Alien Poker
Williams, 1980
Black Hole
Gottlieb, 1981
Black Knight
Williams, 1980
Cosmic Gunfight
Williams, 1982
Cybernaut
Bally, 1985
Eight Ball Deluxe
Bally, 1981
Fireball II
Bally, 1981
Firepower
Williams, 1980Thinking about adding something different to my collection. I've always been a DmD guy and my oldest game is a 1992. I've been thinking about adding something from an older era with a completely different feel. I have looked at the top rated list and some games like Fathom jump out at me. What games would you recommend that would be a good change up from todays fast games but still has a decent rule set and will not get old to fast?
Depends on what you like? Fast draining player's games? Spinners? Drops?
Personally I love the early 80's Bally's and Sterns like Flight 2000, Meteor, Nine Ball, Sea Witch, Embryon, Barracora. Also have mad love for Williams titles like Sorcerer, Black Knight, and High Speed.
Edit: Oh yeah, how could I forget Flash Gordon!
Alien Poker ..... my only non-DMD game and its a load of fun. I would also put a shout out to High Speed for that mid 80's feel
Quoted from pinballholder:Depends on what you like? Fast draining player's games? Spinners? Drops?
Edit: Oh yeah, how could I forget Flash Gordon!
Fast Draining: Yes
Inline Drop Targets: Yes
Spinners: Yes
Emperor Ming Awaits!
Quoted from Darcy:1986 Pin*Bot.
Can't argue with this. I'd keep mine if I weren't building funds for another game.
Quoted from DefaultGen:Haunted House is sweet
I'll second this..... Haunted House is awesome. A completely different change of pace compared to your other machines. Lots of shots on this game.
Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. I know someone in my area with a haunted house. I'll try to get over to his place and try it out sometime soon.
Hopefully it has some pitch to it so you can appreciate it. With some decent pitch to it, it is really fast for having such a wide open main playfield. Those kick back targets can eat you up in a hurry, and I am embarrassed by the number of times I have lost a ball after it hits that lower pop bumper.
Just find an early 80's Bally like Centaur, Eight Ball Deluxe. If you want to go cheaper than get a 1977 Bally Eight Ball that will play more like an EM but score solid state. A Bally Night Rider would also be a cheaper route.
Flash Gordon! Under appreciated because it doesn't have multiball and is a licensed theme maybe? So good. Games like Fathom and Centaur are great, but have gotten way pricey. Flash Gordon can still be found for very reasonable prices, and frankly is more fun IMHO.
Flash Gordon--brutally good game. Best Bally from the period, one of the best games ever. You will not be disappointed.
All good recommendations, I second, starting with Flash Gordon as it is just a damn awesome pinball game. Then more Bally - Harlem Globetrotters or Paragon (nod to Paragon here), Eight Ball Deluxe, Centaur and Fathom - all titles that are mostly sought after and of course a few Williams like Blackout or Sorceror, then the Sterns - Nine Ball, Galaxy, Meteor, Flight 2000, Gottliebs - Genie, Amazing Spider Man, and Hulk (all games I own or owned - the Gottliebs). So much good stuff throughout the history of pinball to go with. I really want at least one EM, but space is a premium. If you really want a change of pace, grab something EM. I like Soccer/Super Soccer, Abra ca Dabra, 2001, Jacks Open, Atlantis, there are even more good EMs out there. Speaking of, I'm gonna quit typing and start playing.
Thanks for all of the suggestions. It's really cool to see so much passion for some of the older games that don't always get much love.
Try out Williams Flash (more than 19K made) or Bally Skateball (a straight up Flash copy). Either one is fun and affordable so you won't have a bunch of $$ tied up in case you don't like them. Also take a good look at an older EM game. They're a complete change of pace from the newer games (in a good way).
Quoted from GSones:or Bally Skateball (a straight up Flash copy)
These are so hard to find, I know guys looking all over the country for good ones...
There are a ton of great options from that era. It will be hard to have just one.
I would not recommend Flash Gordon as the first one though. While I like the gameplay, design, art, and sound, it it a brutal game that will kick your butt and yield little. Watch the tutorial to see how a great player gets beat up for several games before having a decent one.
I think it belongs in a classic 80s collection, just not the first one.
Quoted from dmesserly:I would not recommend Flash Gordon as the first one though. While I like the gameplay, design, art, and sound, it it a brutal game that will kick your butt and yield little. Watch the tutorial to see how a great player gets beat up for several games before having a decent one.
That's why it's so good! Kicks your ass, but you want to be beaten down again and again. 
Quoted from oldskool1969:Forget electronics people. SURF CHAMP all the way!
You want 'Old School'? oldskool1969 has spoken. SC has to be the best pinball machine ever made, imho.
No love for Space Shuttle? Well, maybe it's not "THE BEST" alongside some of the others, subjectively... But it definitely has that "just one more go" factor, and can kick your ass when you least expect it...
Go Flash Gordon (like many others have said) or Paragon. If you're feeling adventurous, get a late EM
Quoted from goingincirclez:No love for Space Shuttle? Well, maybe it's not "THE BEST" alongside some of the others, subjectively... But it definitely has that "just one more go" factor, and can kick your ass when you least expect it...
I must agree! To this day, this pin kicks my ass just as hard as AC/DC but without the added bling. Love my Space Shuttle! Tastefully simple, yet unrefined.
For about the first 10 years of my collection, all I had was Early SS Williams games. There are soo many great games from the era it is really hard to pick just one...hence why my collections just seems to keep growing. I can't seem to give any of them up! You have System 6 games like Firepower, Blackout, Scorpion, Algar, Gorgar... Then the system7s Black Knight, Solar Fire, Barracora, Warlok, Time Fantasy, Cosmic Gunfight, Star Light (I could name them all but you get where I am going!) System 9s (a bit easier cause there is only 3 basically) Space Shuttle, Sorcerer, Comet. System 11s like High Speed, Pin*Bot, F-14 TomCat, Taxi...(again lots of choices here) Early Ballys, I am not as familiar with, but Fathom is a Great game! (Really need to get mine back together to take to some shows...) Stern's Star Gazer is one of my favorites...I guess it all just comes down to what you like...My suggestion would be go to some shows (if you are near Pittsburgh try to hit RePlayFX coming up the end of July, the PAPA facility has around 400 games to try so you could get a feel for what you like and would want to add to your collection) or find some collectors in your area and play some of the games you are thinking of, then when you find one that fits your qualifications then the hunt begins...
Good Luck with your hunt! 
Phoebe
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