unionrunner's ratings

Good family game = variety of modes from easy completion to #$%!! Jack the Monkey and Heart Super Jackpot, humorous callouts ("I think you need an alternate plan, mate!" after a quick drain) and excellent toys = sinkable ship, chest w/beating heart, whirlpool. If Stern made it today it would be a Premium model!?!

I enjoy this game and it enjoys taking my money! Infinite combinations of strategies - which song to open with (and therefore which shots are at a premium) which song to switch to for multi-ball, which song to avoid (Thunderstruck lol)makes lastability endless. Plays differently from pro model (drop targets react differently than standups, moving bell adds degree of randomness, subplayfield additional fun element) and IMO clearly a better game. Not an easy game as far as ball control and short ball life is not unexpected, but that makes a successful series of shots/combos/strategies so satisfying. I have been hard on Stern games in the past but this one they have right.

Play occasionally on location but no desire to own. Can't get past what seems to be a constantly obstructed view.

Machine is currrently 14 in Pinside 100 and I think it is underrated.

People group Black Hole and Haunted House like they were twins. Sorry, not me - never liked look or feel of HH but would spend all the time available challenging BH and for me it felt like a very worthy opponent. Enjoy, would like to own, then decide if a keeper or not.

Expected more, just didn't hold my interest.

Most produced pin ever and still deserves the marketplace demand ($$) it gets. Why? Because owners don't get tired of "it" (bad pun).

Not up to par with other games of this era.

Drop target junkies dream (nightmare?). A machine that I have to play "just one more time - I know I can beat it. etc. Small flippers, four banks of drop targets, infinite angles and bank shots, sometimes feels as much like billiards as pinball.

Wanted one forever I thought, but having played some very nicely restored ones recently I came to the conclusion that for me it looks better than it plays - still one of my favorite pieces of pinball art.

Good flow to the actual play, but that's about it. Doesn't measure up to others from that time period.

Ok for a couple of quarters, but not one that would keep calling me back - one ramp shot on a drain monster.

Right up front (bad pun, I know) I hate the black glass - keeps me from letting one in the house! It is fun to play but absolutely dependant on the cannon surface being properly seated. If it is not, it ruins the flow beyond normal randomness.

Good game - Never expected but now I own one. This is a game that teases you = you always feel you can do better/score higher than the game you just completed! Lamp adds a unique risk/reward element and a constant strategy decision - pound the lamp or complete tales and battle the genie. Expect this one to stay for a while.

Two of my all-time favorite gimmicks - the jump rope and the punching bag = They carry out the theme perfectly.

Classic is the word that gets used over and over when talking about this game and it fits. Unforgiving and fast with various unprintable adjectives attached also comes to the fore of most discussions. If set up right - strong flippers, clean playfiled, no cracks in the ramp - it is a game that will reward a patient, skilled player but eat a ball banger alive. What more do you want.

One I'm playing in the pizza parlor next to where I work is ball sucking drain monster! I just can't get the flow, if there is one, figured out. A challenging occasional player but not to own. PS "Let's Boogie Boys thump thump thump" gets very annoying very fast!

Couldn't get into this one. Feel (sturdiness if that's a word etc) better than some recent Stern games I've criticized - don't even mind the plastic lock-down bar. I admit the one I played suffered from poor room lighting = glare, but the playfield just had a cramped, crowded feel to it. I usually like quicker paced games, but will pass on this one.

Didn't hold me when new and after trying again at a recent show on two different recently restored machines still just couldn't get into. No specific reasons, just not for me.

Addictive quarter eater. No rules pacman attached to half a pinball table. Gives just enough to convince you to try one more time, one more maze pattern, one more bank shot, etc. The "half" depth table makes for some very fast play with ball control at a premium. Moving back and forth between video game and pinball with changing mazes thrown in makes the overall game pace seem even faster. Adds a unique twist to a collection. I intend to keep mine for a long time.

Considered but bought older Eight Ball (Fonzie) - glad I did.

Good multi-ball game for its day, but missing something . Played frequently when it was new but I never found the flow of this machine. Would still play, but not add to my "collection".

Straightforward gameroom game. Any guest can walk up to the game and know what to do (maybe not how) and be part of the fun. Open, uncluttered playfield with shots that require some skill. Good catch and shoot action. Still enjoy playing this one.

Fast, flowing, skill shot, unforgiving game. Not for beginners, this one takes some time to learn, more time to master, but doesn't grow old. No Pop Bumpers takes some randomness out but the sequence of shot rewards and order of the Challenges provides variety and requires instant strategic shot adjustments. Talking Skull that tells you what to do and comments on how your doing is a fun feature, though it can break your concentration if you let it! Video mode is true to the theme, fun and can provide a moments rest for your wrists.