PinballTilt's ratings

Tldr- fantastic playing module with custom call outs. Amazing toys and mechs. Varied modes that really utilize the whole game

I've had weird Al in a home environment for several months now. The game is very fun to play and I'm constantly amazed by all the mechs and toys. I can't think of a better game in the toys and mechs front, making this an amazing value if you already have the base machine. The layout and P3 flipper setup does take some getting used to, but once you do you can make this game sing with combos and great feeling shots. I mean just take the first shot of the game for example - using that upper flipper, rip it right up the corkscrew, using the second upper flipper rocket it around the upper playfield horseshoe, then hold the flipper to feed a ball to the physical ball lock swiveling camera. Amazing. And all of that while you get showered with custom call outs and music from weird Al.

The theme isn't for everyone, but if you like weird Al they implement the theme very well. The modes are all different and use the whole game very well. Germs has to be my favorite with the walls and ball tracking. The modes can be a challenge to start, but the vip ticket gives you a second way to start them. I could go on all day about the toys, mechs, and diverters. It's a work of art.

Now for the cons of the machine, the art is above average, I like my LE art package but it's never going to be as immersive or original like a dedicated stern machine. The animations are pretty bad, comes off as pretty amateur. I'm not a huge fan of the bologna mode because it locks you out of the modes and forces you to do that. The game does have a few ball traps and I've found the P3 system to require a lot of tweaking and fixing. And then finally buying the base machine plus the module is a lot of money upfront plus a long wait, but it does deliver value once you have the base machine

Overall if you have a P3 get weird Al, it's the number two module imo behind heist. And if you don't have a P3, go play a weird Al that's working well and get used to the flippers. It's a very fun game

Finally time for me to rate this module after owning it for several months. First of all I love playing the game. It's very FUN and addictive with the wizard mode having a perfect attainability. I like the modes, they're all varied and easily understood. I like the ability to stack characters to start other modes and I like being able to break characters you fail on out of jail. I like the mcguffins or whatever which gives you an advantage later. I love that the ramps are backhandable.

Now as far as the cons, the shots just seem a little off to me. Backhanding or hitting a shot from a cradle is fairly straightforward, but on the fly its just is a little off. Plus the geometry makes hitting the outer orbit shots a very tight shot. Because of the nature of the P3 system, the art/cabinet/back glass are not as immersive or don't have that wow factor that dedicated machines have. I feel like the game could have used one more toy or gimmick to get that perfect score. It only has the crane as a toy in my opinion.

That's it, you should definitely play the game and it's a fantastic module to own for the P3 system. It's not great enough on it's own in my opinion to justify the base machine cost, but the P3 system has other great modules that collectively add to the value.

You can't go wrong with Lord of the Rings. The game isn't perfect, but it's really good. Probably my #3 game ever. The path of the dead could have been better or eliminated and it needs a better toy. The rules and depth of this game is where it shines. All the modes are different and using the inserts the game lets you know how to complete the mode. Reaching Valinor is so hard that I don't know if those stars will ever align.

I think this is Stern's best game ever.

Medieval Madness to me is the best pinball machine ever. Attack from Mars is right here as well, basically a toss up. I choose medieval though for the trolls, my kids really love those. I only took points off for the quality of the sounds on CGC's remake. The music doesn't stick in my head, so I said it was only decent. I also think in a pure point based mindset, the castles are to easy and would make the game boring and one-dimensional if points is all you wanted.

Otherwise, this game is a masterpiece. The final wizard mode is so challenging to get to, and so hard once you do get there! I've put probably 1000 games on mine, gotten to the wizard mode twice, beat the game once. The shots in this game are perfect, there is a reason Stern and others have continued to use the fan layout. The castle toy on this is IMO the best toy ever. Love this game

I love Pirates. I played this at a show a bunch of times and thought I hated it. Then I had an amazing game where it all clicked, the multiballs all started and I knew I had to have one. I love the way you work toward the wizard modes on this game, I love that you can choose a character with perks, I love the black pearl and it's cannon, I haven't played much with friends but plundering would be very fun with a group of friends. The biggest negative for me is the lack of assets. I would have liked to have the pirates theme music, callouts from more than 1 character, and clips with characters instead of just scenery.

Let me start of this review by saying the game I have played the most on is set up very easy, so most people will have a different opinion. I've played a game that was set up normal and it was a drain monster, which I very much did not enjoy.

This is such a classic game with a very clear objective that rewards you when you achieve it - try to stack all three multiballs and cash in the jackpots. Has some scoring imbalance in regards to bats, but the main points are in stacking the multiballs. Some of the shots are dangerous and can be hard to hit. Also hard to keep this game working right because of the mist multiball optos, but when it is that's a very fun gimmick. The playfield on this game could have used one more toy or shot, it just feels a little to open. The video mode is cool, but I don't like that to score big points you have to intentionally wait to shot the wolves on the beginning levels.

A very fun game if you set it up on the easier side that will make you want to keep playing one more game. Classic

I had this game and was hoping it would be a keeper because of the theme. I really liked the ball lock and theme. Unfortunately a few issues with this game caused me to rush to sell it because I came to very much dislike it. The upper playfield is very annoying and doesn't feel very skill based, the ramps are steep and difficult to hit - they don't feel satisfying, and the biggest issue was the mode start - it is very difficult to start a mode on this game which makes achieving the wizard mode even harder. The backglass is awful and had to go. This was just a game not suited for me.

One of my top three favorite games. Every shot is satisfying and I enjoy the theme. The game is on the shallower side, so pro players may tire of it over time. The wizard mode is quite easy to get to, but not that easy to actually beat. Its still a very smooth, fun, and approachable game that most people can appreciate. I really enjoy every game on this pinball and working through all of the modes.

Beautiful game to look at and listen to. Unfortunately it is marred by to many airballs (at least in the example I played) and a wizard mode that is to easy to get to for my tastes. I could live without the lamp as I prefer playfields that are a little more open. I love the multiball start on this game and how you start modes. The modes make good use of the whole playfield. Throwing the fireball back at the genie seems to happen to often and isn't worth that many points.

Overall it is obviously a classic and worthy of being an A-lister, I would just rate it farther down that list than some other games.

Update 12/20: The more I played it, I didn't like that the strategy always had to be the same each time. Skill shot, shoot for tortuga. Just got repetitive. Still a good game, not better than jersey jack's attempt though.

Simply one of the best Stern machines there is. Has not one or two toys, but three main toys. Also has an upper playfield that requires strategy to maximize it's effectiveness. This is a very difficult game to achieve the wizard mode on, I have yet to get to the four winds multiball. What you have to do to get to the wizard mode is very clearly laid out on the compass in the middle of the playfield though so you always have a goal to work towards. This game also lends itself well to LED's and could be beautiful when done up properly. Just a blast to play every time.

Things that need improvement are the callouts. I really wish they had used the actual actors voices or even clips from the movie. No, instead they cheaped out and it shows. Fortunately there are options to replace the callouts and songs with ones from the movie. This game has slightly imbalanced scoring if you want to score a lot of points. Not as bad as shooting one shot like some games, but short plunging and going for tortuga is where the points are at. I also wish the wizard mode were a little easier to achieve, as I prefer that in my games. If you like games with long ball times, set this one up difficult or games can go on for quite some time.

Definitely pick POTC up if you see one for sale. It's a lot of fun and I don't think it will ever be leaving my collection.

I love Junkyard. Its theme is unique and honestly doesn't make much sense, but I like that about it. My favorite parts of the game are the junk collecting and building aspect, the time machine, and the crane toy. It has some great shots and there is always at least three shots you can go for from each flipper. Building up a large score takes quite some time and skill. The outer space wizard mode is a challenge to achieve, but always feels possible once you start racking up the junk. The ball gets moving very fast on this game and the shots are very satisfying.

Some of the things I don't love about JY are the difficulty of the toilet shot. Fortunately this shot is mainly used for collecting junk and building up the toilet jackpot. When you do hit it though, its a very satisfying shot and can be lucrative if you can build up the toilet jackpot for use during toilet adventure mode. I understand that the strobing is intentionally done due to the theme, but it's very hard to see the ball in a dark room and I don't like that personally. My final gripe is the skill shot, it's not the best and mainly just ignored.

Definitely pick up this rare pinball if you see one for sale and decide for yourself. I searched for quite a while for mine and don't think it will be leaving for some time.