Eh I guess it would be better if it timed out? I dunno. I always try to carry something else into it. I find if I just keep the ball alive I will get the majority of the shots and then just pick up the ones I need. I am not sure how it is a deal breaker or a negative ding on the game. Is it really that hard for you? Being honest because I have non pinball people play and they are able to complete it and they aren't really aiming for shots the whole time.
I get when people dog the game because of the fiddly-ness of some of the mechs like the TK lock and the demogorgan mouth shot. And I can understand some people thinking the layout is a bit recycled or they don't enjoy hitting the same shot multiple times to start a mode. But all of the modes to me are unique. There is a lot going on and having a bunch of modes that are randomly assigned makes for a different play each time. As far as the add time mystery award...it will definitely show up more if you are in a timed mode.
I do think the game is amazing. But I think a lot of games are. Maybe I should improve my vocabulary when describing games I like. I will say one thing I love about the game is that it is very approachable.