It's really hard to rate it with such an early version of the code. I bought one and I've been playing it quite a bit, but at this point I can't base it on the rules. I think smacking the ball around is fun, the music is awesome, and the call-outs are what they are. I think once the code is finished it will be a pretty solid game.

I understand people don't like the layout, but for me the layout is one of the things that made me want it. I like the ramps and I like the way the orbits are set up. The fact that the left orbit always gets the ball stuck in the pop bumpers really sucks though.

I agree, but to be fair Stern had a TON of pressure from the pinball community to produce this title. Technically, they listened to the forums and produced a title that so many people wanted to see.

When I play a game, the following 4 aspects are what I look for (listed by order of importance):

1 - Rules
2 - Layout
3 - Music/Sounds
4 - Artwork

I made up my own scale for the sake of this post, and here's how I did it.

Currently:
1 - Rules (out of 10 points): 4 --> with current code there's not much going on
2 - Layout (out of 8 points): 5 --> pop bumpers ruining the orbit shot kills me
3 - Music/Sounds (out of 6 points): 4 --> music rocks, redneck sucks
4 - Artwork (out of 6): 6

Total Score: 19/30 = 63% = D
I love the match sequence so it gets a C- (my scale, my rules )

Anticipated final score:
1 - Rules: 8 --> from what I can tell, I have high hopes once the code is done
2 - Layout: 7 --> I'm confident the pop problem will be resolved, but the walker bugs me a bit
3 - Music/Sounds: 5 --> hopefully the rumors come true that the callouts will be fixed
4 - Artwork: 6

Total Score: 26/30 = 87% = B
Match bump: B+

So, currently it's a C-, but I anticipate a B+

_{Post edited by PinballJon: My math skills suck}