(Topic ID: 171530)

Borg's Best?

By rai

7 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 131 posts
  • 69 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by Hougie
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

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Topic poll

“which is your favorite John Borg pin from the last 6 years?”

  • IM 39 votes
    8%
  • Tron 89 votes
    19%
  • Metallica 189 votes
    40%
  • TWD 106 votes
    23%
  • XM 26 votes
    6%
  • Kiss 10 votes
    2%
  • Avatar 5 votes
    1%
  • BBH 6 votes
    1%

(470 votes)

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#1 7 years ago

I currently have 4 John Borg ((pro)) pins which were ~$4700.

While some might say that's a lopsided tilt in my medium size collection, I love them and would be hard pressed on which one I like the least.

While Borg has designed these great pins, we can't ignore how the rules/art/theme/sound/music/dots (etc.) come together and in how the Pinside community has augmented the sound/music in great ways.

One thing in common is they're somewhat simple (on the pro) not a lot of moving parts, but the simplicity is often an asset and the (often) short games with intense moments and big rewards keep me hitting play and on pinball nights these pins are great for multi player games especially since one single shot can turn the tables in a big way.

Met is probably my favorite. While I am not a master or have not got very deep into the back side of the rules. I just love the shots (ramps and loops) as well as the fun in line drop targets, the simple yet elegant captive ball and snake toys. I love the theme, music, rules etc..

Tron not be as intense but is very smooth and the sound/music go along with the rules and love the way SOS is attainable leading to Portal which I've yet to reach.

IM which is so easy great flow loops, ramps and great toy (Monger) and three spinners! Can't get much more simple yet intense.

TWD speaking of intense, this is the one that gets me hitting the tilt more than any other. It's another seemingly simple pin without too much going on (at least on the pro) but yet it does a lot with it's simplicity.

I have owned XMLE and played Avatar a bit. They are both fun but didn't think they were *as* good as the four I currently own. I have only played Kiss once have not formed an opinion, have played BBH but don't recall it very well but the theme was not my favorite.

#11 7 years ago

Why do you think TWD has the best code? I just picked up TWD pro to replace XMLE, I think the code is great but have not got too far maybe I haven't got to the best part yet.

I believe XMLE was terrific except the code was not quite great. Had a ton of good stuff just not a great overall code, Stern really dropped the ball on that game code IMO. Needed one more good update.

#26 7 years ago

IM not pictured

I'm playing TWD a lot since its new, but to me it's so much more brutal than any pin I've played. Maybe I need to get my shots down better but it seems as if a small millimeter off leads to a screaming missile towards a drain. But I love it.

image (resized).jpegimage (resized).jpeg

#39 7 years ago

About TWD at first I was like what? Regarding the layout, I thought the ramps were too slow and the pops were too much, but now that I own it I'm really enjoying how odd it is and how it really is nicely designed. I think he improved on the Wolverine / Well Walker bash toy both in location and action. The long ramps and pops give me time to breath or park a ball during MB.

#44 7 years ago

I love Avatar but I think one ramp is a drawback. I really love the art package.

#60 7 years ago

I traded XMLE for TWD and probably think the code is better/more intense for TWD, this may be something because it's new to me and I had XM for 4 years. XM was great but something didn't make it a keeper probably the code.

#76 7 years ago

XM rules while there is a lot to do just seem half baked to me. As if Stern just said that's good enough, but didn't go the extra mile. As if I was still waiting for an update but know it won't come. IMO to get to DP you need to defeat all the Villians is not even possible for my skill. In LOTR just starting all the modes gets to TABA or DSTR and in TWD starting all the modes gets you to Terminus, in Tron it gets you to SOS. At least I have something to shoot for. But knowing that I'd need to defeat all the Villians to me means that DP doesn't even exist. Easy enough fix IMO that they could even have a few option choices in the menu to dial it into an acceptable level. Restarting completed heroes is another bugaboo for me. If I am aiming for the last hero, the last thing I need is to be restarting a mode I've already defeated.

I'm not saying the rules of XM are horrible but more that they didn't live up to the potential.

#78 7 years ago
Quoted from Astropin:

These are not words I've seen put together before.

No really easy to explain. I can have a new player who's never played pinball before. I can explain this is how you start Monger, this is how you start Whiplash, this is how you start Boogie, this is IRON MAN targets, this is Drone targets. If you light the character inserts gets you this, if you light the Mark inserts gets you that. Takes me about 3 minutes to explain. Now ACDC for example, I still can't explain some things like note shots.

IM is very easy for beginners just loops and ramps and stand up targets. Even if it's a hard game to master it's easy to step up to and play.

#80 7 years ago

Looks like Met is the winner with as many votes as the next two contestants TWD and Tron

IM in fourth place with as many votes as the next three choices put together.

#82 7 years ago
Quoted from davebart5:

It seems like MET is king based on the responses, and I certainly don't disagree. Titles like TWD and Tron are strong honorable mentions.
TFTC gets some love here too, which is great to read because I too love mine, especially with the latest code update.
Op, can we add TFTC to the poll?

Can't add to the poll but I can put another poll (new) some of his older games. Not sure how many items are allowed in a poll, but I'll do it sometime later.

#93 7 years ago

I didn't mind XM voices, like the Beast and Storm etc

Guess it came down to I think TWD is better or at least new to me.

I hated to sell XM but in place I got TWD and got Lotr without my wife getting mad it was like I only got one pin net.

#96 7 years ago

Just had a GREAT game on TWD and I'd have to say that it's *A LOT* down to code. If only XM was as well coded!!!!!

Yes XM has a lot of rules and nice shots like Gambit Hurry Up, but overall just not as intense to me as TWD multi balls (let alone the mini wizards on TWD that I've yet to reach). Might be the kick ass NIN sound package that was done by Pinsider. All around intense and fun.

I was not in on TWD or Metallica when they came out, I can't recall how the old code was if it was bad.

I got IM and Tron after they were essentially done but I got XM from day one, so I know how bad code can hurt a pin, basically XM was a dog for a while and I never played it for months on end. Eventually XM got ok but never to the level of Met or TWD.

#103 7 years ago

I think the STM drain from the pops can be corrected. As for the prison magnet, I think it's random like IM where it *can* throw the ball STM but doesn't have to.

#105 7 years ago
Quoted from Baiter:

Yes.. it's nearly inexcusable that the game was let out the door without something as simple as a 1-2 second ball save off that magnet given the propensity to drop or throw the ball between the flippers. It's actually easier to save those than the trajectory out of the pops due to speed, but in either case it requires super fast reflexes and a violent shove or two on the game.

I don't think a ball save is necessary, this is the unpredictable aspect of pinball that makes it so fun/frustrating as we've seen people actually complain when a pin has too long of ball times, I like the brutal nature of TWD.

#110 7 years ago

A while back XM was at or above IM which I thought was interesting but later IM came on strong.

#120 7 years ago

I see a lot of similarities between IM and Met pro meaning the loops, ramps, top roll over with pops in the similar position, both have the standard up post after the top lain. But the code and the additional features make these two play very different.

#123 7 years ago

I agree, but might be I was camped out in the preliminary portion of the game too often, whereas LOTR for example or Tron is not that difficult to see some mini wizard modes even if you are not an excellent player.

DP requires beating all the Villains? I probably had not defeated more than 1-2 in my best games so to me DP is just a concept. I had only got to DR one time. I know that was attainable but with my lack of skill or limited playing time since I have so many games it was just not happening. One easy fix would be to start DP after starting all the Villains can be adjusted in the menu if people prefer to make it easier or more difficult.

IMO I'd prefer more options to make a pin easier without adding a ton of extra balls.

Perhaps I'd like it better if I was more focused on one or two pins. As it was with my collection getting a new pin roughly once every 5 months and also I don't play a lot. Plus with my pin had not adjusted Wolverive at all so setting up some of the upper flipper shots was not easy for me.

#126 7 years ago
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:

Yes you must defeat all villians to get to DP. The only times I got to both DR & DP I focused on completing the villains and usually after that the Hero modes took care of themselves without much focus on them on my part. Adjusting wolvie (on LE) or better yet installing Newton ball mod by mezelmods is a must!
I agree it's a very difficult pin to progress through the modes in. I think that's why I like it so much. I can totally see how that could really make it frustrating though. Playing and mastering XM took my skill set to a new level I think that is another reason why I love it so much.

Probably since my XMLE had the factory Wolverine placement it was more frustrating than fun.

I far prefer the Well Walker placement and the multiball to Weapon-X MB which I just never cared for.

I never put in the time required to master XMLE so was very frustrating as the wizard modes were beyond reach.

While I really liked the Gambit hurry up, it was just a medium amount of points so not really a big deal like DOD hurry up for example. So while it was fun to make the Gambit shot it really didn't boil down to anything in the game.

#128 7 years ago
Quoted from dzoomer:

These themes seem evident to you, but I think other members miss it in discussions here. I see xmen and MET elements in TWD with improvement tweaks as well. On only a pure shot perspective I really enjoy the TWD shots and design. I see TWD as the spiritual successor of MET and XM. And as noted by many, the coding is awesome too.

Of course coding is (for me) probably the most important thing and why I really enjoy my Stern pins.

While I do understand this is discussing Borg designs pins, I greatly appreciate the rules and lately Lyman's great code on Met, TWD and (Tron/IM to a lesser extent).

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