tbanthony's ratings

I don’t consider this to be one of Sterns better modern efforts mostly because the layout seems relatively dull after a number of much more interesting stellar layouts. It’s not that fan layouts can’t be fun but this one feels a little uninspired in my opinion. At the end of the day, a game needs to be fun and I’d much rather play a lot of other games. I’m not a fan of the theme so it is more difficult for me to assess that, but I’d say they did a pretty good job of theming.

We've had this game in our small home collection for several years and it seems to be staying put. My favorite part of the game is the humor which hasn't worn old. I suppose you have to at least like the Shrek theme somewhat to appreciate it. The game itself has the infamous mini pinball playfield. Honestly, I like it. Yeah, batting the mini ball around can be a little chaotic, but I like the change of pace and unique challenge. The rest of the playfield is definitely a bit atypical of most other machines (ignoring the original Family Guy version). It's not a big "flow" game and is more start/stop but it has some interesting shots and I like having the 3rd flipper. Overall, the game adds variety to any collection. Certainly does not feel much like any other game I've owned and I think that's mostly a positive. Not a big deal, but I do kind of enjoy the fact that this is a relatively rare game. It doesn't get much love amongst pinheads quite frankly but my family enjoys it even after several years and won't let go of it. That's all that matters to me.

Played the game at Allentown Pinball Show, May 2022. Really enjoyed the game. The improvements that Chicago Gaming has made definitely help the game keep up with the times compared to other new games. I would definitely consider buying one and the classic western theme is super appealing to me. I just find it to be good fun which is what pinball is all about.

I really wanted to love this game as I really like the theme and some other Borg designed pins. However, the only thing I find attractive about this game is the art and the theme. I find this game to be proof that you can take a mishmash of "best of" features of good/great games and put them together and end up with something not as good. The awful voice overs (and subsequent loss of and lack of humor central to GOTG), poorly integrated video (that has little connection with what's happening on the playfield), tight shots (that make it bash Groot game), and uninspired rules (that fit music pins better) all combine to make this a game that lacks any fun to play factor such that I no longer have any desire to purchase it. This coming from a guy that likes Avengers and owns it and arguably has some of the same bad voice over issues -- where I think AV was better was they started from scratch and didn't copy cat lines from the movie and some of Loki's lines and Hulk's one liners have some decent humor to them. Thus, although AV is a flawed game as well, it shows a better treatment to the theme and some originality vs a poorly executed rehash without any soul.

It's probably the "game of the year" but I just don't have fun playing it. I don't like the theme or art at all and and I don't enjoy the game play style of Pat Lawlor other than Addams Family and Shrek. I greatly respect his work but prefer the gameplay style of Borg and Ritchie.

I really like Iron Man although I don't think I could own it. It's a fast, exciting thrill ride but I only want to ride so many times before moving on as it gets a little repetitive and affects the variation and lastability negatively. Some of the animations were on par with other SAM games but realistically don't hold up well compared to more recent games with LCDs. For sheer short-term fun, this game does rank highly for me but I wouldn't buy it for my smaller collection.

Sometimes I really struggle with liking a pin that has one of my favorite themes. I bought Star Trek NIB as I'm a big Star Trek fan, but I sold it after a couple years and never really enjoyed it as much as much as I would have liked. Stupid things that others probably ignored, really annoyed me about the game. Oddly though, I really like the SW pin. I like that the rules can be deep or more shallow and simplified -- you can stack modes or put the settings such to not stack modes; you use the bonus X scoring to really increase your score dramatically or you can play the game and totally ignore it if you prefer to just play through the game modes and enjoy that experience instead. I love that the original audio and video is included and the latest code is starting to show some reasonable level of refinement. I have played both the Pro and the Premium and while I still wish the Premium/LE had included a Force magnet, I find the game to be immersive and fun and feels very Star Wars to me. I love blasting tie fighters and hitting the hyperspace loop. Sure, there are complainers about the ramp slowing down the ball from the back side but I really hardly noticed and the ramp isn't in the way most of the time. Lots of complaints about finicky set up of the game -- oh wah! I heard the same complaints about AV years ago and I had no problem getting it "dialed in". Every pinball machine I have owned so far had issues to deal with. Star Wars is deep but can be played shallow and I just find it to be plain 'ol fun.

Other than the game could have used a "force" magnet, this is a good fun competent game that delivers on the theme reasonably well. Did they include everything I would have? No. But, the game highlights some key scenes with original audio and video, includes the main SW theme music. It's not entirely done yet from a software standpoint since it's not up to 1.0 but it's far enough along to declare it a good solid game as far as I'm concerned. You get to blast tie fighters, have a light saber battle, and blow up the death star. It's a good game.

I've considering adding IM to my collection which obviously means I like it. I'm not sure if some of the gameplay would get too repetitive or not in a home environment. The rules are on the simpler side and the Monger toy feels like he's popping up constantly -- you actually start trying to avoid having him pop up which means you are trying to avoid some of the easiest shots. There is no denying that the game is a fun, fun, fun adrenaline rush. Others have said its a game that is better in a larger collection and that does ring true with me. That said, you could do a lot worse than to cycle this game through your smaller collection for a while and you'll probably miss it when its gone. For sure, play it on location if you have one near you.

Slow, boring, tedious.

Very similar to the pro with some extra bling. The laser stands out more than I expected given some of the negative comments but reminds me more of warp speed stars flying by than a static "starfield" so perhaps it should have been tied into the warp ramp as you hit higher warp speeds. Anyway, all versions provide an immersive experience into the world of Star Trek and the sounds, speed/flow, and brightness of the game are a very good execution of the theme. I had a Star Trek Pro but ultimately didn't find it that satisfying despite being a big Star Trek fan. The sights and sounds of the game are very good. The flow is very good because that is Steve Ritchie's strength.

So I recently bought POTC after admiring the game for years. I'm a big Disney fan and have visited the Pirates ride at disney since I was a young child. When they came out with the movies and they were fun and good, it was wonderful. For several years, I had my eye on getting POTC. Ok, so my opinion is clearly a bit skewed is the point. I really like the game from the standpoint that it is a fun, family friendly game with great toys. The Depp sound alike is actually not bad and there are some funny lines in the game if you listen. It captures some of the humor from the movie indirectly but somewhat similar manner. On the downside, this game has almost no "flow". It is very much a stop and go, take your shots game. If I wasn't such a POTC fan, I might tire of it from that standpoint as if you are not a fan of the theme you can probably stand there watching the toys do their thing only so many times before getting a bit anxious for the ball to get moving.

I played Metallica at a local comic store with my wife and 2 other friends. None of us enjoyed it that much. After all of the hype here on Pinside, I was really expecting something more fun.

One trick pony with Mist multiball in my opinion. Other than that, the playfield is dull and cheap looking looking and rather spartan looking. Some folks love this game, for me it falls flat in terms of fun factor and lastability. The theming reasonably well matches the game but it is dreary like the title implies. To me, the game is lifeless like a vampire.

First impression at a bar on a Pro model was less than favorable compared to the POTC and AC/DC sitting next to it. However, when I played an LE at a friends house and started to learn the rules, it was a lot of fun. Already a deep game and good interesting rules. The playfield layout is a bit funky but interesting with some challenging shots but some easy ones as well. Probably not my favorite playfield layout but it is unique and I like the Hulk toy and there are satisfying shots when I hit them. I significantly prefer the LE over the Pro. The extra skill shots available and the cross-over ramp that you can control which way the ball goes add some fun aspects to the game. Also, the Hulk toy is extra cool when he lifts a section of the ramp.

UPDATE: Sold it April '18. I enjoyed owning the game. I found it to be fun and owned it for 5+ years. The game is not beloved by PinSide and selling it was painful given the price hit vs. when it was newer. That said, it's probably a good "bang for your buck" game relatively speaking for anyone that is buying one at this point. Still may be slow to sell even at lower prices just because few people seem to be wanting one despite the popular theme.

Played it several times at the Ohio Pinball Show. I like the X ramps and magnets, but really the game did nothing for me overall. Seems to be missing interesting rule set and the experience overall just doesn't feel like it's in the upper echelon. I didn't feel the need to play it anymore than I did.

Excellent pinball machine that has unique toys and challenging sequential rules. The game truly makes you consider your next shot carefully. Random bang the ball around shots aren't going to help you much with this game. While the linear rules bother some, I find it refreshingly simple --- it's actually clearly what you are supposed to go after next --- yet it's going to take me a LONG time to accomplish all 21 magic tricks. The cabinet art is probably my all time favorite. Sound is pretty good -- not disappointing -- but not as good as some other top tier machines. Game is challenging yet so far I find that beginners get the opportunity to see the toys in action which is fun for them. Unique, colorful captive ball and just some interesting unique touches by Capcom make this a fine addition to my collection that I plan to hang onto for a while.

Outside of limited runs & prototypes, it's the most unique pinball machine that exists still. If you collect pinball, I don't see how you don't try to own one or at least play one of these as it's a part of pinball history and lore. The last gasp to save Williams pinball succeeds and yet, ultimately doesn't. Highly recommend the Tilt documentary that tells the story. The machine itself is a lot of fun and entertaining because of the video interactivity and there is great humor involved. The limiting aspect of the game is the playfield variety. The number of shots is more limited than other pinball machines. In some ways, the interactive graphics help mitigate the impact but in other ways you do ultimately realize the variety of actual playfield shots is somewhat limited and bit too symmetrical (left/right). Still, I like the game a lot and used to consider it a keeper in my collection -- well, until I sold it. I'm not sure I would want this one to be my only game, but if you have a collection it is an excellent game to have in the mix. Some will deride the bit smaller playfield, but I don't really consider that a differentiating factor in this game vs. others. Some may just be blaming the bit smaller form factor for other attributes that they don't care for --- e.g. the more limited number of shots --- However, I don't really view this as a "space" issue but rather just the approach they decided to take with the game (simpler playfield) given the condensed amount of time they had to get this completely new pinball technology to market. Overall, a very good and unique game but as I have been a pinball collector for a longer timeframe, I find newer (and some older) games exceed it in fun/gameplay. At one time, I would have said this game was better than AFM, but now I would rather have AFM... and given the price appreciation on that one, other clearly feel the same.

Best game ever? Well, it is certainly in the top 5. Deep rules, great flow, lot's to do, difficult to conquer. It has an extremely well executed theme. Steve Ritchie's best work in my opinion --- and I believe he is a Star Trek fan himself --- so that may have given him a bit of inspiration. I used to watch the series on TV so it is a lot of fun that there are so many voice calls by nearly all of the main actors of the show.

This game is beautiful. I found it a little too dark until I added LEDs to mine but the art on the playfield and backglass is excellent. Some will ding the game for the movie being "bad". But hey, it's Batman, and with the star power that was in the movie it makes for good game content both in the art and the recognizable voices. Plus, the game is gorgeous in my opinion. Some don't like the colors (green, in particular) but I find it eye catching and perfect for Batman. The game looks great if you own one and add LEDs. The game is often cast as a poor man's Star Trek Next Generation -- and there are some similarities. However, I have both games and enjoy them both. I wouldn't rate it at the same level as the Star Trek, but I think it's Sega's best effort. With the oversized display and wide-body and fairly deep rule set, it is clear that Sega sunk some money into this one. Not sure it turned out that great for them financially, but it turns out great for collectors and given the discriminatory attitude of many against Sega games, this game can be had for relatively bargain prices.

Classic Steve Ritchie game with great speed and flow. The music and theme are a perfect fit and really "drive" the game. The "toy" on this game is excellent... one of the all time best in my opinion. The rules are not deep and this may not be a good game if it's your only one, but in the company of a mix of games, I find it to be great fun and it's a potential keeper.