stf_dnx's ratings

Skateball is maybe the ultimate sleeper.
No ramp, no multiball, no music, this is almost an EM. But 4 flippers, 11 drops and a lot of fun thanks to the clever layout and the rules.
The outlanes are both unusual, the left one is a nudging funfest, while the right lane is just pure evil (that post!).
I like the artwork, playfield is a mix of pyschedelisc & Californian beach cool. The mirrored BG is an early cheesy piece of art by Greg Frere, makes me want to grow a 'stache each time I look at it.
Funny thing is the BG looks 80's but was executed in the 70s, the PF looks 70's but was drawn in the early 80s.
Rules are pretty deep and allow different strategies for scoring.
When it comes to classic tables, I'm a huge Gotlieb fan, but Skateball is a true masterpiece in the single level / no MB category.

I have played it various times on location.
1st of all, the machine is impressive. It really raises the bar for what modern pinball should be. JJP did it again, whatever the issues, I salute them for pushing the boundaries of this hobby.
I am not of fan of the band, I don't care for their music and this is not my taste to see an old guy dressed like my grand aunt yelling in a mic. Anyway, Slash is the coolest guitar player, and knowing that he is been involved is really cool.
As said by many others, even if Eric meunier did a good job, the layout and the flow are not at the same level than the other aspects, and it killed most of the fun for me.
Not on my list but still a great table and i understand why it's a dream game for GNR fans

I waited until the code upgraded to 1.0 before rating. Dream theme, great artwork, great layout, great code etc. The music, sounds & call outs are certainly the best in the pinball world ever. The lights, without being shameful, are not as great as the other aspects.
It shoots like a W/B, I don't know why, but it does not feel as bouncy or clinky as the other Stern tables, which is a good point.
Maybe not the most creative layout, but a lot of shoots & mech. For me it's kind of a best of compilation of the 90s royal trilogy (MM MB AFM).
Theme and art, the mix between humor, bad horror and sexy Elvira is unbeatable, at least for me, even if I never watched her show. It attracts people, even those who never play pinball, and it's accessible enough to retain them for several game. For hardcore players, it's clearly a long ball game, but with a code that deep, it's OK this way.
The only one bad point, well... maintenance. Stern has been great with support, but as this price point, I was not expected to spend so much time adjusting it. It's a keeper anyway, I don't see another game replacing it.
Ho, and I remember how this table was bashed after the 1st reveal, so it's kind of funny to see her progressing little by little to the top of the Pinside ranking :)
PS: to prefer Oktoberfest to Elvira (cf previous rating) made me laugh very hard. This is a very courageous move to accept it publicly.

I had a couple of games on it with the first code, so this rating may change in the future.
1. This is a great shooter, crazy to have so much shots (it looks like 2 90's tables had been merged in one!) but the playfield still looks very open. This layout is a great achievement, Wahoo!
2. So many inserts, so many lights at the same time, it's difficult to have a clear view of what's going on.
3. Theme, well, i guess dino are OK, but nothing crazy, maybe for the kids? Average artwork compared to Zombie Yeti tables. Animations are cool, i don't miss the movie material, but i'm not a fan of JP either.
So, Yes! fun and full of great potential and lastability. Getting starting was more straightforward with IMDN. I'm now waiting for a KE table with a trully nice theme and artwork.

+: design, rules, lightshow
-: animations, theme (yet with a fantastic work by ZombieYeti again) only for IM fans, cheap finish
I love to play it on location, but, like JJP DI, the theme refrains me to buy one for home use. Animations look like a PS2 or a cheap 3d anim advertising.
Lawlor kind of design, but without the stop and go, is a true winner. 1st Elwin game is a homerun.
I like the multiball oriented scoring rules.
Top 3 Stern with ACDC and GB.
Please produce the original Archer theme Mr Stern! :)

I had the chance to play one of this rarity at the silvervall museum. Make me an em addict again!

This is the pin we have at home during my childhood. Believe it or not, someone just gave it to us.
The theme is awful but the colors are nice. Animated back box also saves it.
It's a tough game. The targets are low and any shot at them will be at risk. The trick is to use them for extraballs and of course when the x100 is on. This features also makes multi players games super fun.
Lot of action for an em, and clearly more nudging than flipping.

I played it 2 times different during expos. To be honest, the 1st time I didn't know it was such a rare table being redone.
Kingpin is a cool game, nothing crazy, but the theme is nice and the flow is good. Not an incredible game, but we should all applause the efforts done by Circus Maximus to bring this rarity from hell for all of us to enjoy! Great job!

Updated my rating after playing and understanding better the last code version.
Fun game, unusual layout, nice art package. Music and call-outs are top notch too. Code is easy to understand, with a lot of stacking and hidden tricks.

I'm a big fan of Ritchie's tables, but this one looks like a lazy licenced themed pin. Uninspired PF, with poor design. Maybe it becomes nice after you really dig the rules... Myself after a dozen plays, i just did not find any fun at it. Animations are great, sound is what it should be, that's about it.
I guess this can be an option for SW fans, but as we are talking pinball, I have to agree this is one of the worst table recently produced. At least, you can play for free when you'll find one routed, because players usually leave it before they use all of their credits...

I love everything about this pin, except I don't own one.
Sell me yours!

My fav pin of all time!
Yes it lacks a bit of modes, but canon & multiball never get old!
Playfield, sound, theme are just incredible for such an early DMD. I'm not in love with the backglass, but it fits the game, and it has 2 Schwartzie faces!

Great unique, beautiful and fun machine, but it does not have the same magic as TOTAL or TOM. A true Jpop classic anyway and the best circus themed pinball without any doubt (at least, the less creepy one).

Great looking pinball, theme is well rendered, also I'm not sure it was a good choice to sell a lot...
Lawlor design, but it doesn't feel like it. Stewie pinball is fun the 1st time, maybe the 2nd time but gets old quickly. At the end, not a bad pin, but I think you have to be a FG show fan to really enjoy it.

Really different game, quite unique game play. The playfield is really loaded, and you have almost all the features you can expect from a pinball, but it's hard to get the flow. It's a fun pinabll, but it also gives you that the playfield was populated randomly. Which is not necesarely bad after all. At the end, an underestimated pin and a good return on investment compared to other pricey recent Stern machines. And what theme could be be any better than Advengers?

Before I played it, I was kind of sceptical about this pin. Not a big fan of the side and translite art, genius and lamp seem to be weird on the playfield.
But the truth is, the magic works! It really does! You'll just forget you in front of a machine. You will feel like a kid when you see something incredible and it has to be magic, because there's no other explanation. Love it!

Great theme, super fun but feels a little cheap, specially when you know the price.
Super sweet for the eyes, and videos from the show are super cool. I hope the annoying telephone constently ringing has been corrected in recent code updates.
Too pricey in my opinion, but really cool table.

Great game! Original layout and deep rules.
Playfield is nice, lightshow is one of the best. And it doesn't have this cheap Sten feeling. Music does the job, you know it's GOT and the pin screems what you have to do.
Backbox and side art could really have been better, but you can find cool alternative drawn backglass.
Animations are just awfull, and the red dmd makes it worst.
A true Stern masterpiece that will put your nerves on edge.

Very Fun and cool game, but I prefer MM or MB. Theme is funny, but art and toys are always the same. Same for the gameplay, it tends to be repeatitive.
The remake with the huge color DMD looks insane.
Maybe I just need to spend more time on this table, but for me it's overated, for gameplay and for artwork. I'll wait for MB remake to buy a NIB from Chicago gaming.

Terrible theming and very very cheap feeling, I mean even worst than usual with Stern, almost a shame for this price. The prem feels a little bit better than the pro, the metallic ramps looks solid and Zombie yeti did a good job, as usual, but it's hard to understand these ancient Egypt and WW2 military things. Of course Eddie is a very recognizable gimmick, but I've always preferred the funny horrific tables (TAF, EATPM, MB etc) than the trully ugly ones (list too long).
As for the screen, a DMD would have worked better than these LCD PS2esque animations. Sound and music: Iron Maiden, as I'm not 15yo anymore, I don't really care.
Now the good part: really fun and addictive game. The playfield really reminds me of old Pat Lawlor's dmd pins (TAF, TZ), and that's a great feeling. I trully enjoy to play it, even if it hurts my eyes and my ears. The flow is certainly the best one we had with recent tables.
Conclusion: please please, Shrek it, or just use the original Archer theme. I love Archer. I'd buy an Archer pin. But no way I'm gonna spend 8K for an IM.
PS: I really hope Zombie Yeti is working on the next Elvira pin, and it'd be as beautiful as GB!

Certainly my favourite Stern, and one that doesn't have that "cheap" feeling.
One of the best playfield ever, going for drawing was a great idea and Zombi Yeti nailed it. Backglass are kind of ugly, as usual with Stern, and cabinet has nothing special, but at least, the car looks better than the Slimer used for LE (sorry Mr yeti).
Sound is excellent, certainly the best I've heard for a themed pin, and a true delight for the GB movie fans. Animations are good too.
Now, this game is frustrating but rewarding too. Once you get the flow, drains are less an issue. I love it and I never miss an opportunity to slide a coin when I see one.
One of the rare Stern pinball I'd certainly own one day.

Very cool and fun pin.
Music avor the top, AC/DC, like it or not, is a perfect music for a pin.
Ugly playfield. Backbox and side could have been worse. If I have to buy one, I'll go for the lucy, wich has the best art ever, and at least the payfield doesn't have this super ugly-creepy Angus face.
I like the game, although it reminds me a LOT of T2. I love T2, so I like AC/DC.
Over all a nice table, fun and fast, with great music and nice animations.

Stangely enough, a lot of people love this game, always more WTB than FS, but its rating is far for being representative...
Maybe because it's Gotlieb, maybe because it's Kawai or maybe because of the crappy scoring rules.
For me, the only week point with this pin is the music. Not bad, but you reall want to ear the classic Mario's scores, and you won't.
Theme is great, playfield and side art are great. It's hard to find one with a neat playfield because the SMB were played to death, and still are by the way. I'm not a big fan of the backbox, it looks like a chinese bootleg of a Mario's cartridge game, but it's far from being "Stern ugly". If you're fine with the kawai Nintendo style, it's certainly one of the most beautiful themed machine ever.
Now the scoring: it sucks, this pin should never been used in competition. Because SMB is not about scoring, it's about obtaining replays. And choosing the best strategy to obtain a replay: score, or completing all the modes or destroying the 7th castle. Score and castle depend of previous players.
The gameplay should seem simple today, and the playfield lakes toys, but remember it was the 1st true Gotlieb dmd, and as this time it came out, we were all amazed how crazy was this pin compared to anything else existing before it.
As a conclusion: I love it, everybody loves it, it's completly underestimated, grab one before the Nintendo factor makes it a crazy collector priced item!

Ho come on, this pin should be n°1! Although, I understand why some people hate it. Playfield is unusual and it can be VERY frustrating. But remember, when this pin first came out, it was in competition with T2 and LW3 (at least in Europe).
TAF was just a milion leagues above anything else at the time (and I'm a big fan of T2 and 90's pin), and in my opinion not any other recent pin is as good for the theme. It also deserves better lights, so if you own one, please go for leds.
This is the best seller ever for a good reason, but not an "everybody loves it" like MB or MM. I love it since the 1st day.