knockerlover's ratings

Pinsider knockerlover has rated 38 machines.

This page shows all all these ratings, and forms knockerlover's personal top 38.


Rating comments

knockerlover has written 22 rating comments:


8.600/10
8 years ago
Another game I was surprised with the fun factor, but there are a couple of clunky elements to the game. Regardless I would like to own one someday.
8.740/10
8 years ago
Almost didn't play this one when I passed by it, but I always hear such great things. Had a ton of fun playing it, not sure that the cost justifies ownership but I really like the game itself.
7.624/10
8 years ago
When I first walked up to this game I thought, dang that is a lot of toys for the time period. It could have been the game that I played, but it felt a little clunky and was hard to get into a rhythm. If I were to buy one, it would likely be because of the theme, less because of the game itself.
8.840/10
8 years ago
One of the best examples of theme integration I've had the pleasure of playing. I easily immersed myself into the theme and really enjoyed it.
7.599/10
8 years ago
Not a huge fan of this game. If I found it on location as the only pinball, I would probably pass.
8.720/10
8 years ago
Could use a deeper ruleset, but I still love the game. I have played it for hours on end, always trying to max out the stiff-o-meter! I hope to have one of these some day.
7.415/10
8 years ago
My hopes may have been too high going into this one because I love AFM. While the Pinball 2000 display is cool, it is absolutely a gimmick. I hate the way the upper playfield is essentially invisible because of the video, and sacrifices playability in order to provide excellent animations and video. Very similar to AFM's layout and toys, but pinball 2000 ruined it for me.
8.171/10
8 years ago
There isn't a lot to this game, and I can definitely see a few parallels between this game and metallica. The captive ball, the "fuel like" lane on the left hand side. The layout is very similar as well, especially on the right hand side. Maybe it's because I didn't expect much going in, but I was surprised how fun the game was. I don't think I would ever own one, but I would happily drop a few bucks in one.
8.920/10
8 years ago
I love this game, and have had the opportunity to play two different machines. While it can get a bit repetitive, I still enjoy it. I think the ruleset could be a little bit deeper, but it is still challenging to complete all the modes.
8.860/10
8 years ago
I do like this game, but without getting a decent amount of time in or watching a tutorial it's hard to know how to rack up points. If you are new to the game, longs balls can sometimes end up in surprisingly low scores. It is easy however to get immersed in the theming and music/sound integration. Making the ring shot at the right time is always cool, but that balrog toy is a drain maker.
8.832/10
8 years ago
I own a metallica pro, and while I think the cross rising out of the playfield and the hammer are cool additions to the game after having played one in person I don't think I could ever justify the cost of the premium/LE for them. I actually think the gameplay is slowed a bit too much in the non-pro versions because of the toys, but it is a cool machine none the less.
8.131/10
8 years ago
Was able to play a good condition MM original, and I do think the game plays well, and in some aspects rates high but in terms of lastability and fun factor I just don't get it. How many times can you bash the castle before you get bored?
8.660/10
8 years ago
I was pleasantly surprised by this one, I actually caught myself giggling while playing the stewie pinball.
8.980/10
8 years ago
I'm not sure why people hate on this game so much. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, really like the train going back and forth and shooting up the drop target pop-up bad guys.
8.388/10
8 years ago
Was surprised how much fun this game is, I don't know that I would ever justify having one in my collection but it was fun.
9.300/10
8 years ago
I was able to play one of these in person while on vacation, and until then have only played it on virtual pinball. I love this game, definitely interested to see if a remake is on the way or not and what the market does.
6.706/10
8 years ago
I look at this game as a bit of a novelty, the spinning soccer ball on the playfield I would expect it to do more but it's pretty unimpressive. The goalie is a neat feature, but it really is the only decent toy in the machine. The magnasave is a neat addition, but it's often difficult to use practically. I will say that people that don't play pinball often tend to like this machine. For that reason I wouldn't mind having one, but it's not top of my list. I hear plastics are difficult to obtain.
9.140/10
8 years ago
Metallica is a band I have listened to since the early days. The fact that these two passions cross likely makes my review slightly biased, but I tried to be fair. I do wish it was a feature to change some of the songs out, I would put a few different metallica songs on. My two favorite toys on this game are the gavel and the cross rising out of the playfield, Stern was smart to only make these available on the premium version. Very enticing!
8.025/10
8 years ago
I don't have a lot of experience with EM machines. But I do have the opportunity to place this machine quite regularly amongst 5 other DMD era machines. This game has consistently provided the most fun.

The "skill shot" or small gap between the top plastic and the right post above the pop bumper is easy to master but always produces different results. It's challenging to use a plunger shot to assure a joker, but it can be attempted as well.

Decent shots can be had from both flippers, from the right flipper when the left hand 3000 rollover is lit especially and from the left flipper up the right side to get a chance at bouncing up into the joker area again.

Once all the jokers are obtained, its time to knock down some cards and pickup some bonus especially if double bonus is lit. (usually on ball 2 and 3)

Eventually you can get the kickout hole to reward replays over and over again, and this is (for me) where the fun is really at.

I think the theme has "staying power" unlike other pins of the same era, but there isn't anything really revolutionary about this pin either. It has however, provided me with hours of fun and I hope to have one in my collection someday.
7.096/10
8 years ago
I love playing my black hole, but I can see why people don't like it. The 4-target bank that needs to be completed is very difficult to hit on purpose, and the shot geometry could have been a little better here. It's a critical part of the game to get the top playfield captive hole lit. Frequently it requires shots to be taken off the very tip of the flippers where the accuracy is extremely variable. Often times a direct hit will also mean a rebound down the left outlane also. I've noticed with the game on 3 ball the targets you have hit will stay unlit after a drain, however on the 5-ball setting they are all reset.

It's cruel that if you manage to get the targets lit for captive ball, and actually capture a ball (which isn't too difficult to do). The ball ejects. However, captive ball does stay lit so you can have another go.

The lower playfield captive hole is always available which is a bonus, and this captive hole is a pretty easy shot. It's somewhat challenging however to complete the banks to allow for reentry to the upper playfield without draining.

The bumper on the left outlane is pretty brutal, if you manage to get caught in this trap it almost always ends in a drain.

I love the playfield artwork on this, and given that its 33 years old it's relatively timeless as it doesn't look nearly as dated as some other games of this time. The rotating black hole in the backglass is a huge draw for this game.

The repetitive "music" is terrible, thank god it can be turned off on the sound board with a simple dipswitch setting. The speech is definitely from the 80's however, the speech on a speak and spell from the same time is better in my opinion. Sometimes the words are a little hard to make out, and there is very little variation in what is said.

For someone who enjoys a challenge, (i.e. 75-100 games before you get your first multiball, and even then you might drain it). This is a great game. It will definitely improve your shot accuracy and nudging skills, as they are essential to getting high scores. However, if you get frustrated easily or this game will be mostly for children I don't recommend it. I see this as a cool collectors piece, and can definitely be reconditioned and modded out to look amazing.
7.177/10
9 years ago
It was a neat idea having the mystery wheel in the backglass which can be spun by getting into the "spook house". The gimmick wore off quickly though. I still look for Nancy and Ronald Reagan (and their dog Rex) and the cameo's by Mr. T. and the Coneheads. Great timepieces of the era of EM Pinball!
8.872/10
9 years ago
One of my favorites!

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