(Topic ID: 183463)

Best and Worst Upper Playfields

By Nokoro

7 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 93 posts
  • 51 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 53 days ago by haiderdj
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

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There are 93 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
#52 6 years ago

I'm not sure if I would consider that WH20 has a true upper playfield. It's more of a raised upper shot area like NO FEAR...
To be considered an "Upper Playfield" it should also have targets/inserts (not just a flipper to a lane/ramp) ...

#53 6 years ago

Best-

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#55 6 years ago

I like stewie pinball on FG. Think TFLE has one of the worst.

-1
#56 6 years ago

Best - Black Knight, the original and great flow
Worst - Pharaoh, bad copy of the original and horrendous flow imo

#57 6 years ago

It is good but can it be considered an upper playfield if their is no playfield directly under it?
I would consider that as an "elevated" playfield...

#58 6 years ago
Quoted from Sammy31:

can it be considered an upper playfield if their is no playfield directly under it?

Yes. I took that pic right off IPDB and look what they call it.

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=874&picno=34732

#59 6 years ago

More of a split playfied then an upper playfield, but I'll toss out a vote for Hardbody. If we're counting split playfields, the aforementioned Flash Gordon is really good too.

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#60 6 years ago

Worst - pistol poker.
best - BK2K, Solar Fire, FG, Banzai Run, Pinball Circus

Medusa I wouldn't call an upper playfield, else it would be on the best list.

-c

#61 6 years ago
Quoted from CraigC:

Pinball Circus

Hmm...good pick. I didn't originally think of that one.

#62 6 years ago
Quoted from Eskaybee:

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned, but TFLE ironhide takes the crown for worst mini pf ever.

I was getting sad I hadn't played the awfulness that RZ's upper has, but no need to fret because it can't possibly be any worse than TFLE, IF we're calling it a PF and not just an abortion. There are ones that aren't bad but ugly like WPT, and then ones that are just bad...but TFLE is the only one I can think of that I haven't played in 5 years...I just refuse. I time that sack of shit out.

I don;t know aboot best...lots of good ones

#64 6 years ago
Quoted from lpeters82:

More of a split playfied then an upper playfield, but I'll toss out a vote for Hardbody. If we're counting split playfields, the aforementioned Flash Gordon is really good too.

Hardbody does have a great split playfield...

#65 6 years ago

Vector and Elektra are bad.
BK and BK2K are awesome.

#66 6 years ago
Quoted from MarcelG:

Vector and Elektra are bad.

Yeah not much room on Vector that's for sure.

#67 6 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

Yes. I took that pic right off IPDB and look what they call it.
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=874&picno=34732

If you remove the playfield and all you have left is half a game then i would call that a split playfield not upper.
Example: remove the upper playfield on aerosmith or GOT and you still have a full game under it...you dont get that with Flash or Electra...

#68 6 years ago
Quoted from Sammy31:

i would call that a split playfield not upper.

You can call it what you want, but Bally called it upper. I'll go with Bally on this one.

#69 6 years ago

The flyer for Flash Gordon refers to them as levels.

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flyer1 (resized).jpgflyer1 (resized).jpg

#70 6 years ago
Quoted from pinballkim:

The flyer for Flash Gordon refers to them as levels.

And if you read the bottom it is referred to as "upper". Not split.

#71 6 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

And if you read the bottom it is referred to as "upper". Not split.

Correct, it says upper level, lower playfield.

#72 6 years ago

Does that mean I win an internet, or does that mean I lose?

#73 6 years ago

I think it means "upper playfield" is open to interpretation. But please feel free to take an internet if you are running low.

#74 6 years ago
Quoted from Eskaybee:

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned, but TFLE ironhide takes the crown for worst mini pf ever.

That might take the crown for worst thing on a pinball machine ever. So pointless and awful.

#75 6 years ago
Quoted from CraigC:

Worst - pistol poker.
best - BK2K, Solar Fire, FG, Banzai Run, Pinball Circus
Medusa I wouldn't call an upper playfield, else it would be on the best list.
-c

Aww, I like Pistol Poker overall.

#76 6 years ago
#77 6 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

And if you read the bottom it is referred to as "upper". Not split.

True, but how else would you describe the split part of the playfield that is located in the "upper" part of the game?... If the upper part was a sunken playfield they would have still probably called it the upper playfield....hmmm, not sure if that is a good example but whatever...

Remember in that era of pinball they didn't have any truly detached upper playfields like they do now, so technicalities in wording didn't matter much...

#78 6 years ago
Quoted from Sammy31:

but how else would you describe the split part of the playfield that is located in the "upper" part of the game?... If the upper part was a sunken playfield they would have still probably called it the upper playfield....hmmm, not sure if that is a good example but whatever.

Let's get in the wayback machine and see how Gottlieb described Haunted House that had three different playfields.

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#79 6 years ago

From the videos I’ve seen, JJPOTC may win the prize for best upper playfield. What an incredibly innovative and fun looking playfield!

#80 6 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

From the videos I’ve seen, JJPOTC may win the prize for best upper playfield.

Never played it but just crown it's ass eh?

#81 6 years ago
Quoted from TheLaw:

Never played it but just crown it's ass eh?

Relax. I said “may”. All things are contingent upon actual experience playing. But the videos I have seen have me incredibly excited to try, and the initial reactions from folks who have played it have been overwhelmingly positive. Still, I’m not crowning anything. I just think it looks awesome. “Looks” being the key word.

#82 6 years ago

If you think a rocking upper playfield with two spinners, two targets, and one loop is awesome (I'm assuming just because it rocks), you probably would love the GOT upper playfield. It's epic: three targets, one loop, a moon hole, and two three other exits. And, oh yeah...a dragon that flaps its wings. Epic. (At least, I think so!)

#83 6 years ago
Quoted from beelzeboob:

If you think a rocking upper playfield with two spinners, two targets, and one loop is awesome (I'm assuming just because it rocks), you probably would love the GOT upper playfield. It's epic: three targets, one loop, a moon hole, and two three other exits. And, oh yeah...a dragon that flaps its wings. Epic. (At least, I think so!)

I played the GOT upper playfield a few times but not enough to fully understand the rules.

#84 6 years ago

Fair enough. My point is just that while the new POTC upper playfield is inventive and decorated beautifully, there's really not a whole lot going on up there. Meanwhile many think the GOT upper playfield is among the worst, which I'm not getting at all. There's a lot to do on that...not sure what the rules have you do on the POTC one, so I am speaking somewhat out of ignorance here.

#85 6 years ago
Quoted from beelzeboob:

Fair enough. My point is just that while the new POTC upper playfield is inventive and decorated beautifully, there's really not a whole lot going on up there. Meanwhile many think the GOT upper playfield is among the worst, which I'm not getting at all. There's a lot to do on that...not sure what the rules have you do on the POTC one, so I am speaking somewhat out of ignorance here.

I’m not sure having a lot to do necessarily translates to a great upper playfield. I’m speaking generally here and not about GOT. You don’t want the upper playfield to necessarily distract from the main game. You want to get the ball up there and have a limited goal that is hard but not out of reach. WOZ and TSPP fit the bill for me. JJPOTC also seems to fit from what I’ve seen. Again not sure about GOT because I didn’t get a good feel for it. However I didn’t have long ball times up there, and that was a positive.

Getting back to JJPOTC, there’s a loop with two spinners, two stand up targets, and a cannon to load. And, you have to do all this, timing your shots, while the thing rocks back and forth. For me, that seems really fun and innovative. Of course, the proof will be when I finally get to play it.

5 years later
#86 11 months ago

Resurrecting this thread.

Putting in a vote for JJP POTC as best upper playfield.

#87 11 months ago

Since lowers have been mentioned Munsters is pretty great.

#88 11 months ago
Quoted from haiderdj:

Resurrecting this thread.
Putting in a vote for JJP POTC as best upper playfield.

Honestly, not sure that this one can be beaten. Incredible. Tspp is super high, too. Basically most of the ones with two flippers.

#89 11 months ago

I like upper playfields, and I own several that I would consider amongst the best: The shadow, WOZ, and black knight.

#90 11 months ago

I love GNR’s. Fast, quick, not grindy, good rules. A win in my book.

#91 11 months ago

I should add another great upper playfield that many will never get a chance to play...BMX

#92 11 months ago
Quoted from Eskaybee:

I love GNR’s. Fast, quick, not grindy, good rules. A win in my book.

Im not a fan of it. It is beautiful, but boring for me. Plus, taking a couple whacks at the lights target grants one of the easiest to start mulitballs in pinball history.

9 months later
#93 53 days ago

I previously posted about JJP POTC, which I still believe is the greatest upper pf of all time. PF rocks back and forth (don't fall off the side)! Two flippers and two spinners. Tied to it's own multiball, which has multiple stages to load the cannon and *shoot across at another ship*. Also involved as a skill shot, to collect characters during chapters, a special add-a-ball feature if you're playing as a specific character, slower pf rocking if you're playing as a different specific character, and probably other things that I'm missing.

An upper pf that's really underrated is Weird Al's Mezzanine:

- Skill shot up the spiral ramp to upper pf is AWESOME. Super duper skill shot is chef's kiss.
- The cafe loop shot can be done on the forehand *or the backhand*. When you get it going fast on the forehand it goes through the loop and up into the target, then returns to the mini-flipper for you to do it again (and again) -- which is really satisfying.
- UHF lock can be tricky, but it's also very satisfying.
- Instead of going to the upper pf, some shots divert into the hamster wheel, which is it's own great thing.
- Right ramp entry to upper pf is not always engaged (it's a lift ramp). The magnet assist up the right ramp to the upper pf is cool. During certain times, a VUK feeds the magnet, which slings it around to the the upper pf, which is a slightly different (but great) effect.
- Upper pf has it's own dedicated mode in "My Bologna". Building tall sandwiches is fun!
- Upper pf shots are important to collecting spatulas, which qualify your outland ball save.
- "Drink from the Firehose" mini-game to save your ball after draining, if qualified. Get 3 of 10 shots up the spiral ramp (onto the upper pf) to save your ball. It kind of reminds me of a pitch-and-bat game.
- Upper pf is used in some of the games "main" modes such as Sports Song and I'll Sue Ya. Personally, I think this is a good balance because it has many varied uses, but the game doesn't become all about keeping it on the upper playfield.

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