Deadpool should be number one but I think Godzilla will be number one soon.

No newer game should be #1, let alone in the Top 10 it's first year of existance as no one has seen the final code of the product.

Enjoy your popcorn celebration.

MM does have the greatest staying power on the top 100 list but consider why that is for a moment. MM was released at the trail end of the pinball boom. Its BOM didn't suffer (unlike the games that came afterward for what... a decade? Longer?) and it was a phenomenal game all around.
I expect that when it was released, code was complete? So you didn't have hundreds of people rate the game poorly based on "launch code".
So for I don't know how many years (15? 20?), MM was considered the best game ever made and continued to collect top ratings from players.
With just under 2000 ratings currently, that average rating of 8.902 isn't going anywhere quickly. One vote for a lower score (say, 7 or even a 2) wouldn't move the average rating one minutia.
Compare that to a new Stern title. Walking Dead is (in my opinion) one of the best games ever made. In fairness, probably not THE best but I do think that it's very under-rated. I believe that the launch code was very rough and the game gave a terrible first impression when it was released. Low scores started pouring in and it wasn't until about a year later than Lyman released the masterpiece code update that turned the game around, into one of my favourite games. So even if people then started giving it perfect 10 scores, the initial reviews would drag it down such it would never come back.
So then decades later, there's a new designer who also codes the rules to his games. To me, this is a HUGE advantage. Designer and Coder (the same person) completely see eye to eye on how they want to use the shots/flow in the game. It's like nothing is wasted or overlooked.
Add to that the fact that Keiths first three games all did very well and Stern is rumoured have given him a higher BOM for this title.
He is/was the worlds top pinball player so he gets it. Knows what's fun to shoot for and what feels good to hit.
Very fortunately, initial code is amazing so not only does the game flow well, the rules are understandable (not 100% but even at .80 the game feels full) and fun.
Compare MMs shaking castle mech. Considered one of the best in pinball but now there's a multi level building that not only shakes, it raises and lowers, altering ball flow. That's pretty innovative! The trapped magnet that helps control the ball, dropping it to the THIRD FLIPPER lines up some pretty great shots/pinball moments.
Not only is there a building mech that's pretty comparable to the castle in MM but you have a shaking bridge that disconnects (hoping we see more from that with updated code), and the mechagodzilla mech!
So to suggest that 24 years later, the best pinball player in the world with a healthy BOM allowance, can't possibly build a game that's better than MM? Ridiculous.

I don’t see how Medieval Madness is twice the price of an Attack from Mars.It might be more rare but in my opinion the only way it’s better is in looks,it’s not much different in gameplay if anything it’s slower and has an even more of a “chopping wood” feel to it.But it sure is pretty!

Indiana Jones Williams is the king IMO. AFM/MM can’t hold a candle to it. TZ would be number 2 then everything else. New pins it would be GNR. MM is only on top because lots of owners overrate this pin. You basically hit a Castle over & over which is impossible to miss as it takes up 1/3 the PF. So doesn’t really matter what unseats anything here. The IPDB is much more accurate of pinball ratings

https://www.ipdb.org/lists.cgi?anonymously=true&list=top300

Well you basically have to shoot all the other shots multiple times as well, if you like know anything aboot the rules.
But hey, they can't all be Data East Star Wars

All new games seem to get a moment of glory at the top spot....but then the weight of their rubbishness, slowly sinks them down the chart.

Pinside ratings might be more accurate if people didn’t pump multiple games as perfect 10s, then dump all other new releases with ratings in the 3s, without explanation (though they’re not as obvious that way, are they?). So it’s somewhat ironic that you of all people would be complaining about ratings accuracy.

Top 100 is bullshit

Pinside ratings anytime a new game comes out....

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IMO I think it makes zero sense to have premium & LE they should just have premium it's essentially the same game. But top 100 is so pumped by owners. Sorry but JJP GNR is all bling & zero flow honestly not a great game I love the new roll over switches & GNR content not a fun one to flip it's just multi balls & LEDS.

Yeah I think that’s part of the problem. Everyone likes a new game and it passes games which have been rated for 20+ years. There should be a grace period for machines to be officially entered into the top 100 at all (maybe a year or 2?). None of the new games ship with complete code now so that’s another reason

The main problem is people that have never played the game rating it high or rating it low. These people are trying to influence the ratings to suit themselves. Once there are plenty of genuine ratings, the bogus ones influence the ratings much less and become meaningless as more and more genuine ratings are given.

System is pretty good. Some of the people putting ratings in are not so good.

Meanwhile 90s pins selling for more than Godzilla 25-30 years later

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I think the ultra high ratings are mostly new owners. Those LE buyers want to justify their purchase prices so they can flip them for 3-5K more after 100 games.

That is fine as once the games are played and rated by many others, the new owners high ranking gets watered down to normal. That is the same for every new game in people collections, not just LEs. I have no care for people flipping for profit. That is why I always say manufacturers should make enough games to fill demand.

When another pin holds the top spot for a decade plus, then there might be a point to make.

As a casual player with average skill I don't want super deep and complex games and apparently I'm not the only one thinking so.

The 90's classics are great examples on games where one can go and just play and understand most rules more or less straight away. I just want to have fun, not read 200 pages of game trategies...

Most modern games put me off because they are too complex and I get to see max 15% of their modes. Meh!

I think that is where some of the home pins are trying to find a sweet spot. They have a more streamlined rule set to appeal to a more casual crowd.

I buy pins to play, not as investments.

Could not agree more! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go shovel coal into the furnace so it’s nice and cozy while I rewatch the greatest movie of all time, Gone With the Wind.

Seriously though, see post 254 for an explanation of why MM has the top spot even today.

Touché. I buy pins that are fun, not based on Pinsides top 100 list

I personally don’t see how anyone can give a 10 rating. It means that it is the best and could not be any better. However there is always something better or an aspect of a game that could be better. Even more dumb is when people rank multiple games a 10. Makes zero sense.

Not to turn this into a discussion of rating, but I'll add one comment related to this topic.

Ratings are all relative whether you realize it or not. There's no strong definition of a 5. Or a 1. Or a 10 ...

So how does someone determine what, for example, a 10 is? Simply by looking at what other people have given a 10 (or what is a 5? what games have an average of 5?)

The result, therefore, is the values have no meaning in themselves but they are relative. And you might ask, "relative to what"? The answer to this is "it changes over time."

TL;DR. If someone likes game X more than game Y, they are going to ensure whatever numbers they give their preferred game is higher than Y. The number doesn't matter as long as it's higher. If you believe my statement, then it follows that people just give "10s" because they think the game is better than any game that doesn't have an average of 10. It doesn't mean it's a perfect game, it's just a relative value.

I myself kind of follow this, but I have a rule I don't give 10s. I'll do a 9.9.

Just my opinion. With no formal criteria, it's hard for me to imagine it plays out differently.

I used to have a call center job where our calls were graded 1 through 7. There were certain managers who would never give a 7 because they interpreted that to mean it was a perfect call, which "doesn't exist."

One day upper management came into town and smacked them down and told them that a 7 out of 7 doesn't imply it is some mythical absolutely perfect call, it never was intended to, and basically called them idiots for thinking that way and short changing their staff on call metrics which affected bonuses. They got the message and more 7s started being awarded.

Take from that what you will. Thank you for attending my TedTalk.

Correct. 1 and 10 are options and should be used as you deem fit. At the end of the day, it’s all personal opinion. If somebody thinks 1’s & 10’s shouldn’t ever be used then convince Pinside to remove them. But they are in play and I’ll use them liberally like I use stones in my soup

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Your ratings are a joke and help to make the top 100 completely useless. There’s absolutely no way you can justify the way you’ve rated the pins the way you have other than “I want to alter ratings”.
Seriously? Data East Star Wars is a perfect 10?
Just give it a rest already.

I love how your life revolves around other peoples ratings. Did your enjoyment of machines change because of this? Look at my stones meme, that analogy is intended for you. Is this how you buy cars and clothing? I just rated your post a 1. How you like my ratings now?

It seems as though you're a little triggered. I expect you're a little embarrassed being called out for your childish behaviour?
Why don't you take the time to consider why you would rate the games the way you have, then redo some of them?

FYI: I decided long ago that I wouldn't rate games that I don't enjoy. GnR for example. Does nothing for me. But what's the point in me rating it a 2 or a 3, or whatever the number would work out to? It would just be seen as an insult to those of you who love it. It also wouldn't be fair since I didn't give it much of a chance. So should I rate it a 2 out of ten since I didn't like it initially, or just let others who have actually played the game the chance to give it a more accurate rating? There's already far too much "Us vs Them" on Pinside. No need to add fuel to the fire. It doesn't hurt me if you like a game that I don't. Not a bit.
Since this is a pinball forum (one of the few places where we can share our enthusiasm for the hobby), I don't see the point in throwing stones at games that I don't like.
YMMV

(FYI: ratings do come into play when I'm buying a car or any major appliance since you asked. Don't you read reviews? Weird flex)

Agreed, GZ is a very special modern game. The ancient classic generic IPs of long ago should be way down the list. Old timers, let go of all your nostalgia for the ancient Em/DMD era of the long ago past. Modern games blow those old relics away in every regard.

There is not much to the games of last century, that were only designed for throwing in a dime or quarter for 5-10 minutes of play every now and again. MM, MB, AFM and now CC, all have in common, huge nostalgia, decent layouts, super shallow code, generic IPs, worn out callouts, old DMD era electronic music, average artwork: which all leads to boring game play, after the 500th time shooting. People like to look at them, but true pinball players move them out of their collection pretty fast.

Actually, the top rated MM version is MMR Royal. Hardly a relic, it came out recently, more recently than the game at #3 presently. New tech, new enhancements, improved sound we all know what the remakes provide it's not a secret that it is a more modern take on a 1997 game.

Lol, it’s still the exact same game of a quarter century ago, don’t be fooled. It’s like saying a car with a few upgraded parts from a quarter century ago drives/performs as well or better than a 2022 model. Preposterous!

Right on the money about GNR all LEDs and not fun to shoot after seeing all the cover songs, over and over again, it shoots like a slow moving old dog. Loaded with MB after MB and the GNR apologists say we just don’t understand why they use so many MBs. Oh yes we do, because there is nothing else in the machine mech wise to program or shoot for in the game. It’s basically empty, except for lots of lights, a pizza spinner and couple of ball locks, with $3 drums sticks for a habit trail. It has the lowest BOM of all JJPs 6 games.

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GZ is good, but it's definitely the flavor of the month. Calling it very special is a bit of an overreach. I like the shots like all Elwin games, but the music and call outs are pretty 'meh' aside from Blue Oyster Cult. I do like the Japanese call outs though, I think that is a fun twist.

What game is Led Zeppelin blowing away? That game is as much fun as a wet fart.

I don't think anyone is comparing EMs to the solid state era and beyond, that's why they have their own separate top 100. I think there are a lot of amazing machines from the alpha-numerics of the late 80s onwards. I don't think the Spike 2 games are the end all be all of pinball. They are good, I own 2 of them, but how they stack up in 10 years is anyone's guess.

I agree as well and GnR is a perfect example that I also hate the game but won’t rate it because it’s not productive imo to rate down pins.

I don’t even rate any pins unless I’ve owned them.

Same. I don't feel like I can give them a fair shake unless I've played 100 or so games on them.

Sorry to hear you’d be bored with White Water within two days. Your comment certainly indicates that you’ve played WW multiple times, but I have to say my opinion is 180 degrees opposite from yours.

WW is the first pin I bought (used) and sits beside my 2002 Playboy (NIB) and I enjoy playing both of them. By far though I love WW the most because of the upper playfield with Bigfoot able to divert the ball and the VUK up to the third flipper and Bigfoot, the Whirlpool to the Lost Mine, and the multiple shot challenges like the Secret Passage, Multi ball, Spirit of the River, etc.

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Well… it’s been a month with MM off the throne. Everyone loves Godzilla! Has anything held the title this long? Seems like every new game settles in after a week or two.

LOL, its going to fall like every other game. 2000+ ratings over a long time vs 200 for the hey its the new shiny thing on the block.

NO!!!!!!!!!!

Even if it does fall, this is the longest any game has dethroned MM. these new Elwin games are packing killer gameplay.