Flintstones by a mile.

This is about the best use for a Popeye....

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Flinstones without question. Although, my gf loves Popeye because it's cuter.

Popeye had very low production run. That is a Good thing . I have not played it but my Dentist has one and likes it. I have played Flintstones and it was a lot of fun. Make sure the drop-targets are working . They can be a real pain. I would say Flintstones I suppose .

I owned both....Popeye is gone, and Flintstones is bolted to the floor. Popeye has some decent shots and is not a bad game, but Flint is one of my favorites and has some great shots. I love the bowling game part of it, I like the game modes, I like the smart ramps, and it has some nice artwork. And best of all...it weighs 100 lbs less than Popeye

I've only ever played Popeye, but can't possibly imagine that Flintstones is a worse game.

Flintstones is fun. Especially for guests. There are worse games than Popeye. I just can't think of one.

I like both. I have personally owned Popeye in my own collection and we really enjoyed it. Seems like a lot of people don't give it a chance because they "heard" it was bad. If you get a chance to get a clean one at a good price you should consider it. They are usually 1k cheaper than Flintstones. I have not had a Flintstones in my collection but have played it a lot and sold a couple and it is a very fun game. I hope to hold on to one when I have the finances to do so.

No question posed here. In my mind flintstones is the only answer.

Most people have probably not played either fo them as they are both somewhat rare.

I have been into pins hardcore for ~18 months now and actively seek out pins. I have seen and played exactly 1 Popeye and 1 Flintstones.

Both are fun games, but VERY different. Go play them and judge for yourself.

I had both sitting side by side and Flintstones got more play. So Popeye hit the road.

for what its worth... Pinside Ratings:
Popeye - #218
Flintstones - #88

I own Popeye and actually like it. That being said I've played Flintstones and it is BY FAR the better pin. Layout and shots for this game are excellent. I'm convinced if the theme was better this would be much more sought after pin.

Played both, for me flintstones without a doubt.

I would vote Flintstones. I've put a bit of time on Popeye and I just can't stand how covered the playfield is. I just bought a Flintstones so I guess that could tell ya which one I like more!

Flintstones is a keeper here

Fatsquatch, you can check out mom's and decide here pretty soon. It's headed this way from Corona from SoCalPinballs actually.

SoCal- next time my mom calls you and orders up a pin, make sure you've got a Tales from the Crypt sitting around so I can ship it along for free. (She says she's done buying though. She has the "expensive collection with silver/gold legs" now and I've got the "back-legged leftovers." She's becoming a pinball racist. lol)

Flintstones all the way.

I will be in touch with you next time I get one. Thanks again to you and your Mom! Super nice people!

Yaba yaba doooo
Go for flintstones its way better than Popeye

Yep.

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Flint is better but I still like Popeye and would own another someday.

People had to have jokingly voted for popeye?

Hey some people like it more then flintstones...Personally Olive oil can't touch Betty or Wilma...

I was certain that someone posted this yesterday as an April Fool's joke.

I had a Flintstones and really enjoyed playing it and the smart ramps are pretty cool especially when you have someone who is playing for the first time and they see the ball loop around the bottom of the apron.

Hmmm

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Popeye-4217 units
Flinstones-4779 units

They are both about the same in production numbers. But Barney and Fred get my vote because of the creativity of the apron return lanes.

They dont call it Poopy for nuthin

Popeye is not as bad as people think. In my reviews, I went over a whole bunch of crap that needs to be done to it though before you can really play it. It has a very decent rule set, but the theme is quite odd.

I bet popeye was up there with TZ and RS as the most expensive games to make.

Atomicboy, can you link to that? I'd like to see what you have to say about setting up Popeye for best play.

Thanks,

RM

Flinstones imo. And as a bonus, you can always re-theme it as a Big Lebowski, complete with bowling alley shot!

Sorry man, Poopy sucks. It is one of the uglyest games as well. To each his own however.

i only opened this to see if there was the one person who might say popeye over flintstones

you can't even compare them - maybe you can say popeye or hurricane - but to me flintstones should be selling a lot more then it goes for

thanks ed

it's simple: popeye kinda sucks..

I would take neither of them and take a BSD or Shadow.

Ewww, I'll be sure to trade you a Shadow and BSD for a Pop and Flint

“So much push and pull in either way. Popeye, I bet, cost more to make than TZ, and I bet was the single most expensive machine to produce. The hidden shots are a nuisance. Despite what you might think in aiming at the inserts should suffice, it doesn’t, and about 4 shots, all important, are kind of a pain.

The theme is unanimously agreed upon as flat out stupid. It should have just been Popeye. Why we are helping Popeye save endangered animals while collecting wrenches and baby bottles as a theme for Popeye is beyond me, and everyone else.

The skill shot is a nice idea, and cool at first glance, but is really a lot of wasted space and a waste of a very expensive and complicated toy. I would have preferred after the choice is made, that you have to hit a ramp or the scoop or something. Given the deep rules, which I will get to, that would have been a nice addition.

The overall designed is one of the few games where it feels Williams just did not put this thing through QC and rushed it out the door. The ramp alone has two major issues, in that balls fly off the rear when they enter fast (needs a clear cover) and the ball gets stuck in a common spot on a back left rear corner (needs a post), and secondly the exit from the ramp to the wire ramp is not smooth and does not transition well (raise the union screw with a spacer). Neither of these issues are seen on any other Williams machine, and this alone tells me that this game was not manufactured in the same manner, which is a rarity from Williams, even until they closed.

The entrance to the escalator causes bounce outs, and needs dampening foam all around both sides. The ramps in the upper PF are hard to aim (Clay recommends moving the lightning flippers up there, and I wish I had seen that before I sold mine). The ramp itself is too steep, and hard perfect shots will often fly into the PF glass and back out. The ball will even, once into a shot/door in the ramp, sometimes roll to the right and activate the wrong door, despite making the desired shot. The entire animal ramp/plastic thing should have been in a clear plastic at the least, and really isn’t pinball and is a lot of action for little fun.

The outlanes are horrendous. Even if you install bumper posts where they should be (factory only put a screw in the PF to the under PF rail supports), and lower the side star posts to the lowest setting, the opening to the outlanes is still larger than any other machine with the posts to the highest point. When this is how it was factory, the game is virtually unplayable, and balls drain faster than pinbot, A LOT faster.

Everything Steve Ritchie posted about this machine in his rant one time on RGP is bang on. The game was a complete and utter disaster, given the height that pinball was at, and this thing should never have been produced.

Having said that, we are now in the home use environment where we can alter/mod and appreciate in a new light. Once the changes are made, and the game becomes playable, we can begin to review the rules - and the rules in this machine were IMO **ground breaking, deep and as a whole impressive**.

In the time of mode mode mode, this game was the first to start an objective completion type of play, similar to AFM, MM and other later wpc95 machines. You have to save all the animals, collect all the (stupid) items, start the 3 ball MB, complete the 4 mini modes, and then starts another MB, where you have to make most of the shots in the game. There is a 4 and 5 ball multiball as well, and once the objectives are complete, and some other things to complete, and then you can attempt to save olive, which utilizes all of the main shots in the game and is a 6 ball mulit, and is very hard and challenging to get to. I only beat the machine once. I beat TZ almost every night I play it, and AFM once a month in relation.

The skill shot comes back into play big time in the objectives, as you can basically get a free whatever you need towards starting these objectives here, and this is a great idea.

As well, the finding sweat pea is I believe the only pinball play/vid mode interactive thing in pinball. It is very hard, and I have only completed this once as well. I believe this to be the greatest vid mode in pinball, as you not only have to keep the ball on the upper PF, which in itself is very hard, but you have to aim at the right doors, get ready for the ball to return fast, and keep your eye on the map on the screen as well. Why oh why could more vid modes not be like this?

Call me crazy, but this idea was a theme and vigorous testing from QC away from being one of the best machines of the 90s. Instead, most consider it a joke.

My rating is hard to complete, as this depends on if you take the time to make the changes noted, as such I averaged out some things. 1 out of 6 for theme is even too generous.”

sorry to hear about your head injury!

I bet if a HEP restored Popeye came up for sale or a NIB/mint HUO, you would not be able to resist getting it

your right... then I blame my head injury!

Without the changes I made, I would have thought so as well. I like the look, some of the stuff is a little kiddish, but the wood deck PF and aprong and sides that make it look like a boat is kid of cool I think.

As I noted above, I'd be curious to see how many people can say they have beat the wizard and found sweet pea. Two of the hardest things I have come across in pinball.

I never did....sold it before I had the chance. I will give it credit that its really not that bad of a game, but my kids hated it. I think there wasn't enough junk on the playfield for them to like it

popeye for me is better . The post Atomicboy put is spot on except I have no problem with the hidden shots . Great rules great Vid mode and great Callouts. it does not deserve the crap it gets . I am a Big Steve Ritchie fan as well and SR comments does not change how I feel about the pin . Great bang for your buck 1500 and cheaper most times

I believe SR posted something about the obstructed shots in his rant about this game, which is ironic since one of the worst obstructed shots for me is the skull shot in NF

You would think that since Python is a friend of mine that I would go with Popeye, but honestly, you'll have more fun with Flintstones. I wish it was based the cartoon rather than the movie, but it's still a fun game.

I like this

great avatar