Quoted from pinmister:Yes RD I totally agree, sometimes depth of code or amount of toys has nothing to do with it. Either it is fun or it is not. What becomes objective is what people consider to be fun. I was thinking the other day how much fun I have with my 24, many people think it is striped and basic. Sometimes basic is fun. You can have mindless fun without playing a chess match.
Agreed with you and RD, some stripped games are great (Gorgar got the most plays tonight in my game room). But some games that "work" w/o a large presence of toys is because the theme is still implemented well. Rollergames (the show) was known for its figure-8 ramp and pit, and they perfectly implemented both of those in standard pin features (ramp and scoop). Sure Whitewater has a dude who turns his head, but beyond that is great because it's unique layout lends itself very well to the chaos that is white water rafting. RBION technically has no interactive toys, just some magnets and crazy ramp layouts, but the theme really doesn't need toys. The implementation and weird layout makes the weird theme work.
That's my gripe with SW, esp. the Pro. The license (OG trilogy) has a world of potential for toys - X-wing, Death Star, that floating hoverboat thing Luke rides, light sabers (eh, we saw what happened with proton streams), Force items involving magnets, Millennium Falcon, Storm Troopers, R2D2, C3PO, the trash compactor thingy...etc... just a giant list of items that could be implemented. If there's one game to have toys, or try to implement them cleverly through pinball features, I feel like SW is it, but it's just shots with names randomly designated to them.
The Pro game play (esp. after 1.0 got released tonight) may be great, but all the shots are just "shots" to me, without any rhyme or reason behind them. So there's a Hoth shot... and it's next to an Endor shot... and it's next to a non-interactive Death Star shot, but what does that all mean? Why does 'The Force' really not appear, and why did a tie fighter on a spring become the main/only interactive toy on a $5K pin?
Some pins can lack toys, but the layout and implement of the standard pin features needs to make up for it.
I'm very interested to seeing how GOTG develops. I love the theme, there's enough in "toys" to make the Pro seem like a decent game, but the implementation right now seems totally out of whack. The right ramp is "Gamora" why? Rocket shoots the ball back at you but you're also playing as a good guy? The left ramp is "Nebula", between Rocket and Groot, why? Some games separate areas well and dedicate those areas to certain aspects/characters so there's a separation... a reason to go one place vs. another. A fan layout with everyone sprayed out doesn't accomplish that IMHO, so I'm hoping the few toys and the final code can help this all become a lot more cohesive.