Not knee jerk, and glad some like it...I've played it, not a fan...doesn't mean anything except my take....is what it is...but comparing (as a modern day) to TZ just doesn't fit......nope....

DI is in a class by itself.I do believe it’s one of the best pins to come out in the last 15 years

I agree

I really like dialed in. It’s a great game with many things that I like about pinball.

I would very likely buy one at $6500. At $9000, it’s a non starter. At $8200ish(seen a lot in the used marketplace) plus shipping it’s still a non starter. JJP games are simply too high for my sense of value in a pinball machine. Stern is trying hard to loose me with the Prem/LE prices as well.

I still love pinball and all that jazz. It’s just going to be a long wait for a Dialed In to come down to my price range.

Been a few used huo standards for around 6500 and few le for 7500ish .... keep a eye out

Of course I appreciate IPhones, I’m using one to type this. Been a fan of Apple since smart phones started. Just not on my pins. Not really a knee jerk reaction since I’ve played this in Manchester, cannot get over the theme, no matter how original.

Hand tech is hand tech...pinball is pinball.

I really wanted to love my DILE, but after a month couldn’t take the selfies, obnoxious phone, music, and theme. So I sold it and now have a beautiful TZ with a third spiral magnet. It’s Pat Lawlor’s best, after all is said and done. But I’m hoping Toy Story changes that. But let me qualify, that is just one opinion.

That’s funny I sold my TZ also for DI....

It’s totally fantastic.

I think Woz is more like TZ with the upper PF but I can see DI with the Sim shot being a lot like TZ with the subways.

I sold my dile because it wasn't getting played as much as my other pins. Great pin and will become a classic but just didn't do it for me. I wish it did!

Nope.

No, it's not.

DI is a fun game, but the theme and artwork are big misses for me while TZ is a great theme that was perfectly implemented into the game.

DI just doesn't have personality.

Call outs are just flat.

TZ has personality.

Understood. Your last comment made me think of something...the feature to operate the flippers via the phone is truly silly "demoware".

In any event, I love both TZ and DI. TZ is clearly the better "license", but I prefer DI gameplay/feel. fwiw, I've played DI's in the wild and almost all have played awful.

snaroff

I would like to give Butch an award for this post!! Jack!!! Wake up!!! Dialed In is one of the greatest layouts ever and Pat ruined it with that theme! Your company lost a fortune in potential revenue for that game. Retheme it and you will make Millions!

this is true for me also.

This thread is a joke, right?

What?! The theme is excellent and gives the team far more creative freedom then any licensed theme ever could. I'll take the layout as is with the theme and all of the unique animations and sounds versus a licensed theme with a ton of restrictions. Dialed In is as popular as it is today because it is an original theme. The game turned out the way it did as its an original theme designed by Pat Lawlor and he designed all of the toys / features around the theme.

Take Dialed In's layout and make it another licensed theme with a bunch of licensing restrictions and it wouldn't be nearly of an enjoyable game.

There's always gonna b haters on the theme bc it has a phone and uses things that are popular this day in age. Its a shame bc its a excellent super fun pin that actually makes fun of all that stuff and is focused on the disasters overall. I love everything about it and think its brilliant.... i loved my tz but di plays much better and has so much more going on and is great in a home environment.

The shame is in the end the sales numbers will be low as they will for POTC because of the high price.

It’s not just some cellphone theme people don’t love. It’s the weird integration with natural disasters. It doesn’t feel like modern day culture at all.

So what is your point? DI is kicking ass on location so that makes it like or dislike TZ?

It's weird, in nearly 20 years, Dialed In is the first pin my wife has asked if we are going to buy after we played it. That struck me as odd because while she indulges my pinball urge, she's really only barely cared about what games, but apparently she really enjoyed this one.

It's a disaster theme but they made it more light hearted and cartooney so it's not a morbid disaster theme. Anyway I didn't like the theme at first but after owning it, the phone is great as it provides a lot of information like time left and mode selection etc..

Yeah, I think that sums it up pretty well

I don’t think even he had the slightest clue as to what his point was.

As usual just spouting irrelevant inanities with little basis in fact or purpose.

No, point was pretty clear the firt time... pin has been warmly embraced and with over 1500 of them likely out there it is selling to both pinheads and on route where the public seems to enjoy it.

Crazy said it was not embraced, when everything outside of NYC shows the opposite.

Since we are on the subject of generations, took my teenage nephew to a show who resonated with the damn cellphone but didn’t know WTF a bubble gum machine or Twilight Zone was at all.

Had to school the kid.
I blame my sister.

I never really got TZ. I had one for a while and I did really like the theme and it looked cool but the game play just didn't do it for me. It ended up being more of a decoration and didn't' get played much so out it went!

You must not be a very good pinball player.

Yep that must be it lol.

DI is a rare game where the whole is less than the sum of the parts.

What?

I’ve been playing in home for 12 years,owned around 30 games and I can honestly say Dialed In has really dominated my play time.I understand what people are saying about TZ, I had one for years. TZ is great,but DI is fun!

I think the original question was meant to be in the form of its uniqueness. TZ, for it's time, was so unique and different and really pushed the limit of what pinball machines were capable of doing. Dialed In, while unique, doesn't push as hard as TZ did. So for me, no, Dialed In is not this generations Twilight Zone.

That's not to say DI isn't amazing.... because it is. I love it. I love everything about it and I'm happy to own one. It's my #1 game of all time.

That will never happen. TZ was during the peak of the golden era. What was the original sales price of TZ back in 93? I often her stories of people that bought their TZ for under 2k.
I prefer DI over TZ, DI is so immersive its crazy.
The theme as odd as it is, works once you get into it.
I was not a pinhead in 93 or 03. So I guess I would be this generation's pinhead. And I would walk right by TZ for DI.

It was the opposite for me. I struggled to like TZ when I owned it. I'll play it on location though. Everyone has different taste.

I didn't know what I was missing until the used DI prices fell within my range. DI actually delivers on the Woz hype that Jack originally spewed.

The rules, layout and features can't be beat. Nothing wrong with the theme either (but the call outs could be more exciting.)

I'm really glad I picked one up. Everyone has different taste, but I think the naysayers are really missing out. It's a great challenging game that delivers. It's really fun to beat the modes, collect sim cards, make combos, and thwart attacks on the flippers.

The irony is TZ was unpopular when it was first introduced, but later gained popularity. Sounds like DI today.

LOL unpopular there was over 15,000 TZ sold DI will sell under 2,500

Once again its relative to the individual but if pinsiders want to start threads like this then us known "jackass's" me and proud of it will comment. The answer is no, much of that is do to the fact that you will never replicate that time in pinball history now while I really enjoy TZ, TZ isn't even my TZ of the generation. Dialed In is a fine game but I'll take IrM, BM66, TWD, STLE anyday of the week. The theme is shit, it looks like a toy for a toddler, as do the animations. Thats my opinion anyway. TZ is the better game by far.

Exactly. TZ for the win. JJP is the nintendo of pinball. Women and children first. Can't wait for the hate i'm gonna get.

good-good-let-the-hate-flow-through-you-13858771 (resized).png

The theme, toys, sound package and animations are my issue with DI, the layout is fantastic. It’s a bummer for me because I want to love the game

Dialed in is freaking awesome and love it more every time I get to try it but would say pirates of the carrabean would fit that role better. Twilight zone is a masterpiece and there will never be another like it and good riddance. No ball saver and a jet bumper cluster that drains the ball 65% of the time? No thanks.

This viewpoint kept me from the game for a long time.

However it's just incredibly well done when you play it. I was really unsure if I would like it, but the rules really tie it together and complement the technology and layout.

I get that people have issues with the theme, but the game really is quite good. I hate shit like emojis and selfies and Facebook etc.

I find those things don't matter to me when I'm focused on the rules, trying to beat the disaster modes and collect Sim cards. DI is a great strategic game with really good shots and rules.

DI is all about the flow and challenge.

I just don't see themes like Star Wars / Star Trek, Lord of the Rings or Twilight Zone adding any street cred. They're all fucking nerdy too.

It's number 1 on my all-time list. The art work, flow, rule-set, toys, etc all have everything else I've ever laid my hands on beat. In case anyone was wondering, this will be my 31st year playing pinball. I've been exposed to almost every 'A' title there is. Even when I owned Dialed In, I went out of my way to play it on location.

And DI isn’t?

I own both and bought DI without playing it first. The only reason I did that (and I always recommend to play before buying a game) is because of the Pat and Ted teamup. TZ was a game that I hated for years, but slowly learned to enjoy, then like, then love. The one I have is proverbially bolted to my floor and never leaving. As I play it more and more, I love it more and more. Just a wonderful design with so many nuances that pushed the definition of pinball for me-- the camera shot under the little flipper, the power playfield, the ceramic ball and unique power ball rules, the jackpot for multiball and the relight at the camera -- pure mad pinball genius fun. Also, the design and rules is pure PLD (one of my favorite things of his games is collecting orbits to work up to an extra ball).

Dialed In is *almost* that good. Much better flow, but the main multiball lacks that little special something that TZ has, and the randomness sim card collect both knock it down a bit. There is lots of mad pinball genius in DI and I can't see myself letting DI go, but it hasn't reached the honor of getting bolted to the floor (yet.) I had hoped the code update would do something more for the main multiball, which would add one item to my wish list, but the update sounds incredible. I won't get a chance to try it for another two weeks, so I am hoping it adds a little more magic to put DI into the same class as TZ (at least for me.)

I think it is interesting that people are still fascinated with a game made over 20 years ago that wasn’t even based a modern theme when it was released. Pat Lawlor must be pleased with that.

Yes DI is.

I deliberately used the word "too" in my prior post so it would be clear.

Just being pinball puts it on the nerd side of the cool scale.

But it had a movie, and great TV series which the game addresses ( mostly)...Still watch episodes from time to time....Game IS tied to a timeless theme...