SilverballGamer's ratings

While it’s still early on, it appears to me that Jaws is continuing Elwin’s legacy of high quality, creative, and well designed games.

Pro’s:

Playfield layout is, overall, great on the Pro: most of the shots flow extremely well, with numerous being creative (for example, the right ramp, or the 180 degree center ramp).

While some are against it, I personally think the art package is well done. Yes, there is no Brody, but when you are actually playing the game, it’s apparent that you, the player, are Brody. Meanwhile, the art is well detailed, highlights many elements of the film, has great color choice, and is overall very pleasant to look at (even if the translite is a bit uninspired, but it at least makes sense why they would go with the movie poster).

Code already feel very complete, with many things to do and nothing being particularly unbalanced. Considering the game is currently only on 0.85 code, this is a really good sign.

Really enjoying the toys, such as the captive ball and shark fin. I also really enjoy the quick shot (very well coded and timed: happens when you hit the side flipper shot when nothing is otherwise lit and then hit the shark fin).

Really great theme integration: many of the clips are repurposed in ways to be hilarious, and overall the game is very memorable.

Not sure if I’ve ever said this about a new stern, but the lighting is extremely good. Love the color changing LED’s in the top half, and the lower playfield is nice and bright as well, displaying the nice art.

Con’s:
While I really like some of the audio (stingers, some funny/well done quotes, etc.) I’m finding a lot of it to get annoying (hearing “Fair well and ado” and “Shark! There’s a shark!” every single game get’s pretty grating quickly).

This is oddly uncharacteristic of Elwin, but the reel isn’t that well designed. I find it’s often very clunky on most copies, and generally doesn’t spin/act the way it’s supposed to unless the copy is set up perfectly.

Personally, I like the “tiered” skill shot system, but I can see how it could be annoying to some.

Overall, this game is another instant classic from Team Elwin and Stern in general. Highly recommend seeking this one out at any locations near you

Joker Poker is, in its essence, a very elaborate EM and a very simple SS, but damn is it addicting.

Pro’s:

Deceptively simple layout. May look/seem like a one trick pony at first, and it sorta is, but true mastery requires you to have great flipper skills and even better nudging ability.

Rules are very basic, but require strong accuracy and an ability to read rubber bounces and playfield geometry quickly. A great tournament game, that’s for sure. Even better with the Pascal ruleset!

Gottlieb chimes are the best chimes. While I didn’t include this in the score, I do love the way they sound.

Art is pretty neat and very cheesy in a way only Gordon Morrison can pull off without the art looking poor. The color choice and look under warm light is mainly what makes it such a nice game to look at.

Con’s:
The cabinet art is bland, even considering the limitations of stencil art. Nothing wrong with that, it just could have been better.

Can see somebody getting very sick and tired of this game quickly in a home environment: once you get all the objectives (which do reset hall to ball), it can get boring.

Set it to 5 ball play, as the 3 ball rules are inferior (doesn’t emphasize drop target shooting as much, as the Jacks and Kings banks become way less important to scoring. This is due to the fact that on 5 Ball play, it requires you to shoot the 10 on ball one for 5X, then Jacks ball 2, Queens Ball 3, Kings Ball 4, and Aces ball 5. 3 ball just has you hit the 10 ball one for 5X, Queens ball 2, then Aces Ball 3).

Overall, a really addicting and fun early SS. Just a really great effort by Gottlieb.

Corvette is Gomez’s first ever design, and it’s interesting to see how it shaped him as a designer!

Pro’s:

What an amazing layout! The shots flow amazingly together, and the rules further support that by making everything combo based, from modes and multiballs to the actual combo’s getting progressively valuable over a ball!

Sound is exceptionally well done. An admirable effort from Paul Heitsch.

Art is well done over all! In particular, the color choice is very pleasing to the eyes, and the game looks great with Warm LED’s.

Toys, including the interactive engine and racing toy cars, are neat and add a bit to the game overall. The kickback (if you consider that a toy) is also genius, and fits into the rules and layout perfectly.

Con’s:

The center spinner is pointless and really did not need to be put in the game. While the right ramp is a fun shot, it can also be very deadly (which I love, but some may consider a design flaw) and typically can’t be shot from a trap.

Game heavily favors multiball modes in terms of objective multiball points, as well as the points you get from combos. Meanwhile, the modes themselves are worth much less.

Wizard mode doesn’t require that much to get, and the game is overall fairly shallow (even for its time).

It might seem odd I gave this game such a high rating when it does do some things wrong, but what it does right it does extremely well.

Wow, this is just a really, really fun game overall. I don’t think my score is actually reflective of how much I really like this game (I don’t like it quite as much as the score suggests), but it really just is a blast.

Pro’s:
Freaking incredible soundtrack and sound quality for the time. Love the building up of the main theme the more locks you have. Sound effects are cheesy and old school system 11 goodness.

Art is pretty good too: not Elliot’s best work (that goes to Transporter IMO), but still very well done. Just excellent theme integration on the playfield. Alphanumeric animations are excellent in how well animated they are: some of the best in a System 11.

Layout is very creative: the right ramp and the space station mech definitely make the game. Lack of in lanes is very creative, and adds a whole new level to how the game is played.

Truly fantastic lighting, whether it be “Condition Green” or the use of flashers.

Con’s:

One note rule set of “go for multiball all day”, but the nature of the layout makes this not really a bad thing.

Quite a lot of scoops/stop and go do make this game kind of clunky. I can excuse it, though.

Overall, just a really fun game. Definitely one of the better system 11’s.

D&D has been a white whale of mine for a while, mainly due to the great theme and that I had heard it is a shockingly good game for the era. I was not disappointed:

Pro’s:

I’ll get this out of the way: the soundtrack is straight up awesome. No other way to get around it.

Layout is really fun! Super creative and nothing else really like it.

Rules are unbalanced on first glance, but in reality pretty balanced. Yes, the mystical Million Shot sounds like it would make it unbalanced (hit three in line drops down, shoot the shot again and hit the side ramp, repeat as much as possible until the in line drops reset when the ball drain). However, when you consider that one’s accuracy on the side ramp is going to be extremely low due to how tough the shot is, it really isn’t that bad.

Art is pretty good too! Classic backglass art, with some really great original art by Pat McMahon.

Topper is really cool, if you are lucky enough to play one with it.

Lighting is really good, with strong placement of flashers.
Con’s:
Sound quality is sadly pretty shabby, but the tracks themselves are so good that it more than makes up for it.

Not very many shots on the playfield (3-6, depending on your qualification of what a shot is). However, the game still plays really well despite this IMO.

Sadly, the build quality overall is just terrible, both in terms of cabinet and moving parts.

Overall, a really great game. Sadly under looked due to being a 6803.

Venom, so far, has a lot of potential to be a good new release from stern. However, there are some elements that sadly drag it down in its current state.

Pro’s:

Exceptionally good Zombie Yeti art. One of his best packages yet. Animations are also well done.

Game has some really good flow, and the overall layout, while a fan, has some interesting elements. The game also supports combo’s, which makes this better.

Conceptually, the rules and idea of host switching is great for home collections and on location play, and is just a really freaking cool idea.

Sound is apparently really good, but every time I’ve played the game, it’s been turned way down, so I’ll list it as a positive for now. Currently not scored.

The fact that there are so many skill shots, and that the ones available change on game state and character selection is great.

Con’s:

Despite the cool rule concepts, the game is sadly really linear despite seeming free form conceptually. Currently, order to play in is Eddy for mayhem locks, then switch to Flash for Hybrid, then switch to Peter for carnage stack. I’ve been able to consistently get scores in the multi billions doing this, but have seen players unable to get scores close to that not because they aren’t good, but are just unaware of the absurdity of the scoring, which is a fundamental flaw in the games communication.

All the shots are way up at the top of the playfield, which is interesting, but also makes it a little easy to recover.

“Oops, all backhands!” Makes it so that players who can’t do that consistently are screwed, and players who can post catch and backhand consistently are rewarded to absurd extents.

Overall, this game has a lot of potential, but sadly has some design flaws and code work that needs to be done.

Riverboat gambler is a sadly underlooked game, but I do see why.

Pro’s:

I do think the art is really well done, though maybe a tad over sexualized for theme?

Sound is pretty awesome, with some classic rag time. Second game to be made to have lyrics in the music! In particular, Main Theme, multiball, and Jackpot collected stand as being just plain great.

Layout is actually very solid in my opinion, with many great shots (really hope they didn’t fumble the utilization).

Jackpot hype is one of the best out there when it comes to light show and audio accompaniment.

Really cool skill shot I’ve not seen replicated. Would love to see a variation on it.

Con’s:

Surprise surprise! The game boils down to left ramp spamming and praying to the RNG gods. What a shame.

Idea of spelling casino, forcing you to play all the various games could have been good, but they made it a 2 million reward. Meanwhile, you can spam the left ramp and collect jackpots with a minimum of 3 million, so that rule falls flat on its face. My suggestion to fix this would be to make it so that roulette luck (or luck in all the games) to make winning skill based, as well as putting a much lower cap and starting value on jackpots (suggestion would be a minimum of 500,000 and max of 3-4 million). Yes, this would make the game a little more like High Roller Casino, but it’s still an improvement. The rest of the game outside of the rules makes it seem like it’s destined to be a pinball classic, but this really kills a lot of the fun factor.

Maybe a bit too much moaning in the pop bumpers? Kind of annoying and weird.

Overall, a game that could have had a lot of potential, but sadly has some elements that being it down to being forgotten.

Golden Cue is, by no means, an everyday sight due to never entering production. After playing it, I can kind of see why they reworked the game.

Pro’s:

Solid EBD inspired layout, though the lack of shots that were later added in Sharkey’s does take a point off for me.

Animations are ok, though none really stand out.

This is pretty close to the best they could do with this truly absurd theme.

Con’s:

The theme is absurd: have somebody who has no association with pool be used solely to market a pool themed game. Glad they rethemed game to star Jeanette Lee, an actual professional pool player.

Software is very incomplete, and has very little to do. Multiball is the main thing to go for.

Art is pretty meh, not terrible, but not great either.

Sound is just terrible. Overall it is grating, and also reused tracks from Sega Godzilla.

Overall, a mediocre game that has some hype due to its obscurity.

High speed was a game I didn’t necessarily “get” until recently, but upon playing a copy that was set up perfectly and played like it was brand new, I now see where the love for this game comes from.

Pro’s:

When this game is set up right, it plays fast and tough in a very good way. Probably the first game to truly have “flow”.

Rules are good. While the side ramp is easily the most important shot in the game, and could make this a one shot game, it is a tough shot, and the rules know this. This makes it so a lot of the game is built around set up, and to have other mini objectives like orbit values is also nice.

Backglass is nice, and really conveys the story very well.

Light show is excellent, and really the first of its kind to use the lighting to convey a story.

The amount of innovation gameplay wise, sound wise, and visually is astounding.

Con’s:

I do find the sound to be a bit annoying and lacking in variation, but it still is way ahead of its time, along with being leaps and bounds above everything that came before it in this department.

I find the playfield and cabinet art to be bland, though not bad by any means.

I can see the game getting boring if you owned it for a long time considering the simplicity nowadays.

Overall, a true classic. Glad to see people still appreciate it to this day.

Buck Rodgers is a game I never thought I’d see, though overall it was actually quite a bit of fun.

Pro’s:

Unique layout that I’ve never seen before. The vari target is uniquely implemented and a very fun and satisfying shot.

Art is overall solid Gordon Morrison work. The backglass in particularly good.

Rules may initially come across as “hit the vari target” over and over, but the left drops and top lanes are crucial as well, with a luck based bonus collect.

Con’s:

Sound is atrocious. Not surprised considering the board era.

If the flippers aren’t freshly rebuilt, the vari target is impossible, which removes a lot of elements of the game.

The right drops have no purpose other than specials and adding bonus (which can be done other ways).

Overall, a solid game that you don’t see every day. Would recommend compared to other Gottlieb games of the time.

Party Animal is an overall decent game, though it really is just that: decent.

Pro’s:
Layout isn’t bad overall, some hints to the fact that it’s a Dennis Nordman (such as an upper flipper with two shots) are nice to see, as they hint at his great future work like White Water and Demolition Man. I’ve heard issues about the feed from the in-line drops, but the copies I’ve played seemed to have fairly safe feeds.

Art is good. Not great, but it demonstrates the fact it sure is a party with many interesting animal caricatures.

Rules aren’t bad, with the main focus being bonus multipliers and spelling “Party Animal” twice.

I like the look of the Jukebox and its lighting. The idea of changing songs by hitting the jukebox is a nice touch.

I like the ambiance noises in the background.

Con’s:
Bland Bally/Midway cabinet art. Not a fan.

No clue what the second set of flipper buttons are for, they don’t seem to do anything.

Build quality is atrocious. Even the flippers feel bad, which takes a point off automatically.

Game is kind of clunky, and feels like it needs some refining overall.

Sound quality is pretty terrible, the rendition of “Louie Louie” is pretty annoying. The callouts also getting tiring.

Overall, a perfectly serviceable game, though nothing amazing either.

Wow, and I mean WOW! This game is fantastic.

Pro’s:
Possibly the best layout ever designed for a pinball machine, along with The Shadow, The Big Lebowski, and Godzilla (Stern). The flow is truly incredible, and there isn’t a bad shot.

Code is off to an extremely strong start. It’s a little bit simpler than most new sterns, but it is easy to understand and has some great progression.

The multipliers are able to be valuable and desirable to go for, without overpowering the game. While I suck at them, the shatz targets are a strong addition, along with the Shot Multipliers they bring.

Art is very strong. Some of Zombie Yeti’s best work. The animations are amazing as well, and I hope Zombie Yeti does animations for more games in the future.

Sound is good overall, especially if you like Foo Fighters.

The combo’s and how they affect the rules are just great.

Premium Exclusive Pro: I really like the overdrive and the magnet in the Overlord. This adds a point for the Toy’s/Innovation category.

Con’s:
The crossover shot, depending on how the game is set up, can be absurdly hard and not worthwhile to go for.

Premium/LE exclusive complaints:

Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the upper playfield after playing the premium many times. I have found it clunky, and the multiball start shot is extremely unreliable. This has taken a point off in Layout and Playability.

Overall, truly an amazing game. I would put this on the same level as Godzilla already, but it has the potential to be better. I will always prefer Godzilla’s theme, though.

Update: What an incredible wizard mode! Haven’t achieved it yet, but after watching gameplay of it, it looks so much fun. Changed my mind on the cross over: it’s just a fantastic shot, and really isn’t too hard. The upper playfield is also something I’ve figured out and really grown to appreciate: it’s actually really well designed. The issue was that the copy I was playing originally had some switch issues up there, which have now been resolved, allowing the game to really take off. However, I still have to put Godzilla over this game due to the overall rule depth of that game being truly superb, though Foo Fighters is an instant classic in my eyes as well.

Wow, and I mean WOW! This game is fantastic.

Pro’s:
Possibly the best layout ever designed for a pinball machine, along with The Shadow, The Big Lebowski, and Godzilla (Stern). The flow is truly incredible, and there isn’t a bad shot.

Code is off to an extremely strong start. It’s a little bit simpler than most new sterns, but it is easy to understand and has some great progression.

The multipliers are able to be valuable and desirable to go for, without overpowering the game. While I suck at them, the shatz targets are a strong addition, along with the Shot Multipliers they bring.

Art is very strong. Some of Zombie Yeti’s best work. The animations are amazing as well, and I hope Zombie Yeti does animations for more games in the future.

Sound is good overall, especially if you like Foo Fighters.

The combo’s and how they affect the rules are just great.

Con’s:
The crossover shot, depending on how the game is set up, can be absurdly hard and not worthwhile to go for.

Overall, truly an amazing game. I would put this on the same level as Godzilla already, but it has the potential to be better. I will always prefer Godzilla’s theme, though.

Update: What an incredible wizard mode! Haven’t achieved it yet, but after watching gameplay of it, it looks so much fun. Changed my mind on the cross over: it’s just a fantastic shot, and really isn’t too hard. However, I still have to put Godzilla over this game due to the overall rule depth of that game being truly superb, though Foo Fighters is an instant classic in my eyes as well.

After playing many T2’s in varying conditions, I believe that it’s a solid game.

Pro’s:
Layout is overall very solid, with all shots flowing well and being a truly great layout by Steve Ritchie.

Probably some of my favorite multiball rules in any pinball machine. They were later reused by other games (notably Batman Forever to an extent, and STTNG also used them to an extent, though Ritchie also designed that game). Finding the super jackpot timing is either fairly easy, or fairly hard depending on the model, but to be able to get multiple in a row is pure euphoria on the same level as Vacation Jackpot/5X jackpot on White Water or Touring the Mansion for the first time on Addams Family.

Rules are overall fun, and modes like Payback Time are challenging to score high in but are rewarding.

Sound is overall strong, and has some classic tunes like the Main Theme, Multiball Theme and Jackpot Theme.

Artwork is just plain iconic. Very much a staple of any Arcade in the Early 90’s next to Addams Family or Twilight Zone.

Light show is fantastic, particularly during jackpots.

To have played this back in 1991, this would have been jaw dropping, considering how unique the cannon would have been, along with featuring DMD animations that were unique for the time. Williams very clearly put a ton of effort into this game, and was strongly anticipating it’s success.

Con’s:

Multiball is definitely overpowered, unless you spam the right loop all day.

If the cannon isn’t working right, the game is ruined.

While the art is solid, it’s nothing extraordinary like some of Watson’s earlier work.

Overall, a very solid game, though missing that piece to make it a hit out of the park.

While this game is far from the greatest game out there, I can say it’s the best cocktail table (not like that’s a high honor).

Pro’s:

Soundtrack is extremely well done. This coincides with the very good speaker quality on the game.

Layout isn’t bad overall. A nice variety of good shots and targets, well utilizing the limited space.

Playfield art is super cheesy, but it’s not bad.

Con’s:

Nothing in particular stands out design wise, other than the cocktail body. This causes the game to get fairly boring in my eyes.

The whole table aesthetic isn’t bad, but it’s bland to say the least.

I find that if you look at the display the game wants you to look at it, it’s near impossible to read. There is also nothing that sticks out about what’s done with the displays.

Overall, this is a table I don’t really have a ton to say about due to just how little there is to say. It’s a fun little unique table I like playing every once in the while, but it’s nothing I’m ever really wanting to play.

After playing this, getting a feel for it, and understanding the rules, I have to say this game is definitely very underrated. To say it’s up there with some of the best of the 90’s is a bit of a stretch, though.

Pro’s:

Art is fantastic all around. A great mix of Python animals and Popeye, with an extremely creative utilization of the boat theming.

Shots are overall pretty fun on the game. I know people have issues with visibility on the top half, but I don’t really have much of a problem, and I won’t say I’m horribly tall either.

Toys are pretty unique. Will give credit that many of these haven’t been done before/since.

Code is pretty good overall, not the deepest but not shallow by any means.

Animations are very well done. Not going to say they are significantly better then those on other games though.
Con’s:

Reliability is poor on this game. The main issues being the skill shot and the poor design of the bluto mech.

The irony of the environmental theme and the fact this is a pinball machine made with tons of wood, plastic, and metal, is hilarious.

Multiball is definitely a bit overpowered. It wouldn’t be so bad if the jackpot wasn’t multiplied every time, and if it wasn’t so easy to start.

The layout just feels off to me. The shots seem like they’ll be great, but they aren’t the best.

Overall, a pretty fun game, though not the best.

Edit: Multiball wish a spinach can (if you have the left ramp and bluto shot dialed in) can be all you can go for, along with “light lock” skill shots. This kills the potential of the game in my eyes, taking a point away from the rules. The game is also very clunky/stop and go, and has a lot of bizarre rejects and unrefined elements, taking a point away from the layout.

Well, this is a rare game where I have very different opinions between the Pro and Premium models. This is much better as a premium.

Pro’s:

Game has a shockingly flowing, smooth layout when set up properly. I have to give credit there.

Electric Magic and Expression lighting are just fantastic.

Side ramp, while not that great, is a big improvement over the Pro model.

Sound is classic Led Zeppelin, so of course it’s good.

Rules are very good, and require progression and multiplier understanding, while the less experienced player can hit the flashing shots and have a good time.

Con’s:

I’m never really going to like the right ramp. It’s somewhat clunky and rejects often for no apparent reason.

Skill shot seems kind of slapped in to resolve the poor plunge design.

Theme was taken as literally as possible with very little originality, which is unfortunate.

Overall, not as bad as I had considered it prior.

Considering the amount of improvement that has been done to the original, this is an absolute new age classic that will be respected for years to come.

Pro’s;
Great flowing layout with various shots, unique toys like Bart and the Gold Mine, and a lot of factors to keep you playing.

A simple, but very nice refined rule set that is difficult to complete. Some rules like the ones for Showdown multiball are just great. I like that they added new modes for each shot instead of just the center ramp.

Art is pretty solid overall, particularly the cabinet. I don’t get why some don’t like the backglass, even if the Flyland translite is improved in my opinion.

I really like the RGB lighting to capture the various modes in the game, it adds lighting tone.
Con’s;
Shootouts (not quick draws) don’t really add much to the game other than increasing rank.

While the RGB lighting is nice, it is a bit dark. On top of this, the flashers for the shootouts are blinding and frustrating.

Bonus multipliers are still overpowered, which is unfortunate.

Beer standup adds very little to the game other than making up for a gap in shots between the left orbit and right ramp.

Overall, just a nice fun little game. Probably my favorite remake so far, as it improves upon the original game.

After getting to play one in great shape after not seeing one for a while, I really do have to say: this game is just great.

Pro’s:
The backglass is just great, and the topper is one of the best out there with its gorgeous lighting. The rest of the art is also pretty solid, though the head takes the cake.

Layout is a lot of fun, with a lot of unique shots and good flow.

Ruleset is simple, but has a lot to offer at the same time. The game doesn’t get stale quick at all.

Sound is terrific. SFX are great and the sound design and music itself is just genius, especially with how the music gets more and more intense and builds up.

Con’s:

Not a huge fan of the mine kickout, it’s too spastic and hard to react to.

Game is merciless on beginners. If you don’t know how this game plays, it is shocking how differently it plays from everything else out there. This isn’t an issue, but can put a beginner off.

Game is a bit “5X Multiball” heavy. It’s not as bad as some claim, though.

Overall, a truly fantastic game. A classic for certain.

While Grand Lizard might not have a ton going for it objectively (reused layout and simple rules), it ends up being a LOT of fun.

Pro’s:

Not sure why the art get’s dogged on by some. Personally, I don’t mind Python’s backglass art. However, it’s impossible for me to say it’s better than Paul Faris’s original backglass art, which looks way better and compliments the detailed playfield much better.

Layout is a lot of fun. Yes, it’s practically identical to Ourslers previous effort Solar Fire, but I think it shoots better then that game, and I’d chose this game between the two.

The ramps, to add on to the layout, are nice shots. Love how they feed out of the lizards mouth.

Sound, while a bit repetitive, brings some intensity to the game (particularly in Multiball).

Rules are simple (multiballs, Bonus Multipliers, Magnets, Upper Drops and Mystery Scores), but the way it’s executed makes this game just a blast to play despite the simplicity.

Con’s:

Cabinet art is really bland. Yes, it’s what Williams was doing at the time, but still.

Sound, while intense, can get REALLY repetitive and borderline annoying after a while.

Ramps don’t seem to have a ton of purpose outside of Mystery Scores. I understand A-B holds bonus, but they could have done more with it.

Overall, one of the top tier system 11 games IMO. If there is one near you, go play it!

Wow, this is just a massive upgrade over the Pro in pretty much every way.

Pro’s:
Nice art by Randy Martinez. However, the LE shines by looking by far the nicest IMO.

Upper playfield is significantly improved. Now, instead of flailing, there is actual skill to encounters, and they are much more fun with their increasing difficulty.

Cannot stress this enough, I love the flip down ramp in the U-Turn lane. Such a great shot.

Sound is solid, nothing outstanding though.

Overall layout is well done, I don’t have any major complaints with it overall.

Rules are fun, but a little simple. I’d rather have a slightly simple game than an overly complex one like TSPP.

Con’s:

Grogu magnet is interesting, though doesn’t add a ton to gameplay.

Man, I just don’t like the right ramp on this game. It’s just not a good shot! Even when it makes around, it usually barely makes it around, and feels clunky. This is slightly improved by the metal rails.

Metal rails do make a more satisfying sound and improve the right ramp, but otherwise don’t do much for me.

Loops are too tight and serve little purpose outside of modes and building up for foundry, as well as the mystery which doesn’t do much.

Strategies are much too reliant on getting 2X playfield or stacking multipliers, which ruins a lot of this game’s potential. To add on to this, I feel like I am playing the game the same exact way every single time, killing replay ability.

Overall, while I really like this game, it is certainly flawed.

Overall, X-Men is a great art piece and a fun time to play!

Pro’s:
Great layout by John Borg: sure, it was refined a bit for Rush, but I think this game stands on its own along with Rush.

Fantastic art package that effortlessly recreates the comics. Nothing to complain here.

Animations are solid, about on par with what Stern was doing at the time.

Rules are well thought out and cohesive. The game also communicates well, and there are little times of confusion playing the game.

Con’s:

I’m not a huge fan of the Professor X shot. I think it’s a little clunky, and not my taste.

Sound gets a little repetitive, and the callouts are fairly bland which I was shocked by

Iceman Toy is stupid. All it does is stress and annoy the player.

Overall, great game! Not the best one out there, but definitely enjoyable!

If you can’t tell by my rating, while I objectively am not sure if the game is as good as this rating might say, for my personal taste, I adore this game. Part of it is nostalgia, as this is one of the machines that helped get me into pinball, but I also think that, objectively, this is one of, if not the best Data East machine.

Pro’s:
Exceptionally good art. I know some people dump on the back glass, but I think it looks fantastic, and is somewhat subtle in a way. The details in particular (such as the slight whisps on the Cryptkeeper’s hair, the deliberate comic like drawing style on the comic characters vs the shockingly realistic Cryptkeeper and mansion) are astounding.

Gameplay is great, just great. The mode diversity is nice, and the shots flow shockingly well and are a blast to hit. Crypt Jam is a basic, but very fun wizard mode.

The animations are great. However, with a Color DMD, they become astounding, especially for 1993.

Sound is a tremendous achievement. It managed to be catchy, but shockingly atmospheric and sets the tone great.

Frenzy scoring, while not obvious at first, are nice to start and can be valuable with a multiball stack.

Con’s:
Scoring is slightly unbalanced towards multiball on original code. However, Chad’s code fixes this and makes both worthwhile to go for.

The captive ball is kind of a lousy shot, and its difficulty and lousiness makes Skull Cracking not worthwhile.

Sound quality is a bit low for the time. However, this game is able to mask the fact it’s using BMST shockingly well, so credit for that!

Overall, this game is fantastic. You can disagree, but it’s exceptional in my eyes, especially for the time.

After some deliberation and code improvements, my feelings on this game have improved, and I’ve put up this rating comment. However, more time is needed to truly see how this game will turn out. For now, here is my current rating.

Pro’s:

Nice glowing layout by Gomez, paying homage to Corvette very nicely.

Art is solid on the cabinet and playfield. I know it’s photoshop, but it still doesn’t look bad.

The code has the bones to be something good, we have gotten to the point of having a mini wizard mode, but no playfield multipliers yet.

Con’s:
Code really needs fleshed out still. Jetpack is now very easy to start and has the highest scoring potential in the game next to Rosa Klebb. Other than Goldfinger, Rosa Klebb, and Dr. No, all villain modes are worthless. Specter modes are also extremely difficult to start, and Swimming with Sharks is the only valuable one. The super skill shot is now also the only one to go for now that Power Plant Pops are nerfed.

Left scoop shot is just terrible. It’s a cool idea, but in execution it’s unsatisfying and poorly designed. This does not apply to any of the other shots in the game, though.

Overall, I am expecting this game to improve. However, for a game to be released this incomplete is disappointing, but George Gomez did a great job with the layout. I’m glad that Foo Fighters looks like a big improvement over this game.

Edit V1 (on 0.92 code). Wow, this game is getting much better, as the modes and scoring are completed, the layout is being allowed to flourish. With these additions, the game really starts to flow, and even shots that I previously didn’t like (such as the left scoop) are growing on me. I’m still not a huge fan of the art, but the game is really well lit. Overall, this is starting to climb my ranks in the Spike 2 category. The journey this game is undertaking in respect is similar to stranger things.

This is a game, for a while, I didn’t care for. However, I’ve really started to love it as of recently, and I think it’s one of the best Data East’s!

Pro’s:
Really great layout. All shots are satisfying and well made.

I really like the rules, especially the ability to double mode scoring upon start by hitting the side loop, and the ability to “lock” in modes with the gun (taken from Tales From The Crypt).

Game has a good selection of GNR songs as far as I can tell, though I’m not a huge GNR fan.

Con’s:

Multiball is a bad exploit, especially if you pick Super Pops.

Nothing against Markus, but I don’t care for the art on here personally. I understand why to make it gritty, but in this case, the art (particularly the playfield art) looks poorly drawn and unappealing in my opinion.

Game needs Pinsound, or else all your GNR clips are compressed and not great.

Overall, while this rating might not be great, I do think this is a really good game. It just has some significant drawbacks in some areas. I also do think it’s better then JJP GNR as said previously.

I’m not sure if this should be considered the greatest game ever made or not, but I do have to say this game is fantastic, and is one of, if not the best new Stern.

Pro’s:
The layout and rules are just genius, with some great flow and shot variety, on top of a detailed yet easy to understand rule set.

The art and animations are great, nothing to critique there.

Lighting is well done.

Con’s:
Left ramp is maybe a little bit too difficult to hit, though not a sever hinderance.

Pro exclusive con’s (not factored in):
The substitute for the Mechagodzilla toy is not that great, and makes Mechagodzilla Multiball much harder to get then it should be.

Overall, just a fantastic game. I would recommend it, but one who reads this has likely already played it.

Edit: this game gets better and better with even more plays, this is definitely one of my he greatest machines ever made, and will definitely be one of the best of the decade, and is one of the best since 2000. I also gotta say, the Pro Mechagodzilla has grown on me. Really don’t see why the pro is rated significantly lower.

Another classic for a reason, and it’s very understandable why.

Pro’s:

Great playfield layout that has been replicated on other pool game’s deservedly. Forces you to aim strategically.

Rules are simple, but difficult to get to the big points (5X max bonus).

Art is really great: sure, it’s no Paragon, but it still looks very nice.

Callouts were fairly revolutionary, especially since it’s the first (that I’m aware of) to aid you in the game while playing.

Build quality (on the original 1981 and IMO the 1982 LE) is good, which makes sense considering Bally was on a roll at this time.

Con’s:

Not factored into the review, but the 1984 version has a cheap, particle board cabinet. While I prefer the cab art on that version, Particle Board is absolutely not the way to go for a cabinet build, and comes across as cheap.

Overall sound is average for the era.

Callouts are, at times, kind of stupid and unnecessary, like “Shoot for C” or “Get the EEEIIIGGHHT BAAALLLL corner pocket”.

Overall, a classic. It makes sense this game sold so well.

Another game I feel is disproportionally dogged on despite the fact I enjoy it, but I do understand the critics.

Pro’s:

Really interesting non-fan layout! Especially with the the ramps, Captain America loop.

Hulk toy is great! Especially with him pulling the Black Widow ramp up and his reactions, genius programming.

Code is pretty good overall, all goals are easily understandable but hard to achieve.

Game is brutal! Excellent for tournaments.

The secret super skill shots are an interesting choice: they could be worth more though.

Con’s:
Is it me, or does this game look terrible unless you upgrade the LED’s/Incandescent Bulbs?

Art is photoshop mediocrity: I see why some like it though.

Considering how many shots it takes to start Hulk multiball, scoring is ridiculously low.

Sound is okay, no real callouts or anything that stand out other than the main theme.

Overall, a solid game! I can really see the appeal personally.

This is probably the most underrated Williams System 3-6 game IMO.

Pro’s:

Great layout from Barry Oursler, love the upper playfield and shots (especially the tough lock shots).

Larry DeMar did a great job coding this game, especially with the rules regarding multiball completions lighting the loop.

No exploits in software: even multiball needs to be played well to be valuable.

As a widebody, all space is utilized extremely well. The upper playfield is well done.

Super tough lock shots: it’s worth it in the end though.

Con’s:

Art is okay, no clue why this game is called scorpion when the tank is the scorpion (not the massive creature).

Sounds are average for the era.

Overall, pretty solid game. I may have less to say about this one, but it doesn’t make it a better/worse game.

I knew this would be good, but wow. Not this good!

Pro’s:

Fantastic layout with plenty to shoot for. Not a single bad shot.

Points are REALLY well balanced. Closest to an endlessly valuable shot are the in line drops, and even those are extremely tough and are pretty much impossible to hit repeatedly (unlike paragon).

Art, while not the best of the era, is brought out by the fantastic lighting and color choice.

Sounds are pretty fantastic, mainly the callouts and when you get a solid lit spinner rip. A huge bonus countdown is also awesome on the same level as Paragon.

Upper playfield actually has a lot of usage without being overpowered.

Con’s:

Sound quality is average, it’s 1981, though, so it’s not a huge issue.

This is an odd game in that despite the fact I have had good games on it, it feels like I’m fighting the game rather than in sync with it.

Super mean, so if you don’t like that, avoid this at all costs.

Overall, excellent. I’ve also been graced with playing multiple copies in great condition.

Lethal Weapon is certainly another under rated game from Data East.

Pro’s:
Solid layout that has a lot of flow for a Data East!

Cabinet and Backglass is pretty good IMO.

Sound track is fairly solid.

Rules seem to be pretty balanced as far as I can tell (the model I was playing was running Chad’s code).

Any game with a flood light gets an extra point from me.

Animations are pretty good.

Gun Modes are fun, and the secrets in the movie sequences are an inspired choice as well.

Con’s:

Playfield art is a cluttered mess: also poorly drawn in my opinion.

Rules are basic and get boring and tedious after a while/lack of wizard mode or overarching goal is unfortunate.

Skill shot is pretty inconsistent on all the models I’ve played, which leads me to think it’s a poor design decision.

Layout takes heavy inspiration from T2 (VUK is identical to T2’s VUK minus the drop target, left kick out identical, center targets identical, etc) which does imply some lack of effort.

While the animations are good, the movie sequences are kind of stupid in my opinion (other then the hidden points).

Overall, a solid game, but not without its flaws. I do enjoy it overall though.

After playing a few copies of this game, I can certainly say while it’s not great, it is definitely an overlooked and under appreciated game.

Pro’s:
Really solid playfield layout with some great flowing ramp shots. If you get into a rhythm with the jackpots during multiball, it feels really good (or just pulling off any combo on the game). Upper playfield is actually well utilized!

Rules are pretty good: another code repeat, but it takes its chances and adds some things to make it stand out.

Individual tracks are pretty good: not at all familiar with the theme, but it pulls off the tracks themselves well. Both Multiball tracks sound good.

Again, I’m not familiar with the theme, but it seems to pull off the theme well based on what I know.

Playfield artwork is okay: some good illustrations.
Con’s;

I love Paul Faris artwork, but the cabinet artwork sucks big time, especially the front.

Backglass is pretty bland and uninspired. The prototype backglass is better, but still not my cup of tea.

Sound quality is poor: not sure why Gary Stern used BMST 2000 for so long.

Overall, a pretty good game!

This game definitely could have been good. If Gottlieb had coded this better and put more fine tuning, I think this would be considered an good game.

Pro’s:
Solid playfield layout, with lots of shot diversity. Particularly like the vari-target/side ramp combo.

Sound isn’t too bad, a couple good tracks in there.

Backglass looks pretty solid.

I love the vacuum formed plastics on this game: really makes it stand out from the crowd.

Con’s:

Cabinet and actual playfield artwork are pretty bland and have little going on.

Callouts can get repetitive.

Dome area in the top right is stupid and takes too long: makes plunging a slog: not even sure why there is a plunger.

Big Gottlieb up kickers are prominent: kill the flow at times.

Side ramp, while solid to hit, has some bizarre rejects that could have been fixed with play testing.

Rules are extremely unintuitive, and to have the dome determine scoring for them is even worse.

Overall, not a bad game, but could have been so much better if it wasn’t made by Gottlieb.

Man, when this came out I thought this was going to be one of the greatest games ever made. However, this game is a horrifically mixed bag with gameplay VS looks.

Pro’s:
Features the greatest light show cosmetically in all of pinball in my eyes.

Art is really great: CE definitely has the best package though.

Animations are top notch: they really use the LCD to its full potential.

The upper playfield really adds a lot, and is a great use of a toy.

Some of the shots on the lower playfield are truly great, like the ramps and the center spinner.

Sound quality is fantastic, as well as having some great GNR hits.

Con’s:

I’m sorry, I can only imagine the work a programmer has to go through to create something like this, but this ruleset is really not my thing. While I know what I am doing, it’s extremely unintuitive and (IMO) isn’t really much like pinball should be.

The skill shot could have been better thought out, I think the feed off it in particular should have been redone.

While the light show is very cosmetically appealing, it can really be hard to tell what is going on during a song. While this isn’t a struggle for me, I’ve seen many other players truly struggle with this, and it shouldn’t be an issue.

SE Exclusive issues:

No upper playfield: really? I’m sorry, but that’s the best part of the LE gameplay wise. Taking this out not only makes ball locking more conveluted, but generally makes this game harder to tolerate.

While I do think the SE art is still fairly good, I prefer the LE and CE art for sure. Cartoony just doesn’t work great with the license.

Overall, I love a lot of this game, but I also really hate some of it I’m sorry to say. If you like it, I see the appeal. However, it’s not for me.

Halloween is a game that is really growing on me. I can’t wait to play it more.

Pro’s:

What an incredibly innovative layout this game has! Shot flow is excellent as well.

Code is really good, and offers a lot of strategies and things to do.

Art is solid overall. Nothing mind blowing, but lots of detail and attention certainly went into it.

Sound is pretty good: I love how it activates the knocker when you kill Micheal Myers.

Lighting is gorgeous, some real nice tones in there.
Con’s:

Some shots are seem off: mainly the right loop as it has some bad SDTM feeds.

The Judith Myers Shot could have been better utilized. It’s not bad by any means, though.

Lighting is sometimes a bit vague on what you need to do. It’s still nice, though.

Overall, a terrific game. I’m glad I’ve finally gotten to play a few copies recently.

I mean, what do you expect? It’s the most successful pinball machine ever made AND one of the most iconic. Of course it’s a great game.

Pro’s:
Great layout and ruleset. It’s clear a lot of effort was put in this game. The ruleset was, at the time, groundbreaking for its depth.

The toys were, at the time, groundbreaking! Toys like Thing to this day have never been recaptured, and thing flips have never been correctly recaptured.

Sound is good for sure, and is nearly as iconic as the machine itself.

Art on the backglass and playfield is pretty well done in my opinion, and isn’t obviously a John Youssi art package.

Con’s:
The train wreck shot is kind of pointless, it could have been better utilized for sure.

Cabinet art package is a little bit bland, not bad by any means though.

The ruleset is, at this point, a bit simple. It’s still a lot of fun to play, though.

Overall, a great game (as it should be).

Man, when this came out I thought this was going to be one of the greatest games ever made. However, this game is a horrifically mixed bag with gameplay VS looks.

Pro’s:
Features the greatest light show cosmetically in all of pinball in my eyes.

Art is really great: CE definitely has the best package though.

Animations are top notch: they really use the LCD to its full potential.

The upper playfield really adds a lot, and is a great use of a toy.

Some of the shots on the lower playfield are truly great, like the ramps and the center spinner.

Sound quality is fantastic, as well as having some great GNR hits.

Con’s:

I’m sorry, I can only imagine the work a programmer has to go through to create something like this, but this ruleset is really not my thing. While I know what I am doing, it’s extremely unintuitive and (IMO) isn’t really much like pinball should be.

The skill shot could have been better thought out, I think the feed off it in particular should have been redone.

While the light show is very cosmetically appealing, it can really be hard to tell what is going on during a song. While this isn’t a struggle for me, I’ve seen many other players truly struggle with this, and it shouldn’t be an issue.

Overall, I love a lot of this game, but I also really hate some of it I’m sorry to say. If you like it, I see the appeal. However, it’s not for me.

Road Show is one of those games that I used to not really think much about due to not having consistent access. However, after owning it for some time, I have grown very fond of it.

Pro’s:
Love the layout: especially the ramp shots. The fact that the combo’s relating to them work so well is a testament to the design of the game.

Modes, while a little basic, are still fun to play. It’s crucial to play them well or else Super Payday won’t be worth nearly as much.

Animations are just phenomenal, some of the best from the era. Backglass and cabinet are pretty solid.

Build quality is excellent: as makes sense for a Bally/Williams.

Sound is great if you love country music: sound quality is top notch for the time due to DCS sound.

Plenty of fun Easter eggs, showing Dwight and his team really enjoyed making this game.

Con’s:
Playfield art is kind of bland and barren. Not bad, just not a lot going on.

Game ruleset is certainly linear: can be a put off for some. I’ve heard the 7.0 code fixes this, which I will install soon.

Overall, just a real fantastic game. Hope this gains more respect over time.

Edit: with the new 7.0 code, this game is even better. Being able to remove the linearity makes each game a new one instead of trying to do the same things over and over again. Playfield art has grown on me as well (not that it’s fantastic, but it’s pretty good).

Edit V2: I will say that I wouldn’t change my score of this game, but it’s not quite as much fun as it used to be. However, I still think it’s very fun, but I will put this disclaimer, as I think it’s rating is a bit high compared to how good the game is.

Edit V3: okay, I do have to acknowledge some of the flaws this game has (such as the feed from Red’s mouth, as well as modes taking a huge priority over the main multiball). Scores have been reduced.

I’m going to be completely honest, I think The Shadow may be the greatest Bally/Williams game of all time. Yes, better then AFM, better then MM, better then TAF, and certainly better then TZ.

Pro’s:
This game has one of the greatest playfield layouts of all time. All the shots are just great and have a nice flow. Even the Battlefield shot is satisfying!

The rules, while simple, are tough. The final battle in particular is insanely difficult to complete.

The Phurba’s may be the best pinball toys. They are interactive, don’t get in the way, and are a massive aspect of playing this game strategically.

Cabinet art is rather nice looking! I think that aspect looks solid.

Soundtrack and overall sound is way ahead of its time due to DCS, but the soundtrack itself is great! It totally fits the game and doesn’t overly rely on the film for inspiration.

Loop/side loop combo is so good to pull off.

Animations are smooth and well done.

Con’s:
Backglass art is pretty meh. I don’t hate it like some do, but I won’t say it’s very good. The playfield art is bland, and the illustration of the shadow in the middle of it looks somewhat dodgy.

Overall, a fantastic game. A true classic in my eye, even if it is not always honored as one.

This is one of those games I really disliked initially, but have grown to appreciate.

Pro’s:

Really good Backglass and Cabinet art. Probably the best of the Star Wars machines Illustration-wise (though Phantom Menace had a solid art package).

The Death Star and R2D2 toys are great, I have to give credit to the mechanics team for pulling these off.

Skill shot is fairly fun and feels like an evolution of the Data East Star Trek skill shot.

I enjoy all of the shots on the right side of the playfield. They all either flow well or function well.

Rules, while shallow, are still fun to play through (I disagree that the game is a One Shot game, though the models I’ve played might have had updated code, the values really didn’t seem too ridiculous).

Sound is overall pretty solid, with some excellent transpositions of classic tracks.

Con’s:

Playfield art is a little overly gritty and dark for my liking: I think it could have been cleaned up a little bit, though the composition itself is well done and it’s nowhere near as bad as something like Data East Jurassic Park.

Sound quality is definitely behind the times, though at this point it wasn’t yet a big issue.

Not enough shots on the left side of the playfield: realistically there is only a single scoop to shoot for as there is no point to hitting the left loop.

Game is unbalanced to favor multiball: if you are going for points, stick with Multiball.

Overall, not that bad of a game. I had recently had only played rougher copies, but I finally got to play a finely tuned one and I am glad I did.

CFTBL is a great game from John Trudeau with flow and brutality!

Pro’s:

Great flowing playfield layout with slightly off angles for shots making this feel unique.

Art is pretty great I have to say, another great Kevin O’Connor effort.

Game is brutal, and I mean that in a good way! An excellent tournament game.

Sound is pretty solid, not the best soundtrack, but the usage of classic 50’s songs is nice. Multiball theme is pretty catchy too.

Con’s:

Rule depth is definitely lacking nowadays, especially without any wizard mode.

If the center plastic piece is warped at all, it can cause some bizarre physics in the center of the playfield.

The center loop might be a bit long, I also wish it fed back the left loop instead of the pops.

Overall, a pretty great game! It’s a classic for a reason.

As everyone knows, this is a 1 shot game. I may be biased, but even I have to say that. However, it’s still an art piece that should be admired.

Pro’s:
The best art in all of pinball IMO.

The design of the horseshoe is pretty well done, as it’s a smooth shot.

The kicker is a very unique toy: this is the only game that features it in this form as far as I know.

I admire the symmetrical layout.

Con’s:

Rules and layout suck, hit the horseshoe all day and have it be that.

Sound is standard for the era, therefore it’s not good in modern standards.

Game should have utilized speech.

Overall, this is just a completely mediocre to bad game that is more then saved by it’s beyond gorgeous artwork that makes this a museum piece.

Edit: on 2.0 code, the layout can be appreciated more. The overall difficulty jump greatly improved the game. Scores bumped up.

Nightmare on Elm Street is a strange pinball machine in many ways, especially with its many bizarre and polarizing aspects.

Pro’s:
Backglass artwork is well done, as well as the cabinet artwork. The work put into these aspects clearly has lots of effort.

The playfield layout has a great use of toys, especially with Claw Save and back diverter for the loop. The soul shroud and Freddy Head also look cool.

I like certain aspects of the ruleset, like the mix of Multiball and Single Ball modes, as well as the multiple jackpots. Specifically, the Combo Jackpot is very nice to pull off.

This is the only DMD Gottlieb with an original match sequence. It’s barely coherent what’s going on, but it’s there.
Con’s:

Some aspects of the ruleset are just plain stupid, like the fact that if you are bad enough at hitting the cellar modes start automatically it seems? This was at least the way the model I played was set.

Modes are very basic, hit the blinking shots until the cellar opens for a final blow.

Claw Flipper is just plain stupid. There is no point for it to exist, all it does is look unique.

The shots just seem kind of poorly laid out on here. For example, there is a big area above the right inlane that has an inaccessible lane that’s just kind of there? I’m guessing they had a unique idea there that got scrapped.

Sound is pretty bad. It’s just loud and unfitting.

DMD animations are fairly poor, Gottlieb was just really behind the times when it came to polish on these games.

Overall, I think this game has some cool ideas, but just doesn’t come together. I will say it’s one of the better Gottlieb games from this era, though.

Edit: I realized the model I played had a broken diverter causing the area I mentioned as “pointless with a cool initialized idea” to be a false statement. No points were removed, as I still think the overall layout is not great.

In my opinion, Baywatch is Joe Balcer’s best game, though I need more time on TSPP (which at the moment I believe has a lot of excellent elements, but doesn’t come together for me).

Pro’s:
Great layout, especially for a first design! The shots themselves are really smooth and flowy.

Rules aren’t super deep, but are enjoyable.

Sound is pretty good, the jackpot collected theme being a highlight.

DMD animations are really well done for the time, and use the large display well.

Light show is pretty good, but I have an issue with it.

Con’s:
Art is… fine. I don’t despise it like a lot of others do, but I can say it’s not great to with some certainty.

Not really a big fan of the constant clicking GI at times, especially with the relay that has to be activated.

Sound quality isn’t the greatest.

The game does kind of rip off it’s layout from Addams family and STTNG, but it plays much differently.

Overall, a very solid game from Sega, if not their best one, and one of the best Joe Balcer designs.

While this might not be my lowest rated game, it’s the one I’ve had to stick the most 1’s in for ratings.

Pro’s:
Backglass art is great, lots of vibrancy, color, and character design accuracy.

Sound is decent all around, nothing amazing, but good.

The concept of the additional playfield is cool.

Build quality is good, like with all Bally/Williams games from this era.

Con’s:
Manages to only have three shots on 2 playfields… in 1991. What a waste.

Hit the scoop over and over again and eventually get 50 million.

Absolutely miserable to play all around.

Playfield art is bland, color choice on cabinet is poor.

Overall just terrible. Can’t believe this got released.

This is hands down the best System 80B Gottlieb IMO. No other Gottliebs top it from this era.

Pro’s:
Fantastic tough as nails layout. This game will destroy you, but you have fun while it does.

Sound is great. Love how it plays like a jukebox.

Backglass is absolutely hilarious. Easy 10/10 for sheer absurdity. Playfield art is legitimately good, nice job Larry Day!

Rules are nice, and the metropolis-esque figurine is a great payoff.

Light shows are fantastic.

Game really holds your attention: makes you want to play it over and over.

Con’s.
Cabinet art is bland.

Overall, sick game. Totally under appreciated.

Edit: fixed minor mistakes in writing.

Yeah, this game sucks, but I can’t say it’s entirely awful, and I like some elements.

Pro’s:

Music is great, not as good as Robo Wars, but still excellent.

I think the shots themselves are okay: the game has quite a bit of flow for a Gottlieb.

I like the backglass: sure it’s cheesy, but it’s one of the better ones. I like it’s integration of drawings is also well done.

Game is a lot of fun, mainly for the overall goofiness of the whole thing (except for the badass soundtrack).

Con’s:

Million point skill shot kills this game.

Cabinet is bland, playfield art is bad.

Overall, pretty bad game, but I can’t say I hate it. I might even say it’s kind of a guilty pleasure, as it can be a lot of fun.

Mando Pro is a game that is very solid and a good time, but I can’t call it one of the best new Sterns.

Pro’s:

Randy Martinez’s art is good. Nothing amazing, but good. I hope he keeps doing good work, as this is a really nice first effort. The painterly feel fits the theme.

Layout is pretty good, I really like the Mode Start Scoop, U-Turn, Razorcrest, and left ramp in particular.

Excellent theme integration: love how it cut’s to different shots similarly to the TV show and builds tension at certain points.

Keeping any form of an upper playfield on a Pro model is nice from stern: I do have issues with this though.

I love the emphasis on making combo shots in mode’s with a layout deliberately not made for combo’s: it really feels rewarding when you make a big combo on this game.

Con’s:

Way too many points had within easy playfield multipliers topped on modes and (preferably) spider multiball, making this game very unbalanced.

I do not care for the right ramp: it’s clunky, the physics don’t make much sense, and I think it should have been adjusted before being put on the final game.

The upper playfield on the Pro is completely nerfed in comparison to the Premium/LE (which I will not make a review on yet, as I need more time on it. I can guarantee you the tilting upper playfield on there requires actual skill, while the Pro Model is essentially flailing the right flipper and hoping, just hoping, that you accidentally tied in an encounter and secret level together as well as having a playfield multiplier. I have seen someone accidentally perform this and hit 5 targets and get 60+ million).

The rules and code are ultimately pretty basic in comparison to most modern sterns. This isn’t a bad thing, but if you are looking for something with the complexity of AIQ or Godzilla, don’t come to this game.

Overall, Mando Pro is a pretty solid game, though it has some aspects that really irritate me. I hope to play the premium model more some day.

Medusa is a game that I think I just don’t understand. There really must be something I’m missing, because I think that it’s just okay for it’s era.

Pro’s:
Artwork is absolutely incredible, though it makes sense for Kevin O’Connor at his peak (Silverball Mania still has better art IMO).

Playfield layout is pretty neat, and is brutally difficult. I love how frustrating it can be, especially with the in/out lanes.

Upper Playfield is a cool concept, especially with Zipper Flippers.

Lighting is great: love the lights in the back later replicated on A Nightmare From Elm Street.

I love any game with a Mini-Kicker in the center.

The incredibly fast speed to this game is very nice.

Con’s:

The skill shot was poorly thought out: maybe don’t use rollovers that have a tendency to fail as a way to detect an incredibly fast moving ball.

Upper playfield and loops leading up to it seem to be the only things of value to go for.

Upper playfield seems somewhat random, kind of makes what could have been a really good game seem just okay.

Sound is to be expected with this era.

Overall, I think I’m missing something with this game. People seem to love it, but I can’t say I think it’s that great.

Edit: this game has grown on me a lot. Loops are really satisfying and make the game a lot better. Rules are also shockingly good after figuring it out, and this is a fantastic single ball game (though the theme has little connection with the game despite the fantastic art package). Scores bumped up.

I’m well aware I put up this review a while ago without a comment, but I realize I should probably explain myself. This game is truly a fantastic game for the era, and is probably one of my favorite EM’s.

Pro’s:
Terrific layout from Greg Kmiec, this game flows really well, and shows the layouts to come from him. The best part is the spinners for sure.

Rules are a lot of fun. It’s a total Bonus Ladder game, but you have to fight and earn that double bonus!

Con’s:
Christian Marche did the art, and it’s… one of his weakest efforts. Just looks pretty bland and doesn’t stick out.

No real EM eye catching toys. Not horribly surprised it didn’t sell great because of this.

A little bit contradictory to what I said above, but they really should have made more of these! This game is a blast when finely tuned.

Overall, a really great, fun EM! If you see one, play it, and hope it’s cared for.

F-14 is a game I can definitely understand the mixed reaction to, but I personally think it's one of the better System 11 machines, if not one of the best.

Pro's:
Music is just great, definitely one of the best System 11 machines sound-wise.

Layout is great: the fact it has tight shots and is brutally fast when finely tuned says a lot about the game itself and the quality of the design.

I personally really like the backglass artwork is well done: it perfectly reflects the action this game has to offer.

Lighting is fantastic: even with incadescents, the game does not come across as dim. The usage of flashers in particular is excellent, especially with the floodlights on top of the backbox.

Con's:

Cabinet artwork is just okay, and the playfield artwork is pretty bad in my opinion. The playfield just looks so barren of things that are actually going on when it comes to the drawings themselves.

The game is a System 11, so the ruleset is fairly barebones, which is understandable, but means it could never be a masterpiece of any kind without a better ruleset.

If this game is not finely tuned, it can be miserable.

Not something I truly hold against the game, but the insert ghosting on this game is bad enough I have to mention it as a flaw.

Overall, while a divisive game, F-14 Tomcat is still quite a good one that holds up fairly well.

Another game that kind of falls into a state of mediocrity for me, but really shouldn’t considering the layout is based off Sinbad, one of my favorite Early Solid State games.

Pro’s:
Music is fantastic: easily steals the show with this game. I know most people object to this, but I’d say it’s easily better then TX Sector or even BK2K. It is just really integral in why a lot of people really like this game.

Lighting is really cool: love the strobing effect in the back.

Layout is a total target shooters game: rare for the time. I love Sinbad, so the layout is a really nice homage to it. Would have preffered if they had stuck with the original idea of having a second set of mini flippers.

Contrary to what most people think, I think the backglass is rather well drawn and well done.

Con’s:

Ruleset is pretty bland, it’s all about increasing the drop target value and spelling Robo Wars: just not my cup of tea.

Not a whole lot to shoot for shot wise: wish they had updated the layout a bit more to be more fitting with this era.

Playfield art is kind of ugly in my opinion. Cabinet art is acceptable, but not great.

Overall, this could have really been something special, but it falls flat on some design elements which cause it to generally be mediocre.

Edit: there’s more to the rules than I initially thought. After playing a better set up, tougher copy, my thoughts on the game have improved. It’s nothing amazing (the sound is fantastic, but other than that), but it’s a good game overall. The layout is also pretty fun. Some neat details in the backglass art I didn’t realize until recently as well; Constantino actually did a really good job with some of the art on this game.

This game is certainly a mixed bag. I really love some aspects of this game, but some others really bog it down.

Pro’s:

Man, what a great layout this game has! I’ve rarely seen such good flow in a game. However, this only applies to well maintained models: I have played some rough one’s where this doesn’t apply.

The ramps are probably the best part of the game, especially the one that goes behind the flippers (I am unaware of the names, I only know the one on the far left is the Chicago Loop).

Mediocre Aspects:
The sound is ok. Not that great, but perfectly acceptable for the time.

The artwork is satisfactory, and fits the look of the original game as well as putting in some of John Youssi’s traditional artwork.

Con’s:

The ruleset. There is no other way to get around it, the rules in this game are just bad. While the shots themselves may be satisfactory, it never feels like you are going anywhere in the game except for multiball. It’s also a cop out to make the modes worth so few points, as well as the poor implementation of guests. If it weren’t for this, I would probably truly enjoy this game, but the fact they made it just this poor disappoints me. I do understand they were working with source material that was hard to adapt, but you could have done it better than this!

Overall, this is an overall decent game, but with such a good layout, the poor rules end up killing it.

Millionaire is a game I haven’t had the chance to play since I first entered the hobby. While it’s not the greatest System 11, it’s still pretty fun, and I’m glad I got to play this again after 5 years.

Pro’s:

Sound is great: I love how for each progressive jackpot the track builds up.

Backglass is really cool, especially with the shiny accents (it is very cheesy in an 80’s way, though.

Playfield layout is good, especially with the interesting lock shots.

The skill shot is innovative, and the in line drops are a nice touch.

The multiball is pretty fun, and requires some good juggling.

Con’s:

There really isn’t much else to do other then multiball (except the rotary wheel).

The rotary wheel is pretty stupid IMO. It probably shouldn’t have been in the game.

Playfield and cabinet art are bland. Not bad, just nothing great either.

Overall, this is a pretty fun game I’ve longed to play for a while. I’m certainly glad I saw one, and I hope it receives a little more recognition in the years to follow.

Charlie’s Angels is a massive mixed bag to me. I definitely think some elements are pretty solid, but others are absolutely dreadful.

Pro’s:
Features a fun layout: definitely a target shooting game where the objective is to max your bonus and cash out.

Inlane/outlane situation is fairly unique, visually the way it’s done reminds me of Skateball.

Artwork is decent. Not particularly outstanding or well done, but it works for the theme. I do like the choice of colors, though.

Build quality is well done, like other Gottliebs of this era.

Nit-Picks (not factored into rating):

Not sure if this was an issue with the copy I played, but the left slingshot does not appear to have a kicker while the right one does? Seems to be kind of pointless, especially if the rubbers were dead.

The pop bumper placement seems pretty random and illogical. Not sure why they even put more then one in the first place.

Con’s:

Sound is just dreadful. Honestly, why would you move to electronic sounds if this is the best you can get? Gottlieb should have stuck with chimes until their technology got better.

Upper lanes don’t seem to have too much value other then adding bonus and lighting the rollovers (which also add much bonus). There are already many other ways to build up bonus, making the existence of the lanes pointless.

Racking up bonus and cashing out is fun to achieve, it doesn’t suffice for a long term/well playing game.

Overall, this game definitely has some good elements to it, but it also has some truly terrible aspects to it.

Man, when I went into this game I was expecting something good, but this is ridiculous! This might be my favorite game of all time if I’m going to be honest (next to Godzilla).

Pro’s:

The layout is great. None of the shots feel unsatisfying or poorly made.

The toys are great: I love the rug and the Bowling lower playfield.

This game is absolutely gorgeous: the lighting, art, ambience and animations all come together to make an amazing package.

The rules (though incomplete) are still easy to understand, but hard to master.

The sound quality is great: they clearly used high quality products.

Theme integration is just spot on: well done Dutch Pinball.

The feel of this game is just incredibly high quality: props to Dutch for making this just feel great.

Con’s (More like Nit-Picks):
The Dude (left ramp) while a good shot, feels like it should be backhandable, but isn’t. Not really a big deal, I just wish it was.

The fact that call outs play every single time you hit a flipper button in attract mode is a little annoying: wish it was every once in a while.

Overall, this is just a fantastic game. I hope I get more time to play this at some point, but I think this would be a collection adder if they fall to a reasonable price (if Dutch catches up on the backlog).

Edit: after getting to play this game a lot more recently, my minor code and layout issues have been proven false. However, I believe my current rating score still reflects my opinions on the game. This truly is up there with Godzilla as one of the best machines ever made. However, I will note the game breaks down a lot. However, build quality itself/game feel is extremely silky smooth and well built, it just wasn’t made for arcades.

Rocky and Bullwinkle might be one of the most polarizing games I’ve ever played, as there is no generally held opinion, as well as the various aspects of the game being a massive mixed bag.

Pro’s:
The artwork is great, and perfectly reflects the TV show. This also applies to the callouts.

The Hat Trick back box toy is extremely well done, and is awesome when working properly.

The ramps are extremely nice and smooth.

The layout (to me) reminds me a lot of CFTBL with it’s shots that are just slightly off from the typical layout.

The WABAC mode is a heart racing Wizard Mode that certainly keeps you on your toes to become WABAC Champion.

Con’s:
The game is overly heavy on the center shot and left ramp, which can make the game boring after a while.

The left kick out is deliberately designed to either be very friendly, or kick SDTM (which is not fun in the slightest).

The loops are just not fun to shoot for, and the diverter for the left loop is terribly designed.

Callouts (while nice) get tiresome after a while, as the game is constantly talking to you.

The skill shot is a stupid idea to begin with, and sometimes the auto plunge will kick the ball out in a way where it will come out the right loop instead of going to the upper lanes. This game should have had a plunger.

In conclusion, this game is certainly a mixed bag. I’m honestly not sure what I think of this game, but I feel this rating system has treated this game right.

Gold Wings is certainly another bizarre Gottlieb game that, while with its flaws, comes out as a decent game.

Pro’s:

Super interesting layout: I cannot say I have seen anything else like it.

Some really cool toys (mainly the looping ramp).

Sound isn’t too bad, and can be pretty enjoyable if you like the FM sound.

While the model I played was missing it, the topper for this game looks sweet, and I wish I could have played one with it

Con’s:

The air horn is pretty unnecessary. It’s not as loud as expected, but still a nuisance and doesn’t make the game any better.

This game unfortunately falls into the trap of being a one shot game. Just hit the looping ramp over and over again.

Artwork isn’t great (the backglass has some good cheese, though).

The center spinner is pretty pointless.

Overall, a very creative game for it’s time, though it certainly has flaws.

NBA Fastbreak is probably one of my biggest guilty pleasure game. Regardless of the simple ruleset and minor design flaws, I still have a blast and come back to it time and time again.

Pro’s:

Some of the most unique ramps and utilization of ramp diverters I’ve seen.

The game is just really smooth, with little to no clunk to the game play.

The rules, while simple, are fun.

Back box toy is fairly interesting, and doesn’t detract to the game by any means.

Sounds are pretty solid, though nothing outstanding.

Art is also solid, though again, nothing outstanding.

Con’s:

The game’s simple rules may detract for some people.

In the paint, while a novel concept, is clunky and a little frustrating at times, especially if there is anything wrong with the game.

While not something I’ve noticed while playing this most recently, I have seen that if the game is slightly off level, there can be many Pop Bumper SDTM drains (similar to JJP GNR, though to a lesser extent).

The Crazy Bob modes are a bit too point heavy in my opinion.

Game can be considered a bit of a novelty rather then an excellent game.


Overall, NBA Fastbreak, while a novelty, is still quite a good game I would recommend people to either try out or give another shot.

(Edit: lowered some scores, as I thought my overall rating was too high, and they were areas that might not have deserved as high a rating).

This game is, IMO, the best game in the Fireball series, as is takes the most risks and holds up the best overall.

Pro’s:

Fantastic art from Dave Christiansen.

Design with the Medusa-esque center post is well done.

Layout is unique, and the rule set gives you a lot to do.

It’s definitely the best in the series, as Fireball Classic is a repeat of the original, Home edition is a pretty bare, basic game, and the original doesn’t hold up the greatest in my opinion.

Con’s:

I’m not a fan of the in/out lane situation. It ends up favoring slower balls over fast ones, and generally, you want to seriously avoid the ball going anywhere past the slings.

The game might be a little too multiball heavy.

There are definitely better games from this era, causing this one to fall into obscurity. This not sure if this should be a con, but it’s just about impossible to find one of these in general.

In conclusion, Fireball 2 is a fun game, and should definitely get some more respect, but does fall into a sea of obscurity for fair enough reasons.

Man, this game is such a blast. Without a doubt the best spooky.

Pro’s:
All the shots are highly satisfying and fun to hit.

Theme integration is incredibly well done.

Art is great.

Animations are great.

Music, while not my style, is very well done.

Topper is fantastic, and one of the best ever.

Con’s:
Build quality isn’t the greatest: feels cheap and breaks down constantly on location.

Sound quality is so so. I feel like it shakes the game at times.

Overall, just a great fun game. Keep doing good work, spooky.

TMNT is a game I (like Munsters) started out strongly disliking due to the right shots, lack of rule understanding and no particular love for the theme, but as I have played it more and more, I have comes to love this game for the multiple ways to hit shots and the basic, but very fun ruleset!

Pro’s:

Layout is a great John Borg fan layout, with multiple hidden elements that can be used in unique ways (for example, holding the upper left flipper up when a ball comes out of the Kramg Combo loop the opposite way, where the ball rolls on the flipper and you can aim for whatever of the two shots are up there you want to hit).

Art is a solid effort from Jeremy Packer (but the Playfield is a sight to behold when printed correctly: I have heard of printing issues on this game).

Coding is well done, with many objectives to complete (In particular, the ability to choose turtle is something I enjoy, as you can pick your play style, as well as being able to play and manipulate pizza toppings to aid in pizza parlor multi ball).
Con’s:

The pizza parlor shot may be a bit tight for my liking, though it’s nit picky.

As far as I am aware, there is no way to relight either multiball. You play them once, and you are done, which makes you want to play the modes with them quickly, then just complete as many modes as you can.

Feed from the shot below the upper left flipper is a bit unjustly deadly.

I don’t have strong feelings towards the music in any way, though I don’t have a theme connection, which may be the issue.

Modes aren’t particularly valuable, which is a strange choice that I wish would be fixed (overall points lie in multi balls).

Despite my fair amount of critiques, I think what the entire package of this game just comes together as a great experience! While this game has flaws, it’s overall just a well made effort from the talented people at Stern.

Edit: I’ve learned much more about the code. This, oddly enough, makes me dislike the game more due to the fact that relighting Pizza Parlor locks is only obtainable after getting to the mini-wizard mode, come on! However, I’ve grown to like the art more, so it balances out.

Edit #2: this game has really grown on me. I’m really starting to enjoy the layout more. I also don’t really have as much of an issue with the mode/multiball progression as I used too. I also really enjoy what the game has done with the Training mode. Scores have been boosted significantly.

Bally game show is, in my opinion, shockingly good! I don’t understand the hate it gets for the most part, and I’d overall fun little system 11 game!
Pro’s:
Features one of the largest and (IMO) most fun center ramp shots. This could have easily become a drain monster and highly annoying, yet it succeeds in becoming an easily combo-able yet fairly safe shot for some points.

This game is definitely a target shooting game, and if you don’t want to shoot them, you can hit the alternating loop that spots letters, which is a nice touch.

I like the idea of collecting items for locks, as well as a small reward cash out.

Art is pretty solid, though not everyone’s cup of tea.

Sound is overall decent, and is straight out of, well, a game show.

Con’s:

The right ramp (when not lit) leads nowhere, and the shot itself isn’t particularly great.

Loops can lead to SDTM drains sometimes.

Lighting loops for 2 million each at the center ramp can break the game and give a ton of points instantaneously.

Big bucks shot doesn’t serve much of a point in the game.

A solid tournament strategy is to hit the center ramp over and over again to collect rewards.

Overall, this is a pretty fun system 11 game, though it has it’s flaws, while being one of the only game show themed pinball machines.
(Edit: fixed wording and formatting. My opinion has not changed)

Bobby Orr is a fairly average early solid state with a few neat features.

Pro’s

I think the utilization of upper flippers is a unique and inspired choice. I like the ability to pick the drop targets with the lower and upper flippers.

The game has a lot of flow for a game of it’s era.

The art is solid overall, though below average for Bally standards.

Con’s:

Quite a upper scoop driven game, also affecting the amount of shots on the playfield.

Center pop up can make the game easy, though the shot to bring it up is difficult.

Art, while nice at first glance, has some critical error’s.

Overall, this is a fairly solid game, though a bit average for the time.

Panthera is a great System 80 game, as well as one of the best Gottlieb Widebody’s in my eyes.

Pro’s:
Game fully utilizes it’s size, and features an incredibly unique shot layout.

Ruleset featuring colored shots, and how it relates to bonus is well done.

Utilization of alley passing without breaking the game is well done.

Art is well done (particularly on the playfield).

Con’s:
Sound is pretty terrible if I’ll be honest.

Overall, a really fun widebody System 80! Wish they made more, and I wish people appreciated this game to a similar extent as Gottlieb Spider-Man and Black Hole.

Well, this is certainly up there as one of the worst pinball machines ever made, though definitely not the worst.

Pro’s:
Layout is unique, with the upper left flipper that shoots across a ramp.

The idea of skill levels is a novel concept.

Artwork is generally decent.

Con’s:

Just about everything else, the sound is horrible, the skill levels make is so there is no point to choosing any skill level other then the 3rd one, it’s a one shot game (right ramp upper left flipper combo all day), overall, just a terrible game.

To conclude, this game is everything you think it is, cheesy, poor and one of the worst games (at least from Bally).

Well well, I used to be overly harsh to this game. Sure, it’s far from the best new stern, and it has flaws, but it definitely doesn’t deserve to be ranked under Super Mario Bros.

Pro’s:

Layout is a solid fan layout, with excellent use of the lower playfield.

Artwork and lighting are excellent, and really need to be seen to be believed.

Coding has gotten MUCH better since I played this game back in the day.

Con’s:

The game still falls into the hole of having code that is too simple for a modern game, that (and I’ll say it again) copies the code of games like Monster Bash.

Spot seems less dangerous at this point, though still not a shot you want to aim for.

The animations are a little dodgy and not up to par with other stern games, but they aren’t terrible either, and there is clearly effort shown.
Pro Exclusive Complaints: the use of the Grandpa targets is kind of ridiculous, as making a whole mode rely on hitting stand up targets to light shots is (IMO) frustrating.

Overall, while it takes coding elements from other games, it’s far from bad and is actually, overall, a decent game!

Despite technically not being a horrible game, I strongly dislike it and consider this the worst new stern.
Pro’s:
Uses a time tested Rule format.

If you love Aerosmith, this is your game.

Art is pretty great tbh, I wish Dirty Donny would do more Pinball art.

Animations are so-so, though the animations with the Super modes are excellently done.

Con’s:

The playfield design, in my opinion, is not great, with the lock shot in particular sticking out as a terrible shot in my opinion. The Elevator kickout is also ridiculously hard.

Considering guardians was also released around the same time, what is the point to play this game? They have near identical rule sets, yet guardians executes everything else far better. Therefore, there is little reason to play this game if you can play a Guardians. Kiss is also another game with a similar ruleset, and also manages to be better designed and overall a better game.

Overall, this game just is not great, and is bogged down by the existence of Guardians and Kiss. If you have access to either of those games (unless you are a die-hard Aerosmith fan) I’d go and play either of those over this. I also reviewed the Pro, as the Premium differences are noticeable, yet generally insignificant in my opinion.

Edit: my previous review was overly harsh. The game is nowhere near as bad as previously stated. Is it great? No. Is it good? Probably. I still don’t particularly care for the game, but I’ve looked past my stigma and can see that it’s at least decent. Leaving up the review instead of deleting, as I think people should see why the flags are there. Scores pushed up to where they should be.

A weak game from its Era, Pool Sharks is fine enough, though not one I come back to often when I see it in the wild.

Pro’s:
Artwork is decent, though with a flaw that I’ll express later.

Playfield design is unique and generally fun.

At the time, multiple skill shots was unheard of, and is generally a unique feature.

The decor and toys on this game are well done (such as the Shark toy and miniature plastic pool table).

Con’s:

Art is inconsistent, with incredibly realistic women and highly cartoony sharks.

Theme itself is kind of ridiculous and maybe a bit stupid.

In my opinion, there are numerous design flaws (center drops that shoot SDTM, ramps that lead to each other, causing scary feeds, useless and oddly placed captive ball).

The game itself is a bit simple and one note (complete drops, hit left loop, complete again, hit left loop, collect jackpot, repeat).

I can see how the music can get grating, and there is nothing particularly special about it to make it stand out from other games of this era.

Overall, just a very mediocre game from Bally. A bit disappointing considering Whirlwind and Fun House came out the same year, and games like Dr. Dude and Radical came out from Bally.

Hot wheels is so far (until I get more time on Valhalla) the best American Pinball machine. While not perfect, and definitely not a top 10 game, it’s still a lot of fun to play.

Pro’s:
Layout is incredibly unique, with interesting back hand-able loops.

Art is incredibly colorful and well defined, with some great animations.

Sound quality is excellent.

Code, while simple, is incredibly fun to play through.

Game feels excellently well made, using high quality materials.

Con’s:

The right ramp is not a shot I am a huge fan of due to being far too challenging and unsatisfying.

Sounds themselves are fine enough, just nothing amazing

Theme isn’t my cup of tea, though they did a great job with it.

Overall, just a great fun game from an up-and-comer. I hope American Pinball continues to succeed.

I feel this game is critically over-hated, generally being considered the worst Star Wars game. Compared to Phantom Menace or what I have seen of Segasa-Sonic Star Wars, this game definitely doesn’t deserve that title, though it still isn’t great.

Pro’s:
Artwork is for the most part well done: the lenticular backglass is a neat touch.

Layout is fairly creative, with interesting aspects such as the tie-fighters and x-wing toys. The right ramp shot is rather smooth and I dig it honestly.

Rule set, while simple, is well done.

Con’s:

Some aspects of the design are just illogical, such as the mode start scoop that is way at the top of the playfield near the pop bumpers, and the Han Solo scoop that has no purpose other then so you can either thaw Han, answer a trivia question, or have a kick-out from the tie fighter area. The gun fire section that stops the ball is also pointless.

The cabinet art not only implies the game is an LE of some sort (it’s really referencing the re-release from 1997) but is fairly bland, and is using the Sega Showcase head.

Overall, not a bad game, just sort of average. Not my favorite Sega by far, but a decent one at that.

I’m not sure if this should be considered the greatest game ever made or not, but I do have to say this game is fantastic, and is one of, if not the best new Stern.

Pro’s:
The layout and rules are just genius, with some great flow and shot variety, on top of a detailed yet easy to understand rule set.

The art and animations are great, nothing to critique there.

Lighting is well done.

Con’s:
Left ramp is maybe a little bit too difficult to hit, though not a sever hinderance.

Pro exclusive con’s (not factored in):
The substitute for the Mechagodzilla toy is not that great, and makes Mechagodzilla Multiball much harder to get then it should be.

Overall, just a fantastic game. I would recommend it, but one who reads this has likely already played it.

Edit: this game gets better and better with even more plays, this is definitely one of my he greatest machines ever made, and will definitely be one of the best of the decade, and is one of the best since 2000.

Edit V2: I would say in a couple ways, the Pro has a leg up in the premium due to the dropping of balls out of the building being annoying.

Edit V3: the premium has grown on me again, mainly with the extremely cool building mechs, and the mecha Godzilla mech generally being better. The sound and lighting has also had me floored in some modes, pushing some scores up.

This game is a blast. While lacking the depth of other games from this era, it is still an excellent game and one of Spooky’s best.

Pro’s:
Game is excellently designed and is brutally fast.

Rule set, while simple, is rewarding and challenging.

Lock shot may be one of my favorite shots and toys done with inline drops.

Animations are really well done.

Music and sound, while not my style, I have to admit are very well done.

Con’s:

Artwork is pretty good, just not outstanding.

Sound quality is a bit dodgy, I feel like the game is shaking from the speakers at times (I am aware there is also a shaker motor).

Overall, just a really great, fun game. I’ll always play it if I see it on location, but I don’t think I would ever want to own this game.

A very interesting Bally pin: I got to play this at the Pintastic Pinball expo a couple months ago, and was admittedly a bit disappointed, though still left with a positive taste.

Pro’s
The artwork is excellently done, and is some of the best from the late 80’s.

Sounds and music are really well done in my opinion, though some may disagree.

The transporter lock system and upper flipper are both really interesting toys.

Lighting locks is uniquely done, and isn’t too easy nor too hard.

Con’s:
There isn’t much to shoot for: you have your Transporter targets which light locks and the Transporter standup, the left ramp, the right spinner, and the transporter scoop which kicks up to the upper flipper. And that’s it. This makes the game feel rather barren with very little to hit.

The game is a bit of a one trick pony: once you play it a few times, you are kind of done with it and can wait another few years before seeing another.

Overall, a disappointing game in my opinion, though definitely not bad.

I know people seem to dislike this game, but I personally really like it! It definitely has its flaws, and can be repetitive, but personally really like it!

Pro’s:
The playfield layout is pretty well done and unique in my opinion, and plays more similarly to a Data East then a Gottlieb.

I personally like the way they use the baseball theming. While not a baseball fan personally, the use of the vari target to load bases and score runs by hitting either the inner or left loop is well done and creative.

The use of multiple bonus systems, and the skill shot scoring a run instead of giving you a bonus multiplier like most other games of this era is very unique and I personally enjoy it.

Con’s:
I’m not a huge fan of a timed kickback that will still run out even when not used.

Artwork is pretty meh on my opinion, with nothing sticking out other then the fact that it’s robot baseball, which is pretty stupid in my opinion though creative.

Game isn’t particularly deep in any sense, but it’s also a game from 1990, so it should be expected.

Overall, another fun street level game from Gottlieb! It makes sense this one was most successful, as it’s the least like a Gottlieb in my opinion.

What a terrible game, though it’s incredibly obvious why, and considering where Atari was at the time, this game being released is logical.

Pro’s:

I like the backglass and playfield artwork.

The game does deliver on the fact it is, in fact, humongous.

When you first play it, it’s admittedly kind of funny how bad it is, though that wears off quickly.

Con’s:

I have played 4 of these in my life, and no matter the condition, they are always slow, clunky, and miserable to play. You can immediately look at the layout at be able to tell this game sucks.

Cabinet artwork is, admittedly, weak.

The plunger on these games are always incredibly stiff, which is rather annoying, especially when your reward is a lousy machine to play.

Overall, of course this game was bad. It was almost destined to be. As much as I dislike Thunderbirds and Playboy 35th Anniversary, I feel this game should take the crown for the lowest rated game in my opinion.

Another Gottlieb from this era that fails to meet the mark in my opinion. It has it’s positive aspects, but is overall just nowhere near as good as the games Bally/Williams and Data East where putting out at the time.

Pro’s:

The game makes utilization of toys, such as the Chun Li upper playfield and Car Bash lower playfield.

Game itself as a decent layout, if the game had a good rule set I would probably excuse most of my criticisms with it.

Artwork is colorful and attractive at a distance.

Con’s:

Artwork, while colorful, poorly drawn on many parts of the table, causing some characters to look warped and generally off.

The rule set is pretty boring: hit shot, defeat character, choose award.

Multiball is vastly overpowered if you know how to return to it: ultimately leading to an easy to hit 200 million point jackpot being lit every time once you complete the rest of the jackpots. This feature carries over.

I’m not sure if the model I played was properly leveled, but this game is unbelievably slow, helping make it easier then it already is.

Overall, this game is just poor. I know some people like it, but i can’t see the appeal personally.

Edit: since I played this game before, I’ve been able to hear the game a little bit better. Now, I can say that at the very least, the soundtrack is game accurate, even if some of the tracks are grating in my opinion. I should have also noted the Chun-Li ramp was disabled on the copy I played. Chun-Li was instead collected at the Guile loop below. Maybe if I played a copy that was more fine tuned, I’d like this game more, but the unbalanced and boring rules kill the game for me. I can see the appeal for casuals, though.

An unusual game to rate, due to just how non-traditional is, though still a fun table. I rated this game more on a level of how good the game was in replicating bowling, rather then it as a pinball machine.

Pro’s:
It’s a solid game of bowling. While simple, it’s incredibly literal execution of the concept works. Using larger then usual pinballs to hit switches that activate bowling pins is a unique concept, and feels like a Shuffle-Bowler converted into a pinball machine for a smaller location. The game is also generally fun (as long as you are a fan of bowling).

Con’s:
The artwork is overall rather weak, partially due to the limited amount of space available to put it, as well as Gottlieb’s habit to stick the logo on their cabinets instead of putting much unique on them.

Game didn’t really need two DMD’s, however it’s a fine addition.

The model I played was rather easy, as strikes seemed to be a regular occurance.

Overall, not that bad of a bowling replicator. I can’t bring myself to really call it a pinball machine, however it’s still fun in its own unique way.

This game just sucks, honestly. They could have done so much better with the theme, and it just fell apart (and I’m not even a fan of Episode 1.)

Pro’s:
Artwork and animations are well done.

Theme itself (while still being episode 1) could be excellent for a pinball machine.

Con’s:

Dictionary definition of a one shot game (where the one shot is extremely deadly yet the only thing to go for).

Playfield lighting is poor, and makes the game look extremely dim.

Other then the center shot, there are two ramps (with strange, fake digital spinners), two scoops that have little purpose other then to get multi-ball, and a left loop. Out of all those shots, only the ramps seem to have much of a bearing.

Goal of the game is to get 4 modes, wizard mode, advance rank, repeat, making the game become very tedious.

The game killed off Bally/Williams for good, which is just sad. They should have gone off with a bang.

Overall, just a lousy game and not one I have any interest to play again. If you are going to play a Pinball 2000 game, stick with Revenge From Mars. While it still isn’t that great, and is drastically inferior to AFM, it is a much better game then Phantom Menace.

Man, this game could have been great. It has a great theme and a great designer, but in the end it just fell apart and became a definitely “meh” game.

Pro’s:
Rule set is fairly decent, though simple.

Animations are incredibly well done in my opinion.

It’s Led Zeppelin, so the music is great.

I am personally a fan of the center and right ramps.

Con’s:
Playfield design has so many failures. The left ramp is short and not satisfying to hit. The stand up target that replaces the side ramp is a poor choice, and the game has no flow.

Art is overall not great, and is reused constantly.

Upper right flipper has little reason to be there.

Game is very floaty (at least the one I have played).

Just not that fun of a game.

Overall, just not a great game, but it seriously could have been. There are some good aspects, but the other areas of the game just make it not great.

Edit: played this again recently, and wow. This game has improved a lot code wise. Also, to play one set up well with nicer, more flowing shots helped out a lot. Premium is also so much better than the pro. Scores boosted accordingly.

Definitely not the worst game out there, but far from being even one of Gottliebs better games.

Pro’s:
Artwork is nice and colorful, and fits the theme.

Animations, while dodgy, I can’t give much flack towards, as this is Gottliebs first DMD game.

Some aspects of playfield design aren’t that bad, such as the castle shot being a bit difficult and rewarding.

The video mode, while janky and confusing, I will give credit for as it’s trying something new that other games haven’t ever really attempted to pull off.

Could have been a lot worse.

Con’s:
Scoring logic is terrible in my opinion, you just have to hit the two ramps over and over again to get your quick shots and Super letters (which are both the only things you want/need to get in the game). The ramps are also both easy to hit exemplifying this problem.

You can trap up with the upper left flipper, which definitely was not intended.

Occasionally, the pipe shot on the upper side playfield will be lit for 20 million, which is also a score breaker.

Call outs and music can get grating.

Luigi cave count up is overpowered as when it’s timed right, you can get hundreds of millions of points from a single shot.

Related to some of the above complaints, the game is far too easy (though to be expected considering the game is made to be kid friendly). The game ends up becoming boring because of this.

Overall, this game just isn’t great. If you like it, I can see why but it just is not for me. I can see Gottliebs effort put into this game, but this is one of their many misses from this DMD era.

Probably one of Barry Ousliers best games, though a few others top this game in my opinion.

Pro’s: Game has great shots and fun factor that keeps the games coming.

Artwork is well done throughout.

Call outs don’t get too repetitive.

Music is decently done.

All 3 multi balls are very fun and creative.

Con’s: Game feels a bit basic code wise, even for the time. Almost plays like a late 80’s game in that sense.

Related to the last con, the game is far unbalanced, making multi balls the whole point of the game, with nearly everything else (except Bats and Rats) pointless to go for.

Left ramp can be a bit overpowered if you can get in a groove on it.

Sound quality is a bit behind the times.

Overall, a very fun game, though very much with it’s flaws. I completely understand the hype, but personally think other games from the time are a bit better.

An excellent game! One of my favorite new sterns overall, and one of the best George Gomez games.

Pro’s: Playfield design is great, with tons of variety and fun within the shots.

Game nails the theme: can’t really think of a way they could have better executed it.

Callouts and sound are well done.

Art is very well done and consistent throughout.

Code is excellent, and keeps you coming back for more. It’s simple to grasp, but hard to get everything done.

Con’s:

Turntable, while fun in it’s own right, can be rather clunky and at times borderline frustrating.

Game is, admittedly, a playfield rip off of George Gomez’s other game with the Caped Crusader: Batman: The Dark Knight. However, it’s feel and code differentiate itself from the game.

Cabinet artwork, while consistent with the rest of the game, could have been more fleshed out, as it’s a bit lacking in excitement.

Overall, just a really fun game! Not the best game out there, though definitely up there! I personally believe it to be a Top 25 game for myself.

Honestly, Hoops isn’t that bad of a game, and considering it’s a Street Level Gottlieb, I feel that it actually turned out as a fairly solid game!

Pro’s:

Playfield design, while feature it’s Gottlieb uniqueness, is rather solid overall.

Utilization of baskets as an ultimate means to a 3rd ball bonus is unique (so you definitely don’t want to tilt your 3rd ball, though there is hangtime bonus built up by the pop bumpers on your other balls).

Game has a general Gottlieb fatness that suits it well.

Game has decent sound overall.

Multi all rules are interesting with the goal being to relock all 3 balls.

At least on the one I played, the game is Lazarus heavy, which can be taken as a pro or a con depending on the person.
Con’s:

Playfield artwork is pretty dodgy, and the rest of the art package isn’t exactly excellent.

Other then shooting hoops, the game doesn’t utilize its theme all that well.

Conclusion:

Overall, I feel hoops is a pretty solid game, though it has its flaws. Nothing that will blow your mind away, but still enjoyable.

Yikes, definitely the worst of the bunch by a long shot. The model I played did have a weak left flipper, but all shots were makeable.

Pro’s:
Playfield art is decent, and the cabinet art is tolerable.
Playfield layout itself isn’t the worst I have seen.

Cons:
The repetition on this game is horrible. Just lock 1, lock 2, left ramp, and then both ramps all day, making there no reason to go for anything else, though there really is little else.
Champaign kick out is stupid, as it’s essentially a free left ramp shot. This was done much better in Banzai Run.
Backglass art is just bad, not cheesy bad like on a game such as Torpedo Alley, just bad.
Playfield design is still not that great, with little satisfaction.
Game has opposite effect that it should: I played it a couple more times only because no other games were open (I played this at an expo) but quickly stayed away from the game after the second or third game. That may be a low amount of mileage to form an opinion, but considering I was able to figure out the game that quickly, I would doubt my opinion would change in the end.

In conclusion, this game is just lousy. If you are going to play one of the playboy games, stick with the Bally or Stern one. This one is just poor and almost falls into the same league as games like Thunderbirds, Raven and Hercules.

IMO, Avengers: Infinity Quest is a great game, and especially on the Premium Model. The artwork is great, rule set is excellent and deep, the shots feel great, and overall, it’s just a really fun game.

Pro’s:All of the shots are great and satisfying to shoot, with varying levels of difficulty.
Artwork looks great, with lots of great color.
Game sounds great, with music that can pump up the experience.
Game feels well made and produced (for the most part).
Call outs are well done.
Game is nice and bright, with good lighting

Cons: While the art in the animation is great, the animation itself is not great, with it feeling like rotating and flicking it PNG’s.

Pro Exclusive Issues:
The Thor captive ball shot is far too easy to hit. I’ve seen people unintentionally start thor multi ball while trying to nudge the ball out of an out lane.
I much prefer the subway on the Premium to shooting the Gauntlet ramp to start modes and hitting the disc to lock Portal Locks.

Overall, the game is great, though the Pro has some issues (though those issues are not factored into the rating of the Premium). I’m glad I own a premium, and am excited to play Godzilla once I find one at a location near me.

Okay. This game is hated, but I personally think this game is just OK. It is super cheap and the rules are much to simple for a game from 2018.

Pro's:
Artwork is okay, fits the theme and gives you a little of that campy 60's feel that the TV show had.

The toys are a little unique, with the balls representing thunderbirds rising from the playfield.

Lighting is decent with some okay LED's.

Con's:

This game feels quite cheap around this flippers, which doesn't bother me that much but I would prefer a much nicer feeling game.

Center ramp has such weird physics and doesn't seem properly angled.

Game looks way too reminiscent of Data East Batman.


This game is overall just OK, but this company needs to make another machine and hopefully make it better then this, but I honor their work on this machine.