Jediturtle's ratings

Very underrated game. So many complaints about it being a barren playfield, yet it has FOUR metal ramps, a drop bank, a completely unique disappearing spinner/magnet mech, another spinner, and two custom molded toys (one huge, one on a jumping mechanism). This is a great Steve Ritchie layout. The rules are unique, thematic, well thought out, and very fun for beginners right through pro level players. The art is as true to the theme as possible, using actual album artwork. The A/V assets are great, and I love the tour poster based custom animation. Just a solid total package all around. I'm not a huge fan of the band...some great songs but not a theme that captured my attention on its own. It is great pinball playing music though, and do not get me wrong, the band is iconic for a reason. I hope more people discover how good this game is, because I honestly do not understand the criticism.

Steve Ritchie once again proves that a great game doesn't have to be too complex. This is a pure battle pin...fast, flowy, and brutal, with a fun and fitting ruleset, wrapped in amazing art and A/V assets. The code could use a little more polish and the pro in particular could really use another multiball. Simply bringing Catapult multi over from the premium/LE would be fine. You could easily map the lock to the left saucer as a virtual lock. Very good game as-is, but could really shine with a little more code work.

Best game in its price range. I have had mine for a long time and while I do not play it all the time, I am always surprised how well it holds up to my more modern games. Interesting layout, great rules that utilize everything on the playfield, and a freaking BALL EATING DINOSAUR! What more could you want (other than some better playfield art that is...)?

Awesome game. Proof positive that a game can be "stripped down" and still kick all forms of butt. One of my biggest selling regrets.

Toys do not get any better than the crane! While the Batmobile "teeter-totter" and the "Joker Can" may not be as well loved, I find them to be neat additions. Also, I find it funny that so many people complain about those two features, yet look at how much the "Costco" version was hated...which just took those out. Weird. Anyway, BDK is a pretty awesome game that captures the feeling of the movies perfectly. If it wasn't for Batman '66, I would own one of these. I still might someday...

Brutal game that keeps you coming back for more. Rarely is getting your butt handed to you so much fun! Mist multiball is one of the best "toys" ever made.

Funhouse is one of those games that I LOVE everything about...except playing it. Actually it's not that I don't like playing it, but I don't enjoy it as much as I wish I did. I love the theme and artwork, but the layout and fun factor just aren't quite there for me. What is even more strange is that I love other Lawlor designs from this era, so I'm not sure what it is exactly. I have played it quite a bit and it has grown on me a little over time, so maybe with more plays I could come to love it.

Honestly it took me a long time to fall in love with TAF, but I finally see what all the fuss is about. I will say from experience that if you just don't get it, make sure you get to play one that is 100% working, in good shape, with the sound up enough to hear everything. That's what it took for me. Before playing a couple really nice ones, I just didn't get it.

I found many of Lawlor's pins to be aquired tastes. It took me a very long time to get an appreciation for TZ. I can say after years of trying, I finally get it. Even if you don't enjoy the gameplay, you can't help but be impressed with the engineering and shear amount of stuff that was poured into this game.

Whirlwind...classic Pat Lawlor through and through. Whirlwind was such a perfect design that he would continue to use many of the design cues throughout his career. Just look at how much was borrowed in designing The Addams Family. Other designers even blatantly ripped off much of the playfield design. Take a look at Jurassic Park (a great game in its own right, don't get me wrong) and how alike the playfield is.

This is another total package game. The layout, gorgeous artwork, sounds, toys, and that wonderful fan come together to make the theme complete. To top it all off, it is just plain FUN to play. Hard to beat!

I only have very minor complaints about the game. The lighting is a bit dim and the lightshow in general is disappointing, especially at game over and attract mode. So much more could have been done here. Other than that some of the rules aren't completely clear. Multiball is easy to figure out, but some of the other stuff, like the drop target lighting/awards, pop bumper advancing, etc aren't easy to pick up at first glance. The music and some of the sound effect also could have been a little better. All of this is just nit-picking though...the game is fantastic just how it is.

Ahh...Wheel of Fortune. Such a polarizing pin. The theme is what it is. It's isn't flashy, dramatic, or an adrenaline rush like a Spiderman or something along those lines. However it does a fantastic job for what it is.

I have said before that WoF is Dennis Nordman's love note to the EM era. The flipper arrangement is unique, well designed, and a perfect throw-back. Add to that inline drop targets and chime sounds from the pop bumpers and you have some great retro love. But it is not all "old school". There is also the wheel, which is wonderfully design with great movement and lighting effects. There are some very well designed ramps (of course, from the king of cool ramps), a screaming fast orbit shot, and an overall well thought out playfield. It has a great combination of precision target shooting and great flow...a rare combination. There are some great opportunities to backhand shots, and combos are endlessly possible (and even have a mode of their own).

The rules and software are a touchy subject. On one hand the rules are very unique, varied, and a lot of fun to play. On the other hand they are based on an arguably weak theme, and are of course unfinished. The game is perfectly playable as-is, but there is a definite lack of polish which is sorely missed. So much more could be done with the extra ball, special, etc animation and call-outs. What is there is very good, but with just a little more effort and time it could have been great. There is also of course the issue of the missing wizard mode. From what I hear it would have been almost impossible to get to, but I sure would like knowing it was there. The wasted potential on this one is very sad. It will never be a top 10 game, strictly because of the theme and those who can't get past it, but with some software polish I think it could be looked on in a much more positive light than is currently is.

As it is though, if you can get past the theme and give it a fair chance (and you owe it to yourself to try), you will find a fun game with a very unique layout, a nice varied ruleset, some very satisfying shots and combos, a quirky sense of humor, nice colorful playfield art, nudging galore, a fantastic light show, and great multiball + mode stacking.

Beautiful game with a decent layout for its era. The spinner shot is still one of my favorite shots in all of pinball. Something about that perfect shot that really nails that spinner and sets the chimes blazing. Very satisfying! The bonus advance target on the right side is a very tough shot. Was my first game. I regret letting it go for the nostalgia, but not necessarily for the gameplay.

Good game, and was the centerpiece of my collection for many years. Over the years my tastes changed to more of the newer games, this one finally found a new home. I enjoyed it while it lasted, but have not missed it.

Fun layout with lots of drop targets. Gotta love that! Very nice artwork too. I do miss the beautiful art of the EM days.

Pinbot Circuits Activated! Pinbot is all things that were wonderful about that era of pinball. It really has a personality and "life" of its own. The artwork, layout, sounds, speech, rules, etc all come together for a great package. Unfortunately my tastes have changed towards the modern machines, and I let mine go awhile back. I do miss it sometimes.

One of the best games in its price range. I have owned two over the years and wouldn't mind another one falling in my lap someday.

Classic Ritchie. Well done theme. I really love revving the engine before launching the ball...nice touch there. The dome light on top of the backbox adds a ton of atmosphere in a dark room. The adrenaline sure gets pumping when you run the red light and even more when you get away. Hard game...almost impossible to keep multiball going for any length of time, at least for me!

CSI is way better than it sometimes gets credit for. However, I am a huge fan of the show, and I acknowledge the fact that if you aren't a fan, this machine will lose a lot of it's charm.

The backglass artwork is ok for obviously being dictated by the license. The playfield is very nice looking, and the cabinet is absolutely beautiful.

I have seen complaints that there is no humor, but if you know the show, that couldn't be further from the truth. The animations are top notch with many perfectly done custom animations and digitized clips of the show. The sounds and music are perfectly fitting, but they do add to the laid back feeling while playing the game. It isn't an adrenaline pumping game like Spiderman, but it isn't meant to be either.

The toys are amazing...come on...a skull that locks the balls in it's eyes? That is way cool. The centrifuge is also a great use of a familiar feature and very fitting to the theme. The layout is good with tons of shots, but I would personally like a little more flow. As it is there is almost no flow, and I agree with another reviewer that the ball spends too much time in the pop bumpers.

The rules are great, though as others have mentioned a few more modes would have been nice. There is still plenty to do though, with three very difficult to complete multiballs, plus 3 additional mini-modes. The rules are very reminiscent of the System 11 era, but with today's technology. I personally like this as a contrast to the ultra-deep games. CSI has a perfect balance to its gameplay. It is very easy for beginners to make something really cool happen, but completing goals and scoring big is very difficult for the "wizards" out there.

Amazing classic that stands head and shoulders among many others from its era. This game has a great combination of percision target shooting, and great flow thanks to the three spinner shots. While the sounds and speech are great and fit the theme, the idea of having the background sounds increase pitch with the spinner shots is better in theory than in practice. The last couple of pitch changes before it resets are downright annoying. It makes you REALLY want to hit those spinners quickly to get the noise reset...and of course that is when those shots become nearly impossible! The light show is fantastic, especially when hitting a Blackout. I miss mine.

One of the all time greats and defined an entire era of pinball. The amount of innovation in this game is amazing given when it was made. A game I want back in my collection someday.

Fun game for its era. I love how you can build up the red and yellow bonuses seperately and the risk/reward of going for a higher bonus vs when to collect so you don't use it. I also really love that it has a gobble hole where you can collect both bonuses (doubled if lit!), but you sacrifice a ball to do it. Also having the gobble so close to the other bonus collect saucers makes for risky shooting. Beautiful artwork as well.