I wanted a nice Fireball and an EM Joker Poker when I started buying. Those were two of the better ones that showed up around here when I was young. I thought it was a crapshoot at best. Then I heard Judge Dredd was only a $1400 game! Many EMs are valued at more than that. Now I have several EM beauties I had never played. Thanks to the interwebs and friends in the EM hangout. But sometimes we do go to Norm's.

norm_(resized).jpg

You're getting slow Markmon. Fourteen other replies before you posted your usual anti-EM rant.

Yeah but he played every EM game in three minutes. I'm lucky if one lasts that long.

Interesting. Most people I know who are into modern era stick with modern era. Well, I for one would never replace my games with EMs. If EMs were my only option, I would rather just not have any pins.

If you don't like the game play, no one will convince you otherwise. Pass on all the EM's you see, so they may go to those wanting them.

You can clean, fix, and restore EM's too -- they will challenge your mind, and EE abilities.

But, modding is not usually something a collector does to their EM.

If you really like fixing games, put your name 'out there' and start taking on the challenge repair other peoples EM's.

Be nice now. Every time I see those dmd mod threads I have to keep myself from asking, "Neat, what's your dolly's name?" But I don't because I'm nice like that.

Collecting these older games has given me a lot of respect for the founding fathers of our hobby.

And Steve Kordek designed some of the hardest games I ever played.

From day 1, I've collected, bought and sold both EMs and Digitals. Variety is the spice of life. Not sure why it has to be one or the other.

A good game is a good game, a good deal is a good deal, and I won't pass on any of them.

Because we're not in the EM hangout.

I think it was Kordek's brutal and addictive games that first really got me hooked and bridged the gap between the old and new. Then I branched out to all the other great designers of the past. If you want a real challenge step up to a 60s Kordek and that will learn you.

This is why you should get into EM's.

I have 3 locations. One is DMD, One is SS and one is EM. I hold monthly tournaments at all 3 of them and people are starting to "get" EM games more as they play them in a competitive setting. EM games will make you a better pinball player.

My EM lineup at Metroboom is:

1976 Bally Flip-Flop
1975 Gottlieb El Dorado
1976 Williams Grand Prix

More info can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/The-MetroBoom-Monthly-EM-Only-Pinball-Tourney-1663501743906179/?fref=ts

For the serious DMD faithful, just watch the AFM multiball session on pinball 101 and watch the master use slight bumps, tip passes, sling activation/deadening to keep balls out of the inlane/outlane areas and other "nudging" techniques that are all from/valid on EM tables. Please note that these "techniques" are not listed during the demonstration as are the seperation cradles and the newton traps. You must pay attention to EVERYTHING that he is doing to play a superior game. Good EM play will make your DMD game a better one.

I don't think you should bother with EM, They are dirty, heavy, expensive to restore.... And that would just leave more for me.

EM collecting comes down to 3 things:
1. Can you work on them yourself, successfully?
2. Do you have someone who is able to fix them up in your pinball circle?
3. Are you willing to own the title you grab for a long, long time?
Luckily option 2 applies to my neck of the woods.
Option 3 is a fact of life - they are tough to sell/swap so you better be sure you like the title you are getting.

I have an excellent cond. Old Chicago, an old school 1968 Gottlieb Wedgie Funpark, and Space Mission, and play all 3 often.
I've had, in the past, Aladdin's Castle, Sonic Mars Trek which I STILL regret parting with 3 years later, a friend's Vulcan (great title), Surfer (also missed), and a Lawman when I was a kid--1980/81.

So..IMO if at all possible...Yes..well worth having 1 or 2 EM's in your herd.

See..here's someone who get's it.
1 from each of the big 3 70's pinball makers, and each a really good game. Kudos'

Beginners must be helpless against a location Flip Flop.

I do like variety. I spent quite a while last night trying to knock my buddies high score off Ripley's. After I failed with that venture it was nice to turn around and have some six flipper fun on my 1948 Ali Baba.

What's the score?

They look cool and they smell good.

19+ million. But I did just finish shopping it out and got it in the line-up. He's been playing it a bunch. I need to catch up. My score on Ali Baba last night was 750,000.

You should be CRUSHING that score.

Looking forward to getting some time to work on the 76 Royal Flush I have waiting. I got rid of my only EM so I need to get one in the line up pronto! I'll tell you, once you finally let the smooth sounds of the chimes in to your life, they're there for good.

I will be but with those outlanes open it keeps me on my toes.

Actually, Flip-Flop is set up (as it should be) with a loose tilt to get the inlane/outlane layout to be playable.

The open ended design of the inlanes on Grand Prix are the PF features that gets players cursing the most!

What top 3 EM titles would you recommend best represent the fun that can be had from EM pins?

Jeez there are so many. You would need a nice spread of diff'rent types. like some are mostly drops, some are heavy on spinner, gotta have some short flipper in there too.

You are going to get different responses as brand loyalty doesn't just exist it the modern pinball world. You need to decide what features and flipper size you are looking for and go from there.

Get one from the 50's, 60's and 70's! That would be sweet.

If I just starting to look at adding EMs I probably wouldn't have the ones I have now. It's a lot like any era. You can't go by what the masses say are the best. You have to find the best fit for you. Sort of a trial and error thing and there aren't a lot of places to play quality EMs. IPDB is your friend.

I don't see how anyone could be anti-EM. Not want to own one, sure (not really), but to not at least appreciate them?

Here's a new angle...a car analogy.

If a person in a '16 Vet pulled up next to a '58 Vet and said, 'bah'...that person would NOT be a 'car guy' in my book.

Agreed! I enjoy seeing the evolution of mechanisms. You'll be surprised at how very little the common mechs have changed over time, from the 30s/40s to the present day.

50s woodrails have a great risk/reward factor. 60s games will have you chasing specials. 70s games with typically 3" flippers are entirely different.

I like a lot of flipperless games, myself. "Be one with the ball".

Because they are very diff'rent than the games they grow up playing. It's very simple to dismiss them if you're coming from DMDs with Ramps etc. I was the same way.

I thought you only liked DE games?

I'm not that poor

O-din, you should make a video of yourself explaining how to play Big Daddy. If that doesnt sell people on EMs, nothing will.

Then I would have to make a youtube account. That means signing up with google, the devil himself! Speaking of which the automated bitch that calls everyday just rang.

No seriously I want to make some vids and a friend did come over with a fancy camera settup a couple times. I think I was just making a bunch of racket in the background though.

Ha...I agree, that's why you can go the Vimeo direction.

I don't own any EMs but wouldn't mind one. The upkeep and repair seems intimidating. I do like to tinker though............

Fair point, let me try asking the question another way... What are your favorite 3 EM's?

I will admit the Big Daddy vids that are out there are pretty weak.

That's a hard one to answer for me. There are so many great ones with so many different features. I'm up to around 25 now and always have my sights set for more. As much as I love two inch flippers, others swear by three inch games. You probably won't get the same response from any two people.

I like swinging targets, stand up targets, drop targets in moderation, gobble holes, inverted flippers, playfield race tracks, long shots that return to the top, spinners, rollovers and rollunders, well placed roto targets, kickout holes, single and multiplayer games. And those and other features are what the games I now have provide for our entertainment.

Many would say Fireball or Four Million BC, but there's just such a limitation on the play of 2' flip EM's - even though 85% of them are that way.

My favorite 3 that I have never owned.
*The family El Dorado/Target Alpha and it's 6 brothers.
*Bow and Arrow
*Argosy

My $.02:

Captain Fantastic
300
Blue Chip

Just as a sample. lots of other fun EM's

EMs are excellent for shock therapy. You can get free treatments while you bring your EM back to life. However, care must be taken to prevent excessive therapy through errant fingers touching the wrong wires or contacts.

Out of all the ones I have my favorite is Big Daddy, my buddy's favorite is Frontiersman, and the multiplayer that gets the most love is Pit Stop. So if I had to go with only three that would be a good place to start. But I'm not getting rid of any of the others any time soon.

My favorite 3 are:

Wizard! (Sunshine Playland in Maitland, Fl)
Hi Lo Ace (Beefy King in Winter Park, Fl)
Dodge City (outdoor laundry mat on Fairbanks near Rollins College, Winter Park)

Only because these are the three I enjoyed playing the most in the 70's. I've got 2 of three but am still looking fo Hi Lo Ace.

Back to the "I don't get it." I first loved pinball because I adored EMs when I was in college in the 70's. Rediscovered it in the early 90's, a different and much much better game. Somewhat lost interest until 2-3 years ago. Since then, I've been to Expo twice and many of the best public collections in the country. The only EMs I have liked were the A list games with a clear coat total rehab and steep incline. Otherwise I still don't see how EMs hold anybody's interest when they have access to the best dmds (except for the variety,art, and history.) FWIW, I don't fix my own games and I don't think short games with helpless drains are cool.

That's sort of my story but that's where the comparison ends. DMDS were the last games I played before starting to buy so I picked some of my favorites and that is how I would start collecting with a couple of the EMs I remembered on the list. However as child I was not exposed to the EMs I am now. And they are mostly not considered "A" titles as neither were the DMDs I wanted. If you go by what others consider "A" games then you are in for a disappointment if you are looking for something special.

Bingo!

I now own the two machines that sucked most of my quarters in the 70's: Triple Action and Space Mission.

Older (2 inch) machines that rock:
San Francisco: Great 2-incher, 2-player. The arrow feature is especially important in a 2-player game; you don't want to leave it in a good place for the next guy. You don't know short ball times and brutality until you play a gobble-hole machine.
Teacher's Pet: Pure pinball. And the art rules. Wait a minute. Check that. TP sux and I can't believe ODeeeen is still hanging onto his.
World Fair: Ditto TP. Sequential pop bumpers!. Love on-playfield specials. Chase that dancing special Baby.
Bally Circus (woodrail not the lame '70s version): 9 ball multiball! BallsaPoppin is similar but for some reason doesn't have the magic.

Re: Repairing EMs. You always know that it's a switch, a coil, or a motor. OK, it's almost always a switch.

A friend mentioned that when he sold his he regretted it and had to buy two more. I have got all the letters and special on it. Once. Mr. Kordek must have had a mean streak in him.