killerrobots's ratings

Pretty crappy theme and I had no interest in this game until I got hooked playing it locally. I am not quite sure what it is but I love shooting this game. The playfield is pretty open and most of the shots are way back. They look easy but require a fair amount of accuracy to hit reliably because they are so far way but very satisfying when you hit them, particularly the left ramp. Rules are deep but accessible and every game is a little different. Upper playfield is fun and there is a lot of do.

A classic but a little to stop and go for me long term. Once I got through everything I didn't really need to own it. The playfield is really cramped and pretty much everything stops the ball so I just didn't look forward to playing it that much after awhile.

So overall this is just a great, simple games. I tend to like deeper games but this is by far my favorite "simple" game. The rules are just so tight and obvious and satisfying. A really surprising amount of re-playability. Whirlwind used to be my favorite from this era but I think Taxi is my favorite now.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:
Rules - Simple but satisfying. I thought I would not like that you reset your passengers every ball but I kind of like it. Really solid.
Shots - Great simple layout. I like the ramps and the Gorbi shot. I also like Drac. The Carry Passangers is tricky but do-able. Good variety.
Call-outs - Quality is okay but they don't get old and really help keep track of what you need to do and what is active.
Skill-shot - This is probably my favorite skill shot. It has a real press-your-luck aspect but it is tricky to master. Also, it can really matter to your score.

Cons:
- Jackpot Reset - You have to build your Jackpot back up and it can make your next game kind of pointless. There is no setting to change this but you can make it build faster.
- Scoring - The scoring is pretty unbalanced. You really need the $4m jackpot + another jackpot to get a good score. The rest is just a bonus
Art - I like the art but it is "of its era". Very bleak 1980s New York. Particularly on the back glass. Probably a love it or hate it thing.

If someone had a medium budget and wanted something with a lot of replayability, this would be a great pick.

Obviously a classic. I had this for a month at home during a trade and really liked it. It is challenging but fun. High replay value. I think the only question is "Is it worth the money?". It is not my favorite pin but I would love to have it for the right price.

I love this game but I think you would need to love the theme to want to own it. For me it is really fun and has high replay value. Here are my pro/cons:

Pros:

Rule Set - I have not played every game but this has to be up there in terms of deep rule sets. There is so much going on and so much to do. I think it also excels in the fact that almost everything can be stacked so you can get some crazy stuff going on at the same time.

Playfield Setup - I really love the way the playfield is set up. Lots of different features. It is a five flipper game with a really cool upper playfield.

Theme Integration - The theme is everywhere on this and every piece of the show has some corner, or ramp, or something to represent it. I personally love the loud colors and cartoonish feel but it may not be for everyone.

Cons:

I really like almost everything about this game so these are pretty minor but maybe worth noting:

Callouts could be Annoying - I like the call outs but I think they might be annoying to some. My daughter hates hearing this game when I play it. There is a mode where Homer says "Doh" every time you hit a switch. It can be a lot of "Dohs".

Confusing for New Players - What I like about this game is the deep rules keep me coming back but it might be pretty confusing for new players or those who aren't as interested in learning all the rules.

For me, this game is almost perfect but you really need to love the theme or you might not enjoy it after a while.

Of all my games this is probably my favorite to play. It has a deep rule set that keeps me interested and I find that each game has a little different flavor. However, my wife likes more straight forward shooters and she doesn't like this game. You really need to understand the rules to keep track of what is going on and often multiple modes or events are happening at the same time which can be confusing.

That said, for me personally, this is the best balance of challenge, variety, and fun in any pinball I own.

Here are the pros and cons as I see them.

Pros:
Deep Rule Set - There is a lot of do and many ways to do it. No matter what, something is happening. I think the rules make a lot of sense but I imagine they could be confusing.

Playfield Layout - I really like the variety of shots and features on the board. There are a lot of pretty unique shots. For instance the Legolas ramp is a really cool and fast reverse ramp. There are pins that come up to stop the ball in certain modes and a diverter which allows access to the back tower. The Gimli hole is in the middle of the playfield below the bumpers and it is a trick to not over shot it. The eye ramp is really fun when it is adjusted right. Also it has a lot of flow and combos.

Sound and Callouts - I really like the music and callouts. A few get a little old ("100 more, 250 more") and there is frequently a countdown from 10 which also gets old but overall it is good. Highly recommend Pinsound upgrade but that is not scored here.

Lights - I installed an LED kit from Comet and the game looks awesome. It has the best lights of any game I have and the attract mode is even awesome.

Cons:

Long Games - Maybe a pro at times but the games can be very long, I bet I have played for close to an hour on 1 game. If you are in the mood and have nothing else going on then it can be great but I often have fifteen minutes to kill and skip this game because I don't know if I will be done.

Art Work - The art overall is a little underwhelming. There is a lot of photo-shopped type art which seems to be taken directly from the films. The color palette is muddy with a lot of brown and greens. The two ladies on the apron are particularly lame. Also there are a lot of plastic figures sort of randomly placed around the playfield and tied down in a haphazard way. Nothing is terrible just not very exciting.

Wild Balls - The layout of the playfield and the numerous multi-balls can make some really wild balls and it is a trick to keep balls from getting stuck in random places. On strong flippers the Legalas wireform is crazy but works fine with moderate flippers. I don't mind it from a game play standpoint but I do have to pull the glass fairly often to free a ball from somewhere. It must have driven operators crazy. I would say that after about 1 year of ownership and a lot of tweaking I think I have all the ball traps eliminated but they still fly around.

For me the Pros vastly outweigh the Cons. The most important factor for me in owning a game is replayability and fun and this excels. I can forgive the artwork.

I have gone back on forth on this game. I liked it at first and then got tired of it because it seemed a littler repetitive banging away at the middle. I would have even sold it but it was my wife's favorite. However, I started playing it again with more varying strategies and started really liking it again. A good balance between accessibility and some depth.

This is the 2nd or 3rd pin I owned and it was the first I got really obsessed with. I think I have played this more than any other pin simply because it is so easy and fun to play. There is nothing bad about this pin and I end every game wanting to play another. It is hard to review because there is nothing specific about it that is great but the combination of everything is great.

It is obviously (Pat Lawler Design) very similar to Addams family in layout and I like the two about equal. Whirlwind is a much better value.

If someone comes over and doesn't have any pinball experience this is the machine I start them on. That being said I still play it and love it.

But to be complete here are my Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Great Layout - The shots and 3rd flipper are classic. All the shots are smooth and satisfying.

Rules - This is a great rule set. The multiball goals are clear but challenging. The wizard mode is awesome. Super well balanced. Fun on easy and extra hard setting. This is the steak and potatoes of pinball.

Easy? - So, on mine. It rarely drains to the outlanes and it has a center post. A good player could play all day on this. The goals are challenging but the play is pretty friendly. I learned many ball handling techniques on mine (dead bounce, live stop etc) because it is really generous to the player. I would say this is a con but as my skills have improved I still enjoy playing it...

Cons:

Theme - Firstly, I think the theme is really well done and integrated. However, it is still about the weather.... It is fine, the callouts are good and it is fun. Sometimes it is nice to have an original theme but it is not the Avengers.

Toys? - So not a big deal but the toys are pretty innocuous. I thought the playfield spinners would be crazy to deal with but actually they rarely effect gameplay. The fan is "fun" but I turn it off in winter and on in summer.

Too Easy? - So I listed easy as a pro, but also it will probably not challenge an experienced player. I would recommend this highly to someone starting in the hobby but if you have 10 pins this might underwhelm you.

Overall, I love this pin but it is what it is. Highly recommend as a value pin to someone starting out but no real surprises for someone experienced.

I think this game hinges entirely on whether or not you like the theme. 80s wacky, comic book style, Bill and Ted voices, etc.

We love it in our house and think it is great fun but I wouldn't be surprised if someone didn't like the theme.

The game play is good, not great. I would say great theme, good game.

My Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Theme and Art - For me it is just a really original, goofy, fun theme. Jekyll and Hyde but with a nerdy 80s theme. It really feels like the design team was just doing what they wanted without restrictions. Although I like a game with licensed content it is also great to see a original theme done really well.

Callouts and Music - I really like the music and the callouts. Again, I suspect the call out are "love it or hate it". I really like hearing the final gift of gab speech but it might also drive some people crazy.

Gameplay - I find this to be an oddly challenging but fun game to play. The rules are simple but getting the jackpot is hard. You really have to be dialed in to avoid draining. I play this game often because it is just simple, quick, fun. Hey I have ten minutes, how about a Dr. Dude. The goal is really simple and very satisfying when you get it.

Toys - Not the best ever but the Mixmaster is fun.

Value - I think the game is cheap compared to its fun factor. If you like the theme it is a steal.

Cons:

Clunky Play - I am not a "flow" guy but even I think this is clunky. Some really tough rebounds on key shots. The skill shot is kind of pointless. The center of the playfield is empty and the mechs are loud. It is fine but not smooth.

Too Simple? - So I mentioned in pros it is simple and fun but there is also not a lot to do other than go for the jackpot.

Oddly Hard - The shots are pretty tight and it can drain pretty easy. No ball save, few extra balls. I have had some embarrassingly bad games. This is definitely a game where if I fail hard on the first ball I just start over.

I would list this as great value pin if you like the art and music/sound.

This was the first game I ever owned and got me and my wife into the hobby. I have since own 8 machines and this is the only one I have sold.

For sentimental reasons I want to rate it higher but after playing a number of other machines this one is definitely not the best. However, I would say that for the price I think it is a great "starter" machine but otherwise I can't see an experienced player enjoying it for long.

Here are my pros & cons:

Pros:
- I enjoyed the music and call outs
- The theme is fine and I enjoyed all the small details in the back-glass and playfield
- Simple rule set, easy for kids or inexperienced players to play (or just for that quick game)
- Has some replay-ability if set on hard for the more experienced player
- The Poker Hand spinner is kind of fun

Cons:
- The biggest by far for me is the scoring. The first time someone gets a Jackpot and then doubles it that will be the high score and nothing else really matters. Better after you set the machine to extra-hard settings but still kind of a one-trick-pony if you care about score. I think most people will end up restarting the game repeatedly if they don't have a good first ball.
- Clunky play, I found the skill shot to be really clunky and the protected center target has some brutal returns.

Notes:
- I had to do a lot of repairs on this machine. The ball is really banging around in there and a number of things broke. I list this as note because it may have just been my machine or I was just unlucky.
- The game is cheap to buy, which is nice but it also means that you will lose money if you need to do a major repair. If you have to replace a board or anything else like that you are unlikely to get your money back. Definitely not worth a playfield swap or restoration.

Overall I would recommend for a first-time owner, a casual player, or for families with kids. I would not recommend for experienced players.

Of the 8 machines I have owned, this is easily the house favorite. I like games with deep rule sets (i.e. LOTR, TSPP) and my wife likes fun shooters (i.e. Taxi, AFM) and we both love this game.

Here are my Pros and Cons:

Pros:

- Variety of ways to play: I think what makes this so much fun is that you can approach each game differently. I may focus on multi-ball one game and modes the next. Sometimes I just try to get all the companions and that jackpot. It is a game where you can have a great game and not necessarily get a great score but you can also focus on high score. However, it is a not a great game when you just want something quick.

- Call-outs and Music - My favorite callouts of any game I have owned. They never get old and really help you know where you are in the game. John Rhys-Davies is awesome. Nothing is better than getting a "Trip-le Jack-pot". I have this next to my LOTR and he is just as good in that one.

-Layout - There is just a lot to do on this playfield and all the shots are satisfying. This is kind of both a pro & con but the shots are tight. The mode hole and the right ramp are both tough shots and pretty unforgiving. This game definitely rewards an accurate shooter. Missed shots come back fast and hard.

- Rules/Code - This is a very balanced game with a ton of stuff to do. Something is always happening. It is a deep rule set but also fun for someone who doesn't know the rules, which is rare. The 12 modes are great and the multiball is challenging but accessible. There are a dozen other things to do. For me, it never gets old.

- Art - I think this is great looking game overall

- Theme - Great integration of a great theme

Cons:

- Difficulty - This is kind of minor and could be a Pro but this is a challenging game. It really punishes random shooting. You need to be accurate on a few key shots to have a good game and if you are off, you can have a very unsatisfying game. This is not a game where every game is fun, you can walk up and have a terrible game where everything is missing and draining. However, most games are fun and there is nothing better than when you are shooting good. I am not the best player but the ball control in this is different and took me a while to get a handle on. I think a novice player might find it frustrating but great for re-playability for the more experienced player.

- Wide Body - Sort of related to the above but I personally find that the wide body kind of takes me time to adjust to. If I have been playing other regular pins and then jump on this one I tend to miss a lot of shots. The rhythm is just different somehow. However, if I focus on this game for a week or so then I really get dialed in. Maybe this is just me but it definitely has a different feel.

- Mode Hole Issues - A well known issue, but the mode hole can reject the ball sometimes which is frustrating. I have ordered a mod to hopefully improve this but it is a minor issue.

- Path of Adventure - Very minor, but initially I thought the Path of Adventure was really cool but over time I am kind of bored with it. It feels kind of random and the rewards are just okay so I don't love it. It is not a negative but it is also not a draw to play the game.

Overall I can't imagine anyone not loving to have this in their collection or even as their only pin. I don't think I will ever sell this.