Flash Gordon
Bally, 1981
KISS
Bally, 1979Just picked up a fairly beat up Flash Gordon, but it functions well and has new rubbers. The outlanes are brutal on this game. I can't believe how short some of my games can be. I don't mind a tough game but this thing is nuts. Are there any good playing tips I should try?
Quoted from BJM-Maxx:Just picked up a fairly beat up Flash Gordon, but it functions well and has new rubbers. The outlanes are brutal on this game. I can't believe how short some of my games can be. I don't mind a tough game but this thing is nuts. Are there any good playing tips I should try?
Try again Earthling
I found that video, it was pretty informative. Learned a few things that I can use on any machine. One of the comments was by someone saying If you find FG bad, don't try Xenon. Funny thing is, i have a Xenon and yes I have to be super alert at the bottom end but I find FG more stressful. You get a multi-second break shooting to the top end in Xenon. FG can have the ball back to the flippers in no time no matter where you shoot. I rate it so high for rules and feature but man it's frustrating.
I love how difficult FG plays, but I probably have the shortest attention span on Pinsi
FG has been growing on me for a while now. My friend has one with a mint clearcoated pf and it plays amazing. There is another one at our arcade that is less than perfect, but still plays decent. It's a tough game no doubt, but once you get the hang of the shots, its amazingly fun. I'm trying to hunt down a project one for myself now.
Fg is a really tough game. I loved it but none of my guests would ever play it due to the short ball times. Its a game that will teach you that accurate shots count.
Flash Gordon feels like a harsh Iron Man ancestor. Ball control is key, flailing gets you nowhere and you better hit that shot or it's drainville.
never like the way it played only the way it looks. bally ripped off Black Knight but the games are miles apart in terms of flow. FG becoming very collectable over here in the UK. A friend ,who sadly now is suffering from dementia, used to service the pins belonging to Queen drummer Roger Taylor which included AFM DW and of course the FG gifted by Bally. I tried EVERYTHING to get that game despite it being beat up and worn LOL. At least it meant the band members actually played them.
Quoted from BJM-Maxx:Just picked up a fairly beat up Flash Gordon, but it functions well and has new rubbers. The outlanes are brutal on this game. I can't believe how short some of my games can be. I don't mind a tough game but this thing is nuts. Are there any good playing tips I should try?
Pick this FG up from Fargo, ND?
I only got this game 2 weeks ago. My plans were to restore this machine and I need to get over the hump as to whether I want to invest the time. I only restore machines I plan to keep for a long while. Still on the fence with it. The playfield is pretty rough so I don't really know how it will play with a nice smooth playfield. The lower of the two lower pop bumpers is a bit dead in responding so I am probably not getting it firing into the drain as much as it might once its fixed. I also know the rapid fire back and forth in that area and near the saucer will change things once it speeds up (new coil sleeves and switch capacitor and new nearby rubbers).
One question, when my saucer kicks uphill, the ball usually taps the glass, not hard but a definite smack sound. When it kicks upward, the ball never makes it to the pop area. In the IPDB photo (mine has much more wear), it hits the glass where the yellow circles are, then loses a ton of energy and dribbles to the rubber. Second bounce to the left sometimes might hit a target. If it does the ball is dead and drains to the saucer again. If it missed the target and fell where I drew the arrow, I can sometimes bump the machine to get to the flipper (yellow arrow) but most of the time goes where the third white arrow shows, then falls into the right ramp and often threatens to drain. I was thinking or turning the saucer mechanism a little to aim more near the pop bumper, just a few degrees. The factory guys just slapped things in.
In the outlanes, for the first time on any machine, I moved the lower posts to the so-called "Liberal" position. It made a subtle difference. As an experiment I moved the post a little towards the center of the PF and that made a big difference, only balls lobbed directly into the opening went in. For the others I now had a chance to nudge and keep the ball. The amount I moved post inward is maybe 4 mm. The playfield has so many rebounds that head to the sides. The biggest reason it is an outlane monster is the wire divider for the in/out lane is 5/8" toward the bottom compared to the top post (see photo) in the slingshot rubber's post. This means anything heading to the side that clears the top of the slingshot post with any velocity will make it to the side wood rail and drain. I cannot find another machine like this. Here is an IPDB shot of Xenon. Exact same design in that area, but there is a post with a rubber on it bringing the divider even with the height of the slingshot rubber. Other machines without that post have the wire rail ending up higher. I included a photo of Eight Ball from a few years before, it has a longer metal divider. Black Jack is the same as Eight Ball. I half wonder if something got left out of Flash Gordon.
Flash Gordon is my favorite SS game. Some games and ball times can be tough, but when you get to a million plus, feeling is hard to beat.
FG is a perfect game to learn nudging. I never shoot the wood beast drops w/ out throwing in a nudge.
There is a solid tutorial out there. Gives you a couple ways to attack the game for scoring.
Play for a while and switch to a DMD game. You will see a dramatic improvement in your ball control and shot making!
Stick with it and you will be the next owner looking for a CPR playfield set. It is a keeper.
Yep, Flash Gordon is a challenging game
It is a game you need to nudge to play right
Don't makr your mind up too soon keep it a while and see if it grows on you
Quoted from bax:Flash Gordon is my favorite SS game. Some games and ball times can be tough, but when you get to a million plus, feeling is hard to beat.
FG is a perfect game to learn nudging. I never shoot the wood beast drops w/ out throwing in a nudge.
There is a solid tutorial out there. Gives you a couple ways to attack the game for scoring.
Play for a while and switch to a DMD game. You will see a dramatic improvement in your ball control and shot making!
Stick with it and you will be the next owner looking for a CPR playfield set. It is a keeper.
Well said. It is a keeper in my collection.
Both.
To those just claiming the design was ripped off Black Knight, look again. Honestly I'd take FG over BK any day of the week, way better rules, tough shots, and the game forces you to hit everything to max out your score. No MB, who cares, one ball is more than enough on this game. It can be made easier, I know someone that had no problem adding some posts to the outlanes to make it friendlier, though I'd never do that to this game. Keep at it, it will make you a better player.
Quoted from gregh:FG has been growing on me for a while now. My friend has one with a mint clearcoated pf and it plays amazing. There is another one at our arcade that is less than perfect, but still plays decent. It's a tough game no doubt, but once you get the hang of the shots, its amazingly fun. I'm trying to hunt down a project one for myself now.
IF he ever wants to sell his minty one, please tell him to let me know. 
I love FG and have been looking everywhere to find a super nice or restored original. So tough to come by.
I don't do anything half way so I really want to make up my mind, although you guys are convincing me.
Quoted from bax:I never shoot the wood beast drops w/ out throwing in a nudge.
Wood beast drops are which ones, the inlines on the right? At my keyboard I can't think what nudge you are doing or what ball movement you are trying to control.
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:Keep at it. FG will make you better! Better at aiming, nudging, ball control, etc. I love it.
Thanks for selling me yours 
Seriously....Forever grateful!
Yes FG is the rare game where both bad shots & good shots are equally deadly. Thanks to the split level playfield design, the pops location on the center of the playfield & the inline drop targets, you're always riding the edge somewhere between controlled mayhem & total chaos. More so than any other pin, you really need to put on your big boy pants every time you step up to play.
If that's not bad enough, make sure you turn all the settings up to the highest difficulty. No insert carry overs from ball to ball. Start from scratch after every drain. Bang your head off the glass. Swear & wake up the neighbors. But there is no single game that will make you a better player & improve your skills.
Then when you score a 2.5M+ 3-ball game, you'll feel like you just walked on the moon 
FG will be the last pin to leave my collection. Legendary keeper!
So restore that thing!
Emperor Ming Awaits!
Learn the game.
It's you. Having to deal with a brutal game.
Don't believe me, listen to Bowen. Have fun!
Quoted from shimoda:To those just claiming the design was ripped off Black Knight, look again
Literally, the designer worked at williams, and right after Steve Ritchie started drafting BK, he quit williams and got a job at Bally. In interviews Steve even talks about how a lot of it was copied directly from his early BK drawings
Game is an ass kicker....in a good way. "Try again, earthling."
I frustratingly hit the start button over and over. 
Only have 10 minutes to play...no problem, you can play 8-10 games in that time
Quoted from zacaj:Literally, the designer worked at williams, and right after Steve Ritchie started drafting BK, he quit williams and got a job at Bally. In interviews Steve even talks about how a lot of it was copied directly from his early BK drawings
Sure, but it's still a better game.
I'd sell every other solid state I own before Flash Gordon, one of my all time favs. It's great because it's hard, that's the whole point.
Quoted from zaterminator:IF he ever wants to sell his minty one, please tell him to let me know.
I love FG and have been looking everywhere to find a super nice or restored original. So tough to come by.
Haha no way! I got dibs on that one.
Quoted from Aurich:Sure, but it's still a better game.
Quite possible. Being based off another game doesn't make it worse. Although BK does have much better flow, personally. Still need to get my hands on an FG to appreciate, but I know BK is never leaving either
One of the best games ever. Never gets old, never stops challenging the player. Maybe my favorite game ever.
I will spend another session on the Bowen tutorial, I like seeing someone good struggle to control the ball.
Quoted from BJM-Maxx:I will spend another session on the Bowen tutorial, I like seeing someone good struggle to control the ball.
What I find entertaining about that tutorial isn't Bowen struggling with ball control, it's the obvious fear in his voice! 
...and then the almost disbelieving elation when puts up his personal best score. 
Any game that can do that to someone with as many "pinball miles" under his belt as Bowen deserves a second look in my book.
It's games like Flash Gordon that help me understand the EM and early SS crowd more. When I play newer DMD games with deep rules etc and don't do well - despite long ball times, it's easy to feel as if I simply don't know the 'right' way to play the game to do well.
With games like Flash Gordon, it simply 'nope, I can't shoot well enough to earn a good score.' Getting a personal best on a game like Flash Gordon feels good. Tri-Zone isn't nearly as difficult (except for that evil center drop target), but I feel the same about that game. It feels like a battle.
Quoted from Aurich:Sure, but it's still a better game.
I'd sell every other solid state I own before Flash Gordon, one of my all time favs. It's great because it's hard, that's the whole point.
Exactly!
When I first got FG years ago my son hated that game, after playing it for a month or so realized home much fun it was.
Sometimes it would kick your ass and other times you would have a awesome game.
Mine is going through a full restoration, cabinet new Playfield etc.
Give it a little time.
Quoted from DylanFan71:With FG, any score with 7 digits makes you feel like a your awesome.
Amen, brother
Sorry for the delay. Was away over the weekend. The drops to the right are the wood beast drops. Often when you are shooting drops 2, 3 and the circle target the ball will hug the rail and drain down the right outlane. A little nudge gets the ball off the side and usually directly to the left flipper.
A hip to the front or a little slap to the side of the cab is usually more than enough.
Sounds like you are having some quality games thus far. Keep playing. It is a true "just one more game" pin!
I often have 15 mins or less to play, so FG and Skateball are the pins that get that time. Many DMD games go for 30 plus mins.
Quoted from bax:The drops to the right are the wood beast drops. Often when you are shooting drops 2, 3 and the circle target the ball will hug the rail and drain down the right outlane. A little nudge gets the ball off the side and usually directly to the left flipper.
A hip to the front or a little slap to the side of the cab is usually more than enough.
I will have to watch for a right drain from the wood beast drops, have not had that happen yet.
Quoted from bax:Play for a while and switch to a DMD game. You will see a dramatic improvement in your ball control and shot making!
I played my High Speed yesterday, it is not at my house so I don't always get to play it. Not a DMD game but I was nudging things in a way I have never done before and I have owned the game for 3 years. Flash Gordon emphasizes so many ways to lose the ball it makes you try many new strategies where other games have fewer ways to lose the ball so you don't get as creative. As a moderately skill player I still find lots of things I could improve on.
Quoted from BJM-Maxx:I still want to own an EBD, I have the original Eight Ball already. I play EBD on my iPad and it has pretty short ball times. My impression is FG is still quite a bit harder. Is that accurate?
Yes FG is more difficult. The average ball times will be shorter. That doesn't mean you can't have short ball times in EBD as well, but in general, once you start hitting the shots, you can get into a grove. As mentioned earlier in this thread, FG will punish you for missed and made shots. Ming is cold hearted like that.
(Push start button on FG).....followed by a 34 second game....(cussing)....(hitting the start button again).
Wash a repeat until a random 5-7 minute game over a million points.
(pure bliss)
Quoted from Captive_Ball:(Push start button on FG).....followed by a 34 second game....(cussing)....(hitting the start button again).
Wash a repeat until a random 5-7 minute game over a million points.
(pure bliss)
I played 3 games yesterday, hit 1.4Million on the third one, decided it was best to then turn it off and enjoy the high.
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Villejuif
Eagle, ID
Halifax, NS
Birmingham