wingnut707's ratings

Absolutely excellent. Elwin knocked it out of the park yet again. It’s a love letter to JP fans.

The T-rex never gets old; it’s a shame the Pro’s dino never moves. Layout is butter-smooth with tight shots and a super satisfying side ramp shot. The rules, as per most modern Sterns, are incredibly deep so I need to take some more time to explore.

Sounds are great and extra bass makes it stand out. Very well choreographed with great light shows and theme integration. The only drawbacks are laggy software and animations that take a bit long to complete, but that’s par for the course.

Easily in my top 5. Once I can afford a game, it’s between this, Godzilla, and Deadpool.

I played this a bit ago at a bowling alley and again at a place in Montreal, and HOLY CRAP. This is the best machine I've ever played, dethroning my only previous favorite, Twilight Zone. If I were to own only one machine, it'd be this one and it's not even close.

Every shot is smooth and fluid. The building, the bridge, and Mecha Godzilla are all amazing toys and satisfying to shoot. Callouts add to the game in more ways than one and build up suspense. I would probably never get bored with it if I spend more time exploring the rules. From what I've seen, it's a nicely balanced game. So many secrets. The only negative I can think of are the animations, which are a liiiiitle bit drawn out.

As close to perfection as pinball gets. Absolutely phenomenal. If I had the money, I'd get one immediately.

EDIT: Explored the game some more. Can confidently say that this is my all-time favorite machine and it isn't even close. It's addictive; I blew $10 and close to an hour on this game alone.

Surprise - it's really bad! I played this years ago on the Pinball Arcade PS3 game and was disappointed. When I approached the real thing a few months ago, I wanted to love it, but it was just as bad as I remembered.

The motorcycle at the center is cool and the way it releases all 4 balls is awesome. But outside of that, there isn't one thing that jumps out at me. Awful artwork, sounds, music, callouts, and shots. Pathetic ruleset that could've been so much more deep. Multiball is too easy to achieve. The video mode is a carbon copy of GnR.

Avoid.

It’s good! One of DE’s best, which unfortunately is not saying much as they did make some seriously mid games.

The shots are smooth and satisfying for the most part but some modes are very unbalanced (ahem…300M multiball?) and the game itself is kinda clunky, as per most Data East machines. If your T-rex isn’t working, you won’t get as much amusement. That said, I love finding one in the wild and playing it.

I like that each mode has its own music, and some of those tunes happen to be BATSHIT CRAZY and frenetic. Seriously, just listen to the electric fence tune, the victory lap tune, or Super Egg Mania and try not to get an aneurysm. The sounds and callouts, however, suffer from the same issue a lot of DE machines do: they’re very repetitive and tinny.

I probably wouldn’t own this game, and its 2019 successor is WAY better, but it’s solid and I legitimately enjoy playing it whenever I can. Only surpassed by Tales from the Crypt and Guns n’ Roses.

I'm probably going to start reviewing one of my favorite games per day. Hold me to this. ;) That said, TNG is in my top 10 for sure. Something about it makes me happy whenever I play it. The game is beautifully choreographed, with excellent and unique music cues and light shows. My favorite little touch is easy to miss: If you score a jackpot in multiball, Picard adds a "supplemental" note when the game ends.

This is a Steve Ritchie game, so the shots are wonderfully smooth. The side ramp is very satisfying whenever it is nailed, especially when it goes all the way up to the Borg lock. The guns are AWESOME and contribute to the start of Borg multiball. A drawback I can think of are those outlanes...my god, they're atrocious. 90% of my drains were through the outlanes.

Overall a truly excellent game that stands the test of time. It would be in my collection.

Now that I’m rating my favorite machines, 1993 seems to be the golden year of pinball. Almost all of them come from either ‘92 or ‘93. It’s also when my favorite fighting game, MKII (also made by Midway), came out. Coincidence?

Anyway. This is hands down my favorite table of all time. I can’t say ONE bad thing about it besides the fact that it involves a ton of maintenance in order to play well. It is seriously the complete package. The shots are smooth, there is some amazing variety, and the wizard mode is super satisfying. Can’t think of a machine with better attention to detail. The sound quality is poor, but that makes it better in my opinion … I believe that older MIDI soundtracks have charm and sound great for the most part.

I honestly believe that multiball is where this machine really shines. It starts with the narrator becoming possessed and a suspenseful rising tone. And then, the Jackpot: the loudest, most obnoxious, and BEST single sound effect in any pinball machine ever. It’s so goddamn satisfying in every way. I get goosebumps whenever it happens. In terms of an animation sequence, though, White Water’s vacation award is still the best.

If I had a collection, this would be the first game in it. I absolutely love this game and it deserves the high ratings, praise, and attention it gets.

This may not be the most balanced or absolute best playing game. HOWEVER. The voice acting, sounds, and music push it over the top. Despite the lackluster quality, I think it’s the complete SFX and music package. There are leitmotifs throughout the soundtrack and you can tell there was passion put into the voice acting.

Whenever you kill Dracula and get the Coffin Jackpot, the machine plays a loud fanfare and lets out a glorious blood-curdling scream. Seriously one of the most satisfying things in all of pinball. The animation makes it even better. I have also noticed that the volume automatically rises during major events, e.g. starting Castle and Coffin multiballs, scoring a jackpot, or completing Bats and Rats. It’s a small but amazing touch and I get goosebumps whenever it happens. The replay sequence is also stunning, along with the DMD animation. When you lock a ball in the coffin you get a deep, echoey thud, and when you collect the bonus you get a loud lightning strike. With better speakers and/or an subwoofer installed, you FEEL IT. Absolutely incredible and visceral. Again, the quality isn’t great but that doesn’t matter in this case.

As a musician, I could go on and on about the SFX and soundtrack, no joke. One of the best in that category along with Addams, Twilight Zone, and White Water. There is a certain charm to pre-DCS Midway games that makes me happy.

As much as White Water may not be the best game, it is my personal favorite. Here's why:

1. Something about Pre-DCS Midway SFX/music (1988ish - 1993) makes me happy. DCS blows it out of the water in terms of quality, but there's so much charm in these older MIDI soundtracks and you can tell there was passion put into the composition. The low-quality speech is also nice to hear, with some great callouts. ("YEEEEEEEHAW!!! IT'S A GOLD RUSH!")

2. The topper is so cool. The designers somehow made a still photo look like flowing water with lights. Insane.

3. The Vacation Jackpot is my single favorite award in any pinball game - absolutely no question. The machine fakes you out by shutting down, which scared me when I first got it: Did I lose all my progress? But then it blared an alarm at me and showed the completed vacation planner...and then I knew I won. It went batshit crazy, flashing all the lights and firing all the solenoids. The finishing touch: a glorious victory scream and the display flashing 200,000,000 points. This, unlike other games, made you feel like you truly accomplished something and has rarely been done again.

Again, it's not the best game, but it holds so much sentimental value that it is BY FAR my favorite.

I've been playing HSII for a while now, and (unpopular opinion, don't kill me) I would put this in my top 10, for sure. This is the most stressful pinball machine I have ever played. This is a GOOD thing! When you start multiball, you're greeted with some police banter and the light on top that strobes in your eyes. You then shoot the supercharger to light the jackpot, and then you're graced with the loop countdown, which has some of the most suspenseful sound effects in all of pinball. Obtain the jackpot (and super jackpot), and the machine really makes you feel like you've done something great. The animations and sounds are so damn satisfying.

Now, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts about the machine itself: It's super slick and smooth. All the shots are fast. The sound effects, while old and outdated, are PERFECTLY done for a machine like this and need not be messed with. A speaker upgrade would be a great option. The light shows are amazing, especially when you score big. There's something about '86-'93 Williams games that's so charming -- so much character, which is lacking in the new Sterns (and even the newer WMS games).

TL;DR: Thrilling game, would be welcome in my collection. This is a MUST-PLAY.

Edit: Thoughts have changed. This has become one of those games that I very much enjoy playing in an arcade but would probably never own as it would get too repetitive. There are two routes to multiball, the only thing worth going for, and not much else besides video mode. Scores dropped accordingly.

I played Police Force at a pinball festival, and I must say, I was disappointed. The "take high score" feature is absolutely horrible and should NEVER be on a pinball machine. It gives the player an unfair advantage. The multi-millions center ramp is also a bad design. You can bash that thing 20 times in a row and get 20 million out of it. I think one million would have sufficed.

That said, the sounds and music are absolutely incredible. One of the best I've heard from any pinball machine, bar none. When you have it turned up all the way, it sounds un-freaking-believable. As a music nerd, I LOVE this.

TLDR; no, I do not recommend this game except for its music.

I don't know. It's just something about this game that I really like. All the shots are very smooth, especially the ramp shots. I didn't expect anything else from a Steve Ritchie game. The rules aren't TOO complicated but good for a beginner or intermediate pinball player. Obviously, the sound quality is far inferior for 2003 (even WMS games from 1993 have better sound quality than some Sterns from 2005), but I kinda like it. It sounds a bit like a retro SNES console. Listen to the music and you'll understand.

Edit: Not liking this one as much anymore. The layout is frustrating and one of Ritchie’s worst. Sounds/music are still great but cannot recommend this one. Scores dropped.

Whirlwind has always been one of my favorite machines. The spinning disc in the center and fan topper has always intrigued me and the Million Plus shot, in my opinion, has a really satisfying jackpot sound and animation. The music and sounds are awesome, like most WMS games of this era, and the scoring is pretty balanced. I don't know, it's just something about this game that I absolutely love. Maybe I'm a bit partial to it since it was one of the first machines I played.

What an amazing game. The sounds are fantastic, even though the speakers are a bit tinny-sounding. Light shows are incredible. The screen is a HUGE improvement over WOZ - it's much more clear on what to shoot. Love it. I could play it over and over again and not get bored. (The phone connection is a bit of a gimmick, though.)

For some reason, I've always loved Taxi. It's just something about it. Just *meh* cab artwork, but very smooth shots, awesome and tough gameplay, and super satisfying music and sounds. Also, the bell really makes the game. Even though it's simple, it's SO MUCH FUN. I want to play it over and over and over again.

The "music", if you can call it that, and sounds alone are enough to make this one of the worst machines ever made. The upper ramp is cool, but what else is worth shooting?

Not worth your time.

Basic game. Fun to play once in a while but would never own. Fast paced and fluid shots. The music selection is awesome but the sounds are pretty bad.

This game is so much fun. It offers a challenge, which is what I love in a pinball machine. The best part about this machine, however, is the artwork. It is GORGEOUS. Seriously. I don't say that about a lot of machines.

I swear, a company like Chicago Gaming Company should remake this game. It's too rare for its own good. I love it.

Sure, it doesn't have a lot of gimmicks like modern games, but it is a hell of a lot of fun. The light shows are absolutely incredible. The sounds aren't repetitive like Data East machines of the era. Practically the only thing I can complain about is the DMD animations. They just aren't that good. Plus a shot up the center ramp can drain you in an instant...but that's about it. Also, I've mentioned this about older Sterns - the music is FLAT. That kind of annoys me.

It's a damn shame this game is so rare--there are 15 modes to play and I just haven't played the machine enough to fully experience it.

The light shows are absolutely stunning--even on the Pro model. I can't imagine how they'll be on the Premium/LE model. Very smooth gameplay. There aren't too many toys, which in this case is a good thing. Definitely my favorite new Stern after Spider-Man.

Black Rose is a childhood machine so I will try not to take any bias.

It's mid. There is a lot worth going for but your main goal is to sink ships. Shots are good, but scoring can be unbalanced. The center shot is innovative and it can be tough to get all the rewards. Brian Eddy killed it on the software front as there are some cool easter eggs and hidden shot combos. Music and SFX are top tier but callouts can get annoying. The queen's voice is great.

I love playing this at arcades whenever I find it, but would likely never own one.

Gorgar was a milestone machine that made a huge impact with its speech. I'd imagine it blew everyone away back in 1979.

Aside from that, it's pretty barebones and kinda boring. The magnet at the top is a neat gimmick but gets old quickly, especially if the machine you play has weak flippers and you can't reach it when it's lit for the big 50,000. I'm not sure why but the game itself feels slow. The sounds are cool but I wish there was more variety.

It's nice to play once in a while but I'd never own one.

This game is NOT fun. End of story.

Absolute joke of a machine that was allegedly rushed out of the factory, which is clearly evident. Don’t even bother.

The layout is a bit weird, and the machine could use an auto plunger...because this thing is a DRAIN MONSTER.

Great game overall.

IMO, this is the best Stern pinball machine ever made. Very deep ruleset and amazing gameplay. There is SO much stuff to be done.

Also, I'm a music guy, meaning I play music. The music is FLAT on some examples and SHARP on others. I find this to be SOOO ANNOYING, especially as someone with perfect pitch. Then again, this is on most older Stern machines.

Mediocre. I played it at a pizza place a few times and felt that it was too shallow. Multiball is fun and getting the 4x jackpot is a true challenge. The modes are laughably easy, with a simple timed gun shot to complete each one. The left ramp is useless outside of the jackpot and lighting extra ball. The sounds and callouts are repetitive and tinny (e.g. if I hear one more OK OK OK, I will lose my mind). It's not Rocky and Bullwinkle bad, but still pretty bad.

Would never own, but I suppose it's fun for an occasional play.

It’s good! Flippers are often too weak for the ball to reach the top playfield. Shots are very smooth and the sounds are iconic. Scoring is balanced and the variable score feature on the spinner was imaginably very cool back in 1980. For the time, it was brilliant, but it’s definitely starting to show its age.

The castle gets too repetitive after a while. Otherwise, excellent game!

(I also love the quotes. They're so creative.)

Just like most DE machines - it's ok. One of the first modern music-themed games but does not even come close to Guns n' Roses. The modes are a bit repetitive, as are the sounds. The music choices are good. Multiball is brutally difficult and very satisfying once completed; the same can be said about the skill shot.

This is the perfect starter machine. George Christian is considered an inferior designer, but he hit it out of the park on this one. GI lighting sucks if you put LEDs in; it can get very dark.

The backglass can fade very easily--and replacements can get expensive. Scoring is unbalanced but if not competing, it’s very fun and exciting when you get triple playfield scores. As per mid-80s Bally, the sound quality is atrocious and the sounds themselves are very repetitive. Lack of speech is very disappointing.