Fun thread. BG for sure.

Millionaire should win just based on one of the best speech calls (if you have really lousy ball) in Pinball History... "Get a Job!" even the way the guy says it is funny. Anyone know who did the voice on that game?

I actually really like Big Guns. Weird ass theme, decent music, fun cannons... Millionaire is just 100% cheese and has a pretty unique layout that's fun to shoot. That ramp that shoots the ball back at you has a yagov kicker vibe that surprised me the first time it happened. Cool skillshot too (with the only in-line drops on a Williams game?). I haven't had much time on Road Kings, but I like the ramps. None of these 3 games are that bad, honestly. I'd gladly take any of them in my collection.

Interesting discussion and it is true that the SYS 11-series overall is a pretty solid generation of pinball games.

Being a BG-fan myself I have to say that this game, although very linear, certainly is one that scores high in sheer 80's awesomeness. That goes for both artwork and sound. The bold idea to let 1/3 of the PF be dedicated to those awesome double cannons/wiretrails and putting a bagatelle game in the backbox also makes this design stand out in a lineup - apart from being around 6 inches taller than any other normal game.

Generally I think people are put off by BG due to the seemingly narrow and symmetric playfield, and the lack of ramps, spinners and bumpers.
Regarding the theme; yes its weird, corny and maybe crazy - but once again; who wants clones of what already has been done dozen of times on earlier game designs.

Even if BG, Road Kings and Millionaire are on the lower end of the SYS11 scorecard - there are IMHO other games from that line that are even less interesting: Fire! and Bugs Bunny.

My vote is Big Guns only because 5 years ago I bought 2 in the same day, on the same street, about 2 miles apart, both for 1000 bucks each. One of my great days of pinball.
The garbled monster noise and save the queen. The bagetilly backbox challenge is unique aspect of game. And who doesn't love that giant head?
However, your missing Fire as the cheap man's system 11, and its my favorite.

Its well deserved and not nearly as "nice" as the mountain of applause for some modern boat anchors like Champion Pub or Popeye......

Millionaire is one of my favorite games to show non-pinball people. It has an interesting skill shot that anyone can get the hang of. No lock qualifiers so anyone can get multiball. And post passing is easy (at least on my game) so anyone can get a taste of a semi-advanced skill.

Of your three options, I’d pick Road Kings.

Cool music, obtainable goal, you can build the kickout value up. Plus, bonus points for the dude on the backglass.

Big Guns is ok ... jackpot is pretty tough to get, backbox bagatelle is a bit of a waste of time.

Sorry, Millionaire is not good. Art is awful, sound is awful, gameplay is not good. Hey, it’s an awesome pinball machine buy for $600! But that’s about it. The boards are worth more than the pin is. Lol.

I’ve been thinking of splitting up my complete SYS11 collection - first out the door would be Millionaire, followed quickly by Fire. Never warmed to that game. (Pun!!)

Bugs Bunny would be close behind but the wife says “it’s cute! It’s bugs bunny!!!” So I’m doomed to own it for eternity.

The other 27, I really like!

rd

PS Road Kings Dude rules!
E145DB1D-AE1A-4A85-9DB8-EE3D0EE54175 (resized).jpeg

Big Guns!
Great overhead style art.
Shoot Space Goblins
Not 1 but 2 cannons that shoot the ball through the air.
Save the Queen!
Backbox Bagatelle
Not 1 but 2 outlane/center drain lane saves.
3 ball multiball
6 drop targets
Fast and furious!

Reaaaalllyyyy????

(Haha I actually agree with this)

Road Kings is my pick. Killer music and the theme is the tops with its Road Warrior/post-nuke apocalyptic artwork. Plays great too.

Your Road Kings was my very first Pinball! Packing it up for you and taking it to the shipping place in Houston brings back memories. Play a game and drink a beer for me tonight!!!

Road Kings for the win! You’ll be back, Jack!

Funny, as I was thinking of that literally last week when I played it to test it before a big tournament weekend I was hosting.

Thanks for selling it to me!

rd

Road Kings is awesome. The rules around spotting the ROAD KINGS letters are well designed, the half-loop is easier to hit than the target banks, but carries a greater risk of a center drain. The Time Lock is tense and challenging, far more difficult than Pinbot's similar Solar Value, and there's a further goal after it in multiball with the Mega Score. Excellent music that I believe was the first instance of a game adding a new melody line to the song as play goes on, and cool sounds, especially the return of the High Speed freeway siren for going up the left orbit. It's also a bit of a sentimental game for me, I played a lot of it in high school.

Big Guns has my favorite theme concept in all of pinball, as well as one of the greatest callouts ("YOU ARE INVINCIBLE!"), but I actually haven't played it enough to form a solid opinion beyond that. It's never been on location where I live, I only get to play it at a yearly show.

I've never played Millionaire. I saw it once, but the displays were out. Pardon the pun, but without any scoring, I didn't see the point in playing.

I think Road Kings has by far the best layout. For home-use rules are a bit too easy though: I'd make sure to put settings on hard, so it's a bit more of a challenge to get to multiball.

Hush your mouth. You can't split things up. You've set an amazing bar that I'm trying to match........Fire is great. Such a strange player. That must be why I like it.

i didn't enjoy millionaire when I played it but I will admit I have limited time on it.

chris

Just happened across this thread kind of late. I'll take..

1. Big Guns. There is a LITTLE more to it then the other 2 as far as objectives. I would rate "Fire" about here too. Mine is brutally fast with a CPR playfield.
2. Road Kings. Recently got one. Like the theme mostly. Pretty cool game play.
3. Millionaire. It was a decent game. Not looking too hard to replace the one I sold.

I've only played/owned a Road Kings. (So I'm biased) One of my first machines and have actually learned a lot on Williams games because of the various repairs I've had to do on her. (Connectors burnt & replaced, NVram installed, flippers totally shot & rebuilt and my first mods!)
Recently added some soft white GI led's to lighten her up a bit which helped quite a bit. Have her sitting right next to my T2 and actually fits right in - futuristic, motorcycles, multi-ball.... "You'll be back" next to "I'll be back"

I bought a Big Guns project machine back in June. It's my first System 11, joining my Williams Gorgar and Williams Honey machines in the gameroom. I've got it working well again, after doing some rework on the MPU to fix traces damaged by a previous owner. I'm already searching for another System 11 to add next summer.