Quoted from MJR8peanut:

Houdini was over hyped, over priced, and took too long to be produced. The shots are too tight, the flippers feel too week, and the game feels like it is going to fall apart when i shake it. The art package is beautiful and there is so much detail to everything in the game but its unfortunately not good at all. Gameplay wise, code and rules, layout. It wasn't anything special. And there weren't any new tricks used in the game. Ex, the ball launch into the lock, done on Aerosmith, the little monitor, done on star wars and hobbit, magnets under the pf, too many games to name that have done that. Its nothing special and I will never own one.
MJR

Quoted from jawjaw:

Took too long? They cranked this out faster than anyone expected. Wasn't it like 9 months from absolutely nothing to fully working pin? Everyone else takes years to get a pin out even with a built architecture. Hell, Stern takes 18 months plus to get out one software update. I've played a few Houdini's and they both played great and felt solid. I never heard of this power supply issue but overall it sounds like it was a pretty solid first pin. Cabinets are not splitting, boards are not grenading, and playfields not ghosting/chipping unlike certain competitors. You can argue the layout could of been improved but I don't know why everyone wants to poop on this game. It looks incredible, fun title, and it's pinball. Price is pretty fair imo compared to the high prices of Stern and JJP. I just don't think it's a game on anyone's radar. It's a decent game but the company is still proving themselves and it's a tough business to get into. I wouldn't mind having one but lots of other games I want more.