I absolutely need to play it, and I MUST find the hook in the game.

I have a good sized collection. So a NIB game needs to bring something special to the table. There are a lot of good games that come out, but I won’t buy them because I already have better games. The new game would just be a filler, or a status symbol. And both of those are wasted space. And space is always at a premium in my house.

Great games have a hook. A thing that when it happens, or when I do it, it makes me smile. It HAS to be there, because in my house I’m going to play it hundreds or thousands of times. The only way to find it is to play it.

So theme can influence, but gameplay (which includes rules) is required.

Then the decision comes down to the normal things. Value, space, availability.

Currently I have a Godzilla on order. It fits all the criteria, and the theme is a huge bonus for me. I’ve liked Keith’s other games, but they didn’t quite get me to buy. This one did.

To War!!!!!!!!! For me with LOTR, that was the callout and the fanfare. Destroying the ring is awesome, but that callout was just the thing that got me into the game (I've owned it twice and wouldn't be shocked if it comes in a third time).

Sometimes they are dumb, like Aerosmith launching the ball into the toybox. In Tron it was "Libations for Everybody". In Metallica it is risking single ball CIU jackpots trying to double it. Star Trek (stern) has galactic mode in Destroy the Drill where you are making killer points while using the upper flipper to collect ball locks at the Klingon targets. In Stars it is the low chime of the special. In Team One it is the 50k novelty mode.

If a pinball machine doesn't have something that makes me laugh, smile, or giggle, I probably don't want to own it. At the core of this hobby, even below all the wonderful friends I've met through it, pinball needs to be fun. Otherwise, what's the point?