gweempose's ratings

Eight Ball Champ is an underrated game. People tend to think of it as an Eight Ball Deluxe wannabe, but it's actually quite a fun game in its own right. I like the layout, and it requires skill to pick off all the drop targets. It definitely has that cheap 6803 feel to it, but overall I think it is more fun to shoot than most of the other 6803 titles.

ACNC is such a wonderfully unique and fun pin! Spooky really stepped up their game with this title. The art package and lighting are top notch. The music, sound effects and callouts are all great. And, of course, it's a ton of fun to shoot. You can really get some great flow going, and the upper playfield is easily one of the best out there, with a super satisfying backhand shot to the guillotine ramp.

My only real complaint is that the game doesn't include "School's Out", which to me is the quintessential Alice Cooper song. "Billion Dollar Babies" is a good tune, but "School's Out" would have been the perfect choice for the wizard mode.

Black Hole is one of my favorite early solid state games. Not only is it one of the most beautiful pins ever made, but it's also a lot of fun to shoot and very challenging. The multiball is quite difficult to achieve, and very rewarding when you can pull it off. I love how you can play both the upper and lower playfields at the same time, each one going in the opposite direction. Speaking of which, the lower playfield is awesome and very well designed. Whenever you go down there, your heart starts pumping because you know it's do or die time. If you fail to complete the target bank, your ball gets sucked into the Black Hole forever.

The backglass on this game is absolutely stunning! Between the infinity mirror effect and the motorized spinning black hole artwork, it's just gorgeous to look at. The motor can be a bit loud, but there are aftermarket ones available that are much more quiet.

The sounds can be a bit annoying at first, but they definitely have a certain charm. I even really like the speech. It can be somewhat repetitive, but every time the game talks, it immediately takes me back to my youth ... "Re-entry attempt has failed!" Simply awesome!!!!

Another Lyman masterpiece!

I love building up the inlane multiplier, stacking it with 2X playfield, and then nailing a huge shot. What a rush! The walker and prison bombs on the premium/LE completely change the game and add a very cool dimension to the strategy. I also really enjoy nailing the BG shot. To me, it's a lot more satisfying than simply looping the left ramp over and over again on the pro. With the latest code and the modded callouts, this is easily one of the best pins out there.

Tron was the game that the community begged for, and Stern didn't disappoint. It's a phenomenally fun game, and the theme is executed flawlessly. As good as the pro version is, the LE ups the ante with the fiber optic ramps. Yes, they are purely cosmetic, but they are so well integrated with the rules and the sound that they create a much more immersive playing experience.

When I first heard they were making an AC/DC pin, I had my doubts. Once I played the LE, however, I simply had to have one. There is just something deliciously addicting to the gameplay. This is a game where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. At first glance, the game doesn't necessarily seem like it would be all that much fun. Once the lights get going and the music starts pumping, however, your adrenalin really starts to flow. Steve's trademark flowing ramps combined with Lyman's brilliant ruleset create an amazingly fun pinball experience.

Avatar LE is one of the most underrated games out there. The music and sound package is great, and they wisely hired Stephen Lang to do custom speech. I can't think of many other games that do a better job of implementing the theme. Some people complain that the ceramic Na'vi ball ruins the game, but I love it. It's quite a rush stacking AMP and Link multiball during double scoring. What makes this game a keeper, though, is the ruleset. It's very challenging to say the least, and getting to the Final Battle wizard mode is incredibly rewarding.

Airborne is a great game! It may not be very polished in the rules department, but when it's properly tweaked, the thing is super fast and fun to play. The playfield layout is unlike anything else out there. I love how you can lock balls in three different locations. I also think the skill shot with the injector was a very clever idea. And you gotta love the wireforms on this game. I can't think of another pin that has more of them. I particularly enjoy hitting the scoop ramps. Just make sure you don't miss, or those yellow standup targets will send the ball back toward the flippers at insane speeds.

If I had to complain about something, it would be the linear gameplay. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but it would have been better if the modes were in random order. Some people are bothered by the fact that it's difficult to hit all the targets from the flippers. This may be true, but once you get used to the shots, it's really not that bad. Plus, the ball flies around the playfield so fast that you'll usually have no problem completing the banks purely by accident.

Overall, Airborne is an absolute blast to play. If you get a chance to add one of these to your collection, I highly recommend it.

After reading so many great things about this game, I thought for sure I would be disappointed when I finally got a chance to play it. On the contrary, it exceeded my expectations. The Shadow is a fantastic game with a super fun and unique playfield layout. I absolutely love the manually controlled phurba diverters, as well as the challenging mini-playfield. Vengeance absolutely rocks, and may be one of the coolest modes in all of pinball!

At the time I am writing this, The Shadow is still reasonably priced compared to other games from the same era. When you factor in all the fun modes, a terrific sound and light package, and a difficult to beat wizard mode, the game seems like an absolute bargain. Hurry up and grab one before everyone realizes just how great of a pin this really is! :)

SM is just a great flowing, super fun game to play. It's Steve Ritchie's best pin after STTNG, and right up there with the best of the Sterns (i.e. TSPP and LOTR). I love the artwork on the black version, but it's hardly worth the price they go for nowadays. Stick with the red version, swap out those ugly photoshopped slingshot plastics, add some LEDs, and you're golden!

I used to think LOTR was one of the most overrated pins out there. Now that I have become more familiar with it, I can certainly see the appeal. Like TSPP and TZ, this is a game that you really have to play a lot in order to fully appreciate. It is not always immediately clear what you are supposed to do, and newbies may find the game a bit frustrating. You can actually keep the ball in play for a long time without scoring a lot of points if you don't know what shots to go for. Once you get a firm grasp of the rules, however, LOTR is an incredibly rewarding game. It has a great playfield layout, cool animations, awesome sound, perfectly integrated theme, and one of the deepest rulesets in all of pinball. This is the full package. Highly recommended!

A unique game that's a lot of fun to play. The hillbilly music can get pretty annoying, but the gameplay and overall humorous tone more than makes up for it. I love the crisscrossing ramps, and you can get some great flow going. The fishing reel ball lock is simply brilliant. Overall, a very solid game.

Another unique game from the mind of John Popadiuk. This one doesn't get nearly as much respect as CV, TOTAN or TOM, but it's really fun in my opinion. Even if you are not a soccer fan, I beg you to look past the theme and give this one a try. WCS94 has great flow, plays super fast, and does an excellent job of creating the illusion that you are competing against other teams for the World Cup. The final match against Germany is such a rush! The music is also exceptionally good, and will get stuck in your head for days.

Like Monster Bash, the game is relatively easy, but the unique playfield layout and fast action more than compensate for this. In fact, there are few things more satisfying than nailing a goal with a ricochet off the soccer ball. Speaking of the soccer ball, the thing can put some crazy spin on the ball. I also love the cool ball lock. Even the magna-save is well executed on this game. Overall, WCS94 is a phenomenally fun game that's great for the whole family. Considering how cheap you can pick a nice one up, it's also one of the best bang for the buck pins out there!

Not nearly as good as RFM, but very fun nonetheless. I'll admit that SWE1 has some serious design flaws, but I still think it is one of the most underrated games out there. It's got spectacular sound, and the light show is absolutely stunning! I'd go so far as to say this is one of the most visually appealing pins out there. There are few things cooler than when the light saber turns on as you first start the battle with Darth Maul.

I think SWE1 is a great pin for a home collection for several reasons. First of all, it's relatively inexpensive, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. It's also a great game for guests to play. Unlike pins such as TZ or LOTR, pretty much anyone can step right up to SWE1 and start having fun. Lastly, if someone already owns an RFM, I think it makes perfect sense to buy this game as well. The two machines compliment each other perfectly, not to mention the fact that they look great sitting side by side.

In my opinion, RFM is one the most fun and satisfying pins out there. Pinball 2000 was truly a huge evolution in pinball, and it's a shame we only got to see two examples of this marvelous technology before the suits at Williams pulled the plug. Given the fact that this was the first P2K game, you have to give credit to the design team. They really knocked it out of the park. The game is fast, has great flow, and is simply a blast to play.

There are some that try to argue that RFM isn't really a pinball machine, but I couldn't disagree more. At its core, P2K is without a doubt pinball. Instead of shooting at physical targets you are shooting at virtual targets, but you still need the same skills to do well (flipper techniques, nudging, etc...). P2K ups the ante, however, and the holographic projection immerses you in the game in a way that an ordinary pin can't.

If you've never played an RFM, you owe it to yourself to get out there and find one. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Even in his early years, Pat Lawlor was clearly thinking outside the box when it came to playfield design. As a result, you have a really fun game that can easily hold its own against any other game from that era. In my opinion, this would make a great addition to any collection. Best of all, it can generally be had for a reasonable price.

A beautiful game with a unique, well integrated theme. Like all Bally/Williams games from this era, the sound and animations are top notch. It doesn't have the deepest ruleset, but it's a lot of fun nonetheless. This one would make an excellent addition to any collection.

I am hard pressed to come up with another game that does a better job integrating the theme. Consequently, if you are a fan of The Who / Tommy, I don't see how it's possible not to love this game. Sure, it may be based on the Broadway version, but it still rocks! Overall, the gameplay is fun and highly addictive, with some interesting shots to make. There aren't many toys, but the blinders are absolutely brilliant! I'm convinced that if this was a Bally/Williams game, it would be ranked much higher.

What I love about AFM is that it's not only fun, but incredibly challenging. This is one of those pins where you really have to concentrate on your flipper/nudging skills, or it will eat you alive. When you combine the awesome gameplay with great art, sound, animations, humor and an extremely well integrated theme, you have one of the best machines out there.

There are some things I like about this game, but overall it's just way too easy. Not one of Stern's better efforts.

At first glance, Safe Cracker almost looks like it's some kind of toy. As soon as you play it, however, you realize that it's anything but. This is such a unique and fun game to play, and it's a reminder of just how clever Pat Lawlor is when it comes to pin design.

Since I used to perform magic myself, I was expecting to love this game. Unfortunately, I didn't like it quite as much as I thought I would. It's got a lot going for it, and there are definitely some neat toys, but I found the overall gameplay to be a bit repetitive. The game does have a great art and sound package, though. No doubt about that.

Update: After playing this game for a few hours today, I have bumped up my score in several categories. Like John Popadiuk's other games, TOM has a certain charm that grows on you after a while. The playfield design is really quite clever. I love the flow of the inner and outer orbits. Overall, a very solid pin.

For some reason, I didn't have very high expectations for this game. I have to say, I was delightfully surprised. The playfield is quite well designed, providing a nice selection of shots and some good flow. The artwork is top notch, and so is the audio. Like MM, there is some great use of humor. The guns can be a little annoying since they obscure your view, but you quickly get used to them. The only other place where this game loses points is the software. Clearly, there was still much work that needed to be done when they decided to pull the plug and go with Pin2K. This is a shame, becuase a little tweaking could have made a great game even better.

TOTAN is simply gorgeous to look at, and it's a lot of fun to boot. The playfield is just chock full of cool stuff, and the sound and lights are top notch. Truly one of the best!

I love almost everything about this game. A great theme, fantastic music and sound, cool DMD animations, awesome bash toys, and one of the most vibrant and beautiful playfields around. It's not a super deep game or particularly challenging for the advanced player, but pinball is all about having fun, and this game delivers the goods.

This is probably Steve Ritchie's best game. It's a blast to play, has great flow, and is very challenging. At first, the open playfield can feel a bit sparse when compared to other great widebody pins such as TZ or IJ. After you play it for a while though, you realize the brilliance of Ritchie's layout. I happen to love the theme, but even if you don't, this game is still a lot of fun. The animations are great, and the DCS sound is killer. Just a top notch game overall.

Not the deepest game out there, but a heck of a lot of fun. This is definitely the type of game that grows on you the more you play it. It's a shame they didn't produce more of them, because the high price tag makes it cost prohibitive for many enthusiasts.

SoF is a fun game that probably doesn't get as much attention as it deserves due to its small production run. It has a great original theme, cool artwork, and a nice playfield layout. The thing that truly stands out, however, is the music. It perfectly fits the theme, and I love how it gets more intricate with each locked ball. The multiball music is simply awesome, and it really gets your adrenaline pumping. I also thoroughly enjoy how the game plays. It's quite fast, and you can actually get some decent flow going once you know where to shoot. I love the two horseshoe lanes, particularly the lower one with it's in-your-face flashers. The icing on the cake is the mini-playfield, which is really a game within a game. It's a lot of fun, and quite challenging to master. The mini-playfield is also used to score the jackpot during multiball mode, which is no easy feat.

Overall, SoF is a great game that compares favorably to the best pins of that era. I highly recommend it!

I just can't get into this one. The license had potential, but the design team did a horrible job of translating it into a pin. Instead of staying true to the feel of the show, they decided to make it all zany. This is The Sopranos people, not The Simpsons!

Iron Man is a fast-paced, in your face kind of game that's an absolute blast to play. Sure, there is a lot of randomness to it, but that's one of the things I like about it. You never quite know what's gonna happen next. Between the magnets, the pounding music, and the lighting effects, IM is truly a feast for the senses. Throw in a sub and a shaker, and you've got the ultimate adrenaline rush! My favorite toy is the War Machine. The kicker is REALLY powerful and fires it back at you incredibly fast. My only real complaint about the game is the side drains. They can be absolutely brutal. If I were to ever buy an IM for my own collection, the first thing I would do would be to adjust the outlane posts all the way in.

I think 24 is underrated. The open playfield has a cool, unique layout, and there are some very challenging shots (particularly from the left flipper). You can actually get some decent flow going if you know what you are doing. I also like the toys. The briefcase is particularly well done. The ruleset could be deeper, but overall it's a pretty fun game, especially if you're a fan of the show.

Stargate is a great pin. It's not for everyone, but if you can get past the crowded playfield, there is a lot of fun to be had. It's also a beautiful machine to behold, and features great artwork all around. IMHO, it's easily the best DMD machine Gottlieb ever made.

I have a love/hate relationship with this game. I'm a huge fan of the movie, and I think they did a terrific job incorporating the theme. The sound, however, can get really grating (particularly the Michael Ironside quotes). There is also something I just don't like about Sega pins. They play much differently than other machines, and they just feel cheap to me.

That being said, Starship Troopers has a lot going for it. The playfield is fairly well laid out, and there are a variety of interesting shots to make. My favorite is continuously nailing the "Assault Range" until it opens up for multi-ball. The tri-flipper is another thing I like. Once you get used to it, you can do a lot of cool things with the ball(s). Lastly, the artwork is pretty slick. If you like 'em bright and colorful, this pin's for you!

Overall, I think Starship Troopers is a fun machine. Just turn the sound down a bit, and hopefully you won't get a headache.

Pinbot is the game that got me hooked on pinball, and it is among my favorite pre-DMD machines. My friends and I used to drop buckets of quarters in it back in high school. The game was quite revolutionary at the time, and the visor is still cool even today. It also had fantastic sound for that era. Most importantly, Pinbot is fun, and that's what pinball is all about.

What's there to say that hasn't already been said. TZ is a truly phenomenal machine, and it will always hold a special place in my heart as the first game in my collection. I love pretty much everything about TZ. Awesome theme! Great art! Cool sound! Wonderful toys! And let's not forget about the Powerball. What an amazing idea. This is Lawlor at his best. Heck, this is pinball at its best!

AP has it's flaws, but it's a pretty fun game nonetheless. The theme is well integrated, and there are some really funny quotes. The psychedelic art on the playfield and cabinet looks awesome, but the backglass art is mediocre at best. As far as the toys, they are a mixed bag. The Time Machine works well, but it often fires the ball right down the middle. The toilet is cool (when it works), and it's always fun to bash Dr. Evil during Mojo multiball. My favorite toy, however, is the Fricken Laser. It's not an entirely new idea, but it's very well executed.

As far as playability, the game is fun, but something is just a bit off. The ball has a tendency to move in ways which are simply annoying, and I chalk this up to a poor design. All the major shots are fairly easy, which is either good or bad depending on your skill level.

Overall, I think AP delivers a satisfying pinball experience. I doubt I'd purchase one for my home, but the machine certainly has a lot of things going for it.

The beauty of this game is that it can be equally enjoyed by both novices and experts. Casual players will have a blast just batting the ball around, while the insanely deep ruleset will keep even the the most advanced players happy. The theme is well integrated, the artwork is nice, and the toys are very cool. Unlike in some games, the mini playfield is actually a lot of fun, and the couch is one of the most inspired toys in all of pinball.

In my opinion, TSPP would make a great addition to any home collection. My only caveat would be that it is not a great game for someone who is looking for a lot of flow. I happen to enjoy stop and go games such as this, but it's not for everyone. The only other negative I can come up with is that I wish Stern had shelled out a little more for Julie Kavner and Yeardly Smith. It's pretty ridiculous to have a Simpsons theme without quotes from Marge and Lisa.