Quoted from BC_Gambit:FWIW the simplicity of Dialed In is a bit of the draw. Glass half full, the multiballs are actual battles where you can't just cradle and daintily pick off your shots. They have magnets, chaos and tend to be short. A good counter to games like my JJP POTC which CAN be multiball heavy when you get it rocking. From what I have seen GNR is like that, on steroids.
I say that "Dialed In is one of the best 90's games ever made". And that is due to the ruleset. There are generally separate goals that don't necessarily twist into a super duper mega goal. You CAN go for Quantum Theater multiball mode if you feel like it. You can try for Bob modes and multiball. I have my bob modes/multiball qualification to one easier than the default just to see the red multiball modes a bit more often than "almost never". I swear without that adjustment I would get to Chaos in Quantum City more often than the red multiballs.
Is it a perfect game? No. But it keeps bringing me back after a year + of ownership so it must be doing something right.
I'd argue it's missing what the 90s games have. Look at the jackpot goals in TAF, TZ, TOTAN, STTNG, MM etc etc. You work up to a big jackpot and reset it and try again. DI has jackpots everywhere. There is no climax of any kind. The multiballs aren't really worth much and don't really involve excitement. Same goes for theatre modes. What's the point of shooting for the virtual spinner etc? To increase the points for a single multiball that you might not get and if you do, you might play for 1 minute? Way safer and more value to just shoot modes and use multiballs to get lit sims. It makes the game 2 dimensional.
The game is great, but IMDN made me realize that the code on DI is incomplete. Theatre modes should lead to sims as should the main multiballs. In fact, you should be able to collect two on the main multiball if you're good enough. That would make it well rounded and fun at all times.
I've heard that they're done with the code as well, so that's a big bummer. I don't see it lasting much longer if that is the case. I love the shooting, lightning, LCD with etc, but code is really bad in places.