yyyyyikes's ratings

I own a Black Rose, and while it is certainly not in perfect condition, I don't seem to suffer the problems that others list on here. The cannon fires flat across the playfield, get very few airballs - the shots are all makeable, in a really well designed layout and the multiball is one of the best multiball designs I've seen in a modern game. (It could though quite feasibly go on forever).

But...as others have noted, the cannon shot could be used much better, and would be on a recent game. The cannon is so well designed that it can hit every shot on the playfield, there just isn't any need to do this. Something like ACDC though, will encourage jackpot, bell and even ramp shots from its cannon (NOTE: the ACDC cannon is not as cool).

The video modes are good, but they're just video modes - and noone really needs a video mode, definitely not more than one.

The scoring seems...sort of imbalanced, but I've not played it enough to really test this - you can get loads of points from the centre shot and from destroying the ships - but destroying the ships is sort of OK...you can keep shooting even if you miss and nowhere near as satisfying as destroying a MM castle or an alien saucer.

But I really think the layout is great. The ramps are brilliantly designed, there's achievable (though not dangerous) targets to hit, the ramp down the middle is awesome, don't listen to anyone who says otherwise...it's just that the really good bits don't seem to be used well enough.

Maybe someone could PROC this mother?

I love Whitewater, almost everything about it (though definitely not the backglass).

One criticism may be that it is pretty repetitive. But at least the repetitive shots are fun.
And it all adds to the essential elements of the game. Get 5X, get multiball, get some rafts on the way.

Great multiball, mode design and ramps.
I'm not sure if I'm completely accurate in saying this, but it seems a totally unique design - which is exactly what each pinball should be.
For instance - all (or at least almost all) modern games stick to the sling/inlane 2 normal flipper bottom playfield design (which admittedly so does Whitewater) - but then they seem to be reliant on 3 top-right pops below 2 or 3 lanes that advance multipliers a la AFM, instead of inventing a new and unique design. Whitewater on the other hand has a hairy freak just sat there sometimes diverting ramps.

I editted my rating here as I read some of the other comments and thought I may have got it wrong.
Played it for an hour after having not played it for aaaaaaaaaaggggeeess.

It's better than I remembered. Plays like a classic, with the saucer top middle off the plunge.
It's actually a lot faster than I remembered, in multiball anyhow. The pops are pretty close to the flippers and send the balls back to you frequently so you can be dealing with alot at once, trying to get them through the spinner (which stays lit after multiball ends for the rest of the ball). The spinner shot is good, as is the tube shot - but really that is the only 2 shots in the whole game. Maybe the drops sometimes when a ball is locked and you have one on the left flipper, but even then the tube's a better option.

It's still really all about the backglass with Xenon (which is stunning every time you turn it on). The artwork is good (have a repro pf which is nice) but the game is something from a previous era. A good play if you're looking to learn basic pinball skills or just like ripping spinners. If it wasn't so cool looking, I wouldn't own one. The same can't be said for Fathom or Centaur for example as these are unique games in their own right (AND they look cool).

If you don't want to own a Centaur, you should not be allowed on this site.

I have one criticism...the queen's chamber is never aimed for (it can at least score good points though).

It is awesome and there should be more games like this being made, not ones based on Dominos, Monopoly or Aerosmith. Quite like the look of that Spooky Total Nuclear Annihilation though.

I got one as I played a friend's and loved it.
Is nice pimped out with mirror blades, leds and extra lighting.

There are long games to be had, and having this in a larger collection is wise - as having a game to play that you know could go for ages is good - if (like lotr) there's always something more to achieve.
It's not my favourite game (not even close) but there's loads to it and there's loads to aim for.

If legolas was backhandable I'd like it even more.

I love cactus canyon, and I'll never part with it...
...but yeah, they should have finished it. Please someone make a CCEE ROM.

I picked up a Space Station a while back, not for any good reason other than it was available. I thought I'd regret it.

Turns out, it's my favourite game I own. Someone commented on here that SS is slow! Really? Were they reviewing the right pin? It's so fast, you have to constantly nudge, (try to) drop catch, (try to) keep 3 balls in play - (yeah right). There aren't that many shots to go for - outside of the targets, but you've got to nail them, especially in multi-ball - which is fairly easy to get in and out of. Saw a PAPA vid where the commentators sort of slagged SS off for being a drain monster, but I don't think it is especially, you can nudge the outlanes pretty regularly though there's no post. Having no inlanes looks like a bad idea, but it isn't.

And....the light show is awesome, turn your lights off or down and the machine makes pretty patterns all over the walls - it's pretty intense, I wouldn't suggest someone with epilepsy to play this.

Creature from the black lagoon is perfect. We all know that.

Shots lead in a linear and tricky way to potentially massive scores, but there's plenty else on the side should you want it. It's got one of the biggest and best ramps in all pinball, yet you hardly ever get to use it - which makes it even better.

I didn't really ever want a spider-man, or a stern for that matter - but saw one at a good price and was aware of how much people like the machine so....err...well...
I love it. It's ruined other machines for me though as they now feel slowwwww - spidey is flippin fast, the ramps are really well placed *slight/complete copy perhaps of AFM pop bumpers/sandman-mothership/bouncy green things and all but i'll let that go*. Doc Ock is good and the multi-balls are good - balls don't always get in each other's way as there's loads of different shots to send them to.

The artwork's pretty ugly with straight-from-the-films plastics etc and the animations are properly rubbish though i quite like the multi-ball one. May be a good thing though as i'll never feel bad about modding this.

I would say though that everything feels cheap. You feel like pretty much anything could break at any moment, which may just be a general Stern-of-this-era thing, but it matters. Also, there are loads of places where the ball can get stuck. I put tape in several places and even a whole pinball behind the Venom figurine. Good fun though.

Update: Went back to Spidey after years away, got an LED ColorDMD, the animations are now actually pretty good - I think this is a great mod for Spider-Man. Put some mirror blades in it too which are always great. Still think the game feels flimsy but it's much nicer now.

Ok so. Judge Dredd is an awesome machine. BUT the music is incredibly irritating and the lighting is almost non-existant. BUT (again) it's frickin hard and beautiful to play - solid as hell and untiltable. Proper. Love it. Anyone that doesn't is not from this deadworld.