JeremyON's ratings

Star Trek is just plain fun. You don't need to memorize a lengthy rulesheet, the transporter backglass gimmick is really neat, the jackpot shot is satisfying. Kinda of like sinking ships on Black Rose, it's a really good game to get the adrenaline pumping and let the brain go into neutral. As usual, the Data East stereo sound is excellent, really leading the industry in its day. The DMD animations are really good for such a small number of pixels. Good fun to shoot ships when launching the ball. Data East was really keeping up with Williams up to this point, but then Addams Family happened. Warp speed!

It's beautifully designed, instantly fun, plays fast and furious, deep code, excellent theme, and very reliable. What's not to love? Just a fantastic effort from Stern on this one.

It's a pretty game and I'm a big Star Wars fan and a big Steve Ritchie fan, but Star Trek TNG and Star Trek Reboot both win hands down here. This one just doesn't get my blood pumping, I'd much rather spend my time getting to the final frontier with Jean Luc Picard, Data, Q, et. al. or whoopin' up on some Nero. As for Star Wars pinball, I enjoy both Episode 1 and Data East versions more.

Great playing pin, lots of fun and wonderfully pleasant family theme. Lots of ball action and great ramps. Unique skill shot punishes forceful plunging. Deep code keeps variety high.

A nice starter machine and I love the music. Owned a really nice example for a while, but lastability is a little weak, gameplay rather shallow.

This wide body Gottlieb is typically overshadowed by the other classic Gottlieb wide body releases Black Hole and Haunted House. That is quite a shame because this game is a very fast widebody with flippers everywhere, multiball, a mini skee ball lock shot, an innovative skill shot, and the "She's gonna blow" hidden delivery mimicking a pitch n bat. Lots of value here and if you like Gottlieb wide bodies, then this one is a no brainer to add to your widebody collection since it sells for a fraction of the cost and is just as fun. I personally think it is better than Haunted House because it has more innovative ideas, speech and multiball which Haunted House lacks.

Black Hole is as unique today as it was in 1981. Very innovative and eye catching, the backglass of this one is outstanding. Lower playfield, instantly recognized early digitaized voice, multiball, and even though it isn't directly related to the creepy Disney film of 1979, it has a similar "feel" to it. Fun, enjoyable and I like it!

As Yoda would say... "You must unlearn what you have learned". This is one of the most innovative pins I've ever played. The stunning 3D backglass mesmerizes you. The backglass lightshow is brilliant. Once you get over your awe of the backglass and move on to the playfield, the awe continues. Toys on top of pop bumpers? I thought that was a Jersey Jack invention, but no! Guard targets that pop up to reveal tunnels? Now that's innovative! Ramps that look too steep for the ball to climb, but yet they are smooth and rewarding! How about practical design? All of the fuses mounted on the underside front of the playfield? Wow! Software that allows you to configure the game from a standard 3 ball quick-play stomp to a full 30+ minute journey adventure like Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit? Software that tells you the game rules during attract mode by using the flippers? Now that's flexibility! Modes galore! Difficult combinations! Lots of incredible speed and flow! The game guides you through the shots by the numerous flashers with callouts and the sound is quite clearly understood. The first time you play the sandstorm mode your jaw will drop. And how about that glidercraft that pops up from under the pyramid! It's a real treat that even first time players can experience. How many times have you wished for a switched service port? This game has two service ports, one switched and one unswitched! Wow, I just can't say enough positive about this game. The flippers do feel different and the EOS is at a steeper angle than you're used to. This allows you to catch the ball very easily, but makes it more difficult to transfer the ball from one flipper to the other, so you must relearn your flipper skills. If the game takes a knock for anything, it is the lack of a free play setting, but just install a button switch in the coin door and you're good to go. Gottlieb did a stellar job on this one and considering all of the innovations, it's very difficult to believe that this is a 1995 game. Some of the features aren't even available on machines built today. Maybe someone sent it through a Stargate from another world? Magnificent game, it's such a shame that Gottlieb couldn't continue, but at least they went out with a masterpiece. Theme implementation is second to none on this one, a real treat for Stargate fans. Clearly this game is frequently overlooked because it is a Gottlieb solid state, but that is what makes it so surprising, it's not just a great Gottlieb, it's a fantastically well designed pinball machine that ranks right up there with the world's best. So "unlearn what you have learned" about Gottlieb and seek this game out. Dial up those chevrons and transport yourself to another world through Gottlieb's magnificent Stargate.
Note: Since this is a '90s game, it benefits greatly from modern enhancements, especially LED lighting. Adding a tactile transducer (bass shaker) to the cabinet also greatly enhances sound depth and allows older games to compete with modern shaker motor machines. This game has been reviewed with these modifications in place.

Like MMR, the game is limited by it's simple fan layout. It's fun and funny, but I actually find RFM funnier and more engaging. The playfield martians are nowhere near as fluidly animated as in the original and RFM, being very stiff in execution. The saucer and color DMD enhancements are welcome, but the green trim and lit speakers are gaudy. Taking improvement liberties with a twenty plus year old game is fine, but I'd like to see those liberties include enhancements in the game itself. A widebody expansion of this theme JJP style would be stellar!

It's a great game and I love it, but #1? The fan layout is basic and makes it feel less strategic than any game with 3 or more flippers. For fan layouts, I like TOTAN more even though the software is limited. I like a number of wide body Superpins more including WOZ, STTNG, TZ, IJ, and ...gulp... even PSTE. Bang for the buck just doesn't seem to be there on this one. If it was a Superpin and had the castle on an upper playfield to storm with more flippers and a dangerous moat beneath it to contend with, then maybe it would rise to the top for me, but woe to us peasants, it isn't a Superpin. It would have made a fine one though. Yes, it was a late Williams game, and yes, they didn't make very many, and yes, it is good, yes it is fun, yes it has a great theme, but again #1?

It's considered the pinnacle of pinball design for a reason. Not even Pat Lawlor himself has managed to top it yet. Timeless theme, fantastic artwork, fantastic sound, widebody design, some stop and go, but because of the incredible depth your flipper fingers need a momentary break anyway. Any weaknesses like incandescent lighting, monochrome DMD and low power sound are easily overcome with today's technology. Endless mods and personal customization options. An available home ROM with the unique ability to pause a game! An upper playfield to battle with magnetic flippers! The POWERBALL! Modes galore! Reasonable pricing everything considered. What more could you want? There is one annoying screeching sound, but it's meant to be annoying so you work hard to complete the mode quickly. The only issue might be reliability and maintenance on location. I've played about half a dozen machines at various locations and only one felt like it was playing correctly. But, the game is now 25 years old, so it needs a permanent home as a well cared for collector's item instead of location abuse anyway! Afterall, if you owned a Ferrari, you certainly wouldn't rent it out for 50 cents, would you?

Apollo 13 has always been on my wishlist because I love the Apollo theme. As a matter of fact, I own the original 1967 Williams Apollo machine! Apollo 13 has more than double the multiball of any other machine, at 13 balls in play at once! Yes, it's a gimmick, and yes, more than half drain almost immediately, but it's still a great gimmick and forces you to keep your flipper coils in pristine condition! The only downside is that every time I walk up to it, I'm reminded that Tom Hanks didn't want anything to do with it. His loss. The movie is great, this pin is a great tie-in, and the stereo sound with strong shaker motor is excellent. The excellent backglass benefits substantially from adding warm white frosted LEDs to replace the incandescents, and the ColorDMD really helps this one out. Love the unique launcher too. The standard backbox in this game looks better than the curved "showcase" used in later games. A great effort from Sega on this one.

Scared Stiff is the perfect implementation of the Elvira theme. Lots of adult innuendo that would only make adults blush. Very good fan layout, but I'm always looking for extra flippers on a game of this caliber. The spinning spider slows gameplay somewhat, but I always like a good backglass animation implementation. May be a little too sexy for some.

Possibly the most well implemented theme of all time. Perfectly captures the 1950's setting. What did licensing this in the '90s have to cost, two nickels? Game needs additional lighting (LEDs, spots) to illuminate the beautiful artwork. Find hologram monster? Save girl? Does it get any better? Only two ball multiball, but hard to keep multiball going regardless. Hologram can fade and be expensive to replace, but a fine game to own.

I love this game. I love the theme. I love collecting jewels, saving the princess, and battling the genie. This game could only be better if it were a widebody superpin with a 6 ball multiball wizard mode and deeper software. Alas, the joy is so short. It doesn't take long enough to complete the software. I wish it had been deeper, but I love it regardless! However, it's not deep enough for me to plonk down $9000. I can have at least 2 deeper pins for that kind of money.

"Well, blow me down!" "Oh my gosh'k" this game is good. I took a risk on this one and bought a well worn re-import needing some work because it was half the price of my STTNG and I wanted another family friendly widebody superpin with 6 ball multiball. I quickly got buyer's remorse just like when I bought my first Italian car. Like that car, this game surprised me. I got all the kinks worked out in a couple of hours, kicked the back up to a steep angle, and started playing the game like it was intended to be played. Popeye Saves the Earth is easily the most underrated game in pinball, currently sitting at #250. I agree with an earlier rating on the Colordmd, it's a must along with a complete LED set. The sound is exceptional, the loop is probably the fastest in a superpin, the upper playfield with pinball controlled video mode is extremely challenging. As a matter of fact, it was way too challenging with the factory set up. This is easy to fix by replacing the rubbers on the "save swee-pea" ramp with 1" snips off a large diameter drinking straw. Do it, this cheap mod cures the whole problem of ramp shot "bounce back" and costs nothing.
"Hidden" shots? That's a "Wimpy" complaint.
The "Save the Earth" theme doesn't make sense? What else would we expect Popeye to do if Bluto is
polluting the Earth?
The game software is incredibly deep, much more so than most games in the top 100. Full of toys, up to 6 ball multiball, a video mode that is unsurpassed in challenge and unique in all of pinball, what more could you possibly ask for a pin to do? I challenge you to spend some time with this title, but make sure it's been shopped recently, because if it isn't working right, playability suffers quickly. A machine that's been on location for years without maintenance doesn't deserve a review here. I love Steve Ritchie games and I own four of his designs. However, something had to follow STTNG in production at Williams and this game might not quite clear the bar that games set in 1993, but that doesn't mean that it didn't compete at all. I respectfully think that Mr. Ritchie's rant against this game was unfair to the designers. This game should most definitely have a place in the top 100. Give it a good day's play on a well-maintained machine and see if you agree.

AAAaaaayyyyy, it's The Fonz' machine of choice for a reason... so 'cool'. It's an EM with everything - A great playfield toy, up to 4 simultaneous players, zipper flippers, ball kicker, excellent theming, excellent artwork and multiball! Good grief, what else could you want from an EM? How about a tie-in to a timeless television series? A 70's machine with '50s appeal? Check, and check again. Wow, just awesome. This one ticks all the boxes.

Bloody fun game that will suck all of your free time away. Timeless classic Dracula pin. Mist multiball is always a spectator hit. Stacking all three multiballs is quite a goal. Really is a game you can sink your teeth into!

ARRRR...matey! Who doesn't like a classic pirate theme? This machine is more timeless than Stern's POTC and half the price. Lot's of video modes make the machine stand out. The stock outlanes gobble balls a lot. I cured the excessive outlane drains by adding some rubber to the up posts and bending the inlane-outlane divider rail over toward the outlane slightly. With these mods, the outlane drain frequency is now comparable to a modern Stern. Love the pop-up cannon. Love the "swashbuckling" pops. The GI lighting uses a lot of dimming/flashing during play and may not respond very well to change over to LEDs. Using LEDs only in the playfield inserts makes sense for this one. The light show is excellent. Playfield can be rather dark in the back though, so nice to add a couple of spotlights to illuminate the ship, a yellow LED strip to illuminate the ball lock area, and a white strip to illuminate Davey Jones' locker ramp. Nice classic pin with timeless theme. Good for a quick game and very satisfying to sink ships.

Diner is a beautiful System 11 masterpiece. The animated backglass is perfect. The skill shot into the jukebox is a joy. The left bank of drop targets are challenging and must be hit to progress the game. The gobble hole is a nice one in a tight spot. The goals are very clear. The play is exciting and speedy. The multiball lock is ingenious. Only two ball multiball, but that's all it needs. And finally, the "stir the cup" shot is magnificent, definitely a top 10 shot in all of pinball history. My only gripe is I wish there was more music and the callouts can get annoying. However, the sound roms were limited in 1990, so I can't gripe much about that. The sound that is there fits and still has some classic early SS sound to it as well which makes it feel even more like a classic. As it says on the backglass, it's "A Classic Williams Pinball".

I wanted to love it. I love the theme. It looked great, had lot of toys, great ramps, great animations, lots of stuff to do, but alas none of it was challenging or fun. My general feeling was that the game could almost play itself. Ball times were long and rather dull. Might be interesting to kids for a while, but it's no Twilight Zone. I considered buying one, but passed after playing it. I'd much rather own a System 11 game, Data East, or Sega. Put your $2500 on a Popeye Saves the Earth instead. As a matter of fact, I can't understand why Popeye is so slandered while this dull box manages to avoid abuse. Just goes to prove that ratings are a mess. This one should be rated below Popeye for sure.

WHOA there partner! This one is SO underrated it's just unbelievable. It's got everything, a licensed great legacy western theme with ties back to the excellent 1950's TV series, a pretty good 1990's western comedy film starring Hollywood's finest, a better implementation of the skill shot rack than TOTAN (and it had the feature before TOTAN), a great toy (classic paddlewheel boat, and no, it's not that slow), poker, blackjack, great modes and storyline, fun for newbies and a lot of challenge for experienced players, very fast and furious play, great lighting, great sound, lots of drop targets, up to 4 ball multiball, the largest DMD in the business and a very difficult hidden captive ball shot. I bought this having never played it because I thought my Data East Secret Service and Sega X-files were underrated and I wanted to try another DE/Sega to see if the pattern held. This machine is by far the best bang for the buck I've ever had in my collection. If you want a classic western theme with some story depth/lastability, you can spend $10K+ on a Cactus Canyon or get one of these and pocket some gold nuggets too! It even plays "Amazing Grace"!

Well, it's another Steve Ritchie classic. So, the big question is... Which is better, High Speed or The Getaway? The answer is, it depends. High Speed infuriates me when I play it, the adrenaline flows. It's simple in that you know what you need to do, but much more challenging to actually do it. The hand/eye coordination is a must. High Speed really started a new era in pinball and it deserves its place in history as one of the finest. The Getaway however does have a deeper story, great sound, great animations, great flow and great gimmicks, but it just doesn't pump the adrenaline as much as High Speed. That's good. If The Getaway gave you a quick adrenaline fix like High Speed, then there would be no reason to have both. However, you really need to have both in your collection because although the playfields are very similar, these are very different games when it comes to play. Most will say that the '90s game is better because of the software/DMD and I agree. I like eye candy and a deeper story too. However, I just can't part with the High Speed because it definitely is a brutal classic that will always get you fired up in a hurry. If you need a quick pinball fix to make it through your day, then High Speed can't be beat. If you've got a bit more time to play, the Getaway does just that... it takes you away to an imaginary police chase under glass without all of the vehicle damage and jail time. And that ZZ Top La Grange soundtrack, how could you possibly sneer at that???

I bought this for pure nostalgia, wanting to expand the range of years of my collection and the theme was attractive to me. I didn't expect it to be so much fun! The skill hole is a unique feature, the sounds are beautiful simplicity, the backglass artwork has to be among the best ever as evidenced by the fact that a reproduction is available even though there are only 4 known tables out there! It could definitely use some cabinet artwork, but that was an afterthought at the time it was made. It was one of the first to have the flippers positioned at the same place that they are today and the game play can hold its own against just about anything out there. A true classic. Too bad you'll probably never see it listed in the EM top 100 because it's just too rare to get enough reviews. Two are in museums and two are privately owned.

It's a good game, but it's sequel Revenge from Mars is better. This one is a bit too highly rated.

Revenge from Mars was one of the greatest feats of mankind. Until Jersey Jack challenged it 15 years later, there was nothing else to compete with it. I have played both Attack from Mars and Revenge from Mars and Revenge is much more involving, humorous, and challenging. The follow up, Star Wars Episode 1 is clearly inferior, but is a marvel too. I have both playfields for my Pin2000 and until I have a need for a Star Wars fix, Revenge from Mars will stay in the cabinet.

This game is rated on the low side and I understand why, but it's not fair. This is a DIFFERENT game. To own this game you need to already have an established collection of pins or you need to be someone who loves bowling and/or pitch and bat but really isn't a pinball fan or baseball fan.
First, this is a very classy arcade machine in a rather loud and colorful cabinet. The mechanism and playfield in this machine is absolutely drop dead gorgeous and tough looking, simply the finest. The playfield looks like a brand new just oiled down bowling alley. The machine stands taller than any other standard size cabinet pin that I have seen. So tall in fact, that there is a second set of leg mounts to mount the machine lower for kids (A first that I have seen). This is a machine that Matt Dillon (James Arness) would feel right at home with.
Second, this is a pitch and bat bowler. Weird? Yes. But how does it play? Fantastic. This game emulates a bowling alley very well even going so far as to have operative ball returns. The larger pinball emulates the feel and momentum of a real 16lb bowling ball with the flipper acting as your arm. The game is simple to learn but difficult to master. It has three different bowling games built in and a patented tournament mode where players can compete for a prize payout every week. If you ever wanted to feel like a millionaire with your own bowling alley in your home, you cannot come any closer in the space required by this machine. Can you curve the ball? No. This is a hand/eye coordination game. Can you bowl fast? How about a game every three minutes? Get your game on!
Third, it has an authentic sound, nothing loud or annoying and not one but two magnificent DMD displays. The larger pinball lands with a thud, emulating the drop sound of a real bowling ball onto the lane, into the ball return, and down the ball return to the flippers. Again, it's like having your own automatically scoring, pinsetting, and ball return bowling alley in your own home.
Finally, is it a "real" pinball machine? Well, yes and no. It certainly has bowling "pins" and the pinballs are larger than usual, but this is first and foremost designed to be a bowling emulator under glass and it succeeds marvelously. There is no "exciting" gameplay here, no multiball jackpots, no screaming callouts, no spinners, no ramps, just a nice relaxing game of bowling without having to rent shoes, trudge out into the snow, or put up with obnoxious players (other than the ones you invite over yourself). If you love bowling and pitch and bats, then you'll love this. If you want to bowl in your home but don't have the space for a bowling alley or ball bowler, then you'll love this. If you like pinball and it's your only pinball machine, you'll soon feel like getting a mainstream pinball machine because you'll know that you're missing out. For pinball machine number 13 in your collection though, it can't be beat. Lastability is it's only downside, because the gameplay is understandably shallow, just like most bowlers.

High Speed is a classic. The pace is fast and furious, the goal is clear. It feels great to get multiball after "getting away from the cops". The playfield is only one level, but it feels like more. Since it's a mid-80's design, maintenance is easy. I highly recommend this game for any collection. A Steve Ritchie classic that just begs you for "just one more game".

I played this at the Wilderness in Sevierville, TN and played it, and played, and played. I found the cannon and fire button to be unnecessary and distracting, especially when starting multiball, it's a copy of 1991's Terminator 2. I have a 1993 Star Trek TNG and it has much more satisfying and functional cannon shots. This game is fun to play though, I 'll grant that, it's certainly a Steve Ritchie game and flows nicely. The lighting and light shows are good, but what this one needs is some animation in the backglass/backbox. It's 2016 for goodness sake and this game just doesn't draw a crowd. My 1980's Data East Secret Service even has bright lights in the topper and flashers in the backglass, so why doesn't Stern give us some killer light shows in the backglass/backbox sides to draw a crowd? I put up the number 1 score on AC/DC and no one even noticed. When the score gets high, the machine needs to respond so that people know that something special is happening and have a desire to do something special themselves. My suggestion? Add "For Those About to Rock" to the mix when the score gets high or during multiballs and have a smoking and flashing cannon topper with a high power subwoofer and bass shaker in the cabinet. Put lots of superbright undercabinet leds in there for the explosions too. That should get some attention!
One other thing, it's a pinball machine for goodness sake, nudging is part of the game and head banging is part of the theme. I tilted the thing every time I got into the music and every time I got multiball. I felt like Elvis in Florida, can't gyrate hips, only move little finger. It made me want to move a finger alright... my middle one straight up, but I didn't because the machine was in a family environment. Tilting sensitivity should be set up to avoid abuse, not promote it. Speaking of Elvis, it's a better pinball game built in a time when Stern didn't even have any competition (2004). It's time to up the ante Stern; I'm probably being too kind to this game just because of Steve Ritchie.

Ok folks, Star Wars Episode 1 wasn't a bad film at all. Yes, Jar Jar is in this game, get over it. Jar Jar is part of the theme and has nothing to do with the quality of the game which is top notch. Yes, the game might have been a little better if the designer wasn't locked in a secret room, but the truth is that this game is fun to play and unique. There is no better Star Wars pin out there. This is a movie translated to a pinball game and it works quite well, especially with a nice set of superbright LEDs to make the playfield "pop" more than the monitor. You can play hundreds of pinball tables that will offer you similar gameplay, but there is nothing else like the Pinball 2000 pair. The fact that this is not even ranked in the top 200 clearly indicates snubbing of the theme. Pick one up now before they start releasing one Star Wars film per year and people start realizing that Episode 1 will always be just that... the first episode in a fantastic saga. Of course, if you must choose between this one and RFM, then RFM is the better game but it's not as family friendly.

It's the best Star Trek pinball representing the best Star Trek TV series. On top of that, it's a widebody "superpin" penned by the "king of flow" Steve Ritchie! As if that wasn't enough, it's got sound clips from the entire cast of the show, up to 6 ball multiball, more Star Trek toys than a collector's showroom, more modes than you can count, and you can continue your game! Some of these features aren't even seen on today's games! The Williams quality was second to none, so we're here 20+ years later and it still looks and plays great! I'm an avid STTNG TV show fan, so the theme is a "must have" for me.

The Bride of Pinbot is an awesome pin. The goal is clear, bring that chick to life! I love that rotating playfield animation and the associated ramps. It is one of the few games that you really can see exactly when multiball is earned and it starts slowly enough that you are prepared. The multiball itself is very satisfying. It's a bit anticlimactic when the "alive" mode reverts back to robot and would be nice if the "alive" mode had some more plot "fleshed out"! Anyhow, the games just rocks and is one of my favorites to play at the local arcade, even in the company of all the later DMD games. Since it isn't a DMD game, there aren't any distracting "video modes" to interrupt the pin experience. I haven't played one of these with an LED conversion, and I haven't played v2.0. It's first and foremost about the pinball experience, but the playfield artwork kinda looks like a severed head, I would have enjoyed it more I think had the bride's body been more apparent in the lower playfield.

This Data East machine makes you feel like James Bond and Thomas Magnum at the same time. The sound is magnificent, The ramp is a weak point, easy to hit, but the ball can get hung up in it and the big kick can be temperamental. The photo backglass is one of the better implementations and the whole experience is just good plain fun. Lots of humor on the playfield if you take the time to look. The spinner playfield lightshow/soundshow is good. The attract mode playfield lightshow/soundshow is one of the best I've seen. The alpha numeric scrolling led scoring displays are rather ingenious and clearly were a step toward the later DMDs. The flashers in the backglass give it a little life, but it pales to the playfield show. After the last ball drains, everyone hangs around for the finale "Nobody does it better" sendoff. The match sequence is nice and believable. The final game display "explosion" is a nice touch. Mine has the standard incandescent lamps, but I'll eventually upgrade to LEDs to help the playfield lighting pop. Most Data East/Sega games seem to benefit immensely from an LED upgrade. Not a bad choice at all, especially if you are a James Bond/Magnum PI/Mission Impossible/Dragnet fan!

Ok folks, here it is... this is childhood in a box. If you don't like this game there is something wrong with you. There is no other pinball game that competes with this feeling of eternal childhood. If you want to feel like a kid in a candy store, then this is for you. I simply can't believe that there would be anything that would outdo the 1939 classic film "Wizard of Oz", but now there is... the 2013 Jersey Jack Wizard of Oz pinball machine based on that classic film. If you haven't played the latest version (V6.50) of the software, then you haven't played this game.
If you reviewed a previous version, then go back and review it again. There is no better innocent entertainment on planet earth than this game. Universal appeal to everyone and simply the most beautiful and complex pinball machine to behold.

Fun fun, fun! Lots of variation, so much going on. Keeping your peripheral vision keyed in to 3 playfields, the backbox LCD and the crystal ball LCD screen during the incredible multiball modes can keep anyone challenged. Even the ball drains are fun because you've always got an opportunity to save it. Down the left outlane you've got "There's No Place Like Home" - start nudging! Down the center you've got a post to potentially ricochet the ball back onto the playfield, and down the right you've got the brilliant and extremely satisfying "TOTO" nudge save and followup shot.

Jersey Jack waved a magic wand and produced a game that will be hard to top. A timeless achievement. Perfection. Congratulations Jersey Jack, you did it.

It's one of the last EM games from 1976 and has a nice classic sounding "ding-dong" sound box when well maintained. The game has a DC instead of AC playfield (it has a solid state bridge rectifier in it), so there is no "AC buzzing" like on previous tables, modern 3" flippers, dual spinners, sequential targets, good speed, but all-in-all is exciting only if there isn't another machine around. I guess it would appeal to those looking for a neutral, family friendly, affluent theme like where I saw it placed in the season 6 episode 10 "The Big Cheese" episode of The Rockford Files. It makes for a good tame machine for the kids, but I'd give ANY machine at least a 5 just for being a classic family-friendly coin-op pinball machine instead of a toy or violent theme, so you see where this one rates.

This was my first pin purchase. I can't be too hard on it because it was the first licensed Star Trek pin with the original cast portrayed. That alone makes it collectible. Everyone will agree that the gameplay is just passable. It is however, very reliable. It doesn't have multiball, ramps, or fancy sound, but it does have a good set of drop targets, a fine orbit shot, some good goals, and some decent speed for an early SS pin. The sound can easily be enhanced using some microswitches and cheap programmable sound boards that you can get for about 8 bucks. I've added the Star Trek theme music when you start the game, Vena's Dance plays when the ball is in play, and the end credit theme plays when the ball drains. This has really made the game come to life. I plan on adding more sound effects including explosions when the pop bumpers are hit and quotes from the cast when other targets are hit. It's easy to enhance these early games whether EM or SS by making some customs mods that you can be proud of. It's much harder to do that with later, more advanced games. I highly recommend to a beginning collector to purchase one of these early SS games (from 1977 - 1982) and tinker with it. You'll need the experience that you learn for maintaining more complex games that you'll want to add to your collection later on. I've had Star Trek for 20 years, and I'll probably keep it. I still play it along side my other more exciting games. Sometimes you just want a relaxing game, not an adrenaline rush. This game gives you that in spades. Just boldly go...

Apollo was way ahead of its time. In 1967, there wasn't any competition. What other game had a backglass bagatelle game which "launched" when the countdown goal was met? What other game had a sequential rollover countdown goal? What other game had an orbit shot? How about a ball save feature to return the ball to the launcher? The only thing this game was missing was cool music and/or a video. I've taken care of that on my machine by adding a "moonlite theatre" topper on mine that plays the following video while the ball is in play. Now the game has two goals, to complete the countdown and launch the rocket AND to keep the ball in play long enough to see the Double Feature playing on the screen. Here's the vid I've got rockin the machine to... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omz4Jqs7aJY. It's never been better and everyone who plays it is shocked that it is from 1967. Awesome EM game with no peer except the add-a-ball version "Blast-Off" which is currently rated #1 and this one is rated #77 even though it is essentially the same game. Go figure.

It's Elvis by the "King of Flow" Steve Ritchie! The layout is classic Ritchie "High Speed" with a dancing Elvis in the center, lots of music, and a really cool Heartbreak Hotel multiball ramp setup with clear 2nd level playfield. Break the Jailbirds out for Jailhouse Rock multiball, start barking the night away in Hound Dog Mode, get that inner loop shot with magnet assist! I love the original retro-looking color incandescent lighting on this one, it's just perfect, no LEDS for this, they just don't improve the lighting any. The game has a drop target bank, a rarer find these days and when you drop them all, the crowd chants "Elvis..Elvis..Elvis!". The sound is magnificent, real Elvis tunes from the '68 comeback special and amazing authentic sounding Elvis callouts. Don't play this in a "museum" surrounded by loud games booming, but go somewhere that you can hear it and get a shaker motor for "All Shook Up" mode. The artwork is perfect and beautiful, the playfield is packed but clean looking, only lacking pinblades for which you've got 3 design choices or mirrorblades available. The video mode is a weak spot in an otherwise satisfying game. You can even collect scarves and other gifts from Elvis. Elvis is the King - Of Rock 'n Roll AND of Pinball! It's an Elvis concert in a glass box. Get a 45 Jukebox filled with vinyl Elvis records to go with it!

I don't understand the negativity on this game. I love the file cabinet mech and the fact that multiball play can be continued after draining all but one ball by shooting back into the cabinet. I love the magnet deflector in front of the file cabinet during multiball. I love the "strobe" lighting in a dark environment (granted mine has been improved with bright LEDs, incandescents in '97 must have been terrible). The lighting matches the theme perfectly, often spooky and shocking. The whole playfield can strobe on you and it is difficult to keep track of the ball, but it is fast and fun! Yes, the ramps are difficult, so learn your physics! A very satisfying and difficult to master game. You can play as Skully or Mulder and the episode modes are quite interesting and tricky to start. I love it for the challenge and the music AND I hate it for the brutal outlane drains, static sounding voices and random "right over the flipper" air balls. You have to control the ball precisely or pay the price. Even if you can do that, fate has a way of granting unfair drains. That's what makes it a fantastic player's game. It's a "Lay's potato chip" pinball... you can't play just one game. Add a right speaker right away wired in series, Sega really cheaped out there. The extra sound will make a real difference. The unrealized bass in this game is astonishing. Add about 200W RMS car amplifier with 30amp 12V DC supply and a long-throw 8" subwoofer in place of the woefully cheap Sega speaker and you'll never miss a shaker motor. If you do this though, you'll have to wrap the perimeter of the glass with electrician's tape to keep it from bouncing up and down in the plastic channels. If you really want the best "audio" possible, add some bass shakers to the cabinet too. Keep the gain down a bit on the amp too or the dynamic range during multiball (especially when jackpots are hit) will make the game dance down your hallway! Visitors spend more time with the X-files than with any other game in my collection. Games are short, brutal and addictive. The game makes most people cuss out loud. It's a wonder that the start button doesn't get broken. I keep coming back to this game again and again, it never loses it's luster. If it weren't for the poor quality voice samples, wimpy speakers, simple cabinet artwork and cheap flourescent tube in the backbox, this game would be a 10. That's how much I enjoy the gameplay. Any negatives are all superficial and can mostly be overcome by some cheap mods.