Sorcerer.
Best backglass and playfield art.
Evil eyes staring at you and a taunting voice reminding you who's boss.
Total classic.

Space Shuttle - because it is the game that saved pinball.

I like the theme on Sorcerer but game play on Space Shuttle. Comet is a good game but needs multi-ball. I give the nod to Space Shuttle.

Space Shuttle!!!

Close Airlock!!!

Personally I favor Comet. It was the pin that I grew up playing as a kid. Got me hooked on pinball! Realistically though, I think Space Shuttle wins this 3 sided poll. The best overall package. Lights, sound, theme, call-outs! Who didn't like the real space shuttle? Didn't see millions of people worldwide watching a rollercoaster take off!

it's gotta be space shutlle, multiballs.

I like all three, but I'll rank them 1) Sorcerer, 2) Space Shuttle, 3) Comet.

Sorcerer and Space Shuttle have great sound packages. Comet, not so much.

Comet's million point shot was a big deal at the time. I still give it props for that.

Space Shuttle multiball is a nice advantage for it, but...

...Sorcerer wins because I find it to be the most difficult. The taunting also works for me as it produces a completely irrational reaction in me as I will play until the sorcerer finally has to shut his pie hole.

-Steve

i've only played space shuttle and comet (played sorcerer on the PS3 collection...doesn't really count). SS for the win on game play, comet just didn't do anything special for me. doesn't comet say 'hit me turkey' or something like that?!

not comet

Comet definitely has the best music of all of them-- even to this day, all I have to do is think about that music and it gets stuck in my head all over again. Having success at Comet is heavily dependent on being able to hit the Duck and Rabbit targets on the far left and right sides of the playfield, and being able to get the ball back up to the top of the playfield and into the 1986 lanes.

On a different note, does anyone have a decently-high resolution picture of the Comet backglass? I named my current laptop 'comet' and I'd love to get a good-quality picture of the backglass that I can print out and put on it to make it fit its namesake, but the image at ipdb.org is of fairly low resolution and is askew.

Vid - what's the story behind space shuttle saving pinball?

Sorcerer. Not even close.

In general, Space Shuttle is said to be the game that saved Williams from closing down their pinball branch and pulsed new life into the genre next to all the arcade video games which stole players from the pinball empire.

Williams said to the designers that if the next game was not a monster hit, they were closing down the pinball division forever.

The designers put everything, including the kitchen sink, into the game. Ramps, ball saver post, multiball, Steve Ritchie did the voices, Shuttle toy, score gird spells out "TILT" on the playfield, spinner, airlock ball saver, sideswipe drop targets....

It's a shooter's game for those who can play, but anyone can just bat the balls around and enjoy it.

It ended up selling 7000 units at a time when no one was playing pins and extended Williams pinball manufacturing another 15 years.

Cool bit of history - thanks for the response.

See my avatar for my answer. I've onwed all 3 and really think Space Shuttle is the most innovative of the 3. May not be the best but I truly believe it is the most fun and faminly friendly 80's pinball that was ever created.

I'd say Space shuttle I remember playing this a ton in the 80's. Comet just didn't have the same pizzaz and Space shuttle. Sorcerer - Amazing artwork but the gameplay felt boring at the time. It may be different nowadays as I have not played one since that era.

love my shuttle. I grew up playing it in bars (my dad liked to eat there after work). Multiball is truly earned, and gotta love a ramp that lets the balls just dump onto the playfield. With no more "space shuttles" from NASA, it feels more collectible now.