Centaur.
(Topic ID: 218168)
Linked Games
Bad Cats
Williams, 1989-
Black Knight
Williams, 1980
-
Blackout
Williams, 1980
-
Comet
Williams, 1985
-
Eight Ball Deluxe
Bally, 1981
-
Evel Knievel
Bally, 1977
-
Fireball II
Bally, 1981
-
Firepower
Williams, 1980
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3 weeks later
Quoted from Skypilot:And you’re probably going to pass me out.
[quoted image]
Firepower, Black Knight, F14.
Dont get the last one on the right, a William's I suspect by the cutouts.
4 months later
I played one at Allentown, it just reinforced my opinion I never want one which is too bad as it looks like on paper an alternative to a new playfield.
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:There were a few at Allentown that showed the difference between a good installation and a bad one.
The one Space Shuttle looked and played perfectly to me. The one on 8 ball deluxe further back in freeplay did not. The inserts were cloudy in places where it looked like they had not sanded smoothly, and there were decided lumps in the playfield... I don't know how that was done.
Xenon and Space Shuttle seemed to play perfectly to me.
I 100% recommend these as an option ESPECIALLY over an overlay, even with clearcoat. I've had 2 machines with overlays. One was an install job I did myself on an Attack From Mars. The overlay was missing art. One was the Flash Gordon I now have that is expertly installed and clear coated. It is missing a few little things (no numbers on the arrows on the upper playfield), and doesn't line up perfectly, (holes line up perfectly on left of playfield but are off on right.
I did not see the types of issues I saw with missing art on Outside Edge Hardtops like I do with ebay vinyl overlays.
Edit to add, Gdonovan, you are one of the few pinsiders who can actually touch up a playfield and clear it to make it look perfect. I would recommend you keep doing what you do as your results are amazing. Leave the hardtops to us amatures.
Oh I would not mind a hardtop on a few titles, depends on the title and cost/benefit/time line.
Just the three I have played have been negative experiences with the one at Allentown being the worst. I'll not finger the pin as I have no desire to bag on someone bringing a pin to the show.
The ball got stuck three times during gameplay which is the point I gave up and moved onto another title.
I look at hardtops as being another tool in our toolbox for bringing pins back to life. Glad to have it there if needed but maybe not in all cases.
Quoted from radium:So you wouldn’t buy one because the ball was getting stuck? What was causing it to get stuck? Not criticizing, I’m genuinely curious.
I would not be inclined to buy one before due to past negative experiences, my experience with this title just reinforced it further.
Never had a ball get stuck in an inlane before. Had to shake the hell out of the pin to shake it loose.
Not cool.
I'd like to buy one for the Space Shuttle I have here, each time I have an interaction with a hardtopped pin its a negative experience.
Am I to ignore what I have seen with my own eyes and buy one anyways? No thanks. Maybe its just bad luck on my part having run across three bad examples in a row, nothing I want to gamble a few hundred bucks and a few days labor to find out in person.
Quoted from radium:What was causing it to get stuck?
I'm not there it fix someone else's pin, plenty at home for that! It was clearly related to the hardtop as you could see deformation of the surface.
I moved on to another title, the Rollergames next too it played sweet.
Quoted from vid1900:I think I had the same experience on that machine
The ball was getting stuck between the shooter lane switch wire arm and the clear hardtop tab that was installed too far over
The owner needs to put a bevel on the edge of the plastic, guiding the ball to the center of the switch arm, not along side it
Nope, I got stuck on the left return lane twice and the inline drops once.
It had a card on it proudly claiming it was restored.
I'll stop here.
Quoted from vid1900:The orders came in for the Game, but it was too late, Stern/Seeburg had already gone bankrupt
Not even comparable "tech" I'm surprised someone made the reach in bringing it up.
Bottom line- If it was better and cheaper Gary Stern would have been all over it like a rash by now.
3 months later
Quoted from PinballManiac40:[quoted image]
If they do Nitro I may buy one and do a test.
All the hardtopped games I have played at shows have been a poor experience, I'm willing to buy a hardtop to see if my experience is the norm or abnormal.
Quoted from Mr_Outlane:Then it's most likely other things. My Gorgar plays awesome with Hardtop but, I also rebuilt everything and tweaked everything properly. A Hardtop does not degrade game play.
It changes it in my experience.
If I buy one and install it myself it removes the argument "it was done poorly"
I have no great love for Nitro but have the playfield and backglass at the right price so willing to give it a shot.
At worst I sell it off and move on with life, been there and done that.
Quoted from mrm_4:The ball is rolling on hard flat clean plastic with a hardtop
Clear coat is hard flat clean plastic but its just sprayed on instead of laid on
Its such a bummer that some people's only exposure to hardtops is a game that literally is used as a "get in the show for free" game and they "SLAPPED" a hardtop on it and never clean the thing, didnt bother to replace the ball, or dont level it when its set up.
1) As someone who has done a few playfields with auto clear I see no difference between them and a regular playfield. I would dispute "hardtop and clear coated" playfields are no different as several people have stated their experience mirrors mine. They are different.
2) I have played several hardtop games including one title that was freshly done with no expense spared and the ball had notable odd dynamics, particularly off the slings.
It was clearly not slapped together. Out of respect of the owner I have not mentioned what it was as they put considerable amount of time into it, brought it to a public event to be enjoyed and as far as I know are they are happy with it which is all the counts as they own it.
1 month later
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Alright, consider me 100% OUT on the "don't need to clearcoat" camp. This is now the second HT in a row I've had that's having issues pulling up in the middle (the last one was clearcoated). I still have one more mata hari to do after this one and I was considering doing a gorgar afterward that but I'm finding myself completely disinterested in even bothering now. Ugh.
Fwiw the batteries overnight didn't even get it pressed all the way back down (last two pics were this morning after removing the weight) I worry keeping them on there too long will warp the pf..
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
That is unfortunate.
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:It's not been a good run for me with these lately.
And yet, my High Speed (not clearcoated) continues to be great. I don't get it.
I was considering buying one for Nitro and testing.
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