Someone who gets it!!! What a breath of fresh air!!!!!

It is the best Stern so far.

I'm banking on it being the best Stern so far. I'm trusting you fanboi's....

It amazes me how many come to my house and that's what they get so damn excited about. If it were on location all over the place I believe it could help get pinball into the main stream again.

Anyway, I'll stop arguing w/ FamArcade about TF lol...back on topic. AC/DC Prem is possibly my fav Stern at the moment...but it's very close with Tron LE, so I voted "Top 5 Sterns". Those are the 2 I play the most, that's for sure...but that's cuz they're also still so new. I think they'll still stay in my Top 5 as the years go by, though. Right now - I'd say my Top Sterns in no particular order are:

AC/DC Prem/LE
Tron LE
FGY
TSPP
LOTR/Spidey (tie) (yeah yeah, that's my cop out and it's a Top 6 lol)

***I play Avatar LE and X-Men LE more than FGY, TSPP, LOTR, or Spidey currently - but even with that being the case, I can't deny the overall greatness of those games, even if I don't fire them up as much anymore.

Gotta admit..I would love an "updated" TSPP. Not really different, just better flippers and audio software to make it feel a bit less clunky.

Im trying to help people make informed Stern purchases. Anyone can say the game is great! Or Bad. But it is about who is saying it. Who do you trust?

I have owned 15 pins in the last 1.5 years. Huo LOTR, NIB Tron (Gone) ACDC is Sterns best adrenaline pumping fun. So many different ways to play it. Just doesnt get old.

Im calling Avengers a fail based on playfield design alone. Second, on boring rehashed software. Sorry guys thats my opinion but I was right on Xmen. TF.

Even early ACDC Pro code was more fun challenging then most newer Sterns. Heres 1.2 before VIP Pass and stacked MB.

And for those who say ACDC is old. Its ageless! My kids rockin it.

acdc is good but tspp is better.. lets see if ten years from now acdc will be as popular and critically-acclaimed.

Nowhere near as good as Sm and Im imo.

Those two games are too vastly different to be compared in any way that actually means anything to anyone. They're both exactly what they need to be and appeal to different types of players.

You keep making this time argument. Why do I need to wait ten years to see if AC/DC plays any differently than it does today? TSPP hasn't gotten any better or worse, or for that matter, less popular. Another game has come along than a lot of people here think is better.

I'm sure a game may come along in a few years that some people like better than AC/DC. In no way will that make any other past game lesser than it is today. AC/DC is an amazing game today and will be 10 years from now. Why? Simple. It's fun!

That's why...that elementary school arrogance you display right there. you guys obviously think your special because you bought it and own it. Never fail to take an opportunity to let everyone know it. Who's better than you, right? It's just so old and tired. Give it a rest. Same with Tron...every other day it's a new thread with a poll "is Tron better" etc. Jesus do you really need everyone's support to feel validated for owning the game? Are you having doubts so need to post yet again that its THE BEST! Is that really what Pinside is for? To gloat about your opinion? Or your possessions? Yell from the rooftops! That's what guys with small dicks have always done and will continue to do.

Two to one people disagree with you. Three to one disagree with McCune.

Shocking. Ask me no questions and ill tell you no lies.

Have you played the freaking game? Because if you haven't, HOW can your opinion be informed?!?

I really don't get the rabid appeal on AC/DC, a friend has a premium that I could go play anytime, but feel no urge to do so. That said, I voted it to be a top 5 Stern, because it's certainly a breath of fresh air from what they have been turning out. I really haven't been thrilled with anything they have produced since Family Guy.

I guess it is a by product of so many games going into homes now, these best game ever threads have been happening since LOTR, everyone who bought one feels the need to validate their purchase, understandable, but getting tiresome.

Great games stand the test of time, that's why B/W games dominate all the lists, Stern has a couple of contenders, games that I don't personally care for, but that have a long enough track record to be considered Top 10/20 games. Tron or AC/DC may make it, but they are not there yet.

Wait ten years my ass

Why the hell do people think this way? What logic is there to the idea that pins can't be compared until 10 years goes by?

Because like fine wines, static pinball machines age to become better and more complex with time....

Ill have to give TSPP a try. I have yet to find a good one in the area.

As for Avengers I hope I am wrong. Use your brain and look at the shots and the history of Gomez designs. Visualize. Poor playfield designs can be propped up by great software and music. Gomez revealed nothing exciting and talked about the same skill shot. Lame call outs.

Here is real video of Avengers at Gameworks. Is it better then IM LOTR ACDC??? Try not to fall asleep watching it. Come on Gomez we want you to homerun.

I loved it because I had to for competition. Now I can look at it subjectively and I hate that it's just points based. Good for comps not for fun.

I would never play in a competition. I find AC/DC to be absolute pure fun. *shrug*

I'll tell you why, because when things are new most people tend to overhype them, it takes time to for a movie, or car, or whatever to find it's place when being ranked against others that came before it. Declaring any game that has only been out a short while the best game ever is just ridiculous, and you're not going to change my mind on that.

I think they all got married 10 years ago.

What if someone thinks its the best game ever "as of TODAY" ? We exist now, we play games now. It's one of the games I'm having the most fun with right now. Why is this a bad thing?

I think fun is only bad if you voice your enjoyment. Now get back to your TF bashing!

Nah, that's no fun

Could not disagree with this more. I realize you can't quantify fun, but personally, I've never had more fun playing any other pin. Sometimes I play for points. Other times I play because I want to scream along with the beginning of "For Those About to Rock" while shooting the ball at stuff.

Here's the thing. This is a pinball forum. You are not discussing this game with people who have not played or owned some of the best pins out there. I've owned TSPP. I think it's a great game, that wore out its welcome, not because of its complexity, but because of its "depth". It became work. That said, I still think it is a top 20, if not top 10, game. I liked it more than LOTR. AC/DC has not only beat out the best Stern's for me, but also 2 of the top 3 games listed here that I also owned. Has nothing to do with newness. I moved an AFM for this game and I thought that game was NEVER leaving.

You are the one being ridiculous.

You are acting like AC/DC has been out for two months or something. If that was the case, you would have a point, as that would be a "honeymoon phase" or whatever you want to call it.

But this ten year crap is just plain ludicrous (edit: actually, you were the one in the other thread that said to "wait 15 years", not 10. My bad). And you're not going to change my mind on that. There's zero logic to it.

You're trying to have a discussion with a maniac who sees pinball in terms of "Lists" and "Rankings" and "This game vs. that game" ....we're people who sees pinball as "I hit start and have a good time" and "I really enjoy this game, but I ALSO can enjoy other games!". It's like arguing politics or religion at this point

Also because unused to think LOTR was the best ever when I first bought it. A couple years later it wore on me and it got knocked down off its pedestal. I found myself playing other games more and realized it wasn't as great as I thought. ACDC may be similar.

That's nonsense. I'm guessing you didn't go for Encore in competition. Unless you're a top 10 player, you go for Encore strictly for fun. Because you have to mostly ignore song jackpots and you rarely make it to Encore, scores are very low. Strictly for fun.

It's the "test of time" theory and although there is merit to that phenomenon, it is a complete cop out when utilized as a way to shut down someone's positive criticism of a new product. It's even worse when the person utilizing it doesn't have a solid argument/critique.

On topic MY opinion: This game is incredible primarily because of the rules (Ritchie's physical design is still awesome and plays to the rules more than people credit). It's the only modern Stern I can think of that has adopted this sort of "Doctor Who" style of rule structure: where the point isn't mode completion or necessarily trying to stack everything, it's more about giving you multiple strategic options that play towards what your strengths or weaknesses *as a player* may be. Now, Doctor Who is unbalanced as hell...so the concept kind of falls flat. You can go for loops into sonic boom, video mode to collect all doctors then go MB/Sonic Boom or whatever. The intent in DW, and where AC/DC succeeds it, is that your choices are balanced (doctors = songs).

AC/DC is so balanced in the choices it gives you, that player X deciding to go with one set of songs is just as "correct" in his strategy as player Y doing a completely different set of songs. This shows an incredible amount of gameplay depth in a way Stern hasn't really done. It's a way that linear mode heavy guys find alien and that the IM/Tron/Spider-Man guys find a bit intimidating. Competing and losing in the AC/DC rule environment isn't just a matter of not getting through as many modes as the other person or getting a couple lousy balls that didn't allow you to stack the straight forward high scoring modes. When someone of equal play ability beats you on AC/DC, there is a good possibility that they didn't just out play you, but they out thought you as well. That they knew which songs aligned with their skill set or the best strategy to take, amongst many, when a certain situation presented itself...and maybe you didn't. To me, that's exciting design.

I only see AC/DC not being considered a great game 10 years from now if A) the last few DMD games or the LCD generation winds up releasing something that vastly improves upon this rule style B) someone finds some completely unbalanced song strategy in the game that negates all other strategies.

It's a Top 5 Stern for sure. Best Stern ever it is damned close, but you have at least three other games definitely worthy of that spot. Top 5 ever...it's in my personal list. *shrug*

Actually, if I want to buy one cheap some day I should be saying the opposite. No. Sorry. AC/DC is worse than IJ4. You're all suckers for buying it and you should pay me just to drive out and haul your embarrassing garbage ass NIB Premium away.

Thanks for calling me a maniac, and I will confess that I am more of a collector than a player, but I collect what I like, not what I think will be trendy or go up in value. I've been doing this for 24 years, and collect games from all eras, so please don't try to tag me with as a B/W fanboy, fact is in a room full of different games, I'm just as likely to be playing a game from the 60's as I would any 90's Bally's or modern Stern's.

Funny thing is, my favorite Stern is one I'm pretty sure you like considering your avatar, I think it's a great game, and the last stern that I went out of my way to acquire, nothing since then has done anything for me including Tron and AC/DC.

Exactly what I am saying, it can work that way or the reverse. I used to think The Shadow was junk, but got forced to play it in a few tournaments and then finally "got it", now it's one of my absolute favorites. Same thing happened with the CFTBL.

The euphoria on a new game can wear off, sometimes takes weeks, sometimes months, maybe a few years, sometimes never. Games that are still extremely popular after 5, 10 years are the ones that deserve to be called great. Sorry if that irks some people, but that's how I see it.

That argument suggests to me that you obviously don't get the game yet. Because if you did, you'd know that very few actually understand all the rules of the game so far. And you would challenge them based on that.

'How can you call it the best game ever if you don't even know all the rules?'

Instead, you wheel out a tired old cargument. Which never works. Just wait until people start understanding all the rules. Someone will eventually write a rulesheet. Even more love will grow for the game then. Might want to invest in some ear plugs now. It's gonna get even louder.

That's already happened. Bowen raped the right ramp at PAPA. Lyman fixed it. The War Machine rape was also fixed.

I meant it in more of an "eccentric collector" type of way than a malicious insult...

DING DING DING!!!!!!!

Wait wait wait, you just confessed to being more of a collector than a player - yet you think WE'RE loving AC/DC because we're trendy? NO DUDE, it's because we're PLAYING IT and it's SO FRIGGIN FUN!!!!!!!

Here's proof that I'm not a trendy pinball player. I love Avatar...and Baywatch. lol

I don't know what the point is of AC/DC threads, the owners are so black and white. There should be one thread on AC/DC titled "log on and fawn over AC/DC or go away and die"

Im white. Did some just crap on this thread??

Hey its better then the Xmen New code update thread!! Glad Im not part of that right now.

To sum up the poll at this point:
In last place: 27 people think ACDC is the best game ever.
bronze medal: 48 people just don't get the love for ACDC.
silver medal: 54 votes say it's the best Stern ever.
gold medal by far: 114 votes for it being a top 5 Stern game.

So basically the general consensus is that it's a great game, but definitely NOT the best game ever.

It is the best game I have ever owned ! So it IS my best game ever !

Jim

From now on when I play, I'm going to sing along...but I will replace all the lyrics with "Best game ever!" No more "For those about to rock...FIRE...weee soluuute yooou!" ....it'll be "This is the best game ever....EVER!!! BEST GAAAAME EVEEERRR!!!"

Anger, denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

I don't own one but this is my concern. Trying to separate great music of AC/DC from the actually gameplay. Which to me layout wise is a carbon copy of Iron Man minus the lower playfield and cross over ramp. Code seems to make this game which is why I'm still very intrigued. I love Ritchie but credit on this one seems more to go to Lyman. Borg gets my props as he designed IM first. Sorry, just calling it like I see it.

and IM is an Austin powers rip off.

You had me at hello then lost me with this sentence.

I would be very concerned! I would not buy one or even play one, due to copyright infringements to IM !

Good call

Jim

This mainly applies to those claiming it's the "best game evah!" A great game will stand the test of time. It's just like cars or music. When something is new, everybody loves it. Ten years later, we shall see. It is a valid argument.

First, at least Borg was part of AP. Second, don't agree with comparison. No scoop in IM, no shot back at you IN AP, no center key target in IM. Only thing in common is fan style.

With IM and AC/DC you have kickback (Bell vs War Machine), two ramps, another type of kick back element (TNT versus Whiplash) and pops in same place. It's the same layout. Look at the pics then specify your disagreement. Code is vastly different just layout is what I'm referring to.