robx46's ratings

This has everything I was looking for in a game. Exceptional art, toys, gimmicks, rules, difficulty, depth, & all done with just 2 flippers in a fan layout about as well thought out as it gets with tons of shots & flow. I had a run of 3+ flipper games which is fine but I was missing a good 2 flipper shooter.

I really don't know if games can get much better than this, I'd imagine it will stick around atop the charts forever. I prefer this over Godzilla premium which is also a fantastic game but this just hits more of my personal tastes at the moment.
There are tones of Bally classics in here. I detect influences of both MM & AFM in gameplay, but with the depth, bells & whistles that come with new tech.

I'd like to make special mention on the difficulty. I've soured on a lot of newer games as the ball times can last a while or multiball too easy to achieve. Elvira is challenging me & I like it. I've kept outlane posts in top holes which I believe is factory. When I get multiball I know why & feel I've earned it. I do need to make use of pinball skills more than usual to keep ball in play with nasty outlanes. & yes the ball can track SDTM especially out of the bumpers but if you are paying attention you can nudge as it exits & do some slap saves. This is a game that I can & will learn & improve on & make me a better player, which is a good quality for a game to have. I do think it is important to have the game sloped & leveled properly.

Traded my Godzilla premium for this game, plus recieved a good chunk of cash. Godzilla was awesome, but it felt like a cheap toy compared to this game. I don't really know how else to describe it. & I'm enjoying this much more than I did Godzilla. I didn't really expect that but I'm just blown away by the total package here. On most machines gameplay dictates how I'm feeling about a game, which makes perfect sense. Yet on this game the art, light show & sounds/music are so captivating that this alone can keep me interested regardless of how good or bad I'm playing.

That is a pretty unique experience, not sure I've had that happen before. Maybe a bit on JJP's WoZ or Hobbit which I've had, but the gameplay wasn't as fast or exciting on those. Not even a huge GnR fan but I've always liked some of their songs & don't hate them. I'm finding that this game is more of an overall experience than any other machine I've played. The depth is great in terms of modes, so many songs, so many modes & various multiballs & some really fun in game hybrid video modes that work great especially with the large LCD. The smaller LCD on the playfield is great too because that is telling me what I need to do. Furthermore I know a code update is on the way for this game too, likely a large one given how long it has been since the last. Yet I don't really have complaints on the current code. Build quality is awesome. I love how so many of the inserts have sensors which is great as you don't need to have so many wires & parts coming up through the PF, making things very clean.
So at the time of writing this, the limited edition of this game is going for considerably cheaper than many Stern Premiums, & that certainly matters too as I feel I'm getting quite a bang for my buck. I wrote this same thing about Hobbit years ago now its value is likely where it belongs. This might happen to GnR too, especially after a nice code update. I should note that I also installed precision flippers on this game. Look awesome & it flips great. Can't really comment on default flippers as I did this upgrade almost immidiately. If you have an issue with flipper play, the precision flippers may be your solution.

A fantastic game. An all time great. I agree with all the positives everyone has said regarding all aspects of the game. The layout & flow are among the best ever. However for me this is also a little bit of a negative as ball times were too long & made for a bad multi-player game because I could keep hitting shots & combos then multiball. People don't enjoy waiting for each other for too long!

This is my struggle today with many modern games. I love the depth & journey you can go on. Yet I also have a life & I often have to quit games early if I'm having a good one or maybe even start to get bored. But this is more my own issues with my lifestyle & my ADD! For some this type of game is a positive. I had my AIQ prem next to godzilla & that kinda scratches the same itch but a little tougher & I love the theme. Has flow like godzilla too. Since I'm not very wealthy & only room for 4 games unfortunately godzilla had to go. I just want to be clear that it wasn't because it wasn't a great game. Just not the best fit for me at the moment. For me for now (& I may change my mind) I feel like variation is best. Perfect lineup may be an elwin game, a jjp, a challenging bally/Williams or early stern dmd, & of course a classic early solid state game.

I'm rating this game on the new official v7.0 code update, also my game has pinsound with custom tracks. Can't rate original audio because I never owned the game with it.
Having said that, these 2 things take care of the only 2 main gripes that others had about the game. The linear modes & tiring soundtrack. Both of those issues are now gone which takes what I already thought was a game with an incredible layout, tons of shots, widebody with amazing toys & features... and bumps it up to being an all time great for me.

I do like the artwork & theme. Has some great color & I appreciate an original theme like this because it just doesn't happen anymore these days. Build quality is incredible & this could not have been a cheap game to produce. About 20 games into owning it & I don't recall the last time I've enjoyed a new addition this much. & it can often be had cheaper than some other newer games. I suspect this new code will make the game more desirable though.

I always wanted to own this game even though ratings on it said I shouldn't. Also theme & artwork do matter to me, but the layout & amount of shots & gimmicks I thought might outweigh that, also add in the relatively cheap price. So far I believe that to be the case. I'd suggest making sure all switches are activated by the ball. Those star rollovers can miss or get dirty. I dialed this game in to play fast & like new.
Also installed new rubber, new flipper parts, & LED's. The game suddenly looks so much better on the playfield. The backglass is still the backglass. I thought about getting an alternate but I'm fine with it, it's representative of its time & I don't look at it while playing.

Some people knock the sounds & music. I think its fine & retro sounding. Does the trick. Lack of speech doesn't bother me these days since it's just no longer a novel thing & part of so many games. It isn't needed. The objectives are pretty clear but definitely enough depth to make you have to think about what you want to do for next. & there are several ways to get scores. I'm often not a fan of early SS 2 tiered games because you don't really get much extra game as the main PF gets halved. That is what makes this game so unique is that one of the goals is to complete objectives to light the "ramps up" shot, then hit it, then you get a whole new shot & dimension added to the game with the long, satisfying orbit shot.

Always something available to shoot for that matters & helps to progress regardless of what flipper your ball is near. For a game in the bally cost cutting era, I'm surprised at how loaded it is. Money saved on cabinet & backbox art & lamps perhaps actually went to good use. 2 drop target banks. I'd even argue that the orange 3 bank isn't even that needed. Could have been removed & game wouldn't be much different. However, drops are way more fun than standups so I'm glad they are there. The inline drops are fantastic I always love those. & it is possible to hit them from each flipper, although I find it the most difficult shot in the game from either upper flipper.
Then you have the flex saves. Sometimes they are flashing for automatic save, but otherwise you have to be on your toes to make these work for you. On my game which plays fast, gotta be quick. This adds another dimension to the game where you can't get lazy & need to keep focus.
With the amount of shots, speed, & flex save... I really don't miss having a multiball here. There is no down time, no ball locks, no kickouts or saucers, that sucker is always in play.
Overall really impressed. For me, led technology has made it look good enough that I'm not bothered by the art & I can focus on the game. While not an A title, I've had as much fun with this as I have had with games that cost a lot more. One of the ratings for games should be "bang for your buck". This one would score high.

Tough rating this game because I partly need to rate it for how the game WAS, but my example has these modern upgrades that I can't discount either.
Game is very clever yet simple. My upgrades include new clear ramps, alternate translite, premium led's & led flashers, & purple rubbers. Having these things available is such a massive upgrade as these address a couple of the major issues people have had with this game in the past.
I did rate the game poorly for backglass & cabinet because that is what is fair even though it isn't an issue for me personally. So maybe I gave the game a little bump in a couple other areas because I think my game is deserving of a 8/10 score.

Rule set seems solid to me, balanced & easy to figure out. One setting that I found important was to have the 1-2-3 drops spot a letter in each body part (instead of just 1) since they need to be hit in order & it isn't the safest shot. You hit the wrong one & you have to knock them all down to try again. Now it is worth going for. Otherwise I just don't think it is fair that a single lifeforce shot rewards the same thing as the drops. So I'm glad they included that optional adjustment in the dips.

& I love that lifeforce shot. An EM throwback shot & it is great that you get a greater reward the cleaner you hit it. & it absorbs the ball so it doesn't come flying back at you. I've really come to dislike shots (mainly newer games) that fire the ball back at you whether it is a stiff stand-up target or kickback.
I feel multiball is done well here too as it is not a vital part of the game, rather just a nice extra feature, 2 balls to amp things up for a bit. Scores are multiplied during multiball but it has no impact on achieving robot reveal. For that you simply need to hit your shots. That's the game.

I'm a huge fan of the sounds. I was surprised at the quality & I even have a little bass despite just the 2 speakers. No speech, which I could care less about in 2019. I suppose in 1986 people may have cared as it was still a new-ish thing. It really just isn't needed on this game. Music is catchy, it will change up a bit here & there. Awesome "zapping" sounds & light effects as multiball is ready to achieve.
I like the playfield art & wish repro plastics were available. Under my new clear ramps, I have pink led flashers which look great. Cool white LED's with a couple purple near/under the ramps. That & color matched feature lamps & purple rubber really make the game pop.
Theme works for me, I'm a sci-fi fan, love this sort of thing. Lastly I like that company loves the game. It sits next to a couple newer, more complicated games. While it can be hard to explain everything to do on those games, Genesis is fairly simple. So in summary, if you get one of these spend a little to pimp it out & have yourself a very unique, fun & retro game with a touch of more modern things (like 2 ramps, multiball). I don't know if its a forever keeper in a small collection, but a game that can be had fairly cheap & works great among a couple more complex games.

I can't believe this game can sell in the 5k range, what incredible bang for your buck. I have Wolverine. I've cycled through a lot of great games over the years. TH, SM, LOTR, TS, TWD. & have played all the great B/W titles.
This game when dialed in & tweaked is beating them all at this point in time. Wasn't sure at first but it grew on me quick. Having said that, the game does benefit from a few things such as the latest code. Of which I have the custom version with some improved callouts & music.
& I've also done the newton ball mod which takes the game back to how it was originally designed, along with a better smaller wolverine figure. Add to that a flipper fidelity sound system with 10" sub, shaker, & mirror blades. I've even replaced all the stern GI bulbs with frosted for a better light spread & used an ice blue for the blue's. Gave me a little less of an overall purple color.

I was already a fan of theme, being a comic art fan & having collected these comics back in the day. But I think even if I wasn't I would still applaud the artwork. Zero complaints there especially from an era not far removed from when everything was photoshop.
I went LE because basically in the market at the time I'm spending little over $1k for enhanced lighting, spinner, ice ramp, nightcrawler pop ups & extra magnet. I thought it was worth it. & no regrets there.

I've played quite a few games & there seems to be no end to having fresh-ish content. Every game can play a little different. Modes don't get old, they are well executed & there are a ton of them. & choosing your villian mode is also a real plus. Not a fan of games with linear modes. I have a small collection & it fits great into it. If I had to have an only pin, this one might have to be my choice. I also don't like long ball times. Often this game kicks my ass, but if I'm hitting shots & use a little strategy I can have a satisfying longer game.
I'm also not always a fan of 3rd flippers, partly because I suck at the 3rd flipper, but this one isn't too difficult yet still challenging & something I get better with over time & I like that there are a few shots you can hit with it.

Lastly not only is this one of the cheaper LE's out there, but perhaps it has the best build quality? It feels like old b/w quality. I have a couple newer sterns next to it & they just don't feel this solid. Furthermore, while those are covered with dimples, this one is not! I think this game is a somewhat hidden gem. Being a wolverine fan I jumped on mine when I saw one for a good price.

I was surprised at how little I liked this game when I owned it in my small collection. Once the fan gimmick got old after a few games, there was nothing else that really stood out to me. I'm finding that Lawlor games maybe just don't do it for me like they do for others. I know this was a great game for its time but in my opinion it doesn't hold up well to today's games.
A couple other sys11 titles I've liked better are BK2K, & Mousin Around is probably my fav. I don't think WW is really a bad game but I'm sure it shines more in a larger collection.

Might be safe to say that I prefer this game to ANY wms/bly out there, or it is at least equal to their best. Except maybe for build quality of course but I've come to accept that for what it is.
MET now holds the honor of being the first game I've owned twice, & I've been through quite a few. I think i prematurely sold my first MET thinking I might prefer games with themes I liked more, since I'm really not a bit fan of the band. Grass isn't always greener. There are tons of great games out there that are good for different reasons, but in terms of speed, flow, crazy visuals & just getting the adrenaline pumping... nothing quite does it like this game.

Money wasn't too much of an object for my getting MET, & I could have gotten a premium. I made the choice to get a pro, but just to get one pimped out. I too am not a big fan of the hammer on the premium, & I'm fine with how the snake is on the Pro. All the other pemium stuff is cool but through mods you can add all of the premium features & then some, minus the hammer & snake.

Upon release I was & still am thrilled that the art would be all hand drawn & colorful, because at the time there wasn't much of that from Stern. There is a little more today. So that gives the game more of an old school feel to me, as do the inline drop targets! I really can't say much about the game that hasn't been said already. It is a proven winner. I'd never talk anybody out of buying this game.
& even if a part with it (AGAIN!), its nice to know I'll be able to get it again. Stern is still doing runs on these suckers in 2018.

This game has me shook! I had a premium version of one of Stern's offerings with tons of mods, a good game, but I saw a chance to trade even up for a JJP, Hobbit Gold Edition. Never had a game with these sorts of features & wanted to give a JJP game a shot. I did, & all of a sudden I feel like the newer stern's I've recently owned are just pieces of junk haha. & that isn't a knock against Stern, nor is it true, they do some cool stuff, but more a nod to JJP, TH just feels like its in its own class of game.
I was going to go on about what I think is so impressive about the game in detail, but honestly don't feel like typing up that much.

The game is super customizeable which is great, you really can dial this thing in however you want. Visually just stunning, never seen anything quite like it with the lamp effects, displays, etc. Game is beyond deep, I don't believe I've played the same game twice & there are still modes & features on this game that I didn't even get to yet. But in this case depth doesn't mean complicated. Read for 5 minutes about the basics & pretty well got the hang of it. Unlike some Stern's these days where I feel like I need a degree in cryptology to figure them out. To me that is perfect, depth without overcomplication.

It is true, the game isn't really a flow game & more of a shooters game as others have mentioned. I don't find the game slow at all though, at least not how mine is set up. This game was clearly designed to be an epic shooters game with tons of shots, wasn't meant for flow. Its not like they went for flow & missed the mark. The game plays as it was designed to & it does it well. Lots of ups & downs during gameplay which is fun. Yes sometimes the game does have more of a classic gameplay feel with long shots typical of a widebody & lots of drops & the relaxing background music. & that is fine by me. But when certain modes or multiballs kick in, the tone of the game can shift pretty quickly as the music & lighting change their tone as well. Just a beautifully done game & it does seem like it was built like a tank. Solid, not easy to nudge & it had the be the heaviest game I've moved... so its not going anywhere anytime soon haha.

Oh & a quick update, I saw it mentioned in other reviews that some people think there is too much multiball.... Then Just hit the ring button on the lockbar! It will postpone your multiball! Putting you to where hitting the right ramps starts a mode for you instead of locking a ball. Love this feature! You really do have a lot of choice in how you want to approach each game.

I haven't felt compelled like this to rave about a game in quite some time. I always thought this looked like a fun game over the years & might be one to own someday, but I've thought that before about other pins with even higher ratings & have been let down. I just went with my gut, & bought a super nice PZ that this guy had. I definitely overpaid a good bit if we are to believe pinside's pricing on this one, but I didn't care, I really wanted it.

This thing is a blast & continues to grow on me, my girl, & my friends love it. It is sitting next to another b/w title that is definitely higher rated & more expensive, yet it is PZ that keeps drawing us in. It has that "one more game" factor which in my world is huge.
My example is incredibly clean & finely tuned, I'm sure that helps. Ramps are clear & in nice shape, & I did color matched LED for the inserts & some nice strong frosted red LED for the red GI & the game is just stunning.

The game flows better than you would think, considering both of the ramp returns have a pit stop. That stop is quick enough though that I don't think it disrupts flow at all just speed but that isn't a bad thing. Gives you a moment to ready your next shot or consider what you need to do next.
Shots on this game just feel good to hit. The captain & his standups can be a challenge but even that shot feels great when the ball sticks in the hole nicely!

My favorite thing about this game is that not only is the layout & shot selection solid, but the rules make it so that they all have value. I've seen too many games that had cool shots in a sweet layout but they just weren't called on to be hit enough or weren't worth it. On PZ I find myself utilizing all the shots the game has to offer during each play. I don't feel restricted in what I need to do, nor do I need to think too much. I think that is what all of us are loving about this game. & I've seen it mentioned other times in these reviews. The game is somewhat mindless fun. & to me that holds incredible value!

Sometimes people knock a game for not being deep enough, but I'll be honest, I'm kinda tired of super deep games. They are a dime a dozen these days. But a DMD game that is fairly straightforward yet still engaging, challenging, & fun? Not a ton of them. I put this game right up there with Black Rose as an all time favorite from this time period. Deep is not always better folks. & lack of depth doesn't make for a dumb game either. PZ has a terrific brain in it.
& let's not forget that there is multiball & times during each game where things get a little more goal specific, so it isn't like the game lacks depth. It has enough.

Let's talk theme. It is pretty wild & dated in some ways. In fact I think it might be so dated that its actually cooler now in 2017 than it would have been in 2000. It is very unique, it is an original concept & original artwork. & again in the pantheon of all DMD games in existence, this is a rare trait & becoming more rare by the day.
I love all the color the game offers & it helps make for a good looking & beautifully lit game in the dark, & I love all the details in the artwork as well as the toys. Oh yeah, TOYS, the game has tons & are interactive. People are always floored by the fact that the captain's head follows the ball around once I point out to them that he isn't moving at random.

In closing, I'm finding this game to be a great fit in a collection where I have a couple deeper, more intense games that require a little more thinking. This game definitely has a place in today's pinball world. The only question remaining is how long will I keep this game, & how much will I miss it when it is gone. I just felt compelled to write this review between how impressed I was by it, & how underrated I found it to be.

I love the artwork & color on this game, & I'm also a fan of drop targets & captive balls. So needless to say I was a fan of this game the first time I laid eyes on it. Don't see many for sale so when I had a chance to get one I did. I really enjoy it & it fits great in my collection where I have a few more modern style games with ramps & flashers. This is just pure pinball, simple but challenging. Yet there are still several ways to score on the game. Nailing lit spinners, knocking out the stars, going for the drops, or going after the captive ball. The sounds are typical of that era, obviously, but I like how they were done for this game. They seem to fit. Anyhow, between the looks & the layout & the rules,this seems to be an underrated game. You won't find many amazing reviews on it, yet when a nice one comes up for sale everybody wants it. If you are into ramps & flashers, this might not be for you. If you appreciate early SS Bally (& you should!), then its hard to go wrong with this game.

I knew I'd eventually have one of these in my collection. It's an underrated & undervalued Williams game from 1995, & now I have one. No doubt it has that WMS quality feel to it, just a sturdy & strong game that plays fast. I like the depth of the rules because there is just enough there to have depth but also keep the game somewhat simple to understand & grasp.

The layout is pretty killer. Lots to shoot for & the combo's you can put together are satisfying. Lots of flow to the game which makes gameplay & shots more satisfying. As everybody else says, a clean & well maintained JM can be pretty damn fast. You also have different options at all times as far as how to score & progress in the game. So you don't have to play the same strategy all the time.

Crazy Bob's can slow the game down a bit but it doesn't have to since you can pop the ball back out hitting both flippers. I had concerns that the glove would slow things down but it really isn't too bad, however this gimmick did lose its appeal over time.

People say this pin didn't do as well because the movie was a flop. But honestly this is 2014 as I write this. How many people even remember this movie? At this point it could almost be considered an original theme because the movie was so long ago & wasn't well known. I almost view the game in this way & it still has loads of cool hand drawn artwork.
What you are left with is just a cool sci-fi theme that works well with the game. Being a bit of a sci-fi & computer geek I'm into the theme regardless of the movie. Sounds & music seem pretty solid, no real complaints. & with this being a pin with DCS sound, the quality is great & the variation is more than games from a few years earlier.

Maybe the ultimate bang for your buck game. Not an A title but damn fun & fast. I feel like every pinhead should own one for a while at some point.

I've had this game a couple days now & as usual I like to write up an initial review while the game is still new & fresh to me but still have enough plays to form an opinion. As time goes on, I may tweak my ratings.

What an interesting game this is. The couple times over the years I've seen one for sale in my area I gave it a lot of thought to it being something I would like but the timing never worked out. Not many made, 2k I think.
It interests me for a few reasons. 1 being that I was a fan of Ghostbusters growing up & this game clearly has that sort of theme. Also I appreciate games that go above & beyond with artwork detail & this game has loads of it. The art is more of a "fun" style or comic book style than a serious art piece like Paragon, which is fine by me. The game also makes use of so much color. A lot of green & pink (the colors of the slimes found in the Ghostbusters movies).

Before I just got this game, I only played 1 quick game on it before a couple years ago, so I didn't remember much. One thing I didn't realize was just how incredible the topper is on this game. Might be among the best toppers ever, especially in terms of functionality. In a pinball world filled with useless toppers, this one is a big part of the game. The skull can move left to right as it flashes & talks, & yes even the jaw of the skull moves up & down in sync with whatever it is saying. This had to be expensive to produce.

Another thing about the game that piqued my interest when seeing pics of it over the years was the layout. Not because it is the best layout I've ever seen, but because it is different. & when you have 2 or 3 other games that have a more standard pinball layout, IMHO it sure is nice to throw a unique playing game into the mix.
What also makes the game unique is that this was the game where Gottlieb made the switch to their newer style of flipper. Yet it was also the last system 80 game. Which means that this is the only game to use that newer & likely stronger flipper style but on a 42" long playfield rather than the 46" they all went to after this. What this seems to do is make for a lot of possibilities & shots are easy to reach. Many shots can be made with either flipper. There are tons of paths the ball can take & there is no predictable flow to the game. But again, that is what I like about it.

I was a little surprised by the complexity of the game. I was expecting fairly simple rules but honestly it took me some thinking & quite a few plays to see how the entire game worked. Even reading "how to play" in the manual didn't answer all my questions, some I had to find out as I played.
The rule set isn't deep, but what is there can be a little complex, if that makes sense. To where this might not be the best game for a casual player to pick up & understand right away. But for me this title was my guilty pleasure for myself, if others don't like it they can play my other games!

The game looks good in the dark although some areas on the PF can be a bit dark. Not a ton of spots on the game where they could fit GI lamps but they look good where they are put & flashers look cool. As far as lighting I think the backbox is the strongest point. A ton of flashers & lots of #44 bulbs as well, even a few #455 blinker bulbs mixed in. The flashers make zapping animations that go along with the art you see.

The sound seems pretty good. The quality of the music seems pretty good & the tune is catch, again similar to a Ghostbusters tune. Speech quality isn't quite as good but it is good enough that I can understand it all (barely). That is surely typical of any system 80 game though. Quite a few speech samples between the lady & one eye (the skull). If you enable the topper for attract mode he has quite a few different comments! You hear them more sparingly during play.

Bottom line is that I'll never claim BB to be a masterpiece of a game like TZ or MM, but I don't think it was ever designed to be that kind of game. It seems like it was made to be a fun game to look at & a good one to flip the ball around on, with a few clever gimmicks mixed in. I think anybody with similar tastes to mine should consider checking this game out & it is probably more affordable than it should be, just considering the topper alone.

There are definitely fun moments to be had playing this. Unique layout helps. Doesn't stay fun forever but its a neat game considering the tough era it game from. Probably does better in a larger collection. It has been many years since I owned it & the theme song is stuck in my head as I write this haha.

This was the pin that started the hobby for me. It was affordable & I was just super excited to have a DMD game in my house.
It was fun & it kept me sucked into the hobby as I'm still here a decade later. Of course in hindsight after owning many more games, & better games, it is tough to pit this machine against many of those in a ratings competition. No this isn't a deep game, nor was it meant to be. Its basically a family friendly, easy to learn system 11 game with a DMD.
For those, like myself back in the day, that just wanted some good bang for my buck & a nice intro into pinball owning, this game really did the trick. 2 ramps, a row of drops & standups, cool toys, & backbox spinner... it lived up to my expectations. Rules maybe aren't the best. Game isn't meant to be a keeper in any collection but it will absolutely scratch the DMD era itch for those that just can't afford the A titles.

JD is a solid game & the deadworld mod improves it. Had one for a few years. At that time it was great bang for your buck, but I can also see why it isn't an A title. Neat layout with lots of shots, lots going on, but rules are a little lacking. Missing the IT factor, game is a little too easy to walk away from but another solid effort by bly/wms nonetheless.

It is more fun than many DMD era pins I've played that somehow are ranked higher here.

EBD is a great pin. Simple but challenging. Fun, addictive, & a great, well thought out design. Good art, speech is plentiful for a game of this age, cool sounds. It has the IT factor, "just one more game".