing hand drawn and intricately detailed representation of the Star Wars universe. Some times it feels a little easy and I don't like the multiball being given to you, but this is a solid game and the best SW pin ever made.
5.316/10
12 years ago
Shrek Stern, 2008
No fun here in my experience. Not a fan of the theme and the hideous green all over "artwork", but that aside I really don't like the layout but being a re-skinned FGY I am not surprised. The mini pinball is a bad idea that has now corrupted TWO "different" games. Might be alright if you have kids, or enjoy the movies, but it's so darn easy that any remotely accomplished pinhead will be thoroughly bored before their third ball.
9.680/10
12 years ago
Star Trek: The Next Generation Williams, 1993
Really outstanding effort from Steve Ritchie and company on this one. The flow is outstanding (big surprise), the lights and sounds are fantastic as well as the dmd animations. Not really a Trek fan, but being a general sci-fi fan helps me enjoy the theme more. I am not a fan of widebodies in general, but I admit a great game when I see one. One of Ritchie's best in my opinion. A perfect working example of a STTNG truly is a joy to play. Rules are very deep for the era, and in my opinion, pretty much the perfect middle ground of lots of different modes and objectives, but not to the obscene level of the modern stern games. The sweet spot. Except for the video mode which is easily memorized, and therefore exploited by certain players. I have it disabled for the skill shot launch.
5.921/10
12 years ago
Atlantis Bally, 1989
Blah. Bland and boring gameplay, uninteresting shots, really plain playfield for its era, and there is a definite lack of sounds. Should be more to it. A cookie cutter table made with a crappy mold.
7.223/10
12 years ago
Johnny Mnemonic Williams, 1995
I love the playfield layout on this one. SUPER fast, crazy flow, killer wizard mode, cool glove toy are the good. What makes me hate this game? Video mode---it just sucks, and hard. It's hideous, its hard to control, it's too long, and being a random award (ha! award!), you can't avoid it or skip it. The videomode just always sucks me right out of the otherwise fantastic game play. Also, points are deducted because the glove is really cool, but almost never works, and the center shot becomes a drain monster without the glove. With a working glove and some luck (no videomode misfortune), this game is a-list material. Come to think of it, there's a lot of negative, but the pure gameplay is second to none. Play this pin!!!
8.295/10
12 years ago
Whirlwind Williams, 1990
Another great system 11 pin from Pat Lawlor's golden era. Cool layout, difficult shots, nice sounds, great art, and a great kitcshy theme make this an awesome game for all ages. The spinning disks bring a randomizing effect to the gameplay that wasn't seen before this game, and hitting that jackpot is satisfying to the max.
8.416/10
12 years ago
Road Show Williams, 1994
No thanks, this game just isn't my cup o' tea. Widebody with a strange layout (some call it unique, I call it half-baked), annoying sound and speech, country music, way too powerful shaker, hideous talking heads on the playfield, and no flow makes this a pin that I avoid at all costs. Update: Still not a favorite, but I've come to appreciate it a little more. There really are some great tight shots in this game, and is one of lawlor's more unique layouts (not best, unique). Still don't like the theme/art/widebody/sounds, but not as bad as my first 10 plays had me think.
7.824/10
12 years ago
Party Zone Bally, 1991
Almost criminally underrated because of it's theme. Great ramp, lots to shoot for, funny sounds and animations, and great comedic art from Greg Freres. Major knock is only a two ball multiball, and it's linear ruleset gets a little old for repeat plays, but for a fun and casual game it totally rocks!
6.218/10
12 years ago
Revenge From Mars Bally, 1999
Was really hoping for a second coming of AFM. Sadly this is not. The playfield is fairly similar but smaller, and with far fewer shots but with a ton more modes. Only problem is that they're all pretty much the same. Shoot the center. Shoot the center. Shoot the center. Really lame. And it's kinda really hard to see anything going on. After seeing the doc "Tilt" I have an incredible amount or respect for Gomez and the team for trying, but unfortunately gameplay trumps all that ingenuity. But the humor is great, and Greg Frere's art is always a treat. And it is actually playable, which is more than I can say for SWE:1.
6.864/10
12 years ago
24 Stern, 2009
Definitely has more toys than I expected, and what is there, I think is cool. But the layout is just a fan with really long shots far from the flippers leading to long ball times. The voice calls are borderline terrible, and the "art" pretty much speaks for itself. The production value on this Stern is still pretty good, but the overall gameplay lets it down. It shoots well, but isn’t memorable in any way.
7.962/10
12 years ago
Earthshaker Williams, 1989
Very under acknowledged game from Pat Lawlor's golden era. This game, while still very distinctly a lawlor design, flows much better than any of his other games. Still have skillful shots for the shooters, and has less ball holding for the flow monsters (more of my style). Love the sounds and the shaker motor on this game, although the art is a little cheesy. The splitting fault line is a nice touch, and I was really impressed with the balance of scoring on this game, and the variety of shots that it forces you to hit. Well played Pat, well played.
7.213/10
12 years ago
Fathom Bally, 1981
Quite possibly the most overrated pinball machine from Bally’s Golden Era. The art is great. It has an early multiball, also good. But overall it just isn’t as addictive as the much better George Christian designs like EBD, Frontier, and Mystic.
7.734/10
12 years ago
Avatar (Pro) Stern, 2010
Pretty solid game effort from Stern, don't like it as much as IM, but was very happy with the gameplay overall. It's also a lot more forgiving than IM too. The animations and lights are fantastic, and that 3D backglass is a showstopper. Variety is a little limited, and I could see it getting old in a personal collection, but the multiballs are fast and furious fun everytime.
5.529/10
12 years ago
Star Wars Episode I Williams, 1999
Only Popadiuk game that I feel really missed the mark. It just doesn't play as a good pinball. It's very impressive from a design aspect, but it feels like three steps back from RFM when it really needed to elevate the platform by leaps and bounds. Playfield is super boring with only one worthwhile shot. Straight up the middle, wide as a house. Don't worry John and company, I still got love for ya, just not this one.
8.500/10
12 years ago
Indianapolis 500 Bally, 1995
This game is FAST. Like blink and you'll miss it fast. Great flow from Nordman again here, and even though I dislike the theme and art tremendously, this is a game worth every pin enthusiast's time.
8.640/10
12 years ago
FunHouse Williams, 1990
Okay, so I did not grow up on this pin playing it for countless hours and am now looking back with impossibly fond and fuzzy memories of the golden days. I instead have taken to playing this game every chance I can on location and have waited months to rate this game so that I wouldn't miss a thing. Verdict? Funhouse is HARD, those shots are long and tight, and you have Rudy harassing you all the while. Is it fun? I'm not sure that fun is the right word, but it does keep you coming back because it gets under your skin. Pat Lawlor is a genius pin designer and innovator, and this game is worth a little time from any pinhead. Not my favorite of his system 11's, but a very successful game from a legend. Flowjunkies beware, this game is a shooter's pin, and it punishes harshly for sloppy shots and ball handling.
8.849/10
12 years ago
Spider-Man Stern, 2007
First off, the obvious: the flow is ridiculous provided you hit your shots and combos. Great playfield layout. Animations and sounds are pretty cool, but not great. But to me the ruleset really lets the game down. Uninspired (hit this shot x times, then hit this shot x times, hit target light lock then lock repeat). This game is definitely good for a little fast flowing fun, but it doesn't have that "one more game quality" to me. I can tire very easily from it. The variety just isn't there, and although the combos are satisfying, there is only so much to be said about them without more shot variety. Just not an A-list game for me.
8.762/10
12 years ago
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Williams, 1991
The flow is RIDICULOUS. A fast and furious ride, and a total blast to play. Not deep and could have integrated the terminator theme a lot more effectively in my opinion (where's the t-1000 at?) But as far as fun goes, it's great for its era. Epic Steve Ritchie layout and great Chris Granner sound.
9.120/10
12 years ago
Bram Stoker's Dracula Williams, 1993
First off, at a steep angle and a polished play field, this game is nothing short of BRUTAL. It has malicious out-lanes, center targets designed to throw you ball SDTM, and shorter lightning flippers to widen the gap between themselves just in case you were starting to get cocky. Short ball times should be expected, and shots are hard, but this game is worth the time. It will really battle you, and you will probably walk away from it more than a few times cursing vehemently it's bloodsucking nature. But then again, that's the appeal. Not especially deep, but trust me it'll keep you occupied just trying to complete the few modes that is does have. Plus Mist multiball is just plain sweet. Period. And the video mode is done right (never thought that I would say that) and well balanced points-wise. Sounds and the few animations there are are very good.
7.763/10
12 years ago
The Machine: Bride of Pinbot Williams, 1991
Fun game, the best of its series. Lots of shots, fairly difficult table that will bring your skills up with repeat plays. Can be a drain monster though, but the shorter ball times make this one addicting. The rotating face/playfield is a great and crazy idea, and the skill shot and plinko upper right playfield are very well designed. Definetly a shooter's game as flow is scarce other that the two U-turns. But this is no doubt a wonderful piece of pinball history, that should get plays from all pinballers. Sound quality is subpar for '91 and limited, but the stuff that's there is good.
8.019/10
13 years ago
Cirqus Voltaire Bally, 1997
Great game from John Popadiuk, always pushing the limits of what a pinball machine could be. Flow is not as good as his others, TOM TOTAN WCS and the ball gets held up more often, but my god what a spectacular light show! The animations are top notch as well, and the art is different and detailed, even though I personally find the art a little repulsive, I respect it going out on a limb to stand out. I really love the slings in this game, very unique and fun new feeling to this odd-duck machine. The theme and art aren't my thing, but the gameplay is undeniable.
9.516/10
13 years ago
The Addams Family Bally, 1992
The key to really unlocking this pin's appeal is to play one in pristine condition. This is a game that really suffers from neglect and being a shooters game,everything needs to work like its supposed to, otherwise it will feel floaty and chunky and dark. But when you find a nice one, BOY is this game fun! And with the added sub, the sounds really kick. The start of multiball is mesmerizing, you really feel it. And the combination of the lightshow and the vibrating electricity SFX brings a very wide smile to my face. Lawlor killed it with this one. There's a reason they sold so many, and a reason why they are still out on location. Go find out why for yourself.
6.764/10
13 years ago
The Shadow Bally, 1994
This pin plays well for its value, but is not dramatically underrated as said by some. In fact, being in the top fifty is a huge overrating for this pin. The theme sucks, the art sucks, the sound sucks, and the flow is the saving grace (its real good). I also don't like the mini playfield. It's better than most uppers I guess, at least it's unique, but it doesn't add to my enjoyment. The manual diverters are cool, but not spectacular. But underneath all of that, it plays pretty darn good. Brian Eddy had a gift in that sense, but I just can't love this game like his later works AFM and MM. Certainly not in the same league as other top 50 pins, and I feel that if your looking for a cheap bang for your buck DMD machine, buy a Demo Man instead.
8.640/10
13 years ago
Tales of the Arabian Nights Williams, 1996
Another brilliant table from the mind of John Popadiuk. This game is the most impressive and decorated fully fleshed tabled of the DMD era. So many toys, ramps, magnets, disappearing balls, ramps with early exits and so forth. It sounds overwhelming, but somehow its not. It's not too much at all, this is a game that will consistantly amaze you with its clever engineering every time you play it. Popadiuk really elevated the game on pinball design in my book, all of his tables are very distinctively his and only his. I like the flow of TOM better (no lamp interference) and play that one more often, but this table brings smiles to even the staunchest of non pin players.
6.041/10
13 years ago
Doctor Who Bally, 1992
Fun at first, won't even look at one now. This pin finds me bored by my second ball. Not that its too easy per se, rather that it drains unfairly, and I find the scoring uneven. Plus it's kinda really ugly. No replay value for me. Must be missing something...or maybe I have been making excuses for this one for too long now. Not for me. Pinbot is way more fun imo, and BoP blows them both away, and they all seem about the same price range so I can't find the point. Sound quality is embarassingly bad.
8.140/10
13 years ago
Lord of the Rings Stern, 2003
An overall solid game. Matches its theme well, great sounds and surprisingly good art considering it's a stern. Shots are plenty and laid out well enough to be fun and a little challenging, but with every made shot coming directly back to the flippers, gameplay is a little too easy with exceptionally long ball times. Exceptionally deep rule set, always something else to accomplish. Great music and call outs. Fantastic dot animations. Not my favorite theme, but I know that it's super popular. Great pin, a classic.
2.629/10
13 years ago
Road Kings Williams, 1986
Just a bad game. And a plain one for its generation. Should have more shots, or at least acouple of good ones. Major ball drainer, and a waste of a good theme idea. Art and sound are way below par, and I was embarrassed to learn that it is from 1986! There are deeper games from 1976! Design team just phoned this one in.
7.922/10
13 years ago
Guns N' Roses Data East, 1994
Gameplay is fast and fun with lots to shoot, plenty of variety, great multiballs, and killer music. The match sequence at the end without the family mod on is fantastic. Total rockstar status.
Objectives are a little convoluted at first and the lighting is bad. Ramps can be steep and hard to fully hit if the flippers are weak (common on this game) but if the game is in good condition, you will have a blast on it.
Objectives are a little convoluted at first and the lighting is bad. Ramps can be steep and hard to fully hit if the flippers are weak (common on this game) but if the game is in good condition, you will have a blast on it.
8.922/10
13 years ago
Scared Stiff Bally, 1996
SS is FUN FUN FUN. Sure it's easy, sure it's a little plain as far as variety goes, but the art and sounds are second to none. Great spooky theme, and the Elvira quotes are seductively hilarious. Stiff-o-Meter will keep you coming back indefinitely as it is an easy mode to start, but finishing it will really test your skills. Great for a quick no nonsense game. Love this one, wonderful simple but fun layout with a lot of cool design features and toys. Best backglass ever.
5.409/10
13 years ago
World Cup Soccer Bally, 1994
Yuck. Too many gimmicks, not enough fun. The giant spinning soccer ball does literally nothing to alter the pinball's path, and the magna save is useless. It seems to be a popular title, but I just pass on it when I see it now.
6.356/10
13 years ago
Batman (The Dark Knight) Stern, 2008
Hmmm. Not really sure what it is about the game that I don't like. The playfield setup feels good and well laid out. But no shots feel satisfying. I feel that the sound is lacking in that regard, and the artwork is terrible. It should be said that I love batman, and I love the movie the Dark Knight. I also love George Gomez games for the most part. This one just doesn't come together, and the combination of sound, art, and easy difficulty make this really disappointing to me. It just feels like a blank playfield that was themed batman after the fact. The crane is cool, but what does that have to do with anything? Only played a few games on the original DE machine, but liked that one more.
7.517/10
13 years ago
The Simpsons Pinball Party Stern, 2003
Great full bodied game from Stern. Rules are set to home owner collector crowd as you would go broke putting in all the quarters needed on location to really understand the rules to play it right. I do think that they did do enough that you can have enough fun the first couple of plays, to keep you coming back for more and more and more to make a chunk into that infamously deep ruleset. It is more successful than say TZ in that respect. The shots are HARD however, and laid out in a very tight fashion. It can get frustrating, but this game has enough carrots in front of your face to keep you hooked. A brilliantly designed game with very very long legs. Not the most fun game, but one that you will play indefinetly. The voice calls are the best in pinball.
7.312/10
13 years ago
Judge Dredd Bally, 1993
Finally feel like I have given this pin enough chances already. Just a garbage pin really. Terrible idea with the "super credit". Start every ball with a multiball? LAME. Your game sucked and you knew it, better put in some cheap thrills to cover it up. The license wasn't a strong one, and when that happens you'd better bring it up a couple of notches in game play. That didn't happen here. Clunky, Clunky, Ugly, Clunky Pin. Coolest feature is the shotgun granny dmd animation during the match game sequence. Although you always hope that it never hits, so you won't have to play it again.
*Update- Man I was harsh on this pin. It's not terrible by any means. Has good flow for a widebody. All in all a pretty mediocre pin, not awful.
*Update- Man I was harsh on this pin. It's not terrible by any means. Has good flow for a widebody. All in all a pretty mediocre pin, not awful.
8.170/10
13 years ago
Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure Williams, 1993
This is a clunky widebody machine with supertight shots and deep rules (for the era) like TZ but doesn't really transcend the sum of its parts. Fun is somewhat lacking for me. The machine is cool. The mechs like the idol and the Path are cool when they work. Art is awesome. Music, again, its Indiana Jones. Awesome. The modes are so important, but that saucer shot is just poorly designed which affects the enjoyment of the whole game. Also this is a very complicated pin and it is hard to find one where everything is functioning as it should. Love the theme, I just wish I loved this game more. The package is there, but the gameplay is lacking for me. Still a very impressive pin, but it will always feel like a "what if" type of machine to me.
5.575/10
13 years ago
The Rolling Stones Stern, 2011
Some fun at first but that is fleeting due to repetition. Art might be the worst of all time, music is great but the theme is lame and the center ramp is like 3 in wide and the easiest and most unsatisfying ramp probably in all of pinball. Mick shouldn't be prancing the whole time around the playfield. I think having him come out of the side like dracula in MB would have been a much better idea. It would have kept the concept of bashing the hell outta him novel, and more importantly, fun.
7.253/10
13 years ago
South Park Sega, 1999
The show is way better than this game is but I think that the easy difficulty was intentional to bring in quarters out on location with this theme. This game is fun though, especially when you get to hear the sounds and speech. Mr. Hanky is a great toy, and the giant kenny rocks as well. Fun for a night out, probably wouldn't want to actually own one. This is the game that all your non pin-playing friends will love.
8.132/10
13 years ago
Dirty Harry Williams, 1995
Good machine, don't feel that it's underrated more that it is just "underknown". Gun is cool, voice and sounds are great, artwork especially on the cabinent is rad, and well-paced gameplay. However the shots aren't really fine tuned, and it feels like balls just brick around rubbers and bumpers for alot of the gameplay. Challenging enough, but doesn't have infinite replay value (overall design lacking), but good fun though. My first Grand Champ score was on one of these and still stands at a very popular bar, so it holds a little special place in my heart.
4.342/10
13 years ago
Family Guy Stern, 2007
For once my dislike for a theme transfers equally into two mediums. Putting aside my utter disdain for the show (I did, I promise) I played this for about 20 Minutes and never want to see it again. Stewie pinball is garbage, so easy to hit, no fun at all, no challenge keeping it there, and an unoriginal concept to boot. The bar was loud so the sounds werent as irritating as they could've been, but I just couldn't get over the lackluster gameplay. Lawlor phoned this one in. It's trash, with none of the usual cool lawlor quirks to save it.
7.391/10
13 years ago
Pirates of the Caribbean Stern, 2006
Definetely a shooters game, but the stop and go in this one doesn't bother me at all, and that can be something of a dealbreaker for me. Shots are tight and a missed shot (often) sends the ball bouncing around the lower playfield but I feel that the outlanes are appropriately set so as to not be brutally malicious. Good design there. Hate if you want to, but this one is solid.
8.686/10
13 years ago
Elvira and the Party Monsters Bally, 1989
Fun late 80s games with great art and sound for the time. Greg Freres killed the art. I love the goofy theme, well executed system 11 pin. Play it when you see it! Not exceptionally challenging, but still a very good time.
6.992/10
13 years ago
Black Rose Bally, 1992
Some very cool features like the cannon, however gameplay is too heavily weighted towards the cannon shot and with too many videomodes. Flow not as good as it seems like it should be with the obvious third flipper for a rather unsatisfying combo shot. All in all, a modestly fun decent overall game. POTC is better. If you're into pirate themes.
10.000/10
13 years ago
White Water Williams, 1993
Insanity falls is my favorite ramp in pinball! Beautiful machine, and a brilliantly laid out asymmetrical playfield that is both fun and challenging. Will be playing this one for many years to come. Music is awesome too and changes with the rafts!
Update: The more I play, the more I love. My favorite table of the moment. Fun from the get-go, and the fun grows with repeat plays. Love it love it love it. The rules are great and make for an ever changing strategic challenge, keeps me coming back again and again.
Update 2: Still my all-time favorite. Love how the machine rewards you and demands your ability to hit every shot in the game. Fantastic rule set. Getting vacation jackpot is so f-ing hard but satisfying. Just a perfect total package to me. Art, music, gameplay, rules, flow, theme. LOVE IT. NEED to OWN IT!
Update: The more I play, the more I love. My favorite table of the moment. Fun from the get-go, and the fun grows with repeat plays. Love it love it love it. The rules are great and make for an ever changing strategic challenge, keeps me coming back again and again.
Update 2: Still my all-time favorite. Love how the machine rewards you and demands your ability to hit every shot in the game. Fantastic rule set. Getting vacation jackpot is so f-ing hard but satisfying. Just a perfect total package to me. Art, music, gameplay, rules, flow, theme. LOVE IT. NEED to OWN IT!
7.789/10
13 years ago
Indiana Jones Stern, 2008
I don't really understand why this one gets so much flack. Awesome music, sound, and animations. Ark Multiball is crazy fun, all movies are represented well imho. I guess it comes down to repetitiveness really (and the art is typical Stern garbage too). So yeah, it's shallow; but it's wayyyyy more fun than the williams version. the fact that the code for the wizard mode was never completed is really a bummer.
4.292/10
13 years ago
Who Dunnit Bally, 1995
DANNNNNNGGGGG, this one's an ugly beast. Doesn't play much better either. Phone toy? Really? Case solving gets old QUICK. All in all, a subpar pinball package.
9.072/10
13 years ago
Twilight Zone Bally, 1993
Twilight Zone is a great game, with very unique Pat Lawlor layout. It's challenging, and the shots can be difficult, but there's just always something to do. The rules are more fleshed out than Addams Family, but with the same feel of trying to complete the door. It has some incredible mechs like the power playfield, the power ball, the clock, and the gumball machine. Not to mention extra magnets in the orbits, a subway, and a flipdown mech to stage the ball for shots into the piano. There probably is no game more loaded with mechanical features than this game. The sound and music are excellent, and the art is fantastic too. All in all a great game, and certainly the apex of crazy features in a single game.
8.120/10
13 years ago
Medieval Madness Williams, 1997
Definitely impressive on every front. Amazing piece of engineering at play here. Lucky to live in a city with about 10 of these around in various bars. A must play for any pinball fan, lots of multiballs, all the bells and whistles. The best of its generation (dmd) right behind AFM. But AFM is the machine I fell in love with first, and I like the theme more. But it's really splitting hairs. Neither machine has any real faults. Thank you Brian Eddy!!! Except that the castle shot is used too often and after your multiballs, the "shoot the castle and nudge wildly so as not to drain STDM" can get old. AFM is faster and more challenging over a long period of time. UPDATE: Game lacks lastability. Still admire it for what it is, but it's ruleset is really weak and makes repeat plays stale.
9.348/10
13 years ago
Demolition Man Williams, 1994
Exceptional flow with many satisfying combos to be had. I don't know if I should admit this, but I actually really like the movie too. Truly is a cult "so bad it rules" kind of thing. The art on this one is notoriously bad, but put a couple of quarters and wash all that doubt right off your face. Nordman always brings the goods.
8.355/10
13 years ago
The Sopranos Stern, 2005
A total mixed bag. The art totally sucks and lacks inspiration, but don't most sterns of this era? The fish is a lame toy, but the dancing girls ramp, safe, and boat make up for it. Sounds are hilarious, especially without the family filter on, and gameplay layout is good. Flow is nice. It's fun, but repetitive and is a long player. My wife's favorite game, not mine but I always have fun when I take it out for a little spin. A super underrated game.
7.575/10
13 years ago
Gilligan's Island Bally, 1991
Gilligan is a game that I had completely despised when I first played it almost 15 years ago, but after having a friend of mine explain their love of it to me, I could see how some of my complaints were overblown. Yes, the multiball is only available as a mystery award. But it's not really worth any points, so it's not like it is game breaking. I like a lot of games without multiballs, so this shouldn't be an issue.
The other big one is that Kona scores WAY MORE than anything else in the game. But what I've realized now as an older man is that, yes, nothing else other than collecting ingredients to start Kona is worth doing, but at least the game forces you to hit shots all over the playfield to qualify Kona. It's not just one shot over and over again.
So it feels like an all or nothing type game like Iron Man, or Bram Stoker's Dracula. And the collecting all the potion ingredients around the playfield feels like spelling "FILM" in Creature from the Black Lagoon. I Like all of those other games, and it was then that I realized I had to give Gilligan another chance.
And I am glad that I did. The rotating path jungle turntable mech is actually really damn cool, and collecting the Kona jackpot after collecting all the ingredients is very satisfying to do. The dmd animations are only ok (first bally williams dmd), but the midi Gilligan theme song and callouts are fun. I also really love how extra balls come at the end of the game, rather than after the ball in play drains. That's how all extra balls should be handled! Much better flow for multiplayer games.
All in all, my friend was right. Gilligan is a fun and shallow game with a very cool central toy. Give it another shot if you're a hater like I previously was, and you might surprise yourself like I did.
The other big one is that Kona scores WAY MORE than anything else in the game. But what I've realized now as an older man is that, yes, nothing else other than collecting ingredients to start Kona is worth doing, but at least the game forces you to hit shots all over the playfield to qualify Kona. It's not just one shot over and over again.
So it feels like an all or nothing type game like Iron Man, or Bram Stoker's Dracula. And the collecting all the potion ingredients around the playfield feels like spelling "FILM" in Creature from the Black Lagoon. I Like all of those other games, and it was then that I realized I had to give Gilligan another chance.
And I am glad that I did. The rotating path jungle turntable mech is actually really damn cool, and collecting the Kona jackpot after collecting all the ingredients is very satisfying to do. The dmd animations are only ok (first bally williams dmd), but the midi Gilligan theme song and callouts are fun. I also really love how extra balls come at the end of the game, rather than after the ball in play drains. That's how all extra balls should be handled! Much better flow for multiplayer games.
All in all, my friend was right. Gilligan is a fun and shallow game with a very cool central toy. Give it another shot if you're a hater like I previously was, and you might surprise yourself like I did.
9.920/10
13 years ago
Fish Tales Williams, 1992
Don't like the theme, but the game does have good flow provided you hit all the shots you are shooting for. Can be brutal on missed shots, ball just bounces everywhere.
UPDATE: have really grow into a much higher appreciation for this game. It is hard, it punishes bricked shots, but the scoring logic is nice and simple and balanced. Very hard to complete. The music is epic, and the game has my favorite replay animation of all time. That fish banging out the drum solo! Fire!
UPDATE: have really grow into a much higher appreciation for this game. It is hard, it punishes bricked shots, but the scoring logic is nice and simple and balanced. Very hard to complete. The music is epic, and the game has my favorite replay animation of all time. That fish banging out the drum solo! Fire!
9.480/10
13 years ago
Congo Williams, 1995
A very surprising game from the middle of the 90s B/W pinball renaissance. A fantastic asymmetrical layout, including one of the best ramp shots in pinball, through the pops and around a glowing volcano. It has some great gimmicks including a fun mini under playfield with a shaking gorilla, and the aforementioned volcano in which you can lock balls into, causing it to erupt to start your multiball. I think the sounds, music, and call outs are all thematically correct and very well done. The theme is well integrated, and the layout is a super smooth an unique shooter. It plays long for a good player, and that’s my only real critique. One of my favorite 90s games of all time.
5.311/10
13 years ago
Black Knight 2000 Williams, 1989
Not here to ruffle any feathers, I know that people love this machine and revere it as divine. I just haven't ever had fun playing it. And I have tried. And tried. And tried....sorry.
5.875/10
13 years ago
Junk Yard Williams, 1996
Too much ball holding, and the videomode (as most are) is lame and pointless. Wrecking ball is cool, but nothing has ever really kept me coming back. Last time I went in to the local bar, somebody had left two credits in it, and I just looked at it and went to put money into the same Monster Bash that I have played a hundred times. If that says anything.
9.563/10
13 years ago
Iron Man Stern, 2010
The only game that can really blow your face right off. It's simple, and the rules aren't very deep, but it really does fight you back. It's a glorious challenge that I gladly accept every time I see it.
UPDATE: many more years, love this game more than ever. Probably my favorite Stern machine of all time. A true ass kicker, I LOVE IT!
Top 3 pin for me (only I can't apply a n/a to the art package, and I refuse to lie and say that part is good based on how much I love to play the game otherwise). Perfect game, bad art. This is definitely my favorite Stern game (lackluster art package aside). Could we get another vault? With some actual comic book style hand drawn art a la Spiderman please? I would lose my mind to get one of those!
UPDATE: many more years, love this game more than ever. Probably my favorite Stern machine of all time. A true ass kicker, I LOVE IT!
Top 3 pin for me (only I can't apply a n/a to the art package, and I refuse to lie and say that part is good based on how much I love to play the game otherwise). Perfect game, bad art. This is definitely my favorite Stern game (lackluster art package aside). Could we get another vault? With some actual comic book style hand drawn art a la Spiderman please? I would lose my mind to get one of those!
8.568/10
13 years ago
Cactus Canyon Bally, 1998
Glad to see that this pin finally got remade and finished. The layout is a classic BW fan from the 90s and all the shots are easy to find, and satisfying to hit. The callouts are a product of their era, and would be properly considered racist today. The game play is simple to learn, but the mechs and toys elevate the experience quite a bit. It’s a great game to introduce to new players to, because the ruleset is easy to explain and understand, and has some excellent moments that get beginners hooked. It’s a bit too easy long term for experienced players, but that shouldn’t distract from its fun factor too much. I still like playing it, but it isn’t a “one more game” type of pin.
6.335/10
13 years ago
Champion Pub Bally, 1998
Have had this at the bar I work at for six months now, and it was impressive at first, but know I can't wait to see it go. The toys are cool, the sound and voices are hilarious, and the gameplay is fun at first. It just has no replay value, and it really gets on my nerves that every shot you hit starts a mechanical mini game, or a hold with a dmd animation, or a (URGGHH) video mode. Gimme my ball back! I don't want to play a hand of video poker, or a lame sidescrolling spit catching game.
7.405/10
13 years ago
Theatre of Magic Bally, 1995
Love this game. Beautiful artwork on the playfield, great flow, great shot variety, awesome animations (the multiball being my favorite multiball animation ever), and the best toy ever on a pinball game (the trunk). Exceptional Pin. Always gets plays from me, I love this pin--keeps me coming back! The rule set is shallow, and the bonus multiplier kinda ruins the scoring system. The code was also never finished to have a true wizard mode. Despite all of this, it's a pin that I still love to flip and I find it to be the best gateway game to introduce new players to. Everyone has a good time playing it.
UPDATE: Just a bit too easy as my skills have increased. Ball times are too long! I wish that the code was better. The bonus scoring ruins the point of playing illusions.
UPDATE: Just a bit too easy as my skills have increased. Ball times are too long! I wish that the code was better. The bonus scoring ruins the point of playing illusions.
8.276/10
13 years ago
Creature from the Black Lagoon Bally, 1992
Creature has really grown on me over the years. The key is to play one in good condition with everything adjusted and working well. It benefits from some extra GI lighting mods, as it is very dark bone stock. The art package is absolutely beautiful, one of the best from the entire era, and the sound package is also top tier. The layout is unique, and is nicely varied. The rules are simple by today's standard, but still give you enough options to play more than one strategy.
8.661/10
13 years ago
Monster Bash Williams, 1998
George Gomez's Masterpiece. Loved everything about this one, the theme, the music and sound, the pf layout. The game is easy to understand, complete each monster to form a band and perform a monster bash. The only thing that I wished it had was a second wizard where you needed to collect all of the instruments. I definetly find that as my skills have improved, the challenge has diminished greatly. Still a blast though.
9.700/10
13 years ago
Attack from Mars Bally, 1995
The game that made me fall in love with pinball in my early adulthood. Incredible flow, beautiful art, great sound, awesome toys, strobe multiball! Ruler of the universe is a very satisfying wizard mode to complete. I LOVE this game, as much love as this game gets, it deserves more. If you like pinball, you should love this game.
