Seems like there’s a lot of popular and expensive wedgeheads that are considered top tier simply because they’re great players with unique designs: Atlantis, C37, El Dorado, Abra Ca Dabra.

There are the the games that are collectible based pretty much on theme, but are kinda butt cheeks to play, Captain Fantastic is the one that really comes to mind.

Then there are the games that are valuable pretty much due to rarity, like TKO, Blue Note, Star Jet, Mermaid, Minstrel Man, Knock Out, and a lot of the EM/SS crossover titles, like Cleopatra/Pyramid, Charlie’s Angels and Evel Knievel.

Then you have the multiplayer games that are just a blast to play, and despite making boatloads, they still hold their value: Surf Champ, Royal Flush, Fireball, Grand Prix, 4 Million BC, and so forth.

I like the cult classics with low prices, like Argosy and Mars Trek. I think they’re absolutely terrific games that are worthy of being a-listers.

I think add a balls are cool, since replays are more or less useless in a home environment, but sometimes I feel like once you start raking in the extra balls, the game just becomes a grind.

If I recall, William's went through a phase where they had what's called the "star" feature, and the replay counter could literally count up into the hundreds, and you could potentially win a couple hundred replays in a single sitting. Obviously, a player wouldn't ever want to play off all those games, so the establishment owner would pay off the replays and then reset it. William's older woodrails were definitely made for less "savory" environments, what with their dual impulse flippers that were suspiciously easy to play while holding a beer in one hand.

Don't tell that to Roger Sharpe!

Good call on Dimension. I'd love to own one someday. Resetting the drops goes a long way in that game, plus the playfield art kicks ass.

The only game in my collection that I played when I was young is Whirlwind. Everything else was a careful consideration (or just a good deal at a good time), and being in my 20s, not a single EM in my collection is driven by nostalgia. They're just (mostly) games I personally enjoy playing.